hath cause to make but meane account of himselfe so will these thoughts helpe to chase out pride But consider a man in his spirituall misery he was conceived in sinne he is of his father the Divell he is a slave to sinne a traitor to God He is full of all wickednesse destitute of all holinesse and cannot escape eternall damnation by any worth or power of his owne but must needes sinke downe to hell and be made fuell for that eternall burning You see by what meanes you may subdue pride hee that findeth it out and resisteth it with these weapons shall undoubtedly prevaile against it hee that thinkes himselfe free from it and takes no paines to subdue it shall surely bee conquered by it And let the consideration of this that pride is so foule a vice make you blesse God with much thankfulnesse for crosses afflictions and divers temptations and tribulations for what be they else but medicines to take downe pride and who that hath a great swelling in his body doth not thinke it a benefit deserving recompence as well as thankes to have a fit medicine prepared and applied that at length may take downe that swelling It is to be confessed that the best of men be too proud even now notwithstanding all the crosses they have felt and sinnes they have committed O how much more proude would they have beene had not God made use of such things to tame and depresse them And of their pride so much The next fault is fulnesse of bread this is reckoned as a fault and either it is so indeed or the Spirit of God was deceived who put it downe here in the catalogue of Sodomitish crimes You must either grant that fulnesse of bread is a foule sinne or else you must tell the Prophet that himselfe and the Spirit by which he spake were both in an error 'T is attributed to Dives in the Parable hee fared deliciously every day 'T is charged on wealthy men as one of the sinnes that shall procure their howling and misery you have nourished your selves in the day of slaughter meaning they gave themselves over to feasting and banqueting every day A daily continuall stuffing the belly with store of savoury and delicate foode is hurtfull for the body and soule too Use abstinence feed sparingly fare hard and short sometimes And so much for the second sin of Sodome fulnesse of bread The third is abundance of idlenesse here is the fault it selfe idlenesse and the measure of it very much idlenesse Idlenesse is a sinne especially when it growes to be abundance of idlenesse Salomon hath bent himselfe to the disgrace of this fault in many of his Proverbes Goe to the pismire O sluggard Prov. 6.9 9. how long wilt thou sleepe 10. Yet a little sleepe 24.30 I went by the field of the sloathfull and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding a witlesse fellow a foole And the Apostle condemnes it in the younger widdowes that they learnt to be idle 1 Tim. 5.13 and many threats are made against the idle person and the sluggard 19.15 an idle soule shall suffer hunger There are divers reasons to prove this fault to be a great sinne First it is a crossing of that end which God had in making man hee made him to be usefull and profitable as the members of the body idlenesse makes him unprofitable hee gave him a minde and a body fit for usefull and laborious imployments he spends this strength to no purpose So he doth even thwart Gods intention in creating all things and himselfe among the rest for all were made for labour in some fruitfull matter as we see the Sunn and heavenly bodies the waters and trees and all the creatures Secondly he depriveth himselfe of all right in conscience to foode and other necessaries and maketh himselfe a theefe in all he eateth and drinketh and spendeth for this cause S. Paul saith hee that will not worke let him not eate so hee is interdicted the use of Gods creatures as it were a man banished out of the world A civill right in the courts of justice hee hath to the possessing of things because of his title to them and interest in them but a conscionable right to the use of them hee hath not therefore Paul wisheth men to labour and eate their owne bread intimating that it is not their owne in the court of conscience before God if they gaine not an interest to it by paines Thirdly idlenesse is a great nourisher of all vices It nourisheth pride and selfe-conceitednesse For the sluggard is wiser in his owne eyes then seven men that can render a reason he is apt to filthinesse and lust why was Sodome so lewd but because they were idle Every temptation doth easily seize upon him that is at leasure and doth nothing as a bird that sitteth still on a tree is easily hit with an arrow or bullet He can have while to hearken to a temptation and to ruminate upon the evill things which Satan and the flesh doe stirre up In nature things that lie still gather rust and standing water soone breeds noysome creatures and soone putrifies and especially idlenesse makes a man a busie body full of medling with other folkes matters and that for the most part to do more hurt then good The nature of man is active and if it be not imployed in some usefull thing it must follow sinne and vanity Lastly this sinne exposeth a man to want Idlenesse will cloath with ragges his penurie commeth like an armed man and like a traveller hastily surely strongly it cannot be resisted it will not linger Hee that followeth vaine persons shall have poverty enough The sluggard will not plow in Winter therefore hee must begge in Summer and have nothing And if it fall out that great meanes doe keepe an idle person from want yet hee hath a most poore and beggarly soule utterly destitute of saving graces and vertues for he must labour for these things that will attaine them But let us see what idlenesse is It is that vice by which men refuse to bestow themselves constantly and painefully in some profitable thing and take leave to spend their pretious time in things unprofitable Some things are unprofitable simply as fond and roving thoughts tatling and vaine words some things are unprofitable accidentally in respect of their excesse as sports and pastimes and sleepe and ease and sitting still and in respect of the manner of doing as dealing with a slacke hand and working by halves He that will not continue to take paines in things usefull and beneficiall to himselfe and others but whileth out his time in sitting still and twatling with others of matters impertinent to him or uselesse in themselves or discoursing with himselfe about like points or gives himselfe to excesse of sleepe or of sports or else followes his businesse by the halves this man is idle
appointment his lust in all likelihood it was his lust for what other cause should move him I cannot conjecture would not be contained within the bounds of lawfull matrimonie He dares adde a second wife and so bring into the world a painted whoredome a guilded adultery a pretended marriage but indeed a very breach of wedlock For our Saviour Christ telleth us that he which putteth away his wife and marrieth another commits adultery and if that be true as we must confesse for his authority sake that spake it then without all question hee that keepeth his former wife still and will needs take another to her is guilty too of committing adultery The reason is cleare and cannot be denied For if it were not adultery to have more women then one at one time then the taking of another wife upon a causelesse divorce should not deserve that odious title and if it be so poligamy must needs take the same title to it selfe This was therefore a grievous audaciousnesse in this wicked man that hee would leape over the poles as it were which God had fixed The thing was naught and his doing it first before others made it worse in him and made him guilty of their faults that after followed it upon his example For indeed it was quickly taken up and practised in the world insomuch that it continued to the time of Abraham and was practised also by him as a thing not reputed sinfull For when sinne hath gotten yeeres and examples upon its backe it doth many times cease to be counted what it is and goes under the repute of a lawfull thing though it be in it selfe even somewhat evidently unlawfull because partly the minde of man corrupted by the pleasing or profitable effects of it is willing not to thinke it sinne and the judgement is easily sweyed by the will and partly because the example of men doth worke too much to draw unto evill as an heavie thing is easily cast downeward Now to polygamie he addeth a notorious revengefullnesse Having married a couple of women it seemes he found some distempers in them and therefore to calme and over-awe them a little hee falls to breath out revenge with violent threats saying that he would kill a man in his wound or for his wound hee meanes because of wound received and a young man for his hurt or bruise he meanes because of a bruise or stripe given him yea he goes farther and adds that if Caine should be avenged seven-fold then hee seventy times seven fold If any man whosoever he were should hurt him hee should die for it yea were he never so young and lusty a fellow that should offer to smite him it should cost him his life and he would proceede to an higher degree of revenge then that which God himselfe had appointed to Caines murderer viz. hee would be revenged seventy times seven times more that maketh in all almost five hundred times as much more here is passion and pride in all extremity To revenge is to render evill for evill to revenge a thing seven times is to inflict a thing seven times more grievous upon a wrong doer then that which he did to another to revenge seventie times and seven is to lay an evill 490 times more heavie then that received The Lord of Heaven hath cause because hee hath authority to inlarge his punishing justice and to execute a threat of seven times revenge because after such a threat to commit the fault makes it seven degree more faulty as being an audacious despising of his anger and a very setting his threats at naught but for any man to exceede measure so farre in punishing though he were a lawfull Magistrate punishing the malefactor at the complaint and instance of the wronged person it were a great offence How much more then for a private man so farre to exceede all degrees in respect of a wrong done to himselfe Sure he that threatens to be revenged 400 times more then Caine conceived himselfe to be more excellent than Caine 400 times for according to the measure of the parties worth that was wronged must the revenge be increased O how proud a man was hee that durst so farre preferre himselfe above his great grand-fathers Father for so was Caine who being then alive and departed from under the governement of Adam was now the King of all the sonnes that descended from him during his life and the Priest too for Kingdomes and Priest-hoods in those first times went to the eldest of the family by succession These were chiefe Rulers in matters civill and religious He was therefore a very haughty minded man and a very passionate angry man and so a very revengefull man which springeth from pride and and passion These be his faults yet see how good and patient the Lord shewes himselfe unto such a wretch for hee had two sonnes by one wife and a sonne and daughter by the other God gave him the fruit of marriage though he were the first that so shamefully abused marriage for God doth not instantly stretch forth a punishing arme against an offender and these sonnes of his too were very active and profitable men of good parts and account as appeares by their inventions mentioned in the Text. But yet he is not left quite unpunished for his life was unquiet as appeareth by his threatning and bragging what he would doe for such kinde of threats be but boastings of the future time It is not to be doubted of but that his two wives what by the brawles which would fall out betwixt them and their children and what by the stirres that they would make with him each to have him take her part against the other made his life uncomfortable so that hee was faine to see if hee could make the matter a little better by big and violent words to keepe them in awe by feare whom duty could not order Now this is Lamech Let us make some use of his Example even to blame our selves for having committed if wee have committed the like sinnes to his that we may be drawne to repentance which he was never so happy as to performe Secondly to arme ourselves against those sinnes and to abound in the contrary vertues for so it is our duty as Bees doe honey out of weeds to gather good out of bad Examples Come hither then and let mee examine you in Gods name Is there not any amongst you that hath violated marriage worse then Lamech He did sinne by taking two wives The Lawes would punish you for following him in that and would not suffer you to keepe two women under the name of wives have not you therefore falne to flat and downe-right adultery If so repent of this enormity The Lord will not suffer the transgressors of his Covenant to beare it free if repentance doe not stay his hand Yea have not some of you beene Lamechs in making the first breach into a sinne
may be couragious in all things First be sure the causes in which you put your selves in hazard be good and just Secondly be sure that you take God along with you by keeping his favour in a holy conversation as Abraham did or else courage may quickly faile and deceive you And next learne to deale prudently in all affaires as Abraham did in seeking the helpe of his confederates and taking the opportunity of night and dividing his men against his enemies into severall bands The excellency of a businesse is in the wise carriage of it labouring to get convenient aid and helpe and then choosing fit times and seasons and other circumstances We must blame our selves therefore if by any indiscretion or failing we have hindered our owne good successe in our affaires as often times men doe and must pray to God to direct us with discretion for it is his gift that we be not causes of our owne disappointment and misery Now see how Abraham behaved himselfe to frin-men as we call them 1. To the Sodomites 2. To the Cananites 3. To Angels whom he tooke to be travellers First to the Sodomites first he did most heartily intercede to God for their sparing if there had beene found 50.40 30 20. Yea but 10. just men therein So great a lover of good men was Abraham that he would heartily pray to God to save them and for their sakes to save also the people whom they dwelt amongst and how well pleasing this service was to God it is evident in the storie Gen. 18.23 ad finem For God did with wonderfull patience accept his suites even till hee came to so low a rate as if he did finde but 10. in the 5. Cities that is a poore couple in every City Wee must learne hence to shew our loves to man-kind in generall and especially to just and good men in praying God for all righteous men that they may be saved and delivered and for the Societies and Cities and countries wherein we live that they also might prosper and escape for the good sake of the good that live there Fervent prayer for humane societies and for just men in them should be made by Gods people Why should you not improve the right you have unto Gods eares For the good of many I will that prayers and supplications be made for all men saith S. Paul especially to pray that God would deliver Cities and Countries from publike and fearefull destructions Bretheren why are we so defective in this duty Why do we not pray for the nations abroad in hope that there may be some righteous amongst them why are our mouthes stopped from such suites Let us now follow our Father here and let our heartes and mouthes be inlarged with all humble confidence to beseech God for the good of those Cities and quarters of Christendome that are ready to eate up one another that God would shew favour to them and not give them over to perish by the sword each of other Account Prayer an exercise of some efficacie have so much faith as to know that our prayers shall not be vaine labours and that you beleeve that God is a God that heareth prayers onely let all your prayers be as Abrahams were servent humble and reverend Another good worke of Abraham to the Sodomites was that he did not make them slaves to himselfe and keepe them for his owne use nor sell them as slaves to others as by the Law of Nations he might well have done but granted them liberty and set them againe in state of freedome after he had by the sword taken them out of the hands of those that had led them captive He shewed humanity and kindnesse to them though they were wicked men and not rigour and extremity Wee must all learne to be kinde and loving to mankinde and not to presse men with heavie and grievous burdens even though wee might doe it in extremity of right This shall bring more love and good will honour and good esteeme then rougher and more severe carriage It is better to be loved then hated honoured then disgraced be counted a friend and saviour of men then a proud person that cares not what becomes of others so that himselfe may make an advantage of them The comfort that gentlenesse and clemencie bringeth is also very much more then that which will follow from the contrary The dying heart can receive no content in thinking he hath crushed inthralled or otherwise afflicted men but that he hath delivered comforted saved them that affoordeth great consolation in that it becommeth an argument of goodnesse and a meanes of hope that a man shall finde mercy as he hath shewed and exercised it Let not either covetousnesse or arrogancie or a cruell disposition make you carrie your selves austerely to men for your owne advantage sake but use all courtesie as Abraham did even to these Sodomites Let them enjoy good things even though you have power and some shew of right to deprive them thereof onely doe not interrupt justice in her acts of severity This was his dealing with the Sodomites in generall See how his dealing is with the King as you have it Gen. 14.21 He would not take any thing that was his no not to a shooe-latcher and he saith that he had lift up his hands to God to that end that it might not be said by the King of Sodome I have made Abraham rich Here Abraham shewes himselfe first a man that did not regard riches nor esteeme the wealth of this world in that of his owne accord he bound himselfe by a vow not to touch so great a bootie as this that fell into his hands by just conquest and which in all equity he might have taken and that with good thankes too for the present time from the King of Sodome who wished alone the persons and did willingly yeeld the goods to Abraham but Abraham stood upon termes here of credit for his Religion sake and would not have the King of Sodome to triumph and say that his wealth had inriched Abraham You see that we should so dis-valew riches as freely to cast them away and deny our selves of them rather then incurre any reproach or disgrace for them even though the imputation would be unjust Should not all men labour to have as generous a minde as Abraham Sure we should strive for the perfection of vertue which hath beene found in the Saints It cannot be said yet Abraham should have sinned if he had taken this spoyle neither was hee bound so much to the Sodomite as to affoord him either persons or goods but he considered before hand that some aspersion of covetousnesse would have beene cast upon him if he should have possessed himselfe of this wealth and therefore he bindes himselfe from it by a vow Noble Abraham that regardest due esteeme rather then great riches and wouldst let goe so faire a morsell rather then incurre any the least
a fault committed by him especially if it be done out of weakenesse feare or the like distemper as to caf him off have no more to doe with him or the like but still to hope and thinke well of him especially if hee doe confesse his weaknesse as Abraham and to affoord any due courtesie and kindnesse to him over-harshnesse towards others for faults which we finde in them is a signe of uncharitablenesse and pride It shewes that we doe not duely perceive our owne faultinesse and aptnesse to some other as bad sinnes yea perhaps to the very same sinnes and that wee doe not beare a tender compassion to them because wee have not a right knowledge of our selves Compare the dealing of Pharaoh before observed and Abimelechs carriage here noted and what your consciences tell you was the more commendable and approveable that imitate I come to the last good deed of Abimelech He takes notice of Gods goodnesse to Abraham saying Chap. 21. ver 22. God is with the in all that thou dost and therefore accompanied with his principall Officer one Phicol goes and intreates Abraham to make a league of amity with him as you may reade in the Story and when Abraham told him of a well of water which was taken from him by his servants hee excuseth himselfe that he never knew of it before and so willingly restoreth the well and confesseth Abrahams right to it by taking the Ewe-lambs and consenting to name the well Beer sheba that is the well of an oath because they swore there each to other It is a good thing to observe the goodnesse of God so his people thereupon to think well of them and to desire to live in amity and peace with them Why should not wee have our eyes open to see Gods blessing going along with men and when wee see it why should wee not rather love them and wish their friendship then beare an evill eye towards them and maligne them It is a signe of some goodnesse to acknowledge that God is the Author of all good successe to mens affaires herein wee give him the honour of being the ruler of the world And it is a signe of some good will to men when their prosperous estate makes us rather like them and joyne friendship with them then stirreth up grudging and repining at them Surely Abimelechs carriage giveth us some probable grounds to conceive that himselfe was a holy man in that hee shewes some knowledge of God and good affection to so good a servant of God Let us goe a little further and strive to interest our selves into Gods blessing on the godly by following them in godlinesse But let his willing restitution of the Well which his servants had taken away by violence teach us also not to beare out the servants or people that are under our government in any unjust carriage of theirs yea rather so soone as wee come to the knowledge of their naughty carriage let us cause them to amend and to repaire the wrongs that they have done A mans servants faults must not bee imputed to him till it bee knowne whether hee be privie to them or not but if when hee is informed of them he be carelesse to see them amended now is himselfe as guilty of the sinne as his servants were before Thus you have the faults and vertues of Abimelech so farre as I could note them out of holy Writ Consider now what benefits God bestowed upon him First hee made him a King In those daies it is evident that Kings were not rulers over so large dominions as now they be of old the chiefest ruler over one or two Cities and the territories about it was a King as in the land of Canaan there were 31 Kings and the five Cities of the plaine of Sodome and the rest had each of them severall Kings and yet there were some Kings that raigned over whole Countries as the King of Egypt but in it selfe considered it is a favour of God to preferre a man unto the honour of a King as the Scripture prooveth in saying a diligent servant shall stand before Kings and not before those of the meaner sort If to be in favour and account with a King be a thing fit to be promised as a reward of diligence much more the enjoying of a Kingdome therefore God upbraides both Saul and David when he would sharpely reproove their sins that he had made them Kings over his people Israel for Kings have likely riches honour and authority by the two former of which they may partake of much comfort themselves and communicate much also to their friends and kindred by the latter they may bring much honour to God and much good also to men in establishing true religion and justice Now God hath not pleased to make any of you Kings but he hath made some of you richer and greater then others as I may say little petty Kings in your places Beware you pervert not this goodnesse of God by making your wealth and power a meanes of swelling your hearts with pride and imboldening you to wrong and oppresse others and furnishing you with instruments to serve your owne lusts for the such abuse of these benefits will turne them into poyson as it were to your soules and cause that they shall serve at length for the same purpose which S. Iames saith the rust of the rich mans treasure shall doe even to consume your flesh like fire and to bring upon you greater damnation in another world to be preferred before this more then an inheritance is before the lease of one alone yeere none shall suffer so much torment and unhappinesse as those that have played the untrusty subjects to God and made their high places a weapon to beare out their sinnes But take notice of God in your Eminency in this present world and labour to be so much more thankefull and obedient to God and serviceable and profitable to men and then shall preferrement here bee a meanes of inlarging your joyes hereafter too O happie is hee that shall be great in Heaven as well as on Earth by his well employing of his earthly greatnesse and you that cannot be great here yet strive to attaine a Kingdome and here too in a spirituall sence Labour to bee Kings over your selves in establishing the Kingdome of grace in your hearts that you may bee Kings hereafter and that in farre greater glory and happinesse then the greatest of all earthly Kings either did ever or ever could enjoy the meanest Christian may get the Kingdome of grace and of glory as well as a David or a Salomon Another benefit wee must observe the Lord by his providence kept him from committing that sinne which else hee would have committed but indeed of meere ignorance for his heart was upright with God so farre that if hee had knowne it hee would not have committed it So the Lord tels him therefore I kept thee
doth send them upon men in favour to prevent divers sinnes which else hee knowes they would have committed in that time if health had continued Let us not murmure against GOD because of such crosses but rather take notice of his goodnesse in the same especially in point of sicknesse if it linger upon us and thinke thus with our selves how many sinnes might I have runne into if this bodily feeblenesse had not kept mee within dores And when wee bee sicke or otherwise affected let us turne our thoughts round about us to finde out if any such thing be some sinne that wee should have runne into but for such prevention See if thine heart have not harboured some unconsidered fault and further the health of your bodies by turning sicknesse into purging physicke for your soules So have we finished the example of this King Somewhat about that time there lived foure Kings whose names are recorded in holy Writ but nothing at all for their praise Their names were 1. Amraphel King of Shinar that is as it is thought of Chaldea or Babilon where it may seeme that Nimrod erected a Monarchie and it may bee that this man was some successor of his or one of his Posterity and would needes inlarge his Monarchie so farre as the land of Canaan with whom was joyned Amoch King of Elkasar Chedarlomer King of Elam and one Tydall King of Nations What these Kings were or whether mentioned in Heathen Stories or not it matters not to enquire But here they are patternes of unjust violence in Warre They had the keener swords and therefore would make themselves Lords over other Kings and compell them by brunt of Warre to receive their yoke and acknowledge some Homage Nothing more usuall then for potent Kings to make at least unnecessary Warres for their growth in greatnesse many times they doe not so much as alleadge a shew of title but their owne ambition is the ground of their plea and sometimes they pretend most frivolous titles So doe they disquiet themselves and others and cause much innocent bloud to bee shed almost inforcing their Subjects to become wilfull murderers Wee must blesse God that hath caused us to live now a good time under peaceable Princes and must inforce our prayers to God begging the like mercy still The Conquering side is often more miserable by sinning then the conquered by slaughter or captivity But God doth use these great Cockes of the game as instruments of his Justice to punish the naughtinesse of those that abuse peace and become more wicked by so great a benefit Let us learne to take heede of wickednesse that the God of Heaven may not also make us a prey to violence and ambition And though you bee not Kings to whom I speake yet I pray you take heed that you runne not into the same fault that these Kings though not in so high a degree use not injustice and injuriousnesse and violence so much as your lower places will suffer a Weesell is a ravenous beast as well as a Lion But the maine sinne that these committed and which brought upon them their ruine was this that they would needs take Lot among the Sodomites Suppose the Sodomites did owe them Homage and gave just cause of quarrell yet was Lot no Sodomite nor Patron of their rebellion They should have spared him that never had beene their subject nor done them any wrong at all Indeed if Lot had gone to Warre against them and involved himselfe in the Sodomites evill cause if their cause were evill hee was justly taken captive with them but the briefe narration seemeth rather to intimate otherwise Chap. 14. verse 11 12. They tooke the substance of Sodome and their victuals and went their way and they tooke Lot also and his substance for hee dwelt in Sodome intimating as I said that hee was taken not in the battell but in the spoiling of the City afterward but you see what is the manner of insulting conquerours they sweepe away all they meete and every thing and person shall bee good bootie that lies within their reach but they smart for this spoile for hence was Abraham justly occasioned to put forth his courage for the reskue of his Kinsman and so were they deprived of the whole victory because they spared not a man whom they should have spared It often falleth out that one act of injustice looseth much that otherwise was justly gotten Beware of swallowing ill gotten wealth it hath a poysonfull operation and like some such evill simple in the stomacke will bring up the good foode together with ill humours It is said the King of Sodome had rebelled so intimating a kinde of justification of the Warre with him but it is not said that Lot had rebelled and therefore they should not have seized on him for the Sodomites sake Use justice and take nothing from any man that is due unto him neither punish any without right chiefely touch not a good man that feareth GOD unlesse his faults require that hee bee made to smart for them GOD can beare the carrying away Captive of many Sodomites rather then of one Lot Now consider how God humbleth these great and insolent Conquerours that carried all before them hee armes Abraham against them with so much wisedome and valour that hee sets upon them by night and discomfits them afore they could well tell who it was that fought with them So it falleth out often that God doth beate farre greater armies by the farre fewer Hee that feareth God and hath a just cause neede never bee discouraged from battell because his companies are but few The God of Warre whom the Scripture cals a man of Warre carries victory to that side where hee pleaseth to joyne and tell mee if hee have not most times given the greatest victories to his servants when their enemies power was such as farre surpassed theirs Some trust in bow and speare but hee that maketh mention of the name of God he is in best possibility to become a victor Take heed of making God your enemy that maketh one man to chase ten and ten to flie before one * ⎠* THE FOVRTEENTH EXAMPLE OF The Sodomites WEE are come along in Abrahams time to the Sodomites Concerning whom the Holy Ghost found nothing so much as like to any vertue which might be commended or imitated in them unlesse perhaps it may have a little relish of vertue that the King of Sodome after Abrahams victory over the foure Kings Gen 14.17 21. went out to meete Abraham and willed him to give unto him the persons and take the goods for a booty to his owne use There may seeme to be a small shadow of gratitude in that hee was willing that Abraham should enjoy the spoile but if wee consider the matter better this will shew it selfe to be rather a vice for first hee doth not so much as thanke Abraham for his hazard and paines in fighting with those
partake with your selves of any good fare which you provide for your selves These be the things commendable in Rebekkah Now I come to her faults First she used deceit and fraud to conveigh the blessing unto Iacob and sought rather to hooke it to him by a fleshly device then to compasse it by a convenient and lawfull way You shall reade the Story Gen. 27.1 and 17. She knew her husband was blinde therefore she spake to Iacob to get the blessing by a cunning device she sends for a Kid makes such a dish as was pleasing to Isaacs palate uses meanes to make his hands and neck seem rough like unto Esaus by covering them with the skins of the Kids as handsomely as shee could and so sends him in to Isaac having before emboldned him to say though falsely that he was Esau the eldest Son This was a sin in her the matter of it was fraud and fashood the aggravations of it were first she drew Iacob into the sin of lying and shifting even contrary to his own temper for the Scripture witnesseth of him that He was a plain man Secondly she was set upon it that though Iacob objected he should get a curse rather then a blessing by seeming to his Father a deceiver and a mocker yet she found a meanes to encourage him in his lying by a trick to beguile his Father well enough that he should never finde him out and so drew him to go thorough with the crafty device this was practised even against her husband also to whom it least of all becommeth a wife to use deceit and lying Only there was one mitigation and extenuation of her fault she did aime at a good end but a good intention cannot justifie unlawfull means that are used to accomplish it We have in her then a fault of craftinesse and deceit and lying There is a great difference betwixt wisdome and fraud wisdome will alwaies hold it selfe to the side of justice not alone in the thing it mainly seekes but also in the path which it chooseth to walk in to that end But fraud is as it were a rotten wisdome and cares not to follow equity and truth in the way it takes and neither many times in the end Abhorre fraud that is the carrying of a thing wilily with lying and falshood whether it be good or bad but most of all if it be bad It is a sin to do evill that good may come of it as S. Paul teacheth Rom. 3. It is a sin to lie even for Gods cause and to defend even his justice with false tales and figments As Iob admonisheth his frinds that did so and that they might not seeme to impute unrighteousnesse to God in so sore punishing of Iob they did impute hypocrisie to him that was punished It is a sin to lie even for a purpose otherwise good for we are commanded to put away lying Wherefore consider of your selves if you have not lyed and beguiled if you have not allured and encouraged others to joyne with you in lying and beguiling that else would not have done it If you have done it against those that were neare to you to whom you should have used more respect And worst of all if you have done it for a sinfull end too that is not to get what was due to you as here Iacob but what was not due by over-reaching your neighbours in bargaining and the like not to keep a man from sin as here but rather to draw him to sin as in case of unjust complaints to a superiour to make him punish when he should not punish Not to do your selves good as here Iacob but to do another a mischief as Davids false accusers to Saul and if your consciences accuse you of such fraud repent of it before God blame your selves for it seek pardon resolve to put it away for hereafter and intreate the Lord to fortifie you against all such wickednesse that so you may be pardoned else great is the danger of such wickednesse The bread of deceit shall be gravell in the belly and wealth gotten by lying shall prove but vanity tossed to and fro of them that seeke death I pray you consider how God chastised this guile in these two good persons and that though they had a good end in it For this occasioned the rage of Esau which made him threaten yea and after attempt to kill Iacob and so drove Iacob from Isaacs family and kept them from that comfortable enjoyment each of other which else they might have had for twenty years together And be you now lovers of plainnesse abhorre shifting and falshood trust God with the successe of all your affaires and trust not to your own hearts and heads he that seekes to effect his desires by honest and just meanes he puts confidence in God and not in himselfe he that useth lying and cousinage he puts not his hope in God but in his own wit and heart Shew true and well grounded confidence in God by keeping your selves within the paths of equity and truth lovely pathes faire pathes straight pathes which shall surely lead you to more happinesse and comfort at last than lying and fraud hatefull dirty and crooked paths can possibly do Learn as David saith Psal 119. To hate lying and to love Gods Law love to be guided by God who is the God of truth and hate to follow lies which are of the devill the author of lying Doe not object that you cannot possibly escape such and such mischiefe bring about such and such a good businesse unlesse you turne a little aside to a little lying I answer first trust God with successe beleeve above hope let faith guide you not naturall reason Cannot he doe that which reason will call impossible Hath not be said Rowle thy self upon God and thy waies and he shall bring it to passe Will you not rest upon him for the performance of so evident a promise And secondly I answer that the greatest evill must be suffered rather than the smallest sin committed and the attaining of the greatest benefit cannot countervaile the committing of the least sin and that man doth not truly know either God or sin or the world or himselfe that doth not yeeld to these truths So you have this fault of Rebekkahs another is that she was too much troubled at her evill daughters in law and was weary of life because of them This is a fault to make crosses too too heavy our selves to be so distempered with them so as to become weary of life because of them yea it is a fault found in those that were truly religious and godly Eliah would fain have parted with his soul because of the troubles which he met withall he desired to die saith the Story and said It is enough Now Lord take away my soule from me for I am no better than my Fathers Moses would fain have dyed too when the people murmured against him and he poures
ability would deale thus wisely not alone for their privat but also for the publike good the pismire layes up in summer man should bee wiser then a silly creeping thing oh how foolish and naught be those that when they get much spend all and reserve nothing for harder times You have some men can earne much in health but lay up nothing against sicknesse can get much in youth but reserve nothing for age Most just it is that they should be pinched in a deare yeare which lavished and surfetted in a plentiful Brethren you must not alwayes have such yeeres as will bring forth by handfuls be wise therefore for our estates I wish you not to be niggardly and defraud your selves but to bee discreet and lay up for yourl selves if God send no more then is needfull spend it and trust his providence if he send an overplus so much I mean as will serve for the present and some to spare waste not all at the present but know that now he calleth to storing up remember Salomons Proverb in the house of the wise is treasure and oile but the foole consumeth it up Be not fooles but in plenty remember dearth as in dearth you wish for plenty you know that by well husbanding of plenty a wise man should take such an order that he may feele no dearth The love of riches is a banefull thing but the wel-husbanding of abundance is not alwayes a fruit of loving riches but of a wise fore-sight And so much for one part of Josephs care diligence and fidelity in gathering corne Now he is in like manner faithfull in bringing out the corne in due time for when all the corne of private men was spent and that Aegypt also began to be affamished Gen 41.55 and the people cryed unto Pharoah and he sent them to Joseph it is noted that Joseph opened the store-houses and sold unto the Aegyptians one would have conceived that the Aegyptians having heard of Pharaohs dreames the interpretations as such a rare thing must needes flye throughout all the Kingdome speedily as having occasioned the strange preferment of Ioseph a prisoner and an Hebrew which could not but fill the mouthes of people with discourse should each man have provided of his owne abundance to serve their turn in hard times for they were informed both how long and how strange the plenty would be and how hard and of what continuance the dearth but it is apparant that most of them were so foolish that they did not so therefore now the publike store-houses must supply them or else they must dye See in them the fault of improvident carelessenesse whereof we spake before but note Josephs faithfulnesse hee doth open the store-houses now that pinching want began to bite them and sels them Corne. It is fit that men in dearth should bring out and sell Corne if they have it and not to suffer their neighbours to starve for want of that which themselves have in their possession We must not love gaine more then the lives of men yee see that Joseph sold to strangers too and not alone to Aegyptians so that our charity in this case must exercise it selfe as ability will serve to men of other Nations as well as our owne countrey men The Natives must not mutter because forreiners are helped with some of the abundance of their owne countries see here Josephs charitablenesse to put you on the like good disposition when time shall call for it and if you have store of corne bring it forth The people shall curse him saith Solomon that hoordeth up corn but they shall blesse him which doth Sell it To that purpose his Proverbe is doe not bring a curse upon your selves but a blessing for when God saith they will curse or blesse his meaning is not only that the people shall doe thus but that the thing shall fall out accordingly they shall so curse and blesse that neither shall be in vaine Againe it is noted that Joseph by his meanes got all the money in the Land you may see here that it is lawfull to make a gaine of ones providence and by deare selling of what he bought in plentifull times to enrich himselfe much so did Joseph I thinke his example is a due warrant indeed care is to be taken that oppression be avoided and then it is lawful to make ones selfe a gainer not by other mens losses but by his owne providence for by this meanes Joseph did gaine also the land and persons for the King it is not contrary to equity to sell things at a great and dear rate when there is great want of them A thing must bee esteemed worth so much and may bee sold for so much as the present dearth doth make it worth and in such case he doth not wrong that takes the present times onely note that Joseph did not oppresse the poore but they had of him as well as the rich the one gave all and the other could give but all and both had necessaries so should it be done in hard times by publike charity The poore must be provided for as well as the rich but note also Josephs faithfulnesse no doubt himselfe was not wanting to his owne inriching how else could hee have maintained his Fathers houshold with necessaries but he contented himself to take what was allowed him and brought the money to Pharaohs house not to his owne and made the Cattle and land sure to Pharaoh not to himself Oh that all Officers would learn to enrich the King above themselves and themselves but in such a proportion as is fit under the King but in our times it hath bin noted that often the Officers rise and the King is indebted would we had Josephs under his Majesty and then hee could not want for money And last of all note his Justice as well as his wise dealing for to assure the land to the King hee removes and translates the inhabitants so that wise care may lawfully bee used to assure a mans title to that which is his owne and then hee makes this order that Pharaoh shall have a fift part of the encrease and they foure parts to live on Hee lets the land out unto them againe at a reasonable rate whereby themselves might live comfortably of it and this is the duty of all Land-lords that have such things to set they ought not to raise rents to so high a rate that the people shall toyle the hearts out and get nothing but remember that themselves be Gods Tenants who hath commanded all men to doe as they would be done to and that we should not seeke every man his owne things onely but the things that are anothers they must as well looke that the people have to live of chearefully as that themselves be made rich But how unconscionable men be now a dayes in ordering themselves to those that must live upon them whether by taking lands from them or being set a