respect of God man and her selfe For God shee is commended for her faith for the Author to the Hebrewes telleth us That by faith shee received strength to conceive seede and was delivered of a sonne when shee was past age because shee was perswaded that hee was faithfull which had promised where you see the nature of faith it is an acknowledging of Gods faithfullnesse a giving him the honour of his faith and setting to ones seale that God is true Faith causeth the minde of a man to submit it selfe to the Word of God and to be assured that hee can and will keepe promise for to the promise of God it looketh principally and this faith will cause a man to receive power from God to doe those things which otherwise of himselfe he wanted all power to doe This faith will make a weake man strong it will put fruitfullnesse into a barren wombe and life and strength into a dead body it will make a barren soule fruitfull in good workes and make the heart to conceive the Word so as to bring forth the fruit of good living whereto of it selfe it is as unable as a body past age is unapt to bring forth a childe Consider therefore whether you have gotten such a faith into your hearts as makes you fruitfull of good workes If we beleeve Gods promises faithfully it will sub-minister strength to produce all sorts of good workes which otherwise the heart of it selfe would never produce For he that beleeveth Gods promises shall obtaine strength from God to obey his holy Commandement and according to the strength of it to abound in good workes of all sorts Faith is a strong grace and puts a new power into the soule by which it shall be fit to doe good workes We have more largely discoursed of the nature of faith in the Example of Abraham who is also commended for faith Then Sarah in respect of Abraham her husband had two worthy vertues First shee obeyed Abraham her husband Secondly shee reverenced him and that in her heart and tongue too for shee called him Sir when shee thought of him in heart Her obedience shewed it selfe in a cheerefull forwardnesse to prepare things necessary to entertaine Angels that came unto her in the likenesse of men for it is said Abraham hasted into the Tent to Sarah and bad her quickly make ready three measures of fine flower and make cakes upon the hearth which shee did accordingly without grumbling or deferring Shee did not oppose her husband and demand husband you know not what these men be nor whence they come why should you make such care to prepare for them but without any more adoe at her husbands commandement shee gate all things ready according to his desire This is a commendable thing in a wife and is to be followed by all you godly women who would be counted daughters of Sarah if your husbands wish you to doe things honest and lawfull you must addresse your selves not to make your objections but to yeeld your cheerefull obedience according to S. Pauls commandement that saith Wives bee subject to your husbands in all things If any say that this was but a small matter I answer true but it is reported as it were a taste of her good disposition in this matter and a signe of her dutifull obedience the glory whereof the Holy Ghost giveth her more generally saying that shee obeyed her husband meaning constantly and generally shee submitted her selfe and was obedient Secondly it is noted of her that shee reverenced her husband which is also commanded to wives by S. Paul saying Let the wife see that shee feare her husband Loe it is earnestly charged upon women they must looke to it that they yeeld it Let the wife that is every wife see that is carefully looke to it and not make shifts or pretend excuses but see that shee doe it even feare her husband There is a double feare one which maketh one tremble and flie from the thing feared as hurtfull and mischievous so as men doe feare a Lyon or Beare to runne from him as fast as they can that hee may not teare us in pieces such a feare as this is not required Another feare is feare of offending wronging or grieving the person feared flying and shunning all such things as would displease him and make him conceive with dislike an irrespectivenesse of him This is the feare of the wife not to dare to displease her husband or anger him not so much least he should flie upon her with reproofes and blowes as least shee should be an instrument of griefe to one whom shee loveth and honoureth by her undutifullnesse and rudenesse And it must be noted that shee did so reverence him as to call him Lord. And how did shee call him Lord not in speaking to him or in speaking of him before others by whom it might be told him againe what shee had said but when shee thought of him or spake of him with the inward speech of her heart which none could relate againe but God who hath related this to her praise For that title shee gave him even in her inward cogitations when she said in her selfe at the hearing of the Angels promise that she should have a son Shall I have pleasure after I have waxed old my Lord being old also So the reverence of a good wife should be hearty and cause her when shee doth but thinke of her husband even then to give a title of due respect Wherefore to give rude and undecent termes to an husband such as would but become a Mistresse speaking to her bondman Ned Iacke Dick Tom Robbin is even a little too much familiarity in a wife favouring of some degree of contempt The ground of these two duties reverence and obedience is the image of God in the husband For he doth stand in Gods roome over her because as Christ is the Head of his Church so is the husband the wives head and the woman is the glory of the man meaning one that is made to bring some glory and honour to him Now by this fruit of Sarahs obedience which the Holy Ghost hath noted it is prooved that Sarah was huswifely in her house even as a woman that could stirre about in her family and looke to the dispatching of necessary affaires by her servants and them in her family For had shee beene a coy and nice or idle and sloathfull dame shee would neither have dressed meale nor kneaded it nor made cakes of it nor seene to the baking of them nor yet have followed her maid-servants and looked that they should have beene diligent in this businesse Further in respect of her sonne Isaac shee was a very loving Mother and nursed him with her owne breasts and thought it a duty for her so to doe for so it is noted of her that shee said by way of thankefull wondering at the benefit who would have said
it if you have it not yet get it if you have it labour to increase and nourish it by considering his great excellencie and great terriblenesse A third vertue Abraham had obedience that is his will was thoroughly subject to Gods will in all things so that he held this resolution within himselfe that whatsoever God bad him doe that he would doe for which God praised him saying because thou hast obeyed my voice and the Apostle saying he obeyed and went out Obedience is a resolution and indeavour to doe all that God bids because he bids Let us take some speciall acts of obedience wherein Abraham did crosse his reason and his affection and his credit and his profit and all to performe the will of God even therefore onely because God bad him whom he durst not out of feare and would not but out of love follow in all things First God gave him Commandement to leave his Countrey and Fathers house to goe out into a land which he should shew him A strong Commandement leave all thy kindred and goe into a Countrey thou knowest not whither but goe from place to place as I shall shew thee Here seemed no reason in this Commandement but Abraham obeyed it Gen. 12.1 Secondly when he came into the land of Canaan he did not build a Citie nor an house there but dwelt in tents as the Apostle noteth as a pilgrim and a stranger not having possession in it at all so much as a foot God gave him no place of abode but caused him to wander as himselfe telleth Gen. 20.13 This seemed an unhappy and unsetled life and flesh and bloud could not take content in such a kinde of living but because God injoyned Abraham so to live He submitted himselfe and did live so save that onely he bought a place to burie in as being still mindfull of his death A third heavie Commandement he received from God Gen. 17. 10. and 26. God made him to circumcise himselfe and all the males of his family and all that should after be borne when they were eight daies old and he made no question of it To circumcise was to cut off the top of the uppermost skinne of the secret part This seemed the foolishest thing in the world a matter of great reproach which would make him as it made his posterity after to seeme ridiculous to all the world It carried an appearance of much undecencie and shamefullnesse to cause all his servants to discover themselves unto him Much more might have beene alledged against this ordinance what good could it doe what was any man the better because he had wounded himselfe and put his body to that torment yet for all this Abraham disputed not objected not made no contrary allegations but presently the selfe same day tooke himselfe and his sonne Ishmael and all his servants in his house and circumcised them according to the commandement of Almighty God Yet a fourth commandement more tedious and contrary to reason and affection then all these which was of it selfe exceeding grievous in his sight as the Holy Ghost witnesseth that is the expulsion or excommunicating of his sonne Ishmael and of his mother Hagar yet when God commanded him to doe it Gen. 21.12 hee rose up the next morning betimes v. 14. and sent away both the mother and the sonne But last of all he obeyed a commandement that seemed to contradict nature and religion and Gods promise and his owne salvation and the salvation of all men and the truth and honour of God himselfe so that God was said to try him to the utmost in that commandement It was in sacrificing Isaac as the Spirit of God notâ—th Heb. 11. and Gen. 23. God bad him take Isaac and not instantly kill him in the place but goe three dayes journey and not knocke him on the head and there an end but offer him for sacrifice But what was this sonne the sonne of his old-age the sonne of his love which was so deare unto him yea the promised seede in whom it was said In Isaac shall thy seede be called and this sonne he offered after a most melting conference betwixt himselfe and Isaac his sonne all alone Here was an obedience incomparable and unparalable no man ever did the like except our Lord Jesus Christ who offered up himselfe which must needes be dearer to himselfe then Isaac was to Abraham So now marke the excellency of Abrahams obedience hee was obedient for the matter in hard and difficult things for the manner promptly and readily without gaine-saying speedily and presently without deferring and universally without excepting without picking and choosing If you be able to produce such obedience to justifie your faith that it may appeare your faith is a working faith then have you faith indeed and not in word alone but if your faith be not accompanied with an obedience of the same kind though not in the same degree whereby you are able to yeeld your selves to God resolving in all things readily and without delay or murmuring to yeeld unto him how are you obedient how have you faith such a faith as was Abrahams All therefore that say they beleeve as Abraham did but yet obey not as Abraham did yea are wilfull against Gods Commandements refusing to doe knowne duties and to leave knowne sinnes that will not circumcise the foreskin of their hearts nor leave their countrey and Fathers house nor cast out their Ishmaels nor offer up their Isaacs all such are beleevers alone in shew and not in deed Compare your selves with Abraham and if your obedience be not like his I say as before having the same ground extent and properties it is but a counterfeit faith whereof you boast and no true faith Therefore now be earnest with the living God to worke in you true subjection to him and to make you like Abraham his servant for God that wrought his heart to such flexiblenesse will and can performe the same for you Pray him to incline your hearts to his statutes beseech him to write his law in your hearts and to cause you to keepe his Commandements and judgements and doe them And if you find such an obedience though not so great yet that which hath the same ground and strives to attaine the same extent and properties then take comfort and be not afraid to call your selves sonnes and daughters of Abraham for Zacheus was the sonne of Abraham when leaving his greedinesse hee could make restitution and give to the poore Now a fourth vertue in Abraham was religiousnesse for it is said of him that hee built an Altar to God and that hee worshiped God and that he called on the name of God and that he payed tithe of all he had to Melchisedech and this is for our learning We must call upon God we must professe and practise true religion we must offer reall sacrifices on Christ the Altar we must also
it not to mee When the rich man refused to sell all and give to the poore upon an extraordinary command from him he lets him goe and admits him not to follow him nay by his words spoken immediately after it is as possible he excludeth him from Heaven for he must needs be understood of that rich man and such as he was Now if not giving of all upon an extraordinary occasion will shut a man out of the Kingdome then the not giving of some convenient quantity upon an ordinary occasion must needs procure the like punishment because the disobedience is equall in both cases The reason is first this is a flat disobedience to most expresse plaine and frequent Commandements There is scarce a duty of the second Table which God hath more plainely laid downe more often repeated more earnestly pressed then this of giving to the poore He therefore that liveth in perpetuall negligence of this dutie and either will not acknowledge it or will not practise it lives in a wilfull and constant rebellion against God Thinke not my Brethren that it sufficeth to proove a man upright if hee doe not live in a sinne of commission that is in the continuance and allowed doing of something forbidden by God Nay if he live in a sinne of omission i. e. in the continuall and allowed neglect of a duty commanded this is not to obey God in all things this shewes ones heart is not universally subject to God This prooveth that some vice hath dominion in him and that he loveth and respecteth something more then God which cannot stand with uprightnesse yea beloved this hypocrisie which is so much over-awed as it were by cleerenesse of knowledge that it scarce dares discover it selfe by taking boldnesse to commit sinnes of commission but knowes how to hold in with sinnes of omission and to give them allowance enough is so much the more dangerous by how much it is lesse discernable For hee seemeth to himselfe to have much to say for himselfe why this duty should not at this and this time binde him because no affirmative precept bindes to all times and so hee will shift it from himselfe in such manner as not to take notice that hee offendeth whence groweth the greatest perill of all Therefore know you that this unmercifullnesse to the poore as prooving that obedience is but partiall and so that the heart is not upright is sure a very great sinne But secondly it declareth that a man beleeveth not the promises of God and so that his faith is not unfained It is sure that as hee which obeyeth not all Gods Commandements obeyeth none so he that beleeveth not all his promises beleeveth none For if we submit to his truth because it is a perfect truth wee must grant that hee cannot lie nor be deceived in any thing and if wee build not our consenting to his words upon his truth that cannot be called faith at all Now God hath made so many so evident so full promises to those that are mercifull to the poore as no other duty almost can alledge for it selfe A promise throughly beleeved must needs produce obedience to the Commandement whereto it is annexed because every man is so truly desirous of his owne welfare that what hee doth stedfastly perswade himselfe will procure good unto him with the paines and cost for that hee will surely put himselfe to the paines and to the cost Hee theerefore that is not mercifull doth not beleeve these promises because hee doth not obey the Commandements to which they be joyned How then doth hee beleeve any other promise So we have prooved him by this argument to be voide of faith and is not that a great sinne which convinceth him to be void of faith in whom it is Further no man hath true charity that hath not a heart to confirme the hand of the poore for S. Iohn makes the conclusion thus Hee that loveth not his Brother whom hee hath seene how doth hee love God whom he hath not seene And hee doth but lie that saith hee loves a man unlesse he be ready to releeve him for S. Paul saith that love is bountifull wherefore S. Iohn is peremptory in this conconclusion saying He that hath this worlds goods and seeth his Brother hath neede and shutteth up his compassion against him how dwelleth the love God That therefore is a great offence which prooveth that a man hath either none or none but counterfeit charity I have shewed you what a grievous offence this is of the Sodomites afore I passe from it let mee shew unto you a necessary distinction of poore men Some are Gods poore as I may terme them some the Divels Gods poore are they whom his hand crossing them or some naturall meere indiscretion of their owne or abundance of charge want of worke or the like hath brought into and doth keepe in poverty The Divels poore are those whom idlenesse wastfullnesse and unthriftinesse doth make poore because either their hands refuse to labour or else they consume it all up superfluously when they have gotten it The former kinde of poore you ought to strengthen and the not strengthening of them is a sinne To strengthen the hands of the latter is to strengthen their sinne and therefore their hands must not be strengthened for S. Pauls Canon is against it He that will not labour shall not eate Now consider every man of himselfe may it not be justly said of you that you doe not strengthen the hands of the poore Are not a number of you in your owne consciences convinced or if you would not winke might bee convinced that you doe not strengthen the poore mans hands When have you with any willingnesse given to any poore man any reasonable quantity Yea how backward are a number of you to give any thing at all Here is such complaining amongst you of your being seised too much one and too much another that it is more then evident you have little will to part with your money to his purpose I know not what skill to use for the fastening of a reproofe upon a niggard I will not so much as strive to doe it therefore But I call upon each of your consciences to become a just and true Judge against you and to finde one your guiltinesse and to give you no quiet till it have made you confesse the fault and blame you for it But I call upon conscience in vaine I feare for the conscience of a niggard is alwaies a bad conscience so inthralled to the love of money that he will not want excuses to make himselfe thinke he need not do that duty by which he should lessen his heape But these excuses shall one day aggravate the sinne therefore whosoever is an offendor in neglecting this duty of strengthening the hands of the poore I pray you give your consciences leave to passe a right sentence upon you viz. that your faith love obedience
blessing was this that he made him a godly man giving him true faith so that he did unfainedly beleeve in God and was a right godly and religious man For it is noted of him that he beleeved in God and was an heire with Abraham of the same promises both concerning the land of Canaan as a Type and heaven it selfe the thing figured by the land of Canaan So Iacob was a true servant of God and member of Christ and inheritour of heaven and from him the Church is many times called by the name of Iacob and Israel And this is the greatest good that can be found in this life in comparison of which all other benefits are of no value and without which other things are not sufficient to make a man happy though he should possesse them in never so great abundance for what will it advantage a man to win the whole world and lose his owne soule Now therefore we must learne most earnestly to seeke this benefit which God is ready to give to us as well as to him For Iacob was not godly by nature nor by any power of his owne but by the free grace of God and the mighty and saving worke of his owne blessed Spirit which Spirit he hath promised to all that aske even as undoubtedly as any tender hearted Father will give food unto his hungry childe that shall crave it at his hands Let no man be discouraged because of the corruption and naughtinesse of his nature for the same bad and depraved nature was found in Iacob that in himselfe seeing Iacob also was a son of Adam by corrupt nature a childe of wrath and heire of death as well as any other but God did circumcise his heart as well as his flesh and made him partaker of the divine nature by which he prevailed against the corruptions that are in the world through lust Wherefore let each of us take notice of his owne wickednesse and inability to make himselfe good and of his manifold sins and inability to procure pardon of them to himselfe and let him earnestly call upon God to worke true repentance and unfained faith in him and the Lord will graciously worke these things in him as well as in Iacob and will pardon his sins and sanctifie his soule and make him an inheritour of his heavenly Kingdome I beseech you therefore bury not your selves in the world and in the study of earthly things but Seeke first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and labour to come into the state of grace by meditating on the Gospell seeing your misery in your selves and endeavouring to turne unto the Lord. For in the Church no man is left destitute of grace but through his own default in neglecting the great salvation that is there offered unto him Againe those to whom the Lord hath pleased to shew the same goodnesse working in them true faith inabling them to beleeve in his mercy through Christ and to walke in his wayes with truth and uprightnesse of heart must learne to shew themselves exceeding thankfull to God for this mercy and strive to take comfort in it and to walke worthy of it Blesse God with constant and daily blessings that hath blessed thee with spirituall blessings in Christ and rejoyce in the riches of that inheritance to which thou are interessed and shalt possesse whatsoever wants afflictions crosses thou maist bee exercised withall yet be glad in the Lord and count thy selfe an happy man because the Lord hath granted thee that which may abundantly satisfie thy soule in the want of all outward things and support thee in all afflictions and miseries and countervaile and more then overweigh all manner of calamities Let not the rich man rejoyce in his riches nor the wise man in his wisdome nor the strong man in his strength nor any man in any terrene thing he hath but Let him that rejoyceth rejoyce in this that he knoweth me saith the Lord. It is our duty to raise up our hearts so that no earthly adversity may coole or damp our prayers and dismay our hearts and fill us with anguish and grief and that no outward benefits may glut and satt our hearts and turne us away from taking comfort in this true and everlasting mercy God hath made us his owne given us faith sanctified us by his Spirit united us to his Son and caused us to see beleeve and embrace his promises What though we want wealth honour pleasure and these sensuall benefits He hath given us Wheate What though he feed us not with huskes He hath given us Gold What though he lade us not with dirt Hee hath given us himselfe and his Son What though he give us not the vanities of this life It is a sin for a godly man to be out of heart and comfortlesse because of any other want and any other crosse If God have granted you this chiefe benefit glory in it and thinke that you have gotten a good portion though your estate in the world be never so low and poore only be sure that your faith bee true by causing you to abound in those fruits of it which we shewed you before that it brought forth in Iacob Now I come to some lesse principall mercies flowing from this First he gave him the priviledge of the first-borne that Christ should come of him and that the visible Church should continue in his posterity That part of the dignity of the primogeniture to have Christ the blessed seed come of him cannot be bestowed upon any of us neither that to have a great Nation flow from our loines that shall be also the Church of God and a Nation in which true religion and piety shall be continued But to have our children godly and become members of the Church that we must earnestly desire and seeke for and that we may hope for and attaine if we pray earnestly for it and make our children as good as we can by bringing them up in the true knowledge and worshipping of God Further Iacob had the blessing given him First by his Fathers mistake when he tooke him for his eldest son Esau to whom he intended the blessing then after by his Fathers witting and deliberate pronouncing it upon him by the direction of Gods Spirit The former you may see pronounced upon him in Genesis where he saith God give thee of the dew of heaven and after God Almighty blesse thee and give thee the blessing of Abraham This blessing is the bestowing upon him all temporall benefits so far as they are subordinate to his spirituall and then spirituall benefits viz. all sorts of graces by which he may be happily guided to the possession of life eternall This is an excellent mercy to be freed from the curse of the Law and to be made partaker of the blessing of Abraham even that God shall love one take care of him and prosper him in all things hee takes in hand and conduct him
and our wonder at him but such was our pride he gained our envy of him His Father whether because he was not resolved what calling to breed him to or for what other cause I know not after that hee had with credit proceeded Bachelour of Arts hee took him home where he abode some good time yet applying himselfe unto his studies While hee remained at home with his Father hee married the Daughter of one Master George Hunt the sonne of that tryed and prepared Martyr Iohn Hunt mentioned in the Book of Martyrs who was condemned to be burnt for Religion but was saved from the execution thereof by the death of Queene Mary This Master George Hunt was bred up in the Famous fâ—ee Schoole of the Marchant-Taylers in London and afterward by the incouragement of Master D. Humfry by occasion of a visit of that Schoole and by the furtherance of M George and Mr. Iohn Kingsmells and by the exhibitions of Bishop Pilkinton all which for their honour sake I name he was called unto and mainetained in that worthy Foundation of good Learning Magdalen Colledge in Oxford till hee was Fellow of that House where hee continued till hee had borne the offices of Deane of Arts and Deane of Divinity Afterwards by the meanes of those worthy Master Kingsmells hee was preferred to the Church of Collingborn-ducis in the County of Wiles where for the space of fifty and one yeares and five moneths he lived a sound and constant Preacher of the Word and was of an unblameable and holy life even untill the oyle of his radicall moysture was spent and the candle of his life of it selfe went out in a full and good old-age after a long and joyous expectation and longing for his blessed change which was in the eighty and third yeare and fift moneth of his age This Master George Hunt after that by importunity hee had got this his sonne in law to make tryall of his ability to preach he overperswaded him to intend the ministery And thereupon he entred himselfe into Edmund Hall in the famous Vniversity of Oxford and tooke his Degree of Master of Arts. Not long after hee entred into the Ministery and hee was presently called to be a Lecturer at Banbury which he commendably performed above the space of foure yeares and then was called to be Vicar of the same Church which office hee faithfully discharged neare thirty years till he died The abilities wherewith God had indued him for his work of the Ministery were more then ordinary For hee was of a quicke understanding of a cleare and deepe Iudgement of a most firme memory and of a lively spirit Hee was naturally eloquent a master of his words having words at will Hee had a most able body and sound lunges and till some yeares before his death he had a most strong and audible voice And according as his matter in hand and his auditory needed he was both a terrible Boanerges a sonne of Thunder and also a Barnabas a sonne of sweet consolation And which was the crowne of all God gave him an heart to seek him and to aime at the saving of the soules of all that heard him His speech and preaching was not with entising words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of the spirit and of power He was an Apollos not onely eloquent but withall mighty in the Scriptures He like some of the Ancient Fathers was as occasions fell out sometimes an every dayes Preacher He preached ordinarily in his owne Church twise each Lords-Day and catechized for above halfe an houre before evening Prayer examining and instructing the youth and once a weeke he preached the ordinary Lecture Hee was much against all such preaching as was light vaine scenicall impertinent raw and indigested His preaching was plaine but as much according to the Scripture and also to the rules of Art and of right Reason as any that ever I heard or have heard of In conference he hath told me what hee aimed at and what use he made of the Arts and what rules hee set to himselfe in the studying of his Sermons which was as followeth That he might better understand his Text hee made use of his Grammer learning in Greeke and Hebrew in which tongues the Scripture is written Also hee would use the helpe of Rhetoricke to discover to him what formes of speech in his Text was to be taken in their primary and proper signification and what was elegantly cloathed and wrapped up in tropes and figures that hee might unfold them and see their naked meaning Then well weighing and considering the context hee would by the helpe of Logicke finde out the scope of the Holy Ghost in that Scripture Hee would endeavour when he began to enter upon the preaching of any Chapter to Analise and take the Chapter into its severall branches and parts Then he would if it were a doctrinall Text note the Doctrine as it lay in the Text and so prosecute it Or if the Text consisted of illustrations or circumstances of some principall truth there prosecuted hee would then gather from some notable part or branch of his Text an apt Doctrine or Divine Truth which should so immediately follow that the Truth observed in the Text should be the argument or middle terme wherby in a simple Sillogisme he could conclude his Doctrine Next hee would seeke for apt proofes out of Scripture to confirme it Fewer or more as hee thought best which done because other arguments according to Scripture and right Reason are forcible to convince and confirme reasonable men in any truth hee would find out Reasons of his Doctrine but he aimed that they should bee strong Arguments or middle termes by which hee might likewise Sillogistially conclude his said Doctrine Then according to the nature of the Doctrine and the need and aptnesse of his Auditory hee would as from an infallible consequent of his Doctrine by way of Application confirme some profitable Truth which yet by some might happily bee questioned or else convince men of some errour or reproove some vice or exhort to some Dutie or resolve some doubt or case of conscience or comfort such as needed Consolation In all which sorts of Applications hee did make use of more or fewer of them as there might bee cause and hee would bee carefull that his Doctrine should bee the Argument or middle terme whereby hee might sillogistically conclude the maine Proposition of any of his said uses And if the reproofe or exhortation did need pressing home upon the conscience then hee would study to enlarge his Speech shewing motives to induce to such a duty and allso disswasives from such a vice taking his Arguments from dutie to God decency or shamefullnesse pleasure or paine gaine or losse And here again he would use the help of Rhetorick but all for the most part in a concealed way without all affectation And sometimes he would shew the effectuall meanes of attaining of the Grace and
that concerne him in his life If godlinesse and religion be not of force to command us in this thing it cannot be conceived that we have any sound knowledge of it and if outward things sway us most here they have the soveraignty and dominion of our hearts Shew your selves spirituall in choice of yoke-fellowes if you will enjoy the comfort of being so in good earnest and in sincerity And if any have done otherwise O let them be much humbled it is a great fault an hazarding of ones selfe to destruction or of his children a signe that one doth not rightly know neither sinne or goodnesse if in this matter wickednesse cannot disgrace all other things and vertue over-ballance all other and therefore if God have made such a match very dismall and unhappie to any one and that they have found these things unable to give content and with these they have beene turned aside from the right way let them acknowledge the justice of God and turne the punishments into a meanes of unfained repentance for the sinne It is just with God to crosse mens false opinions of things and make them meete with wretchednesse where they did falsely and unwarrantably promise to themselves contentment as they doe most times in such kinde of ill made marriages If any good man have so transgressed he is now called to repentance for it by Gods hand crossing and Gods Word warning him Againe beware I pray you of the next sinne viz. unjustice and violence that is taking away the goods of others by strong hand whether by manifest violence or by violent wresting and abusing of law through strength of wit or purse or both To take away that from another by any manner of strength which is his in right that is violence God hath often in his Word spoken against this for the waters of the floud have not yet washed it out but it hath place in the world still Those that are stronger then others will wrench and pull and make a shift to tug all they can unto themselves though they have no right unto such things covetousnesse and greedy desires beget oppression to satisfie such an unsatisfiable desire David complaines Psal 55.9 that hee hath seene violence in the citie and Psal 11.5 Him that loves violence his soule hateth By violence men tread underfoot the light of nature and bury their reason in passion and under it It is the property of beasts to be lead by will and passion what they desire to have if they can possibly get it by any device or power they will have it rules of right they acknowledge none nor can acknowledge because they want reason which is the sole distinguisher betwixt right and wrong But man that hath reason which can set downe limits and bounds to every mans possessions and benefits should follow his reason and not take so much as his hand can reach and pull unto it selfe but alone that which he findes the rules of equity to give him He that doth otherwise doth infinitely trespasse upon Gods Royalty over the whole world for he doth not carrie himselfe in this great family according to the will of him that is the sole maker and master of it and so lives as if himselfe were Master and chiefe Lord and not bound to any rules but those of his owne will Violence therefore is a grievous sinne It will bring Gods curse and anger and hatred upon the committer A violent man is odious in the world and in Heaven too his love of himselfe makes him iâ—jurious to all and therefore also loathsome Flie violence therefore either of hand or head and take nothing but what in true right you can prove to be your owne and if you have gotten any thing by violence repent of it and rid your hands of it else the hand of God shall be heavie upon you for it he will bring your violence upon your owne pates And know I beseech you that as there be two sorts of violent beasts so of men You know there be Lions and Beares and Tigers and great creatures that prey upon the weaker as upon the Sheepe the Cowe c. and then there be little beasts too that prey upon the lesser as the Weezle on the Mouse and on Chickens and such like that be lesser then themselves So there be two sorts of violent men too the great and wealthie man and the poore and meaner man The one can beare out his violence openly and doth it in greater things The other doth it more closely and in lesser things but both will have what equity doth not give them by one or other shift or wile or act of his hand And truly as great wickednesse is found in poore men this way as in the wealthier He that is as bad as his place will suffer is as wicked a man as another that in higher place is more apparantly wicked Give the Weezle the fangs and limmes of a Lion hee will doe as much mischiefe as a Lion Therefore the poore robbing the poore is compared to a sweeping raine that leaveth no food and none more violent then these little violent ones when they can tell how to make way and beare out their violence will not you see it evidently in the boldnesse of the poorer sort to steale corne at this time of the yeare He that will pull a piece of ones sheafe from him if hee were a great Prince of name and power would pull his whole living from him Beware therefore of those unjust waies of getting which are under your hands and in your powers incident to your places repent of them shun them and forbeare them for conscience sake that you may not provoke Gods wrath against you Further the men of this time were extreamely worldly as our Lord Jesus noteth they sold over themselves to the world and cared not for Noahs preaching nor for any thing that might concerne their soules but sold over themselves to earthly dealing as you reade in Luke 17.26 27. O be not many of you such are not your hearts fully possessed with all earthlinesse Doe not you set your selves altogether to the things of this life with the meere neglect of that which concernes a better Surely those that doe so are in heart Atheists they doe not thoroughly beleeve that immortality of the soule nor the being of another world For were every mans heart fully perswaded that his soule should continue for ever in another world either in eternall weale or woe it were not possible for him not to consider of the estate to come as well as of the state present if we did as well know and beleeve that there is an Hell and Heaven as that there is an earth and in it misery and welfare we could not but be as studious to get the future happinesse and escape the future misery as the present I pray you therefore strive against that sinne of the old World viz. giving up your selves
The most probable opinion is as I thinke that because he was a Preacher of righteousnesse and did more largely and plainely denounce Gods wrath against sinners and his blessing to the godly for a Preacher of righteousnesse must needs doe both these things therefore he gave much refreshing to the soules of the godly and made all their labours easie Even as now if Gods people have a painefull Minister amongst them that ceaseth not to acquaint them with Gods mercy and justice and to revive the remembrance of Heaven and all the Promises in their hearts they live much more comfortably then any outward thing without this helpe could make them to live So it was in those times also with those godly Patriarkes Againe as it would be a great comfort to good men now if any man were sent by God to assure them of the last day of judgement for they would even lift up their heads and rejoyce so Noah in telling of the floud which to that world was a kinde of judgement-day did greatly solace the spirits of the good against all their sorrowes Now this Noah was the sonne of Lamech the sonne of Methuselah in the 1056. yeare of the world He was the tenth after Adam inclusively borne after Adams and Seths death and Henochs translation and lived to see the death of Enos Kainan Mahalaleel Iared Methuselah and Lamech This is all we have to say of his Birth or entrance into the world Now concerning his life I pray you consider foure things 1. His goodnesse 2. His bad deeds 3. The sorrowes and miseries he met with 4. The benefits God gave him And let us make use of all as we goe along and so come to his death last of all First for his goodnesse it is set forth in the Scripture generally and particularly In generall these three things are affirmed of him Gen. 6.9 He was a just man and upright or perfect and walked with God Before it is affirmed of Henoch that hee walked with God and the Scripture told us also of Abel that hee obtained a divine testimony that hee also was just and Iob is said to have beene a perfect man yea it is added by way of amplification to his goodnesse that hee was a just man and perfect in his generations that is in his owne time in those most sinfull daies when all were naught Noah was good when all had corrupted their waies he was sincere and upright in his waies For this is the truest commendation of vertue when it keepes a man unspotted of those evils which are every where practised in the world Let us now request you to consider of your selves every man whether he be a Noah Surely none but Noahs shall be admitted into the Arke and escape the waves of destruction none but Noahs shall finde favour with God and be delivered from eternall death Whosoever cannot approve himselfe to be such a one as this good man let him never dreame of comming to Heaven But who is a just man who a perfect who walketh with God I answer A just man is first he that renounceth his owne justice which is of the Law and imbraceth the righteousnesse of faith even the righteousnesse which is of God by faith relying wholy upon the merits of Christ and Gods mercy in Christ for pardon of his offences and acceptation of himselfe and his indeavours to salvation The Scripture witnesseth that Noah was an heire of this righteousnesse Heb. 11.7 And this is that that must be first found in every man He must see and confesse his owne unrighteousnesse and utterly disclaime his owne righteousnesse as knowing that it is no better then a menstruous rag in respect of his justification Doe you this my Brethren Are you made to see your selves grievous sinners such as in your selves must needs be damned and cannot possibly bee saved by the worth and merit of your owne goodnesse Secondly a righteous man must stay rest depend on beleeve in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ labouring to build up in his own heart a particular perswasion and assurance that the Lord of Heaven will accept him as perfectly righteous in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ his Sonne and that alone for so was Abraham made partaker of that blessednesse which stood in the imputing unto him of righteousnesse without workes and Abraham is the Father of the faithfull as he was justified so must all we be justified and no otherwise See into your selves doe you rely upon our blessed Saviour the Lord Jesus for pardon of your sinnes or doe you waver from him or stay upon any other besides him Lastly a righteous man must himselfe also worke righteousnesse and give himselfe to be a servant of righteousnesse that is to say he must resolve and indeavour to leave every sinne by Gods Word condemned and to doe every duty by Gods Word commanded and that also for Gods sake with reference to him and out of a desire to please him that is to keepe his favour This is a righteous man He strives in all things to please God according to his Word but finding his defects bewailes them and resteth alone on Gods goodnesse in Christ for pardon and salvation If you be such then are you Noahs indeed and shall surely bee saved if not you bee but dissemblers and no shew of religion shall save you from destruction Therefore all of you that are not such I pray you feele your unhappinesse you are not good enough to goe to Heaven yet whatsoever you have imagined of your selves Therefore also now seeke to be such begin with lamenting your unrighteousnesse before God and craving pardon and helpe and so proceed to pray for and indeavour after all the things before prescribed Be the better for Noahs example Let not this story be preached unto you in vaine you know Noah was one whom God loved whom God hath saved study to be such as Noah What riches he had the Scripture takes no notice of but righteous he was studie you to be such and be happier then all riches can make you And especially I pray you labour to follow Noah in this onething to be good in your generations in those things I meane wherein your present times take generall liberty to be nought that so you as Noah may at once glorifie God and condemne the world What evill things all doe commit those doe you forbeare what good things all doe neglect those be you more carefull to performe Many things are growne into common fashion swearing pride in apparell formality in religion covetousnesse monstrous fashions mishapen long haire O be yee in these things carefull to avoid the corruption which is in the world Many good things are growne quite out of all fashion almost constant reading Gods Word holy conference keeping a treasure or purse for God in your houses meditation of Gods Word and carefull sanctifying of the Lords day O strive to performe these duties He
his Father as a sonne in the family and house-hold of his Father and bids him leave kindred and Fathers house and goe into a Countrey which God should shew him promising him large off-spring great blessings and that the promised and blessed seed should come of him for S. Paul saith that God preached the Gospell before to Abraham when he said in thee shall all Nations be blessed so that he was more largely instructed by God of remission of sinnes and salvation everlasting by one that was to be borne of him Now God caused him also to beleeve these promises so that he left his Fathers worship and obeyed God If any of us have had the Word of God preached in our eares and by name the promises of the Gospell and hath found his heart so affected with those promises and the true beliefe of them that it hath made him follow God in a holy conversation of life and leave his former sinnes travell towards the land of life that land which God had shewed him in the paths of righteousnesse and true holinesse this is effectuall calling happy and blessed is this man Rejoyce in this calling and blesse God for it more then for all earthly things whatsoever And if any of you be not as yet so called let him see his misery and now call upon God so to call him till he finde his prayers granted for if we turne to God he will turne to us and if we seeke to him for the performance of his gratious Covenant in putting his Spirit of Sanctification in our hearts he will not faile to doe it But a second spirituall blessing was 1. He gave him most gratious promises 2. He appeared to him many times to renew those promises 3. He entered into a Covenant with him and his seede after him 4. He gratiously accepted his prayers and after this life he saved his soule First he made him gracious promises Gen. 12.2 I will blesse thee and make thee a great Nation and thou shalt be a blessing and I will blesse them that blesse thee and will curse them that curse thee Againe he appeares to him to renew this blessing and these promises Gen. 13.4 promising him a large off-spring againe and the possession of the land of Canaan understood by Abraham to be a figure of an heavenly inheritance for he sought a Citie to come saith the Author to the Hebrewes Againe Chap. 15.1 and in the whole Chapter hee confirmeth the promise againe by another vision I am thy shield and thine exceeding great reward so to comfort him against the doubts which hee might have that the vanquished Kings might prepare an army and returne upon him and there also againe he renues the promise of giving him a sonne yea giving him a multitude of children after him and by a signe confirmes it to him Looke up to Heaven saith hee and count the Starres c. yea gave him faith to beleeve it and assures him that hee was justified and that hee accepted that faith of him for righteousnesse accounting him by meanes of that faith for the sake of him in whom hee beleeved as perfectly just as if hee had perfectly fulfilled the Law And yet more fully assuring him of his goodnesse by entring into a covenant with him in a vision and by sacrifice And in Chap. 17. hee renewes the same covenant with him againe and confirmeth it by the seale of circumcision and by changing his name assuring him also that he should have the sonne of the promise by his most beloved wife Sarah and telling him also what name hee should be called by Isaac from his laughing at the promise not by way of distrust and unbeleefe but of faithfull joy and gladnesse in it And in Chap. 18. hee appeareth unto him againe in forme of a man and tells him the particular time of the childs birth and acquaints him with his purpose concerning the overthrow of Sodom And last of all after he had offered Isaac hee appeares unto him againe and by an oath confirmes to him the former blessings Gen. 22.16 which hee had never done before This is a singular mercy to Abraham to give him so many promises to renew them so often to him and confirme them so strongly to him And you must looke whether God vouchsafe to shew himselfe thus to you even to bring home to your soules in the reading and hearing of his word and exercises of religion the gracious promises of his word giving you by his Spirit assurance that hee admittteth you into the covenant is your God pardons you blesseth you and will give you all needfull things for soule and body and make you partakers of eternall felicity All Gods servants that are the seed of Abraham have this holy communion with God in his word in prayer in his ordinances which Abraham had in these dreames and visions for to the Fathers God shewed himselfe by those meanes to us by these and Christ saith that his Father and hee will come and shew themselves unto those that love him and keepe his commandements and suppe with them O if you find this spirituall familiarity with God how happy are you If not truly earthly blessings are of no great valew they be common to good and bad And now seeke you seeke you these spirituall blessings Gods assuring you of pardon of sinne and appearing unto you more and more to confirme your faith in the promises of the Gospell and to make you assured of your eternall happinesse and that he is your God untill at length he do even as it were sweare it unto you and make you certaine of it And Bretheren be you incouraged to answer Gods call to repent to live holily to cast of your sinnes and become obedient as was Abraham for though perhaps you may not be so rich as he nor have so many childeren nor have so great outward favours yet will God be your God he will be your shield he will be your reward hee will blesse you in all things he will give you the inheritance of life eternall as sure as he did to Abraham he will heare and accept your prayers and he will bring you safe to the land of rest to Heaven that true rest where you shall have no more unquietnesse inward nor outward Into Abrahams bosome will he receive all those that be the true sonnes of Abraham Learne to esteeme of these spirituall blessings though perhaps they may be separated from the temporall God therefore alone divideth them because he sees you be not fit for both but would be hindered from injoying the one and growing in the one by the overfull enjoyment of the other But the better I say you shall surely have as well as Abraham God will more and more assure you of his favour and of his kingdome and shew himselfe more and more graciously unto you in confirming to you his comfortable promises more and more This is better then all
told Abraham in her hearing that he should have a sonne by her at the time of life shee laughed at the promise of God as at a thing ridiculous and impossible saying After I am old shall I have pleasure and my Lord being old also for the Scripture saith Shee was old and it ceased to be with her after the manner of women See how when God promised a thing in nature and reason utterly impossible shee so farre forgat the Omnipotent power of God as to think sure it could never come to passe though God had promised it and the Angell reprooved her saying Shall any thing be impossible with God Thus the people of God doe sometimes stagger at the promise of God through unbeleefe when God saith one thing and reason saith the contrary they consult with flesh and bloud and credit their owne reason above the authority of God which speaketh to them This is a great fault and tendeth much to the dishonour of God as if his power were limited by the rules of reason or by the course of nature and did not exceede our reason and stand quite above the power of nature Wee must see this sinne in our selves labouring to be humbled at it but not discouraged for this weakenesse of faith may well stand with the truth of faith not he hath no faith at all who is many times troubled with doubting but he which yeelds to it and is overcome by it Wee must also strive to waxe strong in faith by putting our selves in minde of Gods Omnipotency and faithfullnesse as Sarah did at length for the Apostle witnesseth that shee judged him faithfull which had promised and those promises which we must labour stedfastly to beleeve are the promises of God to pardon our sinnes and write his Law in our hearts and to make us able to walke in his waies and crowne us at last with life and glory nonwithstanding our sinnes and imperfections Though the performance of these promises seeme to us as impossible as that a dry woman should be a mother yet we must labour to rest upon them because of the fidelity of him that hath promised to perfect his power in our weakenesse Another fault of Sarahs was this that once shee forgat her selfe to her husband and was full of anger and discontent wrongfully charging him to take her maides part against her saying My wrong he on thee for I have given my maide into thy bosome and now I am despised in her sight It was true that Hagar did sleight her too much but that Abraham was guilty of this fault by bearing out Hagar in it that was altogether false as his answer prooveth plainely for hee saith thy maide is in thine hand doe with her what thou wilt So Sarahs anger made her use false accusations against her husband Be humbled yee wives if you have chafed with your husbands and carried your selves injuriously towards them in words Sarah did this but she did it not oft it was this one time alone so farre as we read in other things shee behaved her selfe meekely and reverently O looke to your selves that you offend not continually in that thing wherein this good woman offended once alone and no more for this once was even too much keepe downe anger therefore and let it not breake out against your husbands And you husbands learne though your wives doe transgresse sometimes not to be harsh with them againe but heale their errours with the spirit of meekenesse as Abraham also did Shee must blame her selfe but shee may bee indued with grace for all this But another weakenesse of Sarah is that shee was somewhat too rough with Hagar insomuch that Hagar could not indure it for if shee was so violent in words with Abraham what doe you thinke her carriage was to the maide yea shee was something too earnest against Ishmael and her too when nothing would serve her but that she must have them both together cast out of doores For though God bad Abraham doe according to her words it followeth not thence that she was not overpassionate in it God for a misterie would have it done and yet Sarah might offend in doing it So good people are apt to be overharsh to them that wrong them and exercise too much bitternesse against them Another fault of Sarahs was that shee dissembled at her husbands request and that two severall times saying shee was his sister and so saying it that those to whom shee spake might thinke shee was none of his wife for that was the intention both of Abraham and Sarah It is a weakenesse in wives sometimes to be led by their husbands to doe that that is evill and to joyne with them in sinne Here Sarah hazarded her chastitie to content her husband to satisfie his feares she was like to have brought her selfe and others into a fearefull sinne This fault must be reformed by good wives amongst others and they must resolve not to sinne against God for their husbands sakes fearing his displeasure more then the danger of their husbands or their anger Indeede in laying nay to such motions of their husbands they must use reverence and do it in a calme and quiet manner but refuse they must being warned by the example of Sarah Sarahs last fault was that shee denied her laughter to the Angell when shee had sinned in laughing To lye in a passion for feare of blame denying that one hath done a thing which indeed one hath done that so one may escape reprehension or correction is a sinne to which mans nature is very subject springing from the want of the feare of God and from an excessive carnall love to ones selfe and desire of his owne temporall safety This fault you may reade Gen. 18.15 Reade it not to doe the like but to amend it and to be moved to repent of it if you have committed it Now then let us reflect upon our selves and consider of our owne carriage both to condemne the like faults in our selves and to beare with them in others without bitter censuring and so we shall profit by the knowledge of their evill deedes Now let us consider the benefits that Sarah enjoyed Shee had all those common benefits of health and strength and the like which God doth usually bestow upon all men but besides she enjoyed excellent benefits The first that God gave her faith and saving grace pardoned and passed by her offences and sanctified her and hath saved her soule notwithstanding her faults This is the mercy of mercies that God pleaseth to sanctifie and pardon and save a man for if he be sanctified he is pardoned and shall be saved what profit hath any one of other things if he want this and so be damned for ever after a little content enjoyed here Let us therefore labour to finde this goodnesse of God to us let us humbly pray him that made Sarah godly to make us so
according to S. Pauls phrase Rom. 4. So Gods blessing is able to make our soules fruitfull in all good workes though of our selves wee be utterly barren and unfruitfull And thus we have done with Abrahams wives Now let us speake something of his contemporaries beginning with his sonne Ishmael Ishmael was sonne of Abraham and Hagar his maide servant borne unto him at his 86. yeeres as saith the Holy Ghost Gen. 16. ult He was the sonne of a godly Father but whether himselfe were godly or not it is uncertaine But in his life we must note First his Vertues Secondly his Faults Thirdly his Benefits Fourthly his Crosses and then shall we come to his death His vertues First he lived in his fathers house in outward conformity and obedience for he submitted to his father at 13. yeares to be circumcised Gen. 17.25 and so had the outward seale of the covenant but yet he was not the promised seede nor had the covenant made with him nor had the Church and true religion continuing in his family So we must learne not to satisfie our selves with being in the Church outwardly but must labour to become true members of it and to enter into the covenant indeed It will not profit us to have the Sacraments outwardly administered to us for he is not a Jew which is one without neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but wee must indeavour after the inward circumcision even to get the righteousnesse which is by faith that that faith may purifie our hearts and purge away from us all filthinesse of flesh and spirit And if we make use of the outward seale thereby to be made to see and feele our uncircumcisednesse of heart and heartily acknowledge Gods will and power to make us partakers of the inward circumcision so putting forth our selves to beg for and labour after that inward circumcision the Lord will surely bestow it upon us Againe all children must learne to submit themselves to their parents at least to an outward performance of such holy duties as by their parents they shall be instructed in else they are worse then Ishmael and will become matter of anguish and vexation to their godly parents Would Ishmael accept circumcison and wilt not thou accept instruction learne the principles of Christian religion and settle thy selfe to some shew of goodnesse then shall Ishmaels example rise up in judgement against thee and condemne thee And parents must observe Gods goodnesse in their childeren if they find them even in such a degree tractable and ruly for this is farre better then to be wilde and furious and to cast of all semblance of goodnesse and yet such would the best mans childeren prove if the hand of God did not restraine them But another good thing in Ishmael was that he submitted himselfe to his Father to be banished out of his house no question but Abraham that loved him would informe him of the necessity which lay upon himselfe so to expell his sonne and would furnish him with all good counsell who then being some 16. yeares old was capable of good advice and so did he without murmuring or wilfull refusing to go yeeld himselfe to that punishment It is a good thing in childeren to take quietly their parents chastisement even though they should be somewhat severe But to oppose them or to rebell against them or fall to clamorousnesse and impatiency is a great sinne even though the correction should be causelesse and unjust how much more if they be righteous and deserved Learne of Ishmael this submission how will you hope that you be Gods childeren if you do not equall such a one as Ishmael in goodnesse Againe Ishmael did another good office in the conclusion of his Fathers life for it is noted of him that he came to Isaac and joyned with him in his Fathers funerall Gen. 25.9 by which it is manifest that he bare no grudge against his Father for casting him out of his house but bore that respect towards him which was due to a Father and therefore did him the best honour he could at his latter end yea that hee did not harbour in his minde any envious and malicious thought against Isaac and therefore would come unto him and unite his paines to burie his Father Learne so much good of him I pray you as to forget that severity which perhaps Parents may have shewed to any of you and not put off the dutifulnesse of childeren because you have met with something that flesh and bloud would call hard measure The lesse inducement any man hath from a parents kindnesse to love and honour him the more commendable it is if hee performe all honour to him but he that will be so transported with discontentment against a parent for some sharpenesse as even to hate and contemne him most of all if his owne folly have inforced his parent to such proceedings is without all doubt a gracelesse and a wretched childe I pray you learne also by Ishmael not to suffer envy to rise against your Bretheren if in any thing they be preferred before you to your detriment Love not them lesse then the name of a Brother or Sister doth require because you may thinke that they have stood betwixt your parents love and bounty and your selves and so as it were overshadowed you and kept the sun-shine from you but behold the hand of God in so disposing of things and resolve to love still as Bretheren Further Ishmael did one good act of honour and duty toward his mother Hagar For it is said Gen. 21.21 that his mother tooke him a wife out of the land of Egypt so he was ruled by his mother in marriage having her liking and consent yea giving himselfe to be guided by her as did also Isaac to Abraham and Iacob to Isaac It is a needefull thing for childeren to take the consent and assent of their parents yea if it be but of the mother supposing the father to be dead or absent and not to rush into this estate against their willes and privity No comfort can come to the conscience in such a match for whosoever is joyned together otherwise then Gods Word alloweth can have no ground of comfort as those are that are joyned without the good will of those whom God hoth made his deputies in this businesse The Lord saith to Parents take wives for your sonnes and give your daughters plainely putting them into his roome in that behalfe wherefore having not consent from them they live in an unlawfull matrimony untill such time as by humble repentance before God and submissive intreaties to their parents they have attained that good leave of their parents which they ought to have gotten before If therefore any amongst you have so offended they must see the fault and be humbled and seeke pardon Most times the Lord doth sensibly crosse such matches make use of those crosses to increase your godly
to be a fearefull offence the hatred of which must needs arise from the feare of God It is blamed in an Heathen Nation Ier. 48.29 Wee have heard of the pride of Moab he is exceeding proud his loftinesse arrogancie and pride and the haughtinesse of his heart The Prophet saith of the Iewes too Chap. 13.13 that hee will weepe in secret places for their pride And our Saviour reckoning up that abhominable litter and broode of sinnes which have their originall in mans heart that is his corrupt inward disposition amongst the rest nameth pride Marke 7.22 And how much God hateth this vice is evident by the threats which in his Word he hath thundred against it S. Peter saith â— Epist Chap. 5.5 God resisteth the proud hee sets himselfe against him as in an armie ordered for the battell he is alwaies in the field as it were with his troopes ranked and ready to give the onset and take every advantage of doing him mischiefe Salomon saith Prov. 11.2 When pride commeth then commeth a fall a man is apt to runne into most shamefull faults and so to bring upon himselfe the greatest of all reproaches when once hee giveth pride the possession of his heart and after Prov. 16.28 Pride goes before destruction This sinne is a necessary forerunner of ruine it is an Harbenger to note our a lodging place for misery and calamity and Chap. 29.23 A mans pride shall bring him low truly low enough even as low as hell it selfe for must it not needes cast him low and low that maketh God his utter enemy It must be a loathsome vice if wee consider the causes whence it comes and the fruits which it produceth The roote of it is nothing but ignorance or follie or both Ignorance is the not knowing of what one should know Folly the not usefull considering of what one doth know and were not the heart made starke blinde with one or both of these vices it could never rush into pride For so meane is a man in his very Creation that he comes of dust and nothing and in his sinfull corruption now much more meane when he is of his Father the Divell as the Scripture saith nothing but the spawne of Hell and a very bastard mis-begotten by the Prince of darkenesse and subject to so many miseries here and to such a weight of eternall misery hereafter that if he were duely informed of this basenesse and did rightly beleeve it and consider of it hee could not possibly be puffed up with a good conceit of himselfe But his high fancies are ever strong and working in him when his heart is so filled up with darkenesse and blindnesse that either he doth not at all or not certainely know these things A drunken beggar will carry himselfe like some Emperour and he cares for no man because he hath not the wit to take notice of his owne basenesse So it is with the proud man so very a foole hee is that hee cannot instruct himselfe of his owne contemptiblenesse and therefore he is apt to be lifted up in himselfe now folly and ignorance be so vile things themselves that no naturall issue of them can choose but be like themselves even sinfull and wicked Againe the effects of it are exceeding hurtfull the punishments it causeth the Lord to lay upon men are great as you heard before he is a professed enemy to him hee hath threatned to pull him downe Hee that exalteth himselfe shall be abased God will marre the pride of men and staine their excellencie and he plagues them often in their bodies and states by giving them up to such absurd carriages as doe pull ruine upon themselves and alwaies in their soules by giving them up to the hardnesse of their hearts so that they be of all the most impenitent and irreformable and therefore it is said that when God will convert a man he covers his pride by chastisements and when Ieremy chargeth the people to amend and give glory to God before his judgements come upon them hee saith if you will not heare my soule shall weepe in secret for your pride noting that this filthy pride doth even stop up the eares against all wholesome advertisements O how fearefull a vice is that which cuts off the way to all amendment by turning away the eare from receiving instruction the principall instrument of working amendment But it produceth many sinfull carriages in all respects First in respect of all persons Secondly of all states Thirdly of all qualities For persons it makes him in whom it ruleth and so farre as it ruleth rebellious against Gods precepts carelesse of his promises and regardlesse of his threats so that hee despiseth and contemneth all the authority of God and will not be guided by his counsell Caine was a proud man you all know hee would never else have killed his Brother on that quarrell whereof you heard Now when God himselfe came to admonish him and disswade him from that murder it was all in vaine hee would not hearken to God but continued to harbour malice till it brake forth into bloudshed In respect of men for ones selfe it makes him selfe-ish all for himselfe not regarding who be hurt so himselfe be pleased selfe-willed and heady so that no counsell will rule but hee will head strongly like a madded beast runne on in his owne race as the Captaines that came to Ieremy for counsell because they were proud men and as the Scripture notes would not accept of his counsell And it fills him full alwaies of discontent fretting and vexation nothing no person can please him he is still finding faults just like one that hath a swelling upon his hand something or other toucheth it still and drives him to out-cries And for others towards his superiours he is undutifull and will not heed their words nor be ruled by them He thinkes himselfe too good to receive their correction or reproofes or chastisements and growes worse rather then better For his inferiours he is likely tyrannicall and Lionlike and cares not how he disgraceth and wrongeth and over-punisheth them rating and striking and laying about him even for nothing or as good as nothing For those that are more prosperous then himselfe and excell him in any thing he is ever envious and spitefull and malignes them for it For those that are below him he is scornefull and disdainefull and insolent in deriding and sleighting them for his equals hee is arrogant and insolent too still lifting himselfe above them and preferring himselfe before them If he meete with men in a good estate he grudgeth at them if with miserable men he scornes them and passeth by them pittilesly if not scoffingly And towards all in generall he is contentious and froward ready to picke and prosecute quarrells to make the worst of every thing and to take all with the left hand ready to work in proud wrath quickly angry and apt to vent his anger in lofty and
sorrow And so much for Iudahs crosses Now his particular benefits are these First he was a man of very good naturall parts and it seemeth excelled his bretheren all but Ioseph in these naturall abilities as is probable because Iacob trusted Benjamin with him whom he would not trust with Reuben and sent him before to Ioseph and it is most cleare by his excellently discreete and wise Oration that he made to Ioseph on the suddaine when they were brought backe againe with the cup. To have wit good speech good audacity and other like naturall parts is a great favour of God Those that have them not are to seeke for so much the more grace that the presence of the more excellent may supply the want of the meaner A lesse wit with more grace doth availe more to happinesse here in the world then a farre greater wit without grace Againe those that have these good abilities must take heede of marrying themselves and defiling them by being proud of them and abusing them but must walke humbly as knowing that they be but common benefits such as the wickeddest enjoy and things lent by God for which they must answer Therefore they should employ them vertuously and for good purposes that so they may have the true credit and comfort of them Ah if these be sanctified how great a lustre doe they receive from grace else the Divell hath more of them then any man alive and yet remaineth a hatefull and a cursed creature Further Iudah had a part of the birth-right setled upon him with a rich countrey and the Principallity of Israel that out of his loynes should come the Kings of Israel and the Messiah himselfe the King of Kings should be borne For though he committed divers great faults yet none so over-grosse and palpable as were those of Reuben Simeon or Levi his elder bretheren Indeede his fault fell out to be incest but it was unwittingly for in his purpose it was single whoredome not incest God then saw it fit to settle a part of the birth-right upon him notwithstanding his sinnes It is a great kindnesse of God to passe by ones unworthinesse to give him superiority in blessings though his sinnes may seeme to deserve the losse of them And though none of us can have that priviledge of being progenitors to the Messiah yet God doth often grant riches and a flourishing estate and dignity above others even to those that well-neere equalled others in wickednesse This benefit must be observed with humble thankfulnesse THE TWENTY FOVRTH EXAMPLE OF Shechem Hamor Hiram Er Onan Tamar the Midianites NOne other of Iacobs sonnes Ioseph alone excepted have any great matter rehearsed of them in Scripture The order of our story requireth therefore that we should proceed to tell you what we read of him but because his life is related at large in respect of the great things wrought by him I will therfore handle other of Iacobs contemporaries and of his too before I come to speake of him and I will begin with those with whom Iacob had most to doe First we have Shechem comming in an evill time to disquiet the peace of Iacob now returned and setled in the land of Canaan and in him you must note First what was good Secondly what was naught Thirdly his prosperity Fourthly his adversity His bad deedes come first to be noted and that was first he gave his eye liberty to wander with a lustfull wandring It is said hee saw Dinah and tooke her the Divell and sinne prevailed against him by the disordered use of his sence He gave himselfe leave to gaze over-earnestly upon her beauty and other good parts wherewith the eye is usually taken and the heart inflamed Let us learne to represse an evill and a wanton looke and to keepe the Divell from possessing himselfe of this window as it were of the soule to be master of this conveighance by which so much comes in and goes out of the soule The eye must be looked to with diligence by him that would not be surprized with lust hee must turne away his eye from beholding this vanity the beauty of a woman he must as Iob make a covenant with his eye that it let not in lust and wanton desires he that mortifieth not as other of his senses so this shall never be thoroughly master of himselfe nor get any notable victory against his corruptions You are not ignorant of our Saviours command to pull out the right eye if it offend This is one way of pulling out an eye to bridle it from looking upon such objects as may stirre up lust and other evill desires in the heart and that the eye may be thus bridled the heart must be over-awed with the feare of God and so setled in a firme stedfast and full resolution of not sinning in any kinde or degree and in an earnest indeavour to loath and detest sinne not alone to leave it Hatred hath such a power over the whole man that it will not suffer the eye without some inward rising to fixe it selfe upon the thing hated or any thing that hath a fitnesse that way Let all good Christians get the heart so armed and the eye will be sufficiently defended Here now is his first fault he looked upon a woman to lust after her and did not checke the desire nor refraine the wandring eye Take heede of the beginning of his offence if you would not come to the end of it The next fault is he either forced or enticed or as it is likely partly by perswasion and partly by some kind of violence brought her into a fit place for his purpose and so his lust made more head-strong by fitnesse of the opportunity committed the act of fornication and folly with her and as it was after said wrought folly in Israel His sinne was the sinne of fornication and it is like enough we may call it a rape he forced a maiden I am rather induced to thinke it was done most by force because that the maiden made the thing knowne to her Father who had it beene done by her free consent should not it is likely have come to the knowledge of it by her meanes nor could by any other so then he forced a maiden It may well be that by faire and curteous carriage he wan her into a house and then by strength mixed with perswasion wanne her to his will And in him you see the right progresse of this sinne when the desire hath over-wonne the will and gained consent then doth the heart seeke the opportunity of time place and like circumstances and by the fitnesse of these Satan is so tempted to tempt and the coales of lust are so blowed that it flameth forth and carries a man or woman or both to act wickednesse If therefore any man would escape the foule acts of this sinne he must oppose himselfe to the first desires and crosse them by following
and undefiled and forbearing to mixe ones selfe with any person not allowed by God according to his Ordinance especially when strong temptations are offered to inflame libidinous fancies deserveth great praise for it shewes that the heart is fully resolved not to doe evill Indeed if the not entertaining of such motions arise from inability of body and unfitnesse to satisfie them this cannot be called castity but debility Wee must consider how much the Apostle disgraceth uncleannesse and fornication he saith it is injurious to Christ to the holy-Ghost to a mans owne body to Christ if he be a professour of Christianity that doth it for it takes one that is joyned to him and to his mysticall body as a member thereof and makes it the member of an harlot which is a great indignity to the holy-Ghost for it takes a Temple dedicated to him such is the body and soule of every Christian and makes it a hog-sty to lodge filthy lusts in to a mans owne body for he that doth it sinnes against his owne body in making-that the very instrument of committing that soule sinne Now as much as may be said in the reproach of the sinne so much on the contrary maybe said in prayse of continency by it a man keeps Christs members and the holy-Ghosts Temples and his owne body free from so great basenesse of being made subject to an harlot The way is first to plant in ones owne heart a reverend feare of Gods all-seeing eye yea to pray much to God to bestow a good measure of this grace upon him The second is to count the sin a great wickednesse for so hee saith this great wickednesse The holding fast in ones mind an apprehension of the grievousnesse of a fault is a great preservative against it but if one once yeeld to fancy that it is no great matter then will it prove no great matter to draw us to it And indeed this sinne of Adultery must needs be a great wickednesse because it sinnes against a cleare light and is contrary to a solemne vow and Covenant made betwixt the marryed 3. A man must often ponder on the threats of God made against this sinne and presse them upon his owne soule and pray to God to make him beleeve and feare Fourthly he must prevent the occasions and fly from them even that occasion of being present especially in solitary places and alone with those to whom his heart is inclined or indeed with any with whom such a sinne may be committed but upon just grounds and causes And lastly a man must not trust upon his owne strength but constantly supplicate to God keep downe his inordinate passions or else he shall find them too unruly for him Labour you that be young and you that be elder and all to attaine this power over ill desires God that wrought it in Ioseph can worke it in any other as well you shall doe well to produce Iosephs Example unto God and beseech him to shew his Spirit and his feare in you as he did in him Why are godly mens worthy deedes set up before our eyes in Scriptures but that we may strive and pray and hope to be made like unto them But as all must bee exhorted to get Chastity so chiefly those which have beene overtaken already with the contrary crime of Adultery or fornication or both It is more easie to forbeare a sinne the first time then the second the second then the third and so forth unlesse great care be used to get the heart throughly healed If Joseph had lived in Fornication with any other he could never have resisted his mistresses inticements They that have yeelded to this sinne shall more hardly save themselves from it then those that have never yeelded but if a man doe frequently and unfainedly repent of this as well as of other sinnes it will bee made so loathsome to him that by Gods assistance he shall prevaile against it yea even though it be his darling corruption I goe on to shew how Joseph behaved himselfe in the house of his Prison and that to his Master there the Jaylor and also to the Kings Officers that were committed thither First he fell to his old trade of diligence and faithfulnesse carrying himselfe in so vertuous a manner that the Jaylor did affect him and liked him more and more till at last he intrusted him with all the charge of the prison This was a great trust for you know what extreame danger a Jaylor chiefely of such prisoners doth put himselfe in if his prisoners escape there againe therefore let all inferiours be perswaded to seeke to winne their Superiours by good and vertuous carriage especially meekenesse submissivenesse painefulnesse and trustinesse This will worke a man into favour even with an hard master but I spake of that matter a little before I will shew you his carriage to the prisoners to whom he was an Attendant it is commendable in these three respects First he shew'd himselfe desirous to comfort them when they were sad and dejected asking them why they were sad had hee not bin of a kinde and tender disposition he would not have heeded how a person to whom himselfe had no more relation had fared whether sorrowfully or merrily but so kinde was hee that hee seekes to comfort them by asking them the cause of their sadnesse and seeking to remove it We should all learne to practice this courteousnesse to all men chiefly to such as are in affliction otherwise even helpe to raise up their hearts with good words and so much as we can to become instruments of cheering them as you see Joseph intreating to know their Dreames and diligent to interpret the same It is an excellent vertue to be ready to comfort the afflicted and to revive the spirits of them that bee cast downe so farre as we be able but a churlish carelesse temper whereby a man cares not whether men cry or laugh be merry or sad is a proofe of much pride and stupidity of spirit and must be abhorred Againe you see him faithfull in interpreting their dreames not seeking to flatter the Baker in regard of the likenes of the dreames You must learne to deale truely with men telling them as the thing is not falsifying your words to please them and to prevent their sorrowes Most of all must men deale truly in interpreting and applying Gods Word and you must learne to be so wise as to accept such true and plaine dealing Lastly Ioseph was so wise and so prudently carefull of redeeming himselfe out of prison that he would not let slip the opportunity of speaking to the Butler to remember him It is very lawfull for any man to use good meanes of getting out of a crosse and to take all such advantages as God shall afford of suing and supplicating unto such as may be helpefull to him in that behalfe as Ioseph doth but still wee must take heed that
we be not overapt to accuse and disgrace others whilest wee seeke to gaine friends to our selves Ioseph spake nothing sharply against his brethren no nor yet against his Mistresse the more to prevaile in his request to the Butler that might speed him Hitherto of Iosephs private life now of his more publike carriage 1. To strangers 2. Towards his owne kindred and Fathers house First towards the Egyptians both to Pharaoh and then to the Communalty of Egypt First in his carryage to Pharaoh 1. Before his preferment then after Before his preferment 1. he deales plainely faithfully with him as before in interpreting his two dreams After he had shaved himselfe changed his garments he came in speedily to the King and told him the meaning of his dreams fully shewing what was signified by the seven fatte and leane Kine and what by the seven full and leane Eares of corne and then what by the seven leane Kine and leane Eares which devoured the fat ones viz. By the former seven most plentifull yeares in which the earth should bring forth corne and all fruits in great abundance and by the latter seven most scant and penurious yeares of great famine in which the earth should yeeld none increase at all so that the plenty should be utterly forgotten and the Land should be consumed with scarcity and the doubling of the dreame he saith did shew that the thing was certaine to be accomplished without all faile and also the speednesse of the thing which should begin presently to be accomplished Thus Ioseph tells the things to come with all plainenesse and most fully Dreames were one of Gods ordinances by which hee did in those times reveale those things to men which he intended they should know and the interpreter of Dreames was to shew the true meaning of God plainely without adding or diminishing and without any doubting or ambiguity Hence all those to whom the interpretation of Gods will revealed unto men shall be committed must learne to deale plainely fully and truly They must with all evidence and perspicuity shew the things which God hath told them and must not not hide or alter any thing at all what God declareth they must declare making manifest also the certainty and speedinesse of the things both that they shall surely come to passe and presently in the due time appointed Oh that the Lord would thrust out into his Church able faithfull and painfull men that might search diligently into the meaning of his Oracles and fully declare his will unto his people carefully stirring them to believe the things and to expect them and make use of them now you see his faithfulnesse Secondly marke his wisedome and prudence joyned with love and good will for he perswades Pharoah to appoint fit persons to gather up the abundance of the plentifull yeares and keepe the same in store against the penurious and scant yeares that so he may prevent the misery which else would have fallen on the land So those that are to interpret Gods Word to his people must adde counsell advice perswasions and exhortations to provide them to make good use of their knowledge even to provide against the danger to come and to make use of all those good helpes which God shall affoord them for that purpose We have now plentifull times of spirituall provision by which wee may get knowledge how to prevent the danger of eternall death who can tell what scant and thinne times may come hereafter in which we may feele a sore famine of the Word and not be able to get instruction and exhortation which now wee have in abundance Let us store our heart with knowledge now in these times of plenty that our soules may not perish for want of true knowledge then when the means of knowledge shall be diminished make use of Gods goodnesse that you perish not for want of true knowledg Yea the Lord in his Word hath plainely revealed his minde concerning the damnation of impenitent sinners and salvation of the penitent O now labour to get repentance in these happy seasons of Repentance wherein God offers grace unto you and put not off these great workes till after uncertaine times when no more meanes of repentance shall be granted then the Aegyptians had of getting corn in the seven yeeres of deadly famine use the opportunity of getting grace as Pharaoh did of getting Corne. Now it is the day time now the light shineth now the Lord continueth to stretch out his hand oh turne to him feed of the Word of life heare the Word reade it and ponder upon it obey it and turne to God and believe and obey whilst it is called to day that you may not hereafter labour in vaine about so necessary a businesse Thirdly you shall see in Josephs carriage great humility lowlinesse of heart hee brags not of himselfe and his owne skill and ability hee doth not lift up himselfe because this rare gift of interpreting of Dreames was given unto him from God but saith it is not in me God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace Wee see the same humility in Daniel when he did likewise interpret the dreames of Nebuchadnezzar for he saith expressely as for mee this secret is not revealed unto me for any wisedome that I have more then any living Loe he depresseth himselfe and gives the glory to God wee must learne to bestow Gods gifts humbly not vaine-gloriously and with ostentation setting up our selves but humbly acknowledging our owne meanenesse must give God the honour and labour our selves to be made instruments of good to men by those indowments wherewith the Lord shall enrich us Humility adorneth and beautifieth all graces it is this Vertue that addeth lustre to all graces and commendeth him in whom it is more then all his abilities besides but vaine glory and ostentation and selfe conceitednesse and vaunting ones selfe and being pussed up doth as it were soyle and sullie and defile and dawb all gifts and maketh him in whom they worke this effect as loathsome and contemptible as if he wanted all of them learne not to exalt your selves that God may exalt you Another thing to be noted in Joseph hee shew'd all reverence and due respect to the King as Daniel also did giving him dutifull words and carrying himselfe submissively so must we doe whensoever we approach before Rulers and Kings our words and gestures must bee decent and respective tending to expresse an honourable esteeme of them because of the Image of Gods Majesty and greatnesse which shineth in them Joseph would not come before Pharaoh in the sordid garments of his prison house nor with the haire of the dungeon but polleth himselfe and getteth on better attire and sets himselfe in all his carriage to honour the King saying God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to doe and God will answer for Pharaohs peace Oh that we could learne mannerly and dutifull and respective