world made began in time since the creation of the world is an outward action of God voluntary The very same answer may be made vnto the rule wheÌ„ the cause is the effect is the cause eternal therfore the effect to wit y e world For this holdeth in natural things also that worke naturally necessarily but not in things y e worke freely willingly as God did in creating Otherwise euery house must be as ancient as the Carpenter that made it No the relatioÌ„ ther betwixt y e cause the effect beginneth in time after because he is a voluntary cause so is it with God Silly then slack are these conclusions you euidently see and far from demonstrations Thirdly they reason thus That which hath no alteration is not subiect to generation or corruption The heauen hath no alterations for thus many thousand yeares none haue beene obserued Therefore it is not subiect to generation to be made or corruption to cease to be Therefore it is eternall We aunswer that all though it might be truly sayde that many partes of the world are subiect to alteratioÌ„s as the aire the water the earth c and consequently the whole not perpetuall whose parts be alterable Yet with diuinitie we rather say that Generatio physica naturall generation and creation be two things and differ much so do Corruptio physica naturall corruption and violent destruction which a renuing shal follow Therefore although neither generation nor corruption can be without alteration yet things may be created that haue no alterations as Angels stars soules And by diuine power celestiall bodies may be destroyed or at least changed and renued according to the saying Heauen and earth shall passe and againe They all shall waxe old as doth a garment c. Behold I create a new heauen and new earth and with such like For the argument then it may be granted that albeit the world was not Genitus generated as I may say yet it was created by God of nothing and so their purpose faileth for all this cauill also Fourthly they say Time is eternall therefore motus moouing for time is the measure of moouing if motion then a thing moued to wit the world c. For answer wherevnto first the consequence may be denyed for time is not onely taken as philosophy taketh it for measure of moouing according to first and later But sometime it is put simply and absolutely for the continuance of a thing though it be not the measure of the motion of the same So may we call eternitie and that infinite continuance that I may so speake of God who hath bin from euerlasting But this is improperly for indeed the maner that hath taken place in schooles is to call time the measure of mouing Now Aristotle not able by naturall wit to see rightly what difference was betwixt time eternitie or what maner of continuance eternitie was iudged time to be eternall because he saw an eternitie of a moouer which is not so for there may be a mouer eternall to wit God albeit no motus corporis mobilis for God is not corpus mobile as the parts of the world are as philosophie meaneth Now Tempus est mensura motus corporis mobilis non dei according to Philosophy Secondly touching the antecedent that time is eternall it may truly also be denyed And for that which is vsually brought to prooue it that it began with the first moouer in some moment or poynte of time which point being a coniunction of passed and future presupposeth a point passed and so an other infinitely it may be answered that euery point of time is not a continuer ioiner of passed and future but it is also sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amending of time whether it be at the beginning or ending for as for example the point in the line is not euer a continuer of the same line ioyning that which followeth after to that which went before but also a certaine thing both beginning and ending the line So in time there is Nunc initians a beginning and an instant or a present that beginneth with the thing as when the world tooke his beginning then began also such an instant or present there is also Nunc continuans a continuing pointe which is properly called time because Tempus est fluxio à priori ad posterius a going from the first to the later and at last there shall be Nunc terminans an ending point to wit the end of the world now thus created moouing and bâ—ing Nothing therefore helpeth this argument to prooue an eternitie of the world more then the rest did Many mo might be alleadged to this purpose but no better then these and I iudge neither these nor them very pleasant to such as I specially labour to profit because they conceiue not such consequences Wherefore I cut them off and this onely I commend vnto you to be thought of It is impossible euen by the Philosophers owne rules that there should be mo infinites then one Now God is one infinite therefore nothing els in heauen or earth beside But whatsoeuer is else it had a beginning and many things shall haue an ending also The rest by his power shall haue an eternitie giuen them to continue not of themselues 4 How did God create all things Not by or with any labour but by his word for He spake the word saith the Psalme and they were made he commanded and they were created Liberrime sine vlla coactione noÌ„ necessitate absoluta sed necessitate coÌ„sequentiae nempe suae voluÌ„tatis Freely without any coÌ„straint not by an absolute necessitie but by a necessitie of consequence to wit of his owne good wil. Solo nutu sine vlla mutatione aut fatigatione Onely with his beck without any change or wearines in hâ—mselfe which is the highest and excellentest kinde of working 5 Whereof Not of his essence neither of any former matter coeternall with himselfe but of nothing for if by him all things were made surely beside him nothing is excepted from making no not that first matter wherevpon all things were made But you will say man was made of the dust of the earth fishes and fowles of the water woman of man and then how were all things made of nothing Damascene answereth Deus fecit omnia ex nihilo alia quidem immediate alia mediate God made all things of nothing but some immediatly others mediatly His meaning is that God made first of nothing a matter a first matter whereof he made all other things Now that first matter is made of nothing immediatly but the rest that were formed of that matter were formed of nothing mediatly because they were made of that which was made of nothing and so secondarily or mediatly as I say then of nothing But then you will say againe Ex nihilo nihil fit Of nothing nothing is made And I answere you that so it is
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
not as by any vnder instrument and inferiour meanes as wickedlye the Arians would conclude but as by his substantiall power and vertue And againe as wee saye the fyre shyneth and the light of the fyre also shyneth so all which the Father dooth the Sonne also dooth Thus much of this poynte 2 What was created Heauen and earth say these words of Moses heere And Heauen and Earth and Sea and all things that are in them say the Apostles in an other place But that the generalitie bee not mistaken you must remember that needefull limitation which the Apostle addeth when hee sayth All things that were made By him all things were made and without him was made nothing That was made By which clause is made a plaine distinction of things created from things vncreated Nazianzene Epiphanius with other of the old writers rightly concluded vpon it against the Arians that as the Father was not made nor created so neither Sonne nor holy Ghost were But especially this clause discerneth and distinguisheth the workes of God and good creatures from sinne and death and such like which were not things made but came otherwise not things positiuely as I may speake of themselues but a priuation destruction and horrible deprauation of the order first made by God Thus teacheth Iohn when he maketh Satan the author of lyes and saith then he speaketh of his owne Againe when he saith the concupiscence of the flesh is not of the Father but of the world and in the next Chapter He that committeth sinne is of the Deuill for the Deuill sinneth from the beginning And as for death By sinne came death saith the Apostle and the rewarde of sinne is death c. When it is sayd therefore that God made all things remember to adde this all things that were made as S. Iohn dooth and so shall you exclude from the worke of God all sinne death deformitie confusion tyranny calamitie and such like which being neuer made by God are crept in by Satans malice and mans corruption as breaches and blots of Gods order 3 When In the beginning saith Moses heere and much a doo haue curious heads made about these words But if we haue that reuerent feare in vs that all men ought to haue toward the word of God they are plaine inough for if he had said in the end God created heauen and earth would we not streight haue conceiued that hee created them last to wit in the worke of the sixte day And why should we not as easily conceiue him when he saith in the beginning to meane nothing but first of all to wit the first day and so leaue all vngodly quirkes to a vaine heart that shall weepe for such wickednes one daye In principio say the best interpreters that is Certo ac definito tempore atque adeò in principio temporum non ab aeterno In the beginning that is in a certaine and definite time and euen in the beginning of time not from euerlasting In principio scilicet creandi In the beginning to wit of creating â—aith very rightly Abben Hezra God created heauen and earth And let these graue lights of graue and learned men sway more with vs then a thousand subtilties which as Syrach speaketh are fine subtilties but vnrighteous This creation of it in the beginning conuinceth the falshood that it is eternall So do many things mo beside this and namely that computation which is generally receiued of all men of the yeares which it hath indured and which be now past since the creation But neuerthelesse on go some with their blinde concepts and would prooue the contrary For first say they if we grant the world had a beginning then was God idle euer before but that is absurd therefore it was not created but was eternall We may answer them first that the rule which they harpe vpon in this argument namely that Perfectissima causa non est otiosa the most perfect cause is not idle Non est vera dea gentibus voluntariis is not true of such things as worke by will or willingly as the most excellent Carpenter may forbeare his worke and action a time If they thinke that God was alone therein they shew themselues carnall and speake carnally For how should he be alone more then then now vnto whome all things are present though they be future and things that are not as if they were Hierom vpon this occasion citeth that saying of Scipio Nunquam minus solus qùam cum maxime solus Neuer lesse alone then when I am most alone And cannot this be true much more of God that he is not alone without these creatures which he made Could he say it when his countrey was lost his wife and children freends and louers that yet all his good was with him and cannot the Lord say it much more that his good standeth not in the presence of creatures but before euer they were and now that they are yet all his is with him without them Christ sayth hee is not alone not in respect of any company of man or creature but in respect of his Father whome he saith to bee with him Nowe shall Christ not bee alone in respecte of hys diuine coniunction with hys Father and shall it not be alike with the Father in regard of his sonne and with the holy Ghost in regard of them both and with eache of them in respect of others Surely that inseperable vnitie of the Trinitie denyeth to euery person a possibilitie to be alone And that insearchable mysterie of the fruition of his owne glorye is other manner of company if I may so speake then all the creatures of this world can yeeld him O but yet say they what did God euer before Verely saith Austen he made Hell for such busie braines vnreformed harts and toongs that will so curiously enter into Gods secrets How much better would the words of the modest and godly Apostle become them O the deepenes of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God howe vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who was his counsellâ—r c. Secondly they reason thus The moouer the thing mooued be relatiues and the one supposeth the other But God the moouer was euer therefore the thing mooued to wit the world But we answer them to this also truly that if there be a moouer actually then there must needes also be a thing mooued But God though he were from euerlasting himselfe yet did he not actually mooue in respect of these outward creatures which are without his essence but onely was Mouens potentia It is farre differing therefore to speake of one as was said before that worketh by wil and freely to speake of a thing that worketh naturally it is no absurditie to say y t the relation betwixt the first cause the
it did that yeare that Christ suffered Iohn 19. 3 That most strict and precise rest specified in the lawe from all worke from rosting of meate gathering of stickes Exodus 16.29.35.3 and Number 15. from any long iourney and such lyke were Ceremoniall and therefore with other the Ceremonies of the law are abrogated by Christ there remayning to man now a further freedome and yet without breach of the Sabboth as I pray you reade in my treatise vpon that commaundement at large The daye also of the Iewes Sabboth was changed from the Saterday to the Sonday by the Apostles theÌ„selues Act. 20.7 1. Cor. 16.2 4 The ende and vses of this Sabboth also you may there more at large see to wit For order in the Church of God that we might meete together and none be freed from seruing God at least one day in seauen For the reliefe of seruants and brute beasts which by pitilesse worldlings might else be abused And lastly to resemble and still to remember vs of our eternall rest in heauen to be cared for now and enioyed then when this life is ended Esay 58.13 The exercises also of this Sabboth you may there reade to weet preaching praying reading singing conferring mutuall admonishing visiting the sick poore prisoners with many such like Touching the repetion of things concerning creation vers 4. and 5. it is said that God had not yet caused it to rayne therein ascribing it to the Lord as his peculiar power to open and shut the heauens and to send drought or rayne according to his good pleasure And in deede so it is very often repeated in the Scriptures that we might duly confesse it and thankfully euer consider it I will send you rayne sayth the Lord in due season and the earth shall yeeld her increase yea I will giue the fyrst rayne and the later that thou mayst gather thy wheate thy wine and thy oyle The vse of this knowledge we learne by the Prophet euen to say in our hearts Come let vs now feare the Lord our God that giueth rayne both earely and late in due season and which reserueth vnto vs the apoynted weekes of the haruest That a mist supplied the place of the rayne and watered all the earth we learne the great power of our God to furnish and steede himselfe euer with meanes to effect his wyll If hee haue not one thing he can take an other and neuer will he wante conuenient instruments of mercie for his children 2 Man was created of the duste of the earth that so base a matter might euer worke humilitie of minde cut the cordes of swelling conceipts for wherefore should dust and claye be lifted vp and cause a true remembrance of assured end that earth wee were earth we are and to earth againe we shall returne hee not we can tell how soone 3 But ere euer hee made Man hee made all thinges for man as was noted before The earth to goe vpon the heauens to couer him the Sea for walles Fishes and Fowles Hearbes and Trees to feede and comforte him to delight and accompanye him light by daye and the like by night manye a greene and pleasant thing and what wanted of such creatures for man before hee was Is this God a changeling was his care for man then so great and is it nowe nothing No no hee is the same and though wee haue sinned yet hee is intreated and for Christ as hee was hee will bee carefull and good for man and to man euermore Yet this is not all but consider we further of this thus That if this dealing shewed loue and care to Adam then howe is it not eache one of our cases at this daye in some respect For before euer hee would haue anye of vs to lyue and breathe in this world wee see had hee not prouided Parents and Freends houses and comfortes and whatsoeuer might bee needefull for vs O loue then to vs also most kinde and a care that may assure vs hee will euer care for vs. Loue him and feare him honour him and serue him hee is your GOD who prouided for you before you were borne thinges needefull for you against you should bee borne and wyll hee euer forsake you nowe when you are borne O fayth increase growe and bee sâ—rong helpe Lorde helpe for fleshe is full fraile and faynter then I would 4 God breathed in his face the breath of life man was made a liuing soule God gaue life then and who can take it awaye without his leaue Can raging tyrants bluddy persecuters flye Iudases No no till hee will you cannot dye thunder they and threaten they neuer so much and breathe out slaughter euerye houre against you God gaue life and God must take it awaye it is one prerogatiue of his you neede not feare Againe who can preserue lyfe but hee that first gaue it No man no meanes And therefore vsing as you are occasioned what God hath appointed of any helpes yet caste your eye euer vpon the Fountaine from whome life came at the first It is an other prerogatiue againe of his to preserue life also and to giue his blessing for that purpose to his creatures Hearbes or Plants meates or drinkes men and their counsels whatsoeuer Againe life is the gifte of God therefore abuse not what God hath giuen you It was not of your selfe but it was giuen you you must accompt for it how you haue vsed it to the giuers praise and your owne discharge 5 God made a Paradise a Garden most pleasaunt as euer was that it might bee for euer to posteritie after a figure of a celestiall place abounding with innumerable comfortes for the godly prepared in Heauen Hee made not man in Paradise but translated him and put him in it after hee was created that it might resemble that wee also shall bee remooued from the place where wee firste tooke our beeing to a place with our GOD where wee shall neuer take ending God set in this Paradise thinges not onelye profitable for vse but pleasant also for sight thereby assuring vs that hee disliketh not our pleasures any more then our necessaries but most gratiously â—â—oweth that wee should haue both so that wee will let the Tree of lyfe alone that is so that wee doe not swell aboue that which is allowed vnto vs but be obedient to God and with praise and thankes vse his creatures 6 God set man in this Garden to dresse and keepe it not allowing Man in his moste innocencye to be idle no hee would not his Angels to wante what to doe but made them ministring Spirites Howe then should hee nowe when corruption hath caused a cursse and that cursse giuen cause of force to labour alowe lothsome idlenesse Bee sure hee dooth not bee sure hee will not And therefore all honest mindes will not looke for nowe what was not lawfull
to be in his great mercy Yet what is so lothsome to wicked wretches as the company fellowship kinred or acquaintance of the godly But what maruell since like with like are best pleased 7 If you aske how all the beasts were gotten the text answereth they came of themselues God compelling them by his diuine power to present themselues before Noah as before Adam when he gaue them names in the second Chapter 8 In the 11. verse you see the time In the sixt hundred yeare of Noahs life in the second moneth the seuenth day as we recken about the beginning of May when all things flourished and yeelded show then euen then began this wofull tragedie of mans destruction So sure shall it be that God sayth and so inchangeable is his purpose Then were all the fountaines of the great deepe broken vp and the windowes of heauen were opened heauen and earth agreeing together to accomplish Gods will and to destroy mankinde O heauie day when man should so offend God that the creatures abhorre him the fountaines and deepes and waters below and aboue But nothing will warne some men 9 When all were entred into the Arke the text sayth God shut them in thereby declaring that by his diuine power they were only saued and the Arke kept whole against all dangers and insinuating to vs the like cause of all our safetie euermore It is not our house our Castle or tower when we go to bed that saueth vs but that the Lord shutteth the dores and closeth vs in this is our suretie that no power can withstand whatsoeuer it wisheth this is our safetie that wee may trust vnto Were the gates of the citie iron or brasse if he shut them not they wil neuer hould out but were they wood or clay made strong by his defending mercy no canon can batter them nor man get them open to hurt any within whome the Lord will haue safe and to that end hath shut within them 10 Then all flesh perished that moued vpon the face of the earth sayth the 21 verse But whether man perished eternally or no that is the question I meane all that were drowned in the flood whether were they also condemned to hell and so perished that way we may answere truly that it becommeth dust and ashes to leaue Gods secrets to himself but for the argument that therfore it should seeme so because they tasted of his outward iudgement alike it foloweth not for the two theeues crucifyed with our Sauiour had like outward punishment and yet not one inward condemnation Many dye the deaths of seuerall offences and yet are saued by mercy in the world to come God forbid we should censure men so as to conclude their eternall death vpon their temporall suffrings We may not do it well may wee learne by these words that all things perished that if nothing could help it selfe when God was angry what shall it be that shal haue strength to helpe vs and sheeld vs from his wrath may the strength of a Gyant gold siluer horses wisedome or any thing do it no all these things in this flood could not profit any thing the owners of them and so shall it euer bee therfore trust not to them 11 The rayne from aboue and the fountaynes beneath are things we cannot lack yet see we in this place how they made a flood Learne we then by it what a great difference Gods fauour and anger make in the same creatures If in fauour he rayne we are nurished by it if in anger he do it we are destroyed so is it with the fire with the aire with our meates drinks and whatsoeuer we vse in this mortall life his mercy maketh his wrath marreth the same thing O how should wee then valew Gods fauour how should wee seeke to haue it and feare to loose it Pray we when we rise and pray we when we sleepe that his creatures we may enioy in fauour euer 12 Only Noah was left aliue and they that were with him in the arke Yet say the wicked in the Prophet Malachie It is vayne to serue the Lord there is no profit in it But wee see the contrary in this place and euer If the Lords wrath be kindled neuer so little blessed are all they that trust in him When mountaynes and hills castles and forts trees nor any tall towres can saue a man this keepeth him close from all harme and not onely him but his friends with him that he was godly and serued the Lord. Let this be our gayne then whilst we see this light and we shall neuer loose Doest thou thinke to reigne sayth God because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar No no thy fathers godlynesse made him prosper and thy want of that shall make thee perish be thy Forts neuer so strong thy braueries neuer so many they shall not serue Reade the 3. of 1. Peter the 20. verse Chap. 8. After mercy commeth iudgement and after iudgement mercy againe as we may see in this Chapter wherein wee haue The ceasing of the flood to the 15. verse The comming out of Noah to the 20. His sacrifice and Gods speech to the end COncerning the first wee see the author GOD. The meanes hee made a winde to passe vpon the earth the fountaines of the deepe and the windowes of heauen were stopped c. The time when after the hundred and fiftieth day by our computation about the 19. of October and for other particulars 1 It is sayd the Lord remembred Noah wherin is discouered vnto vs the most faithfull care and carefull faithfulnes that is in almighty God for his true seruants euer he loketh vpoÌ„ their perils he seeth their dangers and in his due time he remembreth to releeue and release them as he did heere Noah and his family Can the Bride forget her ornaments nay can the Mother forget her childe these things be hard and easily are not done yet suppose they might be done the Lord for all that cannot forget his who making him their God he hath made his seruants and written them in his hand yea made them as signeâ—s vpon his right finger that he may neuer forget them O Lord sayth Dauid what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou so regardest him Tary then but Gods leysure as Noah did and be sure of remembrance in due time as he had 2 To strengthen vs in this consider how it foloweth of the Cattell that God also remembred them Alas doth the Lord care for Sheepe and Gotes yea for creatures many of meaner regard and forget man in his tribulation and wo Behould the fowles of the ayre do they sow or spin to be fed and clothed thereby yet God remembreth them O how much more man that is Lord of all these if we had faith 3 When it is sayd the fountaynes were stopped
the same Again to consent to that which is wickedly deuised of others and to make a particular concept a general iudgement action and worke at last Great cause therfore that mens lewd deuises should be restrained from being published since both the deuisers wishe and mans great corruption is so prone to yeeld a wicked consent and folowing of the same Caiphas counsell when it once sounded of Christs death was quickly harkened vnto and from that daye forward consultation had together howe they might accomplishe the same Whosoeuer broched it first that the people should aske Barabbas and refuse Iesus it was soone receiued liked folowed of such ignorant spirits and giddy heads That a sort should combine together and kill the Apostle had a beginner and how quickly pleased the plot such other bloudye mindes and spitefull hearts How soone imbraced Lots yoonger daughter the counsell of the elder to do so vile a thing That vnbrotherly conspiracie against Ioseph was soone yeelded vnto when once it was vttered Lye vpon thy bed said Ionadab and faine thy selfe sicke when thy father commeth to see thee pray him that thy sister Thamar may come make thee some meate c. You know the counsel you know the consent to the same also how ready it was how wel liked Ahitophels deuise that Absolon should enter into his fathers concubines left to keepe the house though it were horrible yet how it pleased was imbraced cannot be forgotten A sort of green heads Oratores noui stulti adolescâ—tuli new orators fooles yoong counsellers laid a plot for Rehoboam Salomons sonne to folow he liked it he folowed it and cast away the counsell of the aged experienced learned and faithful counsellers to his father but it cost him the setting on hee bought it deere and had I wist came as euer it dooth when it was too late Thus might we runne on a large and long course if I woulde But it shall not neede one example moe shall suffice and then an end of this note Doe you remember the murmuring against Moses and Aaron in the booke of Numbers how began it had it not a Captaine then a second then a third then a number once broched that Moses and Aron tooke too much vpon them that others were equall with them and therfore should be in like authority that the people wronged and so foorth soone was it liked soone was it catched soone was it prosecuted of proud mindes that would be aloft and knew not to obey But what was Moses Aron that they should be thus vsed of their brethren Surely the Lords faithfull ministers his chosen serauants they were whose cause when he had thus exercised them with a trial he tooke into his own hands his ielousie on their behalfe began to burne and till hee had shewed a iudgement that should make all eares to tingle that heare of it all hearts not forsaken of God to feare how they doe the like hee neuer left them Conclude we then vpon all those that sinne some be wicked to broache a wickednesse and thousands weake to folowe the same when once they heare it yea though it be to builde a Tower against God it neuer was nor euer shall be either godly pollicie or christian dutye to suffer mens braines to broche what they list and others to folow vnquiet deuises hatefull to God and hurtfull to his Church in a high degree 6 It followeth in the text That we may get a name see the madnes of the world euer to neglect heauen and seeke a name in earth where nothing is firme nothing continueth but fadeth away and perisheth as a thought This madnesse the Prophet Dauid mentioneth in his 49. Psalme and laugheth at it saying They thinke their house and their habitations shall continue for eâ—eâ— euen from generation to generation and call the lands by their owne names This their way vttereth their foolishnes yet their posteritie delight in their talke c. That saying of Iuuenal is known Mors sola fatetur quantula sunt â—ominum corpuscula onely death acknowledgeth of what power mens bodyes bee such are our minds so greedye of a name and so blinde in the true course to attaine the same whereof wee had speeche before Thys sinne of ambition and vayne glorye pricked the heartes of our first parents to the very death It is not rooted out of their posteritie nor euer will But yet lesse and more it pricketh although all bee not euill in this respect alike Would God this vngodly and vntowardlye regarding and desiring of a name had not beene before and were to this day a cause to make many reiect the truth of God which they should imbrace For times past what said our Sauiour in the 5 of Iohn Howe can you beleeue which receiue glorie one of an other and do not seeke that glorie that is onely of God For times present I content my selfe with that confession openly at Paules crosse that amongst some other causes which kept one in such disobedience to God and hir Maiestie this was one chiefe one the tickling of vaine glory Which cause said he I am sure dooth detayne most of the contrary side meaning Papists in their peruerse obstinacie howsoeuer they bragge that they seeke nothing by theyr dealings but the glory of God c What I could saye I doe not let them that take bad courses examine their owne hearts why they do it and remember how deepe hee that made the heart seeth into it Yea let others also looke that be no Papists if this hidden conceipt to get a name doe not make them tread awrie and if secret thoughts giue secret sentence on my side against themselues because conscience will speake true though not euer alowde that others may heare remember his saying that sayd it well Melius est de media via recurrere quam semper currere male Better it is to returne backe when we haue gone halfe waye then still to go on and that ill 7 They will build they say to saue them that they be not dispersed But behould the issew this very thing is the cause of their dispersion both farre and wide a sunder So crosse shall God turne the counsels of flesh against his glory liking and will For euen that which the wicked feareth shall come vpon him saith the spirite of God As in example one for many beside this place Christ may not be suffred to liue and goe on least the Romains came vpon them and tooke awaye both their place and the nation But euen this conspiracie put in practise brought that which they feared vpon them most trulye iustly and heauely to thâ—ir vtter ouerthrâ—w and subuersion by Titus and Vespasian There is no strength there is no counsell wisdome or pollicy against the Lord. If fleâ—h deuise wayes to establish it selfe without his feare the folly of flesh shall soone appeare
then me sayth the Lord is vnworthy of me In the Psalme it is sayd to the Church to euery member of it Harken O daughter and consider incline thine eare forget also thine owne people and thy fathers house secondly admonishing vs what a perilous thing countrey impietie is able to infect any man if he tary in it And therefore God draweth Abraham away from them because with them he should hardly euer haue been good 4 Whether did God call him surely to no certayne place but from his owne to some strange place which he would apoynt vnto him thereby making tryall of his loue so much the more by how much he knew no certayne place wherevnto to go It teacheth vs aboue hope vnder hope to cleaue vnto God and iâ— once we haue a generall commandement to leaue particularities not yet so manifest to his holy prouidence and the further manifestation of the same in his good tyme. 5 To what end doth he call him surely that he might make of him a mightie Nation that hee might blesse him make his name great and bring to passe that in his seede that is in Christ who shoulde descende of him that blessing might bee recouered which was lost in Adam and so all the Nations of the world be blessed So see wee playne how Gods dealings shoote euer at the good and to the good of them whom hee loueth and who obey him are ruled by him Many a man hath he drawen from home and out of his owne countrey but to his great good both in body and minde In body by honors preferments and earthly blessings many wherewith hee hath inriched him in a strange place In minde by a true knowledge of his holy truth there attayned vnto and got which otherwise in likelyhood had neuer beene How preferred hee Ioseph in a strange lande with many mo c. But marke how the Lord expresseth his fauour further when he saith I will also blesse them that blesse thee and I will curse them that curse thee c. thereby shewing vs what it is to haue him our God surely to haue a friend of him to our selues and to all that are friends vnto vs and a foe to all false harts harboring and hatching mischiefe against vs. And what can we wish more 6 How did God call him by his word and by this word at this day he calleth vs sending vs his messengers earely and late to speake vnto vs and to intreate vs as the Apostle speaketh in his name that we would be reconciled to him not dye but liue and inioy a place of eternall comfort for euermore with his owne selfe his sonne his holy spirit one God of maiestie glory and power with angells archangells Saints and Martirs the spirits of iust and perfect men To day then or any day when we heare his voyce harden we not our hearts neyther despise him that speaketh Christ Iesus For if they escaped not that refused him that spake on earth to wit Moses how much more shall we not escape if wee turne away from him that speaketh from heauen whose voyce then shooke the earth and now hath declared saying yet once more will I shake not the earth only but also the heauen c. 7 Hauing considered the Lords calling in the next place wee must consider Abrahams obedience which not onely appeareth 〈◊〉 this â—eâ—t but is honored with a most notable remembrance also â—y y e Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrues for by â—aith saith he Abraham when he was called obeyed God to go out into a place which he should afterwards receyue for an inheritanâ—e and he went out not knowing whether he went c. A great obedieÌ„ce to leaue house home countrey friends where he was â—ought vy such an obedience as thousands of vs cannot brooke â—n these dayes though it were to glorifie God or serue our Prince and countrey in great measure but a farre greater to go he knewe not whether For what a doo would some of vs haue made at such a motion what folly what madnesse would we haue accompted it to leaue a place we knew and euer had liued in to go we could not tell whether But so did not Abraham he obeyed to go and to leaue all yea hee obeyed to leaue all and goe hee knewe not whether Marke therefore I pray you the nature of true faith and the measure of it in Abraham it wrestleth it striueth it ouer commeth at last all obiections of flesh and bloud and yeeldeth a holy and sweet obedience to the commandement will and pleasure of almightie God such faith shall honor vs as it honored Abraham if being in vs for our measure there shall flow from it such dutifull obedience to our God as occasion shall be offered and we called to now wherefore euer let vs thinke of it 8 But when wee speake of this obedience of Abraham in departing I pray you let vs remember euer that it was vpon a word commanding hym and calling hym as hath been sayde and not vpon his owne head The fourth verse sayth hee departed but how as the Lord spake vnto hym sayth the text c. Cutting thereby and therein the combes of all momish Monks that apply his example to their bad dooings and their leauing of friends as they saye and Fathers house to his example For Abraham was commaunded they not Abraham had cause least hee should bee seduced by his idolatrous kinred and countrey they not Abraham knewe not whether he went they full well Abraham carryed his wife with him and left her not they not so in any case Therefore you see how well this example fitteth them and how iustly they resemble it 9 If we note Abrahams age when he thus obeyed he was as is thought 75. yeares He liued 175. in all And so it appeareth that a whole hundred yeares he was a traueller and possest not the breadth of a foote as Steuen sayth of all that was promised to him and yet his faith fayled not but by the same he abode sayth the Apostle in the land of promise as in a strange countrey c. when we farre vnlike him faynt and are greeued with euery litle delay in the Lords doings 10 That Sara went with him we may see the obedience of a faithfull wife Not one grudging of her is mencioned not one obiection carnall and worldly either to excuse her selfe or to hinder him from that wherevnto the Lord had called him But she trusseth vp and away with him whither God should apoynt knowing his lot to be her lot in well or wo taking her selfe called when her husband is called as if she had by name bin expressed because God is no seperater of man and wife whome himselfe hath ioyned till death depart O honorable Sara for this obedience without crossing gaine saying contrarying repining and murmuring being a comfort and incouragement to
wee the oportunitie of this Vision when it was Surely when Abraham was returned from the rescue of Lot and was now in a great feare what might be faull him by those Kings whome he had so pursued conquered and deliuered his freend from He was a stranger and they at home hee but a few they of great power alyance and kindred howe should it bee but they would combine together to destroye him and neuer put vp and digest what he had doone to them This multiplied in Abrahams minde as all feare will and gaue him many a secret gripe that all the world felt not so well as hee But behould a gracious God a deare and tender father that neuer slumbreth nor sleepeth when his be in agonies and perplexities In this oportunitie of time he appeareth to his seruant renueth his promise to his great comfort and dasheth in sunder with his wordes of sweete mercy the bones of all such troubled thoughts and fearefull concepts Could Abrahams heart haue wished his comfort in a more fit time Did hee not thus againe before when Lot was departed from him Let it euer then be one of our notes in reading the word how fitly in respect of time and neede God comforteth his and let vs know that he is one and the same for euer to all that put their trust in him He seeth what Abraham wanteth and when he wanteth and seeth he not vs Hee gaue Abraham what hee wanted and when he wanted it and is â—e onely his God Stirre we then vp the faith within vs euer euer to trust in him to depend on him and to expect from him our wanted helpes euen in the very time they may best steede vs. 3 Let vs marke the manner of comforte and the wordes themselues Feare not Abraham saith he I am thy buckler and thine exceeding great rewarde He telleth him not that his enemies be wicked and he iust or that they shall be weake and he strong or any such matter but this he saith onely I am thy shield Teaching vs that this is enough against all the threats of foes and terrors of a whole worlde if God care for vs and take vppon him to be our shield against them Earthly hearts do not conceyue this but they crie Giue me friends and fauour with men with Princes with Noblemen with Magistrates and Gentlemen giue me gold and siluer giue me alyance and kindred and such like and then let me alone but if we want these all or some woe be to vs we cannot liue we shall be so crossed so snubbed so brow-beaten so pinched a thousand wayes that death were better a great deale then such a life But O carnall wretches and carnall comforts is God nothing and man all is the Creator so weake and the creature so strong where are our eyes If these things bee had with Gods fauour they are good meanes and may bee our comforte but if these wante and God loue is hee all to weake to shielde vs God forbid Naye onely his loue is life and libertie though all the worlde with his power were set against vs. And this is that which in this place God would haue Abraham to see That hee might not thinke alas I am a stranger weake and without friendes great men malice me and howe shall I doe howe can I scape their handes c. away saith GOD Abraham with such concepts I am thy Buckler and I tell thee that is inough against all thy foes were they neuer so manye and mightie Truthe Lorde truthe and farre bee it from vs euer to thinke otherwise If thou be with vs who can be against vs to hurt vs. If I walke in the middest of the shadow of death saith the Prophet Dauid I will not feare any euill and why Quia tu mecum es Because thou art with mee and O Lorde it is our songe also increase our faith for thy merciâ— sake 4 In that hee saith hee is his rewarde and not onely so but his exceeding great rewarde wee doe well see there is no losse in seruing God as the wicked doe complaine in the Prophet Malachie that there is but on the contrarye side this is profitable and most profitable yea this is riches and exceeding great riches For what hath Heauen or Earth that is not ours God himselfe is ours and wee are his and vnto God what may be added for more perfection Dâ—uid saith The Lorde is his â—â—epheâ—rd and therefore hee shall wante nothing And may not wee say the Lorde is our God our Father our shield and buckler yea our rewarde and exceeding great rewarde therefore we are riche and loose not by his seruice Most truly may wee say it euermore and moste sweetlye should wee taste it when wee are tempted It is wealth to haue Corne and Wine and Oyle increased but sure farre greater wealth to haue the light of Gods countenance lifted vp vpon vs in the Prophets iudgement It is gaine To haue our Garners filled with all manner of store to haue our Oxen strong to labour no leading into captiuitie nor anye complayning in our streets and the people bee happie that bee in such a case but surelye yet farre greater gaine it is to haue the Lorde for our God and rather rather happye bee they that inioye that mercy then all the former 5 When Abraham sayth to God yea but O Lorde what wilte thou giue mee seeing I goe childlesse c. We may see the weakenesse of Gods children euen his deere ones and cheefe-ones if things answer not theyr desires They are a little impatient and thinke lesse of many mercies that both they haue and are promised after to haue because they wante some one thing that they would gladlye haue So was Abraham heere for wante of a Childe as if hee should haue sayde O Lorde what is all thou promisest whilst this wanteth that I haue no issue This is a great corruption in vs and wee must beware For if God were not mercifull it were the waye to robbe vs of all to thinke light of anye for wante of some Let vs not thinke it is denyed that is differred God hath his tymes for all thinges and bounde are wee to his Maiestie for what wee haue till more come and though neuer more come 6 When Abraham thus vttered his greefe for wante of seede God telleth him in great goodnesse hee should haue seede according to his desire yea farre and farre aboue that which hee could imagine or aske For as the stars of heauen so should his seede be for number A gratious promise to a greeued minde for that same thing But when or wherein will not God be good to those that truly serue him this promise Abraham beleeued saith the text and it was counted vnto him for righteousnes By faith then was Abraham iustified we plainly see and is there an other way for other men this were madnes to thinke
that hee was assured his posteritie was chosen of the Lorde and euen for the kingdome that after folowed that it should be in his stock and line and belong to them Therefore sayth the Apostle that Isaac blessed Iacob by faith and Esau concerning things to come as did also Iacob in the ende of this booke when he was a dying This honor then that heere hee speaketh of shot at that which was fulfilled afterward in Dauid and Salomon but chiefely in Christ vnto whome all people are seruants and all Nations bow euen the knees of all things in heauen and earth and vnder the earth and to whome God hath giuen the heathen for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for a possession as sayth the Prophet Yet true also euen of the godly is this which is said he that curseth thee shall be cursed and blessed be hee that blesseth thee for euen in his holy tabernacle shall a place be giuen to them that make much of such as feare the Lord. And whosoeuer offendeth one of these little ones that beleeue in me it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that hee were drowned in the bottome of the sea But chiefely I say it is true in Christ who descended of Isaac that heere speaketh thus which Christ whosoeuer curseth by abusing his person or contemning his truth c. that man shall be cursed and whosoeuer blesseth him by imbracing him and beleeuing on him c. that man shall be blessed 17 Iacob was scarce gone out when Esau came Marke I pray you the powrefull prouidence of almightie God how it ruleth and gouerneth times and seasons dayes and houres and moments of time to the safetie and benefite of his chosen For doth Esau come before Iacob is gone No first Iacob is out of his walke and then he commeth Yet see agayne the narrow escape and let vs learne by it not euer to looke for easy and great passage from perill but be content if hardly and narrowly God deliuer vs scarse he was gone yet gone 18 After long debating of the wrong at last Esau breaketh into teares but preuayled not Let it make vs wary and wise least prophaning the dignitie of our holy calling to Christ and vilely esteeming spirituall graces selling them as this man did for some base price and preferring profit or pleasure before them we at last bewayle the same as now he doth but all too late Let the Apostles exhortation sound euer in our eares Let there bee no fornicator or prophane person as Esau was which for one portion of meate sould his birthright For ye know how that afterward also whē he would haue inherited the blessing he was refused finding no place to repentāce though he sought it with teares Surely such men womē as hauing bin once zealous great louers of the word of preachers professors of the same with very forward affection in all good causes and after to please some mens humors to purchase to themselues this or that profit or that they may inioy some sinfull pleasure either forgoe all agayne quite or in great measure Let them take heed they be not either in or very neere the prophannes of this Esau For what do they else then contemne spirituall things to obtayne earthly sell their birthright that is their title to Gods kingdome had by walking in his feare for such sinfull reward as they gayne by their change God awake all cooled harts and giue them heate agayne that so are slipped and thinke not of it Remember Esau and beware Esau 19 This blessing which Esau wringeth from his father includeth temporall things which are common to the wicked with the godly And that breaking of the yoke from his neck your margin sheweth you when it was fulfilled That which I note in it is a certayne vicissitudo rerum an interchange of things For hardly hath bin scene or rather neuer that any man any stocke or any countrey should be euer aloft or euer below and vnder But the Lord changeth giuing the yoke and breaking it away agayne according to his good pleasure 20 Agayne heere in Esau wee may note some properties of a bad man voyde and destitute of any true grace and learne by them both to examine our selues and to auoyde them if wee finde them First hee hated his brother for this thing and hee that hateth his brother is a mansleyer sayth the Scripture Secondly hee thinketh in his minde a secret venome of a poysoned heart his tong hee stayes sed loquitur in corde hee sayth within him some euill Like as the Prophet sayth they imagine mischife in their hearts meaning the wicked Lastly hee appoynteth a time when hys Father shall bee dead beeing content to make fayre weather and to carry murder and suche murder as of hys owne brother tyll that daye Thys is an hypocrites fashion euer to forbeare euill for feare of men 21 But his mother heard of it He happely afterwardes bolting out some suspicion This is the Lord still and still and euermore in the behalfe of hys nothing so secret to their harme which some way or other commeth not out Thus hath thy power O Lord appeared mightely and by name in this Kingdome and the protection of thy faithfull seruant our deere and gracious Souerayne Queene Elizabeth O Lorde how hast thou opened the darknesse of sinne conceyued agaynst her royall person agaynst thys lande and the life of all that feare thy name For wee were sould wee were sould O Lord by many bloudy mindes shee thy sacred seruant first as our head and stay vnder thy Maiestie and then wee her poore people liuing and breathing vnder her shadowe not to be for seruants and handmaydes as complayned that Queene Esther to Assuerus for then they had not bin so cruell but to be destroyed after many miserable monstrous torments with bloudy sword of murdering mindes that should haue licked vs vp drunke our bloud til they had vomited againe for fulnes with the same And from all this thine owne selfe hath saued vs and set vs free giuing them their portions eyther by Sea or land by one meanes or other as they did deserue Out thou broughtest Esau his conspiracies at all times to this day and saued thy true Iacob whome thou hast blessed amongst vs and ouer vs to our vnspeakable comfort ten thousand wayes Some or other heard of it as Rebecca did heere and were instruments of wisedome counsell and seruice to preuent it 〈…〉 Lord wee thanke thee with the very soules of our foules wee thanke thee crauing mercy that wee cannot do it as we should O Lord continue thy mercy for thy mercy sake and let the soule of our Souerayne be still deere vnto thee write her deere Father in the palmes of thy hands and regard her euer as the apple of thine eye Continue
thy Gospell to this land and the light of thy countenance still in our dayes blessed for euer and euer for what is past 22 Marke how Rebecca vseth meanes to saue Iacobs life and yet she had Gods oracle that he should be mightie and rule ouer his brother so that if euer any might haue presumed of Gods apoyntment she for one might but yet she doth not but leauing that vseth ordinary meanes and sendeth him away How senselesse then is it that some talke of predestination that if it be to be saued they cannot be damned and if to be damned they cannot be saued and therefore no meanes to be vsed fye fye of such follies Do as Rebecca heere doth leaue God his apoyntment to himselfe and take the ordinary course to be saued heare his word beleeue his promises and indeuour to walke in the wayes of hys will then shall God performe his apoyntment to your comfort as he did to Iacob the other is but tempting of God and deceyuing your selues Christ himselfe flyeth into Egypt from Herod and yet apoynted of God to liue his time which no Herod could preuent with many moe Lastly note Rebeccas words to her husband I am weary of my life for the daughters of Heth c. See in them how going about to get Iacob leaue to depart the countrey she telleth not her husband the true cause least she should grieue his heart but maketh an other excuse yet a iust one Such wisedome and good discretion is commendable eyther in man or woman Thus shee had her desire her husbands minde not troubled her sonnes both saued and her selfe in peace and quiet It was the Lords goodnes thus to direct her and that Lord in mercy make all these things profitable to vs. Amen Chap. 28. The heads of this Chapter are chiefely these The Fathers counsell at his sonnes departure The fact of Esau The ladder that Iacob saw The vow which he made 1TOuching particulars First wee may marke how a sweet and temperate nature in ould Isaac ruleth and ouerruleth all his affections which otherwise were stirred vp against Iacob when once hee seeth the will of God what it is He is now so farre from raging or rayling agaynst Iacob that quietly and fatherly hee calleth him vnto him blesseth him and giueth him his counsell to direct his match This is a speciall place for grieued parents to consider of or friends whatsoeuer that wee bee not froward and wilfull when children or others haue offended Anger must haue an ende and the sight of Gods wyll must ouerrule vs. I haue heard of parents that neuer woulde relent what circumstances so euer were to moue them Theyr griefe may be iust but yet for all that Isaac heere is a better example then they are and let vs all thinke of it 2 Hee blesseth his sonne Iacob agayne the second time to confirme his faith and to strengthen his heart that the Lorde would be with him so long as hee serued him in all his matters such comfort were fathers blessings in those dayes to children which now very little or nothing are regarded 3 That he calleth him God all-sufficient See comfort and stay of all trauelers in strange places whose trauell lyeth vpon them eyther by any necessitie of their calling or for the truth and their good conscience sake Surely it is this God is all sufficient euer able to protect and saue them wheresoeuer they come so must Iacob thinke that goeth abrode and be comfortable so will Isaac thinke that parteth with him and by the same stay his heart concerning the safetie of his sonne So let vs c. 4 He forbiddeth him mariage with vnbeleeuers and it still doth remember vs how perfitly those godly Patriarks hated such vnequall matches eyther for lucre or pleasure as wee in these dayes make no conscience of 5 It may be agayne our learning to marke the estate of Iacob heere He is chosen and his brother reiected he is the blessed of his father and the blessed of the Lord yet must he now goe walke hee must abrode and shift for himselfe his countrey and fathers house are not for him a banished man must he be O Iacob wee see thy case and consider the lot very often of Gods deere ones God make vs blessed as thou wert for to be banished is no newes 6 When Esau saw saith the text c. Now then he seeth when he had offended but he should haue seene before he offended An ouerlate sight is good neither in pietie nor pollicie for though the prouerb sayd it is neuer too late to do well yet an other answereth that had I wist commeth euer behinde So heere c. 7 Esau seeketh to win his parents loue agayne but all in vayne and preposterously as long as hee taketh not away the cause of their displeasure to wit his Cananitish wiues Wee may learne thereby that in vayne also wee our selues shall â—eâ—ke Gods fauour and seeme religious except the cause of his wrath be done away by vs to wit our sinnes and hated offences 8 He lodged in the feelds to wit Iacob a stone vnder his head c. In which let vs marke his estate who was afterward rich and wealthy The wide feeld is his house the cold earth is his bed a stone is his pillow c. Where is our faith when we see this with patience to beare the time of our humbling triall knowing this and many mo examples of Gods exaltation of his childrens worldly estate when hee seeth his time For who seeing Iacob now woulde haue thought hee shoulde haue bin as hee was after when hee came backe agayne yet so hee was and so able is God to any if it be his will Only beleeue in thy aduersitie and despayre not 9 That night in his dreame hee saw a ladder vpon earth and the top of it reached vnto heauen and so the Angels went vp and downe by it The letter sheweth vs the goodnes of God euer comforting his and strengthning them yea then especially when their neede is greatest of comfort as diuers times we haue seene before in this booke The mystery of this ladder may bee this The ladder is Christ The foote of it in earth noteth his humanitie man of the substance of his mother borne in the world The top reaching vp to heauen noteth his diuinâ—â—ie God of the substance of his Father begotten before all worlds perfit God and perfit man by which vnion of natures he hath ioyned earth and heauen together that is God and man The ascending and descending of Angells by that ladder sheweth how by Christ the seruice of Angells is purchased to vs to attend vs and serue vs as he shall thinke good to apoynt them who onely is I meane Christ our Sauiour the ladder whereby we ascend into heauen I am the way sayth he and no man
hee was ashamed of his Kindred but that hee would couer his Brethrens fault then wept hee and cryed so aboundantly that the Egyptians heard and the house of Pharao also heard Brideled then may be affection awhile but when the banke breaketh the streame is strong and who can then stop the course agayne a while Yet see a care of his Brethrens name euen in the midst of his pang and till all were gone hee would not touch them Such wisedome such gouernment and such discretion is most gracious wheresoeuer it is and would God wee migâ—t euer bee beautified with it Let loue be seene and let sorrowe shew but remember euer time and place Then cryed Ioseph I am Ioseph I am Ioseph doth my Father liue as if he should haue sayd feare no longer my deare brethren nether bee dismayed it is Ioseph your brother that hath thus dalied with you Ioseph your Brother your owne flesh and bloud and no other I am Ioseph I tell you euen Ioseph your Brother and cast feare away Doth my Father liue But his Brethren amased could not answere a word they were starke dumbe O mighty God what a change is here such endes to sorrowes can God giue when it pleaseth him and let all flesh giue glory to him Againe see a type of the Lord our God which may be comfortable Hee checketh vs and snubbeth vs he bindeth and imprisoneth vs that is he imposeth vpon vs sundry afflictions as Ioseph did vpon these his brethren and when hee hath tryed vs to his good pleasure wee thinking of this man and that man of this malice and that malice agaynst vs fearing and dismayde almost altogether in the ende hee can hold no longer but that bottomlesse mercie of his breaketh out and with bowels of loue hee cryeth vnto vs it is I it is I I am Ioseph your brother that is Christ your Sauiour your God and your Lord that haue not spared mine owne life but haue geuen it for you bee not afraid be not afraid but plucke vp your hartes and reioyce your sorrow is ended and your tryall finished I will be a brother to you and no worse for euer It is I it is I so sweete is the end in time of the troubles and tryals of Gods children Euen as vpon the Sea when he walked and his Disciples feared he cryed it is I be not afrayd be of good comfort Come nere vnto me saith Ioseph come neere vnto me sayth Christ Yea come vnto mee all yee that trauell and are heauie laden I will refresh you So againe in his day of iudgement Come yee blessed of my Father come come I am Ioseph your brother c. which kindnesse in him both heauen and earth shall heare then as Pharao his house heard now of Ioseph So fitteth this figure to our Sauiour 2 Now therefore be not sad nether greeued with your selues that yee sould mee for God sent mee before you for your preseruation c. This comfortable speaking of Ioseph to his brethren must teach vs by all meanes to comfort them which are truly humbled and wounded for their sinnes And the ascribing of his comming into Egypt to God teacheth vs to distinguish betwixt Gods finger and mans malice in the selfe same action for they differ greatly the one being sinfull to an euill end the other being gracious and mercifull euer for good In Iobs affliction God had his finger and Satan his with but what Satan maliciously God most mercifully directed to his glory and to Iobs good So the crucifying of our Sauiour and the afflictions of his children euermore Therfore it followeth not that if we say such things be of God by by it should be coÌ„cluded that he is author of euill You see the difference remeÌ„ber S. Austen God would neuer suffer euill to be done except he were able out of euill to draw good The land of Egypt yelded this comfort that the posterity of Iacob according to Gods purpose might be preserued in the same Therefore y e Godly are not burdensome to a countrey but a countrey is blessed y t it may relieue them and the inhabitantes inioy for them such mercy as peraduenture without them they should neuer haue So happily euen this land wherein we liue for the poore exiles of Gods flocke and we may do well to thinke of it to stay all grudging 3 That Ioseph calleth this deliuerance a great deliuerance being but from famine and bodily death it may fitly moue vs to thinke of our deliuerance from hell death and deuill by Iesus Christ in the bottomlesse loue of our most gracious Father and from ignorance superstition and popery from fire and fagot with most bloudy cruelty by a dread and deare a mild and mercifull Soueraigne of God for this purpose giuen vnto vs and placed ouer vs. O what deliuerances be these and how should we feele them within and publish them without day and night to the praise of God the fountaine of all and the honor of his annointed and appointed meanes for euer The Grecians deliuered but from bodily seruitude called their deliuerer a Sauiour to them and range it out Sauiour Sauiour that the Fowles in the Ayre fell dead downe with the crye Much more much more than ten thousand times may wee call the Lordes Annointed a Sauiour vnto vs. God giue feeling which I feare wee want 4 Then biddeth hee his Brethren goe tell his Father what honor GOD had giuen him in the land of Egypt making GOD the Fountayne of his preferment like a thankefull man and not worldly meanes like the gracelesse hartes of these times Promotion commeth neither from East nor West from North nor South but GOD raiseth vp and setteth with Princes euen with the Princes of his people That Ioseph would haue hs father neere him it noteth the comforte that is comforte indeede if GOD vouchsafe it frendes to bee neere one to another And that he promiseth to nourish both him and his may not be forgotten but for euer teach vs that if the Lord vouchsafe vs any thinge in this Worlde our Parentes portion shoulde bee there in with offer of vs before demaunde of theirs and all comfortable countenance vnto the ende Yea see if Ioseph bee not euen earnest and greedie to haue this comfort deriued to his Father from him and verily there is no more pleasure or sweete comfort to a good vertuous Childe than to doe good vnto his Parents according to the power that God hath giuen Fye of all filthy natures then too visible daily before our Faces in this accursed and daungerous time that being both riche and welthy warme and well furnished with all comfortes suffer not onely other frendes in kindred neere them to say nothing of the naked members of Christ but euen their Parents that bred and bare them to suffer both hunger and colde need and misery to their vtter shame
was of weight and concerned them most neerly So noteth this repetition vsually in the scripture as in the Psalme when he saith Hearken O daughter consider incline thine eare forget also thine own people thy fathers house Againe Heare this all yee people giue eare all ye that dwel in the world In the Prouerbs Heare O ye childrē the instruction of a father giue eare to learne vnderstanding with many such Againe he giueth himself 2. names Iacob Israel saying heare ye sonnes of Iacob hearken vnto Israel your father drawing from these names 2. good arguments to stir vp in them this attention which he requireth y e one of nature the other of religion of nature because he was Iacob their father of religion because fearing God truly seruing him euer he found fauour with God euen so far as to receiue from him this name of Israel whereof you haue heard before the full circumstance 2 Ruben mine eldest son thou art my might the beginning of my strength the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power Thou wast light as water thou shalt not be excellent because thou wētest vp to thy fathers bed then diddest thou defile my bed thy dignity is gone Comming now to particulars he beginneth with his eldest son as you see often repeateth his excellēcy making great mention of it that he was his might y e beginning of his strength y e excellency of dignity the excellency of power in the end throweth him out of all saying he should not be excellent his dignity was gone And why thus because he had sinned agaynst nature defiled his fathers bed Then al these repetitions of his dignity tēded but to this to exaggerat his fault and to make it appear vnto his cōscience the posterity euer after how great it was and foule before God as for which all this dignity was lost taken away Nothing more shaketh the hart of any one not quite dead to God grace then this course Therefore often God vseth it in his word Heare O heauēs saith he by the prophet hearkē o earth I haue nourished brought vp children but they haue rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner the asse his maisters cribbe but Israel hath not knowen me my people hath not vnderstood amplifying their sin by this that they had receiued this dignity to bee nourished of him and brought vp as his Children In the fifth Chapter agayne my beloueds Vineyarde was in a fruitfull grounde hedged about the stones gathered out planted with the best plantes a Towre built and a wine presse made yet it brought forth wild grapes To Dauid likewise I anointed thee king ouer Israel and deliuered thee out of the hand of Saul gaue thy Lords house and thy Lordes Wiues into thy bosome gaue thee the house of Israel and Iudah and would moreouer if that had been too litle haue giuen thee such such thinges wherefore then hast thou despised c. Still proouing the greatnes of sin by grace and fauour vouchsafed before So here Ruben being vouchsafed of God to be his fathers first borne his might the beginning of his strength the excellencie of dignitie and the excellency of power yet sinning in this sort his fault by these fauours was made most great and therefore his dignitie and the sequels of his dignity most iustly translated otherwise As the birthright to Ioseph the priesthood to Leui and the Kingdome to Iudah Read Deuter. 33. verse 6. Iud. 5.15 16. Take we heede then of sinning euer but especially when our consciences tell vs God hath beene gracious gracious vnto Bodye and gracious to Soule gracious to our selues and gracious to our friendes For this is as the dignitie of Ruben which shall increase our offence and iustly plucke downe from the hand of God a verye sure and certaine punishment vppon vs and happily euen also vpon our posterity as here in Rubē whose whole ofspring was depriued of honor There is not one of vs but hath receiued mercy from heauen in verye great measure if wee bee aliue within to feele it Therefore not one of vs but euen in this respect bound with a carefull hart to auoide the thing that offendeth God And happy wee if wee will doe it remembring Ruben here and his fearefull losse his dignitie being gone as his Father sayth 2 Simeon and Leui brethren in euill the instruments of crueltie are in their habitations Into their secrets let not my soule come my glory be not thou ioyned with their assemblye for in their wrath they slew a Man and in their selfe will they digged downe a wall Cursed bee their wrath for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell I will deuide them in Iacob and scatter them in Israel To the selfe same ende tendeth this punishment inflicted vppon these two brethren that the former did euen to humble themselues in themselues and to teach posteritie how God hateth euill The Papistes prattle of poena and culpa that the punishment satisfieth for the offence c. But farre otherwise doth the Word instruct telling vs euer that punishment is not imposed to make satisfaction for that onely doth Iesus Christ and his stripes but to purge the hart from all hypocrisie humbling it faythfully and vnfaynedly and to stirre vp to repentance for y e time passed as also to carefulnes for the time to come keping both body and soule in a godly feare as it were with a bridle Therfore saith the father as you haue heard before Quod patimur vnde plangimus medicina est non poena castigatio non damnatio That wee suffer punishment it is a medicine not a punishment a correction not a damnation Non enim de peccatis sumit supplicium sed in futurum nos corrigit For God doth not take punishment of our sinnes forgiuen but chastiseth vs fatherly for the time to come Marke also in this place how fully how plainly how faithfully Moses layeth downe to the world in writing y e shame reproch of the tribe he came of of his father Leui which certainly declareth the power of Gods spirit ruling ouerruling in these writinges and that of him from him not from flesh and bloud they are proceeded for flesh nature would haue couered these blemishes in his auncestors 3 Thou Iudah thy brethrē shall praise thee thy hand shal be in the neck of thine enemies thy fathers sonnes shal bow downe vnto thee Iudah as a Lyons whelp shalt thou come vp from the spoile my sonne He shal lie down couch as a Lion as a Lionesse who shal stir him vp The scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a lawgiuer from betwixt his feet vntil Shiloh come the people shalbe gathered vnto him He shall bind his asse fole vnto the vine his asses colt vnto