That I may for the Lad thy bondman be And he with 's brethren goe instead of me For how shall I goe up without the Lad To be a witnesse and spectator sad There of my Fathers suffrings for my sake Who for the childes returne did undertake THE DISCOVERY OR The eighth Chapter of Joseph GEN. the 45. Here like a reconciled Lover Ioseph weeping doth discover In teares of kindnesse to his brother Himselfe unable yet to smother His passions longer five he brings Of them to Court who by the Kings Directions and commandement With Chariots are for Iacob sent THus long good Ioseph with an unmov'd eare The dolefull story of himselfe did heare His Fathers love and teares he that denyes The strength of nature in her sympathies Had he seen Ioseph here sad burthen keep To his griev'd fathers groanes or heard him weep For love to Benjamin his error he Had sure detested as an heresie Ioseph a naturall sonne appeares in this Old Iacobs griefes are parents unto his So like his passions to his Syres I finde As had he with his body got his minde He cannot of his Fathers sorrowes heare But as sad issue it begets a teare ow dull were all his brethren not to know Him weeping now as he was wont to doe He look'd as when they sold him salt drops shrowd The Majesty of 's eyes as when a clowd So dimmes the radiant brightnesse of the Sunne That weakest sights may boldly gaze upon His beames what mists doe passions cast before Our eyes their envy did not blinde them more From knowing of their brother that in teares Beg'd for his life then now again their fears Darken both soules and bodies both their eyes Their understandings and their memories They think not what his dreams foretold his place Of promis'd greatnesse nor their humble case Mens hearts ' gainst dangers oft misgive and some Are light before against a joy to come But no such motions in their hearts doe stir To make them know this their deliverer Blinde fathers of as blinde a race whom so Not all the Prophecies could make to know Their deare redeemer whom they us'd with more Malice than did their Syres his type before To shew his love Gods ever blessed Sonne Shed teares of griefe and of compassion We never read he smild so Ioseph here Cannot expresse his joy but with a teare Both passions finde one vent both flowing ran From 's eyes as if they melted had the man So strove they for precedence and t' o'recome Each other as the twins in 's Grandames wombe Which first should issue forth he hears with griefe His Fathers fears and sorrows and beliefe Of his decease but now o're-joy'd agen He weeps to see his brother Benjamin The eye is the soules index had you seen The Brethren plotting a revenge their spleen Did in their eyes appear and you might spy The innocence of Ioseph in his eye As here his love could their hard hearts have so Melted as Iosephs to conceive the woe Of their sad Father or their bowels yearne And nature spite of spleen made them discern Their brother it had sav'd their present fears Old Iacobs sorrows and good Iosephs tears Which now as Lectures are to them and all That disobedient or unnaturall Unto their Parents or their brethren be Instructing them in love and piety The goodnesse of his nature is a plaine Doctrinall president he can't refraine Before the standers by some drops must slide E're he commands convenience none abide Now with him but his brethren when in tears He makes them know their Ioseph and appears How ever their demerits might him move In his own likenesse and a brothers love He weeps aloud till all that present were In Pharohs house and all th' Egyptians heare Kings 19. God comforting Eliah first with flame Strong tearing winds hideous storms there came Ere the still voyce was heard so if I dare Th' immediate actions of the Lord compare With those he works by agents comfort here Came to the brethren as t' Eliah there For after frownes high words and cryes were past In milder tearmes he lets them know at last 'T is I am Ioseph doth my Father live When loe his brethren could no answer give And can you blame them for it should you see One long deceas'd at least so thought to be Appeare before you full as much remaine They troubled at his presence who again Cals them come neer I pray you and being come Tells them I am your brother Ioseph whom You into Aegypt sold yet doe not grieve Nor be you angry with your selves beleeve By Gods decree you sold me I was sent Before you to provide you nourishment And to preserve your lives but two yeers past Are of the famine which as yet must last Five more in which by Gods most firme decree There neither earing shall nor harvest be Haste therefore to my Father say thus said Ioseph thy sonne God me a Lord hath made O're Aegypt wherefore come thou downe to me And tarry not so shall thy dwelling be In Goshen where the land is fat and good And for convenience in my neighbourhood There shall thy sonnes and thy sonnes sonnes be plac'd Thy numerous flocks and heards and all thou hast There will I nourish thee for yet remayn Five years of famine lest for want of grain Thou and thy houshold all the soules that be Born of thy loyns should come to poverty My brothers eyes have seen so likewise see yee It is my mouth that speaks these words unto yee Yee therefore to my Father shall relate The glory yee have seen and all my state In Egypt yee shall hasten and be gone To bring my Father down unto his sonne To exemplifie Gods love the holy writ The love of woman doth compare to it Which love is full of fervency so this Heer Benjamin and he embrace and kisse And weep and on each others necks they fall He weeps again and now he kist them all Between these loves this difference may suffice That love hath melting lips this melting eyes In teares they held their conference whilst report Had noys'd the fame thereof through all the Court T is news in Pharoh's house and lo the thing Pleas'd all that heard it for it pleas'd the King Who thus bespake him to thy brethren say Go lade your beasts get home and bring away Your father and your housholds I will give The fat of Egypt to you cat and live I have commanded you now therefore take Waggons throughout the land of Egypt make All fit for travell now forget your home Bring father wives and little ones and come Hasten away regard you not your stuff The good of Egypt's yours be that enough So Israels children went and Ioseph made Waggons and all things fit as Pharoh bad For them to travell with he cloah'd them in New change of rayment but to Benjamin Three hundred pieces he of silver gave Besides five change of
troubled waters sent seven other kine So poor lean fleshed as I never ey'd Meer bare anatomies cover'd with a hide There 's none in Egypt such I took them sent As foyles the others goodnesse to present By their deformities for neer till now Did I observe such beauty in a Cow As in the other seven on whom they set And cleand devour'd but nere the fatter yet Me-thought in killing them the ugly beasts Look't like so many death in their arrests But in devouring they resemblance have To the insatiate and unfruitfull grave Which having seen my labouring fancy broak Sleep left my wearied eyes and I awoak But whilst my thoughts were fixt upon this theam I slept again and dreampt another dream And then behold there came into my view A sprouting stalk wherin sev'n ears there grew Good rank and full of corn Pharohs second dreame but whilst I hung My eyes on that fair object lo there sprung Close to those ears sev'n others thinne and pin'd Wither'd and blasted by the Eastern wind And these devour'd the swoln fruit burdned ears Whilst yet no change at all in them appears All this have I to the Magicians told But none the hidden meaning can unfold God hath to Pharoh his entents made known Then answer'd Ioseph Pharoh's dream is one Interpreted For by the seven good kine sev'n yeers are shewn So by the sev'n good ears the dream is one And the sev'n leaner kine and empty ears That came up after are sev'n other yeers The first being good and full betoken plenty But famine's threatned in the leane and empty The thing that I have spoken to the King Not I but God hath spoken and shall bring Shortly to passe sev'n yeares of plenty shall Crowne all your harvest hopes ev'n throughout all The fruitfull Land of Egypt after then In vain the labour of the husband-men Shall till the earth whereon no corn shall stand Plenty shall be forgotten in the land From which as from plow'd sands expect no crop For seven yeers famine shall consume it up And for it doubled twice to Pharoh was T is stablisht and shall shortly come to passe God hath establisht it let Pharoh than Throughout his territories find a man Wise and discreet and let it be his care To see that officers appointed are To take the fift part up throughout the land And lay the corn all under Pharohs hand And let the Cities be well stor'd with food By the neighbouring countrey whilst the yeers are good Since God the bad ensuing hath declar'd Let not the famine find us unprepar'd But so let Pharoh gainst those barren yeers Provide that not a soul may perish heer For want let forrain Lands the better fare By us and owe their safeties to our care Heer Ioseph ends and lo the thing seem'd good In Pharoh's eyes and in their eyes that stood About him to whom thus the King began Is there in all the Land a fitter man To whom Gods Spirit shews such hidden things He keeps Gods secrets and is fit for Kings Then turning him about to Ioseph said Since of thee God hath 'bove all others made His choice these holy counsels to disclose That proves thee fittest I have therefore chose Thee as the only man discreet and wise To do according to thine own advice Thou shalt be o're my house what thou thinkst fit Shall be my peoples law who unto it Shall yeeld obedience great as is mine own Shall thy command in Egypt be i' th' throne I le only be above the voyce is thine Of power the eyes of Majesty be mine Now have I set thee over all my Land Witnesse this Ring which taking from his hand He put on Ioseph's finger and array'd Him in rich vestures of fine linnen made Such as the Egyptian Princes wore of old And on his neck he put a chain of gold Then in his second chariot made him ride Whilst bow the knee before him people cry'de For Ruler he ore all the Land doth make him Which to confirme he turn'd and thus bespak him 'T is I am Pharoh nor without thee shall A man lift up his hand or foot through all My Realme of Egypt then to crown his life With true content he fits him with a wife Fair Asenath a goodly prize alone She was Potipherahs daughter Priest of Un. Thus Ioseph's rais'd unto the height of powre In shorter space then the quick springing flowre That asks but one nights growth he that of late Wayl'd in a dungeon fils a chair of State Oh what a bounteous King found he to do it Nay what a bounteous God that mov'd him to it Then think on Ioseph's case what ere thou be Dispair not art in prison so was he Perhaps thou 'lt say thou hast no skill in dreams No revelations God hath other means Doubt not his power nor providence he can That hath created all sure helpe a man More wayes than one dost thou complaine th' art poore And suffer'st want Iob surely suffred more Doe crosses vexe thee or afflictions rod Torment thy soule have patience still in God Wayt on pray to trust in him onely he Can cure and cleanse and ease thy malady Do'st strive with strong temptations to him then God cast seven divels out of Magdalen Art sicke or sinfull pray'r a cure did winne For Hezekiah's sore and Davids sinne Perchance th' ast trusted praid and waited long Looke backe to Ioseph he was sure but young When first he tasted sorrow vext between Bondage Lust Prisons and his Brethrens spleen Ev'n from his very cradle yet he stayd He waited long with patience long he prayd Ere comfort came for loe when he appears Before the King his age was thirty yeers Out of whose presence to his charge he went And overseers throughout Aegypt sent In the seven plenteous whilst all their grounds Brought forth by handfuls ev'ry place abounds With goodly crops the sight whereof began To cheer the Clowne and glad the Husbandman They ply their trust their labours never cease To treasure up the fruitfull earths increase Me thinks I see them like the busie swarme When their commander hums and gives th' alarme They issue forth and their dispersed powre Coasts every field and light on ev'ry flowre To make their sweet extractions and they strive Who shall unlade him oftnest at the hive They fill their bags and gladly homewards flye With pleasant burdens in their painfull thigh Onely this diffrence makes 'twixt them and these The gatherers went not murmuring as the Bees But with their silent paces all along They trudge like Ants a people wise not strong Pro. 30.25 Preventing want in plenty with their paine So each of these came laden home with graine They glean'd apace whilst corn like sāds they found And stor'd the Cities frō the neighbouring ground Th'y have gathred much the Granaries are fild With all th' abundance which the land doth yeeld Aegypt is now provided ' gainst her fears
Should all the world besiege her for seven years Were they wal'd strong enough it were no doubt But they 'd by that starve the besiegers out His worke now ending Ioseph takes his rest And with two sonnes is ere the famine blest Two goodly sonnes which Asenath the fayre Vn's Priest and Princes daughter to him bare The first he call'd Manasseh for he said God of my toyle hath me forgetfull made Past in my Fathers house the second he Nam'd Ephraim for God hath caused me Here to be fruitfull whither I was sent As the place for my affliction meant But now the time is come that must attone The dreams with their interpretation Now Pharoh findes that Iosephs words are true The good years gone and past and bad ensue Egypt expects and now the time appears The full are swallowed by the blasted ears Pin'd famine from all lands comes flocking thither And from all countries men come flocking with her Egypt alone hath bread yet some of those That were ill husbands or that did repose No trust in Ioseph's words by this halfe dead For their late unbelief cry out for bread But still to Pharoh when the people cry'de They were to Ioseph sent to be supply'de What he shall bid you do to him they went Who sold them corn when all their store was spent The granaries he set ope for there was dearth And famine ore the face of all the earth Nay now in Egypts selfe it waxed sore Till he supply'd their daily wants with more It rag'd in all lands and all Countries came Thither for corn and ask for Ioseph's name THE STEVVARD OR The fifth Chapter of Joseph GEN. 42. To Ioseph from all Countries come Th' inhabitants for food mongst whom His brethren came plagued with the dearth To him as Steward of the earth For by him are all Nations fed Egypt alone abounds in bread Blest with his care which none denies Save them he challenged for spies To prove their trust they must agen Returning bring young Benjamin Simeon mean-while in hold remains And they releas'd go home with grain LIke that mysterious Book the Angell gave To Iohn are worldlings fond delights they have A smack of pleasure which affects the sence At first but ends in bitter penitence Prov. 5.3 4 5. The whore hath honied lips her perfum'd breath Utters words smooth as oyle but unto death Her feet make haste her steps to hell doe tend Sharpnesse and bitternesse are in her end Such in all earthly pleasures they whose mindes Swell with vaine-glory or whom Mammon blinds The god of this world that they thinke to be In riches onely true felicity Dan. 2. Like the forgotten dreame of Babels King Which did confusion to the Sages bring A head of gold a breast of silver they With thighs of brasse may have but feet of clay Their glory riches joyes wherein they trust Being past away their end shall be in dust The world like a fond Mother is and smiles Upon her own whom she a time beguiles With pleasures fading like her selfe for she That hath not cannot give eternity To them whose first and better dayes being past Must grieve the rest and thinke upon their last GOD like a gratious Father but austere First by corrections teacheth his to feare And to be humble which being taught them he I' th end rewardeth their humility Iob 1. With choycer blessings Iob he first did try By taking of his wealth his misery Increas'd by sore diseases soule and sense Vext to the utmost of his patience Abram from God receives a strict command Gen. 22.2 To sacrifice his Sonne with his own hand To kill his Childe having as yet but one Iacob an heyr to his affliction Hath lost his best lov'd boy Gods blessings here T' his children diffrent from the worlds appear Whilst heer 's a little time the world doth blesse Their end is crownd with endlesse happinesse Nor doth the God of earth and heaven give Us onely future hopes but whilst we live Iob 42. Feeds us with daily blessings Iob increas't In wealth againe is richest of the East Nor doth good Abram like contentment lacke Isack is with a blessing giv'n him backe And Iacob shall the dayes are now begun Gen. 22.20 Finde to the safeguard of his life his Sonne The generall dearth that through all nations ran Hath shown his lean aspect in Canaan And pinch'd the holy Patriarks ten are sent Of Iosephs brethren all their store being spent For new supplyes of corne for it was sed That onely Aegypt did abound in bread Forwards they set now the first motion stirres And they prove Iosephs best Interpreters The time is come the sheaves begin to bend Ten of the starres already doe descend The rest must follow Iacob now shall see His rays'd Sonne and his sleeping prophecy And he to whom so many dreames were known God now declares and brings to passe his own For loe his brethren that were come before him Bowing their faces to the earth adore him He 's put in minde of 's vision at first view Though none of them knew him yet them he knew And this gives me more wonder then their change His strange remembrance their oblivion strange It is not commonly the poore forgot To claime alliance from their friends grown great Nor is' t the usuall way o' th world that men Of rising fortune should remember then Their meane though neerest kinne much the lesse To be expected comming in distresse Looke on their natures and there sure should be Between them some prompting antipathy Should make them know however high estated So great an eye-sore Ioseph whom they hated Who on the other side as soone as spide them Nor was his memory malice he descride them He found them as he left them but their eyes Were doubtlesse dazl'd with his dignities Whilst no revenge therefore let none mistake him Did so quick sighted but his meeknesse make him He meant no harme unto them though he spoke In a sharpe key and with a rougher looke Askes whence they came when humbly one replyes From Canaan to buy corne he cals them spyes Canaan upon a fruitfull soyle doth stand Flowing with milke and honey Yee our land Are come to pry into to what distresse Famine hath brought it and what nakednesse When trembling with one sudden voyce they cry Thy servants true men are and come to buy Food for our aged Father we were borne All one mans sonnes and hither come for corne Our alter'd soyle doth not afford us graine Twice hath the reaper lookt for worke in vaine Twich have the Plowmans toyle and seed inhum'd Untimely frosts unkindely heats consum'd Our store is spent nor have we hope to live Unlesse your goodnesse do our wants relieve Still Ioseph who but what he knew did heare Chang'd not his noat but bids observe their feare Their trēbling joynts faint voyce down-cast eys True signes of guilt discovered them for
In all his father's passions can't refrain But pays him with as many tears again They breath their souls in sigh's their kisses dry Their moystned cheeks then in an extasie Iacob cryes out prest with his sonnes embrace Now let me die since I have seen thy face And thou art yet alive So holy Paul In heavenly contemplation fil'd with all Those joyes his faith presented him desires Philip 1.23 To be dissolv'd his soule to Heav'n aspires Or would before its time but that kept in It cannot for the fleshly walls of sin From whence he prayes for freedom Iacobs thought Rom. 7.24 Gen. 28.12 From earth to heaven sure like his ladder wrought As t were made mindfull by this happinesse Of what unspeakable delights do blesse Good soules departed he with Paul doth cry Transported with his joy now let me die T was a good wish he when what most on earth Might glad his soule and make him wish new birth To live another age befell doth crave A peaceable departure to his grave Whence learn no blessing may on earth be given But a good man hath better hopes in heaven Ioseph whose passions could not else be orecome Turns from his Father to his brethen whom He thus bespake I will to Pharoh go To whom my fathers comming I will show And yours I 'le tell him that ye shepheards are Men that have ben train'd up to have the care Of Flocks and Heards which ye along have brought To save from famine if he aske you ought When ye before him come be my words made The same thus shall ye say thy servants trade Hath been 'bout cattell from our youth till now Ours and our Fathers so shall he endow You with the Land of Goshen a good place Free to your selves and to your flocks to graze Without disturbance yours shall be alone The land for an abhomination Your trade is to th' Egyptians so shall ye Have to your selves the fruitfull Goshen free THE PVRCHACE OR The tenth Chapter of Joseph GEN. 47. By his Favourites endearement Pharoh welcome and preferment Gave to Iacob and his sonnes To them their wives and little ones He doth the land of Goshen give There with their Flocks and Heards to live They onely of the famine stand Fearlesse whil'st th' Egyptians land Cattle and ev'ry pretious thing Ioseph purchas'd for the King Except o' th Priests whom he allowd A daily competence of food IMagine Ioseph hath by this time told His Fathers comming to the King behold My Brethren with their flocks and the old man Our Father are come downe from Canaan Driv'n thence by famine late they did arrive In fruitfull Goshen here of them are five Then to the King he brought his brethren on Who questions them their occupation As Ioseph taught them they their answer made We Shepheards are ' thath bin our Fathers trade Time out of minde encourag'd by the soyle Which like to Eden Garden without toyle Yeelded content and plenty but distrest With famine now seems cursed as the rest Of the whole earth for our first Parents sinne 'T is thou alone art happy that within Thy realmes men onely of Gods mercies sing Psalmes and not Lamentations Let O King His goodnesse teach thee pitty us whil'st we Thy servants and thy subjects crave to be We are come downe to sojourne in thy land Humbly desiring thou wilt give command We may in Goshen live The King replyes Ioseph thy Father is come downe thine eyes Behold the land see where thou find'st the best There let thy Father and thy brethren rest Let them in Goshen dwell and if there be Amongst them any whose activity Surmounts their fellows skilfull in their trade Let them be rulers o're my cattell made At first sight good encouragement they heard Not onely being admitted but prefer'd For Iosephs sake who now his Father brought And set him before Pharoh so we ought When God doth blesse us thankfull hearts to bring And blesse again as Iacob blest the King Who tooke good notice of him it appears By his demands he questions him his years To whom thus Iacob in whose sober eye Did reverence appeare and gravity The dayes and yeares of this my pilgrimage A hundred are and thirty a short age Compar'd to that my Fathers lived in But few and evill all my dayes have bin He first was sensible how life began Gen. 6.3 To shorten since God left to strive with man For he the first of all to me appears Complaining for the fewnesse of his yeares How should we scan our lives if Iacob doe Confesse his dayes but short and evill too Whom God chose in the womb who by his mother The blessing gate and birth-right from his brother Whom God so oft confer'd with who did stand On his lam'd legge and with a clasped hand Graspt't God himselfe and wrastling overcame Winning the prize a blessing and a * Israell name If he found ill in his dayes how shall we Lift up eyes most gratious God to thee Yet thou like Pharoh us that strangers are Nay worse thine enemies dost not onely spare Succour and cherish but promot'st us high To crowne and Kingdomes of eternity Grant then O God that for thy mercy we May ever more continue praysing thee As holy Iacob with a loyall heart Did blessing Pharoh till he did depart Out of his presence and with Ioseph went Who'cording to the Kings commandement Gave him and his the best part to possesse Of Egypt ev'n the Land of Ramases Where them he plentifully stor'd and fed According to their families with bread Which every where was scarce in Egypt and Canaan that milk and hony flowing land The famine rageth sore still Pharoh blest In Iosesph is the treasury increast And where but titulary Kings the throne Held heretofore Egypt is Pharohs own For yet the famine lasting and the soyle Ingratefull to the painfull husbands toyle Whilst slymy Nilus could not make it bear Their purses empty as their bellies were Coyn was as scarce as corn when wanting gold For food their horses and their herds they sold Which in one consum'd to Pharoh's hands Being masters now of nothing else their lands And their poor selves they do as bondmen yeild And every man for corn doth sell his field Till Egypt all was Pharohs they forsake Their Country-houses and themselves betake To dwell in Cities save the Priests alone To whom the Kings assign'd a portion They therefore sold no lands then Ioseph gave Others their ground and seed but the fift thrave To Pharoh's use reserv'd and this did bring Thanks from the subject profit to the King Thus the Almighty doth his servants blesse Giving to all their works a good successe Ioseph's the King's right hand the people they As much in admiration of him say T is thou hast sav'd our lives now let us find Grace in thy sight my Lord so shalt thou bind Vs Pharohs servants then a Law was made By Ioseph to this