divinity our beloved sins Supernatural dreames are sent by God and his Angels and that either to comfort us as Mat. 2. 19. or to chasten us and fright us as here Such fearful dreames cause a bad sleep and a worse waking And therefore Job in his 7 chap. and 15. verse made choice of strangling rather than such dreams Hippocrates tels us that many have been so afrighted with dreames and apparitions that they have hanged themselves leaped into deep pits or other wise made themselves away Let those that either have not been so terrified or so tempted or so deserted of God blesse him for that mercy Verse 11. It is just in the Sacrament as it was in the dreames of Pharaohs Butler The clusters of the Vine brought forth ripe Grapes and Pharaohs cup was in his hand and the Butler took the Grapes and press'd them into Pharaohs cup. The Sacrament is as a Vine set before us full of clusters of ripe Grapes and these Grapes full of juyce Christ with all his fulness offered to us in the Sacrament Now our care and course should be to have the liquor and bloud of these Grapes poured into the cup of our hearts How may that be done now as Pharaohs cup came full'd he took the Grapes press'd them crushed them into Pharaohs cup so the cup was fill'd So must we take these Grapes and press and crush them we must squeeze forth the liquor of them That we do when faith is actuated and is set on worke in the use of the Sacrament Actuated faith takes these Grapes and presses them and wrings out of the Sacrament that which fills our hearts Verse 13. Pharaohs Butler and his Baker went both out of prison in a day and in both cases Ioseph in the interpretation of their dreames cals that their very discharge out of prison a lifting up of their heads a kind of preferment death raises every man alike so far as that it delivers every man from his prison from the incumbrances of his body both Baker and Butler were delivered of their prison but they passed into diverse states after one to the restitution of his place the other to an ignominious execution Of thy prison thou shalt be delivered whether thou wilt or no thou must die fool this night thy soul may be take from thee and then what thou shalt be to morrow prophecy upon thy self by that which thou hast done to day Verse 16. He desired an interpretation of his dream not because he had a mind to be instructed thereby but for that he expected some good as well as the Butler so some have a regard to the preaching of the word not for conscience sake but onely seeking thereby their own ends which if they misse they goe away as the young man in the Gospel sad Mark 10. Verse 23. The Cup-bearer here admires Ioseph in the Jayle but forgets him in the Court how easily doth our own prosperity make us both forget the deservings and miseries of others But as God cannot forget his own so lest of all in their sorrowes For after two years more of Iosephs patience that God which caused him to be lifted out of the former pit to be sold did call him out of the dungeon to honour and of a miserable Prisoner made him Ruler of Egypt How happy is it with good men that they have a God to remember them when they are forgotten of the World CHAP. XLI Verse 14. SO long as God is with Ioseph he cannot but shine in spite of men the wals of that dungeon cannot hide his vertues the Irons cannot hold them Pharaohs Officers are sent to witness his graces which he may not come forth to shew without a Miracle for God now puts a dream into the head of Pharaoh he puts the remembrance of Iosephs skill into the head of the Cup-bearer who to pleasure Pharaoh not to requite Ioseph commends the Prisoner for an Interpreter he puts an interpretation into the mouth of Ioseph he puts this choice into the heart of Pharaoh of a miserable Prisoner to make him the Ruler of Egypt Verse 35. When we have enough for to day it is but honest prudence to lay up for to morrow The poor contemptible Ant gathereth that food in harvest that may serve her for the Winter It is good for a man to keep somewhat by him to have something in store against a rainy day A good saver makes a well doer is a Dutch proverbe Care must be taken that our layings out be not more than our layings up Let no man here object that of our Saviour Care not for to morrow there is a care of diligence and a care of diffidence a care of the head and a care of the heart the former is needfull the latter sinfull Verse 40. Worldly men may advance dignify and honour Gods People and yet not love them as godly men should be loved Besides Gods sanctfying Graces there are oft-times in Gods Children as here in Ioseph other gifts of wisdome prudence learning fidelity skill and activity in secular imployments all which may gain them great respect in other mens hearts So Pharaoh here honoured Ioseph and we see his ground in the foregoing verse So many a master loves a godly Servant not because he is a good man but because he is a good Servant this is self-selflove they love them because they love themselves such men are for their profit and advantage and for their turnes and therefore out of a selflove selfrespect love and respect them That their love of them is not for their godliness appears by this because though there were not one dram of grace and godliness in them yet for their other abilites they should be no lesse dear unto them then now they are with all their graces Verse 44. Behold how one hour hath changed Iosephs Fetters into a chain of Gold his Rags into fine Linnen his Stocks into a Chariot his Jayl into a Palace Potiphars Captive into his Masters Lord. He whose Chastity refused the wanton allurements of the Wife of Potiphar hath now given him to his Wife the Daughter of Potipherah Humility goes before Honour serving and suffering are the best Tutors to Government How well are Gods Children paid for their Patience how happy are the Issues of the Faithful never any man repented him of the advancement of a good Man Verse 46. There is mention made here of Iosephs age first that by this it may be gathered how long Ioseph was a Servant in Egypt Secondly his age is expressed that it might appear what wonderful Graces he had received at those years of Chastity Patience Wisdome Policy and Government Thirdly by this President of Ioseph made a Governour at thirty we see that at this age a man is fit for publick imployment David at that age began to reign Ezekiel prophesied Christ and Iohn the Baptist began to preach Verse 56. Pharaoh hath not more preferr'd Ioseph then Ioseph
The wicked heart never fears God but thundring or raining fire from Heaven but the good can dread him in his very sun-shine his loving Deliverances and Blessings affect them with awfulness Moses was the true Son of Iacob who when he saw nothing but visions of Love and Mercy could say How dreadful is this place Verse 7. If we would have our greif seen and helped we must endeavour to become Gods People For then sighing and groaning in our several afflictions as these did we may be sure in due time to find our comfort as they found We may hence also learn that affliction doth not shew that the party is disliked of God as the Devil often suggests to men and women in trouble for God calleth these Israelites his People which yet were plunged in the depth of misery and affliction Verse 11. This should teach every one of us humility and to say with Moses Who am I Lord that thou should'st thus and thus think of me chuse me and take me to that place that I have no strength to manage and which thousands of my Brethren are fitter for than I am This also may put us in mind of the weighty calling of Ministers For is it such a matter to strive with Pharaoh for Bodies and temporal servitude and is it nothing to fight with the Devil for Souls and freedome from eternal slavery Verse 14. See a sweet comfort in all our fears even his Name I AM. Noting that as he hath been to penitent sinners so ever he will be without any change If I call upon him and depend upon him I AM is his Name and I may not doubt of him he is no Changeling but the same for ever Verse 16. When any new thing is to be published that concerneth any change in Church or Common-wealth we must acquaint the Magistrates Rulers and Governours with it to approve our Commission and matter unto them with all Modesty Humility Fear and Care of Order and Unity and then with their consents and assistance unto the People and Multitude This is a right course and this shall have a Blessing from the Author of it as here it had Then shall they obey thy voice verse 18. Verse 18. See again and still most carefully note it how God regardeth Government For now Pharaoh must be used as was fit for his place he being the King of that Land in which they were wicked Pharaoh I say must not be disorderly dealt with by such as live under his Government although Strangers and not his natural Subjects how much then by natural Subjects But he must be gone unto with all duty and acquainted with their desire with all reverence that neither themselves may be judged factious neither others by their examples moved to any disorder And therefore they must acquaint him with the Author of their desires not their own heads lusting after liberty or novelty but the Lord God Verse 21. All hearts are in the hands of God even as the Rivers of Water and that he turneth them hither and thither at his pleasure He can make them love hate they never so much Yea he can make them so love that fruits from thence shall flow to his People of their love Be they Jewels of Silver or Rayment they shall grant it and send it give it or lend it with so willing a mind as the party taking needeth to wish CHAP. IV. Verse 3. THe heart of man is like the Rod of Moses as long as he held it in his hand it remained a Rod but when he threw it to the ground it turn'd instantly into a Serpent nay a Dragon the Prince of Serpents as Philo the Iew saith so the heart of man as long as there is fast hold of it as long as Man is the Possessor God the Guardian it continues still an heart but if our boistrous unruly sins once throw it to the earth it changeth instantly to be a Serpent From whence all carnal and earthly-minded men may learn whose Consciences at the reading hereof tell them that their hearts are turn'd into Serpents and Vipers by their sins and are now crawling on the earth in their lustful designes to stretch forth a hand of sorrow a hand of true repentance to take them up again in what shape soever they appear For he that was exalted on the Crosse as the Serpent in the Wildernesse shall turn those Serpents into Hearts again their Gall and Poison into Innocence their Sting of Death into Issues of Immortal Life Verse 4. Sin is a Serpent and hath a deadly sting in the tayl of it even the sting of Death For the sting of death is sin saith St. Paul Now as a man would fly from a Serpent so let him fly from sin But if thou hast taken this Serpent into thy hand rest not till like Moses Serpent it be turned into a Rod again to scourge thy Soul till a true sense of thy sins and of Gods Wrath due unto thee for the same bring thee to a serious repentance and contrition to a spiritual loathing and abhorrency of those sins that so thou maist never cast thine eye back upon them but with a new and a particular detestation thou maist never enter into meditation of those sinful passages of thy former life but with shame and horror of soul and that every solemn review of those dayes of darkness and unregeneration may make the wounds of our remorse to bleed afresh Verse 7. When Moses pluck'd his hand out of his bosome it was leprous and again when he pluck'd it out it was white to shew that the actions of our hands receive their denomination from the bosome the heart according to that saying of the Father Tantum habent virtutis aut vitii actiones quantum habent voluntatis Verse 12. He that is singled out to any service of his God for the advantage of his Israel must not give back or waver but go boldly on If a willing obedience second his Command God promiseth to assist I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say was Gods Promise here to Moses and it was his Sons to the Apostles Mat. 10. 19. Take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak As if he had said be not anxious about matter or manner of your Apology for your selves ye shall be supplied from on High both with Invention and Elocution you shall have your help from Heaven For it is not you that speak saith our Saviour in the next verse but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you who borroweth your mouth for the present to speak by It is he that forms your speeches for you dictates them to you filleth you with matter and furnisheth you with words Fear not therefore your rudeness to reply there is no mouth into which God cannot put words And how oft doth he chuse the Weak and Unlearned to confound
therefore how holy and piously doth Iacob speak here concerning his Children These saith he are the Children which God hath graciously given thy Servant Verse 9. The carnal minded man looks no further than this world and if he can get but his Chests and his Barns fill'd thinks he may say with Esau here I have enough Brother and that he may sing a Requiem to his Soul with that rich man in the Gospel Soul take thine ease thou hast Goods laid up for many years when God in the mean time is not thought upon without whom there can be no true fulness no sincere abundance Let us therefore accustome our selves to find out God in the Creature and in all our gettings in all our preferments in all our studies and then be we as covetous as we will as ambitious as we can we shall be sure to have enough for God will be abundantly sufficient to us for all God is treasure and God is honour enough Wouldst thou have all this World wouldst thou have all the next World too Plus est qui fecit Coelum Terram saith a Father he that made Heaven and Earth is more than all that and thou mayest have all in having him Verse 10. Wicked men cannot be so ill as they would That strong Wrestler against whom Iacob prevailed prevailed with Esau and turned his wounds into kisses An Host of Men came with Esau an Army of Angels met Iacob Esau threatned Iacob prayed His prayers and presence have melted the heart of Esau into love And now instead of the grim and stern countenance of an Executioner Iacob sees the face of Esau as the face of God Both men and Devils are stinted the stoutest heart cannot stand out against God He that can wrestle earnestly with God is secure from the harms of men Those minds which are exaspearated with violence and cannot be broken with fear yet are bowed with love when the wayes of a man please God he will make his enemies at peace with him Verse 11. If we want this Worlds good let us not be discouraged God oftentimes recompenseth the want of earthly blessings with great abundance of heavenly graces This Christ declareth in Rev. 2. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty but thou art rich He maketh them rich in Knowledge in Faith in Obedience and Joy in the holy Ghost He blesseth them with inward comfort and with peace of Conscience that passeth all understanding He giveth them patience in trouble meekness of spirit and an holy contentation to sustain the weight of their affliction and albeit they bear a gracious burthen yet he hath eased them of a greater the burthen of their sins which in Christ they feel to be lightned and remitted This the Apostle testifieth We are as dying and yet behold we live as having nothing and yet possessing all things This is that Iacob perswaded his own heart and told it to his Brother God hath shewed mercy unto me and therefore I have all things for so it is in the Original not I have enough as it is in our English Bibles but I have all Esau had much but Iacob had all because he had the God of all Verse 13. A Conscientious Minister should follow Iacobs example in this verse and so order their flocks as he did his They must have an eye to the weak ones of their Congregations and so to respect all as they over-drive none He must so Preach as his people are able to hear and not alwayes as he is able to Preach He must divide and chew and masticate his Matter and his Doctrines as Nurses do their Childrens meat and speak to the shallowest Capacities of his Hearers else he shall be a Barbarian to them and they to him And as in their instruction so likewise in their reproofs and correction they must have a care of the little Ones of the tender Lambs of Christ's flock and deal gently with them A Venice-glass must be otherwise handled than an Earthen-pitcher some must be rebuked sharply severely but of others we must have compassion making a difference Jude 22. CHAP. XXXIV Verse 1. CHristians should of all others be very shy of the occasions of evil and take heed of the Wine when 't is red in the glass and have an eye to their eye when they look on a Maid Dinah out of a gadding curiosity must needs visit the Daughters of the Land and while she goeth to see the Daughters the Son saw her visamque cupit and having seen her he took her having taken her he lay with her the report whereof coming to Iacobs Sons they were grieved being grieved they were wroth being wroth they meditate revenge meditating revenge they speak deceitfully having deceived they slew having slain they spoyle See how great a fire a little matter kindleth what great evils issue from small beginnings take heed then of these beginnings Verse 3. Shechem in this verse bewrays a good nature even in filthiness he loves Dinah after his sin and would needs Marry her whom he had defiled Commonly Lust ends in loathing Ammon abhors Tamar as much after the act as before he loved and beats her out of doors whom he was sick to bring in But Shechem would not let Dinah fare the worse for his sin And now he goes about to entertain her with honest love whom the rage of his Lust had dishonestly abused Her deflouring shall be no prejudice to her since her shame shall redound to none but him and he will hide her dishonour with the name of an Husband Those actions that are ill begun can hardly be salved up with late satisfactions whereas good entrances give strength to the proceedings and success to the end Verse 4. I find but one only Daughter of Iacob who must needs therefore be a great Darling to her Father and she so miscarries that she causes her Fathers grief to be more than his love As her Mother Leah so she hath a fault in her eyes which was curiosity She will needs see and be seen and whiles she doth vainly see she is seen lustfully It is not enough for us to look to our own thoughts except we beware of the provocations of others If we once wander out of the Lists that God hath set us in our Callings there is nothing but danger her virginity had been safe had she kept home or if Shechem had forced her in her Mothers Tent this loss of her virginity had been without her sin now she is not innocent that gave the occasion Her eyes were guilty of the temptation only to see is an insufficient warrant to draw us into places of spiritual hazard If Shechem had seen her busie at home his love had been free from outrage now the lightness of her presence gave encouragement to his inordinate desire Immodesty of behaviour makes way to lust and gives life unto wicked hopes Verse 14. The two old men Iacob and Hamor would have ended the matter
knows as Iacob answered Ioseph what he doth and it becomes us to acquiess in what he doth though we know it not And though God turn Kingdomes upside down though he send great afflictions upon his own People and make them a reproach unto the Heathen though he give them up unto the power of the Adversary and make all their enemies to rejoyce yet no man may say unto God Why doe you thus his Works are unsearchable It is beyond the line of the Creature to put any question a Why or a Wherefore about thr Work of the Creator Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Hath not the Potter power over the Clay Verse 21. This good Patriarch that had before wrestled with an Angel did not now fear to wrestle with Death and therefore speaks of it without the least fear or consternation of spirit It was no more betwixt Iacob and Death but Behold I die He knew he was to change his Place indeed but not his Company Death was to him but the day-break of eternal brightness it was but as that Martyr said winking a little and he was in Heaven immediately Why then should this sad toil of Mortality dishearten us why should we be so foolish as to fear that which is the Port which we ought one day to desire never to refuse And therefore some have welcom'd Death some met it in the way some baffied it in persecution sickness torments knowing it to bethe end of a temporal Misery and the beginning of an everlasting Joy CHAP. XLIX Verse 6. GOdly men are not at all pleased with the way of the wicked how much soever they thrive in it Iob had said much of the Greatness Riches and Glory of the Wicked but saith he However the counsel of the wicked is farre from me Chap. 21. the wayes of the godly and wicked differ as much as their ends their counsels are as distant as their conclusions will be Every good man saith of the counsel and ways of the wicked how prosperous soever as Iacob said of his Sons Simeon and Levi O my soul come not thou into their secret Let me be far from their secret far from their Cabinet Counsel and close Committees O my soul come not thou into their secret Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly The further we keep from their counsel the nearer we are to blessedness Verse 7. Many times Man though forbidden curses then it is his Sin and he is Satans Minister for evil against his Brother Yet in some cases to curse is Gods Command and our Duty and then we are Gods Ministers for wrath against the Wicked Thus when the Patriarch Iacob was upon his death-bed and bed of blessing yet he pronounced a Curse upon the rage and anger of his two Sons here Simeon and Levi. Now in all lawful cursings we must observe these two Rules First to aim the Curse at the destruction of the Sin not the Sinner Secondly where the Sinner appears incorrigible yet to desire the clearing up of Gods Justice in punishing not the punishment its self To curse any thing or person passionately is infirmity to curse any thing or person maliciously is grosse impiety Verse 8. What difference the Holy Ghost is pleased to put here betwixt sinners when yet the sins of those men were in a manner equal Reubeus Incest in the fourth verse was punished with a Curse and the like sin of Iudahs is pardoned and in a sort prospereth If this sin had not cost Iudah many a sigh he had no more escaped his Fathers Curse then Reuben did I see the difference not of sins but men Remission goes not by the measure of the sin but the quality of the sinner yea rather the Mercy of the Forgiver Blessed is the man not that sins not but to whom the Lord imputes not his sin Verse 10. This Hebrew word Shilo is derived from Shalah which signifies security and safety So that Christ is Shilo that is he in whom all persons may securely trust You may sit down in safety in Christ and rest your souls for ever he is Shilohs our Lord Protector our Saviour And the Hebrews use the same word to signifie the fleshly Mantle in which the Infant is wrapped in the Mothers belly because the Infant lieth there quietly and securely it is out of fear and hath no thought of any danger but lieth securely out of harmes way Verse 18. Gods Children upon the discovery of his glory and that happiness of the next Life are fill'd with longing desires after God and those Enjoyments Lord I have waited for thy salvation said Iacob he speaks this upon his death-bed as that he had been looking for all his life as if that were the account of all his actions in the World and the Story of his whole Life I have longed for thy salvation said David All desires are summ'd up in longing There is a strong desire in the Saints to see and injoy God in his Ordinances Now if there be so great and so longing a desire to see the Lord through these Mediums and in these Glasses how much more to see him immediately face to face How would that desire swallow up all our desires in glory And indeed we could not abide in Glory with any other desire but that The Saints are described in their present state by this Periphrasis such as love the appearing of Christ as if they loved nothing else What then will Christ be to them when he shall appear They who love Christ whom they have not seen how will they love Christ when they see him Verse 23. God sometimes seems an Enemy to his faithful Servants For one to be before God as a Butt continually shot at what other interpretation can sence make of it but this that God looks upon him as an Enemy Iacob said of Ioseph here The Archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him Ioseph was the common Mark of his Brethrens Envy But in this case as it is said of Ioseph when his Brethren came to him he made himself strange to them Ioseph was of a meek and loving disposition and therefore like a Player upon a Stage he only acted the part of a rigid Master or Governour thus many times the Lord takes upon him the posture of an Enemy and forces a frown upon a poor Creature whom he loves and delights in with all his heart he makes him as his Mark to shoot at whom he layes next to his heart Besides observe from hence further that God takes the most eminent and choisest of his Servants for the choisest and most eminent afflictions Thus Ioseph was made the White here that the Archers shot at Ioseph was the most eminent for Grace and Goodness of all his Brethren he was the most remarkable man for Grace and Holiness therefore he must be the Mark. Verse 27. Tertullian will have
supposed he had done but his duty in holding up the Ark which was like to fall but God taught him that it was far otherwise The Scribes and Pharisees thought themselves the only men that served God because of their long Praying much Fasting c. But who required these things at their hands said Christ. CHAP. XIII Verse 2. WHat Moses speaks of false Prophets may be spoken of all bewitching sins with pleasure or profit If a Dreamer of Dreams have given thee a sign and that sign come to pass if a sin have told thee it will make thee rich and it hath made thee rich if this Dreamer draw thee to another god if this profit draw thee to an Idolatrous i. e. to an habitual love of that sin for Tot habemus recentes Deos quot vitia saith St. Ierome yet though this Dreamer be thy Brother thy Son how near how dear how necessary soever this sin be unto thee Non misereberis saith Moses Thine eye shall not pitty that Dreamer c. and so of this pleasurable or profitable Sin Non misereberis thou shalt not hide it but pour it out in confession Non misereberis thou shalt not pardon it no nor reprieve it but destroy it for the practise presently not Misereberis thou shalt not turn out the Mother and retain the Daughter not leave the sin and retain that which was sinfully got but divest all root and body and Fruits by confessing to God by contrition in thy self by restitution to men damnified Verse 3. As the Spider in the midst of her Cobweb feeling the least touch that shakes her work retires instantly from the danger so should the perfect Convert shrink at the least noise whispering and murmuring of a Temptation he should avoid the very Complement and first Address of the Devil and the very sight the discourse the aire and breathing of his instruments It is not safe to hear them or hold Discourse with them lest they insinuate and infect us as the Montanists did Tertullian and Acasius the Heretick did Anastasius a Bishop of Rome who sought to rectifie him For such mens words are softer and smoother than Oyl and yet in the end prove sharper than drawn swords saith the Psalmist they pretend healing and Cordials in their Discourse when the poison of Asps is under their Lips Heaven and Salvation is in their mouth when nothing but Hell and Destruction in their Heart They are like Eagles that sore aloft towards Heaven not for any love of Heaven but that they may spy their Prey the sooner and seize upon it the better Verse 6. We must relye upon and praise and bless God alone For can we relye upon Man upon what Man upon Princes we have seen them unking'd and unman'd too both their Crowns and their Lives taken from them Wilt thou relye upon great Persons in favour with Princes have we not seen often that the Bed-Chambers of Kings have back doorsinto Prisons and that the end of that Greatness hath been but to have a greater Jury to condemn them Wilt thou relye upon the Prophet he can teach thee or upon thy Brother he does love thee or upon thy Son he should love thee or the Wife of thy bosome she will say she loves thee or upon thy Friend he is as thine own Soul yet Moses here puts a case when thou must depart from all these not consent no not conceal not pardon no not reprieve Thou shalt surely kill him saith Moses even this Prophet this Brother this Son this Wife may incline thee to the service of other gods that Prophet by what Name or Title soever he be call'd that Brother how willingly soever he divide the Inheritance with thee that Son how dutiful soever in civil things that Wife how careful soever for her own honour and thy Children that Friend how free soever of his favours and of his secrets that inclines thee to other gods or to other service of the true God then is true Verse 14. Men must be swift to hear slow to speak that is to censure and pass sentence Athanasius passeth for a Sacrilegious person a prophane wretch a bloody Persecuter a blasphemer of God and was so condemn'd before he was heard by that Pseudosynodus Sardicensis and therefore God doth command the Israelites here that they should enquire diligently before the Judgement should pass upon the offenders even in such matters as concern'd his own Worship he would not have so much as that preserved from Idolatry without strict enquiry and search whether the thing was certain that such an abomination was wrought among them A rash precipitant course in matters of Judgement hath saved many a guilty person and condemned as many innocent Follow therefore Gods method enquire before you Judge know the cause before you pass the sentence CHAP. XIV Verse 1. FRom hence we may observe how careful the Lord is not to have his people imitate the fashions of the Gentiles for fear one thing should draw on another and in the end even Idolatry and false Worship We in these dayes are wholly given to Forrein Fashions the Lord in mercy save us from forrein sins oppression tyranny and Massacrees and continue his Gospel and Peace upon us preventing and confounding their designs that craftily endeavour the supplanting both of Church and State under the colour of policy and safety Verse 2. The people of the Jews were an holy people unto God with a federal holiness which yet without an inherent holiness in the heart and life will profit a man no more then Dives in the flames that Abraham call'd him Son or Iudas that Christ call'd him Friend an empty title yeelds but an empty comfort at last Let us therefore endeavour an inward holiness to bear his mark his Seal his Covevant upon our heart then shall we be indeed as it is in the Text a chosen Generation a pickt people the dearly Beloved of Gods Soul such as first he chose for his love and then loves for his choice we shall be his peculiar people his people of purchase as it is in the Septuagint such as comprehend as it were all Gods gettings his whole stock that he makes any great reckoning of and upon the same account we are said to be Kings and Priests unto God First Kings to rule in Righteousness to Lord it over our Lusts to triumph over all our spiritual Adversaries being more than Conquerors through him that loved us and laid down his lise for us that we might reign and live eternally And surely if Kings are doubly bound to serve God both as Men and Kings what are we for this spiritual Kingdom Secondly Priests to offer up to him the personal Sacrifice of our selves the verbal of Praise and real of Alms. Verse 8. There was never any surer evidence of the cleanness of a Creature among the Jews then that it was permitted to be Sacrificed or to be kill'd and eaten the Lamb and the Turtle emblems
with their worky-day-faces as well as with their worky-day-cloaths and yet on Sundaies when they come to Church and appear in company will mend both their faces as well as their cloaths CHAP. III. Verse 5. THE first Sin that ever was was an ascending a climing too high When the purest understandings of all the Angels fel by their ascending when Lucifer was tumbled down by his Similis ero altissimo I will be like the most high then the Devil tryed upon them who were next to the Angels in dignity upon man how that clambring would work upon him he presents to man the same ladder he infuses into man the same ambition and as he fell with a Similis ero altissimo I will be like the most high so he overthrew man with an Eritis sicut Dii ye shall be like gods It seems this Fall hath broke the neck of mans ambition and now we dare not be so like God as we should be ever since this Fall man is so far from affecting higher places than his Nature is capable of that he is still groveling on the ground and participates and imitates and expresses more of the nature of the beast than his own Fond man that is thus cheated of an assurance of Immortality by a false perswasion that he shall be immortal this Eritis sicut dii hath damn'd all The Serpent perswades him if he does but taste he shall be as God when he hath tasted finds himself worse than a man a very beast being thus at once fool'd out of his Everlastingness and the favour of his Maker Verse 7. Till man had sinn'd his eyes wereshut but afterwards he sees the greatness of his sin as David did and yet for all this he was more ashamed of his nakedness than of his sin and therefore he endeavours by figg-leav'd aprons to cover his nakedness but we read of no preparation that was made to hide and take away the deformity of his sin Thus many fear more to offend because of publick shame than for any conscience of sin as Cain rather grieved that he was made a vagabond than that he kill'd his Brother Verse 10. How would he that were come abroad at midnight to do a mischief sneak away if he saw the Watch what a damp must it necessarily cast upon any sinner in the nearest approach of his sin if he can see God See him before thou sinnest then he looks lovingly after the sin remember how Adam would have sain hid himself from God he that goes one step out of Gods sight is loath to come into it again That therefore thou maist begin thy Heaven here put thy self in the sight of God put God in thy sight in every particular action In all our senses in all our faculties we may see God if we will and therefore Saint Augustine in his Twentieth Chapter de moribus Ecclesiae hath collected places of Scripture where every one of our sences is called a seeing there is a Gustate videte and audite and palpate tasting and hearing and feeling and all to this purpose are call'd seeing Let us therefore make use of our sences and endeavour alwayes to see God as he alwayes sees us God sees us at midnight he sees us then when we had rather he look'd off if we see him so it is a blessed interview Verse 11. Wherefore is it may some ask that the Word of God more than any other Book doth still speak in this singular person and in this familiar person still tu and tibi and te Who told thee and hast thou eaten and so in other places thou must love God God speaks to thee Surely the Scripture phrase is as ceremonial and as observant of distance as any and yet full of this familiar word to thou and thine You are to know then that in the Scripture God either speaks to the Church his Spouse and to his Children and so he may be bold and familiar with them or else he speaks so as that he would be thought by thee to speak singularly to thy Soul in particular and therefore when thou hearest his mercies distributed in that particular and that familiar phrase Thou and Thee and thou knowest not whether he speak to any other in the Congregation or no be sure that he speaks to thee but if thou canst not find that he means thee but thinkest that he speaks rather to some other whose Faith and good Life thou preferrest before thine own Do but begin to think now of the blessedness of that man to whom thou thinkest he speaks and say to God with thy Saviour My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou gone to the other side or why to the next on my right or my left hand and left out me why speakest thou not comfortably to my Soul and he will leave the ninety nine for thee and thou shalt find such a weight and burthen and load of his love upon thee as thou shalt be fain almost to say with Peter Exi a me Domine O Lord go farther from me i. e. thou shalt see such an obligation of mercy laid upon thee as puts thee beyond all possibility of comprehension much more of retribution or of due and competent Thanks-giving Verse 12. When Adam said by way of alienation and transferring his fault the Woman whom thou gavest me and the Woman said The Serpent deceived me God took this by way of information to find out the principal but not by way of extenuation or alleviation of their faults Every Adam eats with as much sweat of his brows and every Eve brings forth her children with as much pain in her Travail as if there had been no Serpent in the case If a man sin against God who shall plead for him if a man lay his sins upon the Serpent upon the Devil it is no plea but if he lay them upon God it is blasphemy Verse 15. Here was a heavy war denounced in this Inimicitias ponam when God raised a war between the Devil and us for if we could consider God to stand Neutral in that war and meddle with neither side yet were we nigh a desperate case to be put to fight against powers and principalities against the Devil how much more when God the Lord of Hosts is the Lord of that Host too when God presses the Devil and makes the Devil his Souldier to fight his battels and directs his arrows and his bullets and makes his approaches and attempts effectual upon us It is a strange war where there are not two sides and yet that is our case for God useth the Devil against us and the Devil useth us against one another nay he useth every one of us against our selves so that God and the Devil and we are all in one Army and all for our destruction Verse 20. Saint Augustine proposeth to himself a wonder why the first Woman was call'd at first and in her best state but Isha Virago which
how love covereth sins these good Sons are so far from going forward to see their Fathers shame that they go back-ward to hide it The Cloak is laid on both their shoulders they both go back with equal paces and dare not so much as look back lest they should unwillingly see the cause of their shame and will rather adventure to stumble at their Fathers Body than to see his nakedness How did it grieve them to think that they who so often had come to their Father with Reverence must now in Reverence turn their backs upon him and that they must now cloath him in pity who had so often cloathed them in love And which adds more to their duty they covered him and said nothing This modest sorrow is their praise and our example the Sins of those we love and honour we must hear of with indignation fearfully and unwillingly beleeve acknowledge with grief and shame hide with honest excuses and bury in silence Verse 25. God preserves some men in Judgement better had it been for Cham to have perished in the Waters than to live unto his Fathers Curse And yet how equal a regard is here both of Piety and disobedience Because C ham sinned against his Father therefore he shall be plagued in his Children Iaphet is dutiful to his Father and finds it in his posterity Because C ham was an ill son to his Father therefore his sons shall be servants to his Brethren because Iaphet set his shoulders to Shems to bear the Cloak of shame therefore shall Iaphet dwell in the Tents of Shem partaking with him in blessings as in duty When we do but what we ought yet God is thankful to us and rewards that which we should sin if we did not Who could ever yet shew me a man rebelliously undutiful to his Parents that hath prospered in himself and his seed Verse 27. If thy Child prove undutiful and refractory do for him as Noah did here for Iaphet Noah had given that son of his a great deal of good Counsel no doubt and had perswaded him to become a lively Member of Gods Church but knowing well to how little purpose all this would be without Gods working upon his heart he falls to Prayer God perswade Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Shem As if he had said I have advised and done my uttermost to perswade thee my Son but all this is but lost labour unless God put in his helping hand now therefore the good Lord perswade thee Thus do thou for thy refractory Child desire God to perswade him to convince him to turn his heart and thou shalt see that nothing shall stand in his way but the work shall be accomplished if God undertake to mend thy Son and make him good all his ill conditions shall not hinder it CHAP. X. Verse 1. C Ham is set in the midst between Shem and Iaphet wherein is shadowed the condition of the Church that ungodly persons will ever be mingled among the faithful The purest Grain hath some Chaff mixed with it and the purest and most sanctified Congregations as well in Heaven as on Earth have had their mixture of Reprobates There was a Iudas in that glorious Synod of Apostles and a Lucifer even in Heaven its self Thus still is the Church that Moon in the Scripture a glorious Body but not without her spots Verse 10. Nimrod signifies a Rebel and Babel confusion to intimate that Rebellion evermore begins in Confusion Confusion in the Church and Confusion in the State in the one the Lawes of God are disordered in the other the Laws of man Babel is still the beginning of that Kingdom where a Nimrod is the mighty man and where a Nimrod is the mighty man still the aim is at a Kingdom though the Kingdom prove a Kingdom of Confusion Nimrod will be great though his own greatness distract and confound him And thus it fares also with every wicked man who is a rebel against God the beginning of his Kingdom is a Babel likewise his understanding is distracted his affections are disordered and all his actions are out of frame a confusion possesses both the beginning and end of all his wayes And to this purpose was the Psalmists Prayer against both these Nimrods O my God make them like unto a Wheel let them turn round in all their actions let them never be fixed and setled in their courses but let a giddiness a vertigo pursue their Designes and let both the beginning and end of their Kingdom prove a Babel Verse 25. Eber of whom came the Hebrews or Israelites Exod. 1. 15. that he might have before his eyes a perpetual monument of Gods displeasure against the ambitious Babel builders calls his Son Peleg or Division because in his dayes was the Earth divided It is good to write the remembrance of Gods worthy works whether of Mercy or Justice upon the Names of our Children to put us in mind of those dispensations of God for we need all helps such is either our dulness or forgetfulness Upon this account we of this Nation have been very zealous in conferring such Names upon our Children at their Baptism as might put them in mind of some part of their Christian Profession and lest our Children should be ignorant of the meaning of those Names they have been of late years interpreted and instead of Baptizing our Children with the Names of Timothy and Theophilus these latter times have re-baptized even Names as well as Children and have Christened them Fear-God and Love-God and Fight a good Fight but how these men have imitated their Names these late years have sufficiently declared to the whole World CHAP. XI Verse 4. HOw fondly do men reckon without God Come let us build as if there had been no stop but in their own will as if both Earth and Time had been theirs Still do all natural men build Babel fore-casting their own Plots so resolutely as if there were no power to counter-mand them Let us build a City if they had taken God with them it had been commendable establishing of Societies is pleasing to him that is the God of Order but a Tower whose top may reach to Heaven is a shameful arrogance an impious presumption Who would think that we little Ants that creep upon the Earth should think to climb up to Heaven by multiplying of Earth But wherefore was all this Not that they loved so much to be neighbors to heaven as to be famous upon earth It was not Commodity that was here sought nor Safety but Glory Whither doth not thirst of Fame carry men whether in good or evil One builds a Temple to Diana in hope of glory intending it for one of the greatest Wonders of the World Another in hope of Fame burns it He is a rare man that hath not some Babel of his own whereon he bestows pains and cost only to be talked of Verse 7. When God bestowed upon man his first benefit his Making
of a Son and laughed but not as Sarah in the next Chapter as if it were impossible For Abraham laughs and beleeves expects and rejoyces he saith not I am old and weak Sarah is old and barren where are the many Nations that shall come from these withered Loins It is enough to him that God hath said it he sees not the means he sees the promise he knew that God would rather raise him up seed from the very stones that he trod upon than himself should want a large and happy issue Verse 23. Abraham is not content only to wait for God but to smart for him God bids him cut his own flesh he willingly sacrifices this parcel of his skin and bloud to him that was the owner of all How glad he is to carry this painful mark of the love of his Creator How forward to seal this Covenant with his bloud betwixt God and him not regarding the soreness of his body in comparison of the confirmation of his soul. The wound was not so grievous as the signification was comfortable For herein he saw that from his loins should come that blessed Seed which should purge his soul from all corruption Well is that part of us lost which may give assurance of the Salvation of the whole our Faith is not yet sound if it hath not taught us to neglect pain for God and more to love his Sacraments than our own flesh CHAP. XVIII Verse 2. ALthough he appeared in men yet it was God that appeared to Abraham though men Preach though men remit sins though men absolve God himself speaks and God works and God seals in those men Again remember that nothing appeared to Abrahams apprehension but men yet Angels were in his presence And therefore though we bind no man to beleeve necessarily that every man hath a particular Angel assisting him yet know that ye do all that ye do in the presence of Gods Angels and though it be in its self and should be so to us a stronger bridle to consider that we do all in the presence of God who sees clearer than the Angels for he sees secret Thoughts and can strik imediately which they cannot do without commission from him yet since the presence of a Magistrate or a Preacher or a Father or an Husband keeps men often from ill actions let this prevail something with thee to that purpose that the Angels of God are alwayes present though thou discern them not Verse 3. And he said My Lord Where note that though Christ himself were not among these Angels yet Abraham apprehended a greater Dignity and gave a greater respect to one than to the rest but yet without neglecting the rest too Apply thy self to such Ministers of God and such Physitians of thy Soul as thine own Conscience tells thee do most good upon thee but yet let no particular affection to one defraud another in his dues nor impair another in his esteemation Verse 10. As the Angel which came to Abraham at the Promise and Conception of Isaac gave Abraham a further assurance of his return at Isaac's birth I will certainly return unto thee and thy Wife shall have a Son So the Lord which is with thee in the first Conception of any good purpose returns to thee again to give thee a quickning of that blessed Child of his and again and again to bring it forth and bring it up to accomplish and perfect those good intentions which his Spirit by overshadowing thy Soul hath formerly begotten in it Thus God comes to us in nature and he returns in grace he comes in preventing and returns in subsequent graces he comes in thine understanding and returns in thy Will he comes in rectifying thine actions and returns in establishing habits he comes to thee in zeal and returns in discretion he comes to thee in fervor and returns in perseverence he comes to thee in thy perigrination all the way and returns in thy transmigration at the last gaspe So God comes and so he returns to his Children Verse 12. In the former Chapter Abraham heard this newes and laughed and in this Chapter Sarah hears it and laughs too they did not more agree in their desire than differ in their affection Abraham laughed for joy Sarah for distrust Abraham laughed because he beleeved it would be so Sarah because she beleeved it could not be so the same act varies in the manner of doing and in the intention of the doer yet Sarah laughed but within her self and it is bewrayed How God can find us out in secret sins How easily did she now think that he which could know of her inward laughter could know of her Conception And now she that laughed and beleeved not beleeveth and feareth When she hears of an impossibility to Nature she doubteth and yet hides her diffidence and when she must beleeve feareth because she did distrust Verse 15. Sarah thinks in this verse to cover her distrust with a Lye one sin with another Thus any thing serves us for a cover of sin even from a net that every man sees thorow to such a cloud of darkness as none but the Prince of Darkness that cast that cloud upon us can see us in it nor we see our selves That we should hide lesser sins with greater is not so strange that in Adultery we should forget the circumstances in it and the practises to come to it but we hide greater sins with lesser with a manifold and multiplied throng and cloud of lesser sins all comes to an indifferency and so we see not great sins As for instance Easiness of conversation in a Woman seems no great harm adorning themselves to please those with whom they converse is not much more to hear them whom they are thus willing to please praise them and magnifie their perfections is little more than that to allow them to sue for the possession of that they have so much praised is not much more neither nor will it seem much at last to give them possession of that they sue for Verse 21. God does not reward or condemne out of his Decrees but out of our actions Thus God sent down his Commissioners his Angels to Sodom to enquire and to inform him how things went And thus God went down himself to enquire and informe himself how it stood with Adam and Eve Not that God was ever ignorant of any thing concerning us but that God would prevent that dangerous imagination in every man that God should first mean to destroy him and then to make him that he might destroy him without having any evidence against him God goes not out as a Fowler that for his pleasure and recreation or for his commodity or commendation would kill and therefore seeks out game that he may kill it God made man ad imaginem suam to his own image If he had made him under an inevitable and irresistable necessity of damnation he had made him ad imaginem Diabolicam to
with those they would have covered their shame with these God did discover their mortality Verse 19. Though the pomp of Funerals concerns not the dead in real and effective purposes yet it is the duty of the living to see their Friends fairly Interr'd For to the Dead it is all one whether they be carried forth on a Chariot or a wooden Beer whether they rot upon the earth or under the earth whether in a Cave or in a Ditch There is nothing in this but opinion and the decency of some to be served Let thy Friend therefore be interr'd as Sarah was here after the Laws of the Country and the dignity of the person It was therefore that our blessed Saviour who was ever temperate in his expence was yet pleas'd to admit the cost of Maries Ointment upon his head and feet because she did it against his Burial by which he remark't it to be a great act of piety and honourable to Interr our Friends according to the proportion of their condition and so to give a testimony of our hopes of their Resurrection CHAP. XXIV Verse 3. ABraham would not link his Son with the wicked he remembred what had come of such Marriages in the Age before him when the Sons of God took them Wives of the Daughters of Men only for their Beauty without regard of Religion or honesty Their destruction was a lesson to him he avoided their sin by fearing their punishment And afterwards under the Law God gave his people express charge concerning this Exod. 34. and the reason is there given Lest they make thy Sons go a whoring after their gods a sufficient reason to prevail as with the Jew so much more with the Christian. Verse 12. The necessary use of seasoning and sanctifying the first entrance into the married estate is by prayer to God Abrahams servant being intrusted with a business of that nature commended the whole success to God by prayer and the Woman being sent away by her Friends was dismiss'd with a blessing upon both Look to the first Marriage that ever was the Lord himself knit the knot and confirm'd it with a blessing Gen. 1. and Gods course should be a pattern for the following times and to assure us withall that when this is left out we may well say as Christ did in another Particular concerning Marriage From the beginning it was not so And good reason there is for this for Marriage is the Covenant of God and if he be not call'd to confirm it it cannot prosper Verse 14. When Eliezer went a wooing for his young Master Isaac the tryal by which he intended to prove a fit Wife for Isaac was this that if saith he when I say to the Maid give me drink she say again drink and I will give thy Camels also she without more ado should be a Wife for Isaac that is if she were gentle not like the Woman Iohn 4. who when Christ asked her Water call'd him Jew How is it that thou being a Iew askest water of one that is a Samaritan for though there be many sins incident to Women yet no vice in Women is so unwomanly as this If Adam had been furious the matter had been less for he was made of Earth the Mother of Iron and Steel those murthering mettals but the Woman she that was made of so tender mettal to become so terrible the weaker Vessel so strong in passion yea to look so fair and speak so foul what a contrariety is this There was great reason sure to compare a good Woman to a snail not only for her silence and continual keeping of her house but also for a certain timorousness of her nature which at the least shaking of the air shrinks back into her shell and so ought the Wife to do if her Husband but speak to play all hid and under hatches and to say to her Husband as Rachel to her Father Let not my Lord be angry Verse 30. Laban gave this respect unto Abrahams Servant not for his own sake nor yet his Masters but for the Ear-rings sake and the Bracelets Thus many love God for their own interest and not his glory in all their services they look a squint at God but directly at self-ends and seldom or never look at his glory but through the spectacles of self-self-love Such was Iehu's Zeal serving God so far as he might serve himself 2 King 10. But this is merchandizing with God and not obedience to serve him for ends I am never at the pitch of sincerity till I see enough in God himself without looking out of him to have him as my exceeding rich reward When it comes once to this point that the beauties of Gods truth and the pleasantness of his wayes and the holiness of his will and the equity of his Laws are the arguments and wages that hire me to his service then do I serve him as I ought Verse 39. Here the servant leaveth out the charge that was given him by Abraham in the sixt Verse of this Chapter Beware that thou bring not my Son thither again for this speech would have offended them as though Abraham had counted them a forlorn and wicked people We learn then from this discreet omission of this part of Abrahams charge that every truth in all places and upon all occasions is not to be uttered Verse 63. It is our duty to study the Heavens and be acquainted with the Stars in them the wonderful works of God are seen and a sober knowledg in Nature may be an advantage unto Grace Heaven is the most considerable of all inanimate Creatures and more considerable than most of the animate And therefore some of the Rabbins tell us that when Isaac went out into the field to meditate the subject of his meditation was the Stars or the Heavens It is good to take field-room sometimes to view and contemplate the works of God round about Only take heed of the folly of Astrological curiosities confining the providence of God to secondary causes avoid that and the heart may have admirable elevations unto God from the meditation of the Works of God If the Heavens declare the glory of God we should observe what glory that is which they declare The Sun Moon and Stars are Preachers universal Preachers they are natural Apostles the World is their charge and their words saith the Ps. 19. go to the end of the earth Verse 65. At the first meeting of Isaac and Rebecka he was gone out to meditate in the fields and she came riding that way with his Fathers man who was imployed in making that Marriage and when upon asking she knew that it was he who was to be her Husband She took a veil and covered her face saith that story What freedom and nearness soever they were to come to after yet there was a modesty and a bashfulness and a reservedness required before and her first kindness should be but to be seen A man would be
which he doth require hitherto tend all our earthly labours and industries Oh that we were wise to consider this how small a debt we owe to Nature how little would content it CHAP. XXIX Verse 1. SO should it be with a man after his Communion with God in the Sacrament as it was with Iacob after his Communion here with God in Bethel Then Jacob lift up his feet and came into the Land of the People of the East He lift up his feet he went with strength with spirit with cheerfulness and then he went that is after he had had that sweet fellowship with God in Bethel he was so cheer'd and refresh'd with that spiritual bait that in the strength and force of that he went on lively and cheerfully in his journey So when we have had fellowship with God in the Sacrament in the strength of that heavenly bait at the Sacrament we should lift up our feet and go on cheerfully lively lustily in our journey towards Heaven Verse 9. Masters of Families should so order the Duties of their Families that every one under their jurisdiction may have such an employment as is most proper for him Thus here Rachel kept the Sheep while Leah had her task within doors God hath dispensed his Gifts diversly for the common benefit To one man is given Knowledge to another the gift of Utterance to a third is given to speak with diverse Tongues to a fourth the Interpretation of those Tongues There is scarce any one but hath something or other in him that is excellent and extraordinary some special talent to trade with some Honey to bring to the common hive if he have but an heart to it Let every man therefore according to his several ability improve his Talent to the glory of the donor and the common good Verse 17. God hath two Daughters the younger which is Heaven is fair and lovely like Rachel and courted by all the elder is Repentance which with tears is blear-eyed like Leah and neglected by most but if men ask as Iacob for Rachel God will answer as Laban did Iacob 'T is not the custome of the place to Marry the Younger before the Elder he that will not marry the Leah of Repentance shall never have the Rachel of Heaven Verse 20. Iacob thought seven years service a short time that he might enjoy Rachel when his eye was upon his love he thought seven years and seven to them but a small time Did Iacob account so many years but a small time and shall not we account seven dayes seven hours short Admit it be more it is but a short time if we have heaven if we have Rachel in our eye fix our eyes upon immortality upon heaven and then all tribulations will seem not only light but nothing and not only short but as if they had never been but as yesterday or as yesterday is to a thousand years to eternity Verse 23. After the service of an hard Apprenticeship had earned her whom Iacob loved his Wife is changed and he in a sort forced to an unwilling Adultery His Mother had before substituted him who was the younger Son for the elder and now not long after his Father-in-law by the like fraud substitutes to him the elder Daughter for the younger God comes oftentimes home to us in our own kind and even by the sin of others payes us our own when we look not for it Verse 26. Many things may be Customable which yet are not commendable and used to be done which often were better undone Such practise draws nearer the Doctrine of the Pharisees than of Christ. For what was it else that the Pharisees did so much stand upon under the tradition of the elders and what did they censure our Saviour and his Disciples so hardly for but their Customes and what was it that our Saviour did so deeply tax them for but the observation of their superfluous and superstitious Customs The Fathers and Doctors of the Church were most plain and pregnant in this point Veritate manifestata cedat consuetudo veritati for Christ said I am the Truth not I am the Custome And in truth without this limitation and regard if men be carried away with the name of Custome and will enquire no further into any thing than what is the Custome what hath been used heretofore much injury and evil may be committed Thus Laban here deceaving Iacob pretends the Custome of the place it was not forsooth their Custome to marry the younger before the elder but under that pretence he falsifies his promise abuseth his Daughter and deceives his Friend Verse 28. It is doubtful whether it were a greater cross to Iacob to marry whom he would not or to be disappointed of her whom he desired And now he must begin a new hope where he made account of fruition To raise up an expectation once frustrate is more difficult than to continue a long hope drawn on with likelihoods of performance yet thus dear is Iacob content to pay for Rachel even fourteen years servitude Commonly Gods Children come not easily by their pleasures what miseries will not love digest and overcome And if Iacob were willingly consumed with heat in the day and frost in the night to become the Son-in-law to Laban what should we refuse to be the Sons of God Verse 31. Rachel whom Iacob loved is barren Leah which was despised is fruitful How wisely God weighs out to us our Favours and Crosses in an equal ballance so tempering our sorrows that they may not oppress and our joyes that they may not transport us Each one hath some matter of envie to others and of grief to himself Thus Leah envies Rachels beauty and love Rachel envies Leahs fruitfulness yet Leah would not be barren nor Rachel blear-eyed And here also we see how the Lord useth to chastise the preposterous affections of his servants as Iacob's love with Rachels barrenness Verse 35. Leah had praised the Lord before at Rubens and Simeons birth but now upon the occasion of a new benefit she praiseth him again which teacheth us that as Gods Mercies are multiplyed towards us so we should encrease and go forward in giving of thanks CHAP. XXX Verse 2. THough Iacob was as tender an Husband to Rachel as she could be a Mother of Children if she had them yet his love kept within bounds and he would love his Wife so far as she loved his and her God If Rachel be angry with God Iacob will be angry with Rachel and if she inconsiderately will advance him to Gods seat and thrust Gods power into his hands Iacob will make use of it to reprove her and condemne her by asking the question Am I in Gods stead who carrieth the key of the Womb under his own girdle Moses was the meekest man on Earth yet when Gods glory is concerned and a rebellious people have broke the commandements of God Moses will break that Table of stone wherein they were
that thou shouldest look on such a dead dogg as I am and when he considers from what a low to what an high estate God hath brought him he saith as Iacob here I am less than the least of all thy mercies and when Christ tells a Soul that he will make him a King and a Priest to God he humbly saith as Saul to Samuel am not I a Benjamite of the smallest of the Tribes of Israel yea it saith as Elizabeth said to Mary the blessed Mother of our ever blessed Jesus when she heard the Salutation that the Babe the heart of a true Believer leap'd within her and she spake Blessed art thou whence O whence is this to me that the Mother of my Lord Oh saith the Soul that my God should come to see me even me poor worthless me it fares with such a Soul as with the Disciples Luke 24. Jesus stood in the midst and said Peace be unto you and they were terrified and affrighted but he said Why are ye troubled it is I behold my hands and my feet and they believed not for joy and wondred Verse 11. It is like that Esau prepared himself to be revenged of Iacob as may appear by Iacobs prayer and fear here which was not without cause whereby the power of God is also set forth that could in the very way change that purpose of Esau and withall Iacob sheweth in this his weakness and infirmity that although looking to Gods promise he had confidence yet turning himself to the present danger he fear'd and here while Iacob prepared himself by war prayer and gifts to satisfie his Brother he doth well for though God hath promised us deliverance we ought to use all good means and working under Gods providence Verse 12. Prayer is not only a bare manifestation of our mind to God by such a sute or petition but in Prayer there is or ought to be an holy arguing with God about the matter which we declare which is a bringing out and urging of reasons and motives whereby the Lord may be moved to grant what we pray for and this is clear from this example of Iacob in this Chapter Verse 24. When we are most retired from the World then we are most fit to have and usually have most communion with God David shews us divine work when we go to rest the bed is not all for sleep commune with your own hearts upon your bed and be still Psal. 4. be still and quiet and then commune with your hearts God will come and commune with them to his Spirit will give you a loving visit When Iacob fearing the rage of his Brother had put himself into the best posture and defence he could and had sent his Wives and Children over the River the Text saith that he was left alone which is not to be understood as if his company had left or deserted him Iacob's solitariness was not passive but effective he having disposed of all his Family withdrew himself and stayed alone and what then then he had a Vision indeed then there wrestled a man with him till the breaking of the day he spent not the night in carping and caring what should become of him to morrow no he retires to pray for a blessing upon his former cares and a blessing he obtains Verse 25. What a wonder is here Iacob received not so much hurt from all his enemies as from his best Friends not one of his hairs perish'd by Laban or Esau yet he lost a joynt by the Angel and was sent halting to his Grave he that knows our strength yet will wrestle with us for our exercise and loves our violence and importunity O happy loss this of Iacob he lost a joint and won a blessing it is a favour to halt from God yet this favour is seconded with a greater He was blest because he would rather halt than leave ere he was blessed If he had left sooner he had not halted but then he had not prospered that man shall go away sound but miserable that loves a limb more than a blessing Surely if Iacob had not wrestled with God he had been folid with evils how many are the troubles of the righteous Verse 30. Holy men even in this life have a sight of the face of God the Soul of a Believer hath interviews with God God and he do often look one another in the face Wheresoever the Saints are except in cases of desertion the place may be called as Iacob here call'd this where he wrestled with God Peniel that is the face of God yet not in that sence fully in which Iacob calls it so he call'd it the face of God because he had seen God face to face We can call it so only ordinarily because we see his face It is one thing to see the face of God another thing to see God face to face the former is the common priviledge of Saints in this life the latter is the priviledge of but some Saints and those rare ones to have it here Verse 31. At death God wrestles with his people laying hold on their Consciences by the menaces of the Law They again resist this assault by laying hold upon God in Christ by the Faith of the Gospel well assured that Christ hath freed them from the curse of the Law by being made a curse for them on the Cross. God yields himself over-come by this re-encounter but yet toucheth their thigh takes away their life howbeit this hinders not the Sun of Life Eternal to arise upon them CHAP. XXXIII Verse 4. VArious and miraculous are the means which God useth to deliver his People from their Enemies sometimes he divides them and sets the Churches enemies one against another so he did for Gideon's small Army to the Midianites mighty Host setting every mans Sword against his fellow sometimes he changeth their minds and turneth the stream of their affections Thus was Esau's heart mollified towards Iacob who instead of a devouring enemy becomes an embracing friend and meets him with kisses to whom he had intended blowes Indeed what Solomon saith of the Kings heart is true of all mens That they are in the hands of the Lord as the Rivers of Waters and he turneth them wheresoever he will No wonder then if sometimes he mollifies the Obdurate qualifies the Malicious and melts the Frozen Hearts of Wicked men into Love and Compassion towards his Servants Verse 5. Children are the blessings of the Lord nay they are part of his inheritance Children are an heritage of the Lord saith the Psalmist and the fruit of the Womb is his reward they are special blessings Children as it is to be observed are a resemblance of our immortality because man revives again lives a-new as it were in every Child he is born again in a civil sence when others are born to him There are some who count their Children but Bills of Charges but God puts them upon the account of our Mercies And
therefore let the wicked how prosperous how secure how merry soever they be remember this in the midst of their joy that their Master the Devil gives them pleasant entrances into their wayes but reserves the bitterness for the end of their journey and on the contrary let the Righteous how sad how contemptible how dejected soever they be remember this in the midst of their tears that God their Father invites them to the worst Dish at first and sweetens their conclusion with pleasure and let them assure themselves that though the first handful that God gives them in their voyage to the Land of Promise be a Wilderness of Bryars and Thorns and the first Waters that they must drink in that Wilderness be Waters of Marah the bitter water of their own tears yet in the end of their journey they shall over-flow with the milk and honey of Canaan the Land of eternal peace and happiness CHAP. XXXVII Verse 2. I Marvel not that Ioseph had a double Portion of Iacobs Land who had more than two parts of his sorrows none of his Sons did so truly inherit his afflictions none of them was either so miserable or so great suffering is the way to Glory I see him not a clearer Type of Christ than of every Christian because we are dear to our Father and complain of sins therefore are we hated of our carnal Brethren if Ioseph had not medled with his Brothers faults yet he had been envied for his Fathers affection but now malice is met with envie There is nothing more thankless and dangerous than to stand in the way of a resolute sinner That which doth correct and oblige the penitent makes the wilful mind furious and revengeful Verse 4. Hence we may learn how inconvenient a thing it is for Parents to be partial in their love to their Children and withal that it is no marvel that brethren fall out for Goods and Land when Iosephs brethren hated him for a Coat We may further also consider from this place how few men judge themselves happy or unhappy according to what they are but by comparing themselves with others where all go naked none are ashamed Many augment their misery by seeing others more happy and yet think themselves happy when they see others more miserable We many times gather our sorrows from others joyes and our joyes from others sorrows We bless our selves when we see them below us and yet think all we have to be no blessing when we look on them that are above us Lord let not me think my good the less because others have more or my evil the more because others have less but let me learn in all estates to be content and to welcome the Will of God let it come how it will Verse 19. What meant Ioseph in the beginning of this Chapter to add unto his own Envie by reporting his Dreams The concealment of our hopes and abilities hath not more modesty than safety He that was envied for his dearness and hated for his intelligence was both envied and hated for his Dreams Surely God meant to make the relation of these Dreams a means to effect that which the Dreams imported We men work by likely means God by contraries The main quarrel was Behold this Dreamer cometh Had it not been for his Dreams he had not been sold if he had not been sold he had not been exalted So Iosephs state had not deserved envie if his Dreams had not caused him to be envied Full little did Ioseph think when he went to seek his Brethren that it was the last time he should see his Fathers House Full little did his Brethren think when they sold him naked to the Ishmeelites to have once seen him in the Throne of Egypt Gods Decree runs on and while we either think not of it or oppose it it is performed Verse 20. In an honest and obedient simplicity Ioseph comes to enquire of his Brethrens health and now may not return to carry news of his own misery whiles he thinks of their welfare they are plotting his destruction Come let us slay him Who would have expected this cruelty in them which should be the Fathers of Gods Church he look'd for Brethren and behold murtherers every mans tongue every mans fist was bent against him Each one strives who shall lay the first hand upon that changeable Coat that was dyed with their Fathers love and their envie Verse 24. It was thought a favour that Reubens entreaty obtained for him that he might be cast into the Pit alive to die there And now they have strip'd him naked and haling him by both arms as it were cast him alive into his Grave So in pretence of forbearance they resolve to torment him with a lingring Death the savagest Robbers could not have been more merciless for now besides what in them lies they kill their Father in their Brother Nature if once degenerate grows more monstrous and extream than a disposition born to cruelty And now what stranger can think of poor innocent Ioseph crying naked in the desolate and dry Pit only saving that he moistened it with tears and not be moved Yet his hard-hearted Brethren sit them down carelesly with the noise of his Lamentation in their ears to eat Bread not once thinking by their own hunger what it was for Ioseph to be famished to death Verse 28. Whatsoever they thought God never meant that Ioseph should perish in that Pit and therefore he sends very Ishmeelites to ransom him from his Brethren the seed of him that persecuted his Brother Isaac shall now redeem Ioseph from his Brethrens persecution And now when Ioseph had comforted himself with hope of the favour of dying behold death exchang'd for bondage how much is servitude to an ingenuous Nature worse than death For this is common to all that to none but the miserable Iudah meant this well but God better Reuben saved him from the Sword Iudah from Famishing God will ever raise up some favourers to his own amongst those that are most malicious How well was this favour bestowed If Ioseph had died for hunger in the Pit both Iacob and Iudah and all his Brethren had died for hunger in Canaan Little did the Ishmeelitish Merchants know what a treasure they bought carried and sold more precious than all their Balms and Myrrhs Little did they think that they had in their hands the Lord of Egypt the Jewel of the World why should we contemne any mans meanness when we know not his destiny Verse 32. One sin is commonly used for the vail of another Iosephs Coat is sent home dip'd in bloud that whiles they should hide their own cruelty they might afflict their Father no less than their Brother They have devised this real Lye to punish their old Father for his Love with so grievous a Monument of his sorrow Verse 33. When Iacob saw the Coat of his Son Ioseph It is my Sons Coat saies he but an
evil Beast hath devoured him So Christ will say to us at the day of Judgment This is the face and figure of a man but an evil Beast hath devoured my image The Drunkard hath lost the Image of God and laid a Swine in the room of it The Covetous hath lost the Image of God and laid a ravenous Wolf in the room of it The Adulterer hath lost the Image of God and laid a Goat or an Horse in the room of it The Crafty and Contentious person hath lost the Image of God and laid a Fox and a Dog in the room of it CHAP. XXXVIII Verse 2. I Find not many of Iacobs Sons more faulty than Iudah who yet is singled out from all the rest to be the royal Progenitor of Christ and to be honoured with the dignity of the Birth-right that Gods Election might not be of Merit but of Grace else howsoever he might have sped alone Thamar had never been joyn'd with him in this line Even Iudah marries a Canaanite it is no marvel though his Seed prosper not and yet that good Children may not be too much discouraged with their unlawful propagation the Fathers of the Promised Seed are raised from an Incestuous Bed Iudah was very young searce from under the rod of his Father yet he takes no other counsel for his Marriage but from his own eyes which were like his Sister Dinahs roving and wanton what better issue could be expected from such beginnings Those proud Jewes that glory so much in their Pedigree and Name from this Patriarch may now chuse whether they will have their Mother a Canaanite or an Harlot Verse 7. Even in wicked and sinful Courses oft-times the birth follows the belly Iudahs eldest Son Er is too wicked to live God strikes him dead ere he can leave any Issue not abiding any Sience to grow out of so bad a stock notorious sinners God reserves to his own vengeance He doth not inflict sensible Judgements upon all his enemies lest the wicked should think there were no punishment abiding for them elsewhere and again he doth inflict such Judgements upon some lest he should seem careless of evil It were as easie for him to strike all dead as one but he had rather all should be warned by one and would have his enemies find him merciful as well as his Children just Verse 9. Onan sees the Judgement of his Brother Er and yet will follow his sins Every little thing discourages us from good nothing can alter the heart that is set upon evil Er was not worthy of any love but though he was a miscreant yet he was a Brother Seed should have been raised to him Onan justly leeses his life with his seed which he would rather spill than lend to a wicked Brother Some duties we owe to humanity more to neerness of bloud Ill deservings of others can be no excuse for our injustice for our uncharitableness Verse 11. Iudah hath lost two Sons and now doth but promise the third whom he sins in not giving it is the weakness of Nature rather to hazard a sin than a danger and to neglect our own duty for wrongful suspition of others Though he had lost his Son in giving him yet he should have given him a faithful mans promise is his debt which no fear of damage can dispense with But whereupon was this slackness Iudah fear'd that some unhappiness in the bed of Thamar was the cause of his sons miscarriage whereas it was their fault that Thamar was both a widdow and childlesse those that are but the patients of evil are many times burthened with suspitions and therefore are ill thought of because they fare ill afflictions would not be so heavy if they did not lay us open unto uncharitable conceits Verse 14. Now Thamar seeks by subtilty that which she could not have by award of justice the neglect of due retributes drives men to indirect courses neither know I whether they sin more in righting themselves wrongfully or the other in not righting them She therefore takes upon her the habit of an harlot that she might perform the act If she had not wish'd to seem a whore she had not worn that attire nor chosen that place Immodesty of outward fashion or gesture bewraies evil desires the heart that meanes well will never wish to seem ill for commonly we affect to shew better then we are many harlots will put on the semblances of Chastity of modesty never the contrary It is no trusting those which doe not wish to appear good Vers. 15. Iudah esteems her by her habit and now the life of an harlot had stir'd up in him a thought of lust Sathan finds well that a fit object is half a victory Who would not be asham'd to see a Son of Iacob thus transported with filthy affections At the first sight he is inflamed neither yet did he see the face of her whom he lusted after It was motive enough to him that she was a woman neither could the presence of his neighbour the Adullamite compose those wicked thoughts or hinder his unchast acts Vers. 20. That sin must needs be impudent that can abide a witness yea so hath his lust besotted him that he cannot discern the voice of Thamar that he cannot foresee the danger of his shame in parting with such Pledges there is no passion which doth not for a time bereave a man of himself Thamar had learn'd not to trust him without a pawn he had promised his Son to her as a Daughter and fail'd now he promised a Kid to her as an harlot and performeth it Whether his pledge constrain'd him or the power of his word I enquire not Many are faithful in all things save those that are the greatest and dearest If his credit had been as much endangered in the former promise he had kept it Vers. 23. Now Thamar hath requited Iudah She expected long the enjoying of his promised Son and he performed not but here he performes the promise of the Kid and she stayes not to expect it Iudah is sorry that he cannot pay the hire of his lust and now feareth least he should be beaten with his own staffe least his Signet should be used to confirm and seal his reproach resolving not to know them and wishing they were unknown of others Shame is the easiest wages of sin and the surest which ever begins first in our selves Nature is not more forward to commit sin then willing to hide it Vers. 24. Three months hath Iudahs sin slept and now when he is securest it awakes and bates him News is brought him that Thamar begins to swell with her conception and now he swels with rage and cals her forth to the flame like a rigorous Judge without so much as staying for the time of her deliverance that his cruelty in this justice should be no lesse ill then the injustice of occasioning it If Iudah had not forgotten his sin his pitty had been more
buried in the high-way is no good mark and therefore bury not thy self thy labours thy affections upon the world Verse 22. However Infidels and Idolaters were destitute of the knowledge of the true God yet they accounted it a special duty to honour the Priests of their Groves and Altars and perswaded themselves that they should never receive any blessing at the hands of their Gods unlesse they honoured those that were esteemed as his Servants Thus Moses witnesseth that when Pharaoh during the Dearth and Famine that was in Egypt had received all the Money bought all the Cattle and purchased all the Land of the People to supply their necessity and save their lives yet he would not buy the Priests Land but sustained them for their Office sake And are Idolaters and Infidels thus bountiful in the maintaining of their Priests How then should this serve to reprove our dulness and backwardness in the true worship of the Eternal God How many are there that live in the bosome of the Church and profess the true Religion who yet to maintain a learned Minister that is able to save their souls repine and grutch to give sixpence a quarter What a shame is it for those whom the Lord hath blessed with abundance that they should spend all on their backs and bellies on Hawks or Hounds or Whores and nothing at all to the Glory of God the comfort of their fouls and help of their Brethren Verse 28. Just so many years as Iacob had nourished Ioseph in Canaan did Ioseph nourish Iacob in Egypt repaying his Fathers love to the utmost penny These were the sweetest dayes and freest from trouble that ever the good old Patriark saw God reserves his best to the last Mark the perfect man and behold the upright saith the Psalmist for be his beginning and middle never so troublesome the end of that man his after-end at least shall be peace A Goshen he shall have either here or in Heaven and a Peace both in this world and the next the peace of Conscience here and the peace that passeth all understanding hereafter CHAP. XLVIII Verse 1. IAcob have I loved said God and yet this Beloved of God was under many troubles and afflictions in his life and visited with sickness before his death And all this doth very well agree with the dispensations of Gods Providence For whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourgeth every Son whom he receives Afflictions are Christs Love-tokens When Ignatius came to the wild Beasts Now saith he I begin to be a Christian. Omnis Christianus crucianus every true Christian must take up his Crosse and follow his Saviour It is reported of an antient Doctor of the Church lying upon his sick bed and being asked how he did and how he felt himself he pointed to his Sores and Ulcers whereof he was full and said Hae sunt gemmae pretiosa ornamenta Dei These are Gods Gems and Jewels wherewith he decketh his best friends and to me they are more pretious than all the Gold and Silver in the world Verse 3. It is not enough to relate Gods Mercies to us in the lump and by whole-sale but we must instance in the particulars both to God and men upon every occasion setting them down one by one and cyphering them up as Davids word is Psal. 9. 1. I will praise thee O Lord and I will shew forth or sum up all thy marvellous works When Moses in Exodus met with his Father in Law he reckoned all the particular Mercies that God had done for Israel in Egypt and at the Red Sea he omitted none The truly thankful keep an Ephemerides a Calender and Catalogue of Gods gratious dealings with them and delight to their last to recount and sum them up We should be like Civit-boxes which still retain the scent when the Civit is taken out of them Verse 7. Iacob makes mention of Rachels burial to put Ioseph in mind that Rachel forsook her Fathers house to live in Canaan so to stir him up much more to leave Egypt which was not his Country as also that he might have a greater desire to the place of his Mothers Sepulcher Verse 14. Iacob feeling with his hands which was the Elder and bigger for the words are he caus'd his hands to understand on purpose laid his right hand on Ephraim in way of preheminence which sheweth that God bestoweth his Gifts without respect of persons as also it prefigureth the calling of the Gentiles instead of the Iews who were as the elder Brother 3. From this we may deduce an evident truth in experience that Gods dispensations towards the Righteous and the Wicked in this life are like Iacobs dealing here with Iosephs Sons crosse and strange For as he laid his right hand on the Younger and his left on the Elder so doth God oft-times for the present distribute with his left hand crosses to the good and with his right favours to the bad And not only in a literal sense as our Saviour speaks He maketh the Sun to shine and the Rain to fall upon the just and the unjust but in a metaphorical sense he causeth the Sun of Prosperity to shine upon the Unjust and the Rain of Adversity to fall upon the Just. Verse 15. When a Curse fals upon the Children the Father is cursed as in the Blessing of the Children tht Father is blessed Thus Ioseph brought his two Sons Manasseh and Ephraim to his aged Father Iacob that they might receive his Blessing who laying his hands upon their heads blessed Ioseph saith the Text and said God before whom c. and then it follows The Angel which redeem'd me from all evil blesse the Lads Now as Iacob in blessing the Children of Ioseph blessed Ioseph himself so Noah Gen. 9. in cursing the Children of Cham cursed Cham himself Valerius l. 1. hath observed concerning the Tyrant Dionysius that though he escaped free and untouched in person from the vengeance which his sacrilegious wickedness deserved yet his Sons were involved in so much misery that in them he being pasâ— feeling suffered and being dead paid dearly for his stolue dainties The light of Nature as well as Scripture tels us that evils falling on posterity are reckoned upon the Fathers score And thus as 't is with Curses so likewise with Blessings upon the same account and for the same reason though they are conferr'd upon the Children yet the Fathers memory is blessed and honoured by them Verse 17. It is dangerous to follow men blindfold how seeing soever those men are but it is safe and our duty to follow God blindfold how seeing soever we think our selves to be We must not be displeased as Ioseph was here with his Father Iacob When we see God laying his right hand upon Ephraim and his left upon Manasseh doing things crosse to our thoughts much lesse may we take upon us to direct the hand of God as Ioseph would Iacobs where we please The Lord
the Wise and Mighty as he did Balaams Asse to confute his Master Verse 20. Husbands see from hence the heart of a good man to have his Wife and Children with him Wives and Children see their duty to be followers willingly of their Husbands or Fathers calling even into any Country And when I look at Moses his Rod methinks I see little David marching chearfully with his Staffe and Scrip against huge Goliah Good Lord what Weapons were those against him then in mans eyes Or this Staffe now in Moses hand against Pharaoh But God is the same both here and then and for ever strong in weakness and able to match a Kings Scepter with a Stick or a Staffe or a Stone or a word in the hand or mouth of one sent and appointed by him Verse 22. Gods Church is to him as a Man-child to the Father yea as the First-born which commonly is loved most tenderly and in greatest honour Now think with your selves how you could endure to stand and look upon an abuse offered to your First-born and then think of Gods Love to his Church whose affection as much excelleth yours as God excelleth man Now as tender Fathers for the good of their Children suffer them to lie in prison and to be school'd many wayes by want and affliction and yet in the midst of all have an eye to them a love to them and a settled purpose to help them when a love may be known a love and a good a good So our God knows his times and turns and our wants perfectly fitting the one to the other most mercifully that both our corruption and his goodness may best appear to the greatest benefit unto us He may see us humbled and school'd and tamed but undone and cast away for ever he cannot endure it he will not suffer it Verse 24. I do not so much marvel that Iethro gave Moses his Daughter for he saw him valiant wise learned nobly bred as that Moses would take her a Stranger both in bloud and Religion The choice had like to have cost him dear in this verse His Wife stood in his way for Circumcision God stands in his way for Revenge Though he was now upon Gods Message yet might he not be forborn in this neglect No circumstance either of the dearness of the Sollicitor or of our own engagement can bear out a sin with God Those which are unequally yoaked may not ever look to draw one way True Love to the Person cannot long agree with dislike of the Religion He had need to be more than a Man that hath a Zipporah lying in his bosome and can have true zeal in his heart Learn further from hence all unquiet Women what your ignorance and your obstinacy bringeth your Husbands unto though they be as Moses holy and vertuous they cannot serve God aright for you they cannot do what God requireth but you break their hearts you cool their zeal you turn them out of the way and in the end you bring them to a fearful danger of Gods destroying them Verse 26. That which Zipporah should have esteemed as a signal Mercy to her Child she interprets as a Judgement and that very Covenant of God of which Circumcision was the seal which she should have received with the greatest return of thanks was entertained with disobedience both toward her Husband and her God Thus ignorant and unthankful people mis-interpret and repine at the Dispensations of Gods Providence and that which God designes for a Mercy and a Blessing to them they take it as a Judgement and a Curse It is good for me that I was afflicted faith David Yet how many are there in the World that think otherwise and would chuse rather to be out of the Covenant than be circumcised to perish hereafter than be afflicted here CHAP. V. Verse 1. PHaraoh raged before much more now that he received a Message of dismission the Monitions of God make ill men worse the Waves do not beat nor roar any where so much as at the Bank which restraines them Corruption when 't is checked grows mad with rage as the vapour in a Cloud would not make that fearful report if it met not with opposition A good heart yeilds at the stillest Voice of God but the most gracious Motions of God harden the wicked Many would not be so desperately setled in their sins if the World had not controul'd them How mild a Message was this to Pharaoh and yet how galling God commands him that which he feared He took pleasure in the present servitude of Israel God cals for a release If the Suit had been for mitigation of labour for preservation of their Children it might have carried some hope and have found some favour But now God requires that which he knows will as much discontent Pharaoh as Pharaohs cruelty could discontent the Israelites How contrary are Gods Precepts to mans mind And indeed as they love to crosse him in their practise so he loves to crosse them in his Commands before and their Punishments after Verse 4. Moses talks of Sacrifice Pharaoh talks of Work Any thing seems due Work to a carnal mind saving Gods Service nothing superfluous but religious Duties Christ tels us there is but one thing necessary Nature tels us there is nothing but that needless Moses speaks of Devotion Pharaoh of Idleness It hath been an old use as to cast fair colours upon our own vitious actions so to cast evil aspersions upon the good actions of others The same Devil that spoke in Pharaoh speaks still in our Scoffers and cals Religion Hypocrisie conscionable Care Singularity Every Vice hath a title and every Vertue a disgrace Verse 8. Wicked men have no eyes often to see the true causes of a thing but most apt and ready to devise a false Let a man or woman be grieved extraordinarily with the burthen of their sins and with groans and sighs travail under the bitterness of it What say the Wicked Oh it is Melancholy and the body must be purged Festus imagineth Paul mad when he speaketh the words of Truth and Soberness Act. 26. 24. And that much learning made him mad when Learning is Wisdome and maketh wise Yea Heli himself mistaketh Anna a vertuous Woman and deemeth her to be drunk when ravished in her holy feeling she was crying to God in fervent Prayer 1 Sam. 2. Verse 11. The nearer that God draweth to his Church and Children to do them good the more the Devil rageth in and by his Members against them Remember that example in Mar. 9. 26. How the foul Spirit being commanded to depart rent and tare the party more and worse than ever before We cannot leave any sin wherein we have continued but by and by we shall be discouraged sometimes with threats sometimes with shew of perils and losses that may ensue But stand and shrink not and say in your heart now now is my God at hand for now I see and feel
Verse 2. THis Offering sheweth first that it is the duty of Gods Servants to bestow part of such things as God blesseth them withall towards the maintenance of Gods Spiritual Temple erected with Us and among Us by the Preaching of his Word the Administration of his Sacraments and all other Offices of the Ministry to the Salvation of our Souls Secondly That our Goods are not ours to waste at our Wills but God looketh to be honoured with them employed to good purposes Lastly in seeking this Offering to erect an External Worship we see that God will be worshipped outwardly also with our Bodies as inwardly with our Spirits for they are both the Lords Verse 3. In the variety and several kindes of what was offered you have shadowed out unto you the difference of Spiritual Gifts and Graces given by God to Men for the building up of his Spiritual Temple or Sanctuary in your hearts and such as God hath given such must they offer and such shall be accepted of God to teach us to despise in no man what God himself accepteth and despiseth not In Mans Body the soveraignty is in the Head the Eyes and Ears and yet cannot the Eye say to the Foot I have no need of thee 1 Cor. 12. 21. the greater may not despise the less nor the less murmur against the greater Verse 7. They offered their Ear-Rings and Jewels which were Ornaments unto them teaching us in this that nothing ought to be so dear unto us which we cannot find in our hearts to bestow willingly to the Service and Honour of God these things that served for superfluity before now serve for Gods Tabernacle Even so should our Bodies that have been Wanton and Sinful serving Sin serve the Lord in his Holy Fear and such humane Learning as hath served Error may be applyed to Religion and Gods service Verse 9. In the Service and Worship of God our Devices and Inventions must have no place but carefully and precisely we must ever serve him according to his own pattern and Prescription left us in his Holy Word as Deut. 4. 12. Numb 15. 38. and the Apostle Col. 2. 23. delivered nothing but what he received Verse 10. The wood whereof the Ark was made was Shittim-wood a durable and lasting Wood not subject to Worms and Corruption as other Wood is so representing the humanity of Christ whose Body in the Grave felt no Corruption as other Mens flesh and bodies neither was subject to sin Verse 20. The Cherubim was a name of Love and Favour and therefore his Wings were stretched over the Mercy-seat to shew us we should be ready to cover the infirmities especially of the Church and Church-men and Constantine professed that should he see a Bishop committing Adultery he would rather cover it with his own Cloak then any should be offended Verse 21. The Mercy-seat was appointed to be a Covering for the Ark where the Law of Moses lay and this Mercy-seat was a figure of Christ who hideth and covereth us from the wrath of God and from the accusation of the Law for without Christ shall no flesh be justified Our first Parents having sinn'd covered themselves with Fig-leaves and many Christians think to cover themselves with the Fig-leaves of their own Merits but Christ only is the cover of the Ark when the Law accuseth to whom whosoever doth fly and in whom whosoever doth trust being justified by Faith they have peace with God through him Rom. 5. 1. and the Mercy-seat was placed above the Altar to shew that Gods Mercy is over all his Works Verse 22. The two Cherubims represented the Two Testaments and from between these two Cherubims God spake so doth Christ still by the two Testaments the Old and the New the Law and the Gospel the Prophets and Apostles and so will he speak still to the end Otherwise we must not now expect Revelations and Dreams Visions and Miracles are ceased and if they will not hear Moses and the Prophets Neither will they believe though one should rise from the dead and come unto them Verse 38. This is a great comfort to Ministers and to all the faithful people of God that although my Gifts are not such as to set me high in the Tabernacle yet am I not therefore utterly unprofitable or unfit or rejected of God but I may be among the meanest vessels of the Sanctuary and of the Church if I may be but as the snuffers or snuff-dishes as a Door-keeper as a Besom as an Ash-pan even this shall please me and herein will I rejoyce thanking my God that he hath looked upon me in that measure the body hath divers members and all good and made by God the Church hath divers degrees of Believers and all beloved of God so if you be one in any place blessed be God for it your joy shall be Eternal also and Incomprehensible Verse 40. From hence you may see the Assistance and the Power that Example hath in Instruction This was Christs Method in the Gospel Quid ab initio how was it from the beginning do as hath been done before So here it was Gods Method to Moses for the Tabernacle look that thou make every thing after the pattern that was shewed thee in the Mount and the same was Gods Method for the Creation its self for though there were no World that was Elder Brother to this World before yet God in his own Mind and Purpose had produc'd and lodg'd certain Idea's and forms and patterns of every piece of this World and made them according to those preconceived Forms and Idea's Lastly this was Gods way likewise through the whole Scripture for there are no Books in the World that do so abound with this Comparative and Exemplary way of Teaching as the Scriptures do no Books in which that word of Reference to other things that sicut is so often repeated do this and do that sicut so as you see such and such things in Nature do and sicut so as you find such and such Men in the Stories of Gods Book to have done CHAP. XXVI Verse 31. OUr Corruption is the only way to our Incorruption and our Mortality to our Glory our Flesh being that Vail that keeps us from entring into the Holiest of Holies To this purpose as a Type of this in the Tabernacle which Moses made there was a Vail hang'd up between the Holy Place and the Holiest of Holies this Vail was made up of four substances blew Silk and Purple and Scarlet and fine Linnen which saith St. Ieremy did represent the four Elements of which our Flesh consists such a Vail was afterwards in the Temple at Ierusalem which at the Death of our Saviour was rent from the top to the bottom so that the People might then and not till then have beheld the Sanctum Sanctorum so when our Flesh this Vail that keeps us from beholding the Invisibility of the Blessed Trinity shall be rent and torn in pieces
of the Ministery that it should not be defrauded of the least thing allotted to it And therefore harden not your heart against God against Law against Right and Truth accustome not your hearts to cover your Neighbours due your hands to purloin it by fraud or take it by strength it is theft spiritual theft sacriledge your house receiveth stoln Goods and the Wrath of God may happily shake the foundation of it for such a sin and you in yours or you and yours be punished Verse 13. Here Leaven is admitted of which before was forbid Leaven therefore is taken in a good sense as well as in an ill Thus the Apostles are resembled to a little Leaven that leaveneth the whole lump they being sent out of God into the unleavened World by preaching to leaven it clean through And there is a Leaven of the new Nature accepted as there is a Leaven of the old Nature rejected For look how the Leaven maketh the Bread savory and strong and wholsome look also how it makes it rise and heave up which otherwise would be sad and heavy So doth Gods regenerate Spirit change us make us savory and all our Duties pleasing to God and we rise up our Hearts and Souls are heaved up in all love in thankfulness to him that in Mercy hath so look'd upon us Verse 15. A Ceremony us'd to signifie that publick Feasts should not be superfluously continued and kept long under the colour of Religion For God loveth not idle banquetting and prodigal spending although he allow graciously what is fit for the occasion Secondly this was done in wisdome by God least if the flesh should have smelt by longer keeping Religion might so have been vile in the eyes of fickle persons Verse 18. We may learn by this that the taking hold of Christ is not to be deferr'd and put off but speedily and quickly to be done whilst time serves and opportunity is offer'd For behold sayes Christ to day and to morrow I cast out Devils and the third day Luke 13. that is a short time I have yet to go on with my Ministery and then I shall be slain More particularly every Man and Woman may be said to have three dayes The first of Youth till Age come the second of Age till Death come and in these two dayes there is Mercy offered but the third day is after Death and then there is no help as here on the third day no Offering was accepted but the sin remained unpardoned and not forgiven Verse 30. The bringing of the Sacrifice with his own hands and not sending it by others taught Humility and Duty to God taught that every one must live by his own Faith and not by anothers Verse 34. The shaking of it to and fro four wayes East West North and South shadowed the spreading of that lifting up of Christ that is of Christs Death and Passion throughouâ— all the World by the preaching of the Gospel CHAP. VIII Verse 2. THe Lord precisely appointed Priests and would not leave it to every man to perform this Office to signifie that not any man butthe-man Christ Jesus could appease Gods Wrath satisfie his Justice and take away the sins of the World This could not be figured out better than by secluding all the Host of Israel from this Office and chusing but Aaron and his Sons as Types of Christ that so by such an Ordinance the Majesty Authority and Property of Christs Office might be resembled and shadowed Verse 5. Nothing but Gods Commandement doth Moses offer unto them For he well knew Gods Will only in his own House must be the Rule Our own heads were never the best heads to follow and for God he knoweth our mould too well to give that swinge unto us Verse 13. Aarons Sons were a figure of the Church which by Faith eateth also of the Sacrifice of Christ being made partakers of his Merits as well as the Priests Their Garments figured out the Graces and Gifts wherewith the Believers in Christ are adorned and beautified casting away the Works of Darkness and putting on daily more and more the Deeds of Light Rom. 13. 12. Verse 30. Upon Aarons Sons Moses did but sprinkle the annointing Oil which was said to be poured upon Aaron verse 12. So plainly shewing that in Christ the Spirit should be without measure and upon his Servants in measure we all receiving of his fulness according to his good Pleasure some more some lesse Verse 35. By this is signified that watch which all our life time is noted by the seven dayes we keep in avoiding sin and working righteousness as the Lord shall enable which indeed may be call'd the watch of the Lord being a holy Christian and happy watch The seventh day we shall be free fully sanctified and delivered from this vail of misery to keep an eternal Sabbath in Heaven to our endless comfort CHAP. IX Verse 7. IN that Aaron was here commanded to offer as well for himself as the People he was herein a figure of Christ not that Christ had any sins of his own but that ours were so laid upon him and he so made satisfaction to God for them as they had been his own Surely sayes the Prophet Isai. 53. 4. he hath born our infirmities c. that is we judg'd him evil as though he were punish'd for his own sins and not for ours Verse 22. Thus doth God blesse us in Christ in whom all the Nations of the World are blessed First with the Blessing of Reconciliation to himself reputing us now just for his Son Christ. Secondly with the Blessing of his Spirit whereby we walk in his Calling being guided thereby in the same Thirdly with the Blessing of Acceptance of all our Works though full of imperfection and weakness And last of all with this great Blessing that all adversity becometh a help to us to draw us to Heaven and Eternal Rest. Verse 24. That God which shew'd himself to Men in fire when he delivered his Law would have men present their Sacrifices to him in fire and this fire he would have his own that there might be a just circulation in this Creature as the Water sends up those vapours which it receives down again in Rain Hereupon it was that fire came down from God to the Altar that as the charge of the Sacrifice was delivered in fire so God might signifie the acceptation of it in the like fashion wherein it was commanded The Baalites might lay ready their Bullock upon the Wood but they might sooner fetch the blood out of their Bodies and destroy themselves than one flash out of Heaven to consume the Sacrifice CHAP. X. Verse 2. NAdab and Abibu were two of Aarons Eldest Sons which after their Father should have succeeded him in his place yet there is no Mercy with God to stay his Judgement when they will not be Ruled by his Word No Prerogative therefore shall save any Man from Wrath if he offend but
Royal Prophet sings Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound Psalm 80 15. that can discern and feel the comfortable sound of Gods Word the free use of his Ordinances serving God with chearfulness and giving him thanks with exaltation of heart and rapture of Spirit Verse 31. Why doth Moses so earnestly desire this Hobab to be their guide in the way was not the All-seeing Eye of God sufficient had not he promised to conduct them and had they not the pillar of Cloud to go before them most true yet humane helps when they may be had and God offers them to our hand may not be neglected The using of lawful means doth not oppose or afront the providence of God who it is true can work without means but yet we must attend unto his will and not stand upon his naked power without his will Verse 35. It is a great encouragement to know the forms that the Saints prevailed with God of old that God accepted such Prayers at their hands he that accepted them then if we send them by the same Spirit will accept them now And therefore it is that we have mention upon Record of the Prayers of Abraham of Iacob of Moses here and in other places of David of Hezekiah and divers others To what end and purpose but that we might thereby learn to fit our selves with words to attain a habit of Prayer by studying these forms For which reason also it was that in the Old Testament for all duties of piety and Religion there were forms set For the blessing of the People there was a form set Numb 6. In time of Repentance and Humiliation the Prophet sets them a form Ioel 2. and so here when the Ark removed there was a form for that Sacrifice Arise O Lord and let thine Enemies be scattered and when the Ark stood still Return O Lord to the many thousands of Israel CHAP. XI Verse 4. THe thirst of Israel is well quench'd and now they complain as fast for hunger the other mutiny for Water was of some few Male-contents this was of the whole Troop Not that none were free Caleb Ioshua Moses Aaron Miriam were not yet tainted Usually God measures the state of any Church or Country by the most the greatest part carries both the Name and Censure Sins are so much greater as they are universal so far is evill from being extenuated by the multitude of the guilty that nothing can more aggravate it With men commonness may plead for favour with God it pleads for Judgement Many hands draw the Cable with more violence than few The leprosie of the whole Body is more loathsome than that of the part Verse 5. Contentation is a rare Blessing because it arises either from a fruition of all Comforts or a not desiring of some which we have not Now we are never so bare as not to have some benefits never so full as not to want something God hath much ado with us either we lack Health or Quietness or Children or Wealth or Company or our selves in all these We remember when we sate by the flesh-pots of Egypt and did eat freely of their Cucumbers and Melons and Leeks and Onyons Every Mind remembers and affects that which is like its self Carnal minds are for the flesh-pots of Egypt though bought with servitude spiritual are for the presence of God though Redeem'd with Famine and would rather dye in Gods presence than live without him in the sight of delicate and full dishes Verse 8. The same hand that rain'd Manna into the Israelites Tents could have Rain'd it into their Mouths or Laps God loves we should take pains for our spiritual food Little would it have availed them that the Manna lay about their Tents if they had not gone forth and gathered it beaten and baked it Let Salvation be never so plentiful if we bring it not home and make it ours by Faith we are no whit the better If the work done and means us'd had been enough to give life no Israelite had dyed their Bellies were full of that Bread whereof one Crum gives life yet they dyed many of them in displeasure As in Natural so in Spiritual things we may not trust to means the Carkals of the Sacrament cannot give life but the Soul of it which is the thing represented Verse 9. The meat of these Israelites was strange but nothing so strange as their Bread from the first day that their Manna fell till their setling in Canaan God wrought a perpetual miracle in this food a miracle in the place other bread rises up from below this fell down from above neither did it ever Rain Bread till now yet so did this Heavenly shower fall that it is confined to the Camp of Israel a miracle in the quantity that every morning should fall enough to fill so many hundred thousand maws and mouths A miracle in the Composition that it is sweet like Hony-Cakes round like Corianders transparent as dew A miracle in the quality that it melted by one heat by another hardened A miracle in the difference of the fall that as if it knew times and would teach them as well as feed them it fell double in the Evening of the Sabbath and on the Sabbath fell not A miracle in the continnance and ceasing that this shower of Bread followed their Camp in all their removals till they came to tast of the bread of Canaan and then withdrew it self as if it had said ye need no miracles now you have means Verse 18. God tells the Jews here that they had wept in his ears God had heard them weep but for what and how they wept for Flesh there was a Tincture a deep die of murmuring in their Tears Christ goes as far in the passion in his agony and he comes to a passionate deprecation in his tristis anima and in this Si possibile and his Transeat calix But as all these Passions were sanctified in the root from which no bitter Leaf nor crooked Twigg could spring so they were instantly wash'd with his veruntamen a present and a full submitting of all to Gods pleasure yet not my will O Father but thine be done Verse 22. When our own provision fails then not to distrust the provision of God is a noble tryal of Faith Shall our flocks and herds be slain cries even Moses Whereas he should have said God who stopp'd the mouth of the Sea that it should not devour us can as easily stop the mouth of our stomack he that commanded the Sea to stand still and guard us can as easily command the Earth to nourish us he that made the Rod a Serpent can as easily make these stones Bread Why do we not wait on him whom we have found so powerful Now they set the Mercy and Love of God upon a wrong Last while they measure it only by their present sence While we see our daily Bread on our Cubbord we believe let God
withdraw his hand no fight no trust CHAP. XII Verse 1. VVHat is this I see is not this Aaron that was Brother in Nature and by Office joynt Commissioner with Moses and is not this Miriam the Elder Sister to Moses which laid her Brother in the Reeds and fetch'd his Mother to be his Nurse both Prophets of God both the Flesh and Blood of Moses And doth Aaron repine at the honour of him who gave himself that honour and saved his life when he had sinn'd so grosly in making the Calf Doth this Miriam repine at the prosperity of him whose life she saved But now Envy had so blinded their Eyes that they could neither see this priviledge of Nature nor yet the honour of Gods choice Miriam and Aaron are in mutiny against Moses Who so holy as sins not What sin though never so unnatural that even the very best can avoid without God Again who can look for love and prosperity at once when holy and meek Moses finds enmity in his own flesh and blood rather than we shall want a mans Enemies shall be those of his own house Authority cannot fail of opposition if it be never so mildly sway'd that common make-bate the Devil will rather raise it out of our own bosom To do well and hear ill is Princely Verse 2. Seditions do not ever look the same way they move Wise men can easily distinguish betwixt the visor of actions and the face The Wife of Moses is mentioned his superiority is shot at Pride is likely the ground of all sedition Which of their Faces shined like Moses which of them received the Law twice in two several Tables from Gods own hand and yet they dare say Hath God spoken only by Moses they do not deny Moses his Honour but they challenge a part with him And yet how unfit they were one a Woman whom her Sex debarr'd from Rule the other a Priest whom his Office sequestred from Earthly Government self-Self-love makes men unreasonable and teaches them to turn the glass to see themselves greater others lesser than they are It is an hard thing for a man willingly and gladly to see his equals lifted over his head in worth and opinion Nothing will more try a mans grace then questions of Emulation That man hath true light which can be content to be a Candle before the Sun of others Verse 3. Carry a meek spirit along with you in all your actions When Christ rode as King to Ierusalem he rode meek meek those that would accompany Christ to his Kingdom must be of the same spirit their King is of Moses never fail'd but once and it was then when he lost this meek spirit Numb 20. 10. Expounded Psal. 106. 32. They angered him at the waters of strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes for what reason see verse 23. Because they provoked his Spirit so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips God is oft-times in the small and still voice when neither in the whirl-wind nor the Earth-quake nor the fire 1 King 19. 11 12. Verse 4. God might have spoken so loud that Heaven and Earth should have heard it so as they should not have needed to come forth for audience but now he calls them out to the Bar that they may be seen to hear It did not content him to chide them within doors the shame of their fault had been lesse in a private rebuke but the scandal of their repining was publick Where the sin is not afraid of the light God loves not the reproof should be smoothered Verse 10. It was time to look for a Judgement when God departed so soon as he is gone from the Eyes of Miriam the Leprosie appears in her face her foul Tongue is punish'd with a foul Face Since she would acknowledg no difference betwixt her self and her Brother Moses every Israelite now sees his face glorious hers leaprous Deformity is a fit cure of pride Because the venome of her Tongue would have eaten into the Reputation of her Brother therefore a poisonous Infection eats into her flesh Now hath Moses and Miriam need to wear a vail the one to hide his glory the other her deformity Verse 15. The Israelites are stayed seven dayes for the punishment of Miriam the sins of the Governors are a just stop to the people all of them smart in one all of them must stay the leisure of Miriams recovery Whosoever seeks the Land of Promise shall find many lets Amalek Og and the King of Canaan met with Israel these resisted but hindred not their passages their sins only stay them from removing Afflictions are not crosses to us in the way to Heaven in comparison of our sins CHAP. XIII Verse 2. THe basest sort of men are commonly held fit enough for Intelligencers but Moses by the Commandement of the Lord chooseth forth the best of Israel such as were like to be most judicious in their enquiry and most credible in their Report Those that rul'd Israel at home could best descry for them abroad what should direct the body but the Head Men can judg but by appearance It is for him only that sees the event ere he appoint the means not to be deceived It had been better for Israel to have sent the Offal of the multitude By how much less the credit of their persons is by so much lesse is the danger of seducement The error of the mighty is arm'd with Authority and in a sort commands assent whether in good or Evil Greatness hath ever a train to follow it at the heels Verse 6. Amongst those twelve Messengers which our second Moses sent thorow the Land of Promise there was but one Iudas but amongst those twelve which the former Moses addressed thorough the same Land there is but one Caleb and yet those were chosen out of the meanest these out of the Heads of Israel As there is no society free from some corruption so it is hard if in a community of men there be not some faithfulness Verse 27. Forty dayes they spent in this search and this cowardly belief in the search shall cost them forty years delay of the fruition who can abide to see the Rulers of Israel so basely timerous They commend the Land the Fruit commends its self and yet they plead difficulty their shoulders are laden with the Grapes and yet their hearts are overlaid with unbelief It is an unworthy thing to plead hardness of atchieving where the benefit will more than requite the indeavour Our Land of Promise is above we know the Fruit thereof is sweet and glorious the passage difficult The giantly Sons of Anak the powers of Darkness stand in our way If we sit down and complain we shall once know that without shall be the fearful Rev. 21. 8. Verse 30. Ioshua was silent and wisely spared his Tongue for a further advantage only Caleb spake I do not hear him say who am I to strive with the multitude
what can Ioshua and I do against ten Rulers it is better to sit still than to rise and fall but he resolves to swim against this stream and will either draw Friends to the truth or Enemies upon himself True Christian fortitude teacheth us not to regard the number or quality of the Opponents but the Equity of the Cause and cares not to stand alone and challenge all comers and if it could be opposed by as many worlds as men it may be over-born but it cannot be daunted Whereas popularity carries weak minds and teaches them the safety of Erring with a multitude Caleb saw the giantly Anakims and the walled Cities as well as the rest and yet he saith Let us go up and possess it as if it were no more but to go and see and Conquer Faith is couragious and makes nothing of these dangers that daunt others Verse 31. See the idle Pleas of Distrust we are not able they are stronger Could not God inable them was he not stronger than their Gyants had he not promised to displace the Canaanites to settle them in their stead how much more easie is it for us to spy their weakness than for them to espy the strength of their adversaries when we measure our spiritual success by our own power we are vanquish'd before we fight he that would overcome must neither look upon his own arm nor the arm of his Enemy but the mouth and hand of him that hath promised and can perform who are we flesh and blood with our breath in our Nostrils that we should fight with Principalities Powers spiritual wickedness in heavenly places the matter is too unequal we are like Grashoppers to these Gyants When we compare our selves with them how can we but despair when we compare them with God how can we be discouraged he that hath brought us into this field hath promised us victory God knew their strength ere he offered to commit us Verse 33. It is very material with what Eyes we look upon all subjects Fear doth not more multiply Evils than Faith deminisheth them which is therefore bold because it either sees not or contemns that terror which fear represents to the weak There is none so valiant as the Believer Well might these Israelites have thought were not the Amalekites stronger than we were not they arm'd we naked Did not the only hand of Moses by lifting up beat them down Whence had the Anakims their strength but from him that bids us go up against them but now their fear hath not left them so much reason as to compare their adversaries with others but only with themselves Doubtless these Giants were mighty but their fear hath stretch'd them out some Cubits beyond their stature Distrust makes our dangers greater and our helps less than they are and fore-casts ever worse then shall be and if evills be possible it makes them certain CHAP. XIV Verse 5. IT had been time for the Israelites to have fallen down on their faces and have said go to God for us in your Prayers go before us in your directions but now on the contrary Moses and Aaron fall on their faces to them and sue to them that they would be content to be conducted Had they been suffered to depart they had perished Moses and his few had been victorious and yet as if he could not be happy without them he falls on his face to them that they would stay We have never so much need to be importuned as in those things whose benefit should make us most importunate The sweetness of Gods Law and our promised glory is such as should draw all hearts after it and yet if we did not sue to Men as for life that they would be reconciled to God and be saved I doubt whether they would obey yea it were well if our sute were sufficient to prevail Verse 10. Though Moses and Aaron intreat upon their faces and Ioshua and Caleb perswade and rend their Garments yet they move nothing The obstinate multitude grown more violent with opposing is ready to return them stones for their prayers Such hath been ever the thanks of fidelity and truth cross'd Wickedness proves desperate and instead of yielding seeks for Revenge Nothing is so hateful to a resolute sinner as good Counsel We are become Enemies to the World because we tell them truth Verse 13. It was not so much Israel that Moses respected as God in Israel He was thrifty and zealous for his Maker and would not have him lose the glory of his mighty deliverances nor would abide a pretence for any Egyptian Dogg to bark against the powerful work of God then the Egyptians shall hear it If Israel could have perish'd without dishonour to God perhaps Moses his hatred to their unbelief would have overcome his natural love and he had let gone alone now so tender is he over the Name of God that he would rather have Israel escape with a sin then Gods glory should be blemish'd in the opinions of Men by a just Judgement He saw that the Eyes and Tongues of all the World were intent upon Israel he knew how ready the World would be to miscontrue and how the Heathens would be ready to cast imputations of Levity or impotence upon God and therefore sayes Then the Egyptians will hear it Happy is that Man that can make Gods glory the scope of all his actions and desires nor cares for his own welfare nor fears the miseries of others but with respect to God in both CHAP. XV. Verse 20. THe substance of this Law was to teach them from whence they enjoy'd their Land their Corn their Wine and their Dew and all that they possessed to wit by the meer gift and blessing of God Whatever we possess by the sole gift of God we possess it Of whom shall we receive our Food if we seek it not at Gods hand if the Child want Food and Raiment to whom shall he go but to his Father and as we have our meat from God so we must eat and drink as in the presence of God And if we did but seriously think upon this truth that God is present with us at our Tables that he sits down and riseth with us it would teach us more sobriety and moderation than is commonly used at our meals It is therefore our duty whatever we have received whether it be little or much to imploy it to good uses We must take special care not to abuse Gods gifts or wrong any his Creatures we enjoy in as much as in wronging them we wrong God himself the giver of them Verse 38. This Fringe was to put them in mind of the Commandements of the Lord to do them as you may read in the following verse and therefore were termed Philacteries i. e. Conservatories so called because by the use of them the Law was kept in remembrance God had charg'd the Jews to wear these borders for this end as also to bind the
ill falling into those hands whom Beasts find unmerciful CHAP. XIII Verse 1. WHo can doubt whether Balaam were a false Prophet who sees him Sacrificing in the Mount of Baal had he been from the true God he would rather have said Pull me down these Altars of Baal then build me here seven others The very place convinces him of falsehood and Idolatry and why seven Altars what needs all this pomp when the True God never requir'd but one at once as himself is one Why doth the false Prophet call for no less than seven as if God stood upon numbers as if the Almighty would have his power either divided or limited Here is nothing but a great and magnificent pretence of Devotion It hath been ever seen that the false Worshippers of God have made more pompous shews and fairer flourishes of their Piety and Religion than the true Verse 3. Now when Balaam sees his seven Bullocks and seven Rams smoking upon seven Altars he goes up higher into the Mount as some counterfeit Moses to receive the answer of God But will God meet with a Sorcerer Will he make a Prophet of a Magician O Man who shall prescribe God what Instruments to use he knows how to imploy not only Saints and Angels but Wicked Men Beasts Devils to his own glory he that put words into the mouth of the Ass put words into the mouth of Balaam the words do but pass from him they are not polluted because they are not his as the Trunk through which a Man speaks is not more Eloquent for the speech that is uttered through it What a notable Proclamation had the Infidels wanted of Gods favour to his people if Balaam's Tongue had not been used how many shall once say Lord we have Prophecied in thy Name that shall hear Verily I know you not Verse 28. What madness is this in Balaam that hopes to change success with places as if God were not the same every where Neither was that bold fore-head ashamed to importune God again in that wherein his own Mouth had testified an assurance of Denial The reward was in one of his Eyes the Revenging Angel in another I know not whether for the time he more lov'd the Bribe or fear'd the Angel and whiles he is in this distraction his Tongue blesseth against his Heart and his Heart curses against his Tongue it angers him that he dares not speak what he would and now at last rather than lose his hopes he resolves to speak worse then Curses the fear of Gods Judgements in a Worldly Heart is at length overcome with the love of gain CHAP. XXIV Verse 11. THose that are themselves transported with vanity and ambition think that no Heart hath power to resist these Offers Balam thought he had struck the business when he had once mentioned Promotion to great Honour self-Self-love makes him think that all the World would be glad to run a madding after his bait Nature thinks it impossible to contemn Honour and Wealth and because too many Souls are thus taken cannot believe that any would escape But let Carnal Minds know there are those that can spit the World in the face and say Thy Gold and Silver perish with thee and that in comparison of a good Conscience can tread under foot his best proffers like shadows as they are and that can do as Balaam said verse 13. What the Lord saith that will I speak Verse 20. What was this sin of the Amalekites for which God threatneth That they shall perish for ever It was that according to Interpreters mentioned Exod. 17. Remember how Amalekmet thee by the way and smote the hindmost of you this Sin slept all the time of the Judges yet so soon as Israel had a King and that King setled in peace God gives charge to call them to an account 1 Sam. 15. As we use to say of Winter so may we say of Gods Judgements They never rot in the Sky but shall fall if late yet surely yet seasonably There is smal comfort in the delay of Vengeance while we are sure it shall lose nothing in the way by length of Protraction Verse 24. Balaam here Prophesieth of the rising and falling of great Princes and Empires they had their Heads lifted up on high and were advanced to the greatest honour but suddenly they came tumbling down and all their glory lay in the dust From whence we learn that great Men and mighty Princes suddenly decay and come to nothing they are in a moment cast down and left destitute when they little think of it Neither can we marvail at this change of the Places and Estates of the Sons of Men seeing it is the Lords doing and the work of his right hand The Lord lifteth up and pulleth down according to his own will and pleasure who maketh the highest Tide to have the lowest Ebb. CHAP. XXV Verse 4. AS the sins of great Men are exemplary so are their punishments Nothing procures so much credit to Government as Impartial Executions of Noble Offendors Those whom their sins have debased deserve no favour in the punishment As God knows no Honour no Royalty in matter of sin no more may his Deputies Contrarily Connivence at the outrages of the Mighty cuts the sinews of any State If good Laws turn once to Spiders webs which are broken through by the bigger Flies no hand will fear to sweep them down Verse 8. Now the sin is punish'd the Plague ceaseth The revenge of God sets out ever after the sin but if the revenge of Men which commonly comes later can overtake it God gives over the Chase. How often hath the infliction of a less punishment avoided a greater There are none so good Friends to a State as couragious and impartial Ministers of Justice these are the Reconcilers of God and the people more than the Prayers of them that sit still and do nothing Verse 25. The Daughters of Moab come into the Tents of Israel and have captived those whom the Amorites and Amalekites could not resist Our first Mother Fve bequeathed this Dowry to her Daughters that they should be our helpers to sin the weaker Sex is the stronger in this Conquest Had the Moabites sent their subtilest Counsellors to perswade the Israelites to their Idol Sacrifices they had been repell'd with scorn but now the beauty of their Women is over-eloquent and succesful That which in the first World betrayed the Sons of God hath now betray'd Gods People It had been happy for Israel if Balaam had used any Charms but these As it is the use of God to fetch glory to himself out of the worst actions of Satan so it is the guise of that Evil-one to raise advantage to himself from the fairest pieces of the Workmanship of God No one means hath so enriched Hell as beautiful Faces CHAP. XXVI Verse 9. THey were indeed famous in regard of their places but they became Infamous and Ignominous by their Sin and Punishment
It is a dangerous thing in the service of God to decline from his own institutions we have to do with a power which is wise to prescribe his own Worship just to require what he hath prescribed powerful to revenge that which he hath not required CHAP. XXVII Verse 13. AFter many painful and perilous enterprizes now is Moses drawing to his rest he hath brought his Israelites from Egypt through the Sea and Wilderness within the sight of their Promised Land and now himself must take possession of that Land whereof Canaan was but a Type When we have done that we come for it is time for us to be gone This Earth is made only for Action not for Fruition the services of Gods Children should be ill rewarded if they must stay here alwayes Let no man think much that those are fetch'd away that are faithful to God they should not change if it were not to their preferment It is our folly that we would have good men live for ever and account it a hard measure that they were He that lends them to the World owes them a better turn than this Earth can pay them It were injurious to wish that goodness should hinder any man from Glory Verse 14. But what is this I hear displeasure mix'd with love and that to so faithful a servant as Moses he must but see the Land of Promise he shall not tread upon it because he once long ago sinn'd in distrnsting Death though it were to him an entrance into glory yet shall be also a chastisement of his Infidelity How many gracious services had Moses done to his Master yet for one act of Distrust he must be gathered to his Fathers All our obediences cannot bear out one sin against God how vainly shall we hope to make amends to God for our former Trespasses by our better behaviour when Moses hath this sin laid in his dish after so many and worthy testimonies of his fidelity when we have forgotten our sins yet God remembers them and although not in anger yet calls for our Arrerages Alass what shall become of them with which God hath ten thousand greater quarrels that amongst many millions of sins have scattered some few acts of formal services If Moses must dye the first death for one fault how shall they escape the second for sinning alwayes Even where God loves he will not wink at sin and if he do not punish yet he will chastise how much less can it stand with that eternal Justice to let wilful sinners escape Judgement Verse 16. Moses that was so tender over the welfare of Israel in his life would not slacken his care in Death He takes no thought for himself for he knew how gainful an exchange he must make all his care was for his charge Some envious natures desire to be missed when they must go and wish that the weakness or want of a Successor may be the foil of their memory and honour Moses is in a contrary disposition it sufficeth him not to find contentment in his own happiness unless he may have an assurance that Israel shall prosper after him Carnal minds are all for themselves and make use of Government only for their own advantage but good hearts look ever to the future good of the Church above their own against their own Verse 18. Moses did well to shew his good Affection to his people but in his silence God would have provided for his own he that call'd him from the sheep of Iethro will not want a Governor for his chosen to succeed him God hath fitted him whom he will chose Who can be more meet than he whose Name whose Experience whose Graces might supply yea revive Moses to the people He that searched the Land before was fittest to guide Israel into it he that was indued with the Spirit of God was the fittest Deputy for God but O the unsearcheable Counsel of the Almighty aged Caleb and all the Princes of Israel are pass'd over and Ioshua the servant of Moses is chosen to succeed his Master The eye of God is not blinded either with Gifts or with Blood or with Beauty or with strength but as in his Eternal Election so in his temporary he will have mercy on whom he will And well doth Ioshua succeed Moses the very acts of God of old were allegories where the Law ends there the Saviour begins we may see the Land of Promise in the Law only Jesus the Mediator of the New-Testament can bring us into it So was he a Servant of the Law that he supplies all the defects of Law to us he hath taken possession of the Promised Land for us he shall carry us from this Wilderness to our rest Verse 22. I do not hear Moses repine at Gods choice and grudg that this Scepter of his is not hereditary but he willingly laies hands upon his Servant to consecrate hm for his Successor Ioshua was a good man yet he had some sparks of Envy for when Eldad and Medad Prophesied he stomack'd it he that would not abide two of the Elders of Israel to Prophesie how would he have allowed his Servant to sit in his Throne What an example of meekness besides all the rest doth he here see in this last act of his Master who without all murmuring assigns his Chair of State to his Page It is all one to a gracious heart whom God will please to advance Emulation and Discontentment are the affections of Carnal minds Humility goes ever with Regeneration which teaches a man to think what ever honour be put upon others I have more than I am worthy of CHAP. XXVIII Verse 3. ALl Sacrifices under the Law did as it were lead us by the hand to Christ and point him out with the finger who is the end of the Law Rom. 10. he is both the Altar and the Sacrifice he is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world as therefore these Lambs were offered in the morning and evening so was Christ from the beginning of the World unto the end thereof he is the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World Rev. 13. and as this daily Offering was twice perform'd so we have daily need of Reconciliation that his Blood should be continually applied unto us by Faith and as we daily sin against him so we must have daily recourse unto him for remission of sins Again this daily Sacrifice imports the daily Sacrifice of Prayer which we ought to offer to God as our daily service due unto him and this for many Reasons First we have many sins We provoke God every day and therefore are taught in the Lords Prayer daily to pray for Forgiveness Secondly We have daily wants and therefore it is our duty daily to bewail them and daily to crave the supply of them both temporal and spiritual blessings for Body and Soul Thirdly We have daily dangers Every Creature if God give us over is able to work our
hard hearted to their Children Wicked Parents do what they can to make their Children miserable even while they are projecting to make them great and happy Tertullian treating of this point supposeth that God aimed at this in giving the Law when he threatned to punish the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children c. this saith he God spake in reference to the hardness of their Hearts that if no other argument would move them to observe Gods Laws yet meer compassion to their own Children might do it All Parents have a natural love to their Children So that they who have not a spiritual principle moving them to forebear sin because they love God and delight in his Law may yet be moved by a principle of natural affection to avoid those sins for which by Name God tells them he will surely afflict and punish their Children Verse 22. God was ever wonderful in his Works and fearful in his judgements but he was never so terrible in the execution of his will as now in the promulgation of it Here was nothing but a Majestical terror in the Eyes in the Ears of the Israelites as if God meant to shew them by this how fearful he could be Here was the Lightning darted in their Eyes the Thunders roaring in their Ears the Trumpet of God drowning the Thunder-claps the voice of God out-speaking the Trumpet of the Angel the Cloud enwrapping the Smoak ascending the Fire flaming the Mount trembling Moses climbing and quaking paleness and Death in the face of Israel uproars in the Elements and all the glory of Heaven turned into terror In the destruction of the first World there were Clouds without fire In the destruction of Sodom there was fire raining without Clouds but here was Fire Smoak Clouds Thunder Earthquakes and whatsoevermight work more astonishment than ever was in any vengeance inflicted Verse 26. The living God is an antient and usual Title of the Almighties and as I live is an usual Oath of Gods neither do I remember any thing besides his Holiness and his life that God swears by When Moses ask'd Gods Name he described himself by I am He is he lives and nothing is nothing lives absolutely but he All other things by participation from him In all other things their life and they are two but God is his own life and the life of God is no other than the living God and because he is his own life he is Eternal For nothing ceases to be but by a separation of life and nothing can be separated from its self for every separation is a division of one thing from another most justly therefore is he which is absolute simple eternal in his being called the living God CHAP. VI. Verse 2. VVE must first bear an aweful respect to the Divine Majesty a reverential fear and from this principle of Fear we shall be brought to obey God in every part and point of duty Do this and live for ever Do it in an Evangelical way I mean for we can do it now no otherwise Wish well to exact obedience as David does Psalm 110. 4 5. O that I could keep thy Commandements accurately and woe is me that I cannot and then be doing as thou canst for affection without endeavour is like Rachel beautiful but barren Be doing I say at every thing as well as at any thing Fear God and keep all his Commandements saith Moses here thou must not be funambulus virtutum as Tertullians phrase is one that goes in a narrow tract of obedience no thy obedience must be universal extending to the compass of the whole Law and then Beati sunt qui praecepta faciunt etiamsi non persiciunt saith St. Augustine they are blessed that do what they can though they cannot but underdo that do what they can though they cannot do as they ought Fear God then and keep all his Commandements all of them to the utmost of thy power and the assistance of Gods grace The Book of Ecclesiastes begins with All is vanity and ends with Fear God and keep his Commandements that which troubleth us Solomon calls vanity that which is necessary he calls the fear of God From that to this should be every Mans Pilgrimage in this World we begin at Vanity and never know perfectly that we are vain till we come to fear God and keep his Commandements Verse 3. I observe here an excellent connexion betwixt the service required and the reward promised God hath no intent to be served by his Creatures for nought if the service be but once hinted Hear O Israel and observe to do it the reward is express'd in terminis It shall be well with thee and thou shalt encrease and multiply Gods Precepts are still waited upon by Promises Yea his precepts are but subservient to his Promises God commands that he may promise and would have obedience that he may perform blessedness to the Creature It is true there is nothing that man can bestow upon God but might be exacted upon a bare Command and yet God adds the Promise when he presseth the Precept and that he might win Man he is fain to bait the Hook when he would catch the Fish and to hang the Promise upon the Precept that so Man might be made his own Verse 5. God cannot abide that we should serve him with a double Heart an heart and an heart that is hypocritically Neither that we should serve him with half an heart that is niggardly and unwillingly to serve God and not with the whole heart is a base dodging with God If the Heart were not Gods it were too much to give him a part of it but now that he made this whole heart of ours it is but reason he should be served with all of it Those serve God not with all the heart whose bosom is like Rachels tent that hath Teraphim Idols hid in the Straw or rather like a Philistines Temple that hath the Ark and Dagon under one roof those that have let down the World like the Spies into the bottom of the well of their heart and cover the mouth of it with Wheat I mean that hide great oppressions with smal Beneficences those which like Solomons Curtizan cry Dividatur and are willing to share themselves betwixt God and the World Verse 8. God hath charged the Jews here to bind the Law to their hand and before their Eyes wherein as Ierome and Theophylact well interpret it he meant the meditation and practice of the Law they in the mean time like the foolish Patient which when the Physitian bids him take such a Prescript eats up the Paper if they could get but a List of Parchment wherein the Law was writ to tye upon their arm and fore-head thought they might say with Saul Blessed art thou of the Lord I have done the Commandement of the Lord. Men now adayes like those Jews care only to seem Christians and if they can get Gods livery on
familiar with God! he saw they could be content to be happy and merry without him he would not be hapyy without them They had professed to have forgotten him he seeks to pray for them He that will ever hope for good himself must return good for evil unto others Verse 21. Although Moses did here stamp and burn their Idol yet I do not hear any of them say he is but one man we are many how easily may we destroy him rather than he our God It is our act and we will maintain it here was none of this but an humble obeisance to the basest revenge that Moses shall impose God hath set such an impression of Majesty in the face of lawful Authority that Wickedness is confounded in its self to behold it Besides sin hath a guiltiness in its self that when it is seasonably checked it pulls in his head and seeks rather an hiding-place than a Fort. CHAP. X. Verse 1. ISrael recovers the favour of renewing the Tabernacles but with an abatement Hew thee two Tables God made the first Tables the matter the form was his now Moses must shew the next As God created the first Man after his own Image but that once defaced Adam begat Cain after his own or as the first Temple rais'd a second was built yet so far short that the Israelites wept at the sight of it The first works of God are still the purest those that he secondarily works decline in their perfection It was reason that though God had forgotten Israel they should still find they sinn'd They might see the foot-steps of his displeasure in the differences of the Agent Verse 2. When God had told Moses before I will not go before Israel but my Angel shall lead them Moses so noted the difference that he rested not till God himself undertook their conduct so might the Israelites have noted some remainders of offence whiles instead of that which his own hand did formerly make he saith now Hew thee and yet these second Tables are kept reverently in the Ark when the others lay mouldred in shivers upon Sinah like as the repaired Image of God in our Regeneration is preserved prefected and layed up at last safe in Heaven whereas the first Image of our created innocence is quite defaced so the second Temple had the glory of Christs exhibition though meaner in frame The merciful respects of God are not tyed to glorious outsides or the inward worthiness of things or persons he hath chosen the weak and simple to confound the wise and mighty Verse 4. God did this work by Moses Moses hewed and God wrote our true Moses repairs that Law of God which we in our Nature had broken he receivesit for us and it is accepted of God no less than if the first Characters of his Law had been entire We can give nothing but the Table it is God that must write in it Our hearts are but a bare board till God by his finger engrave his Law in them yea Lord we are a â—â—â—gh Quarry hew thou us out and square us fit for thee to write upon Verse 12. God forbids us not here a love of the Creature proportionable to the good that that Creature can do us to love Fire as it warms me and Meat as it feeds me and a Wife as she helps me But because God does all this in all these several instruments God alone is centrically radically directly to be loved and the Creature with a love reflected and derived from him Verse 17. St. Peter took his Text Acts 10. 34. from this Text of Moses where because the words are not the same with these here in precise termes we find just occasion to note that neither Christ in his Preaching nor the Holy Ghost in penning the Scriptures of the New-Testament were so curious as our times in citing Chapters and Verses or such distinctions no nor in citing the very words of the places There is a sentence cited thus indeffinitely Heb. 4. 4. It is written in a certain place without more particular note and to pass over many if we consider that one place Isai. 6. 10. and consider the same place as it is cited six several times in the New-Testament we shall see that they stood not upon such exact quotations and citing of the very words as we do now adayes Verse 20. It is a reverential fear of God as of a Father that is here required causing us first to have high and honourable conceptions of God in our hearts sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and let him be your dread and your fear Isai. 8. 13. Secondly making all honourable mention of him with our mouths whether we speak to him or of him Presume not in a sudden unmannerliness to blurt out the Name of God much less to blaspheme it and bore it through with hideous Oaths and Imprecations To speak evill of ones Father was Death by Plato's Law as well as by Gods Law and Suidas testifieth of the same Plato and other Heathens that when they would swear by their Iupiter out of meer dread and reverence of his Name they forbare to mention him breaking off their Oath with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as those that only dared to owe the rest to their thoughts Thirdly Walking before him in the whole course of our lives with an holy bashfulness being evermore in the sence of his presence and light of his countenance In the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost as those Primitive Christians Acts 9. 31. CHAP. XI Verse 6. THis Element was not used to such Morsels It devours the Carkasses of men but bodies enform'd with living Souls never before To have seen them struck dead upon the Earth had been fearful but to see the Earth at once their Executioner and Grave was more horrible Neither the Sea nor the Earth are fit to give passage the Sea is moist and flowing and will not be divided for the continuty of it the Earth is dry and massy and will neither yeild naturally nor meet again when it hath yeilded Yet the Waters did cleave to give way unto Israel for their preservation the Earth did cleave to give way to the Conspirators in Judgement both Sea and Earth did shut their jaws again upon the Adversaries of God Verse 9. Hence some Lutherans have concluded that God hath not determined the set period of mans dayes but that it is in Mans power to lengthen or shorten them But is there not a time appointed for Man upon the Earth Iob 7. 1. there is certainly our bounds are prescribed us and a pillar set by him who bears up the Heavens which we are not to pass Stat sua cuique dies saith the Heathen Poet our last day stands though all the rest run It is said of the Turks that they shun not the company of those that have the Plague but pointing to their fore-heads say it was writ there at their Birth