world made began in time since the creation of the world is an outward action of God voluntary The very same answer may be made vnto the rule wheÌ„ the cause is the effect is the cause eternal therfore the effect to wit y e world For this holdeth in natural things also that worke naturally necessarily but not in things y e worke freely willingly as God did in creating Otherwise euery house must be as ancient as the Carpenter that made it No the relatioÌ„ ther betwixt y e cause the effect beginneth in time after because he is a voluntary cause so is it with God Silly then slack are these conclusions you euidently see and far from demonstrations Thirdly they reason thus That which hath no alteration is not subiect to generation or corruption The heauen hath no alterations for thus many thousand yeares none haue beene obserued Therefore it is not subiect to generation to be made or corruption to cease to be Therefore it is eternall We aunswer that all though it might be truly sayde that many partes of the world are subiect to alteratioÌ„s as the aire the water the earth c and consequently the whole not perpetuall whose parts be alterable Yet with diuinitie we rather say that Generatio physica naturall generation and creation be two things and differ much so do Corruptio physica naturall corruption and violent destruction which a renuing shal follow Therefore although neither generation nor corruption can be without alteration yet things may be created that haue no alterations as Angels stars soules And by diuine power celestiall bodies may be destroyed or at least changed and renued according to the saying Heauen and earth shall passe and againe They all shall waxe old as doth a garment c. Behold I create a new heauen and new earth and with such like For the argument then it may be granted that albeit the world was not Genitus generated as I may say yet it was created by God of nothing and so their purpose faileth for all this cauill also Fourthly they say Time is eternall therefore motus moouing for time is the measure of moouing if motion then a thing moued to wit the world c. For answer wherevnto first the consequence may be denyed for time is not onely taken as philosophy taketh it for measure of moouing according to first and later But sometime it is put simply and absolutely for the continuance of a thing though it be not the measure of the motion of the same So may we call eternitie and that infinite continuance that I may so speake of God who hath bin from euerlasting But this is improperly for indeed the maner that hath taken place in schooles is to call time the measure of mouing Now Aristotle not able by naturall wit to see rightly what difference was betwixt time eternitie or what maner of continuance eternitie was iudged time to be eternall because he saw an eternitie of a moouer which is not so for there may be a mouer eternall to wit God albeit no motus corporis mobilis for God is not corpus mobile as the parts of the world are as philosophie meaneth Now Tempus est mensura motus corporis mobilis non dei according to Philosophy Secondly touching the antecedent that time is eternall it may truly also be denyed And for that which is vsually brought to prooue it that it began with the first moouer in some moment or poynte of time which point being a coniunction of passed and future presupposeth a point passed and so an other infinitely it may be answered that euery point of time is not a continuer ioiner of passed and future but it is also sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amending of time whether it be at the beginning or ending for as for example the point in the line is not euer a continuer of the same line ioyning that which followeth after to that which went before but also a certaine thing both beginning and ending the line So in time there is Nunc initians a beginning and an instant or a present that beginneth with the thing as when the world tooke his beginning then began also such an instant or present there is also Nunc continuans a continuing pointe which is properly called time because Tempus est fluxio à priori ad posterius a going from the first to the later and at last there shall be Nunc terminans an ending point to wit the end of the world now thus created moouing and bâ—ing Nothing therefore helpeth this argument to prooue an eternitie of the world more then the rest did Many mo might be alleadged to this purpose but no better then these and I iudge neither these nor them very pleasant to such as I specially labour to profit because they conceiue not such consequences Wherefore I cut them off and this onely I commend vnto you to be thought of It is impossible euen by the Philosophers owne rules that there should be mo infinites then one Now God is one infinite therefore nothing els in heauen or earth beside But whatsoeuer is else it had a beginning and many things shall haue an ending also The rest by his power shall haue an eternitie giuen them to continue not of themselues 4 How did God create all things Not by or with any labour but by his word for He spake the word saith the Psalme and they were made he commanded and they were created Liberrime sine vlla coactione noÌ„ necessitate absoluta sed necessitate coÌ„sequentiae nempe suae voluÌ„tatis Freely without any coÌ„straint not by an absolute necessitie but by a necessitie of consequence to wit of his owne good wil. Solo nutu sine vlla mutatione aut fatigatione Onely with his beck without any change or wearines in hâ—mselfe which is the highest and excellentest kinde of working 5 Whereof Not of his essence neither of any former matter coeternall with himselfe but of nothing for if by him all things were made surely beside him nothing is excepted from making no not that first matter wherevpon all things were made But you will say man was made of the dust of the earth fishes and fowles of the water woman of man and then how were all things made of nothing Damascene answereth Deus fecit omnia ex nihilo alia quidem immediate alia mediate God made all things of nothing but some immediatly others mediatly His meaning is that God made first of nothing a matter a first matter whereof he made all other things Now that first matter is made of nothing immediatly but the rest that were formed of that matter were formed of nothing mediatly because they were made of that which was made of nothing and so secondarily or mediatly as I say then of nothing But then you will say againe Ex nihilo nihil fit Of nothing nothing is made And I answere you that so it is
not as by any vnder instrument and inferiour meanes as wickedlye the Arians would conclude but as by his substantiall power and vertue And againe as wee saye the fyre shyneth and the light of the fyre also shyneth so all which the Father dooth the Sonne also dooth Thus much of this poynte 2 What was created Heauen and earth say these words of Moses heere And Heauen and Earth and Sea and all things that are in them say the Apostles in an other place But that the generalitie bee not mistaken you must remember that needefull limitation which the Apostle addeth when hee sayth All things that were made By him all things were made and without him was made nothing That was made By which clause is made a plaine distinction of things created from things vncreated Nazianzene Epiphanius with other of the old writers rightly concluded vpon it against the Arians that as the Father was not made nor created so neither Sonne nor holy Ghost were But especially this clause discerneth and distinguisheth the workes of God and good creatures from sinne and death and such like which were not things made but came otherwise not things positiuely as I may speake of themselues but a priuation destruction and horrible deprauation of the order first made by God Thus teacheth Iohn when he maketh Satan the author of lyes and saith then he speaketh of his owne Againe when he saith the concupiscence of the flesh is not of the Father but of the world and in the next Chapter He that committeth sinne is of the Deuill for the Deuill sinneth from the beginning And as for death By sinne came death saith the Apostle and the rewarde of sinne is death c. When it is sayd therefore that God made all things remember to adde this all things that were made as S. Iohn dooth and so shall you exclude from the worke of God all sinne death deformitie confusion tyranny calamitie and such like which being neuer made by God are crept in by Satans malice and mans corruption as breaches and blots of Gods order 3 When In the beginning saith Moses heere and much a doo haue curious heads made about these words But if we haue that reuerent feare in vs that all men ought to haue toward the word of God they are plaine inough for if he had said in the end God created heauen and earth would we not streight haue conceiued that hee created them last to wit in the worke of the sixte day And why should we not as easily conceiue him when he saith in the beginning to meane nothing but first of all to wit the first day and so leaue all vngodly quirkes to a vaine heart that shall weepe for such wickednes one daye In principio say the best interpreters that is Certo ac definito tempore atque adeò in principio temporum non ab aeterno In the beginning that is in a certaine and definite time and euen in the beginning of time not from euerlasting In principio scilicet creandi In the beginning to wit of creating â—aith very rightly Abben Hezra God created heauen and earth And let these graue lights of graue and learned men sway more with vs then a thousand subtilties which as Syrach speaketh are fine subtilties but vnrighteous This creation of it in the beginning conuinceth the falshood that it is eternall So do many things mo beside this and namely that computation which is generally receiued of all men of the yeares which it hath indured and which be now past since the creation But neuerthelesse on go some with their blinde concepts and would prooue the contrary For first say they if we grant the world had a beginning then was God idle euer before but that is absurd therefore it was not created but was eternall We may answer them first that the rule which they harpe vpon in this argument namely that Perfectissima causa non est otiosa the most perfect cause is not idle Non est vera dea gentibus voluntariis is not true of such things as worke by will or willingly as the most excellent Carpenter may forbeare his worke and action a time If they thinke that God was alone therein they shew themselues carnall and speake carnally For how should he be alone more then then now vnto whome all things are present though they be future and things that are not as if they were Hierom vpon this occasion citeth that saying of Scipio Nunquam minus solus qùam cum maxime solus Neuer lesse alone then when I am most alone And cannot this be true much more of God that he is not alone without these creatures which he made Could he say it when his countrey was lost his wife and children freends and louers that yet all his good was with him and cannot the Lord say it much more that his good standeth not in the presence of creatures but before euer they were and now that they are yet all his is with him without them Christ sayth hee is not alone not in respect of any company of man or creature but in respect of his Father whome he saith to bee with him Nowe shall Christ not bee alone in respecte of hys diuine coniunction with hys Father and shall it not be alike with the Father in regard of his sonne and with the holy Ghost in regard of them both and with eache of them in respect of others Surely that inseperable vnitie of the Trinitie denyeth to euery person a possibilitie to be alone And that insearchable mysterie of the fruition of his owne glorye is other manner of company if I may so speake then all the creatures of this world can yeeld him O but yet say they what did God euer before Verely saith Austen he made Hell for such busie braines vnreformed harts and toongs that will so curiously enter into Gods secrets How much better would the words of the modest and godly Apostle become them O the deepenes of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God howe vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who was his counsellâ—r c. Secondly they reason thus The moouer the thing mooued be relatiues and the one supposeth the other But God the moouer was euer therefore the thing mooued to wit the world But we answer them to this also truly that if there be a moouer actually then there must needes also be a thing mooued But God though he were from euerlasting himselfe yet did he not actually mooue in respect of these outward creatures which are without his essence but onely was Mouens potentia It is farre differing therefore to speake of one as was said before that worketh by wil and freely to speake of a thing that worketh naturally it is no absurditie to say y t the relation betwixt the first cause the
that verie thing by that meanes being speedily procured which was intended by the same to be diuected and turned away O how could I runne this note to the admonition of them that seeke by such towers as this not onely to get a name but to keepe their posteritie from dispersion that is to continue theÌ„ in that countrey in that towne in that house c. neuer seking the Lords fauour mercy to direct and make strong their desires neither euer seeking to plante his feare in them that must inioye those things But their issew is according the Lord turneth all crosse in his iudgement and for that very thing they are dispersed and driuen often to forsake not onelye the place but the verye lande I saye no more thinke what you knowe 8 If they thought by this Tower to preuent drowning when the like Flud came againe as some thinke they did though it bee not propable the reason being expressed before by themselues to be for to get a name c. then may it admonishe vs howe bad men neuer looke at the true causes of Gods iudgements and plagues but frame vnto themselues some other concepts and runne their course according to the same The true cause of the Flud was sinne and therefore they should haue sayd Let vs sinne no more least a woorse thing happen vnto vs and not let vs builde a towre For the cause bring not taken awaye for which God smiteth no towers nor steeples no tops nor top gallants though they could reache as high as was sayde can euer deliuer from his blowes Let theyr folly be our instruction and whilst we liue pray that we may and indeuour when wee haue prayed to see the true cause of Gods visitation any waye vpon vs or ours that that being knowne wee may take a true course to turne his wrath awaye from vs. 9 The Lord descendeth to see if theyr folly was so great It is a figure meaning the Lorde punished not before there was true and due cause And a good lesson it giueth to all in authoritie that they will looke before they iudge see and be sure of the desert before they laye on the censure So did not Putiphar and it was his blame Ioseph is adiudged and there is no cause So did not the Pharisees when they sent to apprehend Christ without anye matter of truth against him So did not Dauid when vpon flattring Ziba his reporte he condemned his faithfull seruant Mephibosheth and gaue awaye his liuing beeing afterwardes faine to reuerse his sentence with shame when hee knewe the truthe So doe manye at these dayes to thâ—ir great discredit First iudge and then know but folow we a better patterne in this place 10 The people is one saith the Lord and behould we by it a bad vnitie to the ende a glorious name may not dezell our eyes when the thing in nature answereth not the same You read of an vnitie in the second Psalme But it was against the Lorde and his annoynted A like vnitie againe in Iosephs brethren to deale vniustlye and vnkindlye with their brother There was an vnitie in Sodom against Lot and his perswasion And the whole worlde was one against Noah and his preaching So is it heere and so is it often the people are one but not in truth not in right not in GOD and what vnitie is that Be wee not then as I sayde amazed at a name wee knowe who crye vnitie vnitie but wee see no proofe nor euer shall of veritie And wee knowe the Fathers speeche who spake it trulye Vnitas sine veritate proditio est Vnitie without veritie is but a conspiracie 11 They haue begun sayth God and they will not giue ouer Marke how stedfast flesh is in a wicked course In a good thing I warrant you no such thing but iust contrary In the end we will soone begin or hardlye or not at all giue ouer In the other eyther not beginne or most easilye giue ouer Alas our corruption and our weakenes waywardnes also if yee will shall wee thus see our nature described and not consider it and not amend it as God inableth I hope we will 12 Yet ouerthrowne are they for all their ill will to desist and giue ouer Feare not then with what might and maine soeuer the wicked goe about their wicked purposes and that they will so hardly be perswaded to giue ouer for the Lorde is stronger then they and will make them mauger their hearts to giue ouer at his pleasure a great comfort to all that are oppressed and pursued Their tongues are changed and it hindreth this earthly building and can it further the spirituall to be ignorant what is said Such a place is Babell saith the Lorde himselfe that is confusion and shall we say it is profitable God forbid And thus much of this Chapter not standing now vpon Sem his Genealogie Chap. 12. The generall heads of this Chapter are cheefely three The calling of Abraham from the 1. ver to the 4. His obedience to that calling from the 4 to the 8. The crosses accompanying and following the same from the 8. to the end 1IN the calling of Abraham consider first who called God and thereby learne wee that it is the Lordes worke onely to gather hiâ— a church to appoint before all times whome hee will call in time and make a member of the same What man dooth in the gathering of the same he doâ—th but as a minister and seruant vnder him so farre preuailing as he will blesse and no further The foundation of GOD standeth sure and hath this seale the Lorde knoweth who are his c. And whom He predestinated them He called He I saye He fâ—r it is his worke 2 Consider whome he calls Abraham the yonger brother and peraduenture an idolater more like so then otherwise though vncertayne And see we by it that Gods choyse is free not tyed to circumstances of age of birth of degree or any qualitie in man whatsoeuer but on whome hee will haue mercy on them hee will haue mercy He looketh not as man looketh for man many times regardeth the elder brother before the yonger and the outward gift of nature before inward graces of the spirit as Ishai offred his eldest to Samuel to be anoynted King and all the rest before he offred Dauid thinking least of him whome yet God appoynted And Ioseph would haue had his father layd his right hande vpon his eldest sonne Manasses But God doth not so finding nothing in the best to deserue a calling and therefore vsing his libertie without all respect of circumstances as I sayde before 3 Whence was he called euen out of his owne countrey and from his fathers house Teaching vs first thereby that neyther Father Mother countrey nor any thing may be sticked vnto aboue Gods commandement for hee that loueth any of these things more
of God for their sinnes Long did hee spare but at last they had this touch by the sword of these Kings against them and when that would not serue a finall destruction from heauen by fire and brimstone Iude applyeth it thus that if God spared not them certaynly hee will not spare vs and let vs thinke of it 3 Lot is taken prisoner by this occasion and carryed away such good is gotteÌ„ by dwelling amoÌ„g y e wicked euen to pertake in those plagues that the Lord iustly scourgeth their sinnes withall Therefore little ioy we for any commodities in such causes of greater woe when once it commeth then all our profits can counteruayle Auoyd them as wee can and auoyd with them the wrath of God that euer foloweth them But euer remember what our calling permitteth and let vs not vnder show of this godly care proue peeuish Anabaptists without consciences 4 In the 13. verse it is sayd that one escaped to tell Abraham where see the prouidence of God for his euer No sooner is Lot in danger but one is prepared to procure him rescue So shall it euer bee with Gods faithfull seruants wee may be assured one or other shall escape by this carefull goodnes of God that shall worke their helpe so farre as God will haue for hys glory and their good For he is not Lots God alone neither any partiall regarder of any with neglect of others that trust in his mercy 5 When by this messenger Abraham heard it streight hee addressed himselfe to succour him Where note the nature of one truly godly You sawe the iâ—rre betwixt Abraham and Lot before and how they parted by that meanes one from the other Many a crooked nature would haue thought of this now and haue let Lot taste of that which his departure in some sort had procured But doth Abraham so No but in his friends distresse all former faults are forgotten and willing offer of hym and his into danger with all speede made to releeue and release him from his oppression and danger This is loue that God loueth and this is loue that well beseemeth all friends that would be accompted truly true friends 6 Abrahams thus dealing with Gods alowance sheweth the lawfulnesse of warre vpon iust occasion against foolish Anabaptists that thinke the contrary 7 The diuision of his company and the taking of the benefite of the night teacheth vs the vse of godly pollicies as neede shall require and that also true confidence in God taketh not away but carefully vseth outward meanes For not to doo it is not faith but presumption not trust in God but a bolde tempting of his Maiestie Our Sauiour Christ himselfe fled and in the night also who yet could haue bin safe from all tyrants if hee would without such meanes Iosua came vpon them vnwares and Paule was let downe in a basket by the windowe 8 Melchisedechs comming to meete Abraham when hee did returne hauing vanquished the enemyes and deliuered Lot bringing with him bread and wyne to refresh them withall sheweth the kindnesse of a man that is truly godly euer ready by any meanes he can to comfort and cherish to relieue and do good to his weary weake and needy brother For godlynesse is louing and comfortable both by wordes and deedes vngodlynesse is churlishe and harde parting with nothing as you see in Naball 9 This place is abused by the Papists as many moe bee to prooue theyr Masse But they shewe their wickednesse and want theyr purpose Behould say they a type and figure of the vnbloudy Sacrifice that Christ offred at his last Supper This the figure that the fulfilling of it in truth and hee remayning for euer a Priest after the order of this Melchisedech the truth of this figure that is an vnbloudie Sacrifice vnder the signes of bread and wyne must also euer remayne c. Wee answere them first that forasmuch as the Apostle so fully discussing this comparison betwixt Christ and Melchisedech maketh no mention of any such Sacrifice it beeing yet as themselues say the chiefest poynt of the comparison Too much to blame are they that they shame not to obtrude vnto the Apostle such an vnknowne Mysterie and to supply of theyr owne what he directed by the spirit of God quite left out and neuer mencioned If they denye this consequence to wit from the Apostles silence or omission to the nullitie of the thing wee tell them it is most strong by vertue of a rule in diuinitie which they shall neuer improue whilst they lyue The rule is this Of types and figures of the olde Testament so farre onely and neuer further may a doctrine be established as the same types and figures by expresse and plaine words of the Apostles shall be expounded and interpreted For if euery man might expound them as he thought good varietie of allegories most vncertaine and doubtfull should ouerthrowe all truth amongst vs. If therefore any reliefe for the Masse must be had from this fact of Melchisedech needes of necessitie they must bring some place of the new Testament where it is so expounded otherwise they play but with allegories of their owne making and their speech may bee tearmed allegoricall but not theologicall For that fulnesse of perswasion and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in Diuinitie stayeth not vpon allegoricall deuises except they be warranted by God himselfe Secondly where as they saye Melchisedech offred heere bread and wyne to God we vtterly deny it and referre our selues to the words of Moses wherein is not any such matter The text is protulit not obtulit he brought forth bread and wyne not he offred bread and wyne Except to bring forth were to offer and sacrifice which it cannot be And that knewe euen that olde Translator whome they make such accompt of and thereupon translated the Hebrue word to bring forth not to offer Thirdly if we should graunt all they seeke to wit that he offred bread and wine as God forbid we should so be-lye the texte yet would it not folow what they desire For how hang these together Melchisedech was a figure of Christ and offred bread wine to God Therefore Christ in his holy Supper offered himselfe vnbluddely to God the Father for vs which also is done still in the Masse Consider of it is there any sequele in the world in it may we not aswell conclude that Christ ought to be offred dayly vnder the signes of Lambes of turtle Doues young Pigeons Goates and Calues and many such things because once these things were offered as they that hee must bee offred vnder bread and wine because bread and wine were offred by Melchisedech Surely those burnt offrings of the law did far far more liuely resemble and expresse the future sacrifice of Christ then the offring of any bread could for in them was suffring dying shedding of bloud and a being slaine
thy Gospell to this land and the light of thy countenance still in our dayes blessed for euer and euer for what is past 22 Marke how Rebecca vseth meanes to saue Iacobs life and yet she had Gods oracle that he should be mightie and rule ouer his brother so that if euer any might haue presumed of Gods apoyntment she for one might but yet she doth not but leauing that vseth ordinary meanes and sendeth him away How senselesse then is it that some talke of predestination that if it be to be saued they cannot be damned and if to be damned they cannot be saued and therefore no meanes to be vsed fye fye of such follies Do as Rebecca heere doth leaue God his apoyntment to himselfe and take the ordinary course to be saued heare his word beleeue his promises and indeuour to walke in the wayes of hys will then shall God performe his apoyntment to your comfort as he did to Iacob the other is but tempting of God and deceyuing your selues Christ himselfe flyeth into Egypt from Herod and yet apoynted of God to liue his time which no Herod could preuent with many moe Lastly note Rebeccas words to her husband I am weary of my life for the daughters of Heth c. See in them how going about to get Iacob leaue to depart the countrey she telleth not her husband the true cause least she should grieue his heart but maketh an other excuse yet a iust one Such wisedome and good discretion is commendable eyther in man or woman Thus shee had her desire her husbands minde not troubled her sonnes both saued and her selfe in peace and quiet It was the Lords goodnes thus to direct her and that Lord in mercy make all these things profitable to vs. Amen Chap. 28. The heads of this Chapter are chiefely these The Fathers counsell at his sonnes departure The fact of Esau The ladder that Iacob saw The vow which he made 1TOuching particulars First wee may marke how a sweet and temperate nature in ould Isaac ruleth and ouerruleth all his affections which otherwise were stirred vp against Iacob when once hee seeth the will of God what it is He is now so farre from raging or rayling agaynst Iacob that quietly and fatherly hee calleth him vnto him blesseth him and giueth him his counsell to direct his match This is a speciall place for grieued parents to consider of or friends whatsoeuer that wee bee not froward and wilfull when children or others haue offended Anger must haue an ende and the sight of Gods wyll must ouerrule vs. I haue heard of parents that neuer woulde relent what circumstances so euer were to moue them Theyr griefe may be iust but yet for all that Isaac heere is a better example then they are and let vs all thinke of it 2 Hee blesseth his sonne Iacob agayne the second time to confirme his faith and to strengthen his heart that the Lorde would be with him so long as hee serued him in all his matters such comfort were fathers blessings in those dayes to children which now very little or nothing are regarded 3 That he calleth him God all-sufficient See comfort and stay of all trauelers in strange places whose trauell lyeth vpon them eyther by any necessitie of their calling or for the truth and their good conscience sake Surely it is this God is all sufficient euer able to protect and saue them wheresoeuer they come so must Iacob thinke that goeth abrode and be comfortable so will Isaac thinke that parteth with him and by the same stay his heart concerning the safetie of his sonne So let vs c. 4 He forbiddeth him mariage with vnbeleeuers and it still doth remember vs how perfitly those godly Patriarks hated such vnequall matches eyther for lucre or pleasure as wee in these dayes make no conscience of 5 It may be agayne our learning to marke the estate of Iacob heere He is chosen and his brother reiected he is the blessed of his father and the blessed of the Lord yet must he now goe walke hee must abrode and shift for himselfe his countrey and fathers house are not for him a banished man must he be O Iacob wee see thy case and consider the lot very often of Gods deere ones God make vs blessed as thou wert for to be banished is no newes 6 When Esau saw saith the text c. Now then he seeth when he had offended but he should haue seene before he offended An ouerlate sight is good neither in pietie nor pollicie for though the prouerb sayd it is neuer too late to do well yet an other answereth that had I wist commeth euer behinde So heere c. 7 Esau seeketh to win his parents loue agayne but all in vayne and preposterously as long as hee taketh not away the cause of their displeasure to wit his Cananitish wiues Wee may learne thereby that in vayne also wee our selues shall â—eâ—ke Gods fauour and seeme religious except the cause of his wrath be done away by vs to wit our sinnes and hated offences 8 He lodged in the feelds to wit Iacob a stone vnder his head c. In which let vs marke his estate who was afterward rich and wealthy The wide feeld is his house the cold earth is his bed a stone is his pillow c. Where is our faith when we see this with patience to beare the time of our humbling triall knowing this and many mo examples of Gods exaltation of his childrens worldly estate when hee seeth his time For who seeing Iacob now woulde haue thought hee shoulde haue bin as hee was after when hee came backe agayne yet so hee was and so able is God to any if it be his will Only beleeue in thy aduersitie and despayre not 9 That night in his dreame hee saw a ladder vpon earth and the top of it reached vnto heauen and so the Angels went vp and downe by it The letter sheweth vs the goodnes of God euer comforting his and strengthning them yea then especially when their neede is greatest of comfort as diuers times we haue seene before in this booke The mystery of this ladder may bee this The ladder is Christ The foote of it in earth noteth his humanitie man of the substance of his mother borne in the world The top reaching vp to heauen noteth his diuinâ—â—ie God of the substance of his Father begotten before all worlds perfit God and perfit man by which vnion of natures he hath ioyned earth and heauen together that is God and man The ascending and descending of Angells by that ladder sheweth how by Christ the seruice of Angells is purchased to vs to attend vs and serue vs as he shall thinke good to apoynt them who onely is I meane Christ our Sauiour the ladder whereby we ascend into heauen I am the way sayth he and no man
may well teach vs that although brethren in nature and duetie should moste kindelye loue one an other yet not so farre as that they bolster vp one an other in sinne and euil For true brotherly loue admitteth an orderly complaint of euil yea and euen requireth it Not only they that do such things saith the Apostle but they that fauour them c. Noting it a most greeuous fault to winke at sin and wickednes and to beare with it Veritas odium parit fratrum quoque gratia rara est Truth gets hatred and euen brethren to loue togither if truth be told is a hard thing The second cause of the brethrens malice was their fathers loue to Ioseph aboue them al an vniust cause again For it is lawfull for a parent to loue one child more then an other as for a man to loue one man more then an other Our Sauiour Christ loued Iohn more thâ—n the rest yet might not the rest therefore haue hated him Neuertheles Ambrose his counsell is good in this matter to wit that parents should beware Ne quos natura coniunxit paterna gratia dixidat least whom nature hath ioyned they by their partiall loue doe seperate and disioyne There is a cause laid downe why Iacob loued him more then the rest because hee begot him in his age old men either not looking for any moe in such yeares or receiuing suche as they haue besides expectation both which are causes of intire loue towardes such as in olde age are borne to them so was Iacob towards Ioseph An effect also of this loue in Iacob is laid downe that he made his sonne a partie coloured coate A thing likewise lawfull that parents may attire one childe better then an other yet stil wisedome and discretion must moderate affection for feare of such hart burning amongst children as here we see 2 Yet this childe so beloued went to the field and kept cattel as his brethren did sometimes not finding his fathers affection vnto idlenes in him which is a thing that may greatly profite vs in these dayes wherein if in any thing we wil make a difference betwixt our children surely it is in labour and trauel and matter of fruitful industry for the time to come Some shall be put to all hardnes yea to all drudgery and others whome wee fauour more not suffred to do euen good things wherby hereafter they might bee bettered a great deale not to learne least they catch cold not to study least their wits be dulled not to do any thing least we want them to make wantons of So did not Iacob though he loued Ioseph but to the field he went as well as the rest and did what he could in that course Iacob ruled his loue to his childes profite and so should wee Iacob wanted his companie for his good and so should we Iacob hated idlenes in his children and so do not we 3 The third cause of the brethrens wrath were the dreams that Ioseph had The first of sheaues the second of the Sunne and Moone and Starres dooing reuerence to him Of dreames hereafter something shall be said Now concerning his first dreame here Iosephus saith they were sheaues without corne and therefore the dreame shewed that not onely he should come to honour but that honour should be by forreine meanes not by helpe of anie goods or possessions of his fathers Surely howsoeuer the sheaues did pretend that so it was and therefore comfortablie teacheth vs that God is able without parents helpe if it please him to preferre their children euen to the greatest places no cause to make parents carelesse but a verie iust cause to make them not ouer carefull And a sweete comfort to all that either haue no parents of abilitie to enrich them or if they haue yet vniustlie are throwen off and by sinister practises depriued of their portion which in nature and equitie is to bee giuen them of their parents God is in heauen as mightie as euer he was and as good as euer he was Let him be my father and mother and remember Ioseph c. 4 What say the brethren Shalt thou reigne ouer vs and rule vs or shalt thou haue altogether dominion ouer vs and they hated him so much the more And why so was hee not their brother Is it so tickle to haue a brother rule ouer his brethren yea surelie So cankred is the nature of many men that they can better endure to be subiect to a Turke then to their owne flesh and blood And as our Sauiour said No Prophet is esteemed in his owne Countrey so may it truely be said manie times A kinsmans gouernment ouer his kinsmen is enuied and spited But it is no vertue let them vse it that list They bewray more corruption then all the water in the riuer will wash off and of wise men they are estéemed accordingly Not much vnlike to these brethren of Ioseph be they that had rather anie man should haue a penie-woorth in what they part withall then their friend yea a friend may not haue it for anie thing when a méere stranger shall haue it almost for nothing The nature is nought if there be not verie iust cause of such refusall and as dogged as here were Iacobs sonnes 5 How readily they interpreted his dreames yea and how rightly yet they abhorred to yéeld to them So do many with the word of God they perceiue what he meaneth God I say in his word and what he requireth yet no yéelding no submission no contentment but grudge and grieue as much to be subiect thereunto to submit their necks to the sceptre thereof as Iosephs brethren did here to there brother albeit they gessed and that truely what was intended A feareful stubbornnes and a stifnesse starting aside with assured danger if it be not reformed Not to sée the Lords will is a plague but to sée it and to refuse to obey it is death and damnation iust for euermore without repentance 6 As the fathers fauour here towards his sonne Ioseph was the cause why the rest hated him so is the gracious fauor that God almightie sheweth to his children often the cause of hatred in others towards them If God be extraordinarie to Moses euen Aaron his brother and Miriam his sister will be offended if Dauid be loued Saul will enuie him and séeke his destruction So in mo so in too manie if men were not wicked The lord may not do with his owne as he wil but our eie is streight euill if he be good This is not well in them But to vs let it be no discomfort for their enuie malice and hatred shall hurt vs as these mens did Ioseph that is God shall turne all to his owne glorie and our further way vnto such good as in his good pleasure is determined for vs. Beleeue this example of Ioseph exalted notwithstanding all their spite The second part HAuing heard