deliver me O Lord make haste to help me Ezrah 3.6 And though Ezrah acknowledgeth Gods justice and the peoples sinfulness Ezra 3. yet he prayeth The Prodigall had wilfullly cast himself out of his Fathers house and justly lay under the sad effects of his own disobedience and profusion and yet he resolveth to seek to his father So Nehemiah and Daniel see and confess the justice of God yet they beg Gods mercy 2. We must know it is a very good disposition to the mercy of God to be truly cast down in the sight of our sin Levit. 26.40 41 22. as the procreant cause of our misery the Lord saith Levit. 26. If they shall confess their iniquity and their trespass which they have trespassed against me and that they have walked contrary to mee and that I have walked contrary unto them and have brought them into the hand of their enemy if then their uncircumcised heart shall be humbled and they then shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity then I will remember my Covenant 3. We must know that when we pretend that we suffer justly and therefore have no heart to go to God our infidellity is a far greater sin then any we have formerly committed for it opposeth God in his Truth and maketh him a Lyar for he hath commanded us to call upon him in the day of trouble and hath promised to hear us and yet we will not call but say there is no hope In the fear of God therefore let us in our afflictions acknowledg our own desert but withall seek to God the further we have run into Gods debt the more need we have to sue for mercy and let us do this not in regard of our own particular afflictions but of the calamity of the times who sees not how cloudy the times are and how full of distraction how the sides of the building fly from one another and the roof ready to fall upon our heads It is true our sins have deserved all this and worse yea the very dreggs of the viall and we must say with Mauritius justus es O Domine recta judicia tua just art thou O Lord and righteous are thy judgments but because we are so deep in the procuring of the storm shall we forbear to pray for the removing of it O no let us cry earnestly and mightily unto God yea not to give over though things should grow to a greater extremity cum duplicantur lateres venit Moses when the Israelites taskes were doubled then came the deliverer and mans extreamity is Gods opportunity Let us pray and pray still and joyn with our prayers a godly sober righteous and peacefull life and God is where he was and the same he was he will not take advantage of it in that our sins have drawn this upon us but he will be found of us and will heal our breaches and return our peace and prosperity upon us like a swelling floud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One hint further the name is Ishmael i.e. God will hear And the Exposition is God hath heard thine affliction The Angel seemeth to tell her that as God had heard her now so her son shall carry his name God will hear if she carry her self as she ought she may be confident that he that hath heard her will hear her in all her necessities and all his likewise that call upon him yea all such as call upon him faithfully We come now to the next Reason Wherein is the Angels prediction concerning the quality and disposition of Ishmael S. Chrysostom in locum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith St. Chrysostom He foretelleth the inclination of the Child and it is laid down in three Clauses First He will be a wilde man Secondly His hand will be against every man and every mans hand against him Thirdly He shall dwell in the presence of his Brethren All which argueth the furiousness and ferity of his disposition that as he shall be powerfull so he will be provoking and cruell opposite to others and by that opposition drawing enemies upon himself But before I come to the particulars Observ 4. The most pious Parents may have impious Children and the contrary Grace is not entailed by man but only conferred by God 1 Iohn 2.12 observe of whom this is affirmed of Ishmael why He was the son of Abraham an holy meek courteous man a great lover of peace and this son contrary to him in all these things We may see then that Godly Parents may have wicked Children Adam as he had a religious Abel so a cursed Cain who was of that evill one and slew his brother because his brothers deeds were good and his evill 1 John 2. Noah a just man in his generation had a wicked Cham Abraham had this Ishmael who mocked his brother and persecuted Him that was born after the Spirit even Isaac Gal. 4.29 Isaac had an Esau a prophane man as he is stiled Gal. 4.29 Heb. 12.16 Eli a good man yet had lewd sons who by their wicked courses made the Sacrifices of God to be abhorred of the people 1 Sam. 2. Sons of Belial wickedness is not spoken in a stronger Phrase in all the Scripture Samuel a good man and upright yet his Sons were not such they walked not in his waies but after Bribes 1 Sam. 8. 1 Sam. 8.3 David a man according to Gods own heart yet had he an incestuous Amnon and an ambitious Absalon Jehosophat had a Jehoram Hezechiah had a Manasses and Josiah had a Jehojakim And what is found more true in experience the Father and Mother good and the Child stark naught The Reason whereof is easily given Grace is not traduced from the Parent to the Child the Father cannot conveigh holiness unto him it is the gift of God Let him be a sanctified man yet he begetteth a child as a man not as an holy man by naturall Generation not spirituall Regeneration Non ex principiis novitatis sed ex Reliquiis vetustatis saith the Father Not out of the principles of the new but out of the Reliques of the old man Gen. 5.3 Adam begot Seth in his own image and David acknowledges though he had religious Parents that he was shapen in iniquity and in sin did his mother conceive him Psa 51. Psal 51.5 The Corn purged from the chaff cometh up with it again when it is sowen The Circumcised father begetteth an uncircumcised child And so the Serpent without a sting begetteth a Serpent with a sting So a godly person though he can perhaps transmith is goods unto his Son can he leave him his goodness Can he conveigh his Graces as his Lands No one mans goodness doth not moralize another For the Use of this First Application It must teach Parents to do what they can that their Children may be gracious They must instruct them They must inlay them with Piety in their tender years They must
shall find Jehosophat seeking the Lord when that great Army came against him 2 Chron. 20. If sickness Hezekiah turneth him to the wall and prayeth Iob 16.20 If scorn and contempt Job 16. My friends scorn me but mine eyes poure out teares unto God Teares the strongest Oratory And that which offereth the greatest violence to Heaven If it be imprisonment Manasses being in fetters prayeth and prayeth earnestly 2 Chron. 33. 2 Chron. 33. Secondly In any inward desires they have used this means as when they have been troubled with some strong temptation when the messenger of Satan was sent to buffet St. Paul 2 Cor. 12. 2 Cor. 12.8 He ran to God by Prayer For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me Or if their conscience have been wracked with a sence of Gods wrath They have betaken themselves to Prayer Psal 18.5 David saith The sorrows of hell compassed me about Psa 18.5 6. the snares of death prevented me in my distress I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God Yea our blessed Lord who was in a greater anguish of spirit then ever any man in the world was through the apprehension of Gods fierce wrath against him sought comfort this way he offered up prayers and supplications Heb. 5.7 with strong crying and teares Heb. 5.7 Let us then take the course that Gods people have done and upon this receipt there is a probatum in all times faithfull prayer hath ever been as Noahs Dove that hath brought an Olive-Leafe of peace at last and if we have not so soon as we desire a return of our prayers for some Reasons best known to God this may support us First that God takes knowledg of our prayers he could tell Ananias Acts 9.11 that Paul prayed Acts. 9. Psal 141.2 Secondly they are pleasing unto him Psal 141.2 as Incense as odours Thirdly he will certainly give an answer in due season for he hath bound himself by promise 2 Chron. 15.2 2 Chron. 15. If we seek him he will be found of us the seed of Iacob shall not seek him in vain Isaiah 45.19 and this is our confidence that we have in him 1 Ioh. 5.14 that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth us in the mean time it is our duty to wait to tarry the Lords leisure An exception Observ 3. God oft delivereth gratiously even those that suffer deservedly Fourthly He hearing certainly He will stablish our hearts But now there is an Objection against this seeing God hears the affliction of Hagar Why she suffered justly for her insolency against her mistress and for her discontented flight and therefore it was fit she should smart for it had she been innocent and had carried her self fittingly reason she should have been respected for Gods care is for the innocent David none other way expecteth a blessing from God for Shimeis cursing of him but because he was innocent of the crimes objected against him 2 Sam. 16. 2 Sam. 16. and Psal 18.20 he saith The Lord did recompence him according to the cleanness of his hands I Answer with Musculus Musculus God delivereth gratiously even those that suffer deservedly and herein his mercy appeareth for were there no cause of suffering but that men were innocent mercy had no place If the best of us all should have no further hope of being delivered out of our afflictions then we are innocent we might justly despair of deliverance for what meer man in the world ever suffered and did not deserve it It is true it may be in regard of some thing objected for which they suffer they may be faultless and men may be unjust in prosecuting them but considering the affliction as comming from God there is cause enough and every man must lay his hand upon his mouth and justifie God in his sayings and clear him when he is judged Though David knew he was guiltless of any evill done to the house of Saul as Shimei charged him yet he understood well that he was faulty otherwise and that God did punish his other sins by this scorn of a malignant tongue If he speak of Gods recompencing him according to his innocency he doth not quit himself from all fault but only take knowledg of Gods favour in respecting his innocency in regard of the particular objected Iob suffered unjustly from his friends and his heart justified him in that which they laid upon him but yet he acknowledgeth his own ill deservings and that God justly doth afflict him For the Use of this First let it teach us to magnifie Gods goodness Application and mercy towards men who though they have justly incurred his wrath and in regard of their provocations he might be deaf to their prayers and not deliver them yet in the midst of wrath he remembreth mercy and taketh matter of being merciful from himself heareth their prayers and brings them out of trouble he is a father of mercy Tertullian and a God of all consolation tam pius nemo am pater nemo saith Tertullian none so fatherly none so compassionate He knoweth whereof men are made and remembreth that they are but dust he dealeth not with them after their sins nor rewardeth them after their iniquities though he might whip them with scorpions he will do it only with rods and those rods he will remove too the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous Psal 125.3 He will take them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek Father calls it out of the furnace of affliction He will not suffer them to be tempted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above what they are able 1 Cor. 10. 1 Cor. 10.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be swallowed up He may suffer them premi sed non opprimi to be pressed but yet not oppressed it is true there is desert enough for the continuance of his wrath but yet he commeth virga corrigente non gladio consumente with a rod of correction and not with a sword of destruction Secondly Let this be another encouragement to us to pray some men apprehend so deeply the extent of their sufferings and are so conscious to themselves of their irritating of God that they are discouraged from suing unto God mine iniquities have taken such hold upon me that I am not able to look up Psal 40. Psal 40.12 And I wish that men could think of this in the time of temptation to sin how fearfull how restless how indisposed their sins will make them to prayer in the time of their need But yet this must not be given way to for God sheweth mercy even to such as he doth afflict justly when David had uttered these words my sins are more then the haires of mine head therefore my soul faileth me Psal 40.12 v. 13. Yet for all that Vers 13. He prayeth be pleased O God to
Sanctuary unto another he did intend him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sociable creature and that men should live together in a loving fellowship And therefore in the Second place to be cruel and bloody is a sin even against humane society nay even the beasts themselves that be of the same species do not offer violence to one another and what a fearfull thing is it to see men embrue their hands in each others blood Christians Countrymen Neighbours Brethren Thirdly It is against Gods express commandement how straightly doth he charge men against blood and cruelty and under what a penalty Now how doth he forbid cruelty Exod. 23.19 even towards the brute creatures Exod. 23. Thou shalt not seeth the kid in the mothers milke and Deut. 22. Thou shalt not take the damm with the young ones Deut. 22.6 Levit. 22.28 The old and the young must not be killed both in one day Those precepts were sepimentum legis the hedge of the law And the reason was commendare clementiam saith one to recommend clemency and gentleness to men Et ut mitiores essent erga homines saith another that they might be the more tender-hearted to each other for certainly they that are cruel towards beasts are in a disposition to be cruel to men And therefore the Athenians wisely punished those boys whose practice was to catch crows and to put out the eyes of them Fourthly If it be against the Law to be cruel I am sure it is against the Gospel which is the Gospel of peace which breaths nothing nor commands any thing but that which tends to peace and mercy and love and compassion and nothing so contrary to christianity as cruelty Isai 2.4 It was prophesied of the Church of the new testament Isa 2.4 That they should break their swords into plough-shares and their speares into pruning hooks and that nation should not lift up the sword against nation c. 11. and again Isai 11. That the wolfe should dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard with the Kid the calfe and the young Lyon and a little childe shall leade them that is they that were of a fierce and savage disposition should be composed to meekness and love but alas if Nazianzen could put himself into a passion at any time by reading the lamentations of Jeremy whose heart will not bleed to think of the warrs amongst Christians who like the Midianites have thrust their swords into each others sides and dance in one anothers ashes What horrour is there in reading the late outrages in Germany those now fresh bleeding wounds of Ireland where as cruel acts are done as any former story can paralell and by brethren by Christians against Christians how have people buried all sense of Christianity the very beasts of different kinds while they were in Noahs Arke did agree together and those that are within the fellowship of the same Christian Church are bloody towards each other how have we taken off a great part of the reproach of the Pagans of the world and strengthned their hand to impiety while we that profess the Prince of peace and doctrine of peace are at such deadly differences amongst our selves In the fear of God let us take heed of cruelty and first let us avoid some special sins that are apt to lead us on to this As First ambition and a desire of advancement what made Zimri kill his master but ambition or Absolon supplant his Father but ambition or Herod to kill the infants to take away the King of the Iewes but ambition and the maintenance of his usurpation Secondly Take heed of covetousness those in the proverbs are said to wait for blood that they might fill their houses with spoiles Habucuk telleth of such as aedificabant in sanguine that did build in blood That is such as by violence and oppression force in their own interest and cut their way to possession As Ahab hunted Naboths blood that he might have his vineyard And those in the Gospel would kill the heire that the inheritance might be theirs Thirdly Let us take heed of envy it was that which made Cain kill his brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not much distant from each other malice and mischief Sauls envy seeketh the blood of David and the Pharisees and others did so envy the reputation that Christ had in the world that they gave not over till they had his life Fourthly Let us take heed of lust it was that which put on David to the murder of Vriah Some prostitutes have had such power over their lustful lovers that they have put them on to the shedding of blood The lust of Herodias was the cause of the loss of Saint Iohn Baptists head Fiftly Let us beware of excess who hath contention who hath wounds without cause Prov. 23.29 saith Solomon Prov. 23. but he that sitteth long at the wine when wine hath inflamed the blood and unthroned Reason then a little occasion moveth a quarrel and the hand is quickly upon the sword Alexander killed his Clytus in his drunkenness and examples are too numerous even in these times of those that have slain others in their wine Sixthly take we heed of nourishing Anger and Displeasure long for if we do the Apostle tells us we give place to the devil and we know he is a murderer and will put on to blood Anger retained groweth as sowre as Malice and Malice hath black and bloody resolutions as we see in Absalon against Amnon who kept his wrath so long until it burst out into blood I would in the last place advise to take heed of an erroneous Conscience or a Zeal without true Knowledge for even this hath put on many to blood it hath made some sacrifice their own children as we see in the Old Testament Those thought they did God service while they killed his servants Joh. 16. and Saint Paul Joh. 16.2 Acts 26. in his blinde way as himself confesseth Acts 26. thought he ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth And certainly that Apostle reprehending himself for the cruelty which he exercised upon the poor Saints willeth us to beware of the same And in the second place there is something to be done to keep us from Cruelty and that is to get into our hearts a conscience of Gods Commandments Amongst those Laws that were given with such terrour this is one against blood And if the Lion hath roared let us be afraid Secondly Let us think how like we are to God by mercy who is the preserver both of man and beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perdidit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solvo destruo And how like by cruelty to Sathan who is Abaddon and Apolyon i. e. both in his Hebrew and Greek name a Destroyer Thirdly Think we of that exemplum indeficiens that exquisite Pattern of our blessed Lord who in all his time
their deliverer The Application of this point is to stirr us up Application to put this that I have said in practice in those evils of punishment that befall us we are not to rest in the secondary causes but to mount higher even to God for there is none evill in the city which the Lord doth not Amos 3. Understand it de malis poenae non Culpae of the evils of punishment not of those of sin David knew that God had a hand in Shimei's cursing him the Lord hath bidden him curse saith he 2 Sam 6.11 2 Sam. 16. So Iob in his losses had an eye not so much to the Caldeans and Sabeans or to Satan himself as unto God non ad manum percutientem sed ad manum permittentem saith Saint Augustine Augustine he looked not at the hand that smote him but higher to the divine hand permitting it The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Iob. 1. Iob. 1.21 Saint Paul doth instruct the Corinthians that when they were judged they were chastned of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.32 Isai 9.13 1 Cor. 11.32 and it is taxed as a great fault when men turn not unto him that smiteth them Isai 9.13 So in blessings received we should not stick in the meanes but acknowledg God to be the Author and prime efficient and that inferiour causes are but his instruments for as in evils of punishment if we do not rise in our thoughts as high as God and make account they are from him we shall never be patient under the rod nor profit by it so in good things received if we look no further then second causes we shall never be truely thankful nay we shall be unjust by shifting the debt from the true creditor And yet how frequent a fault is this in the world In Victories how apt are men to thank the strength and the power they brought into the field and to forget him that is the Lord of hosts and God of victory Nay Adrian and Verus of old and Selimus and Ferdinand of later times did erect monuments of Victory to their Horses So for honour and dignity men thank their friends or their money or their own acts not remembring that of the Psalmist Psal 75.6 that promotion cometh neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south but it is God that pulleth down one and setteth up another So for wealth men look no further then their own labour or industry or else what hath been cast upon them by the donation of friends not remembring that of Solomon The blessing of God is that which maketh rich The returns at Sea are attributed to a strong ship and the Skill of the Pilot. The Fisher as the Prophet speaketh sacrificeth to his net and drag The Husbandman thanketh his dung-hill for his Crop and neglecteth God that giveth the increase Yea some are so presumptuous and so irreligious as to thank themselves and their own works for their salvation they will have not onely a congruity but a condignity in them and say that God is tied upon terms of strict justice to reward them never thinking of God who worketh all their works for them saith the Prophet that worketh both the will and the deed saith the Apostle Some in special comforts received either by preaching or otherwise idolize the Ministers and are not thankful as they ought to God Isai 48.17 who maketh them to profit Isai 48. and giveth the tongue of the learned to his servants to minister a word in due season to them that be weary And 50.4 Isai 50. Now what wrong is here done to God that he must be robbed to pay the instrument How must this needs provoke him He is not against some praise and thanks to be given to the instrument The sword of the Lord and the sword of Gedeon But when he observeth us to give more unto the means then to the author then he is jealous and is more justly offended then Saul was with the womens song Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands Let the keeper of the vineyard have his two hundred but let Solomon have his thousand Thank we our friends and think well of the means but let God have the fat of the sacrifice as without whose blessing no means could have been available for our comfort If we do otherwise as we are unjust and unthankful for the present so we lay up a judgement for after time It is reported of Timantes of Athens who reckoning up his Victories coming to one said Hoe Fortunae meae debeo This I owe unto my Fortune You must know he meant by Fortune the Deity but he never prospered after When in mercies received we forget to acknowledge God the prime agent and to be thankful it is the next way to make all means for after-time unsuccessful Let us learn of Hagar here Thou Lord seest me I have had great comfort from the Angel but I know he was onely but thy mouth Thou art the fountain of all my consolation It is thou thou Lord alone that seest and regardest me We come to the next clause Have I here also looked after him that seeth me Of which there be almost as many interpretations as there be words in it That a man is as Nazianzen saith Nazianzen in another case in a garden where there is variety of curious flowers he knoweth not which to pluck first Some make the meaning to be this Have I here also looked after him That is I have onely seen the back-parts of the Angel and not his face Musculus thinketh that she was so fearful and modest that all the while the Angel spake to her she looked not upon him onely in his going away Observ 3. The imperfection of our knowledge here and dulness of our apprehensions Exod. 33.10 she had a sight of his back-part And from hence some would gather that our knowledge even of Angels in this life is imperfect and if of them much more of God who said to Moses Exod. 33. Thou shalt see my back-parts but my face canst thou not see and live The Apostle telleth us 1 Cor. 13. We know but in part and Chap. 12. 1 Cor. 13.9 We now see thorow a glass darkly hereafter we shall fee more clearly we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3. and yet even then Qualis est non quantus est 1 Joh. 3.2 saith the Father his indulgence to us rather then the essence of himself for that is too strong liquor for any created nature to contain he is incomprehensible our eyes are too weak to gaze against such a Sun Others expound it thus Various Expositions Have I also here looked after him that seeth me that is I have seen that Angel here after I have seen him in my masters house And some would make this the Tutelar or Guardian Angel of Abrahams family and that he was
superiour nature or Angelical substance but one of the frail number of mankinde Observ 3. The dearest servants of God have their defections but yet with difference enough from those of the ungodly And here we may see That even the dearest Saints of God have their failings even after they are called into the state of grace they may be overtaken with errours Let us turn us unto any of the Saints as Job speaketh and we shall finde this made good Righteous Noah was overcome with excess and incestuousness Jacob dissembled by the perswasion of his mother and Judah his son polluted himself with Tamar and Reuben climbed up to his fathers bed and Simeon and Levi how cruel were they against the Sichemites Moses was diffident at the waters of strife and Aaron and Miriam murmure against their brother besides that Aaron was engaged in the business of the golden calf And we know how David failed grossly and so did his son Solomon so did Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah and so did Jonah and so did the Apostles of our Lord yea even he that some would have to be the chief by his being shaken with the blast of a damsels mouth plainly discovered he could not be the Rock of the Church yea after this he halted between the Jews and the Gentiles and drew many after him in his dissimulation I know no Saint that ever was in the world that had not reason to complain in this kinde Now whence cometh this that Gods people are so subject to failings Certainly First Satan is most spitefully bent against them and he desireth especially to winnow them as wheat and doth more rejoyce in the folling of them then in an hundred others he seeketh to impair their comfort and to bring a blemish upon that Truth which they profess Secondly the best have corruption in them and carry about with them a body of sin though they be wholly justified yet they are not wholly sanctified perfect sanctification is reserved for another life and here corruption will be still working Thirdly the Lord in his wisdom suffereth it to be thus 1. To abate their natural pride by letting them have a sense of their own infirmities 2. To make them cleave more closely unto him And 3. To make them more compassionate toward their brethren in their weaknesses and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to set them in joynt as the word importeth with a more easie hand as a man would do a member that is dislocated For the Use of this It confuteth the opinions of those mad brains that think it is possible for men to be without sin yea Application the Antinomians have not stuck to say Be in Christ and sin if thou canst Saint John then must be a lyer who calleth that man lyer and saith the truth of God is not in him that saith he hath no sin And Saint Ambrose told that Catharist that said he had no sin that that very word made him a sinner But such mad ones have more need of a Physitian to purge them then of a Divine to confute them Secondly here is ground of comfort unto those that mourn daily under their defects it is none otherwise with them then with the dearest Saints if they would weep their eyes out they cannot weep themselves free from sin nay let them this day have repented never so seriously by to-morrow yea God knoweth long before tomorrow they shall be overtaken again And as I desire this may comfort the disconsolate spirit so I would be loath it should encourage the prophane for they are apt to bolster themselves in their gross customable sins by saying Every one hath his faults we have all our infirmities But let them know there is a great and broad difference between their sins and the infirmities that Gods children are chargeable withal First What I hate that I do saith S. Paul Rom 7. Rom. 7.15 The children of God are convinced in their judgements that it is a sin and hate it The wicked man cannot say so for he loveth his sin he huggeth this Dalilah Secondly at vers 19. Saint Paul saith That which I would not Verse 19. that I do The purpose will and resolution of the children of God is against sin So cannot the wicked say of himself for he purposely and deliberately sinneth He doth not succumbere somno but vacare he doth not nod against his will but purposely setteth himself to sleep Thirdly Saint Paul calleth himself vers 24. miserable man Verse 24. in regard of his sin The good man is much troubled and grieved when he is overtaken it is a great burthen to his soul and he resteth not until he have made his peace It is not so with the wicked Fourthly the good man walketh not after the flesh he doth not make sin a trade but the wicked man doth it is his daily walk See then whether there be not much difference between the infirmities of Gods children and the irregularities of the wicked and therefore little reason to comfort themselves in this That all have their failings Lastly As I would be loath the dogs should snatch the childrens bread so I would be as loath that the children should play the wantons with their bread that because they perswade themselves they are in the state of grace to slight sin and to be padling in those dirty kennels yea to adventure upon some grosser ones that are sweet and gainful This is a piece of the devils Logick If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down Oh what horrible ingratitude is this Is he merciful that thou shouldst be sinful Shall the kindness of the father or master make the son or servant more loose Joseph reasoneth from his masters favour to faithfulness wilt thou reason from Gods mercy to iniquity Why the Psalmist telleth thee There is mercy with the Lord that he may be feared Mayest not thou suspect thy self that thou hast deluded thy self with a vain hope that thou wert in the state of grace For certainly no gracious heart can reason thus God hath called me by his grace therefore I will sin and will take the liberty to offend God But if thou beest under grace then be assured that this thine argumentation will after a while spoil thy peace and bring thee into such anxieties and perplexities before thou recover thy former feelings of Gods love that thou wilt say thou hast had an hard penyworth of thy sin Remember but David how his bones were broken before he was restored in the fear of God Let the sense of Gods warm favours melt us into all possible obedience and the neerer he hath brought us to himself and the more he hath manifested himself unto us the more observant let us be of him and the more tender and fearful to do the least thing that may offend him this will shew the love of God to be shed abroad in our hearts And that love which maketh us here holy will
some things so want others Si non fit quod petitur non expedit ut fiat S. Augustine saith the Father if it be not granted which thou prayest for God seeth it not expedient for thee Lastly let us prepare our selves for heaven and by a meek and holy carriage fit our selves for it and in that place there shall be no want it shall give every one satisfaction though the vessels cast into the vast ocean may be of different capacity and so degrees of glory yet the least vessel shall be as full as it can hold and whereas here as the School-men acutely quiescimus in desideriis we are fain to be contented with desires of rest there shall be desideriorum quies an absolute and blessed rest of all desires We come now to the next verse in which and in the two following are set down the Consequents of this marriage of Abraham and Sarah First her conception Secondly her insolent carriage upon her conceiving Thirdly the expostulation of Sarah with her husband Fourthly Abrahams yeelding of the power into Sarahs hand Fifthly Sarahs correcting of Hagar together with her flight For the first He went in to her and she conceived For the phrase of going in unto her we spake of it before at the second verse For the other clause and she conceived this may be observed Observ 3. Evil actions often prosper outwardly yet no events can denominate them nor the divine permission be construed their occasion That evil actions oftentimes take effect and prosper that is attain that end which the plotters and contrivers aim at Satan at first laid his bait and it took with our first parents And Cain his first-born accomplished what he intended he had his brothers life And so the brethren of Joseph succeeded in their enterprise against their brother Ziba prospereth in his cheat and Gehazi in his attempt The ambitious mans lines hold and the man that useth unjust courses heapeth up wealth And the slanderer findeth such as receive his defamations and are wrought into an ill conceit of their brethren by such incendiaries The revengeful man fulfilleth his own desire of touchiness And the voluptuous man having laid his plot satisfieth himself and catcheth that he fished for God though the Permitter not the Author of sin And God permitteth it to be thus for though non vult peccatum God willeth not sin yet permittit volens non invitus that God permitteth sin freely and not unwilling Yet his permission and his will have two several objects His permission is referred to the sin it self his will to that good end that by his wisdom he is able to bring out of it S. Aug. in Enchiridion c. 94. Certain it is saith Saint Augustine non fit aliquid nisi omnipotens fieri velit vel sinendo ut fiat vel ipse faciendo nothing is done unless the Almighty will it to be done either by suffering it to be done or doing of it himself And again secondly non dubitandum est Deum facere benè etiam sinendo fieri quaecunque fiunt malè 't is not to be doubted saith he but God doth well even in permitting those things to be done that are done ill And thirdly the good God would not suffer it unless he knew how to fetch good out of it Man may censure him for this permission of evil to be done and to take effect that he is the author of sin Just reasons there be as you have been taught heretofore why God doth not hinder the wicked in their course yea letteth them prosper in their evil actions For the Use of this Application Let us learn never to justifie an evil action because of the event Hagar here conceiveth and so many a base woman hath children as soon and with more easie labour then those that came honestly by them Shall they therefore justifie their unclean mixture A thief prospereth but this justifieth not his course Good purposes and intendments do oftentimes fail they must not be condemned for that no more must wicked actions for their success be justified Careat successibus opto quisquis ab eveâ—tiâ— facta notâ—nda putat May he want success that draweth his conclusions from events It is a thing that swayeth much with carnal mindes that if they prosper in their ill way and they have that which they aim at they think it is a blessing and hence are apt to justifie their actions Foelix scelâ—â— virtus vocatur saith the Heathen And Dionysius having a fair winde after he had robbed the temple of Aesculapius stuck not to say That the gods did approve sacriledge It may be it made Jeroboam think the better of his idolatry because the Prophet that spake against the altar at Bethel was destroyed by a lion And those in Jerem. 44. Jerem. 44. justified themselves in offering cakes to the queen of heaven by the plenty that they had upon it Antonius Archbishop of Florence Archbish of Florence the third part of his Hist p. 18. c. 6. telleth of the mother of Peter Lombard and Petrus Commestor and Gratian the first the compiler of the Sentences the second of the Scholastical History the third of the Decrees being all children born in adultery and uncleanness That when she came to confession she told the Priest she could not repent her of her adultery because of the good success of it having brought into the world three such worthy men And still this raigneth in mens mindes that so far as they prosper in ill ways so far they are blessed of God I will shut up this Point with one known thing Many men and women commit foul acts and it pleaseth God to suspend his judgements nay to suffer them to thrive and prosper and to live in all possible jollity without the controlment of any the least judgement O how do they bless themselves in this and think themselves in better estate by far then Preachers would make them But if they would look into Gods book they should finde that it is one of the greatest judgements that God layeth upon man in this life than he suffereth them to thrive in sin He telleth the people Ezek. 16. Ezek. 16.42 that he will make his fury to rest and his jealousie to depart from them and he will be quiet Which when Saint Augustine upon occasion took into consideration he crieth out Quâ—â—ta poena vulla poena How great a judgement is no punishment And Hosea 4. he saith Hosea 4.14 he will not punish their daughters when they commit whoredom nor their spouses when they commit adultery And a Father as wise as he was devout crieth out Nulo hanc misericordiam Domine I shew me no such mercy Lord. For there is Terribilis lenitas a terrible clemency and Parcens orudelitas a merciful cruelty for God oftentimes maketh such way for the sinner as he did for Pharaohs chariots even till her came into the midst of the
God prescribing a course how sinners should make their atonement he saith When a man or a woman shall commit any sin to trespass against the Lord then they shall confess their sin which they have done So Jer. 3.12 13. Return thou back sliding Israel saith the Lord but how must they return and make themselves capable of Gods mercy it followeth in the next words only acknowledge thine iniquity And we shall finde that the Lord hath bound himself by promise unto them that sincerely confess their sins that they shall finde mercy Levit. 26. If they shall confess their iniquity Levit. 26.40 and the iniquity of their fathers with their own trespass which they have trespassed against mee and that they have walked contrary to me then will I remember my covenant that I have made with Jacob and my covenant that I have made with Isaak and my covenant that I have made with Abraham and 1 Joh. 1. 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confess our sins and leave them God is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness And this have Gods people found by experience David Psal 32. did but say he would confess his iniquity and God forgave it and when he had confessed Nathan telleth him that God had put away his sin he should not dye the Prodigal found it so and so did the Publican after he had cryed God he merciful to we a sinner he went away justified Now the qualification of this confession is evident in many places of scripture as First that it must be hearty that is with a feeling of the burthen of sin as David Psal 38. My sins are gone over mine head Psal 38.4 and are too heavy a burthen for me to bear yea with a bleeding heart Ezra 9.6 as the same David Psal 51. yea with sorrow and indignation as Ezra 9. O my God! I am ashamed and confounded to lift up my face unto thee for our iniquities are increased over our heads so did Job abhorr himself and repent in dust and ashes Job 42.6 and the Publican for shame durst not lift up his eyes to Heaven and in indignation against himself he smote his breast Luk. 18.13 Saul will say he hath sinned but yet he seemeth not so much to have a sence of his sin as of his discredit honour me saith he before the people Secondly confession must be with an honest heart that is joyned with unfeigned hatred of sin and resolution to leave it Shekaniah saith Ezra 10. Ezra 10.2.3 We have trespassed against our God and taken strange wives now let us make a covenant with God to put away these strange wives What have It do with Idols any more saith Ephraim Prov. 28.13 Hos 14. and Prov. 28. He that confesseth his sins and forsaketh them shall finde mercy Some men confess their sins and yet continue them Pharaoh maketh an ample confession Exod. 9.27 Exod. 9. and yet at the 34. Vers It is said He sinned yet more and hardened his heart And Saul confessed his sin against David 1 Sam. 24. and yet pursueth him as eagerly as before And so many of those of the Church of Rome after confession renew their sins yea even by confession are emboldened unto it even as the Drunkard vomiteth that he may take in the more drink Thirdly confession must be in faith and confidence of Gods mercy not as the fellon to the judg knowing he shall dye but as the Patient to the Physitian Dan. 9.9 hoping for cure So Dan. 9. To thee O Lord God belongeth mercy and forgiveness though we have rebelled against thee and Ezra 10. Ezra 10.2 We have transgressed against God and have taken strange wives yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing So the Prodigal Cain confesseth his sin but despairing of mercy Gen. 4.13 My sin is greater then can he forgiven and Judas confessed he had sinned in betraying innocent blood but yet it seems he distrusted pardon and therefore went out and hang'd himselfe All these might be stood upon and it is probable all these were in Hagar She did confess with shame and sorrow and she did resolve never to run into the same errour again and she hoped to finde mercy upon her confession and submission But that which is for our purpose is a fourth qualification of confession and that is that it must be full without mincing of the business or byting in any thing there is regard in this confession unto God not only a confession in gross but a particularizing as we see in Paul 1 Tim. 1 a Blasphemer 1 Tim. 1.13 a persecutor an oppressour Secondly an aggravating of sins Solomon supposeth that the people will say 1 King 8.47 1 King 8. We have sinned we have done perversly we have committed wickedness as who should say we cannot express how heinous our sins are Act. 26.10.11 c. So Paul Act. 26. Many of the Saints did I shut up in prison and when they were put to death I gave my voyce against them I punished them often in their Synagogues and compelled them to blaspheme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And being exceedingly mad against them I persecuted them unto strange cities So Dan. 9.5 6. We have sinned we have committed iniquity we have done wickedly and have rebelled So Ezra ch 9. Aggravateth the sin of the people as having been committed against the manifold experiments that they had both of the severity and mercy of the Lord. Mark 14.10 And it is said of Saint Peter Mark 14. Weighing that with himself he wept weighing the circumstances by which his sin was aggravated he was soon melted into tears This full confession some understand by that phrase Lam. 2. Lam. 2.19 of pouring out the heart like water before the face of the Lord pouring out and that the heart and that like water Not like oil for then some of the substance would remain nor like milk for then some of the colour would remain nor like wine for then some of the taste and rellish would remain But like water where every drop goeth out and not so much as the colour is left but the vessel is even as though nothing had been in it But now for the Use of this How far first Application are people from this ingenuous confession of their sins They will deny flatly that they have done such or such things God asketh Cain where his brother is that he might bring him to confession and he saith he knoweth not There is in his answer 1. Defectus veritatis a defect of the truth he lyeth 2. Charitatis the want of charity he is not bound to be his brothers keeper 3. Humilitatis a failure of humility mark how peremptory he is to the face of God himself to retort an interrogation Am I my brothers keepe Thus Sarah denied that she had laughed and Gehazi when his master asketh him whence he came he
saith Thy servant went no whither Thus Ananias and Sapphira denied that which they had done Secondly if people cannot deny they will justifie their evil acts Saul will not a good while be beaten off but that he hath obeyed the voice of the Lord. And Jonah when God challenged him for being angry he saith he doth well to be angry yea to the death And the sons of Jacob in stead of confessing their fault say they have done nothing but that which was fitting for the rescue of the honour of their family Thirdly if they cannot justifie it they will excuse and extenuate it and so like the unjust steward set down fifty for an hundred And they will lessen the fault sometimes by the good intention as Saul would his sparing the Amalekites goods by his purpose of a sacrifice Sometimes by the examples of others they can tell how Abraham lyed and Noah was excessive and David failed and Peter denied and they have but done the like Nay they can say though they have done thus and thus yet they are not so bad as others God I thank thee I am not as other men are nor at this publican Luke 18. Luke 18.11 Fourthly if this will not do they will translate the fault from themselves upon the corruption of nature and say as Saint Paul Rom. 7. It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me Alas he speaketh of infirmities that are mental 2. He maintained a fight against the flesh whereas these men would put off foul and gross sins to the flesh and such as they no way oppose how can they when they are all flesh Sometimes they translate their sin upon the Times and places where they live But Saint Paul would have men redeem the time because the days are evil and there have been some godly men in the worst places Sometimes upon occasions that offer themselves whereas there is no trial of vertue but by such occasions Sometimes upon Satan whereas though he can suadere he cannot cogere S. Augustine though he can tempt he cannot compel saith Saint Augustine non extorquet consensum sed petit he cannot enforce consent of us but begs it Sometime upon God himself The woman that thou gavest me saith Adam But let no man say saith Saint James when he is tempted that he is tempted of God for he is drawn away by his own concupiscence Sometime upon their brethren and their importunity so Aaron would cast his fault upon the tumultuousness of the people and the Fathers say as much for him Tumultuantibus populi clamoribus cessit that he gave way to the impetuous clamours of the people But that is a fig-leaf too narrow to cover his nakedness And so Saul said he feared the people and obeyed their voice And Pilate thought to cast all upon the violence of the people or the perswasions or the commands of others I might be much larger in this way Tertullian By all this see how true that of Tertullian is Quod malum est nolumus esse nostrum that what is evil we would not have to be ours we are content to act sin but we are loath to own it But how vain all this is and how fruitless considering we have to deal in confession with the All-seeing God who searcheth the hearts and reins and knows us better then we do our selves let any man judge In the second place therefore if we will confess our sins as we must do let us deal ingenuously let us not hide or palliate them Some people have diseases about them that they are loath to reveal but Plus memores pudoris quà m salutis saith the Father they are more mindful of their shame then of their health And so people in the acknowledgement of their sin will not speak out Do they think thus to conceal it or do they think God will shame them for their open dealing Oh no! While we deal apertly he is willing to cover and cast a mantle over them We may conceal our transgressions but it will not be from his knowledge but to our own woful prejudice Here further we may observe the notable effect of affliction Observ 3. The notable and good effects of well-improved affliction When God is pleased to awaken the conscience thereby then there is a free acknowledgement and serious humiliation This we see in Josephs brethren we know of what an unnatural act they were guilty their conscience troubled them not for it for a long time but at last being in a great perplexity in Egypt and questioned for no less then treason their conscience awaketh and they reflect with grief upon that foul fact of theirs Gen. 42.21 Gen. 42. And thus it was with Manasseh when he came to be in fetters then he awaked and humbled himself in the presence of God Job 36.8 9. Elihu saith Job 36. If they be bound in fetters and tied with the cords of affliction then will he shew them their work and their sin because they have been proved In the glass of affliction a man seeth himself fully yea those errours that lay dormant in prosperity will come then within his view as Job saith that in his trouble he did possess the sins of his youth his loose olims came then to his remembrance And so much we may gather from that speech of the Sareptan widow to Elisha Why art thou come to call my sins to remembrance and to slay my son 1 Kings 17. 1 Kings 17.18 Then doth God set our sins in order before us and make that register Conscience to produce many a forgotten sin And thus it was with the Prodigal his affliction made him see his errour and whipped him home unto his fathers house Before I was afflicted saith David I went wrong but now I have learned thy statutes And therefore it is most sure that vexatio dat intellectum affliction teacheth understanding Schola Crucis schola Lucis the cross is the school of light And Saint Gregory saith sweetly Oculos quos culpa claudit poena aperit S. Gregory punishment openeth those eyes which sin shutteth It is like the clay and spittle that Christ applied to the eyes of the blinde man by which he recovered his sight For the Use of this First it must teach us to justifie God in his proceedings when Application in stead of smiling he frowns upon us in stead of prospering us he doth afflict us It is true he doth not afflict willingly Lam. 3.33 nay in his peoples affliction he is afflicted Isai 63.9 he delighteth in mercy Micah 7.18 and the execution of judgement is opus alienum his strange work Isai 28.21 But there is a necessity of it Jer. 9.7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts I will melt them and try them for how should I do for the daughter of my people As if he should say How should I save them how should I keep them from perishing everlastingly
his sons name which Hagar bare Ishmael And so Jacob altered the name that his wife had given from Benoni to Benjamin if we finde in Scripture Observ 4. The imposition of the name belongs unto the Father yet no name or other externals whatsoever to be boasted of or deemed a priviledg Ruth 4. 1 Sam. 1. that women gave names to their children we must suppose the consent of their husbands not that they did it by their own authority The wife of Manoah bare a son and called his name Sampson the women the neighbours of Naomi gave the childe a name Ruth 4. but we must suppose it was suggested unto Boaz and he appointed it So Hannah gave Samuel his name no doubt with the consent of her husband Elkanah 1 Sam. 1. Elizabeth likewise when the child was to be circumcised and the neighbours would have him called Zacharias after his father she said no he must be called John yet was not that ratified till the father himself was consulted and when he said it must be so they called him Iohn but I let that pass Cajetan in locum he shall be called Ishmael nec praeterea saith Cajetan take knowledg that Ishmael is the first in Scripture that God gave a name unto before he was born but withall another observeth that he was the only ill in Scripture whose name is foretold The next was Isaac and Iosias in the old testament and the Baptist and our blessed Saviour in the new But in or before the birth of these four whose names were foretold there was some miracle shewed Isaac born of Sarah at ninety years of age when Josias was named the Altar clove in sunder 1 Kings 13.2 1 Kings 13. When the Baptist was promised his Father was strucken dumb and Christ was born of a virgin but in the foretelling of Ishmaels name no miracle that we read of was wrought unless we will give way unto the fiction of the Hebrews that we mentioned in the beginning that the childe was dead in Hagars womb upon her long travell and miraculously revived again Well then the foretelling of Ishmaels name though as Saint Chrysostom observeth S. Chrysostom it sheweth the care that God had of Hagar by mentioning such particulars yet it is not to be boasted of nor any of those outward things else wherein men out of the covenant have as great a share as others yea oftentimes a greater then others as if they were certain evidences of Gods speciall love Eccles 9. no they fall alike both to good and bad saith the Preacher Eccles 9. There is a conceit that possesseth the minde of many a man in the world who being guilty of gross sins yet because God blesseth him in these outward things and maketh him prosper faith surely God would not thus favour me if he did not love me is it like I should enjoy this abundance if God did not bear a speciall affection towards me Application But this is a gross mistake for Esau was hated of God and yet the fatness of the earth was his portion Psal 17.4 These be those that have their portion in this life Psal 17. and yet have no part in Heaven Let no man therefore think these outward things and the full enjoyment of them assurances of Gods special love but let him labour as I said the last day for the graces of Gods Spirit which are panis Filiorum the childrens bread and the doggs of the world shall have no part in them Gifts are bestowed upon Ishmael and the sons of the Concubine but the inheritance is reserved for Jsaac God only loveth with a speciall love and the affection of a Father whom he hath ordained to salvation Observ 5. The strange metamorphoses of sin But now for the reason of the imposition of this name because the Lord hath heard thy affliction Where we may observe the reason of the imposition of names 1. It hath not been only used to distinguish one party from another but 2. in the second place to signifie something to come So Hevah had her name because she was to be the mother of all living and Abram was called Abraham because he was to be the Father of much people and Sarah because she was to be the mother of Princes And Isaac had his name from laughter not only because of the present rejoycing of his parents but because he was to be cause of joy to posterity in regard the Messiah was to spring from him And Ioseph because God would add another son And Solomon because he was to be a peaceful Prince And Iesus because he was to save his people from their sins 3. Names have been imposed to keep in fresh memory some blessing past and so we see Iacob hath the name of Israel to put him still in minde of his wrestling with God and how he prevailed with him So Ioseph called his elder Son Manasses because God had made him forget his affliction and his younger Ephraim because God had made him fruitful in the land of his affliction And so Moses had his name from being drawn out of the flaggs And Samuel because he was begged of God yea to this purpose that Gods people might remember his mercies they have given names to places Abraham calls the place where God had spared Isaac Gen. 22. c. 28. and provided another sacrifice in his room Iehovah-jireh the Lord will provide that he might never forget the experiment he had of Gods gratious providence Jacob changeth the name of Luz into Bethel the house of God Gen. 28. that he might ever remember how gratiously and comfortably God had revealed himself unto him in that place Iehosophat and the people that they might never forget the marvellous comfort that they had received from God in a strange deliverance from an invincible army of the Ammonites and Moabites and Edomites called the place where they met together to praise God for his mercy the valley of Berakah i. e. the valley of blessing 2 Chron. 20. 2 Chron. 20. yea they have given names to times Mordecai and Gods people to keep in perpetual remembrance that deliverance of theirs from that conspiracy of Haman did not only keep those daies wherein execution should have passed upon them as daies of rejoycing every yeare but called them daies of Purim Esther 9. Esther 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Lot and a Lot we know was cast upon them for their extirpation Lastly Names have been given unto men as to mind them of Gods mercy to them so of their duty to him that as oft as they heare or remember their name they might be stirred up to thankfulness and obedience as Judah that is from praising Simeon from hearing and Benjamin the son of his fathers right hand which carried his duty in it So John or Jochanan the graces of God and Theophilus and Timothy and divers others Now for the Use of this
mans hand against him We have dispatched the words of Question and Direction and in those of Prediction are come as far as his Name Calvin in locum Observ 1. The father of mercy oft heareth the miseries of his servants before they can put up their prayers and have spoken something concerning the imposition of Names Now for the Reason of this Name here Because the Lord hath heard thine affliction Calvin upon this passage saith non legimus Agar in sâ—is angustiis confugisse ad preces we read not any thing of Hagars prayers in these straights of hers and yet she is heard God saith he inclineth to help people sometimes upon their supplication sometimes even when they are mute and say nothing maketh his sun to shine and his rain to fall upon the just and the unjust he helpeth them for the former he is said exaudire preces to hear the prayers for the latter exaudire miserias to hear the afflictions of his people It is certain that God is so merciful that many times he bringeth those out of trouble that never seek unto him in their trouble and some negligent ones are apt to plead this and therefore when the hand of God is upon them they do not make supplications to their Judg but such should know that that deliverance which cometh without seeking Application Dan. 9.23 hath not that comfort and satisfaction in it which that hath that commeth upon a mans paines for it argueth the love of God to a man as the Angel telleth Dan. c. 9. At the beginning of thy Supplications the Commandement came forth and I am come to shew thee for thou art greatly beloved Secondly it stirreth up love in men towards God I love the Lord saith David Psal 116. Psal 116.1 because he hath heard my voice and my supplications Thirdly 1 Sam. 1. two last verses It stirreth one up to the greater thankfulness as we see in Hannah 1 Sam. 1. the two last verses For this Child I prayed and the Lord hath given me my Petition which I asked of him therefore have I also lent him unto the Lord and as long as he liveth he shall be lent unto the Lord That estate which is cast upon a man unexpectedly hath not that true sweetness in it with that which a man hath gotten by his own industry And therefore it is promised as a speciall blessing that a man shall eat the labour of his hands Psal 128.2 Psal 128. And so for a man to be freed from trouble without any seeking unto God is not so comfortable as when a man hath prayed and begged hard for it But I hold you no longer in this For with the leave of so Reverend an Author as Calvin is it may very well be supposed that Hagar did pray in her affliction unto the Lord and that God upon her humble prayer was inclined to shew her mercy and therefore the most understand by this Phrase He hath heard thine affliction the prayers which she made in her Affliction and so the Chaldee Paraphrase Translateth it Chald. Paraph. Hath received thy prayers And what a ground of joy is this to have a mans Prayer admitted and acceptable Observ 2. The great comfort of Gods accepting our Devotions with Caution touching apprehensions of the contrary Iob 30.20 Psal 80.4 Isa 1.15 Blessed be the Lord saith David that hath not turned away my Prayer Psal 66.10 And he is often rejoycing because the Lord had heard him On the other side how grievous is it for a mans Prayers to find none admittance as we hear Job complaining Cha. 30. I cry unto thee but thou dost not hear me I stand up and thou regardest me not How long wilt thou be angry against the Prayer of thy People say they Psal 80. So the Church Lamentations 3.8 When I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayer So how God threatneth his people Isa 1. When you spread out your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many prayers I will not hear Sometimes God not only not admitteth but he rejecteth the Petitions of some that their prayer becomes sin Psal 109.7 Psal 109.7 Yea their prayer is an abomination Prov 28.9 So there is a comfort to have Prayer thought well of and so is it for any other duty that we perform to God a great comfort to Abel it was Gen. 4.4 that God did accept his Sacrifice The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to look unto it Cum delectatione with complacency and delight the Septuagint rendreth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he beheld But Syâ—â—machus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was delighted with it it is part of that prayer of David in behalf of the King that God will accept his burnt offerings The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is there used which signifieth turning into ashes In Piel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in cineres vertit which was a manifestation of Gods accepting of the Sacrifice when by fire from heaven he consumed it as is said of Eliahs Sacrifice and Solomons and is supposed to be that testimony that God gave of his acceptation of Abels Sacrifice and therefore Theodosius turneth the word that we had before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inflammavit He hath inflamed Isa 56.7 Isa 56.7 God saith he will make his people joyfull in the house of prayer i.e. whosoever therin should devoutly appear their burnt Offerings and their Sacrifices should be accepted what a comfort was it to Cornelius Act 10.4 when the Angel told him Act. 10.4 that his Prayers and Almes were come up for a memorial before God God did not only take knowledg of them and like well of them but they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a standing pillar in Gods sight Well might Solomon say Eccles 9. Go thy way eat thy bread with joy Eccle. 9.7 and drink thy wine with a merry heart for now God accepteth thy works It is not to say with what a delicious ravishing sweetness the soul is filled when it is perswaded of Gods acceptation of its services Again Gods hearing of Prayer is not only an admittance and accepting of it but a resolution and purpose of satisfying the desires of his people so far as may stand with his glory to give and their good to receive When he is described to be a God that heareth Prayer Psal 65. It is not only meant Psal 65.2 that he lendeth an eare to Prayer but he condescendeth to a satisfaction of those Prayers He fulfilleth the desire of those that fear him he heareth their cry and saveth them Psal 145. Psa 145.19 And therefore for the Use of it How may this encourage us to pour out our wants before God Application in the time of our Affliction This is that course that Gods people have taken in any kind of distress if it have been distress outward either in regard of enemies we
13. where beginneth the third part of this Chapter and it containeth the thankfulness and obedience of Hagar her thankfulness in the 13. and 14. verses acknowledging the Lords mercy to her and giving the fountain a new name and her obedience in that which is supplyed in that in her mistress house she brought forth her son she returned therefore thither again according to the direction of the Angell and in the last verse is set down the age of Abraham when Ishmael was born For the first of these her thankfulness in this 13 verse she giveth God a title and secondly she giveth a reason of it For the former she calleth the name of him that spake unto her the Lord. Why may some man say It was the Angel of the Lord that spake unto her and so he is stiled four several times vers 7 9 10 11. And mark saith my Author though it were an Angel that spake unto her ipsa autem non ut ab Angelo sed ut à Deo dicta accipit yet she entertains it not as from the Angel but as spoken to her from the Lord himself Et sic audiendum est verbum Dei Observ 5. The messages of Gods faithful Ministers are his own words and embassages and so saith he is the Word still to be received that which Gods Ministers faithfully deliver by vertue of their Office is to be taken as the Word of God himself Zacharias in his song speaking of Gods Word Luke â— 70 saith As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets God speaketh by their mouth that which they delivered was no less to be reputed Gods Word then if the Lord himself had uttered it in some such sort as he spake to some of old Hence is that ordinary phrase in the Prophets The word of the Lord which came to such a Prophet and according to the word of the Lord which such or such an one spake God told Jeremiah Chap. 1. Jer. 1.9 I have put my words into thy mouth Daniel saith Chap. 9. Dan. 9.10 We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by the ministery of his servants the prophets He calleth it the Lords voice which came unto the people by the Prophets ministery He that heareth you heareth me saith Christ to his disciples when he sent them forth to preach Luke 10.16 God doth beseech you through us saith Saint Paul and we pray you in Christs stead 2 Cor. 5. 2 Cor. 5.20 and he telleth the Thessalinians 1 Thess 2.13 that his word was indeed the word of God And that this opinion is to be held of those that faithfully believe even to this hour may be gathered from that promise of Christ Lo I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. Matth. 18.20 It cannot be restrained to the Apostles who having served their time are now at râ—st but belongeth to those Preachers to whom the Lord giveth gifts for the gathering together of his Saints until the end of the world How is Christ with them but by teaching and enabling them what to say and by revealing by them his minde unto his Church Hence it is that as Christ is termed the sun of righteousness Mal. 4.3 Rev. 1.20 Mal. 4. so his Ministers are called stars Rev. 1. and therefore as the light of the stars is by way of reflection the very light of the sun which they receive from thence so the doctrine of Christs Ministers is the doctrine of Christ The words of an Ambassadour are reputed his from whom he cometh And Ministers are Gods Ambassadours therefore what they faithfully deliver is not mans but Gods For the Use of this Application It teacheth people with what respect to entertain that which Gods Ministers faithfully teach even as it were immediately delivered by God himself Neither is it possible men should profit by hearing till this perswasion be graffed in them This was that which made Saint Pauls ministery among the Thessalonians to be not onely in word but in power they did receive it not as the word of man but as it was indeed 1 Thess 2.13 the word of God 1 Thess 2. When the doctrine is believed to be the Lords then it confirmeth faith and buildeth up in saving knowledge When threatnings are received as his they strike an awe into the conscience and awaken unto repentance When the comforts are taken as his then they are balm to the navil and marrow to the bones David made account Nathans words were Gods and therefore they humbled his soul and again his afterwards did comfort him Numb 16. When this is urged it may be some will say as Corah and his companions Numb 16. to Moses and Aaron You take too much upon you What do you make your selves Must your words be taken as Gods own words and your sayings as the Oracles of the most High Who can endure that you should be so presumptuous But it is answered It is no arrogancy or presumption to speak as the Spirit of God doth in the Scripture David and Hezekiah and Eli and others have taken the words of the Prophets as Gods own words Why but then they will say Must every word that is delivered in a Pulpit be taken as Gods words No but that which is faithfully delivered by vertue of their Office is to be received as Gods own Word And this is our comfort in the midst of the worlds contempt that he that despiseth us despiseth him that sent us that is God himself And this shall be the condemnation of the scorners of the Word that their disdain hath made war against Heaven Your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord Exod. 16.7 Exod. 16. Contemnis praeconem sed hunc judicem thou contemnest not onely the Preacher but thy Judge She called the name of the Lord that spake to her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou God seest me Her Naming is that God did see her affliction and would look upon her in mercy for God is said to see the affliction of men Exod. 3. I have seen I have seen the affliction of my people Exod. 3.7 Psal 25.18 And David prayeth to God to look upon his affliction Psal 25. that is not barely to eye it but to case it In oculis Dei est pietas indulgentia S. Ambrose saith Saint Ambrose in the eyes of the Lord are mercy and compassion This seeing here is no more then the Angel had said before to her vers 11. Observ 6. 'T is both a Consolation and a caution that God beholdeth all both our doings and sufferings The Lord hath heard thine affliction What a ground of consolation it is unto a man or woman when they are afflicted either inwardly or outwardly to finde God look upon them and to speak comfort unto them no tongue is able to express The substance of what should now be observed was spoken upon the eleventh verse and