it red and that there should bee such store of good Pastures in Iudahs portion that they might eate milke in great aboundance Thus doth Iacob prophesie sixe things of Iudah First praise or glorie for his brethren shall praise him Secondly victorie ouer his enemies for his Hand shal be in the necke of his enemies Thirdly principalitie for his Fathers sonnes shall bow downe vnto him Fourthlie Courage for as a Lyons-whelpe he shall come from the spoyle and like the Lyon and the Lyonnesse he shall couch or lie downe and none shall stirre him vp Fiftlie Continuance of his Kingdome for the Scepter shall not depart from him till the comming of CHRIST And lastly outward plentie or prosperitie for hee shall binde his Asse-foale vnto the vine and his Asses Colte vnto the best vine hee shall wash his garment in wine and his Cloake in the blood of Grapes his eyes shall be red with wine and his teeth white with milke The particulars of this Prophesie were temporally fulfilled in Iudahs posteritie but spirituallie in Christ who came of the Tribe of Iudah and of the house of Dauid First as Iudah was Praised by his Brethren So is CHRIST of whom Iudah was a Type honoured and euer praised by the Elect as well Angels as men who bee the Brethren of Christ through the grace of Adoption so saith S. Iohn (f) ApoÌ„ 5.8 The foure Beasts and the foure and twentie Elders fell downe before the Lamb hauing euery one Harps and golden vyals full of Odours which are the prayers of the Sainctes By these Cherubims these Elders are meant all the Saints both of the Old and the new-Testament which offer vnto CHRIST the Sacrifice of Praise and Thankes-giuing Now the reason why our SAVIOVR by the Adopted children of God is praised is because g Hee was killed and Redeemed them to God by his blood out of euery Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and made them vnto God Kings and Priests If then wee be the Brethren of CHRIST wee must imitate the Angels and Saints in heauen by hauing his Praise euer in our mouthes our Harpe must be Thanksgiuing our Vials full of Odours Deuout prayers and the Song that wee sing this O my God and King I will extoll thee and will blesse thy name for euer I will blesse thee daily and praise thy name for euer Great is the Lord and most worthy to be praised and his greatnesse is incomprehensible Whosoeuer is such a Musitian is surely Christs brother for as Faith is shewed out of workes so is this spirituall Brotherhood tried by Praise They are not then the Adopted children of God not the Brethren of Christ that in stead of praysing him with their lips scoffe at him mocke him spit vpon him buffet him and blaspheme him as the Iewes did by taking his name in vaine by execrable cursing and by damnable swearing oh no such black mouthed persons be the children of darkenesse and the Brethren of Belial as among the (i) Luc. 17.12 Ten lepers that our Sauiour cleansed one alone was found to be thankfull the other nine went away and neuer returned to requite him with praise so in the world for which Christ dyed there can scarcely be found one of a thousand that doth truely honour and praise his Redeemer and if there be anie the proportion of their number is but as One to Nine For Reformation then of this vice of Blasphemie Swearing wherby as S. Chysostome saith Christ is continually crucified againe it were to be wished that that Lawe made by Ludouicus Pius the king of France were vniuersally established namely That whosoeuer sweareth vainely should bee burned in the mouth with a hote yron Sed procul ite profani I will leaue them and returne to the Brethren of CHRIST of which number whosoeuer desires to bee let him but looke vpon the Picture of the three Graces Pausan in Eli. as Pausanias relateth it and it wil be an excellent patterne for him Amongst the people of Elis thus saith he were the Graces engraueÌ„ one of them in her haÌ„d held a Rose the other a Myrtle tree and the third a Die These Graces being in number three may fitly expresse that Praise and Thankefulnesse which from the Creature is due to the Creator namely (k) Isai 6.3 the Holie Holie Holie Lord GOD of Sabaoth The Rose which is a sweete flower signifieth the Grace mercie of Christ towards mankinde who as Dauid saith is a sweet mercifull Lord whose coÌ„miseration is aboue all his wondrous works in regard whereof he saith of himselfe (l) Cant. 2.1 I am the Rose of the field this Rose the BrethreÌ„ of Christ must euer hold in their hands that is to say they must euer acknowledge his fauours be mindfull of his benefites Secondly the Myrtle though it bee but a little plant yet it bringeth foorth store of berries So must the Brethren of Christ for euery kindnes receiued bring forth Clusters of Praise and Thanksgiuing Thirdly the Die is the embleme of Chaunce and this may put vs in minde still to praise our Messiah howsoeuer the world runne whether with vs or against vs. Secondly as Iudahs hand was in the necke of his enemies So Christ hath gotten the victorie ouer his Aduersaries Sathan and the world as the Psalmist saith (m) Psal 110 The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Zion be thou ruler in the middest of thine enemies This Triumph of our Sauiour was shadowed or figured in the dreame of Nabuchadnezzar by (n) Dan. 2. The great glorious Image whose Head was of fine golde whose Brest and Armes of siluer whose Bellie and Thighes of brasse and whose Feete were part of Iron and part of Clay which Image was broken all in pieces by a Stone cut without Handes This Image resembles the foure Monarchies The Golden head is for the Chaldean The Siluer Brest and Armes for the Persian The Brazen Bellie and Thighes for the Macedonian And the Feete part yron and part Claye for the Romane Monarchie All these were destroyed and broken by this Stone cut without handes namely our victorious SAVIOVR whose Kingdome shall neuer be destroyed but stand for euer The like is expressed by S. Iohn saying (o) Apo. 19. And I sawe heauen open and behold a white horse and hee that sate vpâ—n him was called Faithfull and True and he iudgeth and fighteth righteoâ—sly and his Eyes were as a flame of fire and on his Head were many Crownes and hee had a Name written that no man knewe but himselfe and hee was cloathed in a Garment dipt in bloud and his name is called the Word of GOD and the warririors which were in Heauen followed him vpon white horses clothed with fine linnen white and pure and out of his mouth went a sharpe sworde that with it
corruption vnto my bones Thirdly the beginning of my strength so Iacob calles him because he begat him when his bodie was fresh strong the latine translation is Principium doloris the beginning of my sorrow which howsoeuer it is by some expositours misliked and reiected because the hebrue word is mistaken yet doth it fitly declare the griefe of Iacob for his sonnes sinne because the childes fall is the fathers corrosiue Fourthly The excellencie of dignitie this is spoken in respect of the priesthood to which office in regard of birth Reuben should haue beene consecrated for the first borne are mine saith God and this was not onely after but euen before the lawe was writ Fiftly The excellencie of power in these words Reubens Royaltie is infolded for by right of his eldership he should haue beene the supreme head of his brethren and kings should haue descended out of his loynes It was thine by birth ô Reuben saith the Chalde paraphrast to haue beene preferred before thy brethren in the birthright priesthood and kingdome but because thou diddest sinne the Birthright was giuen to Ioseph the kingdome to Iudah and the priesthood to Leui See here Iacobs wisedome in the prologue of Reubens reproofe he giueth him these excellent titles that the consideration of the losse of them might driue him to repentance Thou wast light as water c or Thou wast powred out like water that is to say thy intemperancie was so great that thou couldest not bridle thy lust but running headlong vnto iniquitie and carried away with the wings of itching pleasure thou diddest commit follie with greedinesse here Iacob comparing Reuben to water doth displaie and laie open his inconstancie for as water is of that fluent substance that it wil be contained in no vessel wherein the least cranie can afford an issue so Reuben was of such an intemperate disposition and so inconstant in goodnesse that vpon the least occasion of sin he would commit it Lyranus applieth these words to Reubens losse of all his prerogatiues sayin (u) Lyra in hâ—â—c locum This is the difference betwixt water and other liquors as wine oyle and inke because these when they are powred out of the vâ—ssell wherein they were kept yet euer they leaue some remaiâ—dâ—r in the vessell either of their substance as hony or of thâ—â—r tast as wine or of the colour as ynke or of the smell as oyle but water when it is powred out leaueth neither substance nor tast nor colour nor smell behind it So Reuben was vtterly bereaued of all his prerogatiues the Birthright the priesthood and the kingdome but I thinke that the first exposition is most consonant and agreeable to the words of Iacob who hauing first in these words Thou wast light as water laid open his Intemperancie doth in this speech following Thou shalt not be excellent punish him for his sinne with the losse of preheminencie Because thou wentest vp to thy fathers bed c here Iacob giueth instance of Reubens lightnesse for which he is deseruedly degraded and put from all his prerogatiues the historie of his offence is set downe in the fiue and thirtith chapter of Genesiâ— (x) Gen. 35.22 there it is written that when Iacob dwelt beyond Migdal-eder Reuben went and lay with Bilha his fathers concubine and it came to Israels eare in which foule and detestable act three sinnes are infolded first adulterie in that he violated another mans wife for Bilha howsoeuer she is called a Concubine yet she was the wife of Iacob this onely being the difference of the name a wife is she that was first a freewoman and publikely married a Concubine a bordwoman and onely priuately contracted Secondly incest for he lâ—ie with his fathers wife who was therfore his mother in lawe this is a vile sinne as may appeare by S. Pauls exaggeration of it saying (y) 1. Cor. 5.12 It is heard certainly that there is fornication among you such fornication as is not once named among the gentiles that one should haue his fathers wife and afterward he saith that he hath determined in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ to deliuer him that hath done this thing vnto Sathan Thirdly Contumely for Reuben is so far from honouring his father which is the dutie of a child that herein he dishonoured him in defiling his bed euen as afterwards (z) 2. Sam. 16. Absolon did in lying with his fathers Concubines (a) Isa 5.18 Woe vnto them saith Isaiah that drawe iniquitie with cordes of vanitie and sinne as with cartropes Reuben then must needes be cursed in ioyning these three sinnes together Adulterie Incest contumely for with three he is depriued of three great dignities the Birthright the priesthood and the kingdome In this speech of Iacob to Reuben we may obserue fower things First the holy Patriarch doeth very sharpely reproue him for his fault wherein wee gather that it is the dutie of a wise father to censure rebuke a wicked sonne and to chastice him according to his merites for such as sooth their sonnes in their follie and winke at their childrens misdemeanors are euer by them as iust scourges beaten for their conniuencie remember (b) 1. SaÌ„ 3. Heli remember (c) 2 Sam. 13.14 Dauid Heli laid the raines vpon the necke of his two sonnes they ran into slander and he staid them not wherefore the Lord swore vnto the house of Eli that the wickednesse of his house should not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for euer and what a lamentable end befell both him and his sonnes they were both slaine in the battel against the Philistines with the losse of the Arke and Eli himselfe astonisht with the report fell backward and broke his necke as for Dauid it was the iust iudgement of God that Absolom whom he so dearely loued and therefore too easily pardoned for the murther of his brother Ammon should rise vp to trouble all Israel and spoile him of his crowne and Scepter we therefore saith the wiseman (d) Ecclus. 30.11.12.13 Laugh not with thy sonne lest thou be sorie with him and lest thou gnash thy teeth in the end giue him no libertie in his youth and winke not at his follie bowe downe his necke while hee is young and beate him on the sides while he is a child lest he wax stubborne and be disobedient vnto thee and so bring sorrow vnto thine heart chastise thy child and be diligent therein lest his shame grieue thee also Salomon saith (e) Pro. 22.13 foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a child but the Rod of correction shall driue it away from him in this excellent aphorisme of the wiseman we may see how all children by reason of their (f) Psal 51.1 inbred and naturall corruption drawne from the loines and teate of their parents are proue and addicted to sinne (g) Exod. 15.25 but correction altereth nature and casteth them in a new mould like
Iacobs words who telleth Zebulun that his posteritie shall haue their portion in a place of great plentie and very fruitfull and that they should be very wealthie rich as for the most part all Marchants be such as dwell in hauen townes hence wee may learne that the lot of men for their habitation or dwelling vpon the earth and also their portion either of wealth or penurie falleth not out vnto them by fortune or chance but by Gods prouidence and appointment for as it is in the Psalme (p) Psal 24. The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof therefore euery one should be contented with his portion lot as being assigned vnto him by God There be foure Vocations or professions of men most necessarie in a common-wealth all these by the assignment of God were in the land of Israel a Priest a Souldier a Husbandman and a Marchant Leui was the Priest as Moses saith (q) Deut. 33.8 Let thy Thummim and thine Vrim be with thine holie one Gad was the Souldier for of him it is said (r) Deut. 33.20 he dwelleth as a Lion that catcheth for his pray the arme with the head (s) Deut. 33.18 Isachar was the Husbandman for he must reioyce in his tentes and Zebulun was the Marchant for he shall reioyce in his going out these fower professions are most necessarie profitable yet like Balaams asse euen where they deserue well for their seruice they receiue stripes First the vocation of a Priest is most honourable because the Priest or the minister is Gods Angell without whose instructions the people must needes perish because faith comes by hearing and none is allowed by God to open the sealed booke of his my stories but onely whom his lambe Christ Iesus sendeth forth to preach and to baptize and yet for all this of all other men the Minister of the Gospel is euer the most hardly vsed both in reputation and maintenance as it was with our Sauiour so is it with him if he but eate and drinke our Iewish scoffers will say hee is a friend of publicans and sinners if he neither eate nor drinke they will say of him as it was said of Iohn Baptist he hath the diuell and whereas it is fit that such as serue at the Altar should liue of the Altar the griping worldling to his power abridgeth the minister euer of his dutie saying to him as the diuell said to Christ (t) Maih. 3. if thou be the sonne of God commaund these stones to be made bread so hee if thou beest the minister of God commaund the stones of the Altar to be turned into bread and eate them or elsâ—e starue in former time when grosse poperie raigned the Laitie was like Pharaohs (u) Gen. 41.2.3 leane kine and the Clergie like they fat but now the world is changed for the Eies of the â—â—itie are swollen vp with fatnesse and the Clergies visage (x) Lam. 4.8 like the famisht Nazarites is blacker than a coale and their skin cleaueth to their bones Impropriations and Simoniacal contracts of Patrones whose language is euer that of the Traitour Iudas quid dabitis what will you giue are like vnto the strong teeth of Leuiathan by which the Laitie whom I may well liken to the beare with three ribbes in in his mouth spoken of by Daniel (y) Dan. 7.5 hath eaten vp deuoured three parts of the liuings of the Church But with what face conscience can you receiue tithes and oblations Damas decr 3. seeing you are neither able to pray for your selues nor others saith Damasus and thus the Minister who is the most necessarie member of a common-wealth is not onely disgraced but also pilled spoiled cut short and halfe shauen like (z) 2. Sam. 10. Dauids seruants by the King of Ammon The second honourable vocation is of the Souldier who exposeth his bodie to imminent danger and putteth his life in his hands for the defence of his countrie without whose sword no Realme can be secured from the inuasion of forraine enemies and yet alas if he returne as it often falleth out dismeÌ„bred from the warres with the losse of a legge or of an arme sacrificed for the safegard of his nation hee is rewarded with vnthankfulnesse hauing the same entertainment that Christ had amongst the Iewes to wit the Gall and Vinegar of affliction for his meate and drinke and a Whippe for his entertainment I doe not here speake in the behalfe of such as without the commission of their Prince and Magistrate goe to the warres to make a benefit and to purchase their maintenance by the slaughter of men as the Mercenarie Suitzers vse to doe for the action of such is a crying sinne and euery drop of blood so shed cries out against them for vengeance as the blood of (a( Gen. 4.10 Hâ—bel did against Caine neither doe I in tearming the vocation of a Souldier honourable giue anie applause to such as are commonly called Carpet Knightes that in stead of Tentes lie vpon beds of Iuorie in stead of armour are clad in silke and sattin and in stead of the cold earth lie vpon their Delilahs knees and yet they be called Milites or Souldiers though their Souldiership or or Knighthood be but gotten as (b) Act. 8.18 Simon Magus would haue purchased the power of giuing the holy Ghost by the imposition of handes namely by Briberie but when I commend a Souldier my aime is at such a one as beeing sent forth by the authoritie of the Prince for the defence of his countrie and nation ventreth his life such a one deserues to be respected and relieued because he is a necessarie member in a common-wealth Thirdly the vocation of a Husbandman is both most ancient and honourable it is ancient for (c) Gen. 3.19 Adam was a husbandman his children were tillers of the ground and it is honourable because in former times (d) 1. Sam. 11.5 Kings haue not scorned to followe their cattell out of the field also it is most necessarie for by the Plough the King is maintained and but for tillage the people of the land would be eaten vp with famine and yet there is no man more opprest and troden vpon then this poore laborious Pismire how is he continually set vpon the Racke and tenturd in his rent by his imperious tyrannicall Landlord who like another Procustes stretcheth him vpon a bed of steele In Pharaohs dreame (e) en G 41.4 The seauen leane kine did eate vp the seauen fat but now The fat kine of Basan eate vp the leane that is the Land-lord the husbandman and the Gentleman the farmer in whom is verified the saying of God in the Psalme They eate vp my people like Bread there be fower litle things vpon the earth and yet they doe much hurt to the Husbandman (f) Ioel. 1.4 the palmerworme the Grashopper the canker-worme and the Caterpillar The
attended by Intelligencers tale-bearers detractours whisperers backe-byters which with their tongues as two edged swords strike their brethren neighbours secretly (f) Prou. 26.21 As the cole maketh burning coles and wood a fire so these kindle strife As he is Belial which signifies Irregular one that is subiect to no yoke or discipline he is gardeâ— with Atheists which say in their harts there is no God therefore like vntamed Heifars refuse to submit their necks to Gods two yokes the Law the Gospell As he is Mammon he is followed by Extortioners Oppressours Vsurers Land-rackers Inclosers of Commons Decayers of Tillage and Depopulatours which rauenously eate vp the poore like bread As he is Sathanas which is being interpreted an Aduersarie a Serpent he hath the atteÌ„dance of Hypocrites which like Iudas will kisse a man and betray him And like Ioab embrace and stabbe him As hee is Beelzebub which signifies the Maister of Flies he hath fiue sorts of Flies that continually swarme about him making his bosome their hiue Namely Golden-winged Cantharides which breede vpon high Cedars and Oliues These are the hautie minded whose eyes are loftie and their harts swelling with pride ambition the Pyrâ—â—llides which flie so long about the flame of a Candle that they burne their wings these are Carnalistes whose felicitie is dalliance chambering and wantonnes the fierie Pyraâ—stae which being bred and liuing in the fire die presently when it is queÌ„ched these are the enuious malicious whose tongues set on fire the course of Nature and are set on fire by hell The blood-sucking Solipungiae I meane Assassinates manslayers murderers whose glorie is to embruâ— their hands in innocent bloud And lastly the Idle drones which lie vpon beds of yourie stretch themselues vppon their beds which fold their armes and say yet a little sleepe as the sluggard doth in the Prouerbs Of all these Flies manie other Beelzebub is maister so that if whole mankinde should be surueied it would euidently appeare that Manie are called but fewe chosen because fewe follow CHRIST but manie Sathan The second thing blame-worthie in Leah is Enuies correspondencie (g) Gen. 30.1 Rahel enuied Leah because of her fruitfulnes and her enuie she expressed in the name of her hand-maids second sonne whome she called Napthali or Wrestling saying (h) Gen. 20.8 with excellent wrestling haue I wrestled with my sister and haue gotten the vpper hand Leah enuied Rahel because of Iacobs loue This her enuie shee manifesteth in calling her Hand-maides first sonne Gad which is an Armie or Troupe of men herein Leah answeres Rahel in her kinde saying an Armie commeth which is as if she should haue said though my sister hopeth to be râ—ueÌ„ged vpon me in hauing a sonne whom she hath named Dan which signifies Iudgement or reuenge and also wrestleth and contendeth with me for superioritie as appeareth in the name of Napthali yet I shall ouercome her for I haue fiue sonnes and an Armie of children Here then is Leahs sinne shee striues with her malicious sister and payes enuie with enuie againe contrarie to the rule of godlines which thus instructeth vs (i) Rom. 12.21 Bee not ouercome of euill but ouercome euill with goodnesse In this infirmitie of Leah we are taught not to be prouoked to a correspondeÌ„cie in enuie by the enuie of others but rather to blesse them that curse vs to praie for them that hate vs and to heape coales vpon the heads of the enuious by rendering good for euill Gad an Host of men shall ouercome him but hee shall ouercome at the last The Chalde Paraphrast expoundeth these words of Iacob to Gad thus A Campe of Armed men shall come out of the house of Gad and passe ouer Iordan before their brethren to battell and with much substance shall they returne According hereunto (k) Hier. in huÌ„c locum some doe applie this prophesie to the marching of the Gadites with the rest of the Tribes against the Canaanites and their returning backe againe ouer Iordane to their owne possessions but this cannot bee for the Tribe of Reuben the halfe Tribe of Manasses went also before their brethren as well as Gad according to the couenant that they made with Moses (l) Numb 32 17. promising that they would goe armed before the children of Israel vntill they had brought them vnto their place Furthermore this exposition is disagreeing to the text for Iacob prophecieth that the Gadites should bee ouerthrowne but in their first exploite against the Canaanites vnder the conduct of Iosuah they were not ouercome but had prosperous successe Saint Hierome thus interpreteth this speech Gad a Thiefe shall spoyle or praie vpon him but afterwrd he shall pray vpon or spoyle the Thiefe Hereupon (m) Caiet in huÌ„c locum Caietan referreth this Prophecie to Iephthe who was first a [n) Iudg. 11.3 Captaine of Robbers and Idle-fellowes afterwards chosen to be the (o) Iudg. 11.6 Generall of the Israelites in their warres against the Ammonites (p) Iudg. 12.4 and last of all compelled to fight against the Tribe of Ephraim To make good this exposition by a Thiefe in the first part of the prophesie the king of Ammon is to be vnderstood who made warre with Israel especiallie with the Tribes of Gad Reuben and Manasseh who dwelt beyond Iordan from Arnon vnto Iabbok which Countreyes were taken from the Ammonites and giuen as a portion ro these Tribes and thereupon warre grewe betwixt Ammon and Israell and in the second part by the Thiefe is meant Iephthe who was as I said before A Captaine of Thieues There is some apparance of truth in this exposition of Câ—ietan if it were certaine that Iephthe was one of the tribe of Gad but he is rather thoght to haue bin one of the tribe of Manasseh because Gilead was his father not Gilead the sonne of Machir the sonne of Manasseh but another of the same name and kindred (q] Iosu 12.31 Also the childreÌ„ of Manasseh had the halfe of Gilead in their lotte as the Gadites had another part So then though Iephthe was a Gileadite both in respect of his fathers name and the countrey where hee was borne yet it cannot be necessarilie concluded that hee was one of Gads Tribe The Patriarch Iacob then in this Prophesie may more trulie be thought to aime at the diuerse Conflicts which the Gadites had with the Hagarenes with Iethur Naphish and Nedab whome (r] 1. Chron. 5.20 at length they ouercame when as they carried from them fiftie thousand Camels and a great preye of Cattell besides This also is agreeable to (Å¿) Deut. 33.20 Moses his prophesie comparing him to a Lyon that catcheth for his preye the arme with the head Gad an Hoste of men shall ouercome him but he shall ouercome at the last Iacob in this Prophecie dealeth with Gad as (t] 2. Reg. 2.20.21 Elisha did with the waters of