and all then they would tumultuously rise in armes make sedition take corne by force and strong hand O that we could see our duty in theirs and learne to submit our selves so conscionably to our Governours that nothing may drive us to sedition or rebellion A man might have brought great shew of reason why the Egyptians should have refused to sell themselves and their lands if he would have given leave to wit and words but these men are content to stoope so farre rather then to forget that they were subjects Why should not religion make us able to keepe our stomacks downe from all disloyall practises as well as nature taught it the Egyptians Now for the faults of Egypt I have one to marke it is said they were faint with famine Gen. 47.13 or mad with famine so some translate if and better great crosses put men almost out of their wits and drive them into a certaine kinde of fury they know not what to doe We must pray to God for such a measure of wisedome and patience that crosses may not worke so distemperedly upon us But another good deed They shew themselves very thankfull to Ioseph and acknowledged that he had saved their lives It is a good thing to confesse the good we have received from others and thankefully to acknowledge to whom we owe our lives or any great office of love Also the Egyptians had a great crosse for they were utterly impoverished by famine But they had great benefits First seven very plentifull yeeres and secondly a man of wisdome that provided for them before hand thirdly a man of equity that made them tenants upon due and easie rates viz. they paid the fifth part of their increase to Pharaoh and had foure parts to themselves then which what Tenant can desire a more equall rent Who could wish to have a better bargaine So they had you see an interchange of good and evill as most times the Lord doth please to send unto the sonnes of men Let us see our mercies to make us more patient under our crosses and let us see our crosses to make us more thankefull for our mercies and let not either passe from us without a good use Now for Pharaohs Servants and Counsellours and Princes we reade not of any envie they had against Ioseph but that they applied themselves to him in all kindnesse and spake to Pharaoh to suffer him to go into the land of Canaan to bury his Father and accompanied him thither with great pompe He was an Hebrew yet his graces and good carriage caused that they all loved and honoured him It is a commendable thing so to respect excellent vertues as not to be mooved with envie at their prosperity whom vertue doth advance yea to love esteeme and honour them the more because they have shewed themselves worthy the highest dignities that have befalne them The Court of Cyrus was filled with men of another temper then Pharaohs Court How did they practise against Daniels life through envie Let us be liker the Egyptian Lords here then the Persian * ⎠* THE TWENTY SIXT EXAMPLE OF IOSEPH AT last we have passed through the persons that lived with Iacob and Ioseph and now must speak of himselfe First in generall Ioseph was a godly man full of Vertue who began betime to shew himself good and continued so to his last for hee was sold into Aegypt not long after seventeene yeeres of age before then he began to walke holily and God began to reveale future things unto him by Dreames a signe of his speciall favour and love and by name his owne future prosperity and advancement The same goodnesse continued to his end for when he was about to dye he gave commandement concerning his bones as the Author to the Hebrews noteth O let us labour to be followers of so good a patterne as this there bee among you some young youths of the age of 16 17. or thereabouts Iosephs age when God began to shew himselfe to him To you let me use the words of the Psalmist Come Children let me teach you the feare of the Lord. Here is an example which will teach it to you if you will follow it I beseech you to begin betime to entertaine true piety you are not so young but that God can worke grace in your hearts you may come to Gods Ordinances and doe come you have meanes to make you good and your age bringeth with it to Church such abilities of wit and memory as are fit to be instruments of working Grace in your hearts Marke now I will shew you good reasons why you should apply your selves unto Godlinesse even so early and then I will shew you meanes by which you may be so For the first the Lord speaketh to young men and saith Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Loe God desireth to have you come unto him in the prime of your age There be some persons so young that scarce any man will entertaine them for his servants for they be not sufficient yet to doe service but God who entertaineth servants not to gaine by their service but to make them gainers he will admit them into his house and make them his servants that are willing to be his Apprentices as it were at 7 8 9 yeeres he rejecteth none because they bee yet but children nay you shall see how desirous he is to be served with such for when his disciples prohibited those that brought young Children he reproved them and commanded to suffer young Children to come unto him because of such meaning not alone of those that be like young children in humility but even of young Children themselves is the Kingdome of Heaven Why should you be so unwilling to serve so great a Master who is willing to accept you so young into his service Againe the Lord Jesus in Baptisme hath made a Covenant with you and taken you into a Covenant with himselfe so that you are as I may so say even bound unto him as covenant servants doe not now prove run agates and breakers of your covenant Further the sooner you take Christs yoake upon you the more grace you shall get here and the more Glory hereafter in that you shall both doe and receive more good and avoid and shunne more sinnes therefore set your selves to his service as soone as possible Contrarily the longer you tarry out of his service the harder will it be for you to enter into it for the continuance of sinnes as of sores doth make them more incurable Further your life is uncertaine and it is a doubtfull thing whether you shall continue in this World till old age or till middle age make use therefore of the present time which God doth give you And lastly GOD is as able and willing and ready to give Grace to you as to any other yea and hee hath set before your eyes besides the Example of Isaack
his name And this seemeth the rather to be the meaning because there is little reason to thinke that Adam and Seth did not long before this apply themselves to the carefull worshipping of God in their assemblies and to take all good meanes to save themselves from the corruption of the Kaynites Or it may be rendered then it was begun to call by the name of Lord that is men began then to have that name given them of the sons of God and this I like best of all the three because in the beginning of the sixt Chapter which continues the story and the fift Chapter is but a digression put in to shew the age of the world at the floud it is said the sonnes of God saw the daughters of the sonnes of men Whereby it is apparent that to the men that professed true religion with Adam and Seth the name of the sonnes of God was given and to the rest the name of the sonnes of men The professors of the true religion were called sonnes of God that did worship the true God after the manner that God taught by Adam The other were called sonnes of men that gave themselves over to worldlinesse and vanity and prophanenesse for my part I suppose that before the floud there was no Idolatry because the Holy Ghost would not have omitted the taxing of that sinne as well as those it doth taxe if it had beene then used in the world But let us take the words to meane then it was begun to call on the name of the Lord and then it shall be added as a commendation of Seth that in his daies religion began to flourish more then ever before by his diligence joyning with his Father Adam much more respect was had to piety and greater numbers of men imbraced the profession of piety And this ought to be the care of every good man to further the progresse of true religion and to cause the name of God to be faithfully called upon of many Now of the rest of Adams seed there is a Catalogue made in the fifth Chapter of all the ancient Fathers from the first man Adam to Noah in whose daies the floud fell out by which it appeares of what standing the world was when it was growne so corrupt that the Lord could no longer endure the manners of it And in this Catalogue the Holy Ghost takes this order 1. He shewes of what age every one was when he begat his eldest sonne How many yeares he lived after the birth of that sonne 3. How old he was when he died The number of the persons are in all ten Adam Seth Enoch Cainan Mahalaleel Iared Enoch Methuselah Lamech and Noah Adam at a hundred and thirty yeares begat Seth and after lived eight hundred yeares and had more children in that time and died aged nine hundred and thirty yeares Adam was in truth the eldest man all things considered for though Methuselah out-lived him thirty nine yeares for he was nine hundred sixty nine yeares and Adam but nine hundred and thirty yet Methuselah was borne an infant Adam was made a perfect man the first day and in those times a man was but a child at thirty nine yeares for no question they would give their mindes to marriage in that newnesse of the world paucity of men and plenty of ground so soone as they were fit for it So Adams perfect estate at the first countervailed the living of forty yeares and more Seth he lived a hundred and five yeares and begat Enos and living eight hundred and seven yeares begat divers more children and ended his daies at nine hundred and two Enos lived ninety yeares and begat Cainan c. as you may reade in the story Nothing is mentioned of any one but the length of his life the time when hee had his first sonne and that hee had more sonnes Onely of Henoch it is noted that he walked with God that is lived a most holy life and that he died not at all but was translated after hee had lived three hundred sixty five yeares The Lord shortned the daies of his pilgrimage and rewarded his singular piety with taking him up to Heaven soule and body immediately without dying He was changed without any separating of his spirit from his body and in him we have an example what should have beene the course that God would have taken with all men if man had continued in the state of innocency viz. he should not have died soule and body should never have departed one from the other but after a man had proceeded in godlinesse till hee had gotten so large a measure of it as in this life hee could for though Adam were perfect habitually yet not actually I meane though hee had an ability to attaine perfect knowledge of God and the creatures yet hee had not yet actually gotten all such knowledge as hee was to get both of God and of the creatures then should he have beene translated into Heaven to see God immediately and to know him better then in this life he could be knowne Sinne entring caused death had not that come in we should have gone to Heaven without death as this Henoch did Now out of all these things written concerning these Ancients the direct parents of our Lord wee gather this that death is common to all and how long soever a man lives at last hee must leave the world and therefore we learne two things principally First to prepare for death that whensoever it befalleth wee may change for the better not for the worse and this preparation for death must be not alone a little before it comes or at the houre of its approach but in the whole course of our life by beginning early to repent and continuing daily to turne and renew our repentance that so we may get an assurance of our being taken from earth to Heaven for he that begins unfaignedly to turne to God and so continues hee shall surely be saved and for the most part shall obtaine before his departure hence an assured apprehension of his salvation Therefore hee must as Henoch did walke with God in a continuall care of obeying him and labouring to hold fast a constant perswasion of his favour and love to him in his Sonne for it is testified of Enoch that he pleased God so that what in Genesis is called a walking with God that S. Paul calls pleasing of God and also that by faith he was translated that he should not see death even by his beleeving and resting upon Gods mercy for so it is said he beleeved that God was and was a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him which finding himselfe to do he resolved that God would reward him So must each of us walke with God constantly resolve and indeavour to please God in all things and retaine in our selves an assured peaswasion that God will graciously accept and reward us in Christ with giving us life eternall and
What crying what roaring what lamentation did fill the Cities and Villages they did not die of a sudden as in the overflowing of the Sea but they died by degrees they had time to get up upon hills and trees and to foresee and fore-feare their choaking by waters afore it came and to see the Beasts many perishing before them many looking for the same ruine with them Doth not this floud pertaine to you Doth not it pertaine to you also Doe you not here see 1. The Omnipotent power of God and his absolute and soveraigne command over all creatures The Sea and Springs are his and will breake out upon us The Cloudes and Waters above are his and will fall downe upon us to revenge his quarrell He is Lord of Hosts O plant in your selves an holy feare of him and say to your selves shall he threaten and not performe who hath the whole world at hand to be serviceable unto him If we would represent the Lord before our eyes according to his fearefull greatnesse so as to make us tremble and depart from sinne happie were wee Doth not Christ send us to the old World and doth not Peter also minde us of this destruction by water Surely the Lord is a terrible God still he is now as terrible as he shewed himselfe then in the overthrow by waters Againe you must in this plague see the justice of God his will to punish sinners by inflicting great evill upon them that so you may yet make the feare of him the more stedfast and more effectuall for as hee is of power to crush the highest and stoutest and those of greaest power in the world so he is resolved upon this course and will surely declare his excellency by making them smoake with most heavie calamities that dare advance themselves against his authority See here how severe God is he will not spare the wicked he will not hold them innocent though he deferre many daies yet will the heavinesse of the stroake answer the delay The floud was long a comming but being come it 's furious and irresistible and wipes out all the sonnes of men sparing none The Lord can finde in his heart to execute hideous evills upon sinners Let them if they please fancie a God wholy consisting of mercy they shall find him such as his Word describeth not as they themselves have counterfeited hee will recompence vengeance on his Adversaries hee will not pitie their cries nor groanes Hee will not be melted with their complaints but utterly destroy them according as his Word hath spoken Behold also the equity of Gods proceeding hee answers their sinnes with the kinde and measure of punishment Great sinnes and great waters All flesh corrupted with sinne and all flesh cut off for sinne the earth filled with violence and now filled with waters None tooke care to forbeare almost any sinne but Noah and none escapes but Noah No multitude of sinners can save them out of his hand as all sinned so all perish This great and heavie judgement should be often in our thoughts we should thinke thus if God spared not the old World neither will bee spare us It is S. Peters inference and it is a great sinne in us that we doe not often put our selves in minde of these things to frame our selves to humble obedience If any say but God hath promised never againe to destroy the world by water I answer true but he hath never promised not to drowne sinners neither hath he promised not to punish them with punishments as fearefull as this of perishing by waters God hath great variety of weapons to wound his enemies if he hath renounced the use of one he hath others enough to take up for that purpose And Brethren I pray you take notice of what S. Peter tells us of That as the world that then was did perish being drowned in the waters so the world that now is shall perish by fire for he telleth us that it is by the same word reserved for fire kept in store against the time to come The Prophet Enoch foretold of that great day before Noah foretold of this deluge That day is longer before it come but it shall be more terrible when it comes for the heavens shall passe away with a noise as the holy Apostle tells you Now as the righteous Noah shewed a way how to escape that water even repent and get into the Arke so we shew away how to escape that fire repent and turne unto the Lord otherwise when he shall come in flames of fire you shall receive the judgement of eternall destruction from before the presence of his glory Brethren I beseech you so to ponder upon that great misery which fell upon the old World that you may be the better for knowing all the passages of so strange a story It was the first remarkeable judgement No generall calamity that we reade of did come upon the world till then The first and last acts of justice will be most severe and the last likely severer then the first The Lord gave to the men of this old World a very long life and very great outward benefits and shewed to them exceeding great long-suffering why so but because he would first as he delighteth to do proove men with benefits As if he should have said I will proove Adams sonnes with the fruites of my favour They shall have time enough to repent some eight or nine hundred yeares and they shall be allured by all prosperity nothing but comforts shall come upon them for a long time but if they will not profit by this gentlenesse I will shorten their lives by halfe having taken away all those fearefull sinners by a floud of waters You see Gods displeasure against sinne O at last profit by it and learne to be righteous there is no way to escape Gods judgements but by following after righteousnesse this course take and you shall be safe * ⎠* THE SIXTH EXAMPLE OF NOAH ONe godly man is worth a whole million of sinners as appeareth in that the Lord made more reckoning of one Noah then of all the world of the ungodly Having laid before you the bad Example of that most wicked generation which lived before the floud I will now speake of one godly man which lived in the same times with them and saw them all swept away with the besome of destruction His name was Noah the word signifieth rest and we have a reason given us of imposing that name by his Father Gen. 5.29 This same shall comfort us concerning our worke and the toyle of our hands because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed It is somewhat doubtfull how Noah was a comforter to the godly Patriarckes In respect of their troubles of all kinds both those they tooke in striving against the bad men of their times and the common labours of life in regard of the curse that was gon out against mans sinne
The most probable opinion is as I thinke that because he was a Preacher of righteousnesse and did more largely and plainely denounce Gods wrath against sinners and his blessing to the godly for a Preacher of righteousnesse must needs doe both these things therefore he gave much refreshing to the soules of the godly and made all their labours easie Even as now if Gods people have a painefull Minister amongst them that ceaseth not to acquaint them with Gods mercy and justice and to revive the remembrance of Heaven and all the Promises in their hearts they live much more comfortably then any outward thing without this helpe could make them to live So it was in those times also with those godly Patriarkes Againe as it would be a great comfort to good men now if any man were sent by God to assure them of the last day of judgement for they would even lift up their heads and rejoyce so Noah in telling of the floud which to that world was a kinde of judgement-day did greatly solace the spirits of the good against all their sorrowes Now this Noah was the sonne of Lamech the sonne of Methuselah in the 1056. yeare of the world He was the tenth after Adam inclusively borne after Adams and Seths death and Henochs translation and lived to see the death of Enos Kainan Mahalaleel Iared Methuselah and Lamech This is all we have to say of his Birth or entrance into the world Now concerning his life I pray you consider foure things 1. His goodnesse 2. His bad deeds 3. The sorrowes and miseries he met with 4. The benefits God gave him And let us make use of all as we goe along and so come to his death last of all First for his goodnesse it is set forth in the Scripture generally and particularly In generall these three things are affirmed of him Gen. 6.9 He was a just man and upright or perfect and walked with God Before it is affirmed of Henoch that hee walked with God and the Scripture told us also of Abel that hee obtained a divine testimony that hee also was just and Iob is said to have beene a perfect man yea it is added by way of amplification to his goodnesse that hee was a just man and perfect in his generations that is in his owne time in those most sinfull daies when all were naught Noah was good when all had corrupted their waies he was sincere and upright in his waies For this is the truest commendation of vertue when it keepes a man unspotted of those evils which are every where practised in the world Let us now request you to consider of your selves every man whether he be a Noah Surely none but Noahs shall be admitted into the Arke and escape the waves of destruction none but Noahs shall finde favour with God and be delivered from eternall death Whosoever cannot approve himselfe to be such a one as this good man let him never dreame of comming to Heaven But who is a just man who a perfect who walketh with God I answer A just man is first he that renounceth his owne justice which is of the Law and imbraceth the righteousnesse of faith even the righteousnesse which is of God by faith relying wholy upon the merits of Christ and Gods mercy in Christ for pardon of his offences and acceptation of himselfe and his indeavours to salvation The Scripture witnesseth that Noah was an heire of this righteousnesse Heb. 11.7 And this is that that must be first found in every man He must see and confesse his owne unrighteousnesse and utterly disclaime his owne righteousnesse as knowing that it is no better then a menstruous rag in respect of his justification Doe you this my Brethren Are you made to see your selves grievous sinners such as in your selves must needs be damned and cannot possibly bee saved by the worth and merit of your owne goodnesse Secondly a righteous man must stay rest depend on beleeve in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ labouring to build up in his own heart a particular perswasion and assurance that the Lord of Heaven will accept him as perfectly righteous in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ his Sonne and that alone for so was Abraham made partaker of that blessednesse which stood in the imputing unto him of righteousnesse without workes and Abraham is the Father of the faithfull as he was justified so must all we be justified and no otherwise See into your selves doe you rely upon our blessed Saviour the Lord Jesus for pardon of your sinnes or doe you waver from him or stay upon any other besides him Lastly a righteous man must himselfe also worke righteousnesse and give himselfe to be a servant of righteousnesse that is to say he must resolve and indeavour to leave every sinne by Gods Word condemned and to doe every duty by Gods Word commanded and that also for Gods sake with reference to him and out of a desire to please him that is to keepe his favour This is a righteous man He strives in all things to please God according to his Word but finding his defects bewailes them and resteth alone on Gods goodnesse in Christ for pardon and salvation If you be such then are you Noahs indeed and shall surely bee saved if not you bee but dissemblers and no shew of religion shall save you from destruction Therefore all of you that are not such I pray you feele your unhappinesse you are not good enough to goe to Heaven yet whatsoever you have imagined of your selves Therefore also now seeke to be such begin with lamenting your unrighteousnesse before God and craving pardon and helpe and so proceed to pray for and indeavour after all the things before prescribed Be the better for Noahs example Let not this story be preached unto you in vaine you know Noah was one whom God loved whom God hath saved study to be such as Noah What riches he had the Scripture takes no notice of but righteous he was studie you to be such and be happier then all riches can make you And especially I pray you labour to follow Noah in this onething to be good in your generations in those things I meane wherein your present times take generall liberty to be nought that so you as Noah may at once glorifie God and condemne the world What evill things all doe commit those doe you forbeare what good things all doe neglect those be you more carefull to performe Many things are growne into common fashion swearing pride in apparell formality in religion covetousnesse monstrous fashions mishapen long haire O be yee in these things carefull to avoid the corruption which is in the world Many good things are growne quite out of all fashion almost constant reading Gods Word holy conference keeping a treasure or purse for God in your houses meditation of Gods Word and carefull sanctifying of the Lords day O strive to performe these duties He
that is good alone according to the common streyne is hollowly good wee must be pure of those faults which are allowed almost of all But let us consider the particular good things noted of Noah First S. Peter testifies of him that hee was a Preacher of righteousnesse meaning of that righteousnesse whereof hee was also an heire and practiser All you cannot be Preachers of righteousnesse by speciall office as Noah was this belongs alone to us Ministers and O that we could learne to be like Noah in our places continuing faithfully to teach men the will of God and call them to repentance and to true righteousnesse in Christ and good life in themselves Surely Noah had slender encouragement for we doe not reade of any one man that heeded his Preaching he if any other might complaine that his labour was in vaine and that his time and strength were spent to no purpose We that are Preachers must imitate him in a patient discharge of our duties what if God doe not vouchsafe to work with our labours to bring men to righteousnesse shall we be disheartned No no but following this good man continuing to doe Gods worke and looke for our reward from him And againe I call upon you for great thankfullnesse to God for that he hath set many Preachers of righteousnesse amongst you in this Kingdome and hath vouchsafed to hold mee in this office amongst you for these thirty yeares or thereabouts I have Preached righteousnesse among you according to that measure of knowledge and utterance that God hath vouchsafed mee O let mee have some better encouragement from you then Noah had from the old world and indeed I have had and I blesse God and I blesse those among you from whom I have had it Some of you have beene carefull hearers to the preaching of righteousnesse and have turned your feete into the paths of righteousnesse The Lord stablish you in those happy waies for ever And one thing now I beseech of you that you be suitors unto God to raise up to all the places that have not Preachers and to continue to them that have such as Noah was Preachers of righteousnesse which themselves also will practise especially I require you not to forget your selves in this towne but make it one part of your daily supplications to God to grant you a succession of Preachers of righteousnesse when my selfe must leave you God knowes when O Lord let there never want so long as this Towne and Church standeth a faithfull Preacher of righteousnesse to supply this roome in which I now stand amongst you this day But secondly Noah is commended for his faith By faith Noah saith the Author to the Hebrewes did c. you must all labour to get this same faith This is the grace of graces commended in Abel in Henoch before named and now in Noah without which we cannot possibly please God But what is this faith you will aske mee I answer I will shew the nature of faith unto you It is that grace by which a man assents to all that God speaketh for the authority sake of the speaker This is the nature of faith in generall Under it is comprehended that which is called justifying faith being an assent to the Promises of the Gospell or of the new Covenant upon the same ground This assent is double first generall to the word generally spoken and particular to a particular conclusion duely deducted thence concerning ones selfe And whosoever doth truly assent to the generall must needs assent to every particular concluded under the generall because the contradiction of an universall proposition is made by a particular contrary to it and the generall is accounted false if it may be denied or be denied of any particular for Example if I say all the twelve Apostles were godly men and another say one of them as Iudas was not a godly man though a eleven were good yet because this one was not so he hath shewed that proposition to be false Now then marke that faith yeelds a double assent First to the thing generally spoken Secondly to the particular conclusion contained therein and thence deduced and this assent must be grounded upon the bare authority of God the speaker in respect of his perfect and infallible truth because it judgeth him faithfull therefore it esteemes his words true not because it can see reason for things in his owne discourse and understanding This is faith for example God said to Noah there shall be a floud to drowne all the world there was no reason to thinke it should be so but God said so warning Noah of things not seene as yet as the Apostle speakes and therefore Noah was verily perswaded that there should come such a floud to destroy all mankinde Againe God promised Noah that if hee would build an Arke God would save him and all his family and all that would come with him into the Arke There was no naturall likelihood for this neither for in such a floud an Arke or the best ship in the world could not keepe men safe but that with the furie of the waters they would have beene dashed against some rocke or other and wracked yet God said so to Noah and he beleeved it for himselfe and his family This you see was Noah his faith And I call upon you to consider whether you have this faith or not Doe you assent to all the narratiions promises threats of Gods Word even because God the Author of it is true and doe you assent to the particular conclusion concerning your selves in that generall contained The Lord threateneth in his Word Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things doe you beleeve this generall and the particular that will follow from it but I have not continued c. therefore I am cursed Againe the Gospell saith all that doe not repent and beleeve shall be damned Doe you beleeve this and doe you beleeve the particular contained under this I doe not repent and beleeve the Gospell therefore I shall be damned or contrarily I doe repent and beleeve therefore I shall be saved Search what authority Gods Word hath with you if you deduct the particular from the generall in every point then you doe beleeve the generall els you do not And alas how manifest is it that most men have no faith but alone say they have as S. Iames speaketh and beguile their owne selves The threats of Gods Word and his promises are of no value with most men they doe not perswade themselves that any of those evills shall be performed against them which the Scripture denounceth against such sinners as they be nor that any of the promises shall be performed to those that performe the things contained in the promises If they see naturall likelihood of any good or evill they can be perswaded it will come but if there be no proofe but a bare promise or threat out of the
Bible they make no reckoning that that good or evill will come ever a whit the sooner Now I pray you see and lament your unbeleefe it is the roote of all sinne neither can any sinne be found to rule farther then this ruleth and I pray you cry to God to worke faith in you by the Word you reade and heare for no good at all can it doe you if it be not mixed with faith And if any man have such faith in Gods Word indeed and not alone in profession and shew happy is that man for hee shall be sure to find the like acceptance of God that Noah hee that hath this faith must needs be in Christ and Christ in him for where Gods Word dwells there himselfe dwels and the Word of God dwells in men by faith A third thing in Noah is noted by the Author to the Hebrewes that he was moved with feare you see he feared Gods threats he was afraid least he should be drowned with his family among the rest if he did not obey God and live vertuously and build the Arke at Gods Commandement and indeed if he had not done so he should have perished with the world as whosoever lives wickedly shall be damned this is a threat he that hath true faith will not deceive himselfe with vaine words and say I am elected I am a beleever I shall be saved though I take liberty to sinne but he will feare and depart from evill and use those meanes of escaping destruction which God hath appointed So true faith will undoubtedly worke such a feare of Gods threat as will make a man depart from evill because it brings a lively apprehension of danger and much evill before his eyes if he sinne and therefore cannot but worke feare I meane a feare of caution as they call it whereby a man is made warie to shunne and escape the evill There is a passionate feare whereby the heart is perplexed the joynts shake and such naturall bodily accidents doe follow it This feare ariseth from the bodily presence or imminent danger of some sensible evill and Noah did not so feare the floud There is another rationall feare as I may well name it by which a man apprehends an evill thing to come so as he is made carefull to shunne prevent and dares not bring it upon himselfe And this feare lookes on things a great way off long before they offer themselves to the sences and such was Noahs feare And such a feare faith will evermore bring with it It will cause that a man shall not dare to doe the things forbidden out of an apprehension of the greatnesse and extremity of the danger that will arise Now looke to your selves my Brethren doe you feare Gods threats doe you feare the curse of the Law the wrath of God hell fire damnation with such a feare as makes you use the meanes to escape these evills and makes that you cannot be bold to doe the things against which the Lord speaketh these things If you brag of faith in Gods promises and have not faith in his threats your faith is a vaine fancie and a meere painted or dead faith for no man can credit any thing which God speaketh if he doe not credit all so farre as he knowes and considers it because God cannot be deceived in any thing And if you say you beleeve Gods threats and doe not feare I say againe be not moved through feare to doe the things by which you might escape those evills threatned even to forsake the sinne and repent certainely you deceive your selves and doe not beleeve Now it is most evident that most men entertaine Gods threats without any feare They are not affected at all with the heare-say of these evills therefore it is sure they have no faith See your want of faith by the absence of this never failing effect thereof and cousen your selves with a shadow of faith no longer And now pray God to plant in your hearts such a feare of his threats as hath beene said It is a most wholesome thing to have the soule over-awed with apprehension of the evills which God denounceth against evill-doing and to be thereby kept downe so that it hath no courage to lift it selfe up to naughty deeds Blessed is he that thus feareth alwaies O that you would worke out your salvation in this feare and trembling O that the same minde might be in you that was in godly Iob who said that terrour from God did keepe him from doing any wrong to his servant and that of the holy Apostle S. Paul who said that knowing this terrour he did perswade men and was made manifest to God Let those threats if you live after the flesh you shall die and those that doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God and for these things sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience and many the like be often in your mindes let them awe you and hold under the strength of your corruptions causing you to denie your selves all unlawfull profits pleasures and effects of sinne and to crosse your owne wills and to set your selves to do the things that are most contrary to flesh and bloud The feare of the Lord is to depart from evill this feare of the Lord is the beginning of true saving wisdome to them that thus feare are all the promises of the Gospell made yea it is in one word said those that feare the Lord shall want nothing Never thinke that your faith is right and good if it do not produce this feare for faith must acknowledge God to be faithfull in all his words threats as well as promises and this grace is that which being planted in the heart of man doth keepe him from falling away from faith doth preserve the soule to salvation by working in it this good and vertuous feare of damnation as faith kept Noah from drowning by making him holily to feare drowning Now the last vertue of Noah is that he built an Arke as God bad him and furnished it with all foode and went into it at the time appointed and received in with himselfe and family all manner of Beasts and Birds that could not live but on drie ground two and two male and female of the uncleane that were not fit for foode and Sacrifice and 7. and 7. of those that were cleane that is fit for foode and Sacrifice at least for the last Here is his faith which brought forth obedience to the word of God in such things which seemed ridiculous to the world and made him a laughing stocke unto all the world almost Noah forsooth the youngest of the Patriarkes hee will needes be thought to have better acquaintance with God then either Henoch or Methuselah or Lamech or any of his Grandfathers that have lived or do live None of them could see a floud comming none of them had a fancy of the worlds being drowned none
viz. that passing through the countrey Eastward from the place where Noah lived and meeting with a very fruitfull plaine in the land of Shinar that is of Chaldea they consulted to make brickes for that the countrey afforded not hewne stone and to use a kind of naturall mortar or slime that abounded in that place in steed of artificiall mortar and so to build a City and a Towne that should reach up to Heaven mooved thereto partly out of an ambitious desire of a great name and credit to continue long afterwards and to spread farre and neere for the present to prevent dispersion which their guilty consciences caused them to feare though no such thing was yet begun to be executed upon them Here we must informe you of their sinne which was not simply the building of a City nor building of it of such matter but ambition and vaine glory and carnall confidence and then the punishment of their sinne in the dividing of their tongues and scattering them abroad First then their sin is a vaine-glorious erecting of a strong City and an exceeding high tower joyned with a confident perswasion that they should save themselves from any mischiefe and calamity by meanes of their City The occasion that did further them to this worke is that they were all of one language and so would easily agree upon a bad thing and that they met with a fit place and had fit matter bricke and slime and that they were so fully bent upon it to finish this their tower that no meanes was left to stop them but Gods comming downe upon them with some heavy chastisement I conceive that they had finished or neere finished their City and were now setting apace and eagerly about the tower afore the Lord did crosse them by that punishment For seeing Babel was the beginning of Nimrods Kingdome and that he could not have finished it after the division of tongues if he had not done it wholly or for the most part before it will follow in likelihood that they were permitted to settle therealong while and to finish their City But when they grew so mad that with a City they would have a Tower as it were to outface God and save them from dispersion in despight of him then it was high time for the Lord himselfe to oppose them Here there are 3. sinnes 1. Vaine-glory 2. Carnall confidence 3. Wilfulnesse and obstinacy Vaine-glory for they sought a name by an exceeding strong City and high Tower 2. Carnall confidence for they imagined to make themselves safe from dispersion and misery by meanes of that City and Tower 3. Obstinacy because that God himselfe witnesseth they were so fully bent upon their projects that except by violence there was no way to stop them in their attempts Here be 3. sinnes in the Babel builders Tower They gave themselves to earthly mindednesse in hunting after a name and this they would get forsooth by such a building as the world had never seene the like for greatnesse and height and never should see Be not you vaine-glorious studying to doe some earthly vaine thing for which you may be talked of farre and neere and for a long time This is vaine-glory the vice by which men affect to be famous and much talked of and magnified in the world for some great earthly matter that they have gotten for getting a great deale of riches together for raising their family for a fine house for being the first that did such or such a thing or the like Be not I say vaine-glorious let not your hearts affect this foaming froth of mens tongues Care not for such kinde of praises and commendations but set your hearts upon better things to get you a name in Heaven and in earth to be good holy just Praise is a thing which the Apostle commandeth us to follow but by praise he meaneth praise worthy things not praise it selfe further then it is a necessary effect and companion of things praise-worthy Be good for conscience sake to God that so you may have though you seeke not after it good esteeme of men and their good reports This vaine-glory will so choake all true desire of goodnesse and all true goodnesse that at last it will make you to fall into that high degree of Hypocrisie as with the Pharisees you shall doe all your deeds to be seene of men and if you doe any good thing shall even loose your reward in Heaven But againe take heede also of carnall confidence that is promising your selves safety from any affliction in respect of any outward thing That is carnall confidence to make ones selfe beleeve that he shall continue secure from all earthly dangers in respect of a Citie a Tower a friend a great estate or the like Alas all these things be vanity and lies they are the arme of flesh Trust not in Princes trust not in Horses or in Chariots trust not in wisedome trust not in man The Holy Ghost doth every where disswade men from this vaine confidence and pronounceth a curse against them that trust in flesh and tells them that they withdraw their hearts from God He that conceiveth so well of any earthly thing as to promise himselfe safety from that is made carelesse by that of seeking Gods favour and is so earnest after that as hee will not have leasure to thinke of pleasing and obeying God and seeking to him and trusting on him It is a fearefull sinne and yet a common one hardly can men keepe their hearts from committing this idolatry you must humbly pray to God to discover to you the vanity of all earthly and terrene things and to shew his Omnipotency and All-sufficiency that so he may be your confidence and your dread Lastly beware of that sinne of wilfullnesse and obstinacie that are so bent upon an evill course as no words nor other like meanes will turne you from your ill courses this was the sinne of Elies sonnes of Pharaoh of Israel of Amaziah This is a fore-runner of mischiefe Hee that hardens his heart against a reproofe shall surely come to mischiefe let no man stay him When the Lord sees that words will not serve the turne he comes with rods and if the rod will not divert men from their evill paths then swords must Wherefore put you on a flexible and tractable disposition and an heart that will easily be disswaded from an evill way Pray to God pray to him to give you a minde full of light that may quickly discerne evill and an heart full of softnesse that may quickly be withdrawne from it Now consider the punishments God comes downe to see that is takes notice of their sinne and wilfullnesse in it and therefore consults with himselfe the Father with the Sonne and Holy Ghost to goe downe by the powerfull worke of his hand and to confound their languages and by that meanes to stop their worke and scatter them thence from which
pay tithes of our goods Gen. 12.7 You have an Altar built to God a profession of his true religion among the Cananites there he called on Gods name that is performed publike worship of sacrificing and praying one named for all And v. 13.14 againe it is said that he came to the place of the Altar which he had made at the first and there called on the name of the Lord. And v. 18. there at Hebron he built an Altar to the Lord and when God appeared to him C. 17. v. 3. he fell on his face before God shewing all due outward respect unto him when he spake unto him And C. 14. Melchisedech was Priest of the most high God and he met Abraham and blessed him and Abraham gave him tithes of all I do not thinke he meant onely of all the spoiles though that hee did too but a constant tithing of all he had is meant This tithing was an acknowledgement of his subjection to Melchisedech and so necessary to be performed to Christ who is a Priest for ever after that order who must blesse and take the tithes of us Surely tithing is no Leviticall ceremony for it is not originally and primarily due to the Leviticall Priesthood but it is due to an eternall Priesthood even that after the order of Melchisedech and therefore so farre as I see it must be eternally due neither can any man lawfully forbeare to pay them to Christ neither can any man receive them in Christs steede but he that is Christs officer to preach in Christs steed and sow his spirituall things Now I pray you looke that you be religious as Abraham professe religion come to Gods house call on Gods name Learne that publique prayer is an holy ordinance of God frequent that and doe not slight and despise it as many of you do offer up spirituall sacrifices to God Pay your tithes duely of all which I know none of you all that doth make conscience of you thinke that too deare a price to buy the worship of God with but why should you not shew your selves subject to Christs Priesthood as well as Abrahams If you could make it manifest to be a Leviticall ceremony you might thinke your selves dispensed with it by Christs comming But you cannot shew any good reason why it should be so and here is a good reason it was not so for it was due to a Priest of another order then that of Aaron wherefore shew your selves truely religious by a conscionable setting a part to God the tithe of all you have as Abraham did For when here it is said he tithed all and in the Hebrew the spoiles it is no reason to shorten the wider place by the narrower but to reconcile both together thus he paid tithe of all and also of the spoiles as well as other things I am in hope to prevaile with you for all other things but in this I have no hope to prevaile because profit pleades against me and because the thing is controverted and denied by divers Now when a costly service is questioned O how hard is it to perswade men to see that truth and follow it Well I shew you mine opinion and leave it to God to perswade you but in other things which are not controverted I pray you to obey as Abraham did and to shew your religion as he did And so we have shewed you Abrahams faith obedience feare and devotion O that we could shew the same vertues in our lives I come to shew you next the good carriage of Abraham to men-ward First himselfe then others For himselfe I request you to note First that he was a very humble man truely humble one that did esteeme himselfe nothing in comparison with God and that is true humility to have a meane esteeme of himselfe out of a true apprehension of Gods greatnesse and the infinite distance betweene God and himselfe you shall see this in Abraham because when God came to shew him what should become of the Sodomites and he out of mercy was mooved to pray earnestly for them he saith unto God I am dust and ashes O good man that when he came neere to God he had a sence of his owne meanenesse and intitled himselfe no better then dust and ashes This humility must wee also be cloathed withall it is a necessary fruite of the knowledge of God and our selves without which we cannot be true Ceristians It is the cabinet and storehouse of all graces It allures God to give us grace it causeth all crosses to seeme easy if God will lay them on it makes all duties appeare seasonable It is a grace by which a man becommeth like unto Christ who humbled and made himselfe of no reputation Paul was nothing in his owne esteeme David counted himselfe a flea and a dead dog and Christ hath said that if we humble our selves we shall be exalted For alas be we not sinnefull and shall we not then be humble Be wee not mortall men be we not damnable creatures and shall we not be humble Beloved search if you have this grace that is a meane esteeme of your selves in respect of your nothingnesse compared to God and your sinfulnesse in your selves and if you find your selves laid low and made vile in your owne estimation this is to be like Abraham You have the vertues of Abraham in respect of himselfe Now in respect of other men First his family then others without his family For his family considered generally and specially Generally he brought them up godlily and religiously and taught them vertue and goodnesse as is witnessed of him Gen. 18.19 I know hee will command his houshold to keepe judgement and justice and to keepe the way of the Lord. If he had not taught them the good way how should he require them to keepe it and the word signifieth to command and teach both and it is that of which usually the word translated precepts doth come Abraham then was carefull to teach his people the waies of God and to teach them all goodnesse Hee did that to his houshold which God hath commanded us bring them up in the nurture and information of the Lord. For indeed God did bid him circumcise his children and servants and if he must administer the Seale of the Covenant to them then he must teach them the Covenant it selfe even the whole doctrine of godlinesse Brethren be not a number of you farre from following Abraham in this matter you have not gotten so much knowledge as to be able to teach your people the doctrine of true piety the way of God justice and judgement nor doe not strive to get knowledge And many that have knowledge make no care of communicating Ah if he that provides not for the family things needfull to the body denies the faith how is he guilty of that fault which doth not provide for their soules I beseech you therefore be humbled for your omission of this
according to S. Pauls phrase Rom. 4. So Gods blessing is able to make our soules fruitfull in all good workes though of our selves wee be utterly barren and unfruitfull And thus we have done with Abrahams wives Now let us speake something of his contemporaries beginning with his sonne Ishmael Ishmael was sonne of Abraham and Hagar his maide servant borne unto him at his 86. yeeres as saith the Holy Ghost Gen. 16. ult He was the sonne of a godly Father but whether himselfe were godly or not it is uncertaine But in his life we must note First his Vertues Secondly his Faults Thirdly his Benefits Fourthly his Crosses and then shall we come to his death His vertues First he lived in his fathers house in outward conformity and obedience for he submitted to his father at 13. yeares to be circumcised Gen. 17.25 and so had the outward seale of the covenant but yet he was not the promised seede nor had the covenant made with him nor had the Church and true religion continuing in his family So we must learne not to satisfie our selves with being in the Church outwardly but must labour to become true members of it and to enter into the covenant indeed It will not profit us to have the Sacraments outwardly administered to us for he is not a Jew which is one without neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but wee must indeavour after the inward circumcision even to get the righteousnesse which is by faith that that faith may purifie our hearts and purge away from us all filthinesse of flesh and spirit And if we make use of the outward seale thereby to be made to see and feele our uncircumcisednesse of heart and heartily acknowledge Gods will and power to make us partakers of the inward circumcision so putting forth our selves to beg for and labour after that inward circumcision the Lord will surely bestow it upon us Againe all children must learne to submit themselves to their parents at least to an outward performance of such holy duties as by their parents they shall be instructed in else they are worse then Ishmael and will become matter of anguish and vexation to their godly parents Would Ishmael accept circumcison and wilt not thou accept instruction learne the principles of Christian religion and settle thy selfe to some shew of goodnesse then shall Ishmaels example rise up in judgement against thee and condemne thee And parents must observe Gods goodnesse in their childeren if they find them even in such a degree tractable and ruly for this is farre better then to be wilde and furious and to cast of all semblance of goodnesse and yet such would the best mans childeren prove if the hand of God did not restraine them But another good thing in Ishmael was that he submitted himselfe to his Father to be banished out of his house no question but Abraham that loved him would informe him of the necessity which lay upon himselfe so to expell his sonne and would furnish him with all good counsell who then being some 16. yeares old was capable of good advice and so did he without murmuring or wilfull refusing to go yeeld himselfe to that punishment It is a good thing in childeren to take quietly their parents chastisement even though they should be somewhat severe But to oppose them or to rebell against them or fall to clamorousnesse and impatiency is a great sinne even though the correction should be causelesse and unjust how much more if they be righteous and deserved Learne of Ishmael this submission how will you hope that you be Gods childeren if you do not equall such a one as Ishmael in goodnesse Againe Ishmael did another good office in the conclusion of his Fathers life for it is noted of him that he came to Isaac and joyned with him in his Fathers funerall Gen. 25.9 by which it is manifest that he bare no grudge against his Father for casting him out of his house but bore that respect towards him which was due to a Father and therefore did him the best honour he could at his latter end yea that hee did not harbour in his minde any envious and malicious thought against Isaac and therefore would come unto him and unite his paines to burie his Father Learne so much good of him I pray you as to forget that severity which perhaps Parents may have shewed to any of you and not put off the dutifulnesse of childeren because you have met with something that flesh and bloud would call hard measure The lesse inducement any man hath from a parents kindnesse to love and honour him the more commendable it is if hee performe all honour to him but he that will be so transported with discontentment against a parent for some sharpenesse as even to hate and contemne him most of all if his owne folly have inforced his parent to such proceedings is without all doubt a gracelesse and a wretched childe I pray you learne also by Ishmael not to suffer envy to rise against your Bretheren if in any thing they be preferred before you to your detriment Love not them lesse then the name of a Brother or Sister doth require because you may thinke that they have stood betwixt your parents love and bounty and your selves and so as it were overshadowed you and kept the sun-shine from you but behold the hand of God in so disposing of things and resolve to love still as Bretheren Further Ishmael did one good act of honour and duty toward his mother Hagar For it is said Gen. 21.21 that his mother tooke him a wife out of the land of Egypt so he was ruled by his mother in marriage having her liking and consent yea giving himselfe to be guided by her as did also Isaac to Abraham and Iacob to Isaac It is a needefull thing for childeren to take the consent and assent of their parents yea if it be but of the mother supposing the father to be dead or absent and not to rush into this estate against their willes and privity No comfort can come to the conscience in such a match for whosoever is joyned together otherwise then Gods Word alloweth can have no ground of comfort as those are that are joyned without the good will of those whom God hoth made his deputies in this businesse The Lord saith to Parents take wives for your sonnes and give your daughters plainely putting them into his roome in that behalfe wherefore having not consent from them they live in an unlawfull matrimony untill such time as by humble repentance before God and submissive intreaties to their parents they have attained that good leave of their parents which they ought to have gotten before If therefore any amongst you have so offended they must see the fault and be humbled and seeke pardon Most times the Lord doth sensibly crosse such matches make use of those crosses to increase your godly
to that promise for God hath tied himselfe as well to all Abrahams sonnes even all the faithfull as well as to himselfe you see the profit of such association with good men Wherefore they must be reprooved that are imbittered against godly men and are enemies to those that love God hating men even for goodnesse sake and persecuting them for righteousnesse sake without doubt these provoke God to fight against them and to become an enemy unto them joyning in the quarrell of the Saints which indeed for his sake they have taken up against them It is an evill thing to be a foe to those that feare God and it shewes not alone an absence of goodnesse but also a great strength of wickednesse He is surely carried by Satan at his pleasure and a slave in a great degree to the Divell that cannot endure the image of God in a man And yet our Lord tells his servants that they shall be hated of all men for his names sake But now let every man learne of these three wise men to make choice of godly men for friends familiars and allies If a man be not himselfe a worshipper and servant of God yet let him at leastwise like and love those in whom goodnesse shineth The Centurian Iulius by being courteous and friendly to Paul who was then his prisoner gate his life and the life of his souldiers for a reward for God gave unto Paul all the prisoners that were in the ship with him So many blessings as a naturall man is capable of he shall assuredly obtaine from God by the prayers of his servants who cannot choose according to the precept of our Saviour but pray for their persecutors much more for their friends and favourers Now another good thing in these three brethren is this that according to their covenant and confederation they did affoord helpe to Abraham and joyned their strength with him to fight against the foure Kings for the recovering of Lot Abrahams Cousin and performed their part with so much courage that Abraham got the victory and wonne his brother and all the spoile of Sodome for which also Abraham was carefull that they should have a full reward in taking their part of the booty which himselfe forbare to take This Example must be followed of all good men when they have made a covenant they must so stand unto it and be ready to affoord such helpe and performe all such offices as by covenant they have obliged themselves unto Covenants and agreements must be duly kept though the things be such which come to be done as require labour cost and hazard for this is a practise of that excellent vertue of truth or fidelity then which nothing is more needfull for the common prosperity of humane societies for unlesse men may trust one anothers words what living can there be together in the world and without trustinesse in those that make promises there is no beleeving their promises and so the sinewes of the world are as it were cut asunder or cracked Therefore in the 15. Psalme it is indeed a signe of a godly man that when hee hath sworne in covenant or otherwise he will not change though it should fall out to be for his hurt Faith requires that the thing be done which hath beene spoken and how can hee challenge the name of a good man in whom faithfullnesse is not found or how should it be expected that hee will be faithfull with God whom hee never saw that is not faithfull to his neighbour whom hee sees daily Wherefore let every man compare himselfe with these civill righteous men and see whether himselfe hath carried himselfe as honestly and justly as the very light of nature instructed them to doe I meane whether he hath faithfully kept his covenants for how shall hee be able to justifie his right and interest unto the honourable name of a true Christian man that falleth short of those vertues which many of the Gentiles have carefully practised And if any mans heart accuse him of unfaithfullnesse and slipperinesse in this kinde let him humble himselfe and be much ashamed of it Should we not blush to see Heathens exceed us in good conversation and that our righteousnesse is not greater then that of the Pharisees who did at least equall the Heathen in righteous dealing Surely they shall never be admitted into the Kingdome of Heaven before whom the Gentiles have gone in good behaviour of life yet many there be professing to be Christians whose untrustinesse this way filleth the mouthes of all that deale with them with just and grievous complaints They be so possessed with selfe-love that when they have made a covenant promise or compact the least disadvantage will make them use the craftinesse of wit to winde themselves out and neglect their covenants They know how to tie others hard and leave themselves loose through the loosenesse of an evill conscience These are men that be guilty of neglecting justice judgement and faithfullnesse and if they streine never so much at gnats and swallow these camells our Saviour will be bold to intitle them as he doth the Pharisees and pronounce a woe against them saying Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites Learne now to be very sorrowfull if you have carried your selves more unrighteously in this kinde then the honester sort of those have done who lived out of the confines of the Church and be carefull to repent by their example that their goodnesse may not rise up in judgement against you and condemne you And resolve with your selves I pray you now to preferre your credit before any other thing in this earth and to put your selves upon losse and hazard rather then incurre the deserved reproach of men faithlesse and dishonest It is not wittie tricks and devices that will save you from reprehension before the Lord and your owne consciences and other men your name shall rot and stinke and become loathsome if you deale untrustily though you paint your evill deeds over with never so faire and trim excuses Wit is never more abused then when it is made a patron and a protectour for falsehood and evill dealing Be righteous therefore in this particular and put your selves in minde of your promises and covenants to keepe them you cannot but know that this is a duty your consciences require you to doe to others even as you desire that they should deale with you and therefore must needes condemne you for such falsitie which your selves with open mouth are ready to cry out against in others And so much for these three men Now for Ephron the Hittite he is named alone once Gen. 23.10 and in his carriage we observe three things deserving commendation and fit to be imitated by us First he salutes Abraham with honourable and courteous language saying my Lord heare mee and againe my Lord heare mee Secondly he was liberall and kinde to Abraham and offered freely to give him
spoken with Abraham and finding her to be his sister alone and not his wife for the former both of them affirmed the latter he did not inquire of so diligently as to learne the truth from them he resolved to have her to himselfe God himselfe after doth seeme to acquit Abimelech of any adulterous intention for when hee alledged that he had done this in the integrity of his heart God himselfe beareth witnesse to his uprightnesse in that respect saying I know thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart meaning that he thought verily that she was onely sister not yoake-fellow to Abraham and that if hee had knowne her to have beene a wife he would not have taken her so that he was free from intending to commit adultery but from an excessive desire of beauty hee is not free for why should a man be so carried after women that if he see any beautifull Virgin hee must needes enjoy her and not satisfie himselfe with such wives as he had taken before This verily must needes be a sinne for God did not appoint the society of man and man for pleasures sake that a man might seeke to satisfie himselfe in the delight of imbracing so many faire women as he could get but for the increase of and storing of the world with people Let us learne vertue out of other mens vices This is the sole fault which the Holy Ghost noteth in this man not because he had not more but because this alone was that wherein hee wronged Abraham and Sarah of whom the Holy Ghost intended principally to make his history Now for his Vertues divers good things are told of him First in respect of God Secondly of his own servants Thirdly of Abraham and Sarah First in respect of God When the Lord appeared unto him in a vision vers 3. and told him that he was but a dead man meaning was worthy of death and so should certainely die unlesse he reformed himselfe because the woman he had taken was another mans wife he did defend his innocency before God truely alledging that he did no way suspect her to be a married woman because both her selfe and Abraham said she was his sister and would not be knowne of their being joyned together in matrimony which also the Lord confesseth to be true Yet so soone as God had commanded him to restore the woman backing his commandements with promises and threats presently he obeyes the Lord and returneth the matron to her husband It is a worthy vertue and a proofe of integrity speedily and readily to obey the word of God and amend those sinnes which before we did not know when once the Lord doth vouchsafe to make them knowne unto us This proveth that the soule is uprightly desirous to avoid all sinnes when it will instantly reforme the fault once manifested To linger and put of from time to time and strive to make ones selfe blinde and to winke and not see the sinne or not addresse to a speedy reformation that is a fruit of guilefulnesse but to yeeld to God and ones conscience and without further delayes to leave of the sinne and put it away and the occasions of it that is a proofe of sincerity at least in that particular When God declareth a fault to us bids us mend promiseth life if we doe mend threatens death if we will not reforme if we beleeve his promises and threats and submit to his Commandements we shew integrity Abimelechs Example must teach us this effect of uprightnesse If any of us be guilty of the contrary fruit of hollownesse that we have neglected to acknowledge a fault beginning to be revealed to us and out of love to the sinne in respect of any profit credit pleasure it flattered us withall have rather indeavoured to shut out the light by false reasonings then to receive the knowledge of the truth when it began to shine out of the cloud of ignorance wee must greatly blame our selves for such hypocriticall behaviour This is that S. Paul accuseth the Gentiles of saying that Gods wrath is manifest from Heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men who detaine the truth in unrighteousnesse who doe as it were imprison and suppresse truth and hold it downe that it may not shew it selfe unto them out of a love they beare to sinne and wickednesse And sure Gods wrath shall appeare evidently against all that in such manner shall play the dissemblers with him how much more then if when a man cannot so darken himselfe with fained pretences but that he must needs see and confesse the truth in his conscience shall he be guilty of a great sinne if still he uphold in himselfe a will and resolution to commit the sinne that he could not but see to be a sinne or if he doe not come to a present resolution of amendment but put it off till afterwards and purpose to continue offending once or twice or a little time longer Shall not Abimelechs example condemne our disobedience before God if we shew our selves so much inthralled to sin Two things shew dominion of sinne in a man one where he refuseth to know though he have due meanes of knowledge and a certaine working of knowledge offering to convince his conscience another when though he doe know yet he resolves to persist in all evill or at least remaines irresolute and doth not determine to leave but stands as it were unsetled in his will at least for some time If any of you finde himselfe so disposed it is certaine that sinne ruleth in him and he is not under grace Wherefore you must diligently proove your hearts in this respect if you desire ever to enjoy the comfort of knowing your selves to be upright Now then learne to lend a dutifull eare to the Word of God and see the sinnes that it beginnes to shew you and put on a full and setled resolution of not adventuring to commit them any more And if any finde himselfe so subdued to the authority of God in all things that he seeme ready to entertaine the light of truth and to obey it and will not struggle and strive against the light in any thing then may he assure himselfe that his heart is true within him and that the Lord will surely accept him and forgive his unpurposed offences and sinnes of meere weakenesse and frailty Indeed in some one or two things that are too too grosse as adultery here a man may be prepared to yeeld to truth and yet not have an honest heart to God but he that in all things doth thus submit himselfe is surely good before the Lord. And so much for Abimelechs obedience to God in that he receiveth his commandements here with faith and present obedience which wee shall also doe if we seriously consider his promises of life to the obedient and threatenings of death to the disobedient till we worke our hearts to a firme and stedfast beleefe of them
and must come to prayer and crave direction and help of him We must run to his word and seek to informe our selves from thence what may be the cause of our present estate and consult with his faithfull servants that have a larger measure of knowledge then our selves that by their advice we may learne what is fit for us to doe and upon what ground it is that matters be so with us and God by these means will settle and quiet our mindes as surely and firmly as of old he accustomed to doe by meanes of his holy Prophets So you have Rebekkahs piety to God now see her carriage to her husband and we finde in the Story of her life testimonies of her being a dutifull wife unto him For first when she found him inclined to go against the will of God in giving away that solemne blessing which she inherited from his Father Abraham unto the Son to whom it was not due because God had preferred the younger before the elder she was carefull to prevent that sin and to procure the blessing unto Iacob to whom it was due and how Not by brawling and falling out with him but by a gentle and a quiet meanes I commend not the using of guile and falshood but in that she fell not to it by violence of speech but by a gentle and milde way in that I cannot but commend her Herein she did the part of a loving discreete and dutifull wife who reverenced her husband and desires to keep him from sin She came not chaffing to Isaac as once Sarah did to Abraham but by a gentle course she caused him to escape the fault before he could commit it and beyond his purpose So must you good wives carry your selves if your husbands be about to swerve out of the way and you perceive it you must endeavour by sweet and dutifull courses to prevent or recall them from sin not to use fierce passion brawling as sometimes women of a fierce spirit doe who many times are punished for their indiscreet frowardnesse by failing of their desires and making things worse rather then changing them for the better The same disposition to her husband she shewed in another passage too for that she might procure the sending of Iacob into Padan Aram she did not openly declare the matter to her husband but came and related the trouble she had with Esaus wives and told how bitter a thing it would prove unto her if she were as bad yoked with another wife that Iacob should bring and so won him to dispatch Iacob for a wife into Padan Aram. A woman should alwaies deale by loving meanes with her husband to get the good she would at his hands and not by violence and clamour You that would have the repute of good wives in your own hearts see that you follow Rebekkah prevaile by discreet wise and curteous courses not by strong hand and violence But these eager sharp and passionate women that will wrest the things the desire out of their husbands hands perhaps also inconvenient things by chiding and big and loud words as once I told you Sarah sought to do or else by puling and whining and charging their husbands not to love them else as the wife of Sampson did are to be blamed as undiscreet and disobedient wives and if they repent not of their folly and unrulinesse the Lord will one day call them to account for their misdemeanours Gentlenesse and dutifulnesse must adorn your conversation and your husbands must see your conversation coupled with feare to displease so shall you make your selve and husbands happy both at once and have a kinde of lawfull power with them over whom you have not any authority But now of Rebekkahs carriage to her Sons she was in the right she loved the good son whom God loved most Iacob was a plain man but a good man beloved of God therefore she did love him too and herein she did much excell her husband Isaac and was more to be commended and did better please God Indeed herein she shewed her obedience to God as well as her affection to Iacob whom she desired to have attain the blessing because she knew that God had appointed it unto him It is a necessary thing that men should submit themselves unto God in every thing and become furtherers the best they can of fulfilling his good pleasure when once he hath vouchsafed to manifest it unto them O let us learn to submit our wills thus to Gods will and to make it our care to have those things done by our selves and others which he would have done And learne Parents and all men of Rebekkah to love them best in whom the Lord hath printed his Image most clearely and abundantly Let godlinesse be the loadstone of our affections rather then any other thing yea let us all learn of her too to strive to procure a blessing upon our children though not by such a course as she took for herein she was manifestly blame worthy yet by all good and honest courses that we can even by our prayers for them and good instructions to them and the like You have heard Rebekkahs goodnesse so much as I remember that the Scriptures have left upon record saving it is noted of her that she made savoury meate for her husband such as he loved she could not have done it so well then if she had not taken notice of it and done it often before So it is the part of a good woman to cherish her husband in his diet so far as her meanes and ability will permit and having informed himself what is pleasing to him accordingly to provide it for him So shall she shew good will to her husband which alwaies makes one carefull to please and gratifie the party beloved Here is a patterne for you to live after all you good women seek to give your husbands due content in their food prepare things acceptable to them as you be able especially if they be weak blinde or otherwise afflicted that your kinde usage this way may even countervaile the want of other benefits and cause their lives to be as comfortable to them as in such crosses they may be but without doubt she is a bad and unloving wife who neglecteth to give her husband satisfaction in this point who sets him short and cares not to fit him with pleasing food if they be not destitute of meanes yea who feeds her self deliciously in his absence and must have some choice provision for her self when she pleaseth that shall be hidden from his eye and withdrawne from his mouth A great fault it is in a wife to forget that her husband and she do make but one body and to divide him from her in eating and drinking to whom she is so nearly linked in other society Be no more offenders in this kinde if you have been such but now be good nurses to your husbands and let them at least
forth his griefe before God in these words If thou wilt deale thus with me kill me now kil me if I have found favour in thine eyes and let me not see mine evill Sometimes you finde good men desirous to escape death and crying Lord save me from the hands of mine enemies and sometimes againe even covetous of it and crying with vehemency again and again kill me Lord kill me and if thou lovest me kill me Iob was exceeding desirous to die and said He would seek for it as for gold yea and fine gold So you perceive that mans nature is prone to waxe weary of living because of affliction and that this is a fault and a weaknesse is evident It is an act of ingratitude because a man considers not as well the good he enjoyeth as the evill for if he would reckon well he doth alwaies receive more good at Gods hand in this life than evill but as one bitter morsell causeth that the mouth tasteth nothing almost but bitternesse though it have before received many dainty morsels so it is with us in this case Againe it is a fruit of hopelesnesse and despaire the soule doth not expect the favourable goodnesse of God to strengthen and deliver in due time but thinks it will never be better with mee till I die and therefore wisheth it selfe out of the world Hope would hold the heart up from these faintings but it is a kinde of despaire that casts it into such swounes as Iob said As for mine hope where is it Thirdly pride is one great cause of this disposition men consider not with themselves how unworthy they be of any good how much they have deserved far greater evill and therefore are immoderately vexed with those they feele and therefore count their beeing a burden But is it not a fruit of great pride in a man that as if he were his own maker preserver disposer will be no longer then he may have his own will and may see things to go along with him after his owne wishes Further a man wrongs himselfe exceedingly by suffering himself to grow weary of life for first he makes the misery greater by makeing himselfe weaker to beare it If a man be to beare a great burden it doth him much hurt to scratch the skin of his shoulder for that will adde much to the pain of bearing A gauled place will smart of it selfe how ill doth be provide for himselfe that rubs off the skin from his shoulders when he is put to carry a thing So doth he that will needs give way to so much impatiency as to be weary of life yea he exposeth himselfe to the danger of becomming a self-murtherer that yeeldeth to this wearinesse of life For it will not be very hard to perswade any man to cast away that which is his burden So it is evident that this was an offence in Rebekkah And now come you men and women of all rankes looke into your selves Have not you also been weary of life and that upon a very small occasion A maide is crossed in her desires by her parents for her good and she sees no likelihood of having what shee would have then she pules and takes on and wisheth she were dead and buried she would forgive him that would knock her on the head A man hath met with somewhat a froward woman which vexeth him with her words then he will be dead in a chafe I would I were out of the world never man was so pestered with a shrew as I so it is with wives too Come now recount you owne passions are you not ashamed of these drunken distempers what is life a thing so dog cheape with you that upon every occasion you would cast it away Are your selves things of so little value that so small a matter should make you weary of your selves You wrong God exceedingly in such distempers for you make it appeare that you think of him as of an angry governour that cares not how unreasonably he laies upon his servants in his anger Either these corrections are sufferable or not I meane such as by wisdome and discretion you might compose your selves to beare with gentlenesse or they be not if they be why do you chafe thus If they be not who hath sent them Verily you provoke God to send unsufferable crosses that will make easie crosses unsufferable What saith the Father to the froward childe doe you cry for nothing take you that then to make you cry for something and so doubles and redoubles his blows with a strong arme till the childe feeling the smart of his Fathers anger begins to compose himselfe to a little more sufferance Brethren let us repent of this folly there scarce liveth a man that hath not overshot himselfe in this fashion O let us repent of it and let us diligently resist such disorderly passions hereafter Let nothing make us weary of life but sin and not that so excessively as to make us intemperately wish death Of sin we should be weary but of life for sins sake I know not whether we may allow our selves at all to be weary But for crosses be they what they will we should not be so weak and impatient as to grow weary of life For God is able to deliver us out of all crosses and will do it and he will so sanctifie them to us that it may be more for our profit than if it were removed and can give as in Iobs case he did so blessed an issue that our selves shall confesse it was but our folly not to be willing to continue under them according to his will Had not Iob cause to unwish his former wishes when the Lord did make so large an addition of happy dayes unto him Above all we must consider of our worthinesse to be damned that we may not thinke much of crosses and labour so to rest upon God for the escape of damnation that afflictions which are but for a short season may not seeme unto us extreame Looke upon our Lord Iesus Christ what sufferings were comparable to his Yet we never meet with any wearinesse of life or wishing of death in him Looke upon S. Paul too Never man had feeling of greater tribulation and he tels us that hee tooke pleasure in necessities afflictions tribulations but that he wished himselfe dead that hee might be free from his crosses wee never reade Let us follow the vertues of godly men but let their weaknesses be our warnings And that we may not distaste life for any crosses that befall us therein let us often renew our faith in Gods gracious promises to give us an happy issue out of all and to bring us safely to his heavenly kingdome Moreover if sometimes these fainting fits doe gather upon us and our mindes be overtaken with this tirednesse of spirit let us learne though to be humbled yet not to be discouraged We conclude not against Elias Moses Rebekkah Iob that they were not truly
in the yeare 2168. and after the flood as some thinke 512. and as others 562. for there is 60. yeares difference in chronologie because of the doubt about Abrahams birth Now the manner of his birth was this as the Scriptures relate Gen. 25.25 He came out first in colour red and all over rough as an hairy garment for which cause his name was called Esau which signe made as one that was stronger than ordinary children be and all over covered with haire In him the Lord shewed the freedome of his election as the Apostle notes Rom. 9. For Before the children were borne or had done good or evill it was said The elder shall serve the younger God chose not him but Iacob though they were borne both of the same Parents and at the same burden Now concerning his life we must consider 1. That which was good therein 2. That which was evill 3. His prosperity 4. His crosses and miseries For the first some things he did that for matter were good and commendable as even a bad man may have some good things found in him The first good thing was that he did shew good respect unto Isaac his Father For he was glad to gratifie him in his diet bringing home the Venison that he caught of which was made dainty meat which the old man loved to feed upon and when he came to him to present his Venison according to his Fathers appointment that he might receive the blessing from his Father he spake reverently unto him For when he brought the meate ready prepared for his eating he said thus to him Let my Father arise and eat of his sons Venison that thy soule may blesse mee Chap. 27.31 and after ver 34. Blesse me even me also ô my Father and ver 38. Hast thou but one blessing my Father blesse me even me also ô my Father Though his Father had given the blessing to Iacob his brother yet he doth not rage and grow into passionate expostulations but with gentle and reverent termes and with teares and with prayers seekes to get some blessing from him This proveth evidently that he carried a reverent esteeme of his Father in his heart and honoured him duly The same love and respect he shewed to Isaac after for when his wrath was kindled against his brother Iacob and that he minded to revenge himselfe by killing Iacob Yet he resolved to forbeare till Isaac was dead that he might not procure too much griefe and sorrow to him in his old age and therefore it is recorded that he said The dayes of mourning for my Father are at hand then will I kill my brother Iacob ver 41. He would not have deferred the murder of his brother for Isaacs sake till after his death but that he bare some respect and good will unto his Father And hee shewed the same respect unto him after Chap. 28.6 For when hee perceived his Father had blessed Iacob and sent him to fetch a wife from Padan Aram and not to take any Canaanitish woman and that the daughters of Canaan which he had married displeased his Father he went to his Vncle Ishmael and tooke his daughter Mahalath to wife seeking as well as his wit could serve to please his Father in that latter match although indeed he went not rightly to work in that marriage neither Some care you see he shewed to give his Father content though he had not wisdome enough to order himselfe rightly for that end Thus this Esau though he wanted grace and feared not God yet he bare love and reverence in some degree as a carnall man could unto his Father Isaac who loved him dearely and so he requited his love againe with such a kinde of love as might be found in an unsanctified person Now all you sons and daughters that have Parents living with you or have had come and lay your selves in the ballance with Esau and consider if you have so much as equalled him in this kinde of imperfect dutifulnesse towards your Parents He out of a kinde of naturall inclination or out of hope of being still kindly used and blessed of his Father shewed much respect unto him divers wayes Hath nature have carnall ends prevailed so much with you to encline your hearts to your parents as they prevailed with Esau If so yet boast not of this thinke not much the better of your selves these kinde of shadows of vertues cannot prove you to be godly children nor afford you sound comfort because themselves be not sound and perfect You have no great reason to please your selves because you are as good as Esau an unsanctified man and one of whom we can give little hope but that he was a casta-way I say therefore satisfie not your selves be not good in your own eyes because of this painted and counterfeit goodnesse But if otherwise it be and that it is evident you come far short of Esau and have not declared so much regard of your parents as he hath done then how bad must you account your selves that are much more sinfull even than an Esau might have been And it is cleare that divers children be far worse than this bad son of Isaac for they shew no reverence no submission to their aged Parents but apparently sleight them in word and deed grumble at them chafe against them carry themselves cuttedly and currishly towards them if at any time they be crossed by them will not be held from following their own evill desires as Esau was from killing his Brother by a desire not to grieve them but wilfully run on in their wicked courses even though they see and know that their wicked carriage doth greatly afflict and torment their Parents but purposely some do things to torment them O sin hath a greater sway and dominion in such childrens hearts than it had in Esaus and they are far more wicked than he was Yea when they see their Parents displeased with their wayes yet they have not so much desire to give them content as Esau had nor do not so much as labour in any manner though never so poorely to give them any satisfaction at all Woe woe unto such children what can he expect from God that is a viler son than Esau was Let such shame themselves by his example and now receive reproofe with meekness and greatly repent of their undutifulnesse if ever they purpose to attain pardon And now let all children that desire to enjoy in themselves the comfort of being the children and chosen of God strive to outstrip Esau in filiall obedience and duty Let them for conscience sake to God put on a largor measure of love and a greater reverence to their Parents labouring to please them in all things in the Lord out of conscience to submit themselves unto them honor them because God hath required it at their hands and to labour to forbeare all sin as in an holy regard to God so in part also out of a
amongst them from their lusts that war in their members You see the loathsomenesse of this vice from the bad causes and effects of it Take notice therefore of your owne hearts and lives and see if none of you bee a quarellous and contentious person that is ready upon every occasion to strive with his brother and to breake forth into brawles and suits challenging that which is none of his and disquieting his brethren and himselfe A man may use legall meanes to get and keepe that which is rightfully due to him but he must not doe this in a froward manner with bitternesse and rage against his adversary but for the things that appertaine not to him in equity hee must make no striving at all otherwise he is a contentious man And because selfe-love maketh us so blinde that wee are apt to deceive our selves and to imagine we have good title to that which indeed belongs not to us wee must bee content to referre our selves willingly to other mens judgements and not stand upon our owne opinions I mean to other indifferent and uninterested persons whose judgements are like to bee clearer than our owne in things wherein themselves be not ingaged Let me therefore commend peace and concord let nothing bee done of strife in an humour to crosse and oppose another or to vexe and anger him If covetousnesse or envy rule in a mans heart hee will boile with contention and flame forth into debates and strifes but if he have an heart contented with his estate and charitably disposed to his brethren hee will then insue peace and follow after it For a just controversie may bee carried in a quiet and peaceable manner and so ought to be but be the cause of striving never so equall if the thing be carried tumultuously with bitter words and behaviour with railings swellings whisperings backbitings mutuall disgracing and upbraiding one another this is a signe of a naughty heart in whom the wisdome that is from below doth rule and beare sway Resolve therefore to follow peace with all men not striving but upon just cause and then also in a loving gentle and milde manner And so much for Isaacs contemporaries with whom his occasions gave him cause of intermingling I proceed now to Isaacs heire and successor that is to say Iacob * ⎠* THE EIGHTEENTH EXAMPLE OF IACOB THE word Iacob signifieth he holds the heele the reason of which name you may reade Gen. 25. 26. He and Esau were Twins born at one birth Esau was the first borne and when he was borne his brother came out after him and held him by the heele whence this name was given him Of Iacob we must shew three things as in former Examples His birth life and death Concerning his birth the time and parents were the same which we noted before of Esau the manner was as you have heard as if hee had wrestled with his brother for the birth-right even in the birth in which may seem to be signified the great stir that should be betwixt their Successours as well as themselves yea and betwixt the good and bad in all ages even those that are heires of the promise and those that be contemners of the promise For the Lord had foretold that two Nations were in Rebekkahs wombe which should be separated one from the other and in them the Lord did manifest the freedome of his Election seeing he chose the younger before the elder to inherite the promises and that before they had done good or evill that the purpose of God according to election might remaine or be firme not of workes but of him that calleth meaning that Gods intention of saving by his grace who freely calleth not of any workes in any person whether repenting beleeving or any other workes might be stedfast and stable No workes cause God to call one or to purpose to call one or not to call another but alone his good pleasure whereof though it be sure that God hath in himselfe just reason for he is a reasonable agent and doth all things and most understandingly yet he sees it not good to reveale to us any reason because he would make us see what subjection we owe to him that is to say to rest in his will as a sufficient reason to satisfie us God might have purposed to call and also have called all without any picking or choosing or preferring one before another but his purpose was according to election or choice he intended not to raise up all out of the miserable estate into which Adam brought all but alone some and in his choosing he might have left whom he tooke and contrarily but he would take some not all and these not those because in his wisdome he saw it fit and so great is his power and soveraignty that we ought to be contented with this reason God would have it so Gods Election is his purpose to call such and such leaving the rest and of this purpose we can give no other cause but this so it seemed good unto him though himselfe have such grounds of his choice within himselfe as it is fit for a wise agent to have for the ground of all his actions He that will not quiet himselfe thus in the matter of election shall entangle himselfe so that he will never bee loosed And so much of Iacobs birth Now for his life we will consider his vertues faults crosses benefits For his vertues we will speake of them first in generall and here two things are noted in him Gen. 25.27 Iacob was a plaine man and did dwell in Tents The word translated a plaine man signifieth a perfect or upright man It is of larger signification than that phrase of ours A plaine man for that in common speech noteth one that is simple and dealeth squarely and eavenly without fraud deceit guile or any tricks in his actions so may one be and have no great goodnesse in him But this word is used to denote an upright hearted man a truly and intirely godly man a perfect man that is good within as well as without and good in all things at all times and in all places one as well as another one that carefully follows all the Commandements of God not giving himselfe leave to swerve from any of Gods wayes at any time Perfection is that property in things by which they have all which is requisite for their due constitution There is a double perfection one of degrees unattainable in this life and it is when a man hath all the parts of obedience in the highest degree that the Law requireth of him this is a legall perfection without which no man can be justified before God by the Law and because no man can attain it therefore By the Law shall no flesh be justified but beleevers have it in Christ in whom they are made the righteousnesse or God and to whom righteousnesse without workes meaning workes of their own
unprofitably brought up to the knowledge of himselfe such a one shall be much more to seeke how to live religiously than another that hath some imployment for in not knowing what course to take he is made to stand distracted and doubtfull of his course and so full of vexation and unquietnesse Now all you Parents that have neglected your children very much and suffered them to trifle out all that golden season of youth in which they should have fitted themselves for a profitable and comfortable life in elder dayes be ashamed you have been so foolish as not alone to transgresse the duty of Christians but even that which the heathens have done You have been causes of your childrens misery and the Common-wealth too and if it proceed not from some other cause then from wisdome your children must be but burdens and diseases to themselves and the world Rich Parents are sometimes guilty of this fault for they thinke they shall leave them sufficient to maintaine them though they doe nothing and therefore intend them not to any vocation not considering how soon the Lord can empty a full Vessell and make the River Iordan yea the red Sea dry as dry ground and then what will become of their children Yea as not considering that to leave children much wealth and not some sufficiency for good imployment of themselves is to leave them furnished to doe themselves hurt and others and to bring all to nought quickly But many of the poorer ranke are guilty of this fault too who give themselves so to unthriftinesse that they cannot bestow so much as reading and writing on them much lesse some higher calling to which these should fit them If any mans unpreventable poverty disable him we blame him not for that to which necessity compels him only so that he pull not that necessity on himselfe but he that in a poore estate hath not some care to bring up his children to worke and if he cannot effect it himselfe doth not herein seeke help of the publique and able persons is not so good a Parent as nature will teach him that he should therefore now I commend Iacobs patterne to your eyes and pray you to cut out your lives according to his scantling Be not wanting to your childrens welfare the common prosperity and your owne comfort Let not others have cause to bestow upon you the reproofe of Solomon A childe left to himselfe maketh his Mother ashamed and what is hee but left to himselfe and the devill that is not acquainted with any profitable employment in a calling And let me speake something to children in this behalfe If Parents take never so due care and children will cast off the yoake what can the Parents doe Therefore you must learne you selves to practise subjection to your Parents as in all other things so in this Be carefull in the callings wherein your Parents have thought fit to place you that you may get ability in them to doe good to your selves and others The inconveniences that else will presse you hereafter shall prove more burden some unto your consciences when you shall be upbraided with these thoughts ah I might have done well but for mine owne wilfulnesse had I answered my Parents care and cost it would not have been thus evill with me But now to a second duty performed to them all Hee blessed them all according to their severall blessings as is noted of him that is he pronounced in Gods name and by way of promise from him what good things God would doe for each of them in his posterity that was to come after him For a mans selfe is blessed when hee is assured that benefits shall be granted to his childrens children in future generations Now in this way of blessing we cannot imitate him because wee want the Spirit of prophesie to foretell future events but there is a way of blessing which lyeth upon each of us we must pray for a blessing to our children and to our posterity after us and must carry our selves so religiously and righteously that we may procure a blessing to them by vertue of Gods promise to the seed of the righteous A good man walketh in his integrity and his children shall be blessed after him and Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord his children shall be like Olive plants Loe how you must blesse your children feare God walke uprightly and then shall you conveigh a blessing to them And so it is said He is ever mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed There cannot be a better Counsellor than Gods Spirit see the way of blessing your children and you that have cursed your children as many a Father hath done both with bitter curses in word and also by walking in a way of cursednesse abhorre your selves that have walked into a way quite contrary to that wherein Iacob did walk The Lord hath appointed that the Son which curseth the Father should die the death Although the Parent owe not so much respect reverence and gratitude to the childe as on the other side yet sure hee doth owe as much love and this cursing contradicteth love because to love is to wish well and to curse is to wish ill therefore God will punish him severely also that curseth his children I doe not meane him that in Gods name doth pronounce a curse against them but him that in his fury doth make some ill wish against them O how unnaturall is that man who doth worse than ever it was heard that any bruit beast hath done yet that is in a rage teareth his owne children in pieces If it be a proofe of an unsanctified man that His mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse then sure he is extreamely unsanctified that curseth his owne children for that mouth is full of cursing to the very brim that will dash over against the fruit of ones owne body But you that have not yet cast off all so much as likenesse to Christianity I pray you learne of so holy a man Blesse your children in your kinde as he did in his live not in so wicked courses as may curse your seed and root them out to destruction If you desire that God should grant prosperity to your off-spring walke in the wayes of his Commandements Interest your selves into his promises by being upright and mercifull and following every good way But I proceed to let you see what Iacob did to some of his children in particular First Simeon and Levi that had committed a great murder hee reproved them although indeed I thinke with too much lenity sayin Ye have troubled me c. In which words he aggravates the fault from the mischiefe it was like to bring upon himselfe not mentioning the sinfulnesse against God perhaps because he saw their temper to be such that they would little regard the sin but would be somewhat moved with the danger but on his death-bed he is justly severe
with good words and titles and to speake lovingly to them to give them good advice and to doe any other good office as occasion may offer it selfe We are commanded to Shew all meeknesse to all men and to Keepe peace with all men and besides brotherly love To be charitable to all and to account a stranger a neighbour in loving him as our selves For God hath made all mankinde of one blood and knit them together in divers common bands All be of one kinde all of one Parent matter form all redeemed with one blood wherefore all must be loved and kindly dealt with They therefore who are churlish sowre crabbed to strangers and can scarce speake to them in any curteous accent yea that are apt if they meet with such to give them flouts and taunts rather than any good words and to offer them injury rather than to help them with any good advice are worthy to be called Swine rather than Men. For even beasts themselves shew some respect unto them of the same kinde more than those of another unlesse it be some most fierce beasts and when occasion of quarrell falleth out betwixt them And let me now commend the vertue of humanity unto you that is of being ready to shew love to man as he is man and because he is a man one made after Gods owne image and proceeding out of the same common roote We all met in Adams loynes and in Noahs let us therefore doe good even to strangers This good will which is communicated to such savours least of self-love and of self-respect and is therefore the more to be commended It tends to the uniting of the common body of the world together and to make all mankinde happy And brethren are not all as they are men equally deare to God why therefore should not all be in some measure deare to each other I meane equally deare in respect of the common work of Creation But Iacob here shewed specially love to Rachel for he salutes her and takes paines to water her Sheepe Surely a neare kinswoman may challenge and must have a larger portion of love than a meere stranger and he that is not somewhat moved by the title of Vncle Cousin and so forth will scarce be moved by that of a man they be therefore in some degree destitute of naturall affection who are led nothing by kindred unlesse there be some riches found with a kinsman by which he may doe them some credit or advantage Let none of you be so but shew due respect to a kinsman or kinswoman rich or poore for maist not thou need their kindnesse hereafter as they thine for the present And so much for Iacobs vertues to these strangers Now to Pharaoh he was a stranger too but he was a King and a King that had advanced his son Ioseph Wherefore comming and going he blessed him that is thanked him for his extraordinary kindnesse to Ioseph and all his for Iosephs sake praying God to blesse him for it So he was a thankfull man and ready to give thankes for a benefit So must we be to all that have pleasured us though they be far lesse persons and have pleasured us in far lesser things And thus of Iacobs vertues Now of his faults which are neither many nor great but some they were as there was never any man except our Lord Iesus Christ in whom some sin was not found First then he was somewhat faulty towards God in that he did shew himself a little forgetfull of his Vow made to God in his trouble and deferred the performance of it somewhat too long even till the Lord did force him unto it by a sore chastisement and that chastisement would not serve to revive his memory till in a Vision the Lord spake unto him and wished him to goe to Bethel and there to reare an Altar unto him that had appeared to him when hee fled from the face of his brother It was twenty yeares space betwixt the Vow and Iacobs returne so that it may seeme that Iacob had well neare forgotten the Vow A good man may grow forgetfull of a Vow in twenty yeares and indeed omissions through forgetfulnesse and commissions through inconsideratenesse are not unwonted in good men I pray you looke that none of you offend through the same example of forgetfulnesse indeed there are greater faults but a good man must shew his uprightnesse by forsaking all faults great as well as small and small as well as great Now let me put you in minde of your former forgetfulnesse Is there none of you that hath formerly bound himselfe to God by a Vow and hath either deferred wittingly or put off through forgetfulnesse the accomplishment of it If so let him now be induced to remember himselfe and to make all convenient hast to make good his Vow for feare the Lord send some heavy crosse upon him and waken his conscience by terrours Iacob should have considered his promise to God so soone as the Lord had brought him safely home to his Fathers house but it seemeth he deferred it for that was the time prescribed in his Vow I pray you doe as Iacob should have done not as he did in a thing wherein it is evident that he did amisse and call to minde often the words of Solomon When thou vowest a Vow unto the Lord defer not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fooles pay what thou owest and before him Moses in the Law saith Be not slack to performe thy Vowes If you have tyed your soules in an oath to God defer not from day today bee not forgetfull It is a great carelesnesse to forget a great bond and to let the paiment be put off from time to time yet if any man have committed such a sin he must not be discouraged the sin is not to be unduly extenuated nor yet aggravated above measure It is such a fault as calleth for unfained repentance and that done shall bee pardoned yea the most wilfull breach of a Vow is pardonable to the penitent But other faults he is to be blamed for in respect of his Parents First he abused his old Father with lies and dissembling the lie it selfe and dissimulation we meddle not with in it selfe but that hee bare so little respect unto aged Isaac as to goe about to mocke him with tricks and tales Indeed before his doing of it his conscience told him that this was a sin and yet he was induced by his Mother to doe it So he sinned in this against his conscience Have any of you done the like offence but in a worse manner and to a worse end towards your Fathers to hide your faults or to wrest money from them to serve the turne of your inordinate lusts flapped them in the mouth as our proverbe is with leasings and abased the weaknesse of their sences memory or discretion with cheating tricks This is a villany God
punished it severely in Iacob though he did it at his Mothers instigation and that to keep his Father from giving away the blessing How much more must God punish in you that perhaps have done it oftner and that without any such motive and to far worse purposes Come as you have sinned with Iacob repent with him for though the Scripture doth not rehearse his repentance in particular yet because he is commended for faith wee are sure that he could not but repent for so knowne a sin and so I beseech you doe you all that are guilty and you also shall be pardoned And now doe not embolden your selves to sin any of you by the abuse of his example for you see into how great misery this fault cast him but rather learne by him to shun that which cost him so deare Iacob had not a former example to terrifie him as you have his Iacob had not the Scripture as you have to terrifie him Let our hearts resolve to hate a sin and strive against it the more because in others we may see our aptnesse to it And let us beware that we passe not over-hasty censures upon them that have so offended yea though they have herein neglected the checks of their owne consciences We must not judge any man as an hypocrite for any fault that is common to him with Iacob Further Iacob offended in regard of his mother with an excesse of obedience for he was ruled by her against Gods Commandement she bade him dissemble and lie and by her faire words and perswasions he was drawne to commit that great sin of lying It is an easie matter for Inferiours to obey their Governours carnally not in the Lord not with reservation of their duty to God but a little too unlimitedly which is a fault that must needs be very offensive to God But take heed of this sin I beseech you it is a preferring of man before God and an act that doth exceeding highly dishonour God now strive to worke in your hearts such an high esteeme of God that you may be resolute not to sin against him for the sake of any man though never so much your Superiour though never so much beloved But if you have done otherwise be not disheartned but returne unto God with confessions and humble petitions renewing your former purposes and you shall be pardoned For the Lord is at this time as abundant in mercy to all that call upon him as formerly hee was Neither let any man suffer himselfe to entertaine too hard a conceit against another whom he shall see to have been either over-intreated or by threatenings over-borne to doe some evill thing at a Superiours motion but consider thine owne weaknesse and remember that even Iacob did so too and that when he was now past a childe for he was at least sixty yeares when he did this so that no part of the blame can fall on the weaknesse of youth or childhood But in respect of his children some faults he was guilty of First he did excessively love Ioseph and indiscreetly manifest his love unto him so that his brethren discerning it were enviously disposed to him and procured him much misery This is a weaknesse of Parents not alone to overlove some childe above the rest but also to shew it too apparently to the breeding of envy in the hearts of the rest and sometimes pride and self-conceit in him that findes himselfe over-loved and so doth mischiefe both wayes Be instructed you Parents to moderate your affections to your children and to each childe and to moderate the demonstrations of your affections let them not be too vehement too frequent too fondling I know it is in vaine to give this diriction to Parents for they will not see out of the blindnesse that love worketh what is too vehement love and what be too vehement expressions of it and rules to discern it can hardly be given For those of not sparing them in any sin and the like doe discover rather the unsanctity of love in other respects than the excesse It is alone a fleshly not a spirituall love when it will suffer them to sin but it may be excessive though it be not extreamly carnall Pray to God to discover it to you and to reforme it in you It is better to love too much than too little But it is better to shew love too little than to shew it too much especially if it be with partiality Againe Iacob was somewhat tyed towards Benjamin and would not suffer him to goe out of his sight for feare lest evill should betide him by the way and rather endured to be almost starved than to hazzard him in a journey This was a little too immoderate love and feare too but he had lost one son in a journey and he is to bee somewhat more pittied in this feare because of that former losse yet at last he suffered himselfe to be over-perswaded by Iudah Indeed at first he was over-peremptory My son shall not goe downe Take heed of these faults take heed of being so fond and over-fearefull of your children so that you cannot suffer them to take necessary journies lest they may miscarry and be not over-resolute in any thing this I will not doe that I will not doe God may have purposed that that shall be done which thou resolvest shall not be not over-setled in a purpose about things of this nature for against sinfull deeds a man must be resolute and it is better to faile of keeping ones resolution than not to have it and that also strong Further Iacob was a little too wayward with his sonnes when he blamed them for telling the Ruler of Aegypt that he had yet another son we must beware of growing pettish because we be crossed in any thing so as to accuse the faultlesse but in such case rather looke up to Gods hand and condemne not those that are guiltlesse saying it was long of you and why did you so when the thing followed alone accidentally and as we call it by meere chance so that no foresight could discerne or prevent what would follow But Iacob over-lamented Ioseph too and so becomes an example of excessivenesse of griefe which likely will attend upon excessive love One affection put out of tune brings another into the same distemper O take heed of suffering this passion of over-grieving at a childes death though sudden and violent or any other crosse to prevaile over you so that you shall even set your selves to grieve and refuse to take heart to your selves and use your owne reason to comfort your selves The three last things concerning Iacob are his benefits crosses and death Now we must speake of the great benefits which God gave to Iacob which are of two sorts First Spirituall Secondly Temporall The spirituall benefits are of two sorts 1. The chiefe and principall 2. Those that followed hereupon The chiefe spirituall
were borne or when they died seeing both their comming into the world and their departure out of it do perish for they come to nothing and both come in and go out as it were in an evill time But we have something to say of his parentage and life For his Parentage we learne Gen. 22.26 and 24.29 that he was the sonne of one Bethuel who was the sonne of Nachor the brother of Abraham who did not leave his Countrey and Fathers house with Abraham when he travelled at Gods Commandement into the land of Canaan but abode still in Padan Aram the land of his Nativity and there continued to follow strange gods and commit Idolatry of which all the world and by name the countrey was then full So hee was the Idolatrous son of an Idolatrous Father and Grandfather which did as most men doe take up the religion of his forefathers without more adoe not looking whether hee served God aright but counted it sufficient to serve God as his Progenitors had done before not at all considering whether it were the true God or the false whom they served or whether it were true or false worship which they performed Now in his life wee must consider his deeds good and bad and the things that befell him good and bad First then for his good deeds for even a bad man may have some civill vertues found in his life out of a common worke of Gods Spirit who will not suffer men to be so farre over-runne with vices but that for the preservation of humane societies they shall have some shadows of vertues seene in them These good deeds of his looke partly to men and partly to God His good deeds to men-ward are first to Abrahams servant Secondly to Rebekkah his sister Thirdly to Iacob his kinsman Fourthly to his Daughters and Grandchildren First let us consider his carriage to Abrahams servant Eliezer of Damascus who was sent by his master Abraham to fetch a wife for his son Isaac out of Padan Aram because he would not match him with the cursed seed of the Canaanites The first thing commendable in him is that hee vouchsafeth curteous entertainment unto him for when the servant meeting with Rebekkah had found great kindnesse from her in watering his Camels as well as giving himselfe drinke out of her pitcher and that hee had rewarded her with precious gifts Gen. 24.22 viz. with a golden eare-ring of halfe a shekel weight and two golden bracelets of ten shekels weight for her hands and that shee had invited him to her Fathers house and comming home had told Laban her brother of the man who hee was and what hee had bestowed upon her presently Laban goes forth to the man ver 31. and invites him to the house with very kinde words saying Come in thou blessed of the Lord wherefore standest thou without for I have prepared the house and roome for thy Camels and so bringing him home they ungirded the Camels and hee gave him straw and provender for them and water to wash his feete and the feete of those that were with him and then set meate before him that hee might eate Loe here an example of curteous hospitality hee gave him good and loving words and provided and ministred to him all things necessary for his cattell and companions and himselfe Thus should men use kinde and liberall hospitality towards such friends as upon occasion doe repaire unto their houses and this is a kinde of vertue which may bee found in men that are destitute of all true grace and piety For even nature it selfe teacheth men to shew love and humanity to men that are of the same nature with themselves because they looke to finde the like gentlenesse themselves from others upon like occasions Here is one thing in Laban worthy praise and imitation another is that hee gives him an honest and good answer when hee had declared unto them his errand For the man refusing to eate till hee had related his businesse unto them being very faithfull to his master and diligent in the matter committed to his trust up and told them all that had fallen out why hee came thither and how hee had by a speciall providence of God met with Rebekkah at the fountaine of water requested to know their minde and what hee must trust unto in this matter and from Bethuel the maides Father and Laban of whom wee are speaking her Brother hee received this just and discreete answer That the thing proceeded from God and they were able to say neither good nor bad unto him that is not to crosse his motion by any allegation one way or other concluding that Rebekkah was before him and that hee might with their good consent take her and goe that shee might bee his Masters sons wife as God had spoken ver 50 51. of the same Chapter In this passage you see a great deale of honest plainnesse seeing God had directed him by his speciall hand to this maiden they would bee no hinderance unto him but would give their willing consent to the marriage It is a good thing for men to consent unto honest and good motions chiefly when they see God himselfe by his good providence going before them and as it were leading the way unto them A third good thing in Laban was that hee doth speedily dismisse the man and hindered not his present returne unto his Master with a wife for his son For so it is written ver 59. that when hee rising betimes in the morning was earnest to returne that very day and that they at first required ten dayes stay for Rebekkah but hee requesting them not to hinder his expedition seeing God had prospered him they called the Damsell and asked her consent viz. Whether shee was willing to goe with the man and finding her very forward they sent her away without further lingring It is a good thing when wee have entertained any one in our house and his desire is as his occasions shall require to make haste home to further him by all meanes and not to stop his proceedings with delayes For many times such deferring proves very unpleasing and sometimes dangerous to the party to whom wee would seeme to shew love and good will as wee see it did in case of the Levite whose Father in Laws importunity caused him to stay a day or two beyond his desire in the later end of the Story of Iudges Thus hath Labans carriage beene good to this servant of Abrahams We must follow the goodnesse of all men even Idolaters and Heathens Now consider how hee behaved himselfe to his sister to whom he discovers good affection and love by a curteous dismissing of her ver 60. They blessed her and said thou art our sister bee thou the mother of thousands of millions and let thy seed possesse the gates of them which hate them that is prevaile mightily against all their enemies and conquer them
they had slaine onely the ravisher it might seeme to have beene justified by this reason had it beene good but Hamor and the other Citizens knew nothing of this abuse at least they were not guilty of it none of them had abused their sister Secondly who ever made this law that a man greatly wronged should kill him from whom he had received wrong so their reason is naught and if it were good yet would it not reach farre enough to justifie their deedes Here we have two faults to answer their Father surlily and impenitently justifying the fault in a kinde of angry muttering at the reproofe this is a common fault amongst inferiours if they be reprehended they goe away grumbling some sorry excuses or other being angry within and shewing it as farre as well they dare by mumbling out some fond words so as they cannot be distinctly heard This is a kinde of replying to Governours and is a sinne shewing that there is no sparke of true repentance for the fault at least that then that sparke is even raked up But if after the heate of passion that carried one to commit the fault a man be told mildly of his fault and then mumble out such foolish excuses sure he is not penitent and in very deede such mutterers would have their mouthes stopped and stomacke taken downe with smart and blowes This shewes a sleighting of the Governour as well as not repenting of the fault I pray you inferiours now you are quiet consider how undecent a thing it is and how ill beseeming your places that you may blame it in your selves and condemne it for the future and seeke to get it pardoned And now learne to doe better give such an answer as these young youthes should have done but did not that is confesse your offences humble your selves resolve upon and unfaignedly promise amendment and pacifie the anger at once of God your Governours and your owne consciences And see in them a second fault in this one answer a bearing out of themselves in their sinnes without feare shame or remorse and that upon so fond a pretext as this that they had received a wrong first To continue heardned in a sinne such a sinne not to be able to see the hatefulnesse of it not to feele the weightinesse of it not to feare the just judgements of God and due punishments of men but in steede of sorrow to shew stiffenesse as much as to say if it were to doe againe I would doe it and I am not sorry that I have done it this is a great badnesse and to beare ones selfe thus in sinne upon meere false conceits that have no probability of truth in them argues a most blinde minde and a stupid conscience and makes the sinne much more offensive to God as shewing that the mind is not carried to sinne on a suddaine temptation but gives it selfe to sinne out of the place it hath given to the beleefe of false principles as these had concluded with themselves that it was reason to kill him that abused their sister and therefore deliberately had resolved to doe it Let us take heede to our selves that we be not thus hardened by the deceitfulnes of sinning Now the punishment of this sinne is this that they were minded of it by Iacob and had not that part of the birth-right setled upon them though the next in age that Reuben had forfeited but were scattered and divided in Israel and made to be two of the smallest and meanest tribes not fit either to command and rule or else to have the double portion because of their small number God did afterward turne this to Levi to a blessing but in it selfe it was a punishment God causeth that for murder and such insolencies toward the Father the whole posterity after them doth fare the worse in earthly things for their fault and just it is that he should doe so for hee lookes upon Parent and childeren as upon roote and branch making but one common bodie where each is a part and therefore in smiting the roote doth bring misery upon the branches too and contrarily O let us take up this argument to fortifie our resolutions against sinne shunne earnestly the doing of those evils which may provoke God to scatter and disperse thine ofspring after thee And so much of Simeon and Levi onely we have mention of Levies death too how long he lived and then he died Exod. 6.15 that he lived 137. yeares Now of Iudah in severall consider his faults and vertues benefits and crosses His faults were these besides what was common in the matter of of Ioseph and the rest First that he seperated himselfe from his Fathers house and went and lived with a certaine Cananite called an Adullamite because he lived neere a place called Adullam and out of I know not what occasion there grew a great and inward friend with him This was to get out of Gods blessing into the warme sunne to leave the family of Iacob and table with Hiram this was to excommunicate himselfe out of the Church what in him lay and to bid adue to God and all his spirituall blessings It must be noted as a great fault for any worldly respect whatsoever voluntarily to transplant a mans selfe out of the visible Church into a profane and unhallowed place where the Church is not There where you have Gods Word Gods Sacraments Gods Name and Gods people and finde your selves spiritually edified there abide though it be with some inconveniences to your estate and be willing rather to suffer outward dammage then inward shew more love of goodnesse then Iudah did when he was a prophane young man After you see he returned home to his Fathers house it had beene better not to have departed thence at all A second fault being there he is led by his eye to marry a Cananitish woman It is likely without consent or privity of his old Father it is scarce like he would goe to him to aske counsell whose family he had forsaken Beware young men of erring with Iudah and marrying your selves to prophane and idolatrous persons of your owne heads for sinister respects least the Lord punish you as he did Iudah The youth of Iudah doth a little excuse for he was very young when he had his first childe as appeares because his childe by Tamar viz. Pharez had two sonnes at the time of their going downe to Aegypt when Ioseph was but 39. yeares for he was 30. before the yeares of famine came when he stood before Pharaoh and there had beene 7. yeares of plenty past after his preferment and two of famine Now Iudah was Iacobs fourth sonne borne about the fourth or fifth yeare of his being in Padan and Ioseph the last borne there about the 14. yeare so there was some 10. yeares space betwixt that therefore Ioseph being 39. he could be at most but 49. Tamar by whom he had Pharez was married to
certainely shall this Steward of Ioseph rise up against such in judgement But secondly Iosephs servant was a very obsequious and dutifull servant whatsoever his Master bad him doe was presently done c. 42. ver 25. Ioseph commanded him to fill their sackes with corne as much as they could carry and to put every mans money into his sackes mouths and to put his silver cup in the youngest sackes mouth and his corne money and he did according to his Masters words and c. 44.4 He bids him runne after them and say Why have you returned evill for good is not this the cup in which my Lord drinks and for which he would make diligent search for so I thinke it should be rendred for the matter of divining was farre enough from Iosephs Loe the obedience of this servant he by the light of nature without Scripture was taught to doe that and did it which the holy Scriptures teacheth us to doe viz. to be obedient to our Masters as you reade by Saint Paul to the Ephes Coâ—os As also to Timothie and by Peter Therefore they are to be blamed that living in times of clearer light and enjoying more helps towards vertue are yet farre lesse obedience then this man was As vineger to the teeth and smoake to the eyes so is a sloathfull messenger to him that sends him and even so is a sloathfull or carelesse servant to them that imploy him as vineger sets the teeth an edge smoak makes the eyes to mart so these provoke anger and griefe in their Governours Fulfill therefore the honest commandements of your Governours with speed and diligence what things they appoint you to dispatch let them be dispatched in fit season and manner If thou wert a Master thou wouldst have such a servant be thou therfore such a one and do as thou wouldst be done by O but his Master may some say bad him doe that which was not lawfull viz. To lay snares for the men in putting the cup into Benjamins sacke unawares to him and then following after them with a grievous accusation that they had done great wrong and shewed great ingratitude in taking away his Masters cup and so bringing them backe as if they had beene great malefactors I answere that it is probable Ioseph had acquainted his Steward with his meaning that he did this not with an intention of bringing them into servitude or doing them any wrong but making a little further tryall of them for some consideration and so the thing was not ill done of Ioseph nor of him Let your obedience therefore know its due limits obey your Masters in all things so farre as justice and your duty to God will permit Thirdly his carryage to Iosephs brethren was very kind and curteous he brings them to his Masters house speakes comfortably to them saith peace be to you freeth them from their feares wherewith they were perplexed lifts up their hearts to God and saith he had given them that money brings Simeon forth to them whom they had left bound behind and gives them water to wash their feet and provender to their Cattle Loe what store of kindnesse and courtesie he shewes to these strangers his Master appointed him to bring them to his house but all the other kind usage is from himselfe as it were an over-plus besides that which was enjoyned him out of a good and affable nature and out of some good will he bare them because he had beene informed of the God of their Fathers Now let him be an Example to us of practising like curtesie to strangers and specially when we see them troubled and grieved and most of all if we perceive them to be servants to the true God learne that vertue of this Steward though hee was a servant and bond-man yet it was to Ioseph Thus have I finished the Examples of the Booke of Genesis which containes a short and briefe story of the things done from the beginning of the world to the death of Ioseph for the space as it is thought by some of 2309 years or therabouts and of some of 60 more because they doe differ in judgement so much about the age of Terah when he begat Abraham The maine thing in the whole story to be observed is how wonderfully the providence of God wrought by degrees to bring his Church from out of the loynes of Abraham and to make it a great and mighty Nation which was but a little family preserving truth and Religion in that household and lineage when hee suffered all other Nations by little and little to follow their owne way and runne into Idolatry and abominations FINIS 1 Tim. 3.2 Tit. 1.8 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will beare both readings 2 Tim. 2.15 1 Tim. 4.12 1 Pet. 5.3 Tit. 2.7 There are two singular virtues in a good Example 1 It may profit a world of people 1 Thes 1.7 8 2 It is lasting and may doe good for a long time after 1 Pet. 3.5 6. M. Harris at Hanwell * He was a Preacher at Banbury above thirty yeares * Hee went over in his preaching the whole Booke of Iudges both the Samuels the 1 Kings to the 11. C. or therabout all the Psal to the 106. the whole Gospel of Iob. besides al the principles of Religion often Heb. 13.7 Owne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci. Mat. 3.12 By marriage of sisters M. Thomas and Mistres Ioyce Whately * M Thomas Pot The Preface to the insuing Treatise Bare Examples binde not The Method observed in handling all the Examples Nothing can be said of Adam and Eves Birth but of their entring into the world Gen. 2.7 Adam what it signifieth 21 22. verses of the same Chapter The Creation of Man was necessary There must be first Man and why Non datur infinitum actu The time and matter of mans Creation Why Man was made of the dust Gen. 2.7 It is hard to understand the nature of the soule Eves body was made of a rib and why A fond conceit that women have no soules and the originall of it Their life Their bad carriage The first sinne of our first Parents Gen. 2.16.17 How long Adam continued before he sinned is not revealed * The Hebrew word is ambiguous The fall of our first Parents described Divers sinnes followed the first sinne Their doubtfull and indifferent behaviour Their good carriage Evah why so called Their benefits 1. Before their fall 2. After their fall Their Crosses Their Death Why the length of any Womans life except Sarahs is not mentioned in Scripture The uses of the whole Omnes nos eramus ille unus Rom. 5.12 We should not bee proud of apparell Ede bide lude c. Eves first fault The greatnesse of our first Parents sinne Caines Birth Caines carriage 1. Good 1. Hee had a calling The commendation of husbandry 2. Was outwardly religious 3. Built a City 4. Had but one wife Some thinke Eve still bare