Basil thinks otherwise and that till sin came in the rose was without prickles It s likely there were such shrubs at first created non ut laederent hominem non pecâ—antem sed peccaturum saith Pareus Now since the Fall all creatures are armed against man as that sword which Hector gave Ajax which so long as he used against men his enemies served for help and defence But after he began to abuse it to the hurt of hurtless beaâ—â—s it turned into his own bowels yielding fruit after his kind So that men doe not gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles Luk. 6.44 Jam. 3.12 Can a fig-tree saith St. James bear olive-berries or a vine figs that were monstrous And should not every man in like manner bear his own fruit proper to his kinde to his calling doe his own work weed his own garden Psal 101.2 walk within his own house with a perfect heart till God come unto him Come he will and look for fruit in its season When he comes he will turn up our leaves and look that like the tree of life Rev. 22.21 we bear fruit every moneth or that we be like the lemmon-tree which ever and anon sendeth forth new lemmons assoon as the former are fallen down with ripeness Or the Egyptian fig-tree Vnde pomum decirpscris alterum sine mora protuberat Sol. in Polyhist cap. 45. Plin. lib. 10. which saith Solinus beareth fruit seven times in a year pull off a fig and another breaks forth in the place shortly after Now if we be found like the barren fig-tree Luk. 13. that had leaves onlâ— or the Cypress-tree which is said to be fair and tall but altogether fruitless Or the Cypar it-tree of which Pliny affirmeth that it is natu morosa fructu supervacanea baccis parva foliis amara odore violenta ac ne umbrâ quidem gratiosa what can we expect but that he should set down his basket and taking up his axe hew us down as fewel for the fire of hell In Hispania nihil Igâ—avum â—ihil sterile Solin Spain is sayd to have nothing barren in it or not some way useful and why should Christs orchard the Church John 15.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he pares and prunes our leaves and luxuriancies Yea cuts and slashes where need requires and all that we may bear more fruit Sincerity alone will not comfort a man unless it grow up to fruitfulness which springing from the exercise of grace Isa 38.3 2 Pet. 1.3 hath a sweet reflection on the soul as in sick Hezekiah and sweetly seals up our calling to glory and vertue as the budding of Aarons rod did his calling to the prâ—esthood whereupon One well observeth that not only all the plants of Gods setting but the very boughs cut off from the body of them will flourish Quest Here some demand were the trees so created at first that if sin had never entered they had ever flourished laden with fruit Answer is made by a worthy Divine Answ Brightm on Rev. that the allusion Rev. 22.2 seems to intimate some such matter And perhaps Christ would else never have cursed the fruitless fig-tree sith the time of figs was not yet come Mark 11.13 Verse 14.15 Let there be light The Sun Moon and Stars are as it were certain vessels whereinto the Lord did gather the light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chald. Ministravit Psa 19.5 which before was scattered in the Heavens The Sun that prince of planets but servant to the Saints of the most High as his name imports cometh out of his chamber as a bride-groom and rejoyceth as a strong man to run a race This he doth with such a wonderful swiftness as exceedeth the Eagles flight more then it goeth beyond the slow motion of a snail and with such incomparable sweetness Eccles 11.7 that Eudoxus the Philosopher professed Plutarch that he would be willing to be burnt up by the Sun presently Herodot Chrysost Hom. 8 ad pop Antioch so he might be admitted to come so neer it as to learn the nature of it Aeternùm atri et tetri sunto habentor qui non tam cute quà m corde Aethiopici Solem quò magis luceat eò magis execrentur Chrysostome cannot but wonder that whereas all fire tends upwards the Sun should shoot down his rayes to the earth and send his light abroad all beneath him This is the Lords own work and it ought to be marvellous in our eyes Deut. 4.19 It illuminates and beautifies all the orbes and heavenly bodies about it yea it strikes through the firmament in the transparent parts and seeks to bestow its beauty and brightness even beyond the Heavens Bolt walk with God It illightens even the Opposite part of Heaven gliding by the sides of the earth with all those glorious stars we see shining in the night Yea it insinuates into every chink and cranny of the earth and concurres to the makeing of those precious metals which lye in her bowels besides those precious fruits brought forth by the Sun and the precious things thrust forth by the Moon Deut. 33.14 For as the Sun by warmth so the Moon by moisture maketh the earth fruitful whence also she hath her name in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jareach from refreshing the earth with her cool influences She is here called a light and a great light therefore She hath some light of her own as the stars also have besides what she borroweth of the Sun though not strong enough to rule the night without light from the Sun Galileus used perspectives to descry mountaines in the Moone and some will needs place hell in the hollow of it It is easie to discerne that her body is not all alike lightsome some parts being thicker and some thinner then others and that the light of the Sun falling on her is not alike diffused through her It is sufficient that the Church looketh forth at first as the morning or day-dawning she shall be faire as the Moon at least in regard of sanctification and for justification cleare as the Sun Cant. 6.10 and therefore to the devill and his angels terrible as an Army with banners Clouded she may be or eclipsed but not utterly darkned or denyed of light Astronomers tell us that she hath at all times as much light as in the full but often-times a great part of the bright side is turned to heaven and a lesser part to the earth God seems therefore to have set it lowest in the heavens and nearest the earth D. Hackwels Apolog. Preface that it might daily put us in minde of the constancy of the one and inconstancy of the other her selfe in some sort partaking of both though in a different manner of the one in her substance of the other in her visage Verse 16.17 He made also the stars To be receptacles of that first light whence
and a goodly creature Sweet saith Solomon Eccles 11.7 Comfortable saith David Psal 97.11 Which when one made question of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot Beatumâ—ssâ— hominem Deo fruentem sicut oculus luce August de Civitat Dei l. 8. 2 Cor. 6.14 1 Thes 5. â— 6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.13 Lactant. That 's a blinde mans question said the Philosopher What is it then to enjoy him that is Light Essential The Platonists who were blinde in divinis and could not see far off yet they could say that he was a blessed man who enjoyed God as the eye doth enjoy the light And God divided the light c. Let not us confound them and so alter Gods order by doing deeds of darkness in a day of Grace in a Land of Light What make Owls at Athens or such spots among Saints as count it pleasure to riot in the day time It was a shame that it should be said There was never less wisdom in Greece then in the time of the seven wisemen of Greece It was a worse shame that it should be said to the Corinthians That some of them had not the knowledg of God 1 Cor. 15. 1 Cor. 5.1 2 Cor. 6. and that such Fornication was found among them as was not heard of among the Heathen For what fellowship hath light with darkness Surely none Our morning shadows fall as far as they can toward the West Evening toward the East Plutarch Noon day toward the North c. Alexander having a souldier of his name that was a coward he bade him either leave off the name of Alexander or be a souldier Verse 5. And God called the light Day c. He taught men to call them so Day from the noise and hurry Night from the yelling of wild beasts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darknesse he created not but onely by accident and yet not that without some notable use Much lesse that darknesse of affliction which he is said to create Esa 45.7 Vnto the upright there ariseth light in darknesse yea light by darknesse Psal 112.4 as to Paul whose bodily blindnesse opened the eyes of his minde Opera Dei sunt in mediis coâ—trariis saith Luther Gods workes are effected usually by contraries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naziâ—nz Laerâ—ius And the evening and the morning c. Thales one of the seven Sages had learned this truth by going to Schoole in Egypt For being asked whether was first the Day or the Night he answered that the Night was sooner by one Day As who should say afore God had created the light it must needs be confessed that out of him there was nothing but darknesse Evening seperates by darknesse morning by light so the one dis-joynes day from night the other night from day Onely this first evening seperated not because light was then uncreated Yet was it of God appointed even then to stand betwixt light and darknesse In the first Evening was Heaven and Earth created and in the first Morning the light 2 Cor. 11.25 both which make the civill day called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Apostle And this which doubtlesse is the naturall order of reckoning the day Pliâ— lib. 2. c. 7 from evening to evening was in use among the Athenians and is to this day retained by the Jewes Italians Bohemians Si esians and other Nations Our life likewise is such a day and begins with the darke evening of misery here but death is to Saints the day-breake of eternall brightnesse Morning lasteth but till morning Nay Psal 30.5 not so long for Behold at even-tide trouble and before the morning he is not Esay 17.14 It is but a moment yea a very little moment and the indignation will pertransire be overpast saith the Prophet Esa 16.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 6.10.37 so little a while as you can scarce imagine saith the Apostle If it seem otherwise to any of us consider 1 That we have some lucida intervalla some respites interspiriates breathing whiles And it is a mercy that the man is not alwayes sweating out a poor living Gen. 3. Rom. 6.23 the woman ever in pangs of child-birth c. 2 That this is nothing to eternity of extreamity which is the just hire of the least sin 3 That much good accrues unto us hereby Heb. 12.10 Yea this light affliction which is but for a moment 2 Cor. 4.17 worketh out unto us that far most excellent and eternall weight of glory Oh pray pray that the eyes of our understanding being enlightned by that Spirit of wisdome and râ—vellation we may know what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints c. Eph. 1.17 18. Verse 6. Let there be a firmament Yet not so firme but it shall be dissolved 2 Pet. 3.11 That it is not presently so that those windowes of heaven are not opened as once in the deluge having no better a bar then the liquid ayre and we suddenly buried in one universall grave of waters see a miracle of Gods mercy and thanke him for this powerfull word of his Let there be a firmament Bartholinus tells us that in the yeare of Christ 1551. a very great multitude of men and cattell were drowned by a terrible tempest the clouds suddenly dissolving and the waters pouring downe againe Barthol lib. 2 de meteoris with such a strange stupendious violence that the massie walls of many Cities divers Vineyards and faire houses were utterly destroyed and ruined Clouds those bottles of raine are vessells as thin as the liquor which is contained in them D. H. Conteâ—p There they hang and move though weighty with their burdens How they are upheld saith a Reverend Divine and why they fall here and now we know not and wonder Job 26.8 They water our lands as we doe our gardens and are therefore called our heavens Deut. 33.28 Verse 7. Waters which were above the firmament That is the clouds and watery meteors above the lower region of the ayre where Gods pavillion round about him is darke waters Psal 18.11 Jer. 10.13 and thicke clouds of the skies These he weighes by measure not a drop falls in vaine or in a wrong place Job 28.15 And this is the first heaven As the second is the starry skie which is firme and fast as a molten looking-glasse Job 37.18 To this heaven some that have calculated curiously have found it 500 yeares journey Others say that if a stone should fall from from the eight sphere and should passe every houre an hundreth miles Burton of Melancholly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Câ—lo texâ— 99. Deut. 10.14 Luke 22.42 Luke 16.22 Job 14.2 Heb. 12.22 Heb. 11.14 it would be 65 yeares or more before it would come to ground Beyond this second heaven Aristotle acknowledgeth none other Beyond the moveable heavens saith he there is neither body nor time nor place nor Vacuum But
Heaven and the Angels were of necessity say some to be created the first instant that they might have their perfection of matter and form together otherwise they should be corruptible For whatsoever is of a praeexistent matter is resolvable and subject to corruption But that which is immediately of nothing is perfectly composed hath no other change but by the same hand to return to nothing again But if this were the Heaven Quest what was the Earth here mentioned Not that we now tread upon for that was not made till the third day But the Matter of all Answ that was afterwards to be created being all things in power nothing in act Vers 2. And the earth was without form and voyd That is as yet it had neither essential nor accidental perfection The Lord afterward did form it into Light the Firmament the Water and the Earth So beginning above and building downwards in the new Creature he doth otherwise and in three days laying the parts of the World and in other three days adorning them The Rabbins tell us Alsted Lexic Theol. p. 111. that Tohu and Bohu do properly import Materia prima and privatio and others of Tohu derive Chaos whence the ancient Latines called the World Chohus and borrowed their word Inchoâ— c. And darkness was upon the face of the deep That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of Hell as Origen expounds it but of the deep waters see the like Luke 8.31 Which as a garment covered the earth and stood above the mountains Psal 104.6 This darkness God created not for it was but the want of Light And to say That God dwelt in darkness till he had created Light was a devilish sarcasm of the Manichees as if God were not Light it self and the Father of lights 1 John 1.5 James 1. Or as if God had not ever been a Heaven to himself Ere ever he had formed the earth and the heavens Psal 92.2 What he did or how he imployed himself before the Creation is a Sea over which no ship hath sailed a Mine into which no spade hath delved an Abyss into which no bucket hath dived D. Preston of Gods Attributes p. 34. Our sight is too tender to behold this Sun A thousand yeers saith a great Divine are to God but as one day c. And who knoweth what the Lord hath done Indeed he made but one World to our knowledg but who knoweth what he did before and what he will do after Thus he As for Saint Augustine Prasul ad haec Lybicus Sabin Poâ—â— fabricabat Tartara dixit His quos scrutari â—â—lia mente juvat Excellently another Cuff his Differ of Ages p. 22. who wanted no wit As in the eliament of fire saith he there is a faculty of heating and inlightning whence proceedeth heat and light unto the external neer bodies And besides this faculty there is also in it a natural power to go upward which when it cometh into act is received into no other subject but the fire it self So that if fire could by abstractive imagination be conceived of as wanting those two transient operations yet could we not justly say it had no action forasmuch as it might move upward which is an immanent and inward action So and much more so though we grant that there was no external work of the Godhead until the making of the World yet can there be no necessary illation of idleness Seeing it might have as indeed it had actions immanent included in the circle of the Trinity This is an answer to such as ask what God did before he made the World Plotin Eunâ—â—d 3. lib. 2. c. 2. God saith Plotinus the Platonist not working at all but resting in himself doth and performeth very great things And the Spirit of God moved c. Or hovered over and hatched out the creature Ferebatur super aquas non pervagatione sed potestate non per spatium locorum ut Sol super terram sed per potentiam sublimitatis suae Eucberius Psal 145 9. as the Hen doth her chickens or as the Eagle fluttereth over her young to provoke them to flight Deut. 32.11 Or as by a like operation this same holy Spirit formed the childe Jesus in the Virgins womb in that wonderful over shadowing Luke 1.35 The Chaldee here hath it The Spirit breathed and David saith the same Psal 33.6 He became to that rude dead mass a quickning comforting Spirit He kept it together which else would have shattered And so he doth still or else all would soon fall asunder Heb. 1.3 Psal 104.29 were not his conserving Mercy still over or upon all his Works Verse 3. And God said Let there c. He commanded the light to shine out of darkness He spake the word and it was done 2 Cor. 4.6 Psal 33.9 148.5 Creation is no motion but a simple and bare emanation which is when without any repugnancy of the Patient or labor of the Agent the work or effect Dei Dicere eft Efficere doth voluntarily and freely arise from the action of the working cause as the shadow from the body So Gods irresistible power made this admirable Work of the world by his bare word as the shadow and obscure representation of his unsearchable wisdom and omnipotency And there was light This first light was not the Angels as Augustine would have it nor the Element of fire as Damascen nor the Sun which was not yet created nor a lightsome cloud or any such thing but the first day which God could make without means as Galvin well observeth This light was the first ornament of the visible World and so is still of the hidden man of the heart the new Creature Acts 26.18 The first thing in Saint Pauls commission there was to open mens eyes to turn them from darkness to light c. To dart such a saving light into the soul as might illighten both Organ and Object In which great work also Christs words are operative together with his commands in the mouths of his Ministers Know the Lord understand O ye bruitish among the people c. There goes forth a Power to heal as it did Luke 5 1â— Or as when he bade Lazarus ariâ—e he made him to arise So here the Word and the Spirit go together and then what wonder that the spirit of darkness falls from the heaven of mens hearts Ephes 5 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet 2 9. as lightning Luke 10.18 So as that they that eâ—st were darkness are now light in the Lord and do preach forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light Verse 4. And God saw the light that it was good Praeviderat autèm â—â—sberellus so one rendereth it he saw this long before but he would have us to see it he commends the goodness of this work of his to us Good it is surely
killing him nor as the Angel did Balaam with a drawn sword in his hand to destroy him Neither did he rush upon him as David ran upon Goliah and cut off his head But with a soft and slow pace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gressu grallatorio Isai 28.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad vesperam dici as if he had no minde to it he comes walking toward them to do this his work his strange work of sentencing sinners and that in the cool of the day too or towards the evening as Saint Ambrose hath it after the Septuagint Whereas to shew mercy behold he comes leaping upon the Mountains skipping upon the Hills Lo this is the voyce and the pace of my beloved Cant. 2.8 God was but six days in making the whole world yet seven days in destroying one city Jericho as Chrysostom long since observed He scourgeth not his people Isai 42.14 till there be no remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 He forbears us though he cry like a travelling woman to be delivered of his judgments And Adam and his wife hid themselves Their covering of figleaves then was too short for here they run with their aprons into the thicket to hide from God A poor shift God wot but such as is still too much in use If I have covered my transgressions as Adam Job 31.33 or after the maner of men saith Job then let this and this evil befal me The bad heart runs from God and would run from its own terrors as the wounded Deer from the deadly Arrow that sticks in his side Facti sunt à corde suo fugitivi Tertul. but refusing ordinary tryal it is in danger to be prest to death inevitably We have no better refuge then to run from God to God Blood-letting is a cure of bleeding a Burn of a burn To close and get in avoyds the blow c. Vers 9. Where art thou Not as if God knew not for he searcheth Jerusalem with lights Jam. 1.17 yea himself is the father of lights the great eye of the world to whom the Sun it self is but a snuff Zach. 3.9 2 Chron. 16 9. Heb. 4.13 exp He hath seven eyes upon one stone yea his eyes run to and fro through the earth and all things are naked and open Naked for the outside and open for the inside before the eyes of him with whom we have to deal Simple men hide God from themselves and then think they have hid themselves from God like the Struthiocamelus they thrust their heads into a hole Plin. when hunted and then think none seeth them But he searcheth so one may do yet not finde and knoweth Psal 139.1 He seeth so one may do yet not observe and pondereth Prov. 5.21 Though men hide their sins as close as Rachel did her idols or Rahab the spyes Though they dig deep to hide their counsels God can and will detect them Prov. 15.11 with a wo to boot Isai 29.15 For hell and destruction are before him how then can Saul think to be hid behinde the stuff or Adam behinde the bush At the voyce of the Lord he must appear will he nill he to give account of his fear of his flight This he doth but untowardly in the words following Vers 10. I heard thy voyce So he had done before his fall and feared not Are not my words good to the upright Micah 2.7 Excellently Saint Austin Adversarius est nobis quamdiú sumus ipsi nobis Quamdiú tu tibi inimicus es inimitum habebis Sermonem Dei Yea but I was naked and therefore hid my self This also was non-causa pro causa There was another pad in the straw which he studiously conceals viz. The conscience of his sin Hic verò non factum suum Excusando seipsum accusat Gregor Prov. 19.3 sed Dei factum in semetipso reprehendit saith Rupertus He blames not himself but God for making him naked and so verifies that of Solomon The foolishness of man perverteth his way and then to mend the matter his heart fretteth against the Lord. O silly simple Vers 11. Who told thee His own conscience awakened and cited by Gods voyce Joh. 4. told him as the woman of Samaria said of our Saviour all that ever he did Before and in the acting of sin we will hear nothing but afterwards Conscience will send forth a shrill and sharp voyce that shall be heard all the soul over such as was that of Reuben to his brethren Did not I warn you saying Sin not against the childe c. The Books of our Consciences are now sealed up and the woful contents are not read by the Law They remain as Letters written with the juyce of Oringes or Onions which are onely to be made legible by the fire of Gods wrath Then shall the wicked run away but all in vain with those words in their mouthes Isai 33.14 Who amongst us shall dwell with this devouring fire Who shall abide by these everlasting burnings Then shall they tire the Mountains with their hideous out-cryes Fall upon us hide us crush us in pieces grinde us to powder But how can that be when the Mountains melt and the Rocks rent asunder at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Jacob Vers 12. The woman whom thou gavest Here he rejects the fault upon the woman and thorow her upon God who gave her to be with him or before him or such another as himself with reference to that Lenegdo Chap. 2.20 or a help meet for him This she might have been to him had he been that he ought to her a manly guide in the way to Heaven He should have rebuked her as Job did his wicked wife for transgressing Gods Law and tempting him to the like Then had her sin been personal rested upon her self and gone no further had not he hearkned to her voyce But he not onely not did thus but insteed of agnizing his fault seeks to transfer it upon God That sith he could not be like unto God in the divinity which he aymed at he might make God like unto himself in iniquity which was to fill up the measure of his sin that wrath might have come upon him to the utmost but that Gods mercy was then and is still over all his own good and our bad works Vers 13. And the woman said The Serpent Thus the Flesh never wants excuses Nature need not be taught to tell her own tale Sin and shifting came into the world together never yet any came to Hell but had some pretence for coming thither It is a very course Wool that will take no Dye Sin and Satan are alike in this they cannot abide to appear in their own colour Men wrap themselves in excuses as they do their hands to defend them from pricks This is still the vile poyson of our hearts that they will needs be naught and yet will not yield but that
and make it more fruitful But when all the passages were opened Una est ex tetrapoli Attica Steph. 1 Tim. 6.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Itâ— immergunt ut in aquae summitate cursuâ—â—on â—bulliant and the receptacles prepared the water came in so plentifully that it over-flowed all and at the first tide drowned the Iland and all the people They that will be rich saith the Apostle that are resolved to rise in the world by what means it matters not these fall into temptation and a snare as Lot that 's the least evil can come of it and into many foolish and noysom lusts as his neighbors the Sodomites did which desperately drown men in double destruction Like the land of Egypt Which was called of old publicum orbis horreum The worlds great granary A Country so fair and fertile that the Egyptians were wont to boast they could feed all men and feast all the gods without any sensible diminution of their provision Vers 13. But the men of Sodom were wicked c. See their chief sins set down Ezek. 16.49 50. The Chaldee Paraphrast here translateth they were first unrighteous with their Mammon and secondly sinners with their bodies before the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That unnameable sin had its name from them who against nature were scalded in their lust one toward another Rom. 1.27 The Apostle there gives it in of the Heathen Philosophers many of whom were patrones of this abhorred filth Senâ—ca delectabatur exolâ—â—is c. Dio in Nerone Jam. 1.17 as Cicero complains of Plato and Socrates was shrewdly suspected to be no honester then he should be with Alcibiades nor Seneca with Nero. The wisdom from above is pure saith Saint James and in this wisdom is truth and purity saith Solomon Prov. 8.7 whereas all worldly wisdom is stained with error or leudness God punisheth the pride of all flesh with some foul sin and so sets a Noverint universi as it were upon the worlds wisards That all men may know them to be but arrant fools And sinners before the Lord exceedingly They were grown so debauched and impudent in evil That neither fear of God nor shame of men could restrain them Though God looked on they were no whit abashed or abased before him God found not out their sins by secret search Jere. 2.34 he needed not to search them with lights Zeph. 1.12 For the shew of their countenance did witness against them they could blush no more then a sackbut shamelesness sat in their foreheads they declared their sins even to a proverb Isai 3.9 They seâ— them in open view upon the cliff of the rock Ezek. 24.7 They faced the Heavens and held their heads aloft as if they deserved commendation rather then else This is a high degree of sin and an immediate forerunner of destruction Vers 14. After that Lot was separated from him Till Lot was departed and the strife ceased God appeared not He is the God of peace and hates contention which as it indisposeth us to holy duties 1 Pet. 3.7 so it keepeth God from us by his comforts and influences They say of Bees that stir and strife amongst them is a signe their King is about to remove to leave the hive and to be gone some where else God refuseth to be served till the matter be agreed Matth 5.24 Lift up now thine eyes Gods comforts are therefore most sweet because most seasonable Abram had now parted with Lot to his great grief God makes up that loss to him in his own gracious presence and promise which he here repeateth to teach us moreover that the countinual weakness of man needeth continual comfort from God Vers 15. For all the land which thou seest is thine God gave him no inheritance in it Acts 7.5 no not so much as a foot bredth yet he promised that he would give it to him And that Abram took for good free-hold Men use to reckon their wealth not by what ready money they have onely but by the good Bonds and Leases they can produce A great part of a Christians estate lyes in Bonds and Bills of Gods hand Vers 16. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth Afterwards Gen. 15.5 God promiseth that his seed shall be as the stars of heaven Moses his choice by Mr. Burr Abrahams seed saith One are of two sorts Some are visible members of a Church yet have earthly hearts Others are as the stars of Heaven for spiritual Light motion and influence Vers 17. Arise walk through the Land Thus God rewards contented Abram with the whole Countrey He never suffers any man to lose by an humble remission of his right in a desire of peace Matth. 5.5 The meek shall inherit the earth and have Heaven to boot which was the cheif thing here promised to Abraham in this survey Heb. 11.10 16. CHAP. XIV Verse 2. That these made War VVAr is the slaughter-house of mankinde and the hell of this present world It hews it self a way through a wood of men and layes heaps upon heaps as Sampson did Judg. 15.16 not with a jaw-bone of an Ass and one after another but in a minute of time and by the mouth of a murdering peece Alphonsus D. of Ferrara Peachams Vally of varieties had two of these Cannons of a wonderful bigness the one whereof he called Archidiabalo the other the Earthquake Revel 9 17. Fire smoke and brimstone seem to note out the Turks Guns and Ordnance For the drawing of that Gun that Mahomet used in besiâ—ging Constantinople seventy yokes of Oxen and two thousand men were employed Deut. 2 20. The Turks battered the Walls of the Rhodes with twelve Basilisks so aptly named of the Serpent Basiliscus who as Pliny writeth killeth man or beast with his very sight But before these bloody instruments of death were heard of in the world men could finde means to slaughter one another in war witness these five Kings that came with Chedarlaomer and smote the Rephaims or Gyants the Zuzims or Zamzummims and the Emims or terrible ones as their name importeth These they slew by the way besides what they did in the vale of Siddim where they joyned battle with the five Kings and cut off many If we may judg of one battle by another hear what was done in a bloody fight between Amurath the third King of Turks and Lazarus Despot of Servia Many thousands fell on both sides the brightness of the Armor and Weapons was as it had been the Lightning the multitude of Launces and other Horsemens Staves shadow the light of the Sun Arrows and Darts fell so fast that a man would have thought Turk bist fol. 200. they had poured down from Heaven The noyse of the instruments of War with the neighing of horses and out cryes of men was so terrible and great That the wilde Beasts in the Mountains stood astonied therewith and the Turkish Histories
6.4 Austins wish was that Christ when he came might find him aut precantem aut praedicantem praying or preaching Benè orasse est benè studuisse saith Luther Vers 11. And of them that hate him Ministers shall be sure of many enemies They hate him that reproveth in the gate Veritas odium parit praedicare nihil aliud est quam derivare in se furorem mundi said Luther to preach is to get the worlds ill-will Ye are the light saith our Saviour which is offensive to sore eyes ye are the salt of the earth which is bitter to wounds and causeth pain to exulcerate parts Vers 12. The beloved of the Lord The Lords corculum deliciae darling as their father Benjamin was old Iacobs Gen. 42.4 And he shall dwell between his shoulders These shoulders are those two holy hills Moriah and Zion whereon the Temple was built four hundred and forty yeares after this prophecy Vers 13. And of Ioseph See the Note on Gen. 49.2 Vers 14. And for the precious fruits So Saint Iames calleth them the precious fruits of the earth Iames 5.7 Diogenes justly taxed the folly of his countrymen quòd res pretiosas minimo emerent venderent que vilissimas lurimo because they bought pretious things as corn very cheape but sold the basest things as pictures statues c. extream dear fifty pounds or more a peece though the life of man had no need of a statue but could not subsist without corn May not we more justly tax men for undervaluing the bread of life and spending money for that which is not bread Isai 55.2 Vers 15. And for the chiefe things Metalls and Minerals usually dig'd out of mountains which are here called ancient and lasting because they have been from the beginning and were not first cast up as some have held by Noahs flood Psal 90.2 Vers 16. And for the good will of him c. See the Note on Exod. 3.2 The burning bush the persecuted Church was not consumed because the good-will of God whereof David speaks Psal 106.4 was in the bush So it is still with his in the fiery triall in any affliction Isai 43.1 That was separated from his brethren To be a choise and chief man amongst them De doct Christ l. 4. c. 6. Nobilis fuit inter fratres saith Augustine vel in malis quae pendit vel in bonis quae rependit Vers 17. Advers Tryph. Tertul. advers Judaeos cap. 10. Ambrose de benedict Pat. His hornes are like the hornes of Vnicorns Iustin Martyr and some other of the Ancients have strangely racked and wrested this text to wring out of it the sign of the cross resembled and represented by the horns of an Vnicorn At nihil hic de Christo nihil de cruce He shall push the people together As Generall Joshua of this tribe did notably so that Phaenicians ran away into a far country and renowned his valour by a monument set up in Africk Howbeit gratius ei fuit nomen pietatis quam potestatis as Tertullian saith of Augustus he is more famous for his piety then for his prowesse V. 18. In thy going out To trade and traffique by sea Gen. 49 13. Peterent coelum navibus Belgae si navibus peti posset saith one The low-country men are said to grow rich by warr 't is sure they do by trade at sea And Issachar in thy tents i.e. In thy quiet life Virgil. and country imployments O fortunatos nimium c. Regum aequabat opes animis seraque reversus Nacte domum dapibus mcrsas onerabat inemptis saith the Poet of a well contented country-man Vers 19. They shall call the people to the mount i.e. To Gods house scituate on mount Zion Though they be Littorales men dwelling by the sea-shore which are noted to be duri horridi immanes omnium denique pessimi the worst kind of people and though they dwell further from the Temple yet are they not farthest from God but ready with their sacrifice of righteousness as those that have sucked of the abundance of the sea and of treasures hid in the sand which though of it self it yield no crop yet brings in great revenues by reason of sea-trading Vers 20. He dwelleth as a Lyon That should make his partie good with the enemy upon whom he bordereth and by whom he is often invaded See Gen. 49.19 Iudg. 11. 1 Chron. 12.8 Vers 21. In à portion of the law-givers That portion that Moses the Law-giver assigned him on the other side Iordan Num. 32.33 He executed the justice of the Lord viz. Upon the Canaanites which is so noble an act that even the good Angels refuse not to be executioners of Gods judgments upon obstinate Malefactours Vers 22. He shall leap from Bashan i.e. He shall suddenly set upon his enemies as Achitophel counselled Absolom 2 Sam. 17.1 2. and this is called good counsell vers 14. and as Caesar served Pompey Caesar in omnia praeceps nil actum credens Lucan dum quid superesset agendum Fertur atrox Vers 23. Satisfied with favour and full c. Fulness of blessing is then only a mercy when the soul of a man is satisfied with favour when from a full table and a cup running over a man can comfortably infer with David Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I shall dwel in the house of the Lord for ever Psal 23.6 One may have outward things by Gods providence and not out of his favour Esau had the like blessing as Iacob but not with a God give thee the dew of heaven as he Gen. 27.28 Or God may give temporals to wicked men to furnish their inditement out of them as Ioseph put his cup into their sack to pick a quarrell with them and to lay theft to them Vers 24. Let Ashur be blessed with children Let his wife be as the vine and his children as olive-plants Psal 128.3 two of the best fruits the one for chearing the heart the other for clearing the face Psal 104.15 the one for sweetness the other for fatness Judg. 9.13 Let him dip his foot in oyle Like that of Iob Chap. 29.6 Confer Gen. 49.20 See the Note Vers 25. Thy shooes Thou shalt have store of mines And as thy dayes shall thy strength be i. e. Thou shalt as Eliphaz speaketh Iob 5.26 Come 〈◊〉 lusty old age to the grave This the Greesk call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Hebrews made a feast when they were past sixty if any whit healthy Vers 26. Who rideth upon the heaven Having the celestial creatures for his Cavalry and the terrestrial for his Infantry how then can his want help Vers 27. The Eternal God Heb. The God of Antiquity that Ancient of dayes that Rock of ages who is before all things and by whom all things consist Col. 1.17 who is the first and the last and besides whom there is no God Esay 44.6 And