with full beleefe so as to suffer wrath to arise against the person accused untill a man have well weighed the matter and given the man accused leave to use all the good wayes of clearing himselfe And by how much the fault is the greater wherewith any one is charged by so much easinesse to beleeve it and an over-speedy intertaining of the accusation is more blame-worthy because it shewes lesse charity for a common imperfection is very likely to be found in the best men but we must see cause to suspect him of great naughtinesse concerning whom we beleeve a grievous accusation It was Sauls fault also to be open eared unto false accusers indeed the consideration of the person accusing a wife her manner of doing it in such a bold and withall subtill fashion faigning her selfe to be so vexed at the indignity that her servant should offer such a thing to her and then the sight of his coat in her hand left there as others that came in at her cry would witnesse just upon his going out All these mitigated his fault but did not wholly excuse it for hee should have considered how faithfull Ioseph had shew'd himselfe and how vertuous and should not have conceived that he would so soone have turned so desperately evill as to have offered violence to his mistris Be you therefore humbled if any of you have beleeved and beene angry with and punished so much as you could another for a fault wherewith he was wrongfully burdened if the end or issue make it appeare the party was innocent though the person accusing and manner of accusing may extenuate the fault of your credulity yet it cannot utterly take it away And now learne to use both eares afore you credit a report or accusation against any whose course hath beene vertuous and commendable though it come even from a wife or person very neere Indeed a man whose knowne evill carriage doth give it selfe for a very probable argument of his guiltinesse hath no wrong if a probable though not all out true narration be beleeved against him but it is a great fault to credit a lewd tale against a Ioseph Search thorougly into such accusers and accusations and be not angry at first for that will hinder a man from being indifferent in searching out the truth of the matter You see Potiphers faults see his good deedes First hee marked the Faithfulnesse of his servant and his good successe in all things and accordingly both loved trusted and preferred him in his house It is a point of wisdome in any man to shew due love and respect to a faithfull and prosperous servant as after the Governour of the prison did and as Laban did before To see this is a point of discretion but to like and reward it adds justice to discretion vertue would be noted in the meanest condition and where it is seene it is worthy to be honoured especially in a servant by whose vertues a mans estate is so greatly furthered It is a wrong to ones selfe and to all masters not to cherish good behaviour by shewing good liking and giving good reward Therefore God commanded the masters to impart to their servants when they set them free some good part of the substance wherewith God had blessed them under their labours And Salomon saith that as hee that tendeth the fig-tree shall eate of its fruits so hee that attendeth on his master shall come to honour It is a shame for the fig-tree if the gardener doe not fare the better for it and an arrant shame for the master if a diligent servant reape not benefit from him If any of you masters have beene barren fig-trees to your faithfull servants confesse it to be a fault of unjustice and a kind of ingratitude a fruit of niggardize and selfe-love and a just cause to provoke God to give you such wicked servants as may become a plague to such sorry and pinching masters The Holy Ghost bids us doe to servants that which is just and equall and to recompence a man well for his paines and fidelity is a point of equity Hee that will not requite a servant doth but seeke himselfe not exercise vertue if hee seeme ready to requite his equals and superiours he would be as slâ—cke towards them as to his servants if he did not either feare some losse or expect some gaine from them learne of Christ to be good masters nay learne of Potiphar And if any of you have beene so much favoured by the divine providence as to be provided of these houshould instruments good and faithfull and every way vertuous let them afford them all encouragements by all good usage You know how much it concernes an Artificer to get a good and strong and fit toole no lesse needfull is a prudent diligent and trusty servant Consider now that which Potiphar could not consider that in Iesus Christ there is neither bond nor free the meaning is that Christ will not respect men more or lesse in respect of grace or salvation because of their being masters or bond-men therefore seeing God will reward a servants graces why should not masters reward their paines Nothing but worldly-mindednesse will oppose this exhortation and none but very worldly minded men will neglect it Another thing to be liked in him is that he did but imprison Ioseph and not take away his life in a rage considering what was the crime and who the accuser It is a good thing even in unjust punishing yet to observe some moderation so as not to proceed to capitall blowes till time of respight have beene taken to take more thorough notice of the matter And it is probable that Potiphar had a little kind of pacification towards Ioseph because he proceeded not after to greater severity Learne you to put some time betwixt the accusing and utmost punishing that truth may have leasure to cleare it selfe and see how monstrously cruell many of ours be that will kill in a rage and not onely be angry for that for which their owne more sober thoughts would account even a blow to be an over-measure of punishment These are the faults and good deedes of Potiphar His benefits were very great but all temporall Hee had an honourable office about the King he had riches and prosperity in his outward estate and that in abundance Hee lighted upon a wise and faithfull and diligent servant who being his Steward ordered all his businesses so well that Gods blessing attended him in all things So he had dignity and wealth and an excellent steward You see that these common benefits are cast upon Heathen men and therefore be exhorted not to set your hearts upon them nor to satisfie yourselves in them but to seeke the Kingdome of God and its righteousnesse and to esteeme of these things but as the vantage not the principall bargaine as most times men doe And seeing the having of these things doth not difference you
shew of disgrace for worldlinesse Why should not we be followers of Abraham his vertues Why should we use meanes to get wealth joyned with apparent reproach such as would set the mouthes of all men on talking against us more then this fact would have filled the mouth of Chedarlaomer with talke against Abraham O what a businesse of minde is this newes and how doth it shew our inordinate affection to riches more then to a good name which yet is to be preferred above all treasures if we would hearken to Salomon I conclude that we must shew our true magnanimity by sleighting great abundance of outward things so as that no man might ever have cause to grudge against us that these riches which should have beene his if all things had beene fairely carried have made us rich especially let no man grow rich by taking forfeitures of poore men it is worse to use extremity to a meane person then to a great Now consider this worthy mans carriage to the Cananites inhabitants of the land in which he was a stranger First for the Countrie it selfe then for the persons that dwelt in it For the Countrey Abraham made it much the better for him by two things wood and water very necessary things for the life of man For hee planted groves and hee digged wells againe which had beene digged in the daies of his Father As concerning those groves it is conjectured that they might be for religious use because it is said there he called on the name of God but the word here used is not the same under which such groves for religious use are after forbidden therefore more like it is that here alone was intended civill use and sure it is a good thing to plant wood for the benefit of mankind after our selves be dead A man would have thought what should a stranger trouble himselfe to make a grove He is likely to depart from the place soone and then he cannot carry his trees with him but this did not discourage Abraham he knew that some man might enjoy it if himselfe did not Indeed for wells and water the profit redounded to himselfe presently as well as to others for the future Now learne of him to be common Benefactors by helping to store the world with wood and water-springs and other like things the use of which shall redound to many as well as to your selves Especially the care of planting woods should be commended unto you our age destroies that necessary provision All cut downe none plant for another age wood is usefull for shade for timber for fewell it is one of the things wee cannot want it is one of the things that if it be discreetely done will quit the cost that it requireth The tree after a little time will grow without any labour of expence bestowed about it it will pay for its standing if you set your hedge-rowes with trees they would grow as well as thornes If here and there at convenient distance trees were planted especially timber trees the grasse would not be much the lesse But I am not a husband-man good enough to commend these particulars to you Let mee commend the thing in generall Order things for the common benefit and shew your selves lovers of mankinde be not all for your selves and for the present Now to the persons generally he shewes curtesie that is a carriage savouring of lowlinesse and good esteeme together with love and good will unto the Hittites when he came unto them about the matter of a field of buriall for Sarah Gen. 23.7 Hee stood up and bowed himselfe the word is the same that is in other places translated worshipped meaning he bowed his body with his face downeward in testimony of honour and respect and afterwards verse 12. Hee bowed downe himselfe before the people of the Land You see lowly and respective carriage in this worthy servant of God We ought to carrie our selves courteously to all men Honour all men saith S. Peter he meanes it of this kinde of respective behaviour of body This is a meanes to shew love and to beget love and to increase love and to keep out jarres and discontents as a sower and hautie and sullen dogged carriage doth proclaime contempt or hatred or both and so causeth jarres and fallings out and dislikes and increaseth them if they have beene begun Those therefore that be of a haughty carriage or rude and boysterous behaviour not knowing how to give due salutations or complements of courtesie are to be blamed as men that doe not alone want education but charity and humility for if those graces did rule in the heart though they could not prompt a man to a kinde of artificiall demonstration of them yet they would some way infuse themselves into the carriage and make it gentle and amiable Therefore let your carriage be faire and kinde and sweete bow bend salute use cap knees all such things as either nature or custome maketh to be as it were badges and professions of humble love and serviceablenesse of a not too much preferring your selves above others and under-valewing them in comparison of your selves accustome your selves unto and use them for conscience sake that they may savour of piety in the estimation of God who can see piety in such things and so they may be more then morrall vertues even spirituall actions and fruits of Sanctification Onely I beseech you to take heed of causing your courtesie to be meere complement and of being the more crafty by how much you seeme more courteous and of ushering in some naughtinesse by a goodly and lowly carriage of your selves If such vertues be corrupted and that there be nothing in them but the meere out-side the more loathsome to God and at length also to man Particularly see how he carrieth himselfe to Hephron the Hittite with whom he bargained for a field of buriall He deales plainely and squarely with him Ephron offered to give it him freely he would none A wealthy man should not be apt to receive a thing of gift it would be a signe of covetousnesse and of an having disposition Then he asketh the price and saith that hee will give as much as it is worth I will give thee saith hee the money of the field that is what it is worth and Ephron answers t is worth 400 shekels A common shekell is thought to be worth 1 s. 3d. of our money so 400 shekels is 25 lb. and then Abraham weighes him the money of silver currant with the Merchants Abraham in a bargaine of 25 lb. doth not stand halfe-perthing and first bids 15 then 17 then 20 then 22 then 24 then 25 as a number of base niggardly minded men would have done but when he saw it to be worth the money at a word he payes it and when Ephron saw Abraham desirous of this land he doth not aske 40 or 35 or 30 or 32 but at one word tells him so much it
yea it doth appeare often that riches are laid up for the owners thereof for hurt And these be the benefits temporall which Abraham had for himselfe a good wife good children in their kinde and one religious good servants good friends good name good favour and great wealth to which add one particular benefit a great and famous victory over foure great and conquering Kings as the Holy Ghost telleth us Gen. 14.15 he pursued them he divided himselfe against them he and his servants by night and smote them and pursued them to Hobah and brought backe all the goods and Lot his brother and his goods and the women and his people An absolute victory was obtained by Abrahams wisedome and valour God gave him the wisdome God gave him the valour God gave him the successe The Prophet Esay sets forth Gods goodnesse to Abraham in generall as a sure argument that God will shew the like mercies to his people in after times bidding them looke unto Abraham and Sarah and saying Isa 51.2 I called him I blessed him and increased him and 41.2 3. He setteth forth this very benefit in magnificall phrases saying who raised up the righteous man from the East called him to his foot gave the nations before him and made him rule over Kings gave them as dust to his sword as driven stubble to his bow hee pursued them and passed safely by the way that he had not gone with his feete God would have his people take notice of this mercy in saving Abraham and making him victorious to assure them of his like love in defending them and giving them victory over all their enemies even the whole Church and each particular member thereof He that sheltered Abraham was with him gave Kings before him shall not he declare his love as much in future ages to his people Surely he is the same for ever Let this comfort us against all those that rise up against us But what did God for others for Abrahams sake First he blessed Lot the more for Abrahams sake and as it is noted Lot that went with Abraham had heards and after when God destroyed Sodome he thought of Abraham and delivered Lot also So God for a good mans sake will blesse and helpe even his friends and well-willers and those that belong to him shall be much the better for him according to the promise that he had made saying I will blesse them that blesse thee And for Abrahams children he blessed Isaac and gave him great outward things yea gave him also grace and made him heire of the Covenant and continued the Church in his house giving him a sonne in the life time of Abraham For Abraham had Isaac at a hundred and lived 175 yeares and Isaac married at forty and had Esau and Iacob at sixty so Abraham lived to see those two sonnes about five yeares old and gave outward things to Ishmael and abundance to him that Princes came of him in likelihood during Abrahams life time and he sent away his sonnes by Keturah with great riches and you know that even after Abrahams death God honoured him still by calling him his friend in many places and for his sake did great things for his sonnes after him in many generations Thus you see how worth the while it is to serve feare and obey God what abundant blessings he grants what honour and same even after death though all Gods people have not all these outward things in like manner bestowed upon them yet they have that which is sufficient for them and those that finde their friends and children happy in outward respects must observe Gods hand to be thankfull Yea we must all take notice of Gods like dealing with many of his people whose posterity flourish when they be dead some in goodnesse as well as goods and some at least in earthly respects and leave a good name behinde them so that many yeares after their decease their names are honourably mentioned and all men count them good and faithfull servants of God The name of the righteous is had in everlasting remembrance whilst they live and when they die God shewes himselfe gratious and bountifull to them even in temporall blessings oftentimes as well as spirituall But if any want these outward benefits they must consider of themselves whether their sinnes doe not deprive them thereof For sometimes such mercies are denied to Gods people to chastize and keepe downe and roote up some vices in them David was crossed in his children to correct his fondnesse and to chastize his adultery and murder Salomons posterity was brought low to chastize his Idolatry If in outward things the Lord seeme carelesse of his people they might easily finde by searching that some evill carriage of theirs hath caused him to chastize them in this life that by being brought to repentance they might not be destroyed and perish in another world and so much for these temporall benefits Now for spirituall blessings the first was that God called him out of his Countrey and Fathers house from the Idols of his Fathers house for they served false gods there Iosh 24.2 and acquainted him with himselfe the onely true God No greater blessing can befall a man here then to be called from a false religion to the true religion so that his heart be inclined also to the practise of the true religion and that he be effectually sanctified as was Abraham Wee must looke that wee have this mercy of effectuall calling Indeed from Idols and such kinde of false gods wee are called or rather we have beene kept from following them at all but ah are we called to walke before God in holinesse and righteousnesse not alone turning from darkenesse to light from a false religion to the true but from the power of Satan unto God that is from serving the Divell in a wicked life to serve God in an holy life If we be not so called we are not sonnes of Abraham and outward blessings will doe us little good If we be then wee have cause to rejoyce before the Lord our God with exceeding great joy for he that is so called happie is he This is a mercy of mercies to be a Saint by calling one whom God hath so wrought upon by his Spirit that his outward call hath wonne him from the state of corruption to the state of grace And if any finde not himselfe so called or finde it doubtfull to himselfe whether he have beene so called yea or not let him earnestly seeke to God for it and if wee would know whether we be called yea or not compare our selves with Abrahams Call Gen. 12.1 God had said meaning before his Fathers death before he dwelt in Charran saith Steven for though because Terah was the Father the departure is ascribed to him yet God gave the call first to Abraham and he acquainted his Father with it and so his Father went out and he with
too If when we reade of this worke of his grace to others we praise him for it he will graunt it to us as well as to them The Lord is able to make any other man or woeman godly as well as Sarah Shee had as bad a nature and as unable to make her selfe good as wee have for she also was a daughter of Adam Therefore if you find your selves yet not to be indued with faith and holinesse take notice of these wants and goe to the throne of grace for grace beseeching the Lord to fulfill his covenant to you in giving you his Spirit to make you his children and it shall be unto you according to your constant and humble supplications And those whom God hath beene pleased to deale so graciously with let them heartily and constantly praise him labouring to make all crosses seeme nothing to them in comparison of this benefit Say though I bee poore despised afflicted yet God hath given mee some faith and some holinesse and begun to sanctifie and will preserve me in this estate to life eternall What cause have I to be discouraged at crosses to make one truely godly though they be not without their faults is the worthiest of all mercies In Heaven the Saints rejoyce in God and are not interrupted in his service by remembrance of former afflictions we one earth should labour so to be glad in hope of that eternall weight of glory that neither feeling of present miseries nor feare of future should much hinder us therein Secondly Sarah had a godly husband and did partake with him of his riches honours credit and all the good things which hee enjoyed This is a great favour to a wife if she be married to a good and holy man and a man also of convenient estate and good esteeme that she may be comforted by his goodnesse shewing it selfe in good carriage towards him and may taste the sweetnesse of his good and of his credit To have an yoake-fellow that can patiently beare with ones wants that is diligent and trusty and so provideth for his family that nothing is wanting to her selfe and family that lives in so good repute as she for his sake is better respected in a word such a one as is a comfort and credit to her a saviour of his body as indeed the husband should be is a singular benefit She hath a great blessing that hath such a husband and must not forget to be much and often thankfull yea though in some things he may be faulty to the hurting and hazarding and bringing crosses both upon himselfe and her as twice Abraham did though an excellent man Take notice of his favour and learne to be carefull in doing your duties so much the rather because your husbands be vertuous But next she had Isaac at length if God give a woman children and good children godly and holy partakers of the blessing of God in their soules that is a benefit to the wife as well as to the husband She shall have joy of such a child as well as hee both the parents of righteous children shall have joy of them Let woemen as well as men acknowledge this mercy wee see that those which are crossed in children are much troubled at it should not those whom God doth free from that little crosse giving them the contrary mercy learne to praise and rejoyce in him for it But further God did vouchsafe to deliver her twice out of that miserie into which twice she had cast her selfe by her owne fault If any one by their owne unbeleefe carnall feares or other evill behaviour have thrust themselves into the brambles and God by his speciall providence and care hath granted them an happy issue and escape they must even admire and applaud Gods goodnesse that hath so undeservedly pittied them and passing by their faults hath carried himselfe fatherly to them Sarah by saying I am Abrahams sister procured that she was taken by Pharaoh to be his wife God hindered Pharaoh from comming neere her and after by a dreame warned him of the matter and so hee dismissed Sarah untouched After she offended in like manner againe and againe the Lord in like manner delivered her what a graciousnesse of God was this She knew not in the world what to doe she had intangled her selfe in a snare and could not get out now God hee sets in hee breaketh the snare and sets her at liberty Without doubt Sarah and Abraham both were exceeding glad of this escape and praised God for it If by the meere providence of God without any fault of our hand miseries breake in upon us and then we crie to God and be rescued we have cause to acknowledge it as a great favour How much more then when he drawes us out of the evills into the which we have sinnefully thrust our owne selves sending some such meanes of helpe as we could never conceive of or procure to our selves Call to mind such deliverances to praise God with great fervency and humility for them and learne both to trust upon his goodnesse after the more stedfastly especially if more then once wee have thus insnared our selves and more then once the Lord hath pittied us and helped us we must never cease wondering at his goodnesse resolving also to take heed of ever provoking him by like folly for he that can open the doore of danger when we our selves by seeking sinnefully to escape some other evill have locked it upon our selves can surely yea and will keepe us if we doe cast our selves upon him and refuse to take up sinnefull and unlawfull shifts Could not the Lord have found a good and holy way of saving Abrahams life and Sarahs chastitie of restraining the cruelty of these men as well as their wantonnesse If God can helpe out of reall and present danger beyond our hopes he can surely keepe us out of feared and imaginary dangers aboue our thoughts And if any of Gods people have wound themselves into crosses they must not be dismayed from seeking to God for helpe by aggravating their crosses with this thought O foolish and sinnefull man I have pulled it upon my selfe by my folly how can I expect helpe from him but most humbly acknowledge their owne folly and yet take boldnes to sue to him for mercy both to pardon and to helpe them These be the speciall benefits given to Sarah Now her crosses must be considered First She was barren a long time this was a crosse to her no doubt because of her earnest desire to have childeren and because as I said of Abraham the hope of her salvation did hang upon the fruit of her wombe Barrennesse is such a crosse you see as hath befallen a godly woeman Let them therefore that are exercised with it learne to beare it with patience and labour to get hearts so much more fruitfull of good workes that such spirituall fruitfulnesse may make amends for the want of the
it shall be easier with the Sodomites then the Capernaites at the day of judgement so shall it be for the servants of profanest Masters then for you that serve good and holy Masters and Mistresses Secondly Hagar had the favour of her Mistresse very much else you may assure your selves that shee would never have made her a Concubine to her husband neither would Abraham have taken her to be Concubine wife if hee had not thought some good of her This therefore was a benefit to her that she was well reputed of both by Abraham and Sarah both the Governours of the family were well affected unto Hagar and this is a great comfort unto a servant that their Rulers entertaine them with good liking approoving well of them and of their services for by that meanes they be made capable of enjoying much comfort in their lives and of receiving such curtesies and rewards from their Governours as they be capable of and of escaping much hard usage which else they should likely feele This should teach all servants to doe their uttermost indeavour that they may to winne the love of their Governours by submissivenesse and obedience performing the commandement of the Apostle who commandeth to doe service with good will and to please them well in all things and to serve with feare and to doe the will of God from the heart remembring that they serve the Lord Christ and if God will as he hath promised give them reward of inheritance he will much more cause the hearts of their Governours to favour and accept them Thus Ioseph gat his Masters good will and was great in his house this is the right way to procure favour take this course and God shall be with you but put away farre from you all crossing and thwarting and idlenesse and eye-service and answering againe and the like evill carriages which will alienate your Rulers hearts from you and make you seeme hatefull to them and if any of you doe not finde your Governours good liking take heed that your own naughty behaviour have not beene the cause of it And if you have it take heed of abusing it to wrong both them and your selves and all you Governours learne to shew favour to your servants unlesse their sinfullnesse hinder it For the favour of a King shall be to a good servant saith Salomon and hee that waiteth on his Master shall be promoted to honour as he that tendeth a figtree shall eate of the fruit of it Furthermore Hagar received great mercies from God for he gave her to conceive by Abraham and when she ran away met with her and directed her to goe backe againe which shee acknowledged with great thankes for he gave her also a heart to goe backe and submit to her Mistresse This is a great favour of God if he finde us in our out-strayings and give us both direction and will to come into the right way againe Pray to God that he would thus guide you and not suffer you to continue and perish in your out-strayings Another mercy of God to Hagar was that shee had Ishmael and a promise that God would be with him and blesse him and make him a great man and that he made Ishmael after dutifull to her for he was guided by her in taking a wife which she had chosen for him If children have not grace yet if they prosper in the world and yeeld themselves dutifully to their Parents to be guided by them they must acknowledge it as a great favour from Heaven Againe it was a speciall goodnesse of God to her that when shee wandred in the wildernesse and the water was spent and her sonne was ready to die for thirst God pitied both him and her and shewed her a Well whereby shee gat water to give him and promised to blesse him and so he revived and lived and prospered All these favours Hagar had Consider what crosses she felt for some bitter things she met withall as well as these comfortable and pleasing things First the hard usage of Sarah was tedious to her and so much the more tedious by how much she was more guilty of pulling it on her selfe by her disobedience stubbornenesse rude and contemptuous carriage All you that be servants if you finde your Governours sharp and rigorous consider with your selves whether your irreverent and disobedient behaviour have nor provoked them against you and exposed you to this affliction and if so humble your selves before God first and after to them But if any have escaped this crosse let them blesse the name of God that hath kept them from stubborne and undutifull courses and given their governours wisedome and meekenesse not to be sharpe as some governours be without just cause Now another crosse to Hagar was this that she and her sonne were both sent out of Abrahams family in such a poore and ill provided manner as the story telleth us This is a misery very heavy to beare to be cast out of ones countrey and place of habitation where they lived comfortably and forced to want all those benefits being deprived of them all at once Wherefore take heed least by abusing these kinde of benefits you provoke not the Lord to cast you out of the Church or out of your houses and dwellings but make you a good use of such mercies that they may be continued to you and learne if such a crosse should befall you yet not to be disheartned and discouraged but to humble your selves before God knowing that in such extremity the Lord is ready to helpe and succour you The last crosse of Hagars was that she saw her sonne Ishmael spent with thirst and ready to die and she was utterly destitute of all meanes to helpe him not being able farther to ease him or her selfe but by getting out of sight and hearing and sitting downe to weepe and mourne This is a lamentable heart-breaking to a Parent if they be destitute of things needfull for this life whether by occasion of travell wandring out of the way or of penury and necessity at home How most heavie a heart hath a Father or Mother if they see their children ready to be famished through hunger and have no bread to breake unto them or are almost choaked through thirst and have no drink to bestow upon them neither know what to doe for them but to conveigh themselves out of sight and sitting downe to empty their griefes in teares This is a misery that God sent upon the Parents of Ierusalem by reason of famine and scarcity their children sowned in the streetes and no man could supply them with bread Lament 4.4 Wee must learne to blesse the name of God most heartily that hath freed us from this misery and hath not caused us to behold such a lamentable sight by one occasion or other but hath given us abundance of things necessary yea if he have not furnished us with great
sorrow for sinne And let those children that are yet unmarried take heed of intangling their affections without the privity of Parents or of seeking to draw the affections of one another untill such consent have gone before for feare they make this duty very difficult unto them or thrust themselves out of the way of duty and obedience by their headstrong passions So much of Ishmaels good deeds now of his bad First at some 15. or 16. yeares he mocked Isaac this mocking was a degree of persecution and a fault in him I cannot conceive that he did it out of any dislike of Isaacs piety who being but a new weaned childe could not discover any piety unto him at least any such act of piety as should stirre up disdaine and derision but seeing such a great gladnesse and a merry feast at the weaning of Isaac he made a sport of him as it were disdaining that Isaac should seeme to thrust him out of the inheritance Now it is a great sinne to mocke any one out of envy and scorne that they should be preferred before them Mocking shewes a great deale of pride in him that useth it nothing but overvaluing of our selves makes us undervalew others Mocking is a tedious thing to suffer the good esteeme wee have of our selves and those that are neere unto us makes the contrary carriage of others unsufferable therefore is mocking a great offence Take heed I pray you of using it toward your bretheren or neighbours It is an act that tendeth strongly to provoke and we must not provoke one another It is then most loathsome when it comes from envy and malice make not a may game at your bretheren floute them not breake not jests upon them this jesting is that which S. Paul forbids especially laugh not at their miseries and at their sinnes but most of all mocke not at them for well doing Mocking is any carriage by which a man expresseth his contempt of another and seekes to make him also contemptible and despicable unto others He that can set light by a man for goodnesse sake which should procure honour how blind a minde how perverse a judgement hath he Be penitent if your folly have carried you to such a sinne and now bridle your selves from such ill carriage hath not God shewed his dislike of it sufficiently by punishing it in Ishmael with banishment out of Abrahams house Another fault of Ishmael is that which was foretold of him that he was a wilde man a kind of Asse-colt that would not be subject to any almost nor ruled by any This is a grievous fault indeed when he that hath the face shape and faculties of a man and should have wisedome to submit himselfe to such as have authority over him will yet know no governour submit to no authority be kept within no boundes but leape over hedge and ditch as it were and runne about after his owne fancy and live as he lists himselfe that is to say will evertake upon him the qualities of a wild Asse-colt to man-ward will never carry himselfe as a sheepe dutifully to God-ward Beware of being such wild fellowes that now follow their owne humours and care not what trickes they play not heeding any admonition or any reason If any of you have shewed your selves such formerly bewaile it before God pray him to pardon you pray him to turne you by shewing you your sinnes and miserable estate by nature and pray him to make you at length to learne to take the yoake of obedience and cast of all wilde courses live like men not like wilde Asses The wilde Asse runnes up and downe in the wildernesse and will not be led nor driven but will be where her fancy carryes her Be not you such but let the directions and admonitions of your parents and governours like bounds keepe you within compasse He that will live wildly shall surely procure a world of miseries to himselfe at last hardship shall tame him whom nothing else will tame or else at the end of his wilde race he shall stake himselfe as it were upon the vengeance of God and eternall death Yet another fault Every mans hand was against him and his against every man The meaning is he was a quarrelsome fellow still brawling and falling out one that would easily take and give matter of strife and debate apt to speake and doe that which would give distaste to others and apt to distaste the things that others said and did to him so as to make it the matter of a fray or grudge or both This is the fault that is described in these words Now a sore sinne it is that makes a man troublesome to himselfe and all his neighbours and causeth his life to be like the life of a Cocke of the game that is still bloudy with the bloud of others and himselfe I pray you examine your selves whether you be not such froward contentious men still in suite in contestation in opposition with some or other that will take no shew of wrong but will doe enough that cannot long keepe out of some brabling matter If it be a legall kind of quarrelling it is a signe of much folly much pride or both much more if it be a kind of martiall quarrelling that tends to stroakes and bloudshed Repent repent of this evill humour and seeke to God to give you a meeke and quiet spirit able to beare and forbeare able to shew kindnesse and to passe by unkindnesse for surely it is a kind of diabolicall life to live so unquietly and it will cause Gods hand to be stretched out against him whose hand is against every body And these are Ishmaels faults Now his benefits are First deliverance from two great dangers one before hee was borne when his mother was taking a course to undoe both her selfe and him God was so favourable to both as to meete her in the way and turne her backe from her wandering that returning home againe Ishmael might be borne in Abrahams house and by him brought up in all good order till his 17. yeere or thereabouts A great benefit it was and the foundation of his future worldly greatnesse This mercy must be confessed if God have prevented danger from us whilest we were in our mothers wombes and it were fit that Parents should acquaint their children with such mercies that they might learne to inlarge their thankesgiving by mentioning of them also We cannot shew our selves too exact and diligent in reckoning with God for his benefits Secondly God himselfe vouchsafed to meete him againe when he was banished and to provide water for him and refresh him when he was now ready to die for thirst How great was Gods care of him that sent an Angell to open his Mothers eyes and cause her to see a Well neere hand which either griefe of minde or weakenesse of sight thorough faintnesse had disabled her from seeing or else made a Well for the
that tie their horses to the rack-staves and fill themselves with drink or victuals Then his last good deed is he makes hast about his businesse to tell it and set it a foot for he would not eate till he had done his errand and then he effects his businesse fully for he rose up betimes in the morning and would not stay one day but with all speed returnes to let his Master see his good successe O that you servants would all be such servants faithfull diligent in your Masters affaires religious devout prayerfull thankfull on all occasions and carefull of the beasts and other goods committed to your charge and returne home when your businesse is dispatched Now faults in him the Lord shewes none as I said before for the cause then mentioned Benefits he had foure very great 1. That God gave him a godly Master 2. That God gave him favour in his eyes so that he trusted him with all he had 3. That God made him a true Christian for bond and free are all one to God And lastly that he prospered him and brought him safe and with good successe to his Masters house You that be servants pray for these blessings Beseech God to make you his free men and if God grant you favour and good successe in your journeys learne to be very thankfull for it And for his crosse it was this he was a servant to be a bond-man is a lesse desireable condition as Paul intreateth saying if thou maist be free use it rather but it is an easie crosse if a man can meete with so godly a Master and be accepted with him hence S. Paul saith care not for it you that must live by service grumble not at this crosse For your service is not a bondage for life but alone as apprentices for a certaine time or as hired servants from yeere to yeere murmure not at the meanenesse of your estate but frame as this man to be faithfull and godly and you may live as happily here and get as much glory in Heaven hereafter as your Masters * ⎠* THE ELVENTH EXAMPLE OF LOT his VVife and Daughters AFter the Example of Abraham and his Family wee come to those that lived in the same Age with him particular persons and whole Cities and peoples Among particular persons I will begin with Lot and then speake a word of his wife and daughters For himselfe when and of what Mother he was borne it is not recorded but wee have notice of his Father who was Haran the brother of Abraham who died before his Father in the Countrey of Mesopotamia The death of Lot is also concealed in Scripture so that we cannot acquaint you when he ended his daies nor where But in his life we must observe what good is found in him and what evill and secondly what things he met withall in his life both good and bad First for his goodnesse in generall he hath the testimony of the Holy Ghost by the pen of S. Peter that he was a righteous man It is said there that God delivered just Lot as also that righteous man dwelling amongst them vexed his righteous soule This is proofe enough of his goodnesse and it was necessary for the cleering of his name that the New Testament should testifie of his righteousnesse because the narration of his life in the old leaves him in such a case as would make the Reader afraid least hee had quite falne away from all goodnesse but Peters testimony is proofe enough that the committing of that great sinne did not take him of from the number of the righteous No sinne is so great but repentance wipeth it so cleane away that the offender is righteous and must be so esteemed notwithstanding the grievousnesse of his crime Now let each of us labour to get true righteousnesse that though this title be not bestowed upon him by the undeceivable pen of some Author of holy Writ yet hee may heare it pronounced by our blessed Saviour at the last day when standing on the right hand he may be blessed with the blessing of the righteous And let me be bold to turne my speech unto you that have beene and are the grievousest sinners If you lament your unrighteousnesse rest on Christs righteousnesse and hereafter studie righteousnesse in your lives you shall enjoy the happinesse of righteous men at last There is a seeming righteousnesse a meere Pharisaicall paint when a man carries himselfe blamelesly to men ward at least in respect of the grosser acts of evill This will save no man at the last nor comfort him in time of temptation there is a true and reall righteousnesse which will undoubtedly save them which can be so happie as to get it and of this true righteousnesse there are two sorts one of the Law it standeth in a perfect conformity of heart and life unto the exact rule of Gods Law And if there had beene a Law given which could have given life doubtlesse righteousnesse should have beene by the Law but now the Scripture hath concluded all under sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ may be given to them that beleeve So now we must have a righteousnesse by promise that is by the Gospell for that of the Law is too high for us And the righteousnesse of the Gospell is twofold one without us performed by our blessed Saviour for us as a surety paies the debt for the debters use and benefit by which we stand just before God and have our sinnes pardoned and are accepted to salvation When we have so seene our own misery as to goe quite out of our selves and rest alone upon Christ for all good things according to the promise The other is within us it is a gift bestowed upon and wrought in us by the Spirit of God alwaies and inseparably joyned with the former by which we are manifested to our selves and to others to be just and it standeth in a true desire and indeavour to know and leave every sinne forbidden by God and to know and doe all good workes required so that we still continue to humble our selves for our failings and to seeke unto God for pardon and helpe in and by Christ and his Spirit This righteousnesse of faith which denominates him in whom it is righteous you must all get else you shall never attaine eternall life It is a thing appointed of God in such perfection of goodnesse and wisdome that it cannot be found in any Hypocrite seeme he never so good and will surely be found in any upright hearted man be he never so weake never leave striving till you have gotten it and gotten certaine knowledge that you have it Dost thou in thy heart see and acknowledge thy selfe to be a cursed sinner by reason of thy corrupt nature that is derived to thee from Adams loynes and thy wicked life whereby thou thy selfe hast actually
provocation to him How many miseries might wee escape by so speedy an observation of Gods hand and purpose and a ready yeeldance to him Pray we to God to give us such a quicke sight such a stooping disposition He that gave it to an Heathen man will much more give it to a Christian And if any of you have beene stoute against God Pharaoh-like let him abhorre himselfe that hath shewed lesse piety then this Pharaoh did It is a proofe of some softnesse of heart to be driven from sin even by great plagues Another vertue in him was that he used Abraham kindly for his sisters sake so was she reputed then and by that meanes he grew in riches abundantly Favourable dealing with a man for his friends sake especially for a faire sister a kinswomans sake is a kinde of bastard curtesie and may befall a man given to lust yea many times the kindnesse of such is more wonne by such a motive then by any better deservings Let us doe the same thing but on better grounds let the beauty of vertue make us esteeme and countenance those that shew it more then a beautifull Sister or Kinswoman but better be loving to a good man even upon such a sinister respect then not at all to be courteous to him Another thing wherein this man dealed well was that he dealt not over harshly with Abraham but lets him goe without offering injury unto him in anything hee had He doth not take his life from him as Abraham feared he would have done nay nor his servants nor his goods nor any part of them but takes order for his safe passage and conduct out of his Countrey Let us at least so moderate our anger that if it draw us to a little unkindnesse and sourenesse of carriage which is one degree of revenge yet it may not cause us to leape over the pale of justice and to use unrighteousnesse and cruelty against those from whom we have received injury So Pharaoh was not so farre transported with anger though perhaps he might have beene able to have done it and it may seeme at first sight that he had cause of doing so But it seemeth that the sence of Gods great plagues had made him begin to see that God was a deare friend of Abrahams and that he should have incurred further wrath for wronging him in other things wittily whose injuries God did prosecure so severely even when it was done ignorantly and unwittingly We ought to have more feare of God before us then any King of Egypt Deale justly therefore let men goe from us with all they have make not bold to wreake your teeme on any man by sending him away without his owne But it is to be noted that God plagued Pharaoh for his doing hurt to Abraham though beyond his knowledge even with great plagues you see that sometimes unwitting sinnes make God very angry with men when done against his deare and faithfull servants in things neere and deare unto them for he is a Father to them and full of compassion and pittieth their case when they sigh and mourne before him O with how much heavier evills will he plague them who wittingly and of set purpose doe wrong them How shall his anger burne against presumptuous and wilfull sinners when such heate ariseth upon occasion of sinnes of meere ignorance Take you heed of causing his wrath to arise against you for such crimes sure his sword will cut of for such faultes if it wound and cut deepe for the farre lesser And againe see that even plagues sometimes are sent to doe a man more good then hurt even to keepe a man from such sinnes as but for them he would have committed and to make him see and leave those which he did live in before and not observe It was a benefit to Pharaoh that he was so scourged I conceive that this Pharaoh was not a man sanctified for then God would have warned him by dreame or some other way as hee did Abâ—melech rather then by severity of plagues but it is a kind of favour to any man to be kept from sin even by heavy plagues Surely the Lord will doe as much for his owne people as for the Egyptians rather drive them out of their sins by sharpnesse of blowes then that they shall live and die in them and perish Happy is that smart or paine that prevents a greater hurt The Lord had rather his people should suffer any thing then continue in sinne to their destruction their outward fame troubles him not so much as their inward wickednesse Therefore if you find by experience that Gods hand hath restrained you from much evill and your owne soules can say such and such a sin I should never have seene never have left if God had not by his scourges and blowes even forced me to open mine eyes and see them and to cast them away even as it were against my will be you thankfull to God for such chastisements learne to say as David It was good for me that I was afflicted that I might learne thy righteous judgements Will not men pay well for a plaister that hath a vertue to cure the sore though it put the member to smarting paine Surely he doth not hate sin according to its hatefulnesse that hath not learned to be glad of any affliction which keepeth him from sin or drawes him out of it And now if any of you doe lie under heavy plagues let him become an humble suiter to God to vouchsafe him as much goodnesse as he pleased to grant unto this Pharaoh even to shew him the cause for which he smiteth and to give him notice of his faults and power to reforme them we might hasten our deliverance out of calamities if we would turne them to this purpose * ⎠* THE THIRTEENTH EXAMPLE OF ABIMELECH ANother man is mentioned living in Abrahams time with whom also Abraham had occasion to converse Hee was a King ruling over a city called Gerar in the countrey of the Philistins In his countrey Abraham sojourned you have the story of him Gen. 20. 21. v. 22. ad finem Of his birth and death nothing is recorded But in his life we must observe First His fault Secondly His good deedes Thirdly His crosses Fourthly his Benefits One fault alone of his wee reade of viz. that he tooke Sarah to him minding to make her his wife we see him offending in the same kinde that Pharaoh King of Egypt was noted before to have offended in Hee was too too libidinous and over-taken with an inordinate affection to beauty Hee had wives enough before yet when one stranger singularly faire did come into his countrey he would needes take her to himselfe and that not so much by perswasion and intreaty as by violence and strong hand for so much seemeth to be signified by the word hee tooke her hee sent and tooke her hearing of a beautifull person and having
a fault committed by him especially if it be done out of weakenesse feare or the like distemper as to caf him off have no more to doe with him or the like but still to hope and thinke well of him especially if hee doe confesse his weaknesse as Abraham and to affoord any due courtesie and kindnesse to him over-harshnesse towards others for faults which we finde in them is a signe of uncharitablenesse and pride It shewes that we doe not duely perceive our owne faultinesse and aptnesse to some other as bad sinnes yea perhaps to the very same sinnes and that wee doe not beare a tender compassion to them because wee have not a right knowledge of our selves Compare the dealing of Pharaoh before observed and Abimelechs carriage here noted and what your consciences tell you was the more commendable and approveable that imitate I come to the last good deed of Abimelech He takes notice of Gods goodnesse to Abraham saying Chap. 21. ver 22. God is with the in all that thou dost and therefore accompanied with his principall Officer one Phicol goes and intreates Abraham to make a league of amity with him as you may reade in the Story and when Abraham told him of a well of water which was taken from him by his servants hee excuseth himselfe that he never knew of it before and so willingly restoreth the well and confesseth Abrahams right to it by taking the Ewe-lambs and consenting to name the well Beer sheba that is the well of an oath because they swore there each to other It is a good thing to observe the goodnesse of God so his people thereupon to think well of them and to desire to live in amity and peace with them Why should not wee have our eyes open to see Gods blessing going along with men and when wee see it why should wee not rather love them and wish their friendship then beare an evill eye towards them and maligne them It is a signe of some goodnesse to acknowledge that God is the Author of all good successe to mens affaires herein wee give him the honour of being the ruler of the world And it is a signe of some good will to men when their prosperous estate makes us rather like them and joyne friendship with them then stirreth up grudging and repining at them Surely Abimelechs carriage giveth us some probable grounds to conceive that himselfe was a holy man in that hee shewes some knowledge of God and good affection to so good a servant of God Let us goe a little further and strive to interest our selves into Gods blessing on the godly by following them in godlinesse But let his willing restitution of the Well which his servants had taken away by violence teach us also not to beare out the servants or people that are under our government in any unjust carriage of theirs yea rather so soone as wee come to the knowledge of their naughty carriage let us cause them to amend and to repaire the wrongs that they have done A mans servants faults must not bee imputed to him till it bee knowne whether hee be privie to them or not but if when hee is informed of them he be carelesse to see them amended now is himselfe as guilty of the sinne as his servants were before Thus you have the faults and vertues of Abimelech so farre as I could note them out of holy Writ Consider now what benefits God bestowed upon him First hee made him a King In those daies it is evident that Kings were not rulers over so large dominions as now they be of old the chiefest ruler over one or two Cities and the territories about it was a King as in the land of Canaan there were 31 Kings and the five Cities of the plaine of Sodome and the rest had each of them severall Kings and yet there were some Kings that raigned over whole Countries as the King of Egypt but in it selfe considered it is a favour of God to preferre a man unto the honour of a King as the Scripture prooveth in saying a diligent servant shall stand before Kings and not before those of the meaner sort If to be in favour and account with a King be a thing fit to be promised as a reward of diligence much more the enjoying of a Kingdome therefore God upbraides both Saul and David when he would sharpely reproove their sins that he had made them Kings over his people Israel for Kings have likely riches honour and authority by the two former of which they may partake of much comfort themselves and communicate much also to their friends and kindred by the latter they may bring much honour to God and much good also to men in establishing true religion and justice Now God hath not pleased to make any of you Kings but he hath made some of you richer and greater then others as I may say little petty Kings in your places Beware you pervert not this goodnesse of God by making your wealth and power a meanes of swelling your hearts with pride and imboldening you to wrong and oppresse others and furnishing you with instruments to serve your owne lusts for the such abuse of these benefits will turne them into poyson as it were to your soules and cause that they shall serve at length for the same purpose which S. Iames saith the rust of the rich mans treasure shall doe even to consume your flesh like fire and to bring upon you greater damnation in another world to be preferred before this more then an inheritance is before the lease of one alone yeere none shall suffer so much torment and unhappinesse as those that have played the untrusty subjects to God and made their high places a weapon to beare out their sinnes But take notice of God in your Eminency in this present world and labour to be so much more thankefull and obedient to God and serviceable and profitable to men and then shall preferrement here bee a meanes of inlarging your joyes hereafter too O happie is hee that shall be great in Heaven as well as on Earth by his well employing of his earthly greatnesse and you that cannot be great here yet strive to attaine a Kingdome and here too in a spirituall sence Labour to bee Kings over your selves in establishing the Kingdome of grace in your hearts that you may bee Kings hereafter and that in farre greater glory and happinesse then the greatest of all earthly Kings either did ever or ever could enjoy the meanest Christian may get the Kingdome of grace and of glory as well as a David or a Salomon Another benefit wee must observe the Lord by his providence kept him from committing that sinne which else hee would have committed but indeed of meere ignorance for his heart was upright with God so farre that if hee had knowne it hee would not have committed it So the Lord tels him therefore I kept thee
doth send them upon men in favour to prevent divers sinnes which else hee knowes they would have committed in that time if health had continued Let us not murmure against GOD because of such crosses but rather take notice of his goodnesse in the same especially in point of sicknesse if it linger upon us and thinke thus with our selves how many sinnes might I have runne into if this bodily feeblenesse had not kept mee within dores And when wee bee sicke or otherwise affected let us turne our thoughts round about us to finde out if any such thing be some sinne that wee should have runne into but for such prevention See if thine heart have not harboured some unconsidered fault and further the health of your bodies by turning sicknesse into purging physicke for your soules So have we finished the example of this King Somewhat about that time there lived foure Kings whose names are recorded in holy Writ but nothing at all for their praise Their names were 1. Amraphel King of Shinar that is as it is thought of Chaldea or Babilon where it may seeme that Nimrod erected a Monarchie and it may bee that this man was some successor of his or one of his Posterity and would needes inlarge his Monarchie so farre as the land of Canaan with whom was joyned Amoch King of Elkasar Chedarlomer King of Elam and one Tydall King of Nations What these Kings were or whether mentioned in Heathen Stories or not it matters not to enquire But here they are patternes of unjust violence in Warre They had the keener swords and therefore would make themselves Lords over other Kings and compell them by brunt of Warre to receive their yoke and acknowledge some Homage Nothing more usuall then for potent Kings to make at least unnecessary Warres for their growth in greatnesse many times they doe not so much as alleadge a shew of title but their owne ambition is the ground of their plea and sometimes they pretend most frivolous titles So doe they disquiet themselves and others and cause much innocent bloud to bee shed almost inforcing their Subjects to become wilfull murderers Wee must blesse God that hath caused us to live now a good time under peaceable Princes and must inforce our prayers to God begging the like mercy still The Conquering side is often more miserable by sinning then the conquered by slaughter or captivity But God doth use these great Cockes of the game as instruments of his Justice to punish the naughtinesse of those that abuse peace and become more wicked by so great a benefit Let us learne to take heede of wickednesse that the God of Heaven may not also make us a prey to violence and ambition And though you bee not Kings to whom I speake yet I pray you take heed that you runne not into the same fault that these Kings though not in so high a degree use not injustice and injuriousnesse and violence so much as your lower places will suffer a Weesell is a ravenous beast as well as a Lion But the maine sinne that these committed and which brought upon them their ruine was this that they would needs take Lot among the Sodomites Suppose the Sodomites did owe them Homage and gave just cause of quarrell yet was Lot no Sodomite nor Patron of their rebellion They should have spared him that never had beene their subject nor done them any wrong at all Indeed if Lot had gone to Warre against them and involved himselfe in the Sodomites evill cause if their cause were evill hee was justly taken captive with them but the briefe narration seemeth rather to intimate otherwise Chap. 14. verse 11 12. They tooke the substance of Sodome and their victuals and went their way and they tooke Lot also and his substance for hee dwelt in Sodome intimating as I said that hee was taken not in the battell but in the spoiling of the City afterward but you see what is the manner of insulting conquerours they sweepe away all they meete and every thing and person shall bee good bootie that lies within their reach but they smart for this spoile for hence was Abraham justly occasioned to put forth his courage for the reskue of his Kinsman and so were they deprived of the whole victory because they spared not a man whom they should have spared It often falleth out that one act of injustice looseth much that otherwise was justly gotten Beware of swallowing ill gotten wealth it hath a poysonfull operation and like some such evill simple in the stomacke will bring up the good foode together with ill humours It is said the King of Sodome had rebelled so intimating a kinde of justification of the Warre with him but it is not said that Lot had rebelled and therefore they should not have seized on him for the Sodomites sake Use justice and take nothing from any man that is due unto him neither punish any without right chiefely touch not a good man that feareth GOD unlesse his faults require that hee bee made to smart for them GOD can beare the carrying away Captive of many Sodomites rather then of one Lot Now consider how God humbleth these great and insolent Conquerours that carried all before them hee armes Abraham against them with so much wisedome and valour that hee sets upon them by night and discomfits them afore they could well tell who it was that fought with them So it falleth out often that God doth beate farre greater armies by the farre fewer Hee that feareth God and hath a just cause neede never bee discouraged from battell because his companies are but few The God of Warre whom the Scripture cals a man of Warre carries victory to that side where hee pleaseth to joyne and tell mee if hee have not most times given the greatest victories to his servants when their enemies power was such as farre surpassed theirs Some trust in bow and speare but hee that maketh mention of the name of God he is in best possibility to become a victor Take heed of making God your enemy that maketh one man to chase ten and ten to flie before one * ⎠* THE FOVRTEENTH EXAMPLE OF The Sodomites WEE are come along in Abrahams time to the Sodomites Concerning whom the Holy Ghost found nothing so much as like to any vertue which might be commended or imitated in them unlesse perhaps it may have a little relish of vertue that the King of Sodome after Abrahams victory over the foure Kings Gen 14.17 21. went out to meete Abraham and willed him to give unto him the persons and take the goods for a booty to his owne use There may seeme to be a small shadow of gratitude in that hee was willing that Abraham should enjoy the spoile but if wee consider the matter better this will shew it selfe to be rather a vice for first hee doth not so much as thanke Abraham for his hazard and paines in fighting with those
to offer his soone or of Isaac in yeelding up himselfe to be offered were greater for a man doth likely love his life as well as he loveth his childe Now Abraham subdued his love of his sonne unto God and Isaac subdued the love of his life to God both notable patternes of sincere obedience This example you reade in Gen. 22.9 when Abraham and Isaac came to the place which God had appointed Abraham built an Altar laid on the woode and stretched forth his hand and tooke the knife to slay his sonne Isaac at that time was of such an age that he might have resisted his Father being old or have got himselfe free by flight from him but he gave up himselfe into his Fathers hands or rather into God hand and yeelded his throate to the stroake of the sacrificing knife Hereby it is apparent that he began to feare God betime in that he would not withhold himselfe from God as his Father did not withhold his sonne O that we could approve our Faith by the like effects of it even by a willing yeelding of our lives to him when he doth call for them and not refuse to die if he should call us unto it for his commandements sake God is the author and Lord of our lives and nothing is more agreeable to reason then that we should be content to give up life and all into his hands from whom we have received life and all things And surely in this case it shall be proved true which our Lord Jesus telleth in the Gospell whosoever will loose his life shall save it As Isaac was partaker of that great blessing wherewith the Lord rewarded Abraham for his obedience in offering of his sonne saying in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thee Neither Father nor sonne you see were loosers by yeelding up the one his sonne the other his life into the hands of God But contrarily hee that will save his life shall undoubtedly loose his life for he must necessarily die at some other time as all other men and then his soule shall be lost together with his life because he loved not God better then his life and he that hateth not his owne life in comparison of God shall not be counted worthy of him Let us therefore see that our soules be so thoroughly subjected unto God if ever we desire to be counted the seede of Abraham and the brothers of Isaac But oh how farre short do very many of us come of this obedience for how should any man beleeve that we would readily part without lives for God which will not part with honour or goods or pleasure yea any of our sinnes at his commandement You be not Isaacs if you cannot be content to give up your lives to God how much lesse if you stand with him for other matters farre lesse then life This is the first part of Isaacs goodnesse to God-ward he became obedient to death Secondly he was devoute and religious given to all holy exercises by name to meditation and prayer principall exercises of piety and religious services of God for so it is noted Gen. 26.25 Hee builded an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. Loe here he worshipped God publikely by sacrifices and prayers and though it be not mentioned that he offered or prayed before an Altar at any other time as I remember yet this once naming of his piety is set downe to signifie his constant care in this duty his Father brought him up in it therefore he could say Where is the lambe Indeed the Lord hath abolished such kinde of Altars and such kinde of sacrifices now since the comming of Jesus Christ into the world and offering himselfe once for all as a propitiatory sacrifice to take away the sinnes of the world but yet now also we have an Altar whereof they have no right to eate that partake of those sacrifices Christ Jesus is our Altar who sacrifieth all those services which we offer up unto God by him and our sacrifices are spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ The offering of a contrite and broken heart God doth much esteeme the offering of praises and prayers the calves of our lips done unto God in the name of Christ are very pleasing unto him the presenting of our selves soules and bodies to him is exceeding delightfull yea with doing of good and distributing as with sacrifices God is greatly contented as S. Paul saith these are an odour of sweete savour a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God If a man retire himselfe and considering the death of Christ for sinne doe humbly present himselfe before God confessing his sinnes and judging himselfe for them and labour to lament them with hearty griefe before God as causes of the death of his sonne this is a gratefull sacrifice If hee praise God in the Name of Christ as for all other benefits so for the great blessing of redemption wrought by Christ this also doth give a sweete odour unto God if he even consecrate himselfe to God resolving to walke before him in all upright obedience praying for the Spirit of God to sanctify him that in all things he may please God no Bullocke or Ram can please the Lord so well If he set apart some portion of his wealth to God and give it to releeve the necessities of the Saints this is very sweete incense so that hee trust not in the merit of the worke as if it could deserve any thing for the worthinesse of it but trust alone in Christ for the acceptation of himselfe and it and all his services Would you confirme to your owne consciences that you be true Isaacs Aske your selves then doe you offer these burnt offerings if not you be not as Isaac childeren of the promise if yea you may assure your soules that you be O then study to abound in these services Againe it is noted that he called on the Name of God there and so it is noted Gen. 25.21 that Isaac intreated the Lord for Rebeccah his wife because shee was barren Hee prayed constantly to God for a childe in this also testifying his religiousnesse and his Faith So wee must be carefull to pray to God for all good things we neede for childeren if we want them for good successe in our callings and whatsoever else we neede or desire For God is the giver of all good things and hath commanded us in all things to make our requests knowne unto him and biddenus to pray continually and in all things give thankes so we are bound to pray as much as Isaac Therefore those that are carelesse of worshipping God in this duty according to that description of a wicked man written by David in the fourteenth Psalme they call not on the name of God are not surely the children of God as was Isaac but the children of Satan rather for the Spirit of God
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
forth his griefe before God in these words If thou wilt deale thus with me kill me now kil me if I have found favour in thine eyes and let me not see mine evill Sometimes you finde good men desirous to escape death and crying Lord save me from the hands of mine enemies and sometimes againe even covetous of it and crying with vehemency again and again kill me Lord kill me and if thou lovest me kill me Iob was exceeding desirous to die and said He would seek for it as for gold yea and fine gold So you perceive that mans nature is prone to waxe weary of living because of affliction and that this is a fault and a weaknesse is evident It is an act of ingratitude because a man considers not as well the good he enjoyeth as the evill for if he would reckon well he doth alwaies receive more good at Gods hand in this life than evill but as one bitter morsell causeth that the mouth tasteth nothing almost but bitternesse though it have before received many dainty morsels so it is with us in this case Againe it is a fruit of hopelesnesse and despaire the soule doth not expect the favourable goodnesse of God to strengthen and deliver in due time but thinks it will never be better with mee till I die and therefore wisheth it selfe out of the world Hope would hold the heart up from these faintings but it is a kinde of despaire that casts it into such swounes as Iob said As for mine hope where is it Thirdly pride is one great cause of this disposition men consider not with themselves how unworthy they be of any good how much they have deserved far greater evill and therefore are immoderately vexed with those they feele and therefore count their beeing a burden But is it not a fruit of great pride in a man that as if he were his own maker preserver disposer will be no longer then he may have his own will and may see things to go along with him after his owne wishes Further a man wrongs himselfe exceedingly by suffering himself to grow weary of life for first he makes the misery greater by makeing himselfe weaker to beare it If a man be to beare a great burden it doth him much hurt to scratch the skin of his shoulder for that will adde much to the pain of bearing A gauled place will smart of it selfe how ill doth be provide for himselfe that rubs off the skin from his shoulders when he is put to carry a thing So doth he that will needs give way to so much impatiency as to be weary of life yea he exposeth himselfe to the danger of becomming a self-murtherer that yeeldeth to this wearinesse of life For it will not be very hard to perswade any man to cast away that which is his burden So it is evident that this was an offence in Rebekkah And now come you men and women of all rankes looke into your selves Have not you also been weary of life and that upon a very small occasion A maide is crossed in her desires by her parents for her good and she sees no likelihood of having what shee would have then she pules and takes on and wisheth she were dead and buried she would forgive him that would knock her on the head A man hath met with somewhat a froward woman which vexeth him with her words then he will be dead in a chafe I would I were out of the world never man was so pestered with a shrew as I so it is with wives too Come now recount you owne passions are you not ashamed of these drunken distempers what is life a thing so dog cheape with you that upon every occasion you would cast it away Are your selves things of so little value that so small a matter should make you weary of your selves You wrong God exceedingly in such distempers for you make it appeare that you think of him as of an angry governour that cares not how unreasonably he laies upon his servants in his anger Either these corrections are sufferable or not I meane such as by wisdome and discretion you might compose your selves to beare with gentlenesse or they be not if they be why do you chafe thus If they be not who hath sent them Verily you provoke God to send unsufferable crosses that will make easie crosses unsufferable What saith the Father to the froward childe doe you cry for nothing take you that then to make you cry for something and so doubles and redoubles his blows with a strong arme till the childe feeling the smart of his Fathers anger begins to compose himselfe to a little more sufferance Brethren let us repent of this folly there scarce liveth a man that hath not overshot himselfe in this fashion O let us repent of it and let us diligently resist such disorderly passions hereafter Let nothing make us weary of life but sin and not that so excessively as to make us intemperately wish death Of sin we should be weary but of life for sins sake I know not whether we may allow our selves at all to be weary But for crosses be they what they will we should not be so weak and impatient as to grow weary of life For God is able to deliver us out of all crosses and will do it and he will so sanctifie them to us that it may be more for our profit than if it were removed and can give as in Iobs case he did so blessed an issue that our selves shall confesse it was but our folly not to be willing to continue under them according to his will Had not Iob cause to unwish his former wishes when the Lord did make so large an addition of happy dayes unto him Above all we must consider of our worthinesse to be damned that we may not thinke much of crosses and labour so to rest upon God for the escape of damnation that afflictions which are but for a short season may not seeme unto us extreame Looke upon our Lord Iesus Christ what sufferings were comparable to his Yet we never meet with any wearinesse of life or wishing of death in him Looke upon S. Paul too Never man had feeling of greater tribulation and he tels us that hee tooke pleasure in necessities afflictions tribulations but that he wished himselfe dead that hee might be free from his crosses wee never reade Let us follow the vertues of godly men but let their weaknesses be our warnings And that we may not distaste life for any crosses that befall us therein let us often renew our faith in Gods gracious promises to give us an happy issue out of all and to bring us safely to his heavenly kingdome Moreover if sometimes these fainting fits doe gather upon us and our mindes be overtaken with this tirednesse of spirit let us learne though to be humbled yet not to be discouraged We conclude not against Elias Moses Rebekkah Iob that they were not truly
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
withholden from thee the fruit of the wombe As Iacob tempered his anger towards his Father in Law so towards his wife he is indeed moved with some passion but it doth not carry him to any violence or to inordinate sharpnesse Here husbands must learne to follow this vertuous man if there be just cause of being angry at the wife in regard of some great over-shooting her selfe towards themselves or others they may be angry but their anger must be so kept downe by love that they may not be bitter which the Apostle doth precisely forbid to husbands they must blame the fault but not admixe words to shew alienation of heart for the faults sake Two things husbands must looke to in respect of this anger towards their wives First that it arise not but from some plaine and evident fault such as you see here in the Text she began to fall out with him for want of children as if it had been his fault that shee conceived not as her sister did Secondly that it produce not tartnesse and reproachfull speeches and a constant sowrenesse but alone a due and fit reproofe as here also Happy men that can so guide anger and their tongues in anger So hath Iacob done the office of a good housholder in generall and of a good husband See now what a kinde Father he was and what good he performed towards his children 1. To all of them then to some He did two things to them all First he brought them up in a calling to be Grasiers as we call them to breed Cattell Sheep Oxen Camels Goats and the like wherein himselfe abounded This he might the more easily doe because himselfe living in the quality of a servant to Laban his Father in Law and having them borne to him in the time of his service he had fit opportunity to acquaint them with that businesse in which himselfe was so totally imployed Herein all good Parents are to imitate him for the duty is necessary for the childrens sake and for the Common-wealth and for the Parents owne sake too Traine up a childe in the way he should goe He doth not meane it alone Catechize him in matters of religion and good conversation but also in affaires of this world too because it is a part of his way to live in the world as well as to know the things that belong to his soules health Wee need not the authority of Scripture for that for which nature it selfe is sufficient If God command men to walke orderly and to eate the labour of their hands their Parents must inure their children to such a walking and see that they observe that Commandement of God If they must provide for them food and raiment for the present much more the things that are needfull for their well-being for ever Now a calling an ability to doe some profitable thing by which they may maintaine themselves with the publique advantage is necessary for their well-being in the whole course of their lives But this duty is requisite as I said First for the Fathers owne sake who shall finde them so much more dutifull to himselfe by how much they have been trained up more painfully and been more serviceable and under command even beasts if they be much in hand and have a kinde of acquaintance with the master so that hee come neare to them and accustome to doe something about them and to have them doe and suffer for him are much more tame and gentle than those that are never handled never approached unto So it must needs be also with men they grow rude and barbarous if they be left to themselves but more affable and orderly when they are held in and accustomed to walke by rule as they be when they are trained up in a calling Indeed some kinde of creatures are so fierce that no use of handling will quite tame them but even those are far lesse fierce than if they were never medled withall So some children are very masterfull and disobedient even though they be set under government and brought up in service and labour but how much more violent would they have proved if such care had not a little tempered them It concernes the Parent to have his children subject and apt to be ruled bringing them up in a calling conduceth much this way wherefore it is his part not to be wanting to his owne welfare and theirs Secondly this is exceeding commodious to the Commonwealth promoting the publique good very much for far fewer persons degenerate to scandalous courses and such as trouble the peace of the Common-wealth of those that have been brought up to take paines in some vocation than of those that have been loosly and idly brought up and if any of those that were accustomed to some vocation doe degenerate they are far more easily reclaimed seeing the Magistrate hath some foundation to work upon The person so educated can doe something if he will for his maintenance so that here is a possibility of redressing his disorders finde him employment and over-rule his will and he is amended But those that have lived over loosly and are not able to doe any thing are almost desperate the Magistrate knowes not which way to turne himselfe to the procuring of his reformation but by using great extremities for how shall he be compelled to doe any thing that can doe nothing and to make him learne some faculty when he is old how extreamly difficult is that So now nothing remaineth but an house of Correction or Gallies or the like whereby to force men which should goe much against the hearts of Governours if any other course may suffice Wherefore it concernes Parents as they love the Common-wealth not to deliver over into the Magistrates such crosse and crooked pieces as cannot be made fit for any use without so much hewing And for the benefit of the childes selfe it helpeth much to his comfortable living in respect of outward abundance and not being burdensome to others and to his civill and orderly living in vertuous manner and to his religious living when God shall call him to true piety for if he be skilfull in some way of maintaining himselfe and will apply himselfe to his calling he shall finde the accomplishment of Gods promises He that tilleth his ground shall be satisfied with bread and againe In all labour there is abundance but being destitute of this ability how shall he but want unlesse a very great portion of goods or lands be given him Yea he that having lands and goods hath not skill to imploy them growes far sooner wastfull and unthrifty and consumeth his great estate and then is put many times to base many times to sinfull shifts which had he a good calling he might escape Besides labour in a calling subdues vice and he that hath a calling may be painfull in it he that hath none cannot Yea if God call any person that hath been
him in his affections and afforded him no great signes of love but this was somewhat mitigaed because God inclined his mothers heart to him who at least in this matter was better than her husband Now if it be the lot of any childe to be neglected of his Parents and to have irreligious brethren preferred before him let him beare it patiently it was Iacobs lot and let him not be discouraged from good wayes for at last God may change his Parents hearts unto him It could not but grieve Iacob that his Father should so disaffect him as to give away the blessing from him But let children to whom it befalleth beare the crosse quietly for it is easie with God to make all end well Another crosse that befell him in his Fathers house was this his brother Esau was bitter against him and resolved to kill him A miserable calamity to be hated of his owne brother and to have his own brother yea a twin borne at the same time to hate him so sharply as to intend his death You must looke for such a crosse and beare it if it come and blesse God if he have pleased to keep you from suffering it so that your brothers and kindred agree well with you and rather shew you kindnesse A third crosse was his flight into Padan Aram and being benighted in the way in a solitary and desert place all alone which yet was mitigated by the goodnesse of God appearing to him in a dreame To be driven out of one Countrey and forced to hard and solitary travell and to meet with such kinde of accidents as benighting and the like be calamities we must even prepare for them that we may beare them without discouragement as seeing God in them and considering that he is with us when we want other company Now in Labans house he met with great crosses 1. His Father deceived him in his wife substituting Leah in Rachels stead then which how could a man more beguile another for by that meanes hee was compelled to adde seven yeares service more Againe he sought to deceive him in his wages and changed it many times being angry that God gave him so large and plentifull a recompence then he grumbled at him and looked discurteously upon him as also did his sons And last of all he pursued him with an intention to take all from him and there falsly accuseth him of stealing his gods See here from his Father in Law and Vncle most unjust and discurteous usage you that have found at least with your nearest friends just and kinde dealing acknowledge Gods goodnesse in it The contrary would tast very sowre let this drive you to most hearty and humble thanksgiving It should be confessed a very great mercy to escape very great crosses and if you pehaps meet with the same crosses be quiet for did not Iacob beare them and why not you Wee must not thinke never man was so used as I am and by that counterfeit aggravation flatter our selves in our impatiency and make our selves beleeve wee have cause to be disturbed but rather informe our selues of that which fell to other of Gods Saints and so bring our passions to a reasonable calmnesse But in his journey he was like to fall into a great danger for his brother Esau came against him with foure hundred souldiers intending to kill him and that affrighted him exceeding much but you see what end God made Learne to stand alwaies ready for death and yet alwaies confident in God though you see not how to escape the same but now see his crosses in his children First Reuben deflowred his Concubine Dinah his daughter was deflowred His sonnes used fraud and deceit to couzen the Sichemites and then most barbarous cruelty in killing all the men and spoiling the women children and goods and when he reproved them for it they made him a surly answer Shall they abuse our sister as a Whore Then Rachel dyed in childbed or travell then Ioseph was sold into Aegypt but as he thought slaine even Ioseph his most beloved and towardly son After Iudah went from him and his two sons were naught and himselfe defiled his daughter in Law and had two sons by her A great griefe and disgrace to Iacob Then Simeon was detained in Aegypt and Benjamin must needs travell downe to the great feare and doubt of the old man and this was the last of his crosses save that he lived in a grievous famine for two yeares till he came downe to Aegypt So have I briefly run over Iacobs miseries but they lay hard and heavy upon him Of all which you must make these uses First be thankfull for escaping the like prepare for them hereafter beare those that doe come patiently And take heed of provoking God for he is not a fond Father but Will scourge every son whom he receiveth For the first you have heard how many miseries this godly man was exercised withall Let me propound one question unto you Thinke you that your selves have more wit than he had or more goodnesse or more of both I presume I may make answer for you that you will not be so over conceited of your selves as to affirme either of these things Now if you be neither wiser nor godlier than he how commeth it that you have so long lived in the world and yet have not met with divers of those crosses that followed him No nor any in all your lives so pinching or grievous Sure if it be not to be attributed to your understanding and piety as it is not if you doe indeed acknowledge your selves to be not superiour or rather not equall unto Iacob therein who yet did meete with them then must you ascribe the same to the wisdome and goodnesse of God that hath disposed of things so by his wakefull providence as that such miseries have not way-laid you and seized upon you Therefore you must learne to be humbly thankfull to him and praise his holy name acknowledge his bountifulnesse graciousnesse and tendernesse that hath spared you from such smarting stroakes as these that fetched blood and teares as it were from good Iacob so holy a man If we be preserved from crosses that other men feele wee begin to lift up our selves to commend and prefer our selves above them that are heavier laden and to flatter our selves as if we were more loved of God than they then our ease is our bane and it shewes that we have not grace to make a good use of ease but if we confesse that we have deserved as much and more and had as little ability to shun them only God tendering our weaknesse hath used us with more clemency and so make this clemency an argument of praising him and of being more carefull to please him who would not strike us though he had both provocation from us and ability in himselfe this is an holy use of the absence of the
to be made as Laban was worldly minded Now for crosses Wee reade little of Labans affliction it may bee it was a griefe to him that his daughters and grand-children went so farre from him but such a crosse even a naturall wise man may make easie to himselfe by considerations of reason that the good of their children so requires and that their comfort in their children stands not so much in seeing them as in their well-doing Onely Laban did make Iacobs prosperity a crosse to himselfe in suffering his minde to bee alienated from Iacob because Iacob did thrive a great deale faster than himselfe and to his hinderance which cannot bee done without a great deale of vexation It is an ill disease to bee sicke of another mans prosperity take heed you suffer not covetousnesse or other distempers to bring such sicknesse upon you With farre lesse vexation may a man lose halfe hee hath than beare the torment which such estrangement of heart will bring with it And now for Labans death we heare nothing of it onely hee lived and dyed so farre as wee see like a carnall man and he had no grace in him but after a little time here spent in earth prosperously enough at last so far as we can see he perished eternally for no footsteps of faith and true piety appeare in him O my brethren take heed that you doe not carry your selves so foolishly as to live in a meere worldly fashion scraping together a great heap of muck and dung on which the much deceived world doth falsely bestow the name of goods and then with the rich glutton and him that said Soule eate and drinke and be merry for thou hast much riches laid up in store for many yeares have your soule taken away and carried into the place and state of eternall death for our Saviour hath said that So is every one which is rich in the world and is not in GOD. * ⎠* THE TWO AND TWENTIETH EXAMPLE OF IACOBS Children AFter Iacobs Wives and Father in Law wee will proceed to his children which were twelve sons and one daughter Concerning his sons they were sixe of Leah Reuben Simeon Levi Iudah Issachar Zebulun two of Bilhah Dan and Nephthali two of Zilpah Gad and Asher two of Rachel Ioseph borne in Padan Aram and Benjamin borne in the Land of Canaan The daughter was Dinah of Leah of the birth and names of each of these the Scripture takes speciall notice Reuben signifies Behold a son for his mother tooke it as a great favour of God whereby he would mitigate her sorrow yea and help to remove it too by winning her husbands love to her the want whereof was her greatest trouble as you shall finde Simeon signifies the hearing of God because she said God heard that she was hated and hath given me this son too It was a good thing in Leah to give her sons such names as might minde her of Gods goodnesse in considering her affliction and when shee saith that God saw first and then heard her affliction the last speech is a proofe that she made her moane and complaint to God and so this mercy came to her as a fruit of her prayers The next son is called Levi for said she Now my husband will be united to me or cleave to me for the word Levi signifieth as much as cleaving She was earnestly desirous of her husbands love and would as it were minde him of her hopes and desires that he would recompence her paines of bringing him three sons with the increase of his affection A wife is not good if she be not very covetous of her husbands love some probably say that he meaning Iacob hearing Leahs word to comfort her called him Levi and the originall seemes to leade us to that opinion for the former word translated called is of the feminine gender and is plainly referred to the woman spoken of before but the latter is of the masculine and so may very likely note the husband of whom she had immediatly spoken And if so it was well done of Iacob at last to speak some word of comfort to his drooping wife and to let her see that the riches of three sons had made him forget that great wrong she did him of obtruding her selfe upon him against his will and without his knowledge which shee ought not to have done though at her Fathers command The fourth son is Iehudah in short Iudah as much as praise of the Lord or the Lord be or is praised to expresse her thankefulnesse for she said Now I will praise the Lord which hath caused mine husbands affections somewhat more to incline unto me by making me a mother of foure sons For so it may seeme they did and that also maybe justly accounted one cause of her sisters envy because shee saw Iacob begin to love her more heartily than before These foure were borne one after another yeare by yeare without long intermission then she ceased bearing till Iacob had foure children by the two handmaids then she had two more sons Issachar the fifth sonne signifying there is a reward for giving her maide to her husband but in this she was much mistaken God is not wont to give rewards for our bad deeds and though it was of ignorance yet it was a sin in her to give her maid to her husband therefore we must take heed of imitating her in conceiting that God is well pleased with our faults Such is the blindnesse of our mindes that we are apt to run into such errours The last son was Zebulun signifying dwelling because God had given her so goodly a dowry as six sons she now begins to hope not alone that her husband will love her more but so much now as to affoord her more of his company and dwell with her which it seemes before he accustomed not to doe but with Rachel For love is never satisfied unlesse it enjoy the presence and company of the person loved these are Leahs sins envy at her maide Rachel so far plaid the foolish woman that she gave her handmaiden Bilhah to be her husbands Concubine and she had two sons which Rachel would needes take as her owne rather than those that her owne sister brought forth and the first she called Dan which signifies He hath judged for saith she God hath judged me and hath heard my cause and hath given me a son She bewrayes a distempered passion and would needes interest God into her folly as if now God in great favour seeing how shee was wronged had come to right her Fond Rachel no body wronged her but her selfe by entertaining the bone-rotting vice of envy into her bosome and yet she will needes take this as a righting of her wrong from above for so the word judging signifies so foolish we be that we will count our selves either to be wronged by men when we have received none at
preferment in Aegypt did not make him forget God and turne either an Aegyptian idolater or a wicked man but Joseph was Joseph still in all his tossings and tumblings of his estate if you be still good in all estates adverse and prosperous as JOSEPH was magnifie Gods grace that hath established you in every good word and work and confesse that you have stood by his power but if any have declined or back slided from his goodnesse let him see his misery and doe his first workes returning to God who calleth back-sliders and promises to heale their back-sliding So much for Iosephs spirituall benefits now for the naturall benefits And first in generall He was a prosperous man and God made all he did to prosper both in Putiphars house and in the Prison So God prospered David where ever hee went and Iob too for a while this brings contentment to a mans selfe and getteth him a good esteeme from others See therefore whether God vouchsafe you this mercy ascribe the praise of your prosperity to him and let this goodnesse allure you to love feare and obey him to seeke his honour and to doe all good with that prosperity of thine but if contrarily God crosseth any of you and sets himselfe against you so that nothing thrives with you see Gods hand that doth walke contrary to you and finde out the cause and turne this adversity into an occasion of the greatest prosperity There is a sanctified adversity as well as cursed prosperity labour to feare God and walke in uprightnesse before him and disesteeme earthly things And so much for his generall good estate more particularly First God delivered him out of sore heavy and grievous calamities and by his speciall providence and in a manner more then ordinary First when his Father sent him to his Brethren he lost himselfe wandring about and knew not where to go then God caused a man to meet him that it may seeme did know him and told him where he should finde his Brethren Secondly when his Brethren consulted to take away his life God raised up Reuben to deliver him and when they thought after to have dispatcht him the Merchants came by and so God took them off then when he was in bondage God inclined Putiphars heart towards him and his Masters likewise in the prison and lastly the Butler remembred him when he had long lien there and by that meanes God brought him out of the prison and advanced him to be chiefe Officer in Aegypt Thus you see strange and happy escapes out of misery so that Joseph might well have called God by the same title that his old Father Jacob did the God that delivered his soule out of all adversity as David also intitles him Hath God strangely also delivered you out of great miseries either from keeping them from falling upon you when in all likelihood they must have come or in helping you when your selves could see no way out if so acknowledge Gods Providence and goodnesse and forget not him in your good estate that remembred you in your low estate let those that are in misery learne to cast themselves upon God as Joseph did submit be patient trust in him The Lord in bringing his servants into calamities aymes at their bettering by them and his Glory in their deliverances learne patience therefore and confidence So you see how God pulled him out of evils Next consider what good things hee stored him withall for indeed he laded him with benefits as it is in the Psalme And to begin with the gifts of his mind First the Lord gave him that extraordinary gift of interpreting Dreames even from his childehood almost with which hee furnished Daniel too and made it a meanes of great preferment to them both You know how readily hee could tell the Butler and the Baker what was meant by three vine branches three dayes and the wringing of them into Pharaohs Cup and giving them into Pharaohs hand the restoring of him againe unto his office So in the Dream of the other servant of Pharaoh 3. Baskets are three dayes the eating of meat out of the highest by the foules upon his head signified the devouring of his flesh by birds after that Pharaoh had hanged him on the third day So for Pharaohs Dreames the number of the kine and eares of corne 7 and 7 signifying each seven yeeres the quality of the kine and eares full and good eares with fat fleshie and well favoured kine plentifull yeares thin blasted and empty eares with leane ill fleshed and ill favoured kine yeares of famine The eating up of the fat and goodly by the leane the utter forgetting of the past abundance by the following of the famine and the number of dreames Secondly the certainty and neere approaching of the things which was to bee surely and instantly fulfilled You see how apt these dreames were to signifie these things and when God gave to Joseph the spirit of interpretation how easie the interpretation is and how fit and handsome as it were all things sorting so reasonably for such a meaning Doubtlesse this interpretation by its owne clearenesse and fitnesse did carry the credit of truth with it Now at those times when God did please to make Dreames an ordinance of his for the revealing of things necessary it was a speciall favour of his to give the power of interpreting them too for what is a dreame if it be not interpreted but a meanes of perplexed thoughts and feares Now God that gave power to shew the meaning of Dreames when Dreames were his Ordinance is able also to give the gift of interpreting his Word unto men seeing the Word is now his Ordinance for the revealing of all truth to men needfull to salvation We must beseech God to powre gifts upon his servants now even to give unto his Ministers skill and will to become faithfull interpreters of his Word and if God do give to any an extraordinary gift this way let him be thankfull to God and use it for their good that need it Another gift of his mind was great wisedome and dexterity to mannage any businesse committed to his charge You see how hee dispatched matters in the great houshold of Putiphar so that they perceived that all things went well which could not have bin so if the person that ordered all had not had an excellent head to guide them and after when he was in prison by little and little his Master found out his excellent sufficiencies to doe any worke and therefore as the former master did so hee intrusted him with all And when from ordering a family he came to order the whole Kingdome of Aegypt he underwent that busie and toilesome work with so much discretion as gave the King and all his people content so that to Joseph Pharoah sent them and unto Joseph they gladly repaired It is a singular favour when God gives one as they
He knew adultery to be a sin and was unwilling to commit it Ver. 11. 5. He charged that none should wrong Abraham or his wife A fault in Isaac to conceive too hardly of the Philistims Ver. 26. 6. He desireth to make a covenant of peace and amity with Isaac Ver. 27. His fault he drives Isaac so away from him that he had cause to think it done out of hatred The Philistims 1. They envied Isaac Envy is a great sin Cha. 26.15 2. They wronged him Ver. 19 20 21. 3. They contended with him Iam. 3. ult and chap. 4.1 Iacob his birth What Gods election is His life 1. His vertues Gen. 25.27 1. In generall 1. He was an upright man What perfection is It is twofold 2. He was a skilfull and able Shepheard Every one must follow some calling 3. He lived as a Pilgrim professing himself an heire of the promise made to Abraham His speciall vertues in respect of God 1. Hee had faith which he shewed by many fruits Gen. 25.30 Gen. 28.16 2. He was religious Iacob vowed a vow to God What a vow is 4. He worshipped God also by sacrifice and performed his vow to God See Gen. 33.10 5. He tooke an oath religiously 6. He gave thankes to God for benefits received 7. He was obedient to God 2. Iacobs vertues in respect of himselfe 1. He was an humble man Humility is an excellent grace 2. He was contented with a little 3. He was a discreet man 4. Hee was painfull and industrious Diligence and painfulnesse is commendable 5. Iacob was just in his dealings with all Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri neficeris Iacobs vertuous carriage to others 1. He was obedient to his Parents Gen. 29. Parents are bound to provide fit yoake-fellowes for their children 2. He was respective to his Vncle Laban 3. He craved his good will to marry his daughter 4. Tooke patiently the wrong that he offered him 5. He was diligent and faithfull in his service to Laban 6. He was patient and gentle to Laban though hee changed his wages 7. In the conclusion when he parted from him he shewed moderation of his Passions He was quickly pacified with his Father in Law 9 He useth all submissive gestures ond loving carriage to pacifie his Brother Esau's anger 10 He is carefull to provide for his owne Family 11. Hee prayes for his family 12 He purged his family 13. He instructed his family brought them to the Worship of God 14. Jacob was a very kinde Husband to all his Wives Iacob was duly angry with his wife Gen. 30.1 2. Husbands must look to two things in respect of their anger to their wives Gen. 46.34 Chap. 47.3 16. He brought up his children in a calling Parents sould bring up their children in some calling and why Prov. 22.6 Prov. 28.19 22 23. Prov. 29.15 17. He blessed all his children Gen. 49.28 We must bless our children though not as he did Prov 20 7. Psal 12.1 Psal 37.26 18. He reproved Simeon and Levi for their murder Gen. 34.30 Gen. 49.7 And Reuben for his incest Gen. 49.3 4. He greatly loved Ioseph and Benjamin and why Deut. 21.15 16 17. 18. He curteously saluteth men of his own profession Gen. 29.4 19. He shewed speciall love to Rachel his kinswoman 20. He thanked Pharaoh for his kindnesse shewed to Ioseph His faults 1. He was a little forgetfull of his Vow made to God Gen. 35.1 Eccles 5.3 Deut. 23.22 Gen. 27. tot 2. He abused his old Father with lies and dissembling Gen. 27.12 Gen. 27. tot 3. He obeyed his mother against Gods Commandement Gen. 37.3 4. He loved Ioseph excessively And Benjamin also Gen. 42.38 To his family 1. In generall Gen. 35. 1. How came false gods into your family Gen. 43.6 and 42.36 Iacob he was so carelesse a Governour that they might commit this great fault without his knowledge 2. He hated Leah i. e. comparatively yet she was the honester and more meeke and vertuous wife 3. His benefits 1. Spirituall 1. He was a godly man 2. He had the priviledge of the first-born 3. He had the blessing given him Gen. 27.28 29. 29.34 Gal 3.9 10. 4. God did often appeare to Iacob to confirme and establish his faith Gen. 28.13 14 Gen. 31.31 Gen. 32.1 Gen. 32.24 Gen. 35.9 Gen. 46.1 5. God heard his prayers Iohn 15.17 1 Iohn 5.14 2. His temporall benefits 1. He had a large estate Gen. 31.9 2. God delivered him out of all adversity Gen. 48.16 Vouchsafed him three great deliverances 1. From Esau 2. Laban Gen. 33.10 Gen. 31.42 3. The Inhabitants of the Countrey Gen. 35.5 3. Iacob had a large off-spring 4. Ioseph maintained him and his in the famine His death was seasonable peaceable religious and comfortable After death he had an honourable name 4. His crosses 1. His Father loved him not so well as his brother Gen. 27.25 26. 2. His brother Esau hated him and resolved to kill him 3. He fled in to Padan Aram. Gen. 28. fin 4. Laban his Father in Law deceived him in his wife Gen. 29. 2. In his wages 3. Pursued him with an intention to take all from him 5. Esau came against him with an army intending to kill him Gen. 35.22 and Chap. 34. 6. He was crossed in his children Gen. 35.16 7. He lived in a grievous famine for two yeares Rachel her birth 1. Her faults 1. She was envious toward her sister Envy is a great vice Mark 7.22 Rom. 1.29 Gal. 5.21 2. She was passionate toward her husband Iacob 3. She brought her servant to her husband to be his wife 4. She makes God a partner with her fond passions 5. She insults over her sister because shee won her husband to beget children of her handmaid 6. She was over earnestly desirous of Reubens Mandrakes 7. She stole away her Fathers Idols and dissembled with him afterward Her vertues 1. She was one of her Fathers sheep-keepers 2. Shee saw God in her barrennesse at last and fell to prayer 3. She desired children and when she had one blessed God for him 4. She requested a kindness from her sister for all her envy and returned a kindness to her 5. She preferred her husband before her Parents 3. Her crosses 1. She was barren 2. Her childrens carriage was ill Her benefits health strēgth maintenance beauty and her husbands love her prayers were heard her fault hidden Her death she dyed in child-bed Objected Leah her vertues she was patient and loving to her husband and thankfull to God Her faults 1. She went to bed to her sisters husband at her Fathers perswasion 2. She was a little too unkinde to her sister Her benefits She had a good husbād many children and was matched into the Church and went to heaven 3. Her crosses want of her husbands love and cohabitation with her and the miseries she suffered with her husband and the unkindnes of her Father she was also bleare-eved Zilpah Bilhah guilty of
purpose and then shewed it her Hath not God succoured some of us in dangers almost as great by sending us or shewing us some present meanes of helpe which it was not possible for any wit of ours to provide Let not such a benefit be forgotten and let us learne to trust upon him ever after and not to be carkingly troubled with casting dangers before hand and disquieting our selves with feares because we see no way out God will have a Well in store and shew it us at the exigent Againe it was a great mercy of God that himselfe vouchsafed to give him a name and so sweet a name as that of Ishmael which signifieth God will heare and may seeme to point out the deliverance whereof I spake last for then it is said I have heard the cry of the lad O that we could labour to be Ishmaels in this sence such as have interest unto this mercy of being heard of God Such we shall be if we depart from iniquity and study to please God for if any man doe the will of God him will God heare Lastly God blessed Ishmael in outward things and made him to prosper so much in the world that he became a great man and had twelve Princes issuing from his loynes and after a great nation Why should the Saints doubt of things needfull seeing even those of whom we are not sure that they were Saints enjoyed so great abundance or why should any man boast himselfe of these things which an Ishmael may have as well as an Isaac And why should not we be incouraged to serve God in uprightnesse who vouchsafeth so liberally to reward his servants as to blesse their children so much for their sakes And so much for the life of Ishmael Now for his death which is set downe Gen. 25.17 These are the yeeres of the life of Ishmael 137 yeeres and then hee gave up the ghost and died and was gathered to his people He lived ten yeeres more then Sarah for she lived 127 and he an 137 and this is to be noted of him that the yeeres of his life are reckoned which is not done to any wicked man in Scripture againe whereby some probability is given that he was a good man seeing it is also said that He was gathered to his people a phrase not used of any but good men signifying that he went among the Congregation of the good men which went before him But howsoever we must learne by his death to prepare for ours that we may be gathered unto our people If we live as Gods people we shall die as Gods people and be gathered amongst them and shall be raised up also with them at the resurrection of the just But if we live with the wicked we shall die with the wicked and be gathered together with them to shame and torment at the last And so much of Ishmael Abrahams sonne by Hagar Now of others that lived at the same time Eliezer of Damascus the Steward of his house into whose hands hee committed all that he had so it is told us Gen. 15.2 and 25.2 Hee was his eldest servant and ruled over all that he had of his Birth and Death we reade nothing in Scripture but of his Life some passages are related 1. His vertues and good deeds for of his bad deeds no mention is made not that he was altogether free from sinne for if Abraham and Sarah were in some things found faulty it cannot be thought that this man a servant of theirs was faultlesse but because the Lord did not write an entire story of his life but would set him before the eyes of servants as an example for them to imitate Now of him therefore wee must note his good carriage his benefits and his crosses First for his good deeds when Abraham called him and would have him put his hand under his thigh a gesture used to the godly Patriarkes by such as bound themselves to them by an oath perhaps to signifie their subjection to them and faith in the promised seed which was to come out of their loynes he would not hastily and hand-over-head take that oath which was ministred unto him but with due caution and warinesse that he might not thrust himselfe into the danger of forswearing himselfe by rashnesse but might have a quiet conscience by seeing clearely how farre his oath bound him and to what that so he might know himselfe able to performe his oath and might accordingly fulfill it In him therefore we learne to be warie in swearing and to sweare in judgement that is advisedly and with good consideration informing our selves fully of the thing sworne too that it might not be either impossible or unlawfull to the intangling of our soules in the perill of falling into that hainous offence of perjury No man must proceede to an oath hastily and inconsiderately but must ponder upon the thing sworne too that he may have a full resolution to accomplish the same Looke to your selves that you shew the like religious respect to the great name of God An oath is a strong bond in which a man laies his soule as it were in pawne to God so that the breach of his oath is a forfeiture of his pretious soule to the hands of Gods judgement so great a bond must not be taken upon us without great cautelousnesse They therefore that have sworne on a suddaine not deliberating seriously of it must know that they have even offered contempt to God because though perhaps the thing was just and possible yet it was so by chance alone and as it fell out and if it had beene otherwise yet they would have taken it so that no thankes was due to any religious care of theirs if it were otherwise Repent therefore of your hastinesse and heedelesnesse in swearing this is to shew your selves such as doe not feare an oath and so doe not duely reverence and honour the great Majesty of God whose name in swearing you invocate against your selves Therefore also those that minister an oath must not be displeased at such cautelousnesse but must readily satisfie the doubts and scruples of those that sweare that with good conscience and a quiet minde they may take it upon them for seeing they be carefull before they sweare to understand what they sweare unto it giveth good hope that after they have sworne they will be as carefull that they keepe it and so their oath shall be to some purpose which should very much content and satisfie him that gives them the oath But he that will speedily and without considering take an oath will also be as ready to breake it alledging his former ignorance or mistaking as an excuse of his not fulfilling it Hitherto of his devotion to God in respect of his wary entring into an oath Now comes to be handled his good carriage towards Abraham in the businesse by oath committed unto him First he