respect neede not make me seeme absurde all the while I yeelde nothing to flesh and bloud and do not stretch my selfe beyond his measure as the Apostle speaketh Well this Reuerend and Honourable man is now remooued from vs being called to a greater charge of gouernment and ouersight but so that first he left his owne teares behind him which shewed how he loued vs and from vs for the most part he caried away our verie hearts not onely our teares so deare he was vnto vs. We pray therefore for him that God would blesse him and his labours euerie way as he did among vs and that hee may be among his flocke with ioy and not with griefe also to him we are sâ—ters that he would not forget vs being absent but seeke to doe vs good among others by publishing his godly labours Truly gentle Reader though I cannot doe thee good by my selfe yet whatsoeuer fauour or credit I may seeme to be in with him the same I will gladly employ for thy sake vnto that end namely I wil be to him as Socrates sayth he was to the Athenians a spurre or a stinger to pricke him forwarde or rather to speake as Isay speaketh I will be his remembrancer and giue him no rest vntill hee haue gone through the bookes of Moses at the least This if God giue him life so long and if in the meane time some come not in to his helpe as Aaron and Hur helped Moses when hee was wearie with holding vp his handes or as Peters partners helped him Luke 6. when his net was torne Farewell good Reader and doe thou also blesse and loue this man who for thy sake doth thus debase himselfe because he would not exceede thy capacitie be thou neuer so simple whereas he could otherwise get himselfe a great name like the great men of the earth by writing for the reach of the better learned againe farewell Hereford 1. April 1592. Thine in the Lord Iesus Miles Smith Certaine plaine breefe and comfortable Notes vpon euery chapter of Genesis gathered and layd downe for the good of them that are not able to vse better helpes and yet are carefull to reade the word and right heartily desirous to taste the sweete of it Genesis Chap. 1. The whole Chapter intreateth of the Creation of the World and particularly deliuereth vnto vs these poyntes to bee considered of Who Created What was Created When. How Whereof To what end In what space TOuching the first it saith God created therein implying the whole Trinity God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost for so we learne by conference of other Scriptures with this Of the Father giue those Apostls witnes When they lift vp their voyces to God with one accord and sayd O Lorde thou art the God which hast made the Heauen and the Earth the Sea all things that are therin against thy holy Sonne Iesus c. Also 〈…〉 he said to Iob Where wast thou All things that were made 〈◊〉 of the earth c. Of the Sonne and without him was made â—â—mselfe what the Psalme saith Thou Lorde in the beginning haste established the Earth and the Heauens are the works of thy hands Also that in the Euangelist all things were made by it to wit by the worde Christ and without it was made nothing that was made Of the Holy-ghost witnesseth Iob when hee saith his Spirit hath garnished the heauens and againe The Spirit of God hath made mee and the breath of the almightie hath giuen me life And in this place by the iudgement of verye learned The Spirit of God mooued vpon the waters by consequence those words of Ieremie The gods that haue not made Heauen and Earth shall perish from the Earth and from vnder heauen If then the Holy-ghost should not create hee should bee no God yea of all the three persons conclude thus and so this Prophets testimony shall inferre the creation of each person Austen saith Sicut personae sunt inseperabiles ita inseperabiliter agunt as the persons are inseperable among themselues so doo they worke inseperablye Againe Opera Trinitatis quoad extra sunt indiuisa communia with many such testimonies In this very place that we now looke vpon the Hebrue word for God is of the plurall number to note as some thinke the pluralitie of persons the verbe created of the singular number to note the vnity of deitie in them all And vers 26. it is said Come let vs make man noting the three persons all ioynt creators together and cannot be vnderstood of Angels as spoken to them because man was not created according to the Image of Angels but of God Now if any should doubt how the first article of our beleefe agreeth with this which attributeth the creation to God the Father it may be answered that it is not so doone there to the ende to exclude eyther Sonne or Holy-ghost but onely to shew the order and manner of the creation and other workes of God for as the father is the fountaine of the Godhead and yet not therefore either Sonne or Holy-ghost excluded from the same but each of them God equall with the Father as touching the Godhead so rightly is the Father made author of creation and yet neither Sonne nor Holy-ghost idle in the same But 〈…〉 that by a certaine order the 〈…〉 first in order willeth it as it was the whole fabrick and course of things created Then he expresseth this will by his Sonne in whom as the Image of his Father the decree and order of all â—he worke shined he spake and they were made and distinguished in theyr orders Thirdly the Holy-ghost together with them both worketh also immediatly cherishing and nourishing what was created and giuing motion vnto them Thus was there an order in the worke and yet all three persons ioyntly creators of all together This marked and remembred both answereth the doubt now in speeche touching our beleefe and many other places of Scripture also wherein the creation is ascribed in shew of words but to one person Iohn saith All things were made by the sonne Paule saith Yet vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whom are all things And in the same verse he saith of Christ that By him are all things and such like Austen saith Filius non agit a se sed per se The Sonne dooth not of himselfe but by himselfe All which speeches and theyr like eyther in Scripture or Fathers note an order among the persons in their worke but exclude none from the same For as we saye the Fire shyneth by the light which commeth from the same and yet we make not that light any seruile instrument off or to the same fire but euen his naturall force and power So is the Father sayde to doo whatsoeuer hee dooth by the Sonne and yet
that wee should auoyde many times Stubborne stomacks had rather breake then bowe but we must beware it 12 When shee was thus fled the Lorde yet rewarded not what she deserued but by his Angell admonished her in the wildernesse to returne againe so good is hee that hee regardeth all sortes and contemneth not the poore estate of a seruante 13 When the Angell asked her whence shee came and whether shee would she playnely answered and lyed not that she fled from her Dame Such truth is an ornament where it is found in Man or Woman and such truth in a seruant in these wicked dayes wherein we liue O how rare 14 This councell to returne was not giuen her by and by neyther this finding of her in the wildernesse but after shee had tasted a little smarte then was it sayde vnto her teaching vs that then is the best time for good counsell when our owne rodde hath beaten vs and not before with manye natures 15 When hee biddeth her humble her selfe to her Dame wee see the dutie of seruauntes plainely and the dutye also of Dames truely to bee content and accept to bee appeased and pacified with the submission of a seruaunt that hath offended which some will neuer so fierce is their nature and so voyde of remembrance that euen their maister is also in heauen read the Epistle to Philemon for his seruant to bee receyued againe that had gone awaye 16 In the 13. verse behoulde her thankefulnesse when shee thus vsed of the Lorde She called the name of the Lorde that spake to her for this Angell was Christ Thou God lookest on me and so foorth a good bringing vp in a good house maketh some showe in hir manners more then at these dayes it will do in many Lastlye see howe afliction and good councell will make Hagar come home againe to a good place and learne to performe more dutie where it is due So should it make others aswell as her but that grace is wanting which was in her Chap. 17. The generall heads in this Chapter are these The change of Abrahams name from the 1. verse to the 7. The institution of circumcision from the 7. to the 15. The promise of a Childe to Sarah from the 15. to the ende PArticular thinges worthye our noting may bee these and such others First the mentioning of his age wherefore it was Surelye to teach two things First that the Seede which God gaue him was not by strength of nature but by extraordinary grace for Sarah and he bothe were of these great yeares Secondly to shew how long in patience and faith Abraham expected that gratious promise not doubting as the Apostle sayth of the same but strengthned in the faith giuing glory to God and being fully assured that he which had promised was able to doo it 2 The words I am God all sufficient haue been obserued before to contayne a most strong and sure stay to a christian hart in all perplexities and distresses for if his promises be great this power of his assureth vs hee is able to pay and performe them If wee pray and aske any thing be it neuer so hard in flesh and blouds conceipt this assureth vs we shall obtayne it if it bee good for vs. For what cannot hee giue that is all-sufficient if it be his good pleasure to doo it and so in all things as I say it is a maruellous fortresse to shield a mans faith from the battring shot of Satans assaulting feares and doubts In iourneying on the way in perils of waters in perils of robbers in perils in our owne countrey in perils in forren countreys in perils in the Citie in perils in the wildernesse and euery euery way it is a stay to vs that God will either deliuer out of them or in them as shall be best for he is all-sufficient 3 Obserue wee the couenant betwixt God and Abraham how it containeth first a condition of Abraham to be performed and then a promise of God vppon that condition to be expected The condition that Abraham must performe is this walke before me and be thou perfect or vpright Gods promise is this I will be God to thee and to thy seed after thee vers 7. This couenant standeth still to all the seede of Abraham after the spirit that is to all those that are ingrafted into Christ by a true faith And therefore as then hee and all his seede according to the flesh if they would inioy the promise were to performe the condition so still it is with vs and shall be with all Gods children to the ende of the world True religion in the hart of man or woman shall euer finde God a gratious guide staffe and stay and want of the same a iust neglecter of vs because wee haue broke the condition For this cause it is sayde by the blessed Apostle that gayne is not godlynes but godlynes is great gayne and profitable to all things as that which hath promise both of this life and that to come For this cause was God euer so carefull by his Prophets and Preachers to call vpon the people for sinceritie in worship and holy obedience that they performing their part hee might performe his to be their God and their childrens after them for euer And for this cause againe were all those exhortations made by good Fathers to their children and charge that we reade of in scripture that they shoulde feare God knowe God and serue God That they seeking him he might be found of them they louing him he might loue them they seruing him he might serue them with his mercy and fauour with his prouidence and blessings needfull to this life and with his kingdome and comforts for euer and euer when this life is ended Maruell not then if either your selfe your seede or others and their seede whome you know be reiected of God and taste of his wrath by sundry iudgements if you knowe that you and they do not walke before hym as heere hee commandeth Abraham nor performe the condicion with any care wherevnto you see God maketh his promise in this place 4 The change of Abrams name was for confirmation of his faith touching the promise that in all hope assurance hee might expect and recken of what in all truth and certayntie would bee performed on Gods part if hee beleeued yea euen as surely and verely as now he was called Abraham of Abram and Sarah of Sarai so carefull was God euer to vnderprop the faith of his children by all good helps that it might abide 5 Concerning Circumcision which is the second head in this Chapter note what it was a cutting away of the foreskin of the flesh of euery male childe Consider why in that part of the body to shew that whatsoeuer is begotten and procedeth of the seed of man issuing from that part is corrupt and sinfull vtterly vncapable
CERTAINE PLAINE briefe and comfortable Notes vpon euerie Chapter of Genesis GATHERED AND LAID DOWNE for the good of them that are not able to vse better helpes and yet carefull to reade the worde and right heartilie desirous to taste the sweete of it By the Reuerend Father Geruase Babington Bishop of Landaph PSAL. 119.103 O how sweete is thy worde vnto my mouth sweeter then honie vnto my throte EZEK 3. verse 3. Then did I eate the rowle and fill my bowels with it and it was in my mouth as sweete as honie LONDON Printed for Thomas Charde 1592. To the godly disposed Reader I Haue often desired to haue some good occasion offered me wherby I might at the least in word sâ— God knowes in deed I am 〈…〉 to testifie my vnfeigned zeale and goodwill to the Authour of this booke for the comforts and sweet instructions I haue receiued by his most holy labors And althâ—ugh my â—udgement be but slender and therefore my sentence little worth yet vnder the Authours correction with whom I am vnacquainted and without whose knowledge I am â—â—ld thus farre to presume I dare giue this testimonie of all his workes and so of this amongst the reâ—t that he doth therein vtter as great loue to the Church of God and as feruent zeal vnto the truth as euer did any Engliâ—â— man that hath writen I humblie beseech God that his faithfull trauaileâ— may prouâ—ke others of his calling to followe his steps in the like care of gods people coÌ„mitted to their chaâ—ge One thing is necessarie al the rest are but accidents and â—â—taineâ—s the Lord make vs more carefull to the attaining thereof and increase in this Reuerend Authour zeale and heauenly strength to proceed as he hath begun to helpe forward the Lordes haruest which lieth withering vpon the ground in many places for want of workemen The Lord for his elects sake hasten the comming of his son Iesus Christ to iudgement confound all his obstinate enemies and vntill then graunt vs his peace with Christian constancie and obedience to his truth Amen Thine in the Lord Edm. 〈◊〉 student in diuinitie The Preface to the Christian Reader shewing amongst other things the most necessarie vse of such easie commentaries and the intendment of the Author ALthough gentle Reader God and man both may look for at our hands that al of vs should be able to prophecie as Moses speaketh and al of vs haue our wits so exercised in y e word that we could euen without a guide wade in the deepe places thereof nowe I sâ—y that the light of the Gospel hath bene set on a candlestick so long and not onely Moses and the Prophets but also the Apostles and Euangelists haue in euery citie almost such as preach them vpon the Sabboths and festiuall dayes yet for al that to true it is and with griefe of heart be it spoken as well as to their shame that are faultie the greatest part haue no knowledge in the scriptures to account of the vision I meane the doctrine of the olde new testament is a booke that is sealed as the Prophet speaketh The causes whereof as they are common and not vnknowne first our owne naturall corruption whereby we loue darknes more then light and ease more then paynes taking next the malice of our ancient enemie who because he could not hinder the winds from blowing the seede froÌ„ being sowne vpoÌ„ the earth which he principally aymed at therfore hee bestirreth himselfe so much the more egerly to take that which is sowne out of mens hearts and to make it vnprofitable so are the remedies as easie to be discerned I pray God they may be at length as well thought vpon attained And what be they The first and chiefest is the holy spirite of God who being giuen to a man searcheth all things euen the deepe things of God 1. Cor. 2. But vntil he be giuen there remaineth a vaile ouer the heart vntaken away in the reading of Gods booke and so that which should haue beene for our light is made vnto vs an occasion of falling What shall we say then Is the letter dark or doth it turne any out of the way No our minds are darke euen darknes it selfe Iohn 1.5 And though there appeare vnto vs a great light as there did vnto Saul at noone day yet vntill by the finger of the holy ghost as it were by the hands of Ananias the scales of naturall ignorance bee taken away froÌ„ our eies wel we may suffer our selues to be led by others but we shall not be able to see our way our selues For this cause S Paul praied for the Ephesians that the spirit of wisdome and reuelation might be giuen theÌ„ that the eies of their vnderstanding might be lightned c. And for this cause are we to pray with all maner of praier and supplication and with al earnestnes that this key of Dauid of y e true Dauid Iesus Christ might be giuen vs. For if the spirit once open no man shutteth but if he shut so long as he shutteth no man can oopen nay as Austen saith though god himself should appeare vnto vs in some likenes of man and speak vnto vs yet if he do not moue vs direct vs by his inward grace the grace of his spirit he should do vs no good at al with al his preaching Therfore I say deare brother begin here make praier for Gods enlightning spirite the first staffe of thy ladder and the first stone of thy building Pray for the same early and late and doubt not but it shalbe giueÌ„ the. For if we that be euil can giue good gifts vnto our children how much more shall our heauenly father giue the holy Ghost to them that desire him This promise is made by Christ himselfe and by no worse person and therfore as he that beleeueth it hath sealed that God is true Ioh. 3.33 so he that beleeueth it not yea or doubteth of it saying who shall ascend into heauen and fetch me the spirit the same man maketh Christ a liar and so dishonoreth the sonne and the father to This may suffice concerning the principal help for the vnderstanding of the Scriptures Now besides this there are certaine inferior helps and means which though they be not as effectual as the former for God forbid we should make any comparison betweene the power of God and the weaknes of man yet they be most necessarie and no way to be neglected Nay this is true that if we should do nothing but pray as did the Messalians of old or hold open our mouthes as it were gape after extraordinary inspirations as certaine Enthusiasts do to this day we should do no lesse then tempt God like to them that will take no paines with their ground and yet looke for a good crop and so in stead of blessing wee should reape a curse Therfore though we must begin
and killed which is not in bread and therefore if anye should remaine to such an ende as the Papists would rather they should remaine then the signes of bread and Wine Againe if this offring of Melchisedechs were a figure of Christ either Christ hath fulfilled it or not if he haue not then was not all finished as he sayd which God forbid and if hee haue then being fulfilled why should it not cease as all other figures doo of the ould Testament shall the figure and the truthe stand both at once It is straunge diuinitie nay the contrary is true and sound diuinitie to wit that Christ hauing vpon the Crosse with his own oblation of himselfe ended and determined all figures vsed to show his comming this also if as they take it a figure of him ended likewise and finished and taken away Yet further let these men consider their absurdities against themselues for if their Masse leane vpon this fact of Melchisedech their transubstantiation is quite gone for that which Melchisedech offred if he offered as they say was not any figure or bare show and accidents of bread and wine but bread indeed and Wine indeede the substance there aswell as the accidents and therefore if that was any figure of the sacrifice of the Masse then must that sacrifice be bread and wine indeed as that was Againe if Melchisedech offred any offring it was an offring of thanksgiuing wherevpon his wordes proceeded blessed bee the Lorde that hath delyuered thy enemies into thy hande But they will not haue theyr Masse offring so but a propitiatorie sacrifice how then agree these together Conclude wee then in a better sorte then these men doe that in truth Christ is a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech as the Psalme saith but this order consisteth not in anye reall offring of himselfe daylye for the sinnes of men for with one oblation saith the Apostle hath hee consecrated for euer them that are sanctified but this order consisteth in these thinges First Melchisedech was both a King and a Priest so was our Sauiour Christ Secondly hee was by interpretation saith the Apostle King of righteousnes and King of Salem that is of peace so is our Sauiour Christ truly and verilye King of righteousnesse and peace yea of all righteousnesse and peace Thirdly Melchisedec was without father without mother without kindred and had neither beginning of his dayes nor end of life that is none of these were left in Scripture to our knowledge but hee is propounded to vs as eternall so is our Sauiour Christ eternall indeed and without all these in respect of the one or other nature his Priesthood endeth not as Arons did but is for euer Lastlye Melchisedech was in this aboue Abraham and all the Leuites of Abraham after descended that hee receiued tithes of him and them hee paying tithes vnto him and they also as the Apostle saith because they were in his loynes And hee blessing Abraham the lesser beeing blessed of the greater so was our Sauiour Christ aboue Abraham and aboue all the Leuiticall Priests of the lawe that descended of Abraham This resemblance hath warrant as you see in the Scripture and therefore is â—ounde thus farre But if we will goe further to say Melchisedech offred Breade and Wine therefore Christes bodye must bee offred of Priests in the Masse daylye vnbloudily vnder the accidents of Bread and Wyne for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead wee adde that which the Apostle addeth not which yet hee would neuer haue omitted if it had beene to bee added we goe beyond our warrant and wee must vanishe with our vanitie that hath no surer staye then our owne deuise and fansie And thus much of this matter 10 The â—are lastlye that Abraham had to keepe bothe the credit of himselfe a professor and the Lordes honor whome hee serued appeareth in this Chapter For hee will not haue so much as a thred of him least hee should therevpon speake euill of him his God and religion Such a remembrance should we euer haue by his example of the Maister wee serue of the office we beare and of the partyes wee deale with abhorring bribes that robbe bothe vs and our God of good reporte and set open the mouthes of the wicked against the trueth whereof wee are professors Abraham would not that this wicked King should saye Hee had made Abraham riche and wee care not that anye man sayes of vs. Wee can bee content to bee fedde of Papistes that they may freelye dishonour the Maiestie of God of Theeues that they may escape and steale againe of adulterers and filthie lyuers that they may still transgresse and neuer thinke what may bee sayde by them or by others vppon this occasion of the Lorde whose name wee professe Of his truth which wee saye wee houlde or of our selues whome yet wee gladlye would haue men thinke well of This is nowe farre you see from Abrahams example in this place and therefore except wee learne of him heereafter to amende this course it maye iustlye bee feared wee shall neuer come where Abraham nowe is Chap. 15. The heads of this Chapter In this Chapter there is the promise renued againe the faith and iustification of Abraham from the 1. verse to the 9. 2. The confirmation of him by an outward signe from the 9. to the end Particulars as in other chapters many 1IN that it is sayd The worde of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision note we the manner of Gods reueyling himselfe in those dayes In the 12. of Numbers it is thus sayde If there be a Prophet of the Lorde amongst you I will be knowne to him by a vision and wil speake vnto him by a dreame Noting the two ordinary meanes in those daies vision dreame Heere it was by vision of which S. Augustine maketh three kindes Corporalem spiritualem mentalem corporall spirituall and mentall if I may so speake The corporall vision is when corporall things to our corporall eyes appeare and are seene The Spirituall when the likenesse of things are seene in spirit in dreame or in an extasie The mentall as wee terme it is when vnderstanding is giuen to know the meaning of such likenesses and formes when they are seene As for example Pharoh saw the fat Kine and leane Kine but knew not what they meant Ioseph knew what they ment and yet saw them not Pharoh therefore had a spirituall vision and Ioseph a mentall An other example The two seruants of Pharoh the Butler and the Baker had theyr spirituall visions but knew not againe what they pretended Ioseph did which had no such appearances made vnto him and that was a mentall vision Nabuchadnezar againe had the spirituall vision Daniel 2. Daniel bothe the spirituall and the mentall This vision of Abraham was a corporall vision as is thought and proofe thereof alledged out of the fift verse 2 Obserue
in the best and it may not be iustified This itch of superstition though good men indeuour yet can they not euer vtterly extinguish in their deerest but in long time if euer 9 Iacob thus gone and remoued away with all that he had three dayes after Laban heareth of it and pursueth hotely with all his power What hee meant to doo we cannot tell because God hath not told vs but of like he was fiery inough and conceyued dislike before would now prick him forward mightely But what do we see truly that which with vnspeakable comfort wee may well note and euer remember to wit how God cooleth him and tempereth him before he commeth vnto Iacob to ouertake him charging him in a dreame for his life not only to do no euill but not to say so much as an euill word to Iacob Take heed sayth God take heed Can a man conceyue of this care and mercy in God toward Iacob as it deserueth O how true sayd the Prophet Dauid yea rather blessed are the people that haue the Lord for their God c. for so it is in deede If God be with a man little needeth hee to care for vniust rages after him and against him The Lord hath a snaffle to put in their â—aâ—â—es that pursue his deere ones and they shall do no iote more then he will Iâ— euer you saw a worlding curbâ—d you see it heere Not a word much lesse a deede must passe against Iacob saue what is good Thus restrayned the Lord Saule and made him a Paule in his hetest pursuite of the godly Thus euer hath God done and euer shall do as shall be best Comfort your hearts then beloued euer with this example and feare not man but feare and loue honor and serue to your dying day this God that can this God that will and now doth so bridle an enemy 10 In the 27. verse you see what Laban sayth if hee had knowne of Iacobs departure hee would haue sent him away with mirth and with songs with tymbrel with harp Thus is his toong changed by the Lords warning but God knewe his heart There were many presumptions by former facts how hee would haue liked his departure if hee had bin made acquainted with it but it is best now to say the best and gracious is that God that can pull such words out of a man displeased and force him to speake nothing but faire where hee will haue it so Let all snuffers and browbeaters of honest men consider this and see if they can doe what they list 11 I am able to do you euill sayth Laban but God hath forbidden me c. Where wee may see a difference betwixt the godly and vngodly men The first speake and boast of iustice and equitie saying this or that is due to you by right and to your offence but the second boast and braue it euer with their power and might saying this and that I am able to doo as Laban did heere I trust we are resolued soone whether to follow 12 In calling those idols his Gods saying Why hast thou stolne my gods he bewrayeth vnto vs what all idolaters and superstitious persons do and thinke whatsoeuer they say namely euen make and vse repute and take such things as they worship besides the true God for their gods And what skilleth it for the name when there is proofe of the thing 13 In Iacobs answere cary your eye to Labans obiections which were 3. First that being his seruant he fled away secretly secondly that hee tooke away his daughters and their children being so neere to him in bloud without his priuitie and thirdly and lastly why he stole away his gods vnto all which Iacob answereth but diuersly for to the two first hee sayth playnly it was because he was afraid and thought that Laban would haue takeÌ„ his two daughters froÌ„ him wherein we may note y e open simplicitie vprightnes of Iacob in telling the truth euen as it was indeed without such colors cunning as meÌ„ vse in these days To the third he answereth by a stout denyall referring him not only to search all that euer hee had but offring the party to death with whom any such thing might be found By which vnaduised speech he rashly ouershot himselfe and would haue bin as sory as euer was Ieptha when his daughter met him if Laban had taken him at his word and found the gods with Rachell Iacobs deerest wife Wee learne therefore by it that hasty speach may worke much woe and therefore be we not ouer rash We knowe none so well as our selues and therefore good to be so bould to promise innocency for none but our selues for feare of reprofe But yet this is and this was and this will be euer that as euery one is true and good himselfe so easily thinketh he others to be such but often deceyued and so was Iacob heere Yet as God would it was not then found out for Rachell made a cunning excuse as you see in the text that her father should not search vnder her where in deede these idols were though vnknowne to Iacob Such wits haue women often times vpon a distresse to shift away a shame which in deede were better neuer deserued then with any deuise though neuer so fine auoyded 14 Then Iacob was wroth sayth the text and chid with Laban a iust anger that hath a iust cause and is not immoderate What griefe to a true man to be made a thiefe and to be burdened with practise that his soule abhorreth Yet this you see falleth out sometimes and by name now heere to Iacob which must worke a stay of minde in vs if a like thing happen Moses was angry when he saw the calfe and when Corah rebelled Num. 16.15 Ionathan for his fathers rage against his friend Dauid and many moe examples of lawfull anger hath the scripture so that all anger is not forbidden but onely such as hath sinne in it 15 In the expostulation that Iacob maketh if you marke it reade it is notably layd downe the faithfull vsage of a good seruant and the vnkind requitall of a bad mayster A good seruant is not flitting euery day and changing but 20. yere in a place sometimes as Iacob heere He wasteth not any wayes his maysters good vnder his hands but so careth for and regardeth all things that his mayster prospereth by his faithfull trauell in the day he is consumed in the heate and with frost in the night and his sleepe departeth from his eyes for thus speaketh Iacob of himselfe An vnkinde mayster is described thus cruelly he requireth of the hands of his seruant whatsoeuer is lost without regard of circumstances he changeth his wages often and euer to the worse and at last he sendeth empty away whome in all conscience he should reward very liberally Thus you see is
yet in mercy I regarded thee turned my face from thy due desertes and sayd Thou shalt liue Now if there were no merite in this first people why the Lord should chuse them before all others but that mere mercy regarded them in their blood what merit might be in vs Gentiles wild oliues and behind them far in circumstances sundry of great importance that we should swell and be puffed vp Read the whole Chapter in Ezechiel and thinke in your soule how much rather the Lord might complaine of vs generally or particularly as there he doth of them And what should haue humbled them let it humble vs what should haue made them tenne thousande times thankfull Let it make vs not onely that way but euerie way dutifull to our liues ende Moses was a Leuite and yet hee writeth this of his father Leuie an argument euident that flesh and blood did not rule in the writing of the scriptures which hardly is drawne to laie downe any shame or blame of their auncesters but that Gods spirite the God of truth and veritie guided and gouerned the penne of the writer as best was seeming to his wisedome 13 Shal he abuse our sister as a whore say they No yet may not thereon be concluded that against a fault any manner of proceeding is alowed The fact was wicked yet the punishment should haue been orderly and with their fathers aduise who chiefly was wronged and whose wisedome and discretion would better haue guided his sonnes then they any way could direct him But this is youth hotte and fiery rashe and vnbrideled neuer forecasting what may insue but egerly harpyng vppon a reuenge They neuer thinke of their fathers estate and theyr owne in that countrey that they were but straungers there that they were but fewe and that extreame daunger might arise both to theyr father and them by this rage No no the heate of youth doth first performe and then repent when it is too late Whither did Cain his outragious anger carry him Surely his brothers blood was nothing when furie and anger had taken place Saul against Ionathan Achab against Naboth Asa against the Prophet with many moe declare well the effectes of anger when once it is kindled and incensed Theo-dosius after his slaughter of seuen thousande at Thessalonica in his anger by the perswasion of Ambrose layde downe a lawe that whosoeuer after should be condemned to death should haue execution therof deferred for thirtie daies to the ende that if anger had anye way made the iudgement too sharpe this respite and tyme myght againe moderate it accordyng vnto iustice For vt fragilis glacies interit ira mora As I se in time doth melt away so time makes anger to decay Lastly if you marke this answere of Iacobs sonnes it may shew what naked excuses we content our selues withall rather then we will acknowledge that we haue done euil Againe how vnprofitable speech is to an angry man til the mood be past Anger so darkeneth the mind that reason can haue no place No reason to a minde incensed with anger is like a keye to a locke that is iumbled that is it can do no good And as a theefe choseth often the darkest night and the fisher the water that is troubled so sathan to worke many mischiefs in chuseth a hart when it is troubled with anger But let thus much suffice of this Chapter Chap. 35. The chiefe matters of this Chapter are these two The remoue of Iacob away from Shechem The death of certaine of his dearest friends COncerning his remoue the text saith that then God sayd to Iacob that is to say then euen then when his heart was troubled and full of feare for the bloudie tact of his sonnes in Scechem Where see the vigilant care of the Lord ouer his in all their distresses doth hee euer forsake them that faithfully and hartely cleaue vnto him No no hee is at hand and readie euen before the trouble happen to bee comfortable to vs because this is essentiall in him and not accessory 2 Marke how he biddeth him go to Bethel and there build an Aultar vnto God that appeared vnto him when hee fled from his brother Esau why if you remember or looke the place Iacob there promised that if God would be with him in the iourney and keepe him and giue him bread to eate and clothes to put on so that he might come againe vnto his fathers house in safetie then should the Lord be his God and that stone which be there set vp as a piller should be Gods house c. And hath Iacob beene all this while in the countrey and not been yet there to performe his vowe and to giue the Lord thankes who so gratiously had granted his desire O great slownesse in so good a man and verye worthie blame exceedingly See then and marke it well how slacke the best of vs are to paye in prosperitie what we promise in aduersitie euen with great zeale Wee saye in sicknesse if we may recouer we will do this both to God and man and in other perils we promise much but alas where is all when once we are well and out of danger Hath Iacob dulnesse and haue we none thinke of it and by his faulte in this place that must be called vpon and spurred vp by God himselfe let vs amend what is amisse Then marke againe in this remembrance made by God the manner of it Go vp to Bethell Iacob sayth he and make there an altar c. This is not why hast thou not done it and because thou hast forgotten me I will forsake thee or any such like sharpe rebuke Sweete againe is this if we consider it For Iacob was now in sorrow his heart being wounded both for his daughter that was defiled and for the crueltie of his sonnes with the perill also that his whole familie was in In which greefe of his the God of mercie would not adde greefe vnto greefe but sparing him kindly admonisheth him gratiouslye with sweet words not so much as once quipping him for his faulte with but halfe a sharpe word A patterne euer to be followed of vs one towards an other that wee bruse not the heart already broken but too much that we insâ—lt not one ouer an other for slippes and wants but kindely quicken vp when a harde speech woulâ— crush too much O sweetest GOD howe sweete art thou to slaggâ—sh sinners when they doe faull and shall wee not labour to bee like them c. 2 When Iacob had receyued this woord of the Lord hee willeth his household to put away theyr strange Gods plainlye noting that there were such amongst them And knew Iacob this and reformed it not Surely the best men then haue theyr affections and euen good Iacob is not heere without them Rachell his Wife is most deere vnto him and for her sake eyther he seeth not or he feeleth