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
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
Application First Let all Parents learn to give fitting Names to their Children such as may mind them of Gods mercy and their duty such as may be Monitors to them upon all occasions to remember God and themselves Scripture Names are fit to be given for they have good instructions in them Secondly Names of vertuous Predecessours by whose examples they may be stirred up to tread in their steps They too too much offend that care not what heathenish Names they give to their Children and some give such ridiculous Names that they are far from Christianity or Civility And some again are so affected and rather give Sentences sometimes then Names that me thinks it is a dishonor to God in whose Name the Child is baptized to the holy Sacrament which is solemnized and to the Congregation of Saints before whom the Name is given yea to the Child it self who is like to carry a mock and a brand rather than a Name all the daies of the life of it Thirdly When people have good and significant Names given unto them let them labour to make them good so did John He had the grace of God and Theophilus He loved God So did Timotheus according to his name He was a man that feared God So was Clemens and Prudens So was St. Jerom's Pannachius and St. Ambrose his Agnes and Nazianzens Meletius And Valentinian said of Probus He was vir sui nominis that he was a man of his own name i. e. an honest man Those that have had ill names have fulfilled them as we see in Zeb and Oreb a Wolfe and a Raven and such they were against the people of God And Nabal as his name was so was he he was a foole and folly was with him And Achitophel made good his name for though he were accounted as a wise man and consulted as an Oracle yet he dyed as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The kinsman or brother of a foole for seeing his Counsell despised He went home set his house in order and hung himself Let those then that have good names make them good But here is a grosse defect Absalon hath a name that signifieth the peace of his Father and we know full well what a disturbance and a vexation he was unto him Zedechiah signifieth the righteousness of God and a most unrighteous man he was Antiochus was called Epiphanes i. e. illustrious whereas he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the furious and breathed out nothing but cruelty against the people of God And so the Pope of Rome that stileth himself Servus servorum the servant of Servants sheweth how he doth affect to be Dominus Dominantium A Lord of Lords it is a fashion of the Popes when they enter on the Popedome to alter their names But Pollidâ—r Virgil observes Pol. Virg. He that called himself Bonifacius was Malefacius He meaneth an ill doer Urbanus was Rusticus i. e. clownish or as it was said of one of that name Turbanus from his troubling so the Christian world Innocentius Improbus being most nocent Pius impius being ungodly Paulus Saulus being a persecutor And so the Jesuites have a glorious name but as one saith of the Philosophers Nomen sibi solum retinuerunt They have retained only the name unto themselves for how unlike are they to him whose name they do most impudently usurp He went about doing good they go about doing mischief like their great master the devill seeking whom he may devour And as he commeth from compassing the earth so they compasse Sea and Land to make a Proselyte though they make him seven times more the child of the devill then themselves His words and deeds were alwaies full of compassion and mercy their 's full of rage and cruelty None more meek then he none more proud then they None more peaceable then he none more tumultuous then they As of old there was no Play but there was a Devill in it so no Treason or Conspiracy in these latter times wherein the hand of these Joabs these Jesuites is not But not to lay the Scene too far off How are we our selves guilty in this kind We have a glorious Appellation that which those of the Church of Antioch first had and no doubt triumphed in Acts 11. And that is Act. 11 26. the name of Christians we have it from Christ 1 Iohn 2. and should have that annointing St. John speaketh of 1 John 2. And the same mind should be in us that was in Christ Jesus as St. Paul speaketh we should learn of him we should resemble him and the very name is a strong Obligation upon us Bernard St. Bernard maketh one of the graces of the soul to be Recordatio propriae professionis the apprehension and memory of her own Christian Profession But at the other side it is a foul disparagement to a man vocari quod non est to be intituled what he is not Saith S. Augustin Nomen inane Crimen immane a frustrated name St. August is an hainous crime and yet how defective are we unto this our Denomination Called Christians but live like Pagans Oh what a Soloecisme is This Our Lord hath redeemed us and there is a vertue that proceedeth from his Passion to make those whom he hath redeemed holy He is our head and thence is an influence from the head into all the members Too we profess our selves the Redeemed of the Lord and find no vertue of his Death Members of him and find no power conveighed unto us for Piety What will the Heathen say Christians and bloudy Christians and excessive Christians and licentious Christians and fraudulent Christians and malicious Wherein are they better than we They shame their Master by their lewd courses In the feare of God as we have this honourable Title full of dignity that we are Christians so let it mind us of our duty and let it be a tye upon us to walk worthy of that calling to the which we are called For else as it was said in another case Nomen Crimen the Name of Christian was their Fault Tertul. in Apol. saith Tertullian So it will be to us the very Name will be our fault and the glorious Appellation will encrease our condemnation THE FIFTEENTH SERMON GEN. 16.11 12. Because the Lord hath heard thine affliction Vers 12. And he will be a wilde man THe words of the Angell to Hagar were of three sorts First of Question vers 8. Secondly of Direction vers 9. Thirdly of Prediction and he foretelleth First concerning the numerous multiplication of her seed vers 10. Secondly concerning the childe she went withall 1. That she should bring it forth 2. That it should be a son 3. That she should call his Name Ishmael To which is added the reason of the Name vers 11. Thirdly he foretelleth the quality and disposition and course of this son vers 12. He shall be a wilde man his hand shall be against every man and every
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
compassion of us that men may have that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subject unto the like to the same passions with us Secondly they are too glorious and we should not endure them so well being our selves cloathed with flesh Elihu saith to Iob. 33. Iob. 33.6.7 Behold I am according to thy wish in Gods stead I also am formed out of the clay my terrours shall not make thee affraid God could either by himself or by an Angell have instructed the Eunuch but he sendeth Philip unto him and so Ananias to Paul and Peter to Cornelius and Paul to Lydia It is his will we should submit unto the ministery of men And certainly though our curious mindes may stand to Gods immediate speaking or the ministery of Angels yet as we should not be able to endure it so not to profit by it for that speech of Abraham to the rich man who would have one sent from the dead to his brethren will serve us in this case If they will not hear Moses and the Prophets they will not hear an Angel I come to the next verse wherein her thankfulness doth appear in giving a name to the Well where the Angel had met with her for it is probable that she gave the name and that afterwards others took it up and commonly called it by that name Now in that she gave a name to the place we may see Observ 5. Grateful mindes use all good means to keep up the memorial of Gods favours The care of grateful mindes to use all lawful means to keep Gods mercies in remembrance I told you before how this woman was advised to lay up the memory of the blessing in the name of her son Ishmael and so Isaac's name was to that purpose that they might never forget what a cause of joy he was to Abraham So Joseph calleth his eldest son Manasseh 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 calleth his son Gershom that is a stranger there and his other son Eleazer in that God had helped him They have also for this reason given names to places as Abraham calleth the place where Isaac was spared and another sacrifice provided 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 22.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 28.19 God will provide Gen. 22. Jacob changeth the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Luz into Bethel that is the house of God Gen. 28. that he might ever remember how graciously and comfortably God had revealed himself unto him in that place Jehoshaphat and the people called the place where they met to praise God 2 Chron. 20.2 after their great deliverance the valley of Berachah 2 Chron. 20. that is the valley of blessing Thus they have given names to times as Mordecai and Gods people to keep in remembrance that deliverance of theirs from Hamans plot called them the days of Purius of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esth 9.26 or of lots Esth 9. So they have kept Anniversaries as we see in the feasts of the Passeover and Pentecost and the Tabernacles and the feast of Dedication spoken of Joh. 10. which our Lord himself did keep Oblivion is the worst sort of Ingratitude and to cast such benefits behinde our backs or set them in some blinde corner argueth a slighting of them and no purpose to be thankful for them Our Memory though it be a natural mother to courtesies done by us yet it is a stepmother to benefits received and therefore good men here used the more care to refresh it For the Use of it Application Let it be our care also to keep in minde Gods favours that we may not onely serve God with a flash of joy and blaze of thanks but may keep a continual fire within us yea set apart some times purposely for the recalling of Gods mercies that we may stir up our selves to the greater measure of thankfulness Let us often meditate how free and full Gods favours are he giveth because he loveth and he giveth fully because he loveth Let us think also what need we have of his mercies and what a maim it would be to want even the least of those we seem to undervalue And let us think also how importunate we are for his benefits and therefore a shame to forget them Lastly how we dispose our selves to receive future mercy by being thankful for former and on the other side how we stop the current to our selves by our ingratitude Again she gave this name to the Well not onely for her self to quicken her own memory but in regard of posterity saith Ferus Ferus in locum ut inde admonerentur divinae misericordiae that they might be thereby minded of the divine mercy that they might know that God did there behold his servant in affliction and that they might expect the like mercy that she had found that gave the name to the Well out of her experience of Gods mercy to her The favours of God to some ought to be encouragement to others Observ 6. The favours of God to some ought to be encouragements to others both for expectation and adaptation Psal 32. Rom. 4.22 23. David speaking of that which he had found upon his resolution to confess his sin even the remission of it he addeth Psal 32. and for this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found Saint Paul Rom. 4. speaking of the faith of Abraham that it was accounted to him for righteousness withal addeth It was not written for him alone but for us also to whom our faith also shall be imputed for righteousness Saint James giveth hopes of a good issue to our afflictions by the example of Job James 5. James 5.1 You have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord As who should say Expect the like And Verse 17. verse 17. when he will encourage to the expectation of a good return of fervent prayer he voucheth the example of Elias how God upon his prayer shut and opened heaven It is said of the woman that was a sinner in the city when she knew that Christ sate at meat in the Pharisees house she came Luke 7. yea Luke 7.37 thought thus If he offered so much grace to those that be his enemies he will not reject me that come in the humility of my soul And it is Saint Bernards Meditation Non renuisti confitentem latronem S. Bernard non lachrymantem meretricem non supplicantem Cananaeam non deprehensam in adulterio non negantem discipulum non persecutorem discipulorum in odore horum unguentorum currimus post te Thou O Lord rejectedst not the thief confessing the penitent harlot the importunate Canaanite the reformed adultress the denying disciple the very persecutors of thy disciples and in
that Cadesh-Barnea that we often read of and was one of the stations of the children of Israel when they were Ambulans Respublica Salvianus as Salvian calleth them a travelling Common-wealth and Bered we finde no where but in this place the Chaldee calleth it Chagra Now this description of the place some think to be a needless circumstance but let them take heed for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil To say there is any idle word in holy writ saith Basil is no less then blasphemy Certainly Moses the pen-man of this story did purposely and advisedly mention it as he doth often in the like kinde such a place is thus and thus scituated and as thou goest to such a place Here was a famous occurrent and a new Name was given to the Well and therefore it was fit it should be described where it was that when people should pass by that way they might take knowledg of it Isaac meditated or prayed about this place Gen. 24. Gen. 24.62 c. 25.11 yea he dwelt by this Well after the death of his Father Gen. 25. No doubt but many in after times made use of this place and it was the fault of the children of Israel that neer to this place they murmured for water Numb 20. not remembring hoc loco that in this place God had succoured Hagar in her affliction So then Moses doth in this description posteriorum negotium agere act the business of posterity as it was said of one of old He doth that which may be for the benefit of posterity Remarkeable mercies should be recorded and treasured up unto posterity Observ 3. Remarkable mercies are to be treasured up to al posterity and that with circumstances of place and time and person that posterity may be stirred up to thankfulness and expectation of the like mercy from God Jacob taketh one of the stones that he had laid his head upon and pitched it up for a pillar and called the name of the place Bethel and it retained that name Gen. 28. the pot of Manna must be kept Gen. 28. Exod. 16. to instruct posterity and Joshua set up 12 stones in the midst of Iordan and they are to this day saith the text Iosh 4.9 Josh 4.9 and at the 20. vers other 12 stones that they brought out of Iordan were erected in Gilgall that all ages after might take knowledg of the great work of God in dividing Iordan for his people Verse 20. the deliverance from Amaleck God would have Moses write Exod. 17.14 This shall be written for the generations to come and the people that shall be born shall praise the Lord Psal 102. The parents were commanded of God Psal 102.18 to teach their children what the passeover did signifie and other things that they might teach their children and so from age to age the memory of Gods mercy might be continued that the father to the children might make known Gods truth as Hezekiah speaketh Isai 38. And for the Use of it Isai 38.19 I wish this may be taken up into our practice Application God hath magnified his mercy to this land of ours in great deliverances and we have seen them with our eyes we should tell our children of these things and charge them to teach their children that in all succession of time God may be glorified and his people encouraged to serve that God that hath wrought such wonders for us that great deliverance in 88. but 54. years agoe it is almost buried one great occasion is the want of an anniversary That other as great deliverance from the gun-powder treason hath an anniversary yet it is but little thought of in this short time some of the popish side have had the bold front to say there was no such thing what will they be ready to say one hundred years hence nay some of our own I speak it with grief stick not to mince the matter and partly to excuse the actors and wish it were forgotten and so wonderfully extenuate the great mercy of God doth it not behove us then to take care as Moses did that posterity may know it let our children be informed of it in their confabulations that they may tell their children and they theirs that so in all succeeding ages they may be thankfull for the mercy may abhor such rebellion that bringeth forth such sower grapes and may love that truth which God did so miraculously defend and protect but you will say this is enough out of a circumstance Now we come to the next Verse which telleth us First how Hagar brought forth her son Ishmael Secondly how the name was given by Abraham For the former I have told you that this her bringing forth in Abrahams family necessarily supposeth 1. that she returneth thither 2. that she was received there She returned thither for that was it that the Angel gave her in charge Return to thy mistress and humble thy self under her hand No doubt she did both she came a penitent and reformed woman no more insolent against Sarah nor giving occasion of offence Where we may note Observ 4. Happie that Affliction which ends in Reformations Prov. 20.30 What a happie thing it is when after Affliction followeth Reformation Surely it is that which God intendeth God intendeth to open their ears whom he afflicteth unto discipline and that they should depart from inquity Job 36.10 And so Prov. 20. The blueness of the wound serveth to purge out evil And Isai 27.9 By this that is by afflictions formerly spoken of shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit the taking away sin Jer. 9.7 I will melt them and try them how shall I do for the daughter of my people I have tried other means I will now afflict her if by this means I may reclaim her I will go to my place till they acknowledge their offence Hos 5.10 Hos 5. in their affliction they will seek me early We see what Gods intention is in afflicting and this end he hath attained in divers that have been afflicted Psal 119.67 as we see in David Psa 119. he saith Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word And vers 79. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes The like we see in Manasseh who was recalled by his affliction 2 Chron. 33. So it was with Paul who being unhorsed and smitten with blindness three days and in that time exercised with spiritual terrours Acts 16. he returned no more unto folly And so the Jaylor Acts 16. And the Prodigals penury brought him home to his fathers house and made him ever after an obedient son Now for the Use of this Application It meeteth with those against whom the hand of the Lord is gone out and hath been heavie upon them and yet when the affliction hath been removed they have not been
man as not damnified there because he hath his conscience to witness unto him that he hath done things uprightly and lawfully and this testimony is a good harbour in the miscarrying of any business I renew then my Exhortation Let us not look for comfort in any business wherein we do not ask Gods counsel be our helps and means as probable and likely as may be Let us look non confirmari sed infirmari as one saith not to be strengthened unto the end but weakned therewith expect God to cross us to give us mourning in stead of all the mirth we looked for penury in stead of plenty ignominy in stead of dignity contempt in stead of comfort as we see here in Sarah whose plot is paid home with the insolencie and pride of her servant that she had preferred to her husband Which are two things further that we are to consider of as those which did edge her expostulation with her husband First the ingratitude of her maide I told you of the last day Observ 2. The ill offices of a friend still wound the deepest how ill it was in Hagar now let me tell you how deep it cut her mistress that she whom she had loved and dignified should be thus malepert against her and certainly ingratitude after good and great deservings will affect much Joseph thought with himself how ill his master must take it from him that he whom he had so respected and advanced should wrong his bed we know what David had done for Keilah he had saved it from the Philistims those ingrateful ones for all that had a purpose to deliver him into Sauls hand it much troubleth him insomuch that he asketh God once and the second time will the men of Keilah deliver me Can they be so unthankful for a benefit so fresh in their remembrance 1 Sam. 23. David knew well what he had done for Nabal 1 Sam. 23 how he had saved his flocks and therefore when he forgetteth his kindness and sendeth him such a churlish answer to so modest a motion he is put into a passion is much troubled and resolveth upon a speedy and sharp revenge 1 Sam. 25. 1 Sam. 25. You shall see how the same David bemoaneth himself Psal 41.9 that his familiar friend in whom he trusted and who did eat of his bread whom he put in his bosome He lift up his heel against him and as he saith else where had it been a stranger or an adversary he could have born it but from such an one as he had loved and done good unto this grieved him there is much Emphasis in that one word of Christ to Judas betrayest thou the son of man with a kiss Thou my Domestick thou that hast been so neer unto me yea whom I trusted to be my purse-bearer Thou betray me and when Caesar was slain in the Senate all the wounds he received from the rest of the conspiratours were not so grievous unto him as that of Brutus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what thou my son a cold winde from the South is most unnatural and unkindness from those that we have most favoured is intolerable Now for the Use of it Because we may be exercised with this trial among others Application and that we may finde people ungrateful unto us and those most of whom we have deserved best and because it is a thing apt to work upon us and disturb us let us fortifie our selves against it by these things First let us consider the vitiousness and depravedness of mans nature as there is in man a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a seed-plot and seminary of all sin and among the rest he is apt to be guilty of ingratitude we should therefore wonder no more at this then at other sins for the fire will burn and the fountain will bubble up and corrupt Nature will shew it self every thing will doe according to its kinde Secondly to pacifie us let us know we are not alone in this in all times men have had experience of others unthankfulness Moses from the people to whom he did so many good offices the Egyptians soon forgot Joseph who when time was was only under God the preserver of their Country Israel shewed not kindeness to Gideon according to all the goodness that he had shewed to Israel Judg. 8.10 Judg. 8. our Lord suffered in this kinde from the Jews yea from Judas his own Disciple and who are we that we should be exempted from this tryal Thirdly let us think often of our carriage towards God how he hath heaped up blessings upon us yea tyled one favour upon another and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is day by day every morning his mercies are renewed he doth not only prevent us with them and follow us with them but even compasseth us with them we are as a Center wherein the lines of his blessings from every part of the Circumference do meet and yet how unthankful are we every day provoking him every moment sinning against him as if we would out-vie his mercies with our sins as if like the Sycamour tree we were the more barren for the oftner watering it should less trouble us therefore when men are unthankful unto us when we consider the measure we offer to God nay we should take it as a just punishment of our ingratitude towards him Fourthly we should not do good turns to others for thanks or to oblieg them unto us but we should do what we do ingenuously out of a conscience of Gods commandment that tyeth us to do good offices to them out of a sence of our brothers necessities or out of a feeling of what true friendship and charity requireth of us For when we aym at thanks in the collation of favours and think to binde men unto us it more affecteth us when they prove unthankful Lastly the best way is to leave such persons to God who is a sure pay-master to those that are guilty of this moral defect this breach of good manners in experience he hath seldom suffered ingratitude even in men towards men to go unpunished now if God will revenge it why should we afflict our selves with it Idoneus Sequester Tertullian Is saith Tertullian in this case He wil remember it when we have forgotten it A second thing that edgeth Sarah is contempt and disdain that she findeth of her self Observ 3. Contempt is the heaviest burden to ingenious spirits with the remedies against it in her servant she was despised in her eyes and it cannot be denyed but that was a shrewd temptation it was not so much by far to be unthankful as to add scorn unto it the generous nature of man doth doubtfully conflict with this and it can brook any thing rather then contempt above hell there is not a greater punishment then to become a Sannio a subject of scorn Samson more patiently endureth the boring out of his eyes then the Iudibrious scoffs 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
if I should not correct them Now for a season if need be saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.6 you are in heaviness through many temptations As if he should say You should not be in heaviness no not for that short season if there were not need but the dross will not be purged out without this fire the rust gotten off without this file nor the vitious humours purged out without this sharp dose you would not be sanctified here or saved hereafter without this And therefore David saith that God of his exceeding goodness caused him to be troubled And Saint Paul saith that when we are judged we are chastised of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Secondly it should teach us to examine whether the affliction that God sends upon us have this effect in us whether our conscieences are awaked in this storm as Jonahs was whether it bring our sins to minde whether it makes us search and try our ways Lam. 3. as it is Lam. 3. and maketh us sift our selves as it is Eph. 2. and bethink our selves of former errours that we may purge them out by humiliation We have not the first degree of profiting by affliction unless we see our sin Yea we should labour to finde out the Achan the main cause of our trouble and beg of God to shew wherefore he woundeth us and with Job Job 10.2 And 13.23 Chap. 10. to shew us our rebellion and our sin A fearful thing it is when a man shall be in their case that Jeremiah speaks of Jer. 10.6 Ezek. 16.43 Chap. 10.6 No man said What have I done and of those Ezek. 16. I have brought thy way upon thine own head yet hast thou not consideration of thine abominations A man to be afflicted and to have no sense of sin to have his heart in him as Nabals like a stone no consideration of the cause most woful But now come to the next verse which containeth the direction that the Angel gives to Hagar to return to her mistress and to humble her self under her hand And here first we may observe the goodness of God toward this woman that whereas she was hastening to her own wo and in the high-way to ruine her soul by going into idolatrous Egypt God keepeth her from this precipice and suffereth her to go no further Observ 4. 'T is a mercy of the first magnitude Gods restraining 〈◊〉 from evil It is a great mercy of God to be restrained from evil I kept thee saith God to Abimelech that thou shouldst not sin against me Gen. 20.6 God kept the sons of Jacob from shedding of the blood of Joseph by that perswasion of Reuben God kept David from perfecting his resolution against the house of Nabal he had committed a fearful sin if in his rage and fury he had acted what he had intended And when he had Saul in the cave and that all opportunity did smile upon him yea invite him to take revenge upon his well-known adversary that sought his life God kept him from imbruing his hands in the blood of the Lords Anointed How many have we known that when they have been bound upon this and that designe something hath intervened that hath taken them off and kept them from doing that which they purposed which was Gods care and providence over them to prevent their sin and not to suffer them to be so bad as they would have been For the Use of this Application Let us every of us account it a mercy and bless God for his restraining grace we have the seed of all sin in us yet there are some sins that we never felt the least inclination unto as Luther saith he never knew that he had the least motion to covetousness and therefore when one thought fit for the stopping of his mouth he should be tempted with gold it was answered by another Germana illa bestia non curat aurum that that same German beast cared not for gold So many a man is never so much as tempted to theft or sodomy or murder this is Gods mercy that he should thus keep them down and cast them as it were into a sleep as he did Saul and those that were about him 1 Sam. 26. 1 Sam. 26. It is not that we are naturally better then others that every lust doth not bubble up in us we must acknowledge it is Gods mercy that keepeth them down and consider who it is that maketh us to differ as the Apostle speaketh in another case 1 Cor. 4. 1 Cor. 4.7 Secondly we have had motions and temptations to this and that sin that others have fallen into but they have not prevailed with us to the commission of them And what hath been the cause that we have not hatched these Cockatrice-eggs and that they have not come to a fiery flying serpent Certainly God hath restrained us he could easily have given us up to our own hearts lusts as it is Psal 81. Psal 81.12 and have said to our corruptions as he did to the deceiving spirit that went to Ahab Go and prevail 1 Kings 22. but he hath kept us it is his goodness and we must acknowledge it with all thankfulness When we hear men engaged in these foul sins of Idolatry and Murder and Blasphemy and Oppression we must pity them and thank God for preserving us who else should be as bad as the worst It was a pious minde in Saint Augustine he would praise God pro peccatis quae fecit and quae non fecit both for the sins he had committed and had not committed for the remission of the former and the prevention of the later I observe sometimes that people being resolved upon this and that wickedness and being prevented of the perfecting of it by the failing of some instrument or opportunity or some sickness or inability in themselves that they chase and fret Oh that their eyes were but opened to see what a mercy this is that they murmure at how good a friend God is to them while they are their own enemies They would ruine their souls and God will not suffer them That holy Father could say Utiliter vincitur cui peccandi licentia eripitur He is happily conquered that is restrained from sin yea though God stop his way with thorns and by some heavie-armed affliction on him for by this means though the body suffer yet the soul may be saved On the other side it is the greatest judgement that God can lay upon a man on this side hell to let him thrive in sin when he saith as to Ephraim in Hosea Hos 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him alone let him go on to make up the measure of his iniquity let him that is filthy be filthy still I will not stop or stay him Thus God in his judgement doth by many a man as by Pharaoh and his army make them fair way even into
the midst of the sea and then take them off Oh let us all pray that when our foot slippeth the mercy of God may hold us up and keep us from falling Psal 94. for we being tempted unto evil and inclineable in our nature not onely to resolve upon it but to pray that we may be kept by his grace and that the knife may be taken from us with which like mad-men we would wound our selves We now come to the direction it self which consisteth of two things First she must return to her mistris Secondly she must humble her self under her hand First she must return Musculus moveth the question Musculus in locum why the Angel would have her return seeing after a while she was to be cast out of Abrahams house And he answereth that first it was a considerable time that she stayed in Abrahams family even till her son was grown he was fourteen years older then Isaac and after Jsaac was born his mother and he staid so long till Isaac and he could play together and he could mock Isaac as appears Gen. 25. Gen. 25. which was the cause of his ejectment For the injunction there might be something observed out of it if it had not been before touched Observ 5. Dominion and servitude stand well with christian liberty As first That he would have her return therefore he condemns her flight This we spoke of before and shewed that the flight of servants upon ill usage by their masters or mistresses was unlawful Secondly He saith here return to thy mistris as justifying the order that God hath set in the world A briefe reflection on Serm. j. Observ 6. of government and subjection Some must be masters and others in the condition of servants of this we have spoken heretofore largely and shewed that by the commandement that God hath given to masters to govern their servants both in the old and new testament by the many directions he hath given both to masters and servants for their carriage as appeareth in Moses Solomon's And the Apostles writings by the examples of Saints and holy men that have been some masters some servants by the rewards propounded both to masters and servants upon the conscionable performance of their duty it appeareth that God approveth of the condition of servants and therefore the Anabaptists are but vain in their objections against it They say that it is against nature for one to be servant to another servuus nomen non naturae sed culpae saith Saint Augustin Servant is a name not of nature but of sin and punishment be it so that it is against perfect nature and the state of innocency wherein there should not have been That dominium despoticum that masterly power that is now exercised yet it is not against that course of nature wherein God hath now setled man God hath turned some punishments of sin into bounden duties as subjection of the wife to the husband and mans eating his bread in the sweat of his browes But again say they it is against grace and that liberty which Christ hath purchased but I say it is not for Christ hath set us free from the ceremoniall law and from the curse and rigour of the morall law and from Satan sin death and damnation but not from that order and those degrees which he hath established in the world But we are all one in Christ say they there is neither bond nor free True as they are members of Christs spiritual Body but not as they are members of a politick Body a politick inequality is not against a spirituall equality Onesimus is as good as Philemon in Christ yet Onesimus is Philemons servant this kinde of reasoning was in the very Apostles time servants presumed upon their liberty by Christ and therefore they would shake off the yoke of subjection especially to the aliens But we shall see how earnest the Apostles are to put strength in This and tell them that their spirituall estate may not dissolve civil order but they must be subject to their masters whether christian or heathen so long as they were servants even for conscience sake but no more of this Secondly humble thy self under her hand This is harsher then the former Gods commands lye not alwayes in smooth wayes they charge that which is contrary to our corrupt disposition but they must be obeyed though it be to the pulling out of the right eye and to the cutting off of the right hand but we will defer this till we come to shew how Hagar performed This which the Angell injoyned her In the mean time we must observe that she had been guilty of faults First flying from her mistress Secondly insolency towards her mistress Now the Angell fitteth the medicine unto both these maladies First she must make amends for her flight by her returning Secondly she must humble her self under her mistresses hand Observ 6. Satisfaction for offences how to be rendred both to God and man to make amends for her insolency and here might be observed that satisfaction is to be given to such whom we have offended we must confess our fault and crave their pardon and carry our selves fairly towards them for after time we see it was done by Josephs brethren and Aaron and it is that which our Saviour approveth that if our brother have any thing against us we should be reconciled unto him which cannot be done without confession and submission And Saint Paul undertaketh for Onesimus that he shall return and deprecate his fault and be ever after a faithfull servant This is a bitter pill to many men when they have done wrong they are loath to confess it or to seek pardon for it but if they shall not do it they shall finde that as they are still debtors to men so they are to God also and incur his wrath by not obeying this commandement of God But I will conclude with that which is required of men in regard of God as they have gone away from him by their sin so they must return unto him and as they have lifted up themselves in the pride of their hearts against him 1 Pet. 5.6 so they must humble themselves under his hand 1 Pet. 5. First we must return How often are sinners call'd upon by the Prophets Return unto the Lord the Father allegorizeth that place of the wise men returning into their country another way the sinner that hath gone out by the way of uncleanness he must return by the way continency if by the way of excess he must return by the way of temperance if by the way of pride he must return by the way of humility Return we must for the longer we keep off from God the worse we are like to Absalon who having offended his father fled to Geshur and there stayed three yeares 2 Sam. 13.38 2 Sam. 13. But we must return to our father as the prodigall did Secondly we 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
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
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
the perfume of these odours Lord we follow thee hereby drawn we run after thee For the Use of this We are to be warned of the judgements that God hath inflicted upon others For this end our Lord biddeth us Remember Lots wife Application and Paul telleth Jude vers 7. how God punished the old Israelites and Jude telleth of the sin and punishment of the Angels of the old world of Sodome and faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they lie out as a sea-mark yea God saith Zeph. 3.6 7. Zeph. 3. that he cut off the nations and made their towers waste and their streets desolate intending that his people should fear and receive instruction that they should hear and learn as it is said in Deuteronomy In sanguine tuo caeteri discent disciplinam said a Proconsul unto one he punished In the characters of thy blood others shall read instruction An so on the other side we should be encouraged and comforted by the instances of Gods mercies for Whatsoever was written aforetime was written for our learning saith the Scripture that we might have hope And whatsoever God hath mercifully done for others he hath done it to encourage others to the expectation of the like for his arm is not shortened but that he can do as much as ever and he is as good as ever and if we finde not what others have found we may thank our selves for it and so we may indeed We would finde the same favour that David did Why do we not Because though we have sinned with David we have not repented with David We would finde the same favour that Peter did Why do we not Because we do not weep as Peter did We would finde a return of our prayers as Elias did Why do we not Because we do not pray fervently as he did We would have an happie issue out of our afflictions Why have we not Because we are not humbled under the hand of God as his children have been If we had been so we should have found such honey in that lion that we should have had occasion to say It was good for us to have been in trouble Let us carry our selves as Gods people have done and let us confidently expect that the mercy he hath shewed to others he will shew to us and so we shall be able to tell others what God hath done for our souls that so they may cast themselves also upon the goodness of the same God and finde help in time of need Preached Ian. 26. 1641. THE NINETEENTH SERMON GEN. 16.14 15 16. Beer-lahai-roi It is between Cadesh and Bered Vers 15. And Hagar bare Abraham a son c. FOr the name given to the Well it is called The well of him that liveth and seeth me First of him that liveth Often in both Testaments Observ 1. God is the sole fountain of life the living God and all other refuges dead without him Deut. 5.26 Josh 3.10 1 Sam. 17.36 Psal 42.2 is God called The living God Here and again Deut. 5. Who is there of all flesh that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire and lived Josh 3. Hereby shall you know that the living God is among you So 2. Sam. 17. David saith that Goliath defied the armies of the living God So 2 Kings 19.4 the King of Assyria sent Rabshakeh to reproach the living God So Psal 42. My flesh crieth out for the living God Dan. 6.20 Darius calleth Daniel the servant of the living God Dan. 6.20 and verse 26. he calleth God the living God So Matth. 16.16 Peter saith Thou art the Son of the living God I adjure thee by the living God saith the high-Priest to Christ Matth. 26.63 So 2 Cor. 3.3 Saint Paul mentioneth the Spirit of the living God and 1 Tim. 3. he calleth it the Church of the living God Heb. 9.14 1 Tim. 3.15 Revel 7.2 To serve the living God And Revel 7. the Angel had the seal of the living God We shall finde in the Scripture that Gods oath is by his life As I live saith the Lord Numb 14.28 Isai 49.18 As I live saith the Lord. And Jerem. 22.24 As I live saith the Lord though Coniah were as the signet of my right hand Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked And as we finde not that he hath sworn by any thing but his life and holiness so others have made it their oath As the Lord God of Israel liveth saith David to Abigail 1 Sam. 25.34 So Ittai to David 2 Sam. 15.21 As the Lord liveth So Elijah to Ahab 1 Kings 17. 1 Kings 17.1 As the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand And so Elisha to Elijah 2 Kings 2.2 Many other places might be brought but we shall make mention of them in the Application The Heathens had this understanding and therefore they called their Jupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from living And most truely and properly is God said to be the living God for he hath life in himself and of himself Jo◠5.26 Joh. 5. The Father hath life in himself no creature hath it in or of it self He saith to Moses Exod. 3.14 I am that I am that is of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 1. I that am nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ero is the Hebrew word Deut. 5.26 I will be which no creature can challenge Deut. 5. the place before cited he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the God of life yea of lives not onely the living God but the God of life It is a rule that Suarez giveth Suarez Genitivi pro adjectivis in Scriptura positi exaggerationem significant that genitives in holy Writ put for adjectives do augment the signification as a man of blood and a man of violence and the man of sin and a man of strength and a man of wisdom So that then by this phrase the God of life we may gather That life is eminent in God and not onely so but essentially and originally in God and therefore he is called not onely the living God but life it self Joh. 14.6 Joh. 14. I am the Way the Truth and the Life 1 Joh. 5.20 This is the true God and eternal life not onely life but life eternal as the Angel sware by him that liveth for ever Revel 10.6 Revel 10. In all other things their Life and They are two but God is his own life and because he is his own life he is eternal for as Aquinas well reasons against the Gentiles Aquinas A separation is a division of one thing from another Nothing can be separated from it self Therefore God must needs live eternally because he cannot be separated from himself 2. He justly deserveth the name of the living God because he giveth life to every living thing whatsoever liveth lives by participation from him therefore he