the grief of sinne hee would crie aloud Faith alone doth iustifie There was neuer papist Faith a lone iustifieth Fleshly worshippings I am sure yet so dronkē that made so much of al his fleshly worshippings of organs singing of altar and altar clothes of frankencense sweete smelling sauor of banners and streamers of goodly tunes and melodies of siluer crosses chalices but he hath said sometime Who requireth Esai 16. 12. Ioh. 4. 13. these things at our hands The true worshippers do worship in spirit and verity There was neuer papist in so deep a sleep of pardons and purgatorie but hee hath Pardons and Purgatorie surely said such weak engines can break down but paper walles And such colde water can quench but painted fiers There was neuer Pope nor generall General counsailes councel so desperately bent to set vp worshipping of Images but their own harts haue often cried within them They haue Psal 115. 5. Images mouthes and speake not they haue eies and see not they haue eares and heare not they haue noses and smell not they haue hands and handle not they haue feete and walke not Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worshippe them There was neuer papist so blinded Papistical superstitious Transubstantiation with the great absurdity of transubstātiatiō but some times seing the wine in the Chalice he hath vin afraid to say By this by nothing els let my sins be washed seeing the cake in the priests hands Thou alone hast redeemed me alone by thee I look to be saued This much we haue spoken to that intēt we may see the working of the lord in the hearts of al his enimies Refuse him how they wil in life or religion Papists doe striue against God and his word they carry day and night a witnes in their brests against themselues that they rebel striue not against flesh blood but against God and the trueth of his word Truly so may we see how god wrought in the hart of Esau howsoever men talke of the force of nature We cannot impute it to any thing but to the miraculus doing of the lord Who though we be in the bottome of the sea can command the water Esai 45. 15. that it shal not drown vs. And though we Hos 2. 18. go through the fire can keep vs from burning To this purpose speaketh the Prophet in the person of God I will make a couenāt for them with the wild beasts Hos 2. 18. and with the fowles of heauen and that which creepeth on the earth and I will break the bow and the sworde and the battel out of the earth And if he haue takē an oth of his domb creatures that they shal not do his chosen harme much more shal he incline the hart of one man to be louing towards another Notwithstanding Esaus gentlenes was but a violent motion this was but a violent motion of Esau therefore endured not For afterwardes be slang away from his brother and the spirit of enuy returned vnto him and possessed Gen. 36. Math. 12. 45. him as before It is nothing therefore that many fond worldlings bost thēselues if they haue but one sparcke of humanity seeing they are caryed about like waterles clouds and haue no continuance The wicked continew not in goodnes in that which is good When Dauid both by word deed had witnessed his innocency towards Saul At 1. Sam. 24. 17. Dauids innocencie towards Saul what time he let him escape aliue out of the caue of Engeddi only cutting off the lap of his coat the enuious tyrant which persecuted him being conuinced by open Saul weepeth for his iniury don to Dauid testimonies of his iniurie lift vp his voice wept acknowledging his fault which sought after blood without a cause Such is the power of Gods spirit which expresseth it selfe in the Godly that the wicked many times are ouercom by their vertues whom they hate to death Esau by al likelihood supposed for such is the maner of the wicked to thinke al men like affected The wicked think al men like to themselues to themselues that Iacob presuming vpō his fathers blessing would haue behaued himselfe stoutly and disdainfully towards him and therefore he prepared to encounter with him But when he drew neer and perceaued his humility hee was enforced with tears to run and embrace him And How we must deale with the froward learn we here to deale with the frowarde discreetly For the maintenance of christian concord what greater foyson coulde Iacob haue of his humble lowly minde his desire was only to escape aliue out of the handes of his brother but the lord did more for him thē he desired Behold Esau in what taking he is he rūneth he embraceth he weepeth But how now Esau The perplexity that Esau was in how cōmeth this to passe that you are so kind vpon the sudden Is this you which a little before was ready to burst with enuie I perceaue it is the lord that keepeth the keies of al harts he openeth and The lord keepeth the harts of al men to doe gods pleasure Gen. 30. 26. shutteth at his plesure This roas the blessing that alitle earst god gaue to Iacob Thy name shal be caled Iacob no more but Israel because thou hast had power with god thou shalt also preuaile with mē And now you see he preuaileth with his brother so mightily that a hart of flint is turned into A field wonne without bloudshed a hart of flesh The glorie of a field wonne by shedding of blood had not bene comparable to the triumph of this victory this was indeed to preuaile with men So truly said our sauiour When all thinges are Mar. 13. 31. turned topsie turuie yet the word shall not fail but be accomplished But to returne a little to the vnstablenes God maketh the wicked instruments to worke his pleasure of Esau we see how the lord can make the wicked instruments to work his pleasure maugre their beards though in their own kind they set vp their vristles against him Esau sheweth himself wonderful curteous Esau curteous to Iacob Nu. 40. 18 20. Esaus posterity molesteth Iacobs children to Iacob but his posterity would giue his children no passage in time of their miserie Wherein it appeareth that he had rather suborued them to malice than erhorted them to peace with his brother The egyptians which lent to the Israelits by Gods working their Jewels their Exo. 12. 35 30. The ouerthrow of the Egyptians raiment within a while after God hardned their harts were turned against them to pursue them till the Lorde ouerthrew them in the midst of the sea The same people which would haue made christ a king which strowed their Ioh. 6 15. garmentes in the way when christ passed through the streets and greeted
and praise that the most ignorants knew what a Masse was worth Fifteene Masses in a Church were not enough for the Prestes of Baal to bee said daily And should one Sermon in a daie be too much for a godly euangelicall Minister But here some will say labor is left and mens businesly vndone Surely this is ungodly to bee spoken The sayings of the vngodly for those that beare the people in hand of such thinges know very well that there was neither labor cares needs necessities nor any thing els that could heretofore keep thé from masse though it had binsaid at four of the clock in the morning Therfore wee may perceaue the people were contented to leese more labour and spend more time then to goe to the Devil than More labor spent to go to the Diuel thá to come to God now to come to god wherefore where daily praier is said not only in churches but also in priuate houses the Parentes Maisters Children and family shall finde aduauntage and gaine thereby at the yeeres Daily praier in priuate houses end though they hear daily a sermon morning and euening praier euery day in the weake Thus did Adam serue god after he was Gen. 4. Adam serued God called to repentance and in steed of a minister did teach his children and familie first to know their sauiour and to serue god in true faith as witnesseth the oblation of his obedient son Abel Seth and Enoch Seth Enoch called on god Gen. 5. Heb. 11. Gen. 6. Noah the preacher of righteousnes in like manner serued God for it is written of them that they began to make inuocation to the name of the Lord. Noah with his children family was not onely saued from drouning but hath this true title to be called the preacher of righteousnes What should we speake of Abraham Isaac Iacob Loth which made inuocation Gen. 11. 12. 47. Heb. 11. Iacob Loth preached gods word to the name of the lord and in steed of preachers taught the word of god themselues and retained the true faith surelie grounded vpon the said word and by good example of life and doctrine left the same to their families posterities but when as we haue said in the kingdom of Sathan prophane men vsurped the places of godly men in the primitiue Church and had wrapped mens harts in ignorance and Idolatry Mens harts were wrapped in Idolatrie they maintained Esaus Traditionaries with the gaines thereof but now thanks bee giuen to God in these latter times we haue eased Iacobs shoulders of such burdens and haue well purged our Churches from such abominations But yet must it needes bee said that Many ignorant ministers of the meanest sort Reg. 12 31. there are put in the places of godly pastors many an ignorant dissolute person and our ministers for the most part are as the priests of Ieroboam euen of the lowest of the people And this we haue don least we Wee loue not to haue our faultes reproued should hear hard things least our ambition and couetousnes should be reproued and why should we not speak plainly and tel the truth for filthy lucre sake we haue committed Sacrilege nay wee will saie Sacrilege for Lucre sake Soules murthered more we haue murdered the soules of our brethren Will anie bodie put vs to our proofe Who wil then seek for reformation when it is proued Many are patrones of benefices they Benefices sold to Symonistes for mony sel that for mony to thē that wil giue most among the wicked Symonists men of litle account lesse vnderstanding least conscience of al yet they say we are no Church Church-robbers robbers and we murther no soules Noblemen and men of worship or els they bear lies write their letters vnto the Bishops for admitting of vnworthy persons to the ministerie yea such as are of Vnworthy persons admitted to the ministerie the worser and baser sort farre vnmeete for that calling neither learned godly or zealous but couet the roomes of godlie pastors to lead an idle life and for couetousnes Christs Church fraught with vnlearned hierlings sake they may bee well tearmed good cheap hirelings Iacobs church is at this daie so fraught with them that the learned which desire the office to set forth the glorie of God and the edifieng of his people No place for the godly and learned in Christes church in the right knowledge of his word can haue no places to increase their talents vnlesse they wil be hirelings for ten pounds by the yeere although the liuing be worth to the parson or farmor and hundred pounds by the yeere The common people say that Spirituall men haue too much they keepe no The murmor of the people against the spiritualtie hospitality they neither preach nor teach after they haue liuings they become couetous They ware rich wil not arise out of their nests which they thinke they haue built in a rocke Those that should Psal 74. 9. be ouer-seers of these lie idle not looking to their charge they send foorth manie to waite vpon Esau but fewe to wait vpon Iacob They which haue the places of punishing sinne haue learned their lesson of the horsle aches two daughters A man Pro. 30. 15. may trauel some way find not a preacher Preaching decaied in fifteene Parishes nor yet any Minister able to expound fire woordes of the Scripture Haue we not then iust cause to take vp the ould complaint of Moses Exod. 32. 21. against Aaron what did the people vnto thee that thou hast brought so great sinne vpon them All these miseries of Iacob not withstanding cast vp your eyes about and you shall see a pompe like the pomp of Esau What they were in times past that maketh no matter to vs God Gal. 2. 6. Ezech. 33. 12. accepteth no mans person their oulde works are forgotten If they discontinue I say many of them now whether of Iacob or no wee can not tell The Lord knoweth who are his But this wee are sure of they lift vp themselues against Israel musling the mouth of the Oxen that treade out the corne and comming out 1. Cor. 1. 9. Psal 9. 12. with foure hundred men some dumbe dogges some filthie Cananites which The proceedings of Iacob hindered haue cast in their lots among theeues to hinder the proceeding of innocent Iacob Will not God haue all these things in minde when he maketh Inquisition for bloud Can not hee iudge through the Iob. 12. 13. darke clouds Yes yes God hath not so conteinned the lifting up of Iacobs eies nor colerated the wayes of the scornfull that he should returne to visite them and take them as he findeth them Neverthelesse let us pray for them euen the prayer of the Prophet Giue them Lord What Hose 9. 14. shalt thou giue them A barren womb and
into his own bosom Our lesson by the way is that when we haue poured out our spirites before God crauing any thing at his hands We must rest in gods prouidence we must so rest in his prouidence that we do neuertheles vse the ordinary mean not lie still presumptuously tempting the Lord as the maner of some is Thus did Iosua 7. Iosua work the will of the lord in his battel the fruite of his labor was the fulfilling of his praier Yea when we haue an assurance of that we aske at the Lordes hands yet the exāple of Elias teacheth vs 1 Reg. 18. 24. Praier doth exercise our faith to pray stil that our faith be not dul idle The conclusiō of this note is that if we wil not haue our wisedome to fail vs whē we most neede it let vs not forget in the In our troubles we must put the Lord in mind of his mercies searefulnes of our harts because of our infirmity to put the lord in mind of his mercies least when dāger is laid vpon vs our shadowe of wisdome be scattered into the clouds we crushed vnder 〈…〉 Further more here is 〈…〉 care love that this holy Patriat 〈◊〉 The christian love and care of Iacob towardes his family had towardes his familie The malice which was in Esau he knew wel was but against his own persō And therfore if his tender love towards his wiues had not greatlie preuailed which him he might haue taken his flight to escape frō the hands of Esau But he as a louing faithful father of a family did not only carry by it but also put them in such array as might best beseem the intertainmēt of the lord Esau or rather might best serue for the safegard of come of their liues which was kindermost by taking their flight if Esau should assault the foremost This christian loue Iacobs loue to his wines is wanting in many husbands in these daies of Iacob to his wiues the godly care towards his family is wanting in many in these daies which range abroad not for any danger that driveth thē but they go to seek it If one that were in autority shuld examine many of our young gentlemen which haue bound thē to the unseparable knot of holy marriage what is the cause Vaine trauell that english ground cannot bear thē why some of them shake the buckler in Paris some other walke the streets in Venis Like husbānd 〈…〉 〈◊〉 they can giue as good account of it 〈…〉 wiues which they haue left behind them cā do of their unchast behaviour in England But such marraige is no more honorable than whoredome And here by the waie we may wel consider The vngodly attyre of weomen that Iacobs wiues were not appareled like to our wiues in England in these baies more like Maskers than Matrons with heades compassed like to Rammes Hornes and frilled haires more meet for sparrowes to make their nests in than for christians to wear If they were wel disposed to reade the scriptures they should learn what Saint Peter speaketh of women-like apparel saying That womens 1. Pet. 3. 3. 4. 5. 6. apparel should not be outward with broyded haire either in putting on of gorgious apparel But let the hid man which is in the heart bee without all corruption of a meeke and quiet spirite which spirite is before God a thing much set by For after this maner did the women in the old time which trusted in God attire themselves being obedient to their husbands euen as Sara obeied Abraham called him Lord. Cyprian that godlie martyr writeth this Cyprian speaking against the vnseemly attyre of weomen of women saying Qua sericum purpuram induunt Christum induere non possunt Women that advance themselues in putting on silke and purple cannot lightlie put on Christ And againe Foemine crines suos inficiunt malo proesagio capillos enim sibi flammeos auspicari non metuunt They which colour their heires with red yellow begin to prognosticate of what colour their heads shal be in hel And farther hee saith Qui se pingunt in hoc seculo aliter quā creauit Deus metuant cum resurrection is venerit dies ne artifex creaturam snam non cognoscat They which loue to paint themselues here in this world otherwise than God hath created them let them feare least when the day commeth of resurrection the creator wil not know them And for these and the like abuses the lord both punish our sinnes one with another Wee may heere in like maner obiect the example of Iacob with the peeuish Papistes which uppon forged pretence of conscience haue left their Nature soile their wiues their children their families and haue broken their obedience to their true lawful and christian Princesse and when England is to hot for thē are run to roust at Rome If Iacob had fled hee had fled from Esau a tyrant But they in fleeing 1. Sam. 15. 10. 1. Reg. 11. 4. are become like to Ieroboam which fled from peaceable Salomon to the Egyptians But they haue a vow in Hebron like Absolon a traitor to his own father And can there bee a more vnconscionable act then to break the loialty of true subiectes towards so louing a princesse to make themselues slaues to a infamous stranger we may maruell with what forehead they may plead conscience any longer The maner why Moses doth so diligently report the order of this array is that wee might vnderstand whom Iacob was most Iacob desired to saue some desirous to saue if any danger had bin for the foremost were in most danger and likest to be slaine first if Esau had drawne Gen. 32. 8. sword against them and therefore he declareth that the twoo Maides with their children were put in the Fronttire and Leah and hir children next and Rahel hir children hindermost Onely this note is here to be giuen that when he thought to prouide for the escape of some Ioseph Ioseph most precious in Iacobs eyes his yongest sonne and the only son of Rahel was most precious in his eies and no doubt he was cōforted in the hope which he had of him euen when he was yet but a child and therefore placed he him with his mother hindermost that hee might escape with the first Our instruction out of this example is twofold First we learn not to Wee must not be desperate in troubles cast off al care of busines though thinges go not forward as we would haue them for that were to be desperate but to do the best we can to saue some though there be no hope to saue all Iacob looketh not to saue all yea hee feareth to lose the most part yet doth he not set all at sixe and seauen as one without care or counsel but hath a respect to his posterity after him Iacob hath a
respect to his posteritie Ios 14. 23. expecting to himselfe nothing but present death Likewise Moyses although the Lord told him flatly that none of the people which he brought out of Egypt should enter into the land of promise but Caleb and Iosua thought not he had lost his weary and long trauel among the rest For he knew that in time God could accomplish his promise much vnlike to those peeuish spirits which if the Lord follow not their Peeuish papistes humor bid him take al as it is in the prouerbe And the prophet sheweth that the Isay 1. 9. reseruing of a remnant maketh vs that we are not destroied as Sodom nor consumed Sodom Gomorrah like Gomorra Our other lesson is that they which are guides especially gouernors which should be as noursefathers and nourse mothers not to put the weakest Gouernours should be nurse fathers and nurse mothers to the worst but to prouide carefullie for Ioseph But now the daies are come again that Ioseph is carried away from his father sold into Egypt by his brethren where they cast him into prison Notwithstāding his blessing which his father Iacob gaue vnto him was also repeted by Moyses as he then had a carnal fruition of it so shal be in the latter times in his posterity obtaine a spirituall possession of the same Namely the blessing of God which dwelt in the bush shal be vpon the Gen. 49. 26. Deut. 33. 16. head of Ioseph and vpon the toppe of the head of him which was separated frō his brethren If it bee demanded why Iudas Why Iudas was not placed hindermost was not rather placed hindermost for his safetie seeing that the scepter was his by promise and seing that of his tribe should come the Messias as appeareth in his prophesie vpon his death bed the answere is Gen. 49. 10. easie for as per this was vnknown to Iacob himselfe who had not the reuelation before he was towards his death Nowe to the last note of this second part you shall obserue the notable gouernment of Iacob howe reuerend a father of a family wee may gather him to haue bene by this place and of how great The notable gouernment of Iacob autority in al his houshold You haue hard how they all went in great danger of their liues In which cases euery one of vs is giuen to shift for our selues though it be to the breach of obedience It is maruel therfore that they stroue not who shuld go hindermost and that euery one coueted not the place of most safety Surely in that they were obedient stood in such array as he thought good to set them there is a notable president vnto vs of his prudence autority which had trained them vp to this tractablenes and in them commendable A notable example of obedience obedience which quietly kept their places assigned without brawling or contention The like example was notable before Gen. 17. 23. Abrahams family obeied him 1. Reg. 2. 3. 4. in his grandfather Abraham to whom al his seruantes obeied and were content to haue their foreskinnes cut which was a grieuous wound in the flesh when circumcision was ordained Contrariwise Eli the high priest his two sons Hophni Elies sonnes obeied him not and are slaine and Phinees because they obeied not their fathers monition when he rebuked them for their wickednes for lying with strāge women which waited at the doore of the tabernacle of witnes were both slaine by the Philistines their enemies Ely also Elie plagued for not correcting his sonnes himselfe because he did not sharply punish and correct his sonnes for their wickednes disobedience but did seem to winck at their sins saying Sons how is it that I heare such report of you that yee make the lords people to trespasse against him What became of Ely for omitting punishment Surely when he hard the ark of the Lord was taken by the Philistines he fel from a stoole and brake his neck Hoc scriptum est ad nostram doctrinam These things are written for our learning And Parents must be reuerend to be reuerenced that maisters and parents should learne by the example of the two godly fathers to be reuerend that they may be reuerenced and by Ely and his sonnes to minister sharp discipline for notable offences And let them both by nurture example and discretion go in and out before their family that they haue them obedient in al the wil of the Lord. For it must be obserued that because both Abraham and Iacob went Gen. 18. 19. Abraham and Iacob did gods will Num. 22. 23. about the wil of their God therefore they enclined the hartes of their family to obedience Otherwise the very Asse whereon Balaam rode was disobedient vnto him because he went about wickednes himselfe disobeied the almighty Thus we conclude this second part wherein wee haue noted the discretion and staiednes of Iacob whereby the danger not withstanding he feared not like the faithles Mammonists the infirmities of the fathers not The Mammonusts feare to be excused the preparation of Iacob by praier the loue towardes his family and how he sought to saue some not hoping to saue al how he tendered the weakest and his authority and gouernment in his family The lord powre a great measure of his spirit into the hearts of our guides to dispose the family of Iacob discreetly for the preseruation of Innocent Ioseph The third part The third part is conteining the courage deuotion humility of Iacob in his meeting of Esau 3 So he went before them bowed himselfe to the ground seuen times vntil he came neere vnto his brother In the first member of this sentence where hee saieth so hee went before thē Moyses in this doth declare the courage of Iacob which like a good captaine ledde them the way chearfully In the second Iacob a good Captaine goeth before hi s family member when it is said To haue bowed to the ground seuen times is set down his deuotion towards god his humility towards his brother In euery one of these we see nothing but that which beseemeth so great a Patriarke as Iacob Iacob did that which beseemed a Patriarke was First therefore you heare how he set himselfe foremost in the ranck least by his feare and towardlines the rest should bee discomforted After that the prophet Dauid Dauid slattereth himselfe in the flesh had put affiance presumptuously in the flesh slattering himselfe in his ease that he should not bee moued for euer he was compelled to confesse that when God had hidden his face he was troubled to sing this new song Lord of thy good pleasure Psal 30. 28. thou hast stablished strength to thy mountaine That is to say before fastened my Ancre vpon my present wealth peace or I spred forth my sails at my merigales of wind I presumed vpon
doctrine Before I was afflicted saith he Ps 119. 67. 71. I went astray but now I keep thy word And a little after It is good for me that I haue bin afflicted that I may learne thy statutes For this cause ought we all to lift up our weake hands to God that our true repentance may turne away his anger In which hee threatneth to make our sunne to go down at noon because he hath Amos. 8. 9. found us in the number of those of whom Moyses prophesied thus in his song He Deut. 32. 15. that should haue bin vpright when hee waxed fat spurned with his heele thou art fatte thou art grosse thou art laden with fatnes therefore he forsooke the God that made him and regarded not the strong God of his saluation Questionles if Moses were now aliue Deuotion in prosperitie is the sister german to the papisticall daughter of ignorance to stand by behold our insolēcy he could not haue met more iumply with our sin This is euen the deuotiō that our prosperity hath brought foorth sister german to the papistical daughter of ignorance But how much better were it if wee would in the dais of our peace draw our sleepy souls with violence to the tribunal of god Thē should not our deuotion betied to affection neither shuld our righteousnes be like the deaw the morning cloud And there we have to learn that if god should never touch his child rē whō he loveth which the rod Without affliction we forget God of his fatherly discipline but to take the bitte between their teeth so to run forwards never to be pluckt back but as it were alway to fil the belly like gluttons which delicat meats the ears ful of musick to flow in wealth to excel in authority to flo rish in honour aboūd with friends richly appareled garded which routs of serving mē The vanity of the world and worldlings had in admiratiō reverēce in the face of y world but what thē alas shal become of our miserable wretched souls therefore let us look what is don in our inward world let us open I pray you the secret inward eies of our harts thē shal we wel understand that ther is a far other world then this where far greater riches richer treasurs are foūd of thē who seriously We must look for the world to come hartily trauel to seek thē out Wherfore we must not murmor against god for his louing correction whē we set greater force by the pleasures of this world then the observatiō of his wil cōmandemēts Now concerning the humility of Iacob to his brother it is evident in his obeizāce which he made to him In that he bowed himselfe before him it was the maner of the people that dwelt Eastward among whō Iacob had bin to be curtous in such Iacob vsed the curtefie of people that dwelt Eastward kind of curtsy in bowing thēselves down before great personages This exāple serueth us that Iacob held the patience of hope because he beleeved therefore he made no hast but was contēt to be būbled to him ouer whō his father in his prophetical blessing had ordeined him Lord not Gen. 27. 29. because he distrusted that which his Father had spoken but partly because he understood it spiritually partly because y time was not yet come in which the king dom of Israel which was of Iacob should exercise that dominiō ouer the Edomits The Edomies were Esaus posterity which was the posterity of Esau And although the wicked do usurpe the blessing of gon upō the earth the lawful use wherof Heb. 1. 2. christ hath restored to none but his brethren yet the children of god are so lifted up which the riches of their hope that which an holy concēpt they vouchsafe not to giue at tendāce upō this world where they haue Heb. 3. 13. no abiding City but ley for the world where they look for one to come Thus shortly haue we performed that we promised in the beginning But before we go farther we haue one The promises made to the fathers Gen. 27. 29. thing here to obserue concerning the promises made to the fathers Isaac said Be thou lord ouer thy brethren and let thy mothers children honor thee But for al that Iacob stowyeth lowe to Esaus foote Likewise to Salomon it is said Thy throne O God is for euer and euer But Psal 45. he is no sooner dead but ten Tribes are rent from his sonne given to a stranger 1 Reg. 11. 31. and within 419 yeeres after his posterity were captiues in Babylon So christ promised to ratifie the doinges of Peter but Mat. 16. 19. Gal. 2. 12. 13. yet the spirit of God which spake in Paul withstood him to the face for his dissimulation Notwithstanding in al these promises the word of the lord standeth firme and his truth re acheth to the heauens In The word of God standeth firme Many of the fathers bare the person of Christ the scriptures many of the fathers bare the person of Christ and of the church and in Christ or his church those promises the fathers sawe then no otherwise than Abraham saw the daies of christ that is spiritually Concerning Peters promises I Aug. in Psal Peters promises am of Augustines iudgement that many things are spoken to Peter which haue not their ful sense but being applied to the whole Church for the authority of the keies where of the Pope boaffeth pretending Ioh. 20. 13. Greg. lib. 4. senten succession from Peter As it was given to Peter by name so was it also given to the rest of the Apostles generally without respect of persons and so to them only which persist in their doctrine As for the Heb. 1. 8. Salomon was a figure of Christ eternal throne promised to Salomon the Apostle to the Hebrewes sheweth that it both properly belong to Christ of whom he was a figure And as touching Iacob whose example we haue in hande the promise of his soveraignity was fulfilled in Dauids daies 2. Reg. 8. 20. from whose times the Edomites continued in subiection til the daies of Iehoram in whose time they rebelled for the sinnes of the people The Apostle minding Heb. 7. 9. to prove Melchizedech of whose order christ was a priest to be aboue Leui to whom tythes were due reasoneth thus The Priesthood of Melchisedech abouc Leui. To say the truth Leui also which receiued tythes paid tythes in Abraham for hee was yet in the loynes of his father when Melchizech met Abraham Euen The Edomites worship the ofspring of Iacob so may we reason in this promise in the respect of Eau that since the Edomites which came out of the Ioines of Esau did worship the offspring of Iacob therefore Esau did worshippe Iacob as Leui is said to haue worshipped Melchizedech Neverthelesse
to the outwarde appearance Iacob is bowed downe before his brother and disdained not for hee looked for the things he saw not And surely wold to God wee had the humility of Iacob Iacobs humility proceedeth of hope 1. Pe. 4. 1. which proceedeth of hope for what though we be wronged of Esau What though the wicked do assault us iniuriously Have we not learned that therein is our conformitie Math. 11. 29. with Christ who saith For I am weake and lowly in hart What though our bodies be made euen with the ground so that the wicked go ouer vs and plough long furrowes upon our backes What is al this to the iniuries of him which neuertheles triumphed in patience Onely let We must stand to the defence of the trueth 2. Ti. 2. 24. 2. Ti. 2. 2. The seruants of God must not striue vs consider where about we were if wee stand in the defence of the trueth there is no ground to bee giuen but in all this let vs holde fast the rule of the Apostle The seruant of God must not striue but must be lowely minded Behold in this one man a liuely patterne of long suffering faith discretion and humilitie He awaiteth the Lords leasure patiently for the accomplishment of his promise He beleeueth that hee shall haue dominion his present subiection withstanding he disposeth his family and doth homage to his Brother And hee lost nothing by it For it is possible that many of Esaus retinew did seeke more after ambition and vaine glorie than after the honestie of themselues or their Lorde As diuerse Sicophantes Sycophantes about great men doe at this daie vpon reporte that Iacob should bee Lord ouer their Lord. The which thing Esau had determined to preuent by making hauock of him and all his had not the Lord vsed the humble submission of Iacob as a meane not to make them beleeue the Prophesie whereby their outrage was staied How euer it hee humilitie was in him a great vertue By humilitie we draw nees to Christ and most excellent and it is that wherein wee drawe neere to the image of Christ The Lorde therefore of his mercie graunt that wee maie imprint this lesson deepe in our memorie that the nearer wee drawe to the Lorde the more we be displeased with our selues The Fourth part NOw in the fourth part remaineth the bulooked for louing meeting of Esau and the ioy of them both are described in these wordes 4 Then Esau ran to meet him fel on his neck embraced him kissed him and they wept MOyses hauing declared how Iacob The successe that god gaue to Iacob bowed himselfe before his brother Esau proceedeth to them diligently by circumstances what successe God gaue to his deuotion and humilitie by mentioning the running of Esau to his brother his embracing him his falling vpon his neck his kissing him and his weeping with him Here we haue found the wise man Pro. 15. 1. as good as his word That soft and gentle aunsweres and lowly demeanor breaketh anger There is no cause why any man should Esau his affection cal Esaus affection towardes his brother in question before that the lord which can turne the streams backwards and checke God turneth al things at his wil. the raging of the sea that it swel not aboue his pleasure had mostified his heart and brought him againe for a time to that natural loue of a brother from which otherwhiles both before and after he had verie barbarously degenerat With so much the more admiratiō let vs note this great alteration How God turneth the harts of the vngodly A cruel enuious tirant to become gentle and louing But to whom euen to him whom he purposed to murder Before he came marching against him with four hundred men to destroy him his Now he runneth to him that hee might preuent him with Brotherly greeting Before he went to stretch foorth his hande to take him by the throte now spredeth his arms abroad to embrace him Before he would fal vpon him to kil him hee now falleth vpon his necke to kisse him At the first he wept for curst hart like a woman when he had lost his blessing and afterwardes knitting his frowning browes against his brother as the picture of enuy But now between sorrow for their falling out and ioy for their pure meeting and reconcilement he falleth forth into weeping The good nature of Esau was not of himselfe The triumph of vertue ouer vice And truely heere we haue to note that this came not of the good nature that was in Esau but was the onely working of the lord the triumph that vertue hath ouer vice that wheresoever shee is most hated there doth shee sometimes shew her selfe And this is the great punishment that God bringeth on the wicked Euen as the Poet saith Virtutem vt videant intabescantque relicta Virgil. That though they Ioue not vertue nor cannot like to follow hir Yet shal they pine away with a longing desire after hir And this I am sure striketh deep Vertue woundeth the conscience of the wicked woundeth the conscience of the wicked that though they haue set their hartes as hard as an adamant stone and made their faces like flint to do al kinde of mischiefe Yet God by his great mercy and grace worketh throughout their consciences mollifieth their harts to godlines And so doth cause them to confesse sometimes that the way of vertue is best As for example There was neuer so unpure and dissolute an adulterer but he hath said sometimes The chast body is best There was neuer so great and cruel a murtherer but sometimes hee calleth to minde that God hath commanded him Thou shalt do no murther Exo. 20. There was neuer so blasphemous nor vile a swearer but sometimes he hath treambled at gods maiesty There was neuer man so proud ambitious but sometimes he remembreth that he is but dust ashes There was neuer such an vsurer nor couetous wretch but sōtimes he thinketh his Gold siluer shal canker and Ia. 5. 2. the rust of it shall bee a witnesse against him There was neuer so riotous a person sumptuous prodigal but sometime he condemneth his own doing and saieth with the prophet Dauid Psa 37. 12. The vnrighteous man boroweth paieth not again What should we say more For as it is in a wicked life euen so likewise in a corrupt religion Trueth that is strongest Trueth in religion forceth the papists to confesse hir Merites and ouercommeth all in religion forceth the enemy to confesse hir For their was neuer papist that so magnisted merits and talked of his workes of supererogations but sometimes in his conscience he wold surely confesse That when he had don al Luk. 16. 17. yet he was vnprofitable There was neuer any so great an enemie to faith but when his conscience was touched with