sowes to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Onely it is required that he be not weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not We must not look to sowe and reap all in a day as he saith of the Hyperborean-people far north Heresbach de re rustica that they sowe shortly after the sun-rising and reap before the sun-set because the whole half yeer is one continual day with them We must wait with the husbandman for the precious fruit of the earth and have long patience for it until we receive the former and later rain James 5.7 And be diligent in the mean while that when Christ comes we may be found of him in peace 2 Pet. 3.14 Heaven will pay for all our pains and patience He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully even blessing upon blessing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 9.6 Psal 126.6 as the word there signifies be shall doubtless come again with joy bringing his sheaves with him Vers 13. And the man waxed great Because the Lord blessed him vers 12. for it is his blessing that maketh rich He sowed and feared God and the Lord blessed him Godliness hath the promises of both lives 1 Tim. 4.8 Now the promises are the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3.6 9. who is the heir of all Heb 1.2 and hath made godly men his co-heirs Rom. 8.17 entailing upon them riches and honour delight and pleasure Prov. 3.16 17. 8.18 Deut. 28. Psal 112.2 3. life and length of days the blessings of both hands Godly men in Scripture are read to have been richer then any as Abraham Isaac David c. so they might be now likely if they would be as godly Bonus Deus Constantinum Magnum Aug. de civ Dei l. 5. c. 25. tantis terrenis implevit muneribus quanta opt are nullus auderet saith Augustine If God deny gain to godliness it is that it may be admired for it self as having an autarky a self-sufficiency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.6 he makes up in the true treasure and a grain of grace is worth all the gold of Ophi◠a remnant of faith better then all gay clothing Achans wedge of gold served for no better purpose then to cleave asunder his soul from his body and the Babylonish garment but for a shrowd Prov. 31.12 But contented godliness like Solomons good wife doth a man good and not evil all his days for it brings his minde and his means together and makes him rest well assured of a sufficiency though he miss of a superfluity Vers 14. And the Philistims envied him Envie is the constant companion of prosperity as David felt and complained Succoth and Penuel contemn Gideon out of envie of his victory Josephs brethren cannot abide him because more favoured of his father Corah maligneth Moses Saul David the Pharisees our Saviour Dio in vita Caligulae their malice wilfully crossing their consciences Caligula sacrificed to Neptune and Envie ne sibi ut ipse dicebat invideretur He thought other men sick belike of his disease as the devil accused God of envie to our first parents for certainly there was not a more envious person living Sueton. cap. 3 4. Lucano quòd arte poetica clarus erat vetitum suit ne carmen saceret Dio in Nerone Seneca Dio in vita Tiberii Sueton. c. 53. Am. Marcell lib. 30. cap. 29. then he witness his throwing down the statues of all famous men and defacing their titles forbidding any new to be set up without his leave and liking So that Tyger Tiberius laid hold with his spiteful teeth on all the excellent spirits of his time He put a Poet to death for making an excellent Tragedy and banished a certain Architect for building a curious Porch at Rome which he could not chuse but admire and reward with money Nero envied all men that were any whit gracious with the people Valentinian hated all that were well apparelled or well learned or wealthy or noble Fortibus etiam detrahere solebat ut solus videretur bonis artibus eminere saith Ammianus Germanicus had not any more deadly enemies then his own ornaments Tacitus and his adversaries as here Isaac's had nothing to complain of him more then his greatness So true is that of Salust Salust in Catil Difficillimum inter mortales est gloriâ invidiam vincere Hercules had not more ado with Hydra then a good man shall have with this beast Envied he shall be of his neighbour for his labour and right work Eccles 4.4 This is also vanity and vexation of spirit Vers 15. The Philistims had stopped them They deprived themselves of the benefit of those Wells so that Isaac might not water at them Aug. in Psal 139. Envie doth nothing with reason It is vitium diabolicum saith Augustine The devil of pure spite hinders men from heaven he rageth and rangeth roaring up and down seeking whom to devour and not caring to be double-damn'd himself so that others may not be saved We should be so far from envying at the happiness of others that we should rejoyce in it This were to be as the Angels of God and the contrary is to be like the devils of hell as Saul was who because he could not see Davids heart fed upon his own Envie devours it self as the worm doth the nut out of which it grows Vers 16. Go from us for thou art c. Isaaco ob benedictionem Dei Ostracismus indicitur It was well they had nothing worse against him Of Isaac it may be more truely said then of Mithridates Virtute eximius aliquando fortunâ Paterculus semper animo maximus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dio lib. 41. as Dio saith of Pompey Vers 17. And Isaac departed thence was compelled to do so though not long before the king of the country had charged all his people on pain of death not to disquiet him Antipho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So neer neighbours are Prosperity and Adversity Friends are very changeable creatures saith Plato Friends 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trussels contin of Dan. Chronicle there 's no friend saith Socrates no fast friend Faithful friends quoth the Duke of Buckingham to Bishop Morton in Richard the third's time are in this age all for the most part gone in pilgrimage and their return is uncertain Sejanus his friends shewed themselves as did likewise Hamans most passionate against him saying that if Cesar had clemency he ought to reserve it for men not use it toward monsters Carnal friends were never true to any that trusted to them whereas trust in God at length will triumph as we see in this Patriarch Vers 18. Isaac digged again the wells c. Both for more certainty to finde water a scarce commodity in those hot
in it as Scaliger doth Ham. Vers 23. And Sem and Japhet took a garment Ham had no hand in this good work Constant Mag. Theodoret. lib. 1. Eccles hist â—ap 11. which shews what a good one he was and how far from being of that good Emperors minde who said That if he should finde a Bishop committing adultery he would rather cover that unclean act with his imperial cloak then suffer it to come abroad to the scandal of the weak and the scorn of the wicked Vers 24. And Noah awoke from his wine And returned no more to it Once was enough the time past may well suffice to have walked in excess of wine 1 Pet. 4.3 saith Peter Wee 'l buy repentance so dear no more It is expresly noted of Judah that he knew Tamar again no more Gen. 38.26 And we may be well assured That Noah was never drunk again Prov. 23.35 Solomons drunkard cryes When shall I awake I will seek it yet again As Swine break their bellies so do such men their heads Hos 4.11 Malle se vitam quam vinum cripi August de temp serm 131. with filthy quaffing yea Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart saith the Prophet They besot and infatuate yea rob a man of himself and lay a beast in his room Our drunkards say as the Vine in Jothams parable Non possum relinquere vinum meum Take away my liquor you take away my life Mr. Harris his drunkards cup. How often saith a grave Divine have I seen vermine sucking the drunkards blood as fast as he that of the grape and mault yet would he not leave his hold or loose his draught Some be buckt with drink and then laid out to be sun'd and scorn'd And knew what his yonger son had done unto him It is probable That finding himself covered with a cloke he asked his wife and children how he came covered Piscator and that then Sem and Japhet told him all the matter which moved him to bless them It is our wisest way to do what good we can to others And though they for present being drunk with malice or rash anger know it not yet a waking-time may come when they may see the good and bless us for it as David did Abigail 2 Sam. 25.33 When he had slept out his drunken passion he saw cause to bless God to bless her and to bless her counsel Master Gilpins plain-dealing with the Bishop of Durham how well it succeeded See his life written by Bishop Carleton pag. 58. Vers 25. And he said Cursed be Canaan Because an imitator and abbettor of his fathers sin Neither good egg nor good bird as they say God himself hath cursed such caytiffs with a curse Prov. 30.17 The eye that mocketh at his father and despiseth to obey his mother the ravens of the valley shall pick it out and the young eagles shall eat it Now they are cursed with a witness Effossos oeidos voret atro gutture corvus Catul. Per coacervatos poreat domus impia luctus Oedip. apud Ovid. Daniels Chron. pag. 112. whom the Holy Ghost thus curseth in such emphatical maner with such exquisite terms Their parents also through their unnaturalness are compell'd to curse them as Noah here As Oedipus of old and our Henry the second who seeing a few hours before he died a list of their names that had conspired with the King of France and Earl Richard his son and successor against him and finding therein his son John to be the first falls into a grievous passion both cursing his sons and the day wherein himself was born and in that distemperature departs the world which so often himself had distempered The causeless curse indeed though from a parents mouth shall not come Prov. 26.2 Such as was that that befel Julius Palmer Martyr who when he asked his mother blessing Thou shalt said she have Christs curse and mine wheresoever thou goest He pausing a little as one amazed at so heavy a greeting at length said O mother your own curse you may give me which God knoweth I never deserved but Gods curse you cannot for he hath already blessed me and I shall be blessed As for money and goods said she which thou suest to me for as bequeathed thee by thy father I have none of thine Thy father bequeathed nothing for hereticks Faggots I have to burn thee more thou gettest not at my hands Mother said he whereaâ— you have cursed me I again pray to God to bless and prosper you all your life long And so he departed and shortly after valiantly suffered for the truth Act. Mâ—n fol. 1755. 1761. The wilde Irish inflict an heavy curse on all their posterity if ever they should sow corn build houses or learn the English tongue Heyl. Geog. 508. Camdens Elisab p. 116 117. at Newbury in Barkshire having sometimes been Fellow of Magdalen Colledg in Oxford and all King Edwards days an obstinate Papist Thus for the causeless curse of parents But where it is just it lights heavy The very complaint of a parent makes a loud cry in Gods ears Judg. 9.56 It is said That God by cutting off Abimelech rendred the wickedness that he did to his father And who can read with dry eyes that pitiful supplication of the old Emperor Andronicus to his young nephew of the same name Turk hist fol. 172 But when it proceeds to a corse lamentable effects have followed Leonard son of the Lord Dacres one of the Rebels in the North against Queen Elizabeth whose father prayed God upon his death-bed to send him much sorrow for his disobedience drew forth a most poor life in the Netherlands whither he escaped living upon a very slender pension from the Spaniard That Rebellion like the bubbles which children blow up into the ayr was no sooner blown up then blown out and fell into the eyes of those which with the blasts of ambition and superstition held it up But most remarkable is that and apposite to our present purpose that Manlius reports of a certain mother Jâ—â— Manlii loc coâ— 228. Involeâ— in te diabâ—â—us whom he and many others had seen leading about her miserable daughter who was possessed by the devil upon her cursing her and bidding the devil take her Luther and others prayed publikely for the Girl and when Luther said to the Devil Increpet te Dem The Lord rebuke thee Satan the Devil answered muttering through the Maids lips Increpet increpâ—t Another like example the same Author hath of a certain angry old man Idem ibidem in the Town of Friburg in Misnia Who bidding his son do some business for him and he making no hast to do it nor stirring from the place he stood in the father cursed him and wished he might never stir alive from that place God said Amen to it and although he lived seven yeers after yet there he
Samuel thought it had been God that called to him and not Eli he would not have slept but fallen on his face before the Lord as Abram here who was no novice but knew well that though God loves to be acquainted with men in the walks of their obedience yet he takes state upon him in his Ordinances and will be trembled at in his word and judgements Vers 4. As for me Ego ecce An abrupt speech to shew what haste God made to comfort and confirm Abram now fallen at his feet Thou shalt be a father of many nations The Israelites Ismaelites Edomites Keturites c. besides all Beleevers Gal. 3.28 29. Vers 5. Neither shall thy name any more c. This is reckoned for an high favour by those holy Levites Neh. 9.7 The Jews say that for honours sake God inserted one of the letters of his own incommunicable name Jehovah into the name of Abram now Abraham Sure it is that by stiling himselfe the God of Abraham he doth him more honour then if he had ingraven the word Abraham upon the firmament or in the clouds in letters of gold Vers 6. I will make thee exceeding fruitfull Heb. Foecundabo te valdè valdè And as oft as thou thinkest upon thy new name thou shalt remember my promise and rest assured of my performance See how God of his grace condescends unto us and accommodates us Vers 7. For an ever lasting Covenant Circumcision the outward sign of it was temporary and changeable into baptisme but the Covenant of grace thereby then and by baptisme now sealed up unto us is eternall being stablished and ratified by the death of the Testatour by the blood of the Arch-shepherd Heb. 13.20 Here it must be considered that there is a twofold Covenant 1. Single such as God makes with children when baptized viz. If ye will repent believe and walk with me ye shall be saved Now if they break the condition God is freed D. Preston of Gods Attrib he is not bound any further 2. Double such as God â—â—kes with his elect onely and that is to perform both parts sc If you will beleeve repent obey ye shall be saved And further I will give you a new heart so that you shall repent beleeve c. and be saved Thus God undertakes for both parts and so it becomes an everlasting Covenant such as hath the sure or unfailable mercies of David And here those that are thus in Double-Covenant with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are fitly compared to them that are gone in at a Church-door some are further in then others but yet all are in So though the weak in faith be not so forward yet they may be in though not so far in And to thy seed after thee See the Note on the next Verse Vers 8. All the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession And yet now for their inexpiable guilt in putting to death the Lord of life they are utterly dispossessed of that pleasant land In Jerusalem it self there are not to be found a hundred housholds of Jews Adriâ—â— the Emperour drove them utterly out of Jewry Breerewood and commanded them by proclamation not so much as to look toward it from any Tower or high-mountain Yea long before this the Lord for their wickedness counted them but usurpers Funceiuâ— and called them sojourners in that land Ezek. 20.38 and 11.15 If men forfeit their priviledges God may at his pleasure take the forfeiture and dis-priviledge them as he did Saul and Judas who by transgression fell from his office that he might go to his own place Act. 1.25 I will be their God This is a singular comfort for all beleeving parents Their greatest care is for their poor little ones what they shall do another day why cast them upon God their God as well as thine for is not he in Covenant with them too It would be a great stay of minde if God should say to us for our children as David said to Mephibosheth or to Barzillai for his son Chimham Chimham shall go with me and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee and whatsoever thou shalt require of me that I will do for thee Behold God saith all this and more to us 2 Sam. 19.38 when he saith I will be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee I remember a sweet passage of Mr. Saunders the Martyr in a Letter to his wise Act. Mon. 1364. Though we do shortly depart hence and leave our poor Infant to our seeming at all adventures yet shall he have our gracious God to be his God For so hath he said and he cannot lye I will be thy God and of thy seed Yea if you leave him in the Wilderness destiâ—uâ—e of all helps being called of God to do his will either to die for the confession of Christ or any work of obedience that God which heard the cry of the little poor Infant of Hagar and did succor it will do the like to the children of you or any other fearing him and trusting in him Vers 9. Thou shalt keep my Covenant This is the stipulation on Abrahams part by receiving the Sacrament of Circumcision to avouch God to be his God Deut. 26.17 Now to the making the Lord to be our God it is required that with highest estimations most vigorous affections and utmost endeavors we bestow our selves upon him Thus if we chuse God for our God Psal 73.25 We shall be assured that he hath chosen and avouched us for his people 1 John 4.19 Vers 10. Every man-childe amongst you Infants were circumcised to signifie that we had better be flayed and have our skin quite stripped off then to have it as a skin-bottle hanging in the smoke of filthy desires and blown full of unclean motions with the breath of Satan That wretched Renegado that betrayed the Rhodes was well served For his promised wife and portion were presented but the Turk told him that he would not have a Christian to be his son in law Spec. bol sac p. 157. but he must be a Mussle-man that is a beleeving Turk within and without And therefore he caused his baptized skin as he called it to be fleyed off and him to be cast in a bed strawed with Salt that he might get a new skin and so he should be his son-in-law But the wicked wretch ended his life with shame and torment Vers 11. It shall be a token of the Covenant It seals up nothing then to those that are not in Covenant Circumcision to such is but as a seal to a blank Unregenerate Israel was to God as Ethiopia Amos 9.7 Circumcision of it self avails nothing if the heart be uncircumcised The Apostle distinguisheth of Circumcision Colos 2.11 and tells us that the true Circumcision is made without hands and is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom.
Lysimachusses came of this tribe that as Sampson and David first fought with lions and then with their enemies all which were types of that lion of the tribe of Judah Rev. 5.5 The divell is a roaring lion Leo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lyes in wait for the Church but Christ her invincible Champion is ever at hand for her help who is also Leo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Paul hath it the Lion of the tribe of Iâ—dah 2 Thess 1. ult that delivereth us from the wrath to come And when this Lyon roareth all creatures tremble Amos 3.8 Saint Ambrose tells us that when the Lyon puts forth his voyce many creatures that could out-run him are so astonied at the terrour of his roar that they are not able to stir from the place And Isidore writeth that the Lions whelp for the first three dayes after it comes into the world lyeth as it were asleep and is afterwards rouzed and raised by the old Lions roaring which makes the very den to shake Christ at the last day shall come with the voyce of the Archangell and trump of God c. And then shall they that sleep in the dust of death awake some to everlasting life and some to everlasting horrour and amazement Dan 12.2 Vers 10. Till Shiloh come Shiloh is by some expounded Vsque dum venturae erunt secundinae ejus id est Judae ut masculin genua in Heb. ostendit Athemate Shalab unde Shaluab Tranquillitas Unde Lat. Salvere Salvus salvare Amama Sub Augustâ— cuncta atque continua totius generis humani aus pax fuit aut pactio Flor. hist l. 4. the son of his secundines The Hebrew word implyes His son and Her son that is the son of the Virgin that came of the line of Iudah Secundines are proper to women He therefore whom Secundines alone brought forth without help of man is Christ alone the promised seed Others render Shiloh Tranquillator Salvator The Safe-maker The Peace-maker The Prosperer This Prince of Peace was born in a time of peace not long after that Pompey had subdued Iudaea to the Romane Government and reduced it into a Province Then was the Scepter newly departed from Iudah and Herod an Edomite made King of the Country And unto him shall the gathering of the people be As unto the standard-bearer Cant. 5.10 the carkase Matth. 24.28 the desire of all nations Hag. 2.7 with Heb. 12.25 Totus ipse desideria saith the Church Cant. 5.16 and When I am lifted up saith He I will draw all men after me Joh. 12.32 they follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth as the hop and heliotrope do the sun Vers 11. Binding his foal unto the vine Vines shall be so plentiful that as Country-men tye their asses to briars and shrubs so shall Judah to the vines that shall grow thick every where Where Christ is set up in the power and purity of his ordinance there is usually a confluence of all inward and outward comforts and contentments He is the Cornu-copia of both to his Church and chosen Vers 12. His eyes shall be red c. Wine and milk are used to signisie plenty of spiritual blessings in heavenly things Esay 55.1 25.6 Vers 13. Act. 17. Zebulun shall dwell c. It is God that appoints us the bounds of our habitations Be content therefore and although we have not all things to our minds yet having God for our portion let us cry out with David The lines are fallen unto me in a fair place c. Zebulon is placed by the sea-side Now shore men are said to be borridi immanes latrociniâ—â— dediti omnium denique pessimi Hence the Proverb Maritimi mores And hâ—â—ce haply that rash and harsh character that Scalâ—ger gives of us Scal. de re Poet. cap. 16. Heyl. Geog. p. 468. Angli pâ—rfidi inflati feri contemptores stolidi amentes inertes inhâ—â—pitales immanes His bolt you see saith One is soon shâ—t and so you may haply guess at the quality of the Archer Be it that our Ancestors were such yet the Gospel hath civilized us at least whatever the more be Christ left Nazareth and came and dwelt at Capernaum which is upon the sea-coast in the borders of Zabulon and Napbtali Ever since which The people which sate in darkness have seen a great light c. Matth. 4.13 16. And when Gilead abode beyond Jordan and came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty Reuben was busic about his sheep Dan about his ships Asher about his breaches c. Zabulon and Naphtali are much commended Judg. 5.16 17 18. for a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field that studied and promoted the publike more then their own pirticular interests Oh it is a brave thing to be of a pablike spirit and to study Gods ends more then our own Surely if â—od saw us to be such we might have what we would and God even think himself beholden to us Shall a Heathen say Cicero Loel Non nobis solùm nati sumus c. And again Mihi non minoris curae est qualis resp post meam moâ—tem futura sit quam qualis hodiè sit And shall Christians be all for themselves looking only to their own things and not to the things of one another the common good of all â—specially S. Chrysostome upon those words 1 Cor. 10.33 Not seeking mine own profit c. saith that to seek the publike good of the Charch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to prefer the salvation of others before his own safety and commodity is the most perfect Canon of Christianity the â—â—â—ghest pitch of perfection the very toâ—-gallant of Religion And I could not but love the man saith Theodosius the Emperour concerning Ambrose who when he dyed Magis de Ecclesiarum statu quam de suis periculis angebatur was more troubled for the Churches troubles then for his own dangers This made the same good Emperour say that he knew none that deserved to be called a Bishop but Ambrose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul n. Nolan in vita Amb. He was called the walls of Italy whiles he lived As when he dyed Stilico the Earl said that his death did threaten the destruction of that whole country Vers 14. Issachar is a streng asse c. He so commends his strength that withal he condemns his dulness This Christ can so little abide that he said even to Judas That thou doest do quickly God utterly refused an asse in sacrifice The firstling of an asse must either be redeemed or have his neâ—â— broke Bellarmine gives the reason and it is a very good one quia tardum pigrum animal because it is a slow sluggish creature segnis quasi seignis without fire heavy to action which God who is himself a pure act cannot abide Vers 15. And he saw that rest was good He submitted to any burdens