That by how much the stronger the bondes be By offering wrong to breake the bonds of vnion is an aggrauation of the hearts horrour whereby men are tyed to one another by so much the sorer the torment is like to be in the conscience for the wrongs they offer to one another It was the breach of the bond of brother-hood that no doubt encreased the horror of these brethren in this their distresse doth not their speech bewray as much We are verily guilty concerning OVR BROTHER this same BROTHER stucke much in their stomacke It was the wronging of his Father his louing Father who had giuen him his patrimonie affected him deerely showne kindnesse to him continually which made the inward gripes the stronger and the outward cries the louder of the yong prodigall e Luke 15.18.21 It was the betraying of his Master his kinde Master who had called him to an Apostleship betrusted him with the Stewardship whom he was so bound vnto that if neede had required he should rather haue beene prodigall of his owne blood for his sake then haue betrayed his innocent blood that encreased the horrour the heart-smart of Iudas f Math. 27.3 It was no doubt the spoiling of the life the defiling of the wife of his Seruant his trusty and faithfull seruant Vriah who lay watching and warring in the open fields for Dauids sake whom Dauid was beholding vnto for his loue and seruice that did augment the trouble of Dauids conscience when the Lord in mercy awaked him g 2. Sam. 12.13 Psal 51. Did you neuer reade nor heare of Nero how that the murther of his mother whom nature bound him to and the slaughter of his kindred whom the same bond tyed him to did so vexe and torment him that neither day nor night could hee be quiet but still he thought his mothers ghost did appeare vnto him and the furies of hell were ready at hand to torment him h Sueton. in vit Neronis c. 34. 35. The like is storied of Alexander who hauing slaine a deere friend of his named Clytus who had in loue showne his readinesse to haue died for Alexander i Curt. lib. 8. p. 119. si moriendum est pro te Clytus est primus was so terrified in his minde that hee would haue killed himselfe with that weapon wherewith hee slew Clytus if his guard had not preuented him he lay groueling vpon the earth filled the whole court with miserable howling and out-cries asked those that stood by him whither they could suffer such a wretch as himselfe was to liue cloistered vp himselfe in his tent and would haue pined himselfe to death if his seruants had not by strong hand compelled him to take meate still this being his pittifull song k Et ego seruatorum meorum latro reuertar in patriam Curt. lib. citat pag. 120. 121. 122. I shall returne into my owne countrey a murtherer of my SAVERS my Sauers this aggrauated his horror this questionlesse added to his terrour that hee should so wrong one that had rather beene his sauer then his enemie whose loue hee was bound as the light of nature taught him to haue rewarded in a better kinde Thus we see the truth of the point how that the strength of bonds to tie vs to one another doth encrease the perplexitie of the conscience for those iniuries we doe or shall offer to one another Vse Heare this all you whom no bonds no not of nature of blood it selfe can keepe within the compasse of loue of equitie whose hearts are malignant whose tongues are virulent whose courses are violent against your owne kinred the father rising vp against the sonne the sonne against the father the mother against the daughter the daughter against the mother husband against wife wife against husband brother against brother sister against sister a mans enemies being not onely of his owne house but also of his owne blood Heare you I say this word of the Lord take it in by the eare and apply it to the heart Poore wretches what wrong doe you offer your owne consciences you pile vp horror for them you treasure vp terror against them The stronger the knots be to binde you to vnity the sorer shall your anguish be for your fruits of enmitie Achitophel stood but in a ciuill relation to Dauid as a subiect to his Prince yet hee was terrified for giuing euill counsell against him l 2. Sam. 17.23 They Iaylor but in a domesticall relation to Paul and Silas as a Iaylor to his prisoners yet hee was affrighted for laying bolts vpon them m Act. 16.24.30 And doe you thinke that you may offer vnnaturall violence to those betwixt whom and you there is naturall reference and your consciences will neuer accuse you as sure as can be you are deceiued Let but brethren in the same Ecclesiasticall function fellow Magistrates in the same temporall vocation fellow seruants in the same family fellow neighbours in the same countrey offer wrong to one another I cannot warrant THEM securitie from stings of conscience But to deale cruelly with thine owne yoake-fellow to hate to reuile to abuse thy parents whom thou oughtest to loue honour and obey to be with out naturall affection to thine owne children who are thine owne bowels to deale doggedly with thy neere kinred and vnkindly with those of whose kindnesse thou hast so bountifully tasted is a thing so horrible so iniurious that I dare warrant thee will cost stings intollerable yea without repentance wounds of conscience incurable For if it be n Illa est vera innocentia quae nec inimiconocet August in Psal true innocencie not to hurt a deadly foe then it must needs be iniurie in graine to wrong a deere friend and the greatest sinnes must haue the greatest punishments of which punishments torture of conscience is one yea the greatest in this life if it produceth despaire as it many times doth If therefore it bee thy hap to heare or reade this who art at enmity with those to whom thou art tyed by the bonds of nature or kindnesse let mee entreate this at thy hands that thou wouldest labour with the serious meditation of this vpon thine inordinate and violent affections that it may cause thee to relent for thy former enmitie and breake in sunder those barres of contention whereby thy heart hath beene bolted vp against thy brother so long a time Doct. 6 That Retaliation is Gods Law The fourth point followeth That the Lord requites like for like to the wrong doer Iust as these brethren had dealt with Ioseph so so in their owne apprehension at least are they dealt withall themselues Therefore is this distresse come vpon vs. As we sowed so we reape as we measured so is it measured to vs againe We looked vpon Iosephs distresse this man lookes vpon our wee would not heare our brother speaking for himselfe this man now will not heare vs we carryed home
THE COVRT OF CONSCIENCE OR IOSEPHS BRETHRENS IVDGEMENT BARRE BY THOMAS BARNES 2. COR. 1.12 Our reioycing is this the testimonie of our conscience that in simplicitie and godly sinceritie c. The guiltinesse of the conscience is the mother of feare Chrysost LONDON Printed by IOHN DAVVSON for Nathaniel Newbery and are to be sold at the Star vnder St. Peters Church in Corne-hill and Popes-head Alley 1623. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL WILLIAM TOWSE Sergeant at Law one of His MAIESTIES Iustice of Peace in Essex As also to the Right Worshipfull the Lady KATHERINE BARNARDISTON his beloued Wife both my much respected friends The Author wisheth the blessings of this life and the next RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL IT was a saying of one of the a Ambr. an Constan Duo sunt tibi necessaria conscientia fama conscientia propter te fama propter proximuâ—â— Fathers in an Epistle to one of his friends Two things are needfull for thee conscience and credite conscience for thy selfe credite for thy neighbour And not without reason spake he this for the one is an inward witnesse the other giues an outward testimony of our doings The one serues to breed inward consolation the other to bring outward commendation But notwithstanding the necessitie of both yet the best of the two is least regarded the Philosophers saying being most true b Senec. de morib Plerique famam conscientiam autem pauci verentur Many feare their credite but few their conscience So it fared as it seemes with those ten sonnes of holy Iacob who did mis-use his beloued Ioseph So they might hide that wrong they did their brother and saue their credite with their father little cared they vntill distresse awaked them how matters stood in the Court within them So also it fares with the Secret sinners and Ciuill liuers of our dayes To keepe their name good amongst men they are very curious but to haue a cleere witnesse in their owne conscience they are nothing studious That this euill might be somewhat helped this Treatise haue I compiled wherein my scope is to bring men to a care of their Consciences as well as their names knowing the one to be as needfull to cleere them from blame before the Barre of heauen as the other to keepe them from shame amongst men For if Salomon saith true though a good name be better then a precious oyntment c Eccl. 7.1 Yet A good conscience is a continuall banquet d Prou. 15.15 If any one aske the reason of this my drift my reason is two-fold First because conscience is fearefull in accusing Secondly because conscience is faithfull in recording which two things amongst others according to the tenour of the text are principally and most largely handled in this Treatise And good I desire all may doe in and to the Israel of God To your Worships I thought good to dedicate the same though worthier papers were fitter for your Patronage If I were not confident of acceptation I should not presume to present you with it Albeit indeede it had beene fit that my first friends should haue had my first fruits yet I hope my second publike labours in this kinde will not be vnwelcome Howsoeuer I owe them your Worships vndeserued fauours showne mee challenge the same and more at my hands If you please to vouchsafe them the reading I doubt not but you shall finde something profitable though plainly deliuered in an homely stile If you please to afford them the protection being so simple and small as they are you shall get me into stronger bonds continually to wish to both your Worships what Iohn did on the behalfe of the Elect Ladie and Noble Gaius euen to your soules Grace peace and mercie e 2. Ioh. 3. to your bodies health and prosperitie f 3. Ioh. 2. For which he promiseth to pray who is Your Worships at command in and for the Lord. THOMAS BARNES The Table of the first part In this text are two parts 1. Certaine Accusers touching whom note 1. The occasioÌ„ that brought them in in this word AND wherein 1. The meaning pag. 1. 2. The 1. Doctrine of the text that affliction doth oft awake conscience and mooue to confession pag. 6. where 1. Proofe pag. 8. 2. Vse threefold 1. Reproofe pag. 12. 2. Exhortation two-fold 1. To make a right vse of affliction p. 14. 2. To be patient in affliction p. 19. 3. Information of 2. things 1. Why God afflicteth his people p. 17. 2. That God by affliction will haue glorie from the reprobate page 18. 2. What manner of persons these accusers were They said one to another where 1. The meaning pag 6. 2. The 2. doctrine of the Text. That coÌ„science accuseth wherein 1. Proofe pag. 21. 2. An obiection answered pag. 23. 3. A doubt remooued p. 26. 1. Confutation pag. 31. 2. Consolation pag. 35. 3. Terrour pag. 42. 4. Exhortation both to get and keep a good conscience pag. 47. where are also set downe helpes 1. To get a good conscience and to be cured of a bad pag. 50. 2. To keepe a good conscience and to be kept from an euill pag. 62. 4. Vse foure fold THE COVRT OF CONSCIENCE OR IOSEPHS BRETHRENS IVDGEMENT BARRE GEN. 42.21 And they said one to another We are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when he besought vs and we would not heare therefore is this distresse come vpon vs. NOr to trouble you with any tedious Preface The summe and scope of the Text. this Scripture being giuen by inspiration as all diuine Scripture is and written for our learning doth comprehend in it a Iudiciall act of Diuine prouidence in bringing to iudgement that same mischieuous fact committed by ten of Iacobs sonnes against Ioseph their innocent and harmelesse brother The division In which act as it ordinarily falles out in Iudiciall cases two circumstances offer themselues to our consideration 1. The accusers at this Barre 2. The accusation it selfe The first is laide downe in the beginning of the verse And they said one to another The second in the clause of the verse we are verily guiltie concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when he besought vs and we would not heare therefore is this distresse come vpon vs. The first part subdivided and interpreted Touching the first which wee must first handle we may note two particulars First the occasion that mooued the accusers to come in Secondly the persons who these accusers were The occasion is gathered out of the precedent verses and coupled to the text by this particle so that in this one word AND the occasion is intimated which stands thus A great dearth in Iacobs dayes raigneth in all the lands about Egypt And as it is the lot of Gods dearest seruants to be common sharers with other in common calamities that good old father with his whole family was pinched with it as
well as other places At which pinch hearing of a great Corne-master in Egypt little thinking it had beene his sonne Ioseph for whom he had laide aside his mourning weede so long agoe he calles his ten sonnes vnto him commands them to hasten into Egypt to this man to buy and bring home some foode for his houshold At his command thither they speede themselues whither no sooner were they come but this Gouernour their brother Ioseph whom they had once mis-used though neuer dreaming it should be hee seemes in an holy policie to vse them harshly a Verse 9. chargeth them to be Spies would not accept of the b Vers 10 11 12 13 14. Apologie they made for themselues putteth them into Ward three dayes c Vers 17. would not suffer them to goe home with corne for which they came but on condition that one of them should remaine his prisoner vntill the rest went home and fetcht their brother Beniamin whom they had spoke off to bring him to him d Vers 15.19.20 These brethren meeting with this harsh and vnexpected entertainment begin to be somewhat troubled in their mindes and each one by his countenance as it is likely coniecturing and guessing at the disturbed motions in anothers minde by reason of these straights fall to that parley amongst themselues which is recorded in the present text The sense of the word And. Now then if any shall aske wherefore this word And serues in the beginning of the text when as there is no sentence before to be fitly ioyned to this speech I answer though it doth not ioyne words and sentences or sentence and sentence together yet it coupleth minde and mouth fore-going thoughts and follow words implying that such thoughts as arose in their minds about Iosephs vsage of them gaue the occasion and produced those words of accusation which the text hath in it So is the occasion The parties who brought in the accusation in these words They said one to another you vnderstand already to be the tenne sonnes of Iacob Iudah Simeon Leui Dan and the rest each ones proper conscience by this occasion bringing in a seuerall inditement against himselfe for the wrong formerly offered vnto Ioseph Hence then we haue two lessons to take forth 1. That afflictions are of notable vse to awake the conscience and make a man confesse his faults 2. That an euill conscience is an accusing conscience Doct. 1 For the first it is as plaine in the text as you would wish Distresse doth occasion many times touch of Conscience and confession of sinnes These brethren of Ioseph hauing dealt most vnnaturally with him their brother lay a sleepe in that sinne of theirs so long as the day of prosperitie lasted without any compunction of conscience for it without making any confession of it But now when they see themselues in great distresse pinched with penury at home vsed hardly abroad where they hoped for the supply of their wants thrust into prison charged falsely to bee spies could not in their own thinking be beleeued when they defend themselues now I say that they perceiue themselues in these straits they begin to buckle the conscience is pricked and the fault is confessed mutually amongst themselues which before as it is like they were more ready to laugh at then grieue for Put a malefactor deseruedly vpon the racke A simile and you shall get that from him in confession which otherwise he purposed neuer to haue reuealed So let but afflictions racke the body many times sinne will racke the soule and the tongue will confesse the guiltinesse of the heart Examples both of Elect and Reprobate may be produced for the proofe of this First concerning the Elect how afflictions haue thus wrought with them the example of Ionah doth declare So long as he was let alone he disobeyed the voyce of God fled from the face of God and slept spiritually in the bottome of his sinne as corporally in the bottome of the shippe but when the Lord shook the shippe wherein he was with the violence of the winde threatned present destruction to him and all those that were with him in the shippe then he could cry out and confesse for my sake for my sinne this great tempest is vpon you a Ion. 1.12 Memorable and not vnknowne is the story of Manasseh b 2. Chron. 33. from the 1. verse to the 14. Who in the time of his prosperity raigning in his pompe rebelled against the God of heauen reared vp the Altars of Baal made groues to worship the whole Host of heauen sacrificed his children to Moloch obserued times vsed inchantments followed witch-craft dealt with familiar spirits wrought much euill himselfe in the sight of the Lord made his subiects to erre and to doe worse then the heathen And so long as his peace lasted wee doe not reade that euer he confessed one of his abhominations to God or to man in token of any remorse for the same But when the Lord brought the Captaines of the Host of the King of Assyria vpon him who tooke him among the thornes bound him with fetters carried him into Babylon and when he was thus in affliction then he could beseech the Lord humble himselfe before the God of his fathers and pray vnto him and so by consequent make confession of his sinnes before him Dauids mouth shall also teach this truth c Psal 32. Psal 32. Day and night saith hee in the 4. verse thy hand was heauy vpon mee and marke what followeth in the 5. verse I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee mine iniquitie did I not hide Yea affliction will mooue the mindes and extort confession from the mouthes of Reprobates also The the thunder and haile and iudgement of locusts vpon Egypt can make Pharaoh himselfe to confesse and say I haue sinned this time the Lord is righteous I and my people are wicked d Exod. 9.27 I haue sinned against the Lord your God and against you e Cha. 10.16 The very newes and tydings of affliction to come vpon Ahab his wife and posterity can make Ahab though he were one that sold himselfe to work wickednesse in the sight of the Lord yet euen to rend his cloathes put sacke-cloath vpon his flesh fast and goe softly f 1. King 21 from the 21. vers to the 28. and confesse his iniquitie Insomuch that we may truly say of a great many that their dayes of affliction are their g Beat. Rhen. an in Tert. l. de patien p. 2. Natales agnitiones birth-dayes of confession Reason 1 And good reason for it for why afflictions in themselues are fruits of sinne had not sinne entred into the world neither could diseases disgraces pouerties captiuity crosses and losses haue befallen mortall man but sinne ouer-spreading all and so afflictions as fruits of sinne being incident vnto all when men are vnder affliction they will acknowledge their transgressions as the cause of the same