soveraigne Lord over him and had full power and authority to forbid him what he saw good to forbid and to command what he saw good to command So the Lord did here call Adam to a profession of his absolute subjection to God his Maker and of Gods absolute right to himselfe and all other creatures and to this prohibition he subjoynes a threat of death In the day that thou eatest it thou shalt certainely die in dying thou shalt die Doubtlesse the Lord meant this of both deaths naturall and spirituall and it is to be interpreted thou shalt become subject to a naturall and to an eternall death thy body and soule both shall be made in their kind mortall Thy body subject to such putrefaction and distemper as shall cause it to be an unfit receptacle for the soule and thy soule subject to such sinfullnesse and distemper in its kind as shall make it unfit to hold any fellowship with God and so thy soule shall be separated from thy body and both from God the life of thy life in this same phrase is the wicked man threatened by the Prophet at Gods appointment O wicked man thou shalt die the death that is most surely die and be damned The Lord did not meane that naturall and eternall death should instantly follow upon their eating but obnoxiousnesse to both and some degrees of both should follow instantly and at last the consummation of both with an implicite exception of his grace in Christ in pardoning him Lo now Adam had from Gods own mouth an expresse and plaine Commandement wherein he was directly forbidden one and but one tree with warrant for the use of all the rest and a plaine and expresse threat of death to begin to insue immediately upon his eating And this Commandement either God himselfe or else Adam had made knowne to Evah for you heare that shee doth both alleadge it and oppose it to the Serpents temptation at the first Now this Commandement so plaine so easie so equall that hee could not be ignorant of it nor incurre any inconvenience by yeelding to it nor picke any exception against it This Commandement which both of them knew full well did they transgresse and that very speedily How long they continued free from the sinne I know not because I find it not revealed and will not conjecture because the not revealing it by God makes mee thinke it is not to much purpose to know If the first act of eating were that of the forbidden fruit it is a great aggravation of their sinne that they transgressed Gods Law in a manner afore they did any other thing if they stood any while it is a great aggravation that after much experience of Gods bounty they would be bold to offend him and taste of the forbidden fruit after the feeling of the sweetnesse and goodnesse of other fruits but it was not long afore they did eate and it was likewise done upon a poore motive the temptation of a base Worme and it was yeelded unto without much resistance for not many words passed them before Eve had condescended You have the Storie of this sinne in Gen. 3.1 c. where is first the Tempter a Serpent the most naked or subtilest of all beasts then the temptation in the matter of it and the successe The matter The Serpent said to the Woman hath God indeed said you shall not eate of every tree of the garden in which hee would make Eve either doubt of Gods Commandement or else be discontent with it as if hee had dealt niggardly with them in not permitting them to eate of every tree or as if the forbidding of this were as much as if hee had prohibited them all the trees intimating that this was as good as all the rest and the not giving them this as much as the deniall of all the rest Then the Womans answer telling him that he had allowed them all the rest and forbidden this alone and that on paine of death then the Serpents reply in which he contradicteth Gods threat that the Woman might not give credit unto it for he tells Evah that they should nor certainely die yea not onely so but that God knew well enough how eating of that tree would procure to them an increase of knowledge then the successe of the Temptation is that shee beleeving the Serpent and conceiving that shee should gaine knowledge by the eating and considering the beauty and pleasantnesse of the fruit did not alone eate of it her selfe but also gave her husband perswading him also to feed of it which he at her perswasion did Thus was the first Commandement utterly transgressed which so soone as it was done they began to have sence of their nakednesse and sewed figleaves together to make them aprons for the covering of their nakednesse which now began to appeare shamefull unto them This was their first sinne upon this followed divers other sinnes viz. their running away from God and hiding themselves among the trees as if it had beene possible for them so to have escaped his sight and then excusing their fault he by laying the fault partly on Eve which gave him and partly upon God which gave her to him and shee upon the Serpent which had seduced and beguiled her So they had done evill and sought to hide their sinne instead of confessing it and humbling themselves for so sinne blindes the minde hardens the heart drives a man from God and sets all the minde out of frame estranging the soule from God and causing a man to be filled with slavish feare that makes him flie from his presence This sinne brought terrour of conscience from whence of necessity followed sinfullnesse and mortality This is their bad carriage Doubtfull and indifferent may seeme to have beene their making of them aprons of leaves for that shewed some shame and desire to hide their shame Now follow the things that were good in them viz. their imbracing of Gods goodnesse and turning to him by Faith and Repentance after the promise intimated in the giving Eve the name of Evah or Mother of all living as much as if he had said though we be all dead by this sinne yet wee shall live by the promised seed which Evah shall bring forth and then Evah giveth the name of Caine to her first sonne saying I have obtained a sonne the Lord or of the Lord perhaps expressing her hope that Caine was that sonne the Lord which should bruise the Serpents head and after calling the second sonne by the name of Abel to signifie their submitting themselves to the crosses and miseries which they felt and after bringing up their sonnes in a calling the one a Shepheard the other a Husbandman and in teaching them to worship God and to bring gifts and sacrifices to him the one of his sheepe the other of the fruits which the land did affoord Now consider we the benefits God had bestowed upon them before their
causing us never to see the second death though we must not be freed from the first for that was the speciall priviledge of Enoch and Eliah and was never granted to any other that we read Labour therfore to hold fast in your soules a firme perswasion of Gods love to you in Christ and withall a firme purpose of pleasing him in all things Let sincere truth of obedience be joyned with a firme perswasion of Gods love and the firme perswasion of Gods love be joyned with a sincere indeavour of obedience then death shall never come amisse then you are alwaies ready for it So David faith I have hoped in thy salvation and done thy Commandements So then if we would be ready for God we must doe two things Turne to him and walke with him To turne is to begin to walke with God to walke with God is to continue to turne to him O ye that have not begun to turne doe it to day turne now call to mind your former evill waies to judge your selves for them to lament them to seeke of God in Christ forgivenesse of them and power against them and labour to rest your selves upon his goodnesse in Christ for pardon and helpe and so have you made your peace then keepe your peace by a constant indeavour to please God in holinesse of life and a constant renewing of your assured perswasion of his love O happy man he that can so fit himselfe for his latter end Brethren let the mention of the deaths of so many aged persons make you carefull to prepare for death you that be young doe it because death takes away young men as well as old and you that be old doe it because you may meete with it very suddenly and must needs meete with it afore it be long Againe you see these long-liv'd men here wrestling with the corruptions of the world and their owne some a longer time and some a shorter but all in comparison of our selves a great while The longest lived man for number of dayes was Methuselah who lived nine hundred sixty nine yeares but for perfection of life Adam who lived a perfect man nine hundred and thirty yeares The shortest lived of all the Patriarkes was Noahs Father Methuselahs Sonne Lamech for he lived seven hundred seventy and seven yeares and died the yeere before the floud a little before his Father Methuselah who lived till that very yeare that the floud came and drowned all and was taken away that he might not see the floud Now why did God lengthen out the daies of the Patriarkes I answer chiefely to maintaine the knowledge of God and true religion in the world that by the long life of one godly man the truth which then was not put in writing but by word of mouth delivered from man to man might be kept more pure and undefiled Adam lived till Methuselah was two hundred forty and three yeares old Methuselah lived till Sem the Sonne of Noah was one hundred yeares lacking two so that Sem talked with him that had talked with Adam who could acquaint him with all things concerning the creatures the fall and the promised seed out of his certaine knowledge and experience he had beene made of nothing he had seene all perfections and Methuselah could tell it to Sem and Sem lived to see Isaac borne and a Father So that Isaac might speake mouth to mouth with him that had spoken with him that had spoken with Adam the first man that ever was Was not this a notable confirmation of his Faith THE FIFTH EXAMPLE OF The Old World WEe have propounded particular Examples unto you hitherto as also the Scriptures have done Now following them wee must set before your eyes the Examples of an whole multitude even of an whole World full of men and women that gave themselves to worke wickednesse before the Lord. It is called in Scripture the old World and the world of ungodly In the space of a 1656. yeares the generation of mankind was growne to that height and exorbitancie of wickednesse that the patience of God could no longer endure them Now concerning this Old World we will shew you three things 1. Their sinnes 2. The goodnesse of God to them notwithstanding their sinnes 3. The severe punishment that fell upon them at the last and so will make use of all First for their sinnes the Holy Ghost sets them out in generall and more particularly In generall the sinne of man is said to be great and that every imagination of the thought of his heart was evill and onely evill and that continually Secondly it is said that all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth So their naughtinesse was remarkeable in these two respects it was exceeding hainous and grievous in that they committed great and fowle sinnes in great abundance with great wilfullnesse and gave themselves to add sinne to sinne doing nothing but plodding and contriving wickednesse and then all men gave themselves over to the same bad course you could not finde a man that made scarce a shew of goodnesse out of Noahs house When all consent together to sell over themselves to worke iniquity and grow past shame or feare running into most grievous and notorious sinnes with greedinesse and wilfullnesse this is very offensive to Almighty God and will certainely provoke his wrath to bring upon them some fearefull and heavie punishments Divers reasons may be thought of that caused this exceeding great growth of sinne in those times 1. The long life of men for let an unsanctified man continue long and he will grow more and more sinfull the longer he continues Sinne by frequent exercise growes more and more violent and head-strong So living a great space of time they grew above measure naught 2. They had strong and able bodies together with health and ability to enjoy the things of this life 3. They had great peace in regard they all lived under a paternall governement the agedst in the family still being acknowledged the governour of the family and they had all one language and so no great cause of controversie and one religion too it is like seeing the Patriarkes lived so long that they were immediately taught of God save that they degenerated to prophanenesse and the most became of no religion and so did not warre with the contrary little partie unlesse it were with jests scoffes and contumelies Long life great strength great peace begat great wickednesse But more particularly the Lord takes notice here of their 1. Unlawfull and carnall marriages 2. Of their violence and oppression And our Saviour telleth of their great worldlinesse that did sell over themselves to temporall dealings and cared nothing for better things and S. Peter tells of their obstinacy in sinning and their not beleeving nor regarding they were disobedient whilest the long suffering of God waited in the daies of Noah Yea our Saviour
duty and set about it now you have helpes enough and may have time enough if you will redeeme time from vanity Doe what God praiseth Abraham for and what he maketh an argument why he will reveale to him all that he doth Againe see how Abraham carried himselfe to the particular members of the family First towards his wife secondly towards his children thirdly towards his servants For his wife you have a notable example of love and gentlenesse to Sarah in bearing with her passion and distemper and imperiousnesse as you have it noted Gen. 15.5 6. when shee flew upon Abraham with a false and vehement reproofe saying my wrong be upon thee that is thou art in blame the fault is thine it is long of thee that I am sleighted by my maid shee beares her selfe bold of thee thou holdest her up in it and so concludes with calling God to be judge betwixt them He doth not answer her againe with words as hot and testie as hers but in gentle manner yeeldeth to her saying thy maid-servant is in thine hand doe with her what thou wilt This is an honour to him if he had beene put into a rage by her rage then had he beene overcome of evill but now he is a right conquerour and overcomes evill with good when he continued meeke and passed by her distemper and yeelded to her passion Beloved you that be husbands I pray you follow this example I pray you be not bitter against your wives Be not wrathfull to them if you see them in passion if they take you up falsely and causelesly and blame you for that for which you are not blame-worthy beare with them give them good words doe what you can to satisfie and content them shew love and wisedome both at once Carry your selves to them as men of knowledge not as men of ignorance and give honour to the woman as the weaker vessell this is the counsell that S. Peter gives you Be ruled by Abrahams deeds and Peters words It is the greatest honour that a man can shew to himselfe to be able to beare and forbeare A wise man beareth things an unwise man cannot beare The wife is ones owne flesh a piece of a mans selfe yea more then a peece We are commanded to love them as much as our owne selves and to cherish them as Christ doth the Church O be humbled for any passions or distempers you have shewed before your wives or towards them even though they have provoked you first and now beseech the Lord to make you like Abraham that so you may keepe your families in peace even though you have passionate wives Perhaps you will say that Sarahs passion brake out but once but your wives very often I answer first it is not certaine that Sarah was passionate onely this one time Shee that did fall into other distempers might againe fall into this but if shee did not Abraham that bare this out of the same reason would have borne them too if it were a duty to deale thus mildely at one time it was a duty to doe so alwaies What then shall a man let his wife beare out her passions still and sleight him that is her head I answer first better soe then fill ones selfe with passion too And secondly I answer a loving milde gentle admonition afterwards will prevaile more to make a woman remember her selfe then present rage and bitternesse A drunken man is best cured by rebuke when he is sober and passion is but drunkennesse You see Abrahams carriage to his wife now I come to shew you his carriage to his two sonnes 1. He loved them both very well as is evident by his praying for Ishmael and his taking the matter heavily when Sarah would have him cast out of doores but yet he loved neither of them so well but that he could be content to have the one cast out of his house and the other burnt for a Sacrifice and to cut off both their foreskinnes So Parents must learne to love their children but with a moderate love such as that they can be be content to put them to smart so farre as God will have them put to smart even by just correction to cut off the foreskinne of their hearts yea to part with them if God will have them banished or goe into another Countrey yea to have them die if God will have them die Such a moderate love which is subordinate to the love of God we must have and exercise to the fruit of our bodies and we must shew the sincerity of our love to them by praying for them and the moderatenesse or our love by being able to punish them duely and to part with them even by death when God shall send it O bewaile your carnallnesse and unlovingnesse and immoderate love to them Inordinate love of a childe is a great fault it will undoe the childe it will make him despise and abuse the Parents it will nourish all vices in him it is the next way to make God crosse a man in him it makes a childe an Idol pray to God therefore to moderate your love Abraham provided for all his other children by gifts and gave all he had to Isaac as wee have it Gen. 25.5 6. So must a good Father provide for his children convenient portions that they may be able to live comfortably and provide them fit callings as Abraham did but make most account of the most godly and let him be heire whom God hath made heire even the eldest unlesse his wickednesse dis-inherit him and I suppose that it must be some great wickednesse for which a man should dispossesse the eldest of the greater part of his estate yet still the eldest must have such a larger portion as that the younger may have a convenient part for them too Learne to be ashamed you that are spendalls and keepe nothing for your children have nothing to give them and learne you all to be moderately carefull for them and discreetely and indifferently liberall to them Let not one have all the other nothing let not any of them be thrust off with nothing for the others sake but be a Parent to all O be husbandly and thrifty to get and save and be seasonably liberall to them yet so that still your selves be in such case as not to make your selves underlings to them Againe for Isaac Abraham was carefull to provide a wife even one of the best he could though hee sent farre for her and it may seeme he had not much with her as you have it in the whole Chapter of Gen. 24. Here Abraham is to be imitated if in any thing concerning a child he looked to have a good wife more then a rich O if you that be Parents would doe so how well would it goe with many a family what is he or shee not what hath he or shee should be the question Abraham knew that God would provide a
is a most disbecomming vice it causeth hard censures from every mouth that doth heare he that hath practised it in himselfe cannot but condemne it in another as David did his owne fault in a third person forget not to blame your selves for having so forgotten And now be taught to use your memory vertuously to remember those that are indistresse and under injuries and those that have suffered with you and those that have beene instruments of comfort to you in the common sorrowes that befell both Memory cannot be better exercised next after the remembrance of God and his benefits and our sinnes then in remembring the miseries of others with whom once our own selves were joyned in the same misery and the kindnesses we have received of them in our miseries And so much of the faults of these men Now of their crosses they both were imprisoned and sure imprisonment is a crosse To be limited to one chamber to be denied the common benefits that bruit creatures enjoy drawing in the fresh aire and a free beholding of Heaven and Earth to want the benefit of ones friends company and be so restrained that neither he can goe to them nor they can come to him to have one wall one chimney one window for his prospect and either none or but a few and those disconsolate persons as himselfe to talke withall this is a crosse I say so tedious as none can judge of it but by experience yet many persons both of high place and of great vertues have suffered it O now therefore let mee counsell you to be thankefull for liberty and to praise God that hath not laid you fast in some place of custody that hath set you at large and given you liberty to be with whom and where you would your selves in your owne houses or in your friends houses or where you desire to be where you have no doores locked upon you no keeper to shut you in and let you forth no controler to take you up with surly words none to finde fault with you in that kinde or to exact upon you I say thanke God for liberty and know the benefit by having which would seeme great unto you if you wanted it And secondly use your liberty well keepe your selves from ill company and ill courses runne not into places worse then prisons then when you be out of prison Moderate your selves in your freedome that you may not be abridged of your freedome especially take heede of running into such crimes as should cause you to deserve imprisonment Harmefull creatures are chained or tied up so must harmefull men let your behaviour be such that you may not inforce Governours to lay you fast let not Satan get you into his bondage be not prisoners to your lusts and in this sence also I may use Peters words Abuse not your liberty as a cloake of maliciousnesse or as an occasion to the flesh the abuse of mercies doth forfeit them and addeth bitternesse to the want of them If there be not a grosse fatnesse growne over the heart of a man he will call to minde with anguish his unbridled walking in his liberty that now is bound to one place But howsoever learne to prepare for imprisonment and for that purpose keepe friendship with God in your owne consciences with whom you may comfortably conferre when the prison doores be shut and your other friends are kept out from you And labour to get the knowledge of the Word of God the meditation of which may be sweete unto you when solitarinesse would else cast you into your dumpes He that can powre out his soule to God in prayers and in supplications and in thankesgivings may make his prison comfortable to him he that can heare peaceable answers from his conscience may sing Psalmes in the stockes and he that can meditate of Gods Word can never languish with solitarinesse when he lieth under lock and key and that himselfe alone also And another crosse is to the Baker alone he lost his life violently disgracefully and it may seeme deservedly for on the third day the King tooke them both out of prison and then putting them to triall hanged the one and acquitted the other restoring him to his place To die an unnaturall and shamefull and violent death is a misery a crosse a punishment death at what doore soever it carry a man out of the world is grimme enough to looke upon but to hale a man out of the world by violence and disgrace makes his approach more terrible Nature hates its owne destruction the soule and body cannot well indure their separation but so much the lesse by how much the destruction is more violent and the parting more contumelious Let us be thankfull to God therefore that hath taken our friends out of the world by faire and naturall deaths and let us abhorre and shunne those capitall sinnes that may cause the Lord to bring us into the like misery and to pull us out of the world before our time and with much contempt also and let us be alwaies ready not for death alone but for such a kind of death A man is to brooke reproach with death and as well as death If onely malefactors did fall in this manner it were our duty to care for no more but to prevent crimes but seeing the innocent also have beene oppressed witnesse above all exceptions our Lord Jesus Christ and his blessed Prophets and Martyrs now it is requisite for us to prepare for a violent death onely praying to God that wee may not pull it on our selves by our sinnes and then bearing it quietly though it should befall us without doing ill and most comfortably if it should befall us for having done well And so much for the crosses of these men Now their benefits First they were both officers under a great King enjoying places of honour and like by too if they wanted not good husbandry of wealth To have preferment and riches or to be in the way of both by attending upon a mighty Prince is such an outward thing as men make great account of O how much more worthy a thing is it to be an attendant on God and a speciall officer as it werein his Court They know not God and his service that cannot see an excellency in being admitted so neere to the King of Kings But secondly they had in the prison an excellent person to attend them and one of such endowments that was ready by diligence to minister any thing unto them and by wisdome to advise counsell and informe them It is a great happinesse in misery to meete with a person able and ready to comfort and cheere up a sad heart by cheerefull serving and by hearty counsell Hee is as happy as one can be in prison that hath a Ioseph to be with him or to waite upon him God can give this benefit to us we must supplicate for it and learne to make
and our wonder at him but such was our pride he gained our envy of him His Father whether because he was not resolved what calling to breed him to or for what other cause I know not after that hee had with credit proceeded Bachelour of Arts hee took him home where he abode some good time yet applying himselfe unto his studies While hee remained at home with his Father hee married the Daughter of one Master George Hunt the sonne of that tryed and prepared Martyr Iohn Hunt mentioned in the Book of Martyrs who was condemned to be burnt for Religion but was saved from the execution thereof by the death of Queene Mary This Master George Hunt was bred up in the Famous fâ—ee Schoole of the Marchant-Taylers in London and afterward by the incouragement of Master D. Humfry by occasion of a visit of that Schoole and by the furtherance of M George and Mr. Iohn Kingsmells and by the exhibitions of Bishop Pilkinton all which for their honour sake I name he was called unto and mainetained in that worthy Foundation of good Learning Magdalen Colledge in Oxford till hee was Fellow of that House where hee continued till hee had borne the offices of Deane of Arts and Deane of Divinity Afterwards by the meanes of those worthy Master Kingsmells hee was preferred to the Church of Collingborn-ducis in the County of Wiles where for the space of fifty and one yeares and five moneths he lived a sound and constant Preacher of the Word and was of an unblameable and holy life even untill the oyle of his radicall moysture was spent and the candle of his life of it selfe went out in a full and good old-age after a long and joyous expectation and longing for his blessed change which was in the eighty and third yeare and fift moneth of his age This Master George Hunt after that by importunity hee had got this his sonne in law to make tryall of his ability to preach he overperswaded him to intend the ministery And thereupon he entred himselfe into Edmund Hall in the famous Vniversity of Oxford and tooke his Degree of Master of Arts. Not long after hee entred into the Ministery and hee was presently called to be a Lecturer at Banbury which he commendably performed above the space of foure yeares and then was called to be Vicar of the same Church which office hee faithfully discharged neare thirty years till he died The abilities wherewith God had indued him for his work of the Ministery were more then ordinary For hee was of a quicke understanding of a cleare and deepe Iudgement of a most firme memory and of a lively spirit Hee was naturally eloquent a master of his words having words at will Hee had a most able body and sound lunges and till some yeares before his death he had a most strong and audible voice And according as his matter in hand and his auditory needed he was both a terrible Boanerges a sonne of Thunder and also a Barnabas a sonne of sweet consolation And which was the crowne of all God gave him an heart to seek him and to aime at the saving of the soules of all that heard him His speech and preaching was not with entising words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of the spirit and of power He was an Apollos not onely eloquent but withall mighty in the Scriptures He like some of the Ancient Fathers was as occasions fell out sometimes an every dayes Preacher He preached ordinarily in his owne Church twise each Lords-Day and catechized for above halfe an houre before evening Prayer examining and instructing the youth and once a weeke he preached the ordinary Lecture Hee was much against all such preaching as was light vaine scenicall impertinent raw and indigested His preaching was plaine but as much according to the Scripture and also to the rules of Art and of right Reason as any that ever I heard or have heard of In conference he hath told me what hee aimed at and what use he made of the Arts and what rules hee set to himselfe in the studying of his Sermons which was as followeth That he might better understand his Text hee made use of his Grammer learning in Greeke and Hebrew in which tongues the Scripture is written Also hee would use the helpe of Rhetoricke to discover to him what formes of speech in his Text was to be taken in their primary and proper signification and what was elegantly cloathed and wrapped up in tropes and figures that hee might unfold them and see their naked meaning Then well weighing and considering the context hee would by the helpe of Logicke finde out the scope of the Holy Ghost in that Scripture Hee would endeavour when he began to enter upon the preaching of any Chapter to Analise and take the Chapter into its severall branches and parts Then he would if it were a doctrinall Text note the Doctrine as it lay in the Text and so prosecute it Or if the Text consisted of illustrations or circumstances of some principall truth there prosecuted hee would then gather from some notable part or branch of his Text an apt Doctrine or Divine Truth which should so immediately follow that the Truth observed in the Text should be the argument or middle terme wherby in a simple Sillogisme he could conclude his Doctrine Next hee would seeke for apt proofes out of Scripture to confirme it Fewer or more as hee thought best which done because other arguments according to Scripture and right Reason are forcible to convince and confirme reasonable men in any truth hee would find out Reasons of his Doctrine but he aimed that they should bee strong Arguments or middle termes by which hee might likewise Sillogistially conclude his said Doctrine Then according to the nature of the Doctrine and the need and aptnesse of his Auditory hee would as from an infallible consequent of his Doctrine by way of Application confirme some profitable Truth which yet by some might happily bee questioned or else convince men of some errour or reproove some vice or exhort to some Dutie or resolve some doubt or case of conscience or comfort such as needed Consolation In all which sorts of Applications hee did make use of more or fewer of them as there might bee cause and hee would bee carefull that his Doctrine should bee the Argument or middle terme whereby hee might sillogistically conclude the maine Proposition of any of his said uses And if the reproofe or exhortation did need pressing home upon the conscience then hee would study to enlarge his Speech shewing motives to induce to such a duty and allso disswasives from such a vice taking his Arguments from dutie to God decency or shamefullnesse pleasure or paine gaine or losse And here again he would use the help of Rhetorick but all for the most part in a concealed way without all affectation And sometimes he would shew the effectuall meanes of attaining of the Grace and
was to seeke Christ and that they had an aime to know God aright and to serve him in sincerity Notwithstanding all this good which according to the truth hath beene said of him it must be remembred that hee was a man and not without his imperfections and frailties For what man is he that liveth and sinneth not And as it is also said In many things we sin all It is usuall with God that men of the greatest parts and gifts should be exercised with some or other inordinate affection to bee mortified and some strong temptations to have some thorne in the flesh or some or other messenger of Satan as the Apostle had to buffet them Else they would be exalted above measure to the sleighting contemning and condemning of their Bretheren and other men would have too high an opinion of them halfe deifying them despising those vvho are no lesse holy but not so excellently gifted as they There was nothing which did more evidently discover truth of Gods grace in this man then that which was occasioned by his slips and strong temptations For these made him more watchfull over himselfe then otherwise hee would have bin It made him more humble and more to loath his originall corruption and sinfull nature and bewailingly to cry out with the Apostle O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this Death And that because hee was as other the deare servants of God are most sensible of the captivitie and bondage which sin would strive to hold him under sith that when he would doe well evill was present with him and made him sometimes to doe some things which in the bent of his soule he would not have done This served to make him more humble in himselfe more earnest in prayer to God and more pittifull towards others in whom this sinne remaineth and dwelleth even after conversion which as the Apostle saith is a weight and doth easily beset them to hinder them in their Christian race And this I am assured off that hee would be the first espier of those faults of his when the world could not nor did take notice of them having no peace in himselfe untill he had with all speed and earnestnesse sought and regained pardon and peace with God He may be a patterne to all in receiving admonition from any that should in love mind him of his fault Hee was glad when any of the righteous smote him and would take it well not from his Superiours onely but from his equalls and farre inferiours Hee had learned with David to blesse God that sent them and to blesse the advice to follow it and to blesse the party and thanke him that gave it Hee would intreate such as hee hath done me in particular not to be wanting to him in this Christian office of Love and hee would really shew more testimonies of his love to such afterwards then ever formerly which is a sure argument of uprightnesse A most reverend Divine who had knowne him from his infancy and had often conversed with him gave testimony of him to this effect unto me and others when lately he spake of him by occasion of the mentioning of his sicknesse His latter daies were his best daies for in the judgement of those who could judge spiritually hee grew exceedingly in humility and in spirituall and heavenly mindednesse his last works were his best works arguing him to be of Gods grafting and planted in the house of the Lord. Lastly hee had a most happy and comfortable successe of his conflicts against sinne For a good while before his sickenesse and death he did with Comfort and Joy make knowne to his dearest friend that God had given him victory against his greatest corruptions vvhich had for a long time kept him in continuall exercise About eight weekes before his death a great fit of inward and short coughing and extreame shortnesse of breath did cease upon him in so much that those who came about him feared that hee would presently have departed This fit beeing over much weakenesse continued yet hee preached divers times untill that his encreasing weakenesse did disable him In the time of his sickenesse and weakenesse hee gave heavenly and wholesome counsell to his people neighbours and friends that came to visit him giving particular advise to his wife children and servants respectively according to their place and condition as they oft came about him thus hee did oft so long as hee was able to speake unto them His Christian speeches that concerned all tended to this that they would be carefull to redeeme the time and to bee much in reading hearing and meditating of the Word of God That they would be much in Prayer much in brotherly love and communion of the Saints And that they would be carefull to hold fast that which he had taught them out of the Word of Truth And that while the light and meanes of Salvation was to be had they should not spare paines nor cost to enjoy them He was oft in his sickenesse upon the painefull racke or torture of inward snatchings and convulsions which sometimes left him but three or foure dayes before his death they returned and increased upon him all which hee bare exceeding patiently Hee was much in ejaculations and short prayers and lifting up his heart to God in the behalfe of the Church and State and for himselfe allso which hee was most frequent and earnest in a little before his death In the time when a brother of his not onely in the common bonds of Christianity but allso by alliance and a brother in the Ministery was praying with him and for him to this effect that if his time was not determined or expired that God would be pleased to restore him for the good of his Church or if otherwise that hee would put an end to his paine if he saw good at the hearing thereof hee lift up his eyes stedfastly towards Heaven and allso one of his hands hee being not able to lift up the other and in the close of that prayer gave up the ghost shutting downe his eyes himselfe as if hee were fallen into a sweet sleepe Hee lived much desired and died much lamented Thus a great a good and mercifull man a chariot and horse-man of Israell is by Gods owne hand fallen and taken away from the evill to come and is entred into peace and rest in his bed of everlasting pleasures and joyes enjoying the fruit of his Faith in Christ and of his walking with God in uprightnesse Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of the Saints though the wicked regard it not but are glad of their absence But the living indeed they must and they will lay it to heart and will prepare and long for their owne dissolution that they maybe more immediately gathered to Christ the Iudge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect expecting and waiting for a blessed Resurrection of themselves
fall the making of them after his owne Image in knowledge righteousnesse and true holinesse with a most beautifull strong swift healthie and comely body free from all danger of sicknesse death or other misery giving them dominion over all creatures planting so excellent a place for them as Paradise and granting them the use of all the trees and that of life and putting on them so pleasant a service as that of dressing and keeping the Garden besides the hope and assurance of Eternall life upon condition of their obedience of which Paradise it selfe and the tree of life were signes unto them For if wee should live the life of glory by obeying the Law so should they have done seeing they also were under the same Covenant of workes that we be under Now after their sinne God bestowed divers benefits on them The chiefe was the promise of a Saviour viz. The seede of the Woman to tread on the Serpents head that is to destroy the Divell and the workes of the Divell and to deliver them from the mischiefe which Satan sought to bring upon them By which words he did make the Covenant of grace with them and their Posterity providing a remedy equall to the disease and the meanes of revealing it to all in that be manifested it to them that they might teach it to their children and so one to another till all knew it and then making them Breeches and continuing their life and granting them children These be the benefits The miseries they felt were pronouncing a curse upon them adjudging them to an inavoidable necessity of naturall death to much sorrow in their life he by tilling the ground which should bring forth ill things to him and that with sweat and labour and shee by bearing children in sorrow and by being compelled by subjection to her husband then by casting them out of Paradise debarring them the tree of life and giving Caine over to kill his Brother better then himselfe which must needs be an heavie crosse to them which God did somewhat mitigate by giving them another godly sonne even Seth. This is their life their death followes Adam lived 900. yeares and for Eves death it is not mentioned how long shee lived for God hath not thought it fit to tell us the length of the life of any woman except Sarah in Scripture upon what consideration it is hard to guesse but sure it is to humble womankinde that because they were first in bringing in death deserved not to have the continuance of their lives recorded by Gods pen. So have I briefely runne over the first man and the first woman And now I will make use of all First from their Creation and the benefits bestowed upon them in and after their Creation let us learne to acknowledge God to be our Creator the Fountaine of our being and to submit our selves wholy to him in all things seeing we have received our being from him for in making them he made us in them and whatsoever benefits he gave him in Creation he gave them to us in him seeing if he had not cast them away we should not have wanted them Wee must not lesse praise God and be lesse thankefull for that happy estate because Adam forfeited it for his naughtinesse in sinning cannot diminish the goodnesse of God in granting to him and his so great a heape of pleasures here with certainty of Eternall life after Doe you not see that God made us all to happinesse and life in our first Parents fitting all things so that he might have stood and delivered over all those benefits unto us Let us not murmure against God for the punishment justly inflicted upon us in them and on them for the sinne committed by them especially wee must praise God for the promise of the seed of the Woman which now God hath performed to us by whom salvation and life was offered and tendered to all so that by the second Adam all might have received happinesse as they lost it by the first if the fault had not beene and were not meerely in themselves that have beene and are carelesse of Gods goodnesse neglecting to consider of his mercy to beleeve in him and to turne to him Secondly in Adams sinne let us all see our owne sinfullnesse and our mortality and misery in his misery For by one man sinne came into the world and by sinne death and so death passed over all This sinne is our sinne after a sort we must lament it and bewaile it and be humbled for it and in the sence of our wretchednesse runne to the promised seed to deliver us from sinne and death and to repaire the Image of God in us by the mighty worke of his Spirit which is as easie for him to doe as to create us just at the first and which he will as certainely performe for us if we seeke it as hee did then in our first making Againe let us learne to hate and loath sinne and Satan not to hearken to his suggestions but to beleeve Gods threats and submit to his Commandements let the husband resolve not to obey the voice of his wife against God let the wife take heed of drawing her husband to sinne let the husband rather reforme her then be corrupted by her O beware of thinking to get any thing by doing wickednesse disobedience will bring nothing in conclusion but misery and unhappinesse Let us take heed of flying from God and of excusing our faults and casting the blame upon others chiefely upon God himselfe as Adam did but let us rather confesse lament and trust in his mercy and implore it then dawbe and dissemble and thinke to escape by frivolous shifts and extenuations and especially learne not to be proud of apparell which is no better then a badge of our wicked rebellion and of our shamefull nakednesse Let us be the better for the things we know concerning Adam and Eve our first Parents Againe let us be carefull to follow them in all good deeds which they did O let us repent and beleeve in Christ hoping for life by him according to the Covenant of grace as they did when they had broken the Covenant of Workes For by trusting in Christ we shall goe to Heaven in the way of Evangelicall obedience standing in a resolution and indeavour not to sinne and a carefull humbling our selves and seeking pardon when we faile as sure as they or we should have done in the way of Legall obedience if they and we had remained innocent and God will as surely inable us to this Evangelicall obedience if we seeke to him for grace and the renewing of his Image in us as hee had inabled him to Legall and exact obedience In truth Christ hath made the way to life eternall as easie to us in the path of the Gospell as it was to him in the path of the Law for wee have grace to keepe us from loving and
servnig sinne as sure as hee had power to abstaine from committing sinne Say to your selves Adams sinne shall not damne mee if in sence of the misery which it brought upon me I can fully seeke to Christ the promised seed Further let us follow him and her in that was good in both How did Adam accept his wife saying This is flesh of my flesh and shee shall be called Evah and a man shall forsake Father and Mother and cleave to his wife O you husbands love your wives as your owne flesh cleave to them above all and forsaking all other keepe you onely to them You wives be content to be subject to your husbands as it is sure Evah was before her fall at least and probable after too for we reade of no braules betwixt them O joyne together to bring up your children well first in some honest calling then in the knowledge of the true God and care of worshipping him I say teach your sonnes and daughters things necessary for their profitable and holy living in the world bring them not up in idlenesse and ignorance but so carry your selves to them that it may not be imputed to you if they prove wicked and be thankfull to God for your children and learne to rejoyce especially in their goodnesse as Adam and Evah did in Seths Learne of your first Parents to be good Parents and follow all the things that were good and commendable in them Againe from their afflictions learne to prepare for afflictions and to make a good use of them when they come if you thinke to live in this world without briers and thornes without sweat and labour you are much deceived Crosses are assigned to us as just chastisements for our sinne we must to dust let us expect misery and death and labour to make our selves fit for crosses It was Gods great goodnesse that he would not suffer Adam to remaine in Paradise and to joy the tree of life For had hee lived in so much pleasure as that place would have affoorded and had he found all the creatures as good and comfortable to him now after his fall when his nature was made sinfull as when it was sinlesse O how greatly would his sin have growne through the fatnesse of that over delightfull estate even as weedes doe in a rich and unmanured soyle Sure had not God sent a curse on the earth and inflicted griefe and misery upon man hee would never have repented never have conceived of his spirituall misery never have turned to God and sought God so that as it is a mercy in the Physitian to make the patient sicke with a medicine so it was in God to send these afflictions on us Let us not therefore flatter our selves in vaine conceits of living merrily but let us prepare for afflictions which all must in some degree meete withall in their severall callings It was the voice of an Epicure in the rich man that said eate and drinke and take thine ease we should say to our selves rather sinne hath made mee subject to divers crosses and I will labour to receive them patiently from Gods Almighty hand if he thinke it fit to exercise me with them Especially you that are Parents of children looke for crosses in your children thinke this boy may proove not an Abel not a Seth but a Caine a wicked and a sinfull Caine a hater of goodnesse and fugitive from God Let mee take heed therefore that I doe not over-love him that I doe not cocker him and as it were marre and kill his soule by over-cherishing his body If wee finde our selves apt to over-prize and over-love our children wee must moderate those passions by such meditations and if we finde our selves apt to over-grieve for their death wee must tell our selves Ah might not their lives have prooved much more bitter to mee then their death can who would not rather bury a sonne young then live to see him proove a Cain and who can tell but his sonne for whose death he takes on with so much excessive sorrow may not fall out to be as wicked as Caine. If any say I hope not so I answer him where be the grounds of his hope did not our first Parents hope as much thinke you Sure Evah giving Caine a name shewed that shee had good hopes of him when he was borne yea those that have good and godly children must prepare to be crossed in their afflictions Hast thou an Abel a godly child O make thine heart ready to heare that some wicked hand hath knockt him on the head perhaps his owne Brother that some violent death hath seized upon him and taken him away before his time and labour to be willing to yeeld to Gods hand if he will so crosse thee for why shouldst not thou stoope to as heavie a burden as that which Adam and Eve did beare in the beginning of the world For the death of good children yea their miserable and untimely death and for the wickednesse yea the notorious and unnaturall wickednesse of other children let every man prepare himselfe by looking upon the example of Adam and Eve that suffered these crosses yea let every godly man learne to prepare for persecution from all Caines but that wee shall treat on when we come to Abels example But Brethren we must not onely prepare for crosses of this kinde but we must also make a good use of them when they come that is wee must turne them into medicines as Physitions doe some poysons causing the sorrow which they will worke in us to become a medicine against our sinnes of which they be the proper and naturall effects When you meete with crosses and calamities say now I see Gods Justice and Gods Truth now I see the hatefullnesse and hurtfullnesse of sinne and therefore now I will mourne not because I am crossed but because I have deserved this crosse and a worse too and so frame to confesse and bemoane the sinne and to supplicate for pardon and helpe at the hand of God in the name of Christ especially looke to those sinnes to which your crosses have some reference and respect Are you crossed in your goods thinke if you did not over-love them and get them unjustly or if in your children see if you did not over-love them and cocker them and so in all things of like kinde In what God smites you see if you have not in that sinned against him and so frame to lament your sinnes and to seeke helpe against them This will helpe to make your crosse easie and quickly to remove it this will cause that you shall be gainers even by crosses When wee see the ill deservings of sinne and the perfect righteousnesse yea the goodnesse of God in calling thus to repentance happy are they that be so afflicted and so taught in Gods waies And Brethren let mee yet make one use of Adam and Eves great sinne to warne you that you take heed of presuming of
it by renewing our meditations of Gods promises and putting our selves often in minde of the power and truth of God the promise-maker which are the pillars and foundations of our faith For if Abraham when these doubts began to stirre in his minde had called to minde Gods promise of giving him seede and had reasoned with himselfe thus hath not the living God possessour of Heaven and Earth undertaken to give mee a seede to inherit this land after me How then can I be killed by the Philistins How can they take away my life whilst this promise is not yet fulfilled Surely God both can and also will give mee life and preserve me from the hands of these godlesse Philistins for how else should he fulfill his promise to me of giving me seed after me If Abraham I say had thus stirred up his faith by serious consideration of Gods power and truth he had not beene foyled so as he was Let his weaknesse and failings be our warning that we may escape the evills which he fell into Againe as Abrahams faith was weake and yeelded a little to doubtings so was he possessed somewhat strongly for the time with a kinde of carnall feare of death Gen. 12.12 and afterwards Gen. â—0 13 He said they will slay mee for my wives sake So you must note another weakenesse in Gods people flowing from the former imperfection of faith They are apt to be over-fearefull of dangers and by name of death even to be so much terrified with the apprehension of danger especially of loosing their lives that they cannot must upon God and rest upon him for safety as they should doe This feare was found in David it was found also in Peter and in divers others of Gods people The ground of it is as I said partly the weakenesse of their faith and partly the terriblenesse of death which is the terriblest of all terrible things as being a separation of the soule from the body and a stripping a man at once of all those things that are most deare unto him and conveighing him out of this world into another concerning his happinesse herein he is not alwaies so full of assurance as he should be For when these feares doe suddainely seize upon a man upon occasion of some sensible object that threatens him they pull out of the minde for the time the thought of Gods promises and hold the soule alone in the apprehension of the greatnesse and inevitablenesse of the danger which looketh him in the face Let us therefore learne not to be heartlesse our selves because we hare have beene so transported with feare as was Abraham nor yet be censorious to others whom wee shall see thus for a fit even shaken and almost overcome of feare It is a fault indeed and we must blame our selves for it and be humbled but it is such a fault as may stand with truth of grace and which doth not give just reason to conclude ourselves unsanctified or not to be Gods true children And let us learne to beware of feare to resist and oppose it at the beginning by the opposition of Gods love and protection yea let us labour to worke in our mindes such a true apprehension of the harmelesnesse of death and other crosses that we may learne not to be afraid of them though we must needs suffer them For why should we feare that which cannot hurt yea that which shall be an advantage to us Feare none of those things that you shall suffer saith the Lord and David saith I will not feare what man can doe unto mee and againe I will not feare though I walke in the valley of the shadow of death It is an excellent thing and very comfortable when our heart is so setled that feare may not dismay us And the way is to get assurance of Gods favour and of eternall life and that all things shall worke for our good and speedily to set this faith on worke when dangers shall offer themselves unto our sight But further Abraham to avoid this danger consulted with flesh and bloud and used deceit and shifting and falsehood for though his words were in some sence true as he telleth Abimelech because Sarah was his sister by one side yet in the meaning which he would have those to interpret his words to whom he spake them they were not true For his intent was to make them conceive that she was so his sister as not his wife He resolved to use false speeches and draw his wife likewise to joyne with him in these false speeches yea they agreed upon it before hand as he tels Abimelech Gen. 20.13 Abraham said to her this is the kindnesse thou shalt shew mee at every place whether wee shall come say he is my brother You see they agreed before hand to dissemble and to continue dissembling yet sure dissembling is a sinne and ought not to be done as Abraham heares even from Abimelech himselfe verse 9. Thou hast done deeds unto mee that ought not to be done So it may befall a good Abraham out of inconsideratenesse and heedlesnesse in not pondering their pathes nor thinking of their waies or in a suddaine to dissemble and deale falsely for the preventing of danger as may be seene also in David and in Peter when he denied Christ and when he withdrew himselfe from communion with the Gentiles for feare of them which came from Iames to Antioch For a thing not considered of is for present as uselesse as if it were not knowne at all Therefore here also we must learne not to be utterly discouraged if we have run into such a fault when we bethinke our selves after of such offences we must be humbled bewaile them confesse them condemne and judge our selves for them but we must not be fearefull of asking pardon and of intreating mercy to forgive them must not conclude that there was no truth of grace in us because of such palpable failings yea we must take boldnesse to goe to the throne of grace renewing our repentance and earnestly suing for pardon And we must also take heed of censuring others and bitterly and harshly for such offences though they be grosse even Abimelech did not esteeme Abraham a dishonest and naughty man because he had found him tripping in this matter onely take heed least we misuse this Example and the like to build upon them a boldnesse to such sinnes that were a great wickednesse They must imbolden us to repent and crave mercy after we have through weakenesse offended they must not imbolden us before hand to resolve on a sinfull deed Yea when we behold their stumblings it should make us to be earnest in our prayers to God for a great measure of strength that we may escape such offences and to be more frequent and firme in renewing our purposes of not finning in the like kinde Resolve therefore that nothing shall make you lie or dissemble and if you doe resolve you will seeke
fell upon her The benefits shee received were two first shee was redeemed from the Captivity of the Kings that had taken her selfe Husband Daughter and whole Family prisoners in the Conquest of Sodome where they dwelt at that time and upon their deliveance neither shee nor her husband had the grace to consider of it and to remoove from Sodome and dwell againe in some better place neerer Abraham Secondly shee was delivered out of the burning of Sodome together with her Husband and Daughters saving that shee made the benefit unprofitable to her selfe by her sinning And her sinne though it seemed little in respect yet indeed was very great The matter was small the transgression was great as in great poyson fullnesse may be found in a small quantity of liquor even in a drop or lesse then a drop Shee was forbidden by the Angell that sent her forth to looke backe to Sodome and yet expressely against that charge shee did looke backe the cause of that prohibition may seeme to have beene this the Lord knowing her too eager affection to the goods shee left behinde her would have her now cast off that inordinate passion and accepting the goodnesse of God in giving her her life for a prey not so much as to turne and looke towards Sodome but trust God for goods who had now vouchsafed them life but shee belike thinking as many of us would have thought as good die as be sent away a beggar and destitute of all things could not keepe her heart constant in taking notice of the great benefit of escaping the fire but out of griefe to leave house and all after her turned backe to salute them once againe with her eye This sinne was compounded of disobedience to God speaking in the Angell and dis-esteeme of the present mercy and over-grieving the losse of her wealth Take heed you give not your selves leave to commit a thing expressely forbidden for usually much naughtinesse concurreth to produce such an act so the Lord that searcheth the heart accounteth that great which your blindnesse maketh you to esteeme nothing and so to punish it many times with some heavie punishment As it befell this woman her punishment was to be turned into a Pillar of salt The Lord instantly smote her with death and taking her soule from her body changed the body into a pillar which whether it be called a pillar of salt because it was of that matter or because of the everlasting continuance of it as an everlasting Covenant is called a covenant of salt I cannot determine The latter seemeth to mee the more probable howsoever shee is set forth to us for an example by which wee may informe our selves thus much that when God hath chastened us and by our chastisements taken pittie upon us and granted us deliverances and yet wee profit so little by both as to continue faulty in the same faults wee shall then finde his hand more heavie upon us by some exemplary blow as it is noted by David that though the Lord brought the people out of Egypt yet hee did after destroy them in the wildernesse that did not beleeve Let us feare least the Lord set us up also as Monuments of his just severity when hee findes us not reformed by former goodnesse and gentlenesse * ⎠* THE TVVELFTH EXAMPLE OF LOTS Daughters and others of that time WEE have finished the things that are recorded of Lots selfe and his Wife Next let us tell you what is recorded of his two Daughters Their names their birth their death the Lord vouchsafeth not to mention and of their life not much is written and that which is tends all to their reproach First good deeds we have none for which to commend them or in which to follow them but bad deeds too many considering how great they were Their first sinne was that they consulted together and agreed about a most abhominable sinne nay a paire of grievous crimes at once In which the first-borne did make the motion and the younger gave her consent In the consultation about it see what reason induced and what it is to which they were induced by that reason The reason is 1. Their Fathers age who being now shortly to leave the world they would not have his off-spring perish in themselves 2. The want of other men to company with them there is not a man in all the earth to come in unto us after the earth They wanted other husbands to beget children of them in lawfull matrimonie Surely their late abode in Zoar might cause them to know that the whole world was not destroyed if they meant that there was never another man left with whom they might joyne themselves they did beguile themselves too too palpably for onely Sodome and Gomorrha and Admah and Zeboim foure Cities of the plaine were consumed with fire from Heaven the rest stood in their former estate Zoar they had seene standing and left it with their Father and seeing they dwelt upon a Mountaine they could not but discerne other Cities round about for that Countrey was full of Townes and people It is like therefore that they meant none neere unto us none of our blood and kindred But why should they make doubt of marrying any other besides their owne kindred They had beene betrothed to husbands in Sodome might they not as well marrie any other Cananite as a Citizen of Sodome It is apparant that their reasons were frivolous and vaine yet upon them they build a full resolution of committing two fearefull offences for they agree together saying Come let us make our Father drinke Wine and then let us lie with him to preserve seed of him They would seeme each to other to be carried with libidinous fancies as if lust led them but that a desire of preserving seed was the motive to the villanous designe Wee see how mans nature is easily drawne by weake and poore grounds to runne into very loathsome and foule crimes Better the world should have wanted continuance and ended in their persons then have it stored with an incestuous off-spring No other meeting together of man and woman if it had beene in the way of Matrimony is simply and of it selfe unlawfull but onely that of Parents and children for there was a time when the Brother married the sister without fault as in the beginning when the world had no other persons in it but brethren and sisters but never at any time was it lawfull for the daughters to have the Father or the Mother the sonne This therefore was the most unlawfull mixture in the same kinde and of different Sexe that possibly could be Yet upon a slender pretext that they knew not how to come by any other man and so their Fathers posterity should perish they consent to accomplish it Had they not beene made more then ordinarily immodest with the conversation of impure Sodomites they would have beene restrained with shame and
men with blindnesse a kinde of giddinesse of braine and dazeling of eyes like to those that have fed of some kinde of roote that makes them little lesse then wilde and mad for the time they could not finde the doore by groping and yet continued still to wearie themselves by groping after it Here is the greatest obstinacy and wilfullnesse in sinning that could be imagined when not alone no loving disswasion could withdraw their mindes from such a shamefull attempt but even the heavie and immediate hand of God was unable to pull them backe from continuing in their horrible and outragious onsets God might by force hold them from doing the evill but from indeavouring to doe it nothing would hinder to be so hard-hearted in a sinfull course that neither words nor blowes will so much as interrupt a man in his naughtinesse or cause him to turne a little aside or make a little stop in it but that he rusheth like a horse into the battell plunging himselfe in it like a madman running to drowne himselfe and with violence striving to rid himselfe of them that seeke to hinder him from working his mischiefe this may seeme as high a degree of sinning as that of the Sodomites O take heed that sinne lay not so fast hold upon you let it not be so absolute and mighty a commander I pray you examine your selves whether you have not sinned grossely boldly wilfully and obstinately in some other kinde as the Sodomites in masculine lusts at least whether you have not discovered the same faults in lesser degrees and know that more deepe remorse and wounding of heart is necessary to be sought after by all men for sinnes that have so many weights at their heeles to make them heavier They must rend our soules more which are laden with such considerations Was not the sinne grosse Yes Did I not commit it presumptuously Yes Did I not commit it shamelesly Yes Did I not commit it wilfully Yes Did I not persist in it against dehortaions Yes Was I so furious that some strong hand of God befalling in the instant could not hinder mee Yes O then how Sodomiticall was this sinne and how should I wonder that I should so farre surpasse all bounds and breake all bands as to commit such a crime in such a manner But here is one fault particularly to be noted in Lots sonnes in Law their Father sought to get them out of that place and so out of that plague and therefore by commission from the Angels went forth to them acquainted them with the perill and besought them to save themselves they count his words no better then the doating dreames of an old man and will not be mooved at all unlesse it be to laugh at him and so they burne with the other Sodomites because they would not beleeve their danger Thus doe men yet still pull perdition on themselves the Ministers of the Gospell preach to us to the same purpose that Lot did speake unto his sonnes in Law Come out of such and such a sinne for God will surely destroy the committers of it and what successe doe we meete withall After many an houre bestowed in seeking to make men see that if they doe such things they shall not inherit the Kingdome of Heaven but shall fall into the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone wee have no other fruit our words appeare to them as if they were the words of one that mocked or were in jest they will not be made to thinke that any such danger is neere them Tell mee I beseech you what you thinke might not Lots two sonnes have escaped this fire of Sodome if they would What was the cause of their perishing but because they would not beleeve their Father in Law also they might have left the City with him and escaped the brimstone Surely beloved you shall be able to alledge nothing at the last day to make your destruction more tollerable for why doe you perish but because you will not give credit to the threats of God and labour to leave all sinne which you may as well indeavour to leave if your wilfullnesse did not hinder as Lots sonnes might have left Sodome If you say we could not beleeve those words I answer true but even as these wretches could not beleeve their Father because by hardening themselves in evill they had made themselves obstinate against every thing that crossed their carnall desires It is a fearefull sinne Brethren to be no otherwise affected to the threats denounced against your sinnes by Gods Ministers then as these gracelesse young men even to thinke them but words of sport counterfeit words which have no truth nor substance in them but were very mockery and scoffage so thought these foolish fellowes but in the morning they were made to feele what they would not beleeve at midnight when they scorched in the flames they in vaine repented their ill entertainement of their Father in Lawes speeches and perswasions and to no purpose wished that they had beene over-intreated by him A number of you live in the selfe-same sinne hee that threatens hell-fire and destruction against you for your drunkennesse filthinesse revenge worldlinesse is counted a mocker an idle fellow that knowes not what hee saith but must say something when he is gotten into his Pulpit and no more reckoning doe you make of it but when death hath carried your soules to hell then you shall too late accuse your owne folly and wish you had hearkened with more beliefe O accept these threats with faith that they may draw you out of sinne and save you out of hell The sinnes of Sodome related by Moses you have heard of The Prophet Ezekiel by way of upbraiding Iudah relates some other sinnes together with this as you may reade Ezek. 16.49 Pride fullnesse of bread and abundance of idlenesse were in her and in her daughters and they strengthened not the hand of the poore and needy and they were haughty and committed abhomination before mee First the Holy Ghost telleth us of their pride this is a grievous vice pride of heart is a fearefull sinne 'T is like a great swelling in the body which unfitteth it for any good service and is apt to putrifie and to breake and runne with loathsome and foule matter So doth this pride disable the soule from any good duty and at left breakes forth into most odious and filthy deeds that cause it to be tedious to God and man The Scripture often condemneth it and pronounceth heavie threats against it Psal 73.6 a wicked man is blamed because pride compasseth him as a garment he weareth it upon himselfe as some faire and gorgeous robe of which hee is so farre from being ashamed that he rejoyceth in it and thinketh himselfe to be made more comely and honourable by it and Prov. 8.13 hee saith the feare of God is to hate pride amongst other things there named It must needs be concluded
scornefull speeches comparings revilings upbraidings If he deale with friends he is unthankefull they must be his slaves still to humour him in every thing also all former good turnes are forgotten towards his enemies he is infinitely revengfull cares not what ill he doth them in requitall and will scarce ever forget an imaginary wrong I meane such a one as doth seeme none to any but himselfe and those whom he hath made crooked by a false and partiall relation Thus in respect of persons For estates give him adversity he is sullen dogged impatient cannot stoope to it blames every body for it and cares not what shifts he useth to get out Give him prosperity he abuseth it and doth mischiefe with it at least doth no good with it but makes it an instrument of serving his pride and other lusts so that hee is good for nothing in any place he can stoope to no burden nor buckle to no service being just like a goutie legg well neither lying still nor stirring or a sicke body neither well a bed nor up For qualities the good qualities of others he knowes how to vitiate traduce calumniate and make them seeme vices and will have somewhat to say to blemish them For bad qualities he makes them worse then they be aggravates them by mis-relating and turnes them into a jest and laughter scorning rather then pitying him in whom he thinkes they be as the Pharisee did the Publican His owne ill qualities he will not see he will not confesse he will not mend but hides them excuses them defends them and many times boasteth in them His good qualities he marres and corrupts and doth so lift himselfe up for them that most times they be even troublesome to others and reproachfull to himselfe he knowes them so too well and makes so too much of them that no man else can finde any commendablenesse in them they be but matter for bragging and boasting and telling gay tales of himselfe what he hath done or can doe so it makes his vices worse and turnes his vertues even into vices Can that be other then a most hatefull and filthy vice that bringeth forth so many bad effects and yet all these and many more that I cannot reckon up doe most apparantly follow from pride in what degree it selfe is suffered to prevaile in men Now I pray you beloved search into your selves and looke about if you cannot see this vice abroad in your neighbours Let me propound this question to each of you doe you know never a proud man in the Towne and doe you see never a one in the Church whom you judge to be full of pride you would answer this question in your owne hearts Doe you see or know a proud man or woman in the place where you dwell I am afraid you that be poore will looke upon the gayer cloathes of the wealthie and say without doubt they be monstrous proud that must weare such gay things about them when others of as good earth as themselves goe almost naked or so simply clad And I feare least you that are wealthy will finde cause to blame such a one and such a one for pride because their carriage is so and so many of you can see pride I doubt not peeping out of the poore mans rags and crawling like a vermine out of his meane garment yea you that be poore I feare will finde a great deale of pride abroad you will not returne without finding it for in truth it is a fruit of pride to finde pride every where but in ones selfe Therefore I recant this speech now and I pray you leave that forreine inquirie and come you home every soule to himselfe and search at home each in his owne bosome house carriage And tell mee or rather God who speakes to each art not thou thy selfe somewhat a kinne to the generation of Sodome a vessell in whom the Divell and flesh hath laid up a deale of pride You may perhaps aske me how any man may know whether he be proud or no I meane over-come with pride full of it over-ruled by it I speake to thee that art poore and coursely clad Doe not you thinke that you are as good men and women as those that are finelier clad and if you had as good suites and ornaments as they you should be never a whit inferiour to them have you not these kinde of vying buzling thoughts in you in truth this is nothing but pride And you that are richer doe you not count these poore snakes almost nothing the mudde the scumme three-halfe-penny creatures lesse then dust almost to you mushroms shrubs verily these thoughts proclaime you to be monstrous proud and if you goe away with them on either side and find them not stop them not blame them not it is certaine this vice hath a strong partie in you and in very deed doth over-master you 'T is pride of heart we seeke for and 't is nothing but pride that sets up these bristling thoughts in you But yet I shall give you another note nothing is a surer proofe of over-ruling pride then this that a man sees no pride in himselfe neither will confesse it to his owne heart It is certaine this vice is as naturall to all mankinde as it is to be borne with eyes in their heads with a mouth with an heart with a liver with braine The vitall parts of our body doe not more surely come into the world with us then this vitall part of the body of death and of corruption Now if you have never seene it nor could meete with it in the effects of it so as to know it it is onely because you are ignorant and blinde and the more ignorant of your corruptions the more proud When vices be not seene they be not lamented nor resisted with spirituall weapons nay not with naturall good considerations neither and the lesse they be resisted the more they grow and the more they grow the stronger and bigger they be and the more they rule in him in whom they be If it were not therefore for want of understanding by this time a great number of you might perceive that you deserve to be called sonnes of pride for your selves cannot denie but that you have in a manner alwaies denied your selves to be proud you never saw it in your hearts nor confessed before God with secret sorrow for it Lord I am very proud such and such effects proove mee to be very proud And without doubt hee that never did thus strive to mortifie his pride cannot but be a very proud man Loe now I have shewed you how to finde out your pride by not finding it out and this is the surest way of finding it where it is most it hides it selfe most from his eyes in whom it is like the foundation of a building that is underground though it beare up all that is above the ground or like some secret distemper in the inwards that shewes not
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
sinned surely in forgetting himselfe so farre as to resolve in his minde to blesse his sonne Esau whereas God had said the elder shall serve the younger He should have beene mindfull of that propheticall answer which was given concerning those two sonnes even when they strove in their Mothers wombes unlesse wee shall say that the whole passage was so carried as it was concealed from Isaac but that is nothing probable it can hardly be conceived that Rebekah would not acquaint her husband both that shee felt so strange a striving in her wombe which made her seeke to God to know the matter as also what answer shee received from God Taking that for granted which is so probable that there is no reason to doubt of it I say wee may note a fault in good Isaac yea good old Isaac hee forgate the Word of God which had beene spoken some yeares before and that so utterly as hee determined to have crossed it and gone directly against it It is a fault from which the bed men alive are not exempted even so to forget Gods Word as to be ready out of forgetfullnesse to transgresse it This forgetfullnesse ariseth many times from heedelesnesse and many times from continuance and length of time and sometimes from very strength of passion and distemper which doth cast out the remembrance of good things from the minde David and all the Priests had forgotten that which at least some of them had read concerning the not carting of Gods Arke but carrying it upon the Priests shoulders Iacob after had little lesse then forgate the vow hee made unto God in his affliction I pray you take heed of such forgetfullnesse meditate often that you may remember seasonably pray God to write his Lawes in your hearts and to make his holy Spirit to become your remembrancer that your knowledge be not made unprofitable through forgetfullnesse for that which is not fitly called to minde is in a manner as if it were not And if you meete with such a weakenesse as this in your selves looke that you be duely abased in the sight of it but be not out of heart as if you were destitute of all grace because you are imperfect in it but take comfort to seeke and hope for pardon upon your humble confession when the Lord pleaseth to put you in remembrance againe If Peter had remembred Christs words before hee might perhaps have escaped his great sinne of denying his Master but hee remembred it after to make him weepe bitterly It were a comfortable thing to call to minde those things that should preserve us from sinne so timely that we might be so preserved by them But if wee have done otherwise it behooveth us to put our selves in minde of them after to worke godly sorrow and then turning to God wee must not suffer our selves to doubt but that hee will vouchsafe to accept us Now Isaac offended something against men In respect of his two sonnes at first he loved Esau better then Iacob and that for carnall respects because Esau by his hunting supplied him with such kinde of meate as was contentfull to him It was without doubt a weakenesse in him and deserveth taxing Should Isaac beare favour to a gracelesse sonne for venisons sake rather then to a godly sonne for vertue sake Should our passions fancies appetites carrie us away and over-rule our affections Surely as David wished those that feared God to come unto him and he would choose them for his companions so should every man make godlinesse the rule of his affections so as when other things be even to give piety the preheminence and cause godlinesse to cast the scale as it were It is a fault in any man to love a worse childe above a better for any sinister respect Abraham loved not Ishmael above Isaac to prevent that it may be thought that God commanded Ishmael to be cast out that hee might not be thought a meete person at least to partake with Isaac in his inheritance And as to be carried away in our affections to children by affecting them most that deserve it least in carnall respects is a sinne so likewise towards other persons also servants neighbours or any other Therefore hee that hath done so or findes himselfe so inclined must be humbled in his folly and labour at last to rectifie his love as wee shew'd you before that Isaac did when God discovered his weakenesse to him Now in respect of Abimelech Isaac offended by lying out of feare when the men of Gerar began to question with him about his wife he began to suspect that they meant no good in such inquirie and fearing some ill usage from them if hee should have professed himselfe her husband helped the matter with a sudden lie and said shee was his Sister Gen. 26.7 you see hee inheriteth here his Fathers carnall feare and carnall shift of lying to prevent the evill feared Here wee have two plaine faults his immoderate feare and his lying to helpe himselfe at a pinch to be afraid of death so that there appeare some likelihood that it will come upon us suddenly and violently we suffer our selves to be drawne into sinne for the escaping of it is a sin and such a sin it is as hath often discovered it selfe in good men Wee noted it in Abraham twice upon the same occasion that is here mentioned So it befell David when hee came first to Achish King of Gath so to Peter and others The inordinatenesse of the feare of death ariseth from weakenesse of faith both in that a man doth not so stedfastly rely upon God for defence and safeguard of life as also for salvation of his soule after death or because hee is not so well versed in the meditations of death and Heaven as to become sufficiently heavenly-minded For if wee did fully perswade our selves that God would stand by us in perill that hee would be our shield and buckler then it would befall us according to that of David The Lord is on my side I will not feare what man can doe unto mee but in the best this confidence is often weakened and they are taken unprovided through the suddennesse of the danger or the like occasion or it is likely that the soule which so feareth death as by sinne to shun the same doth not so thoroughly assure it selfe of salvation or hath not so clearely and fully apprehended the excellency of salvation for doubtlesse death would be welcome to him rather then terrible that did apprehend it as a darke entrie leading to the glorious palace of glory and had well considered of the greatnesse of that glory I beseech you take paines to helpe your selves against the feare of death and to worke in your hearts so truly couragious a temper that though it should present it selfe to you naked and without disguise and that suddenly and that in shew unpreventably yet you might be so constant and so setled as not to
betake your selves unto any sinfull meanes of escape but rather choose to die then to sinne against God as knowing death to be no great matter but sinne to be an hatefull thing and worse by farre then death And how should this undaunted and spirituall fortitude be attained but by conversing with death often in your thoughts so as to get some good assurance that it shall not be able to carry you to the region of darknesse to eternall death but alone to let you out of this dungeon into a roome farre more lightsome and blisfull He that thinkes much of death so as to make himselfe carefull by frequent renewing of his repentance and amendment of his life to get his salvation assured to himselfe shall at last be happily armed against the feare of death and shall be made so resolute as to choose rather to die then sinne Againe if you finde so much weakenesse in any of Gods Saints with whom you live as you finde recorded in the story of Isaac I pray you be no harsher so them then you be to him Tell mee what thinke you of Isaac was hee a godly man or not if you say no you contradict the Scripture if you say yea then you must learne not to deny to another the name of a good man because you meete with the like disorders in him that are here noted in Isaac if hee feare too much if hee hath used some sinfull meanes to escape death or other danger Nay a man ought not to deny himselfe the name of a man truly sanctified because hee findeth the same imperfections in himselfe To call in question ones being sanctified in respect of the hanging on of such weakenesses is to nip and discourage the worke of grace and to hinder the growth of it no lesse then a cold frost doth hinder fruites from growing But Isaac telleth a manifest lie Lying is a sinne and the lying tongue will bring destruction but to bee so transported with some present passion as to be thrust into the mire of lying is such a thing as may befall a godly man Come and take heede that you doe not imbolden your selves to lie by abusing this and the like Examples but rather resolve and pray against it as knowing in how much danger you stand of falling into it For though to bee over-taken with this sinne in hast doe not disproove the truth of sanctity yet to be a lier one that makes account that this is so small an offence that hee will not be so precise as to forbeare to helpe himselfe by it if need be this is a proofe of a man that hath not yet gotten any sanctity Lying is a sinne so plaine that scarce is it possible to be ignorant of it but through wilfullnesse because a man refuseth to be willing to know that fault which hee is not willing to leave For no man can choose but blame it in another and therefore his inward soule doth plainely tell him that it is also naught in himselfe Now to live purposely in a knowne sinne resolving that hee must and will doe it if occasion serve this is to be a worker of iniquity Remember therefore the word of S. Paul Put away lying seeing you have put off the old man intimating that hee hath not cast off any part of the old man that hath not throwne away this rag of it Lying will breed boldnesse to sinne hard-heartednesse in it impudency after it Therefore you must determinately conclude with your selves to put away lying and speake the truth one to another In these two things Isaac sinned against GOD and himselfe But his sinne against Abimelech was in that hee was like to have drawne him occasionally into a great sinne hee did that which might easily have hazarded him to thinke of making Rebekah his wife that is of committing adultery It is a sinne to become a stumbling blocke to another by doing that which may make him bold to doe a thing that is sinfull as Abimelech complained to Abraham and also to Isaac take heede that you become not stumbling blockes in a more palpable fashion by inticing perswading exhorting giving evill example or the like Be carefull not to partake with other mens sinnes and if you can call to minde any thing done by your selves in the like nature viz. such an act as might have pulled another to wickednesse though the ill effect have not followed yet you must repent of your uncharitablenesse and rashnesse herein Another fault of Isaacs is this that he had too great respect to good fare he loved his tooth and palate a little too much he was an aged man and hee gave himselfe a little more then enough to savoury meate and his love to good fare carried him so farre awry in his affections that he loved Esau more then Iacob Gen. 25.28 Surely it was too great a love to Venison that caused him to love a worse sonne above a better This is a weakenesse against which it is needefull to strive our sensuality inclineth us unto it wee are apt to thinke it no sinne may not a man use Gods benefits and enjoy the comforts of this life in good measure why should not hee fare well that hath much given him by God But sure to be so over-ruled by ones palate that any disorders be bred thence in ones life towards any person or thing cannot but be a sinne for all these excuses Doe not wee know that cockering of the body doth likely depresse the soule and the feeding of the belly and pleasing of the taste doth breed an aptnesse to be lesse delighted with better things Thus you have Isaacs faults First Forgetfulnesse of Gods promise Secondly Carnall feare of death Thirdly Lying to prevent danger Fourthly Scandalizing Abimelech Fiftly over-loving his worser sonne and Sixtly Over-loving good fare We will goe on now to consider what blessings he enjoyed First Spirituall God pleased to make his covenant in him and to bestow the birth-right and blessing upon him and therefore also did appeare to him and blessed him Gen. 25.3 4. and after Vers 24. It is a singular favour of God to give a man spirituall blessings to make him his childe to appeare to him and comfort him by giving him assurance that hee is his childe and confirme his Faith in his gracious promises This is the greatest favour to blesse us with spirituall blessings Ishmael had the terrene but Isaac had the spirituall blessings these were given also to Iacob as a singular prerogative It is an admirable favour indeede to enjoy these for they will not cease at the end of this life but will continue till another life and will bee perfected in another life eternally I pray you consider whether God have vouchsafed these unto you hath he caused you to feare his name hath he made you to beleeve his promises hath he appeared to you in his word and ordinances and given you some happy apprehension of his
acknowledgement If you would learne that all things are pure unto the pure you would not bee hindred from so good a service by any scruple or abuse But I am afraid niggardlinesse hath as great a hand in breaking of such feasts as any thing else Whether you feast or not be it at your choise but mee thinks againe I repeat it safe escaping the danger that tooke away Rachel may well call for even a publicke and thankfull acknowledgement So much of Rachel whom we leave by her husband solemnly interred unner a monument erected upon her grave which kept her name up long and occasioned the calling of all the mothers dwelling thereabouts by her name When it is said Rachel weeping for her children because they were not Now of Leah she was a wife of Iacobs the first he had given though not promised Of her vertues we have not much noted but she shewed her selfe patient and loving to her husband somewhat quiet to her envious sister and thankfull to God for her children though her husband loved her lesse than was meet yet we read of no brawles either with him or her sister She entertained him very lovingly when he came home from field and she had hired him of her sister She consented also to goe with him into Canaan she was desirous of children and had many but a fault or two she slipped in First she went to bed to her sisters husband at her fathers persuasion which she ought not to have done In him that thought she was Rachel there was no sinne in her that knew she was not Rachel it was a great fault but excused by the fathers authority but she wronged Iacob much and made her owne life full of affliction Another little fault she had shee seemed a little too unkind to her sister in not being willing to impart some of her sonnes mandrakes but often unkindnesses and wrongs breed such an estrangement betwixt them who are otherwise neerly joyned as that they sticke at small curtesies We must take heed it doe not so with us but Leah had a little anger with her she could upbraid her sister with an injury when she came for a curtesie O that she had not too many followers in this weaknesse Her benefits were these she had a good husband and many children and was matcht into the Church and we hope went to Heaven for her carriage in respect of her children shews some goodnesse Indeed she was faulty in imitating her sister and giving Zilpah to Iacob much more faulty in thinking that God gave her the next sonne for a reward of that fault But so weake we are and ignorant of sin somtimes that we verily thinke God is pleased with our sins and recompenceth them with benefits And for her crosses they were want of her husbands love and comfortable cohabitation and all the miseries shee underwent with her husband besides her Father was something unkinde as it may seeme for she saith He counted them strangers and she also had an imperfection in her visage for she was bleare-eyed I hope you will all learne to imitate her vertues flie her sins be thankfull for the like mercies and patient under the like crosses and then you shall not be losers of time by hearing her story Now the two handmaidens Zilpah and Bilhah Zilpah hath nothing said of her but that Shee bare Iacob two children Gad and Asher So called of Leah that would needs imitate her sisters weaknesse and call them hers Bilhah is taxed of a grievous sin she suffered her selfe to be polluted with incest by Iacobs first borne If he offered her violence or surprized her by any device it was his fault not hers but it is not likely to have been so because God doth not report it so For God would not wrong any in reporting their acts to the worst but if there had been any excuse of her fault the Lord would have done her right in rehearsing it he should not else doe the office of a good writer of a Story O let all women take heed of adultery and chiefly of incestuous adulteries with their husbands son in law or brothers or a like neare of blood where the offence is made much more heinous by that aggravation and if any have committed any such crime let the mentioning of it in this woman bring it to their remembrance and provoke them to repentance that they may not have so fearefull a crime to answer for upon their sick-bed in the houre of death Likely such grosse crimes will cry out then if they have been smothered before but a conscience purged from them by sincere repentance performed in health may enjoy quiet and peace in death notwithstanding the remembrance of them For a sin repented of shall be pardoned and a pardoned debt cannot hurt at all not so much as terrifie if the pardon of it be knowne But something there was in it that God saw it fit to have his Church stored with the seed of bond-women for two of Iacobs wives were such because he would have us know that hee doth not much stand upon nobility and being free borne and the like One third part of his people Israel were seed of bond-women Though he would not let Hagars seed inherite yet that was not because he did looke to her condition but that he might figuratively set forth his aversnesse from them that will needs be in bondage under the Law when the Gospell brings them liberty and therefore now he doth equally take into the Church Dan and Nephthali Gad and Asher as well as Reuben and Levi Simeon and Iudah These earthly considerations vary nothing with God nor is the one any more acceptable with him than the other Let not those which enjoy the priviledges of this world in these matters sleight or despise such as want them and let not those that are meanlier borne trouble themselves at that depression Spirituall priviledges may belong to those that are of no reckoning in the world and those that are of high esteeme in it may be deprived of them The Tribes that came of the bond-woman were admitted into the possession of Canaan and to the fellowship of the Tabernacle as well as the rest It were a misery indeed to be outwardly mean if that would impeach our spirituall estate but seeing no such thing will follow let us shew our high esteeme of the soul above the body by not regarding the things of the body so that the soul be wel * ⎠* THE ONE AND TWENTIETH EXAMPLE OF LABAN WE have spoken of Iacobs selfe and of his Wives now I will goe on to speake of his Vncle and so of his Children His Vncle and Father in law was one Laban of Padan Aram of whose birth and death the Scripture takes no notice at all and indeed it is scarce worth the while to mention the birth and death of wicked men It is no great matter when they
this caused the falling out See here the guise of a carnall and earthly minded man hee will become an enemy and beare a grudge to any that hinders him in his gaine though it bee without any wrong or injustice It was not any injury though it were a damage to Laban that still the greater number and better cattell were Iacobs but because hee sees it so therefore hee beares an ill affection to Iacob as Saul hated David because hee saw that God had intended to turne the kingdome unto him Nature will shew that this is a fault for why should I hate a man because God prospers him but desire of gain will so blinde the eyes that hee which is led with it will not avoide this fault nor will take notice likely that it is a fault you must observe it in Laban and informe your selves how unreasonable a thing it is and the sonnes of Laban too did joyne with him in the same fault for they also muttered against him in this respect And now I proceed to his next fault hee pursued Iacob with an hostile minde intending either to bring him backe againe and then hee must have served him on poore and hard termes or else to have sent him empty enough away and accordingly provided himselfe of company in so much that himselfe saith It was in his power to have done Iacob hurt but that God forbade him and Iacob upbraides him with it Indeed God needed not to have appeared to him for the forbidding of such a thing if hee had not seene what would else have beene the issue A very great sinne this was in his purpose though God hindered the execution wee must marke his sinne hee followed Iacob in anger meaning to have stript him of all A wicked thing it is upon occasion of something that looketh like a fault to attempt such a businesse for the worst that hee could alleadge was Iacobs stealing away without giving him warning or leave and this in Iacob was no fault at all because God commanded him so to doe neither had it beene a fault though God had not bidden it for it seemes their agreement was but from yeare to yeare or for a lesse space of time in that Laban changed the wages so oft and therefore the time prefixed being fulfilled Iacob was at his liberty and might goe without asking his leave or making him privy to his purpose But Laban is glad to have an advantage of such a pretence and resolves Is hee gone without my liking and knowledge Well I will teach him better manners towards his Master and Father in Law I will fetch him backe with a witnesse and so strengthening himselfe with company hee makes after him with a revengefull meaning and overtaking him begins to quarrell chargeth him to have done foolishly in conveighing himselfe away with his two daughters and their children so privately This is a wickednesse to intend to hurt a man to spoile him of his estate and to send him empty away taking the advantage of something by him done which may seeme to have beene done somewhat indiscreetly and faultily onely or chiefly out of envy and covetousnesse to get ones goods and to bee revenged of him No man is so blinde but hee would blame this in another and therefore must needs sinne against his knowledge if he doe it himselfe The last fault of Laban is that hee falsly chargeth Iacob with stealing his Idols and meerely upon surmises they were gone at that time when Iacob went and therefore his conclusion was Iacob must needes have them yea hee was so peremptory that Iacobs deniall would not satisfie though hee denied so strongly as to offer the offender to death if hee could finde them but hee rifles and searcheth all his goods for them imagining perhaps that some body else might have stollen them without Iacobs privity which was true indeed But here by the way I must taxe Iacob for a little too much confidence in his offer had Laban found the Idols hee would not have consented to the death of Rachel nor to the taking of her from him It is good to bee moderate in our speeches and not over-confident but Laban is the subject of our speech now hee did falsly charge Iacob with theft upon a surmise of his owne This is a sinne which no man can brooke from another without blaming him for it therefore hee hath light enough if hee could use the light to discover it in himselfe Too easily to beleeve and too earnestly to affirme against another that hee hath committed such a sinne because wee have some probabilities to alleadge against him is a sinne against our brother and an injurious defiling of his name against whom wee ought not to raise up an ill report Neither without just or sure proofe nor yet in publike manner as Laban did if wee might reforme it privately So Laban failed both in the manner and manner of his accusation the matter it was false the manner it was over-publike when it should and might have beene private though it had beene true Now I pray you let us search our selves to see if wee bee not guilty of the same faults with Laban and learne with griefe and shame to confesse that our selves who have farre more and better meanes have yet beene as palpably faulty as this Idolater as unjust as worldly as envious as apt to follow surmises and so in the rest and let us greatly abhorre our selves that better helpes have prevailed no more with us and now let us resolve to put away these faults and seeing we have given our names to Christ and enjoy the Word Name and Sacraments of Christ let us abhorre to runne into those evils which being blame-worthy enough in an Heathen are ten times more loathsome in a Christian So much of his deedes good and bad Now the things that befell him are some good and some bad at least as hee accounted it Good hee had a good sonne in law for his daughters through Gods disposing more then his owne seeking who married them on termes easie enough for him Indeed hee liked him for his good husbandry a thing within his element but hee was a godly husband too which wee should learne to prize as a great mercy and should bee able to discerne it an happinesse it is to have daughters bestowed on thriving and godly yoakefellowes Pray for it use meanes for it be thankfull for it Also hee had a state rich enough hee was a wealthy man in the place where hee lived Surely God that casts these things on such persons accounts them not excellent and if he deny them to his servants doth it not out of unwillingnesse or want of meanes but alone because hee knowes it better for their soules to bee destitute of them than to abound wherefore they must learne contentment in their absence And those that have them must take heed they over-prize them not and suffer not themselves by having them
incest Laban The Scripture saith nothing of his birth or death His Parentage His life His civill vertues 1. He vouchsafe curteous entertainment unto Eliezer 2. He gave him an honest and good answer Neither by faire meanes nor by soule 3. He speedily dismissed him 4. Was loving to his sister made a feast to his neighbours and friends Gen. 29.21 22. 5. He lovingly entertained Iacob when he came unto him 6. Of his own accord he offered Iacob wages for his worke 7. He was willing to bestow his daughters upon him 8 He quickly laid downe his anger and made a covenant with him 9. He sheweth himselfe loving and kind to his daughters and grandchildren 10. He made a feast at the marriage of his daughter 11. He tooke notice of Gods blessing as the cause of his prosperity 12. He forbore what God forbad His faults 1. He was an Idolater 2. He loved Iacob in a worldly manner 3. He cousened Iacob 4. He looked doggedly upon him because he hindred his wealth though without any wrong 5. He pursued Iacob with an hostile minde 6. He falsely chargeth Iacob with stealing his Idols 3. His benefits 1. He had a good son in law 2. He was rich 4. His crosses 1. His daughters and grand children went far from him 2. He was troubled at Iacobs prosperity His death Iacobs children Reuben what it signifies Gen. 29.3 Simeon what it signifies Levi what it signifies Iudah what it signifies Gen. 30.18 Issachar what it signifies Zebulun what it signifies Dan what it signifies Nephthali what it signifies Gad what it signifies Asher what it signifies Ioseph what it signifies Benjamin what it signifies Dinah what it signifies Who she was No good thing is spoken of her Her faults 1. She went into the City to see the daughters of the countrey 2. A young man saw her and lay with her The sonnes Their common faults 1. All of them were bad except Ioseph and Benjamin Gen. 37.2 2. They all beguiled Hamor â—he Sichemite Gen. 35. Deceit is a great sin Prov. 6.10 18. 26.26 Rom. 3. 3. They all consented to the murder of the Sichemites 4. They hated their brother Ioseph 5. They lied cousened their old Father The use of all Their common goodnes 1. They all strove to comfort their Father in his great sadnesse 2. They were dutifull to him in going down to Egypt and not taking Benjamin with them 3. Their benefits 1. They had a godly Father and themselves were pillers of the true Church 2 God saved them all from a great danger 3. They had store of riches 4. Ioseph nourished them in the famine Their crosses 1. In danger from Esau when children 2. In danger at Shechem 3. Felt a famine and were roughly handled by Ioseph Reuben 1. His faults Gen. 35.22 1. He committed incest with his Fathers Concubine Incest is a great sin 1 Cor. 5. 2. His vertues 1. He wisely disswaded his Brethren from killing of Ioseph 2. He was fully minded to restore Ioseph to his Father againe 3 He grieved to see his hopes disappointed and Ioseph taken out of the pit 4 He sought to remove his Father from his stiffenes in refusing to send Benjamin into Aegypt His crosses His Father minded him of his incest on his death-bed 3. His benefits hee had divers sons Simeon and Levi their sinne double 1. The murder of the Sichemites Murder is a great sinne 2. They shewed no repentance when their Father told them of their fault Their punishment They lost part of the birth-right Levies death Iudah His faults 1. He left his Fathers house 2. He was led by his eye in marriage 3. He committed incest with his daughter in law Heb 13 4. 1 Cor. 6.9 4. He dissembled with his daughter in Law 5. He forgat his owne naughtinesse would have had Tamar burnt 6. Repented not of his whoredome but sought to redeeme his pledge His vertues 1. He returned at last to his Fathers house 2. He was somewhat humbled for his sinne 3. He carried himselfe well to his Father Gen. 43. 4. He faithfully kept promise with his Father 5. He did couragiously beare an evill accident His crosses 1. He had two very wicked sonnes His daughter in Law drew him to incest when he intended fornication onely 3. His sinne brake forth to his shame His benefits 1. He had very good naturall parts 2. Hee had a part of the birth-right setled upon him Potipher and his wife Shechem His faults 1. Hee looked lustfully on Dinah Gen. 34. Job 31.1 Mat. 5 29. 2. He enticed or forced her to naughtines or both 1 Cor. 6.18 2. What was good in him 1. He continued to affect her when hee had defloured her Deut. 22.28 29. 2. He acquaints his Father with his love to her and in treates him to speake to her Father for him 3. He stood not over-much upon matter of portion 4. He would have all things agreed upon before marriage 5. He was constant in his love to the end What betrothing is 3. His benefits He was his Fathers heire who was a great man His crosses 1 He prooved an occasion of the overthrow of his Father and his whole family and the Citie Hamor His faults 1. He was willing to be circumcized for a by end 2. He did not reproove nor correct his son for the wrong done to Dinah His vertues 1. He is willing to satisfie his sonne in point of marriage so farre as was fit 2. He deales well with his Subiects perswading them to be circumcised 3. Hee dealt well with Iacob plainely seeking his daughter and yeelding to equall conditions 3 His prosperity 1 His sonne was indifferently good 2. His Subiects were good 4. His crosse Himselfe and all his Family and City were murthered Hiram Hee was a good morall friend His friendship was 1. Lasting 2. Serviceable 3. Secret Yet he was a bad man Er and Onan the first was so wicked that God cut him off Onan was also wicked and cut off by God in his youth Tamar a very bad woman The Midianitish Merchants Gen. 37.25 Merchandize is commendable Pro. 23.4 Buying and selling of men the originall of it The iustice of it Potiphar Potiphar a great man His faults Chap. 39.6 1. Hee gave himselfe wholy over to his ease having a good steward James 5.1 2. He beleeved his wives cunning slander against his servant His good deeds 1. He observed his servants faithfulnesse and good successe nd loved and rewarded him for it Deut. 15.1 14. Prov. 27.18 Col. 4.1 Gal. 3.28 2. He did not take away Iosephs life in a rage His benefits Hee had an honourable office His crosses He had a lewd woman to his wife Potiphars wife No good in her Her faults 1. Shee was an adulterous woman 2. Impudent and earnest in her filthinesse 3. Most malicious Pharaohs Butler and Baker 1. Their good deeds 1. They bare their imprisonment patiently and cheerefully Gen. 40.7 2. They despised not Iosephs youth or meane
condition Their faults 1. They both seemed to commit some trespasse Pro. 16.14 1 Pet. 2 17. 1 Pet. 2.13 Rom. 13.1 The Butlers speciall fault the forgetting of Ioseph Their crosse They were both imprisoned Imprisonment is a crosse Gal. 5.13 The Bakers crosse alone he was hanged Their benefits 1. They were both in high place under a great King 2. They had Ioseph to attend them in prison The Butlers benefit He both knew he should be delivered and was delivered out of prison Pharaoh his good deeds Hee was wise and had good morall parts 1. Hee used all the meanes he could to come to the knowledge of his dreame 2. He contemned not Ioseph because he was a poore servant and of low degree Joh. 1.46 3. When hee saw Iosephs wisdome hee preferred him 4. Hee continued to favour Ioseph all his life long and favoured his Father and brethren for his sake His faults Hee continued a Heathen though he had a Ioseph in his Court. 2 Thes 5.21 3. His benefits 1. God warned him of the famine before hand God gave him a faithfull and wise servant 3. He was a rich and mighty Prince Nothing said of his crosses Psal 38 19. 73.4 5. The Egyptians Canaan is compared to it Their vertues They submitted themselves to their Governours Their faults They were mad with famine They were thankfull to Ioseph Their crosse They were impoverished by famine Foure benefits Pharaohs servants respected Ioseph Ioseph 1. in generall Gen. 37.28 He was a godly man began to be so betimes Heb. 11.22 Young men should labour to be good betimes why The Lambs skin cometh as soone to the market as the sheepes Meanes to be good betimes 2. He continued good to his end Gen. ult Heb. 11.22 2. More particularly 1. His goodnes in his Fathers house Gen. 37.2 1. He acquainted his father with his brethrens ill carriage Pro. 30.10 2. He had divine Dreames Gen 37.6 7. Which he told to his Father and Brethren 3. He was obedient to his Father Gen. 37.13 14. 4. He intreated his Brethren when they went about to sel him to strangers 1 Cor. 4.13 1 Sam. 25.23.24 Proverb 15.1 1 Pet. 3.9 2. His good carryage in Egypt in Putiphars house 1. He was a most diligent faithfull servant to him 1 Pet. 2.18 2. He shewed the true feare of God Isay 33.6 Esa 33.6 Gen. 39.9 3. Had a thankfull and loving Master 4. He was very chaste Chastity is an excellent vertue 1 Cor. 6. fin Helps against Fornication 2. Iosephs good carriage in prison Gen. 39.31 1. He was diligent and faithfull Gen. 40. 3 He strives to comfort the prisoners being sad which he attended upon 3. Hee was faithfull in interpreting their dreames 4. Hee was carefull to get out of prison 3. Iosephs good carriage in publike 1. To strangers 1. To Pharaoh 1. Before his preferment 1. He deales plainely and faithfully with him Dreames one of Gods ordinances 2. Hee shewes prudence and love 3. He carried himselfe humbly Dan. 2.30 4. He shewed all reverence and due respect to the King 2. After his preferment he was also faithfull and loyall to Pharaoh 2. He behaved himself in his office most faithfully diligently discreetly 1. He was diligent and faithfull in gathering Corne. Magistratus virum indicat 2. He is faithful in bringing forth the corn in due time Gen. 47.14 3. He shewes himselfe iust 2 His good behaviour to his kinred 1. To his brethren 1. Before he made himselfe knowne to them 1. He deales roughly with them and mixeth love therewith 1. He takes them for spies 2. Hee sends one of his brethren to fetch their younger brother the rest remaining prisoners till he came 3. He kept them in prison three dayes together Another act of kindnesse to them was that he commanded their sacks to be filled with corne and that their money should be restored to them Some acts of Iosephs carriage were doubtfull and extraordinary He forgate all his brethrens wrongs He was easie to pardon Gen. 50.16 to 22. Iosephs good carryage to his Father 1. He loved him 1. He inquired of his health and welfare as soone as he saw his brethren he visited him in his sicknes Gen. 48 1. and hee shewed great love to him after his death 2. He honored him in private and publike 50. Gen. 3. He succoured him Iosephs faults 1. He swore Mat. 5. 2. He came too neare an untruth His crosses were many 1. His brethrens hatred 2. They consulted to take away his life 3. They sold him as a bondslave 4. He served as slave in Pautiphars house 4. He served as a slave in Puriphars house 5. He was cast into prison by his Mistresse false accusation 6. He was forgotten by the Butler The Vse of al his crosses together His Benefits 1. Spirituall He did pertake of the Holy Ordinances and was made holy by them 2. He was confirmed in goodnesse 2. Thes 2.17 1 Pet. 5.10 Ier. 3.22 2. Naturall 1. In Generall Gen. 39.2.23 He was a prosperous man 1. Iob. 2. More particularly 1. God delivered him out of heavy and grievous calamities 2. He laded him with benefits 1. God gave him the gift of interpreting Dreames 2. Great wisedome in mannaging any businesse Where shall we finde one wise like this Craft what it is 3. Where ever he came he was esteemed loved trusted 4. He had great outward preferment 5. He had a strong and able body 6 Hee was blessed too in his posterity His death Iosephs Steward His name is not expressed in Scripture neither any thing said of his birth or death he was a good servant He was good to his Master and to his brethren 1. Teachable Gen. 43.23 2. He was a very dutifull servant That was an evill act and unlawfull Salomon in Proverb 3. He was very kind curteous to Iosephs brethren
store yet we have sufficient to keep our selves and ours from pining away with want O that we could be as full of thanks when we are freed from wants as we have beene of complaints even for small crosses And now use moderately your abundance that God may not strip you of all and bring you to such extremity and why should we forfeit our selves and ours to famishing when wee see that God is tender to us and willing to satisfie us with good things And lastly let every man prepare for this crosse think of it tell himselfe it may befall him and resolve if the wisedome of God shall bring it upon him that he will labour patiently to undergoe it not so as to be sorrowlesse that were no way commendable but so as to be moderate in grieving and to turne his griefe into spirituall griefe and powre it forth before the Lord in humble and penitent confessions and lamentations for sinne Before I depart from handling of Hagars Example I must say something of Sarah and her which I knew not how so fitly to speake of in the life of either viz. that these two Mothers and the children borne of them were Allegories as S. Paul calls them that is figures of some other thing mystically signified by them For this we have the authority of S. Paul Gal. 4.21 In these words Heare you not what the Law that is the writings of Moses commonly called the Law because the Law was the principall part thereof doth say for it is written that Abraham had two sonnes one of the bond-woman another of the free-woman and the son of the bond-man was borne after the flesh that is by a bare naturall power of generation as any man naturally may beget a child of a woman without any power above nature concurring to the work But she that was borne of the free-woman was borne by promise that is not so much by any naturall strength of the Parents as by vertue of Gods promise which bound his truth to set his Omnipotency a worke above nature otherwise Abraham that had so long lived with Sarah in her youth and could never become a Father by her should much lesse have beene so by her now when her body was quite dried with age which things saith S. Paul are an Allegory according as I told you before For these are Testaments or Covenants the one from Mount Sinai which came thence being there published and promulgated it is the Law the Covenant of workes whereof it is said The Law came by Moses and this is said to gender unto bondage that is to beget and make not sonnes and daughters of a free and ingenuous spirit loving God and out of love doing him service and meerely of his grace love free favour and promise expecting their reward but bond-slaves which out of a feare of punishment or hope of reward doe service and expect the reward for the worthinesse sake of their workes and this Covenant is Hagar meaning is signified by Hagar for saith he this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia meaning is so by signification and representation and answereth in signification and Type to Ierusalem which now is and is in bondage meaning to the Law and to the curse and rigour of it being debtors to the whole Law to doe it or if they doe it not to the curse to suffer it But this Ierusalem which is from above that is the Heavenly Ierusalem the Church the number of true beleevers that doe indeed seriously imbrace the doctrine of the Gospell which began by Christ and his Apostles to be preached at Ierusalem not hoping to be justified and saved by the merit or worth of their owne workes but by the free promise of God in Christ those are free from the curse and rigour of the Law and shee is the mother of all true Christians of us all that is of my selfe and all those which with mee looke for righteousnesse and salvation alone through the merits of Christ and mercy of God in Christ through faith in his name and after he saith As then he that was after the flesh persecuted him that was after the Spirit even so saith he it is now Here you have the full Allegory two Mothers a bond-woman and a free-woman two manners of begetting after the flesh and after the Spirit two kindes of children bond-men and free-men and the bond still persecuting the free The Mothers are the two Covenants that of the Law and that of Grace The two manners of begetting one of the promise the other by the flesh two kindes of children bond-men to good and free-men The matter is this Those that bring nothing but their owne naturall power to the Law and so seeke by it to be justified they are but of a slavish disposition and have nothing but the reward of slaves but those that looke to the goodnesse of God in the Covenant of Grace having the power of Gods Spirit are made to love God as children and admitted to the inheritance of sonnes Let us take heed of being sonnes of the bond-woman for many be such still The Papists will needs challenge salvation as due by the merits of their owne workes and so in very deed doe exclude themselves from it by challenging it on a wrong ground And the multitude are in this respect no whit better then the Papists for their owne good deeds are still in their mouthes as if they would be saved by workes which yet cannot save them yea some reliques of this ignorant and foolish pride was found in the Saints who if they finde not which they will never finde perfection in themselves are still apt to question their estate as if it were their owne goodnesse that should bring them to Heaven not the goodnesse of God in Christ rewarding them freely with that undeserved crowne because they are become the children of God by faith in Christ Now let us take heed of being the sonnes of Hagar but let us acknowledge still our owne sinfullnesse and unworthinesse yet still rest on his mercy in Christ and strive to obey him in love as children doe their Father and so much for Hagar * ⎠* THE TENTH EXAMPLE OF KETVRAH ISHMAEL ELIEZER NOw Abraham had a third wife her name was Keturah The Scripture bringeth her in as it were a dumbe person tells nothing of her parents life nor death but mentioning her bare name alone shewes that shee was Abrahams wife as I conceive and what children shee had by Abraham we are told Gen. 25.1 her sonnes were sixe as you may reade in that place Now the Lord seemeth to tell us this little of this woman and her sonnes because we should the more acknowledge the blessing of God upon Abraham in restoring him to a second youth as it were and making him so fruitfull as to beget six sonnes in his old-age after Sarahs death whereas before at an 100 he was as good as dead
according to S. Pauls phrase Rom. 4. So Gods blessing is able to make our soules fruitfull in all good workes though of our selves wee be utterly barren and unfruitfull And thus we have done with Abrahams wives Now let us speake something of his contemporaries beginning with his sonne Ishmael Ishmael was sonne of Abraham and Hagar his maide servant borne unto him at his 86. yeeres as saith the Holy Ghost Gen. 16. ult He was the sonne of a godly Father but whether himselfe were godly or not it is uncertaine But in his life we must note First his Vertues Secondly his Faults Thirdly his Benefits Fourthly his Crosses and then shall we come to his death His vertues First he lived in his fathers house in outward conformity and obedience for he submitted to his father at 13. yeares to be circumcised Gen. 17.25 and so had the outward seale of the covenant but yet he was not the promised seede nor had the covenant made with him nor had the Church and true religion continuing in his family So we must learne not to satisfie our selves with being in the Church outwardly but must labour to become true members of it and to enter into the covenant indeed It will not profit us to have the Sacraments outwardly administered to us for he is not a Jew which is one without neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but wee must indeavour after the inward circumcision even to get the righteousnesse which is by faith that that faith may purifie our hearts and purge away from us all filthinesse of flesh and spirit And if we make use of the outward seale thereby to be made to see and feele our uncircumcisednesse of heart and heartily acknowledge Gods will and power to make us partakers of the inward circumcision so putting forth our selves to beg for and labour after that inward circumcision the Lord will surely bestow it upon us Againe all children must learne to submit themselves to their parents at least to an outward performance of such holy duties as by their parents they shall be instructed in else they are worse then Ishmael and will become matter of anguish and vexation to their godly parents Would Ishmael accept circumcison and wilt not thou accept instruction learne the principles of Christian religion and settle thy selfe to some shew of goodnesse then shall Ishmaels example rise up in judgement against thee and condemne thee And parents must observe Gods goodnesse in their childeren if they find them even in such a degree tractable and ruly for this is farre better then to be wilde and furious and to cast of all semblance of goodnesse and yet such would the best mans childeren prove if the hand of God did not restraine them But another good thing in Ishmael was that he submitted himselfe to his Father to be banished out of his house no question but Abraham that loved him would informe him of the necessity which lay upon himselfe so to expell his sonne and would furnish him with all good counsell who then being some 16. yeares old was capable of good advice and so did he without murmuring or wilfull refusing to go yeeld himselfe to that punishment It is a good thing in childeren to take quietly their parents chastisement even though they should be somewhat severe But to oppose them or to rebell against them or fall to clamorousnesse and impatiency is a great sinne even though the correction should be causelesse and unjust how much more if they be righteous and deserved Learne of Ishmael this submission how will you hope that you be Gods childeren if you do not equall such a one as Ishmael in goodnesse Againe Ishmael did another good office in the conclusion of his Fathers life for it is noted of him that he came to Isaac and joyned with him in his Fathers funerall Gen. 25.9 by which it is manifest that he bare no grudge against his Father for casting him out of his house but bore that respect towards him which was due to a Father and therefore did him the best honour he could at his latter end yea that hee did not harbour in his minde any envious and malicious thought against Isaac and therefore would come unto him and unite his paines to burie his Father Learne so much good of him I pray you as to forget that severity which perhaps Parents may have shewed to any of you and not put off the dutifulnesse of childeren because you have met with something that flesh and bloud would call hard measure The lesse inducement any man hath from a parents kindnesse to love and honour him the more commendable it is if hee performe all honour to him but he that will be so transported with discontentment against a parent for some sharpenesse as even to hate and contemne him most of all if his owne folly have inforced his parent to such proceedings is without all doubt a gracelesse and a wretched childe I pray you learne also by Ishmael not to suffer envy to rise against your Bretheren if in any thing they be preferred before you to your detriment Love not them lesse then the name of a Brother or Sister doth require because you may thinke that they have stood betwixt your parents love and bounty and your selves and so as it were overshadowed you and kept the sun-shine from you but behold the hand of God in so disposing of things and resolve to love still as Bretheren Further Ishmael did one good act of honour and duty toward his mother Hagar For it is said Gen. 21.21 that his mother tooke him a wife out of the land of Egypt so he was ruled by his mother in marriage having her liking and consent yea giving himselfe to be guided by her as did also Isaac to Abraham and Iacob to Isaac It is a needefull thing for childeren to take the consent and assent of their parents yea if it be but of the mother supposing the father to be dead or absent and not to rush into this estate against their willes and privity No comfort can come to the conscience in such a match for whosoever is joyned together otherwise then Gods Word alloweth can have no ground of comfort as those are that are joyned without the good will of those whom God hoth made his deputies in this businesse The Lord saith to Parents take wives for your sonnes and give your daughters plainely putting them into his roome in that behalfe wherefore having not consent from them they live in an unlawfull matrimony untill such time as by humble repentance before God and submissive intreaties to their parents they have attained that good leave of their parents which they ought to have gotten before If therefore any amongst you have so offended they must see the fault and be humbled and seeke pardon Most times the Lord doth sensibly crosse such matches make use of those crosses to increase your godly