closing the flesh in steed of it and framed it into the body of a Woman in which also he placed a reasonable soule Concerning this Creation of Man you must first informe your selves of the necessity of it It must needs be granted by force of reason that there must be some first man seeing otherwise there must be infinite men because a number without beginning must be also without end in as much as there is the same reason of both that which caused men without beginning did cause them necessarily and therefore it must cause them for ever now all reason agrees to this truth that there cannot be an infinite number seeing to a number still one at least may be added I meane it of actuall numbers and actuall infinitenesse so wee reason thus either an infinite number of men or some first man and woman not the former therfore the latter And if there must be a first man and woman either they came by chance and without any maker which is so absurd that no man can choose but hisse it out or else they were made by some agent or matter that had a being before them and if so then either as Heathen Theologie tels they grew out of the mudde as frogges doe in some Countries or else were formed by God as our Theologie teacheth and let every man that hath his right wits about him judge in himselfe whether of these twaine is more agreeable to reason and more likely to be true So man was created by God now about his Creation the time and matter of it is to be noted For first man was not created till the sixth day when a fit place for him to dwell in and all necessary furniture for the place and all needfull servants and attendants were before provided for his use God saw it not fit to bring man into the world before it was garnished and stored with all contents usefull for him And then man was made in the first place and woman after him to shew that man is the superiour in nature woman was made for man and not man for woman therefore was man made first and woman after and so doth the Apostle reason in two places where he handles the difference of Sexes 1 Cor. 11.8 9. 1 Tim. 2.13 So you have this cleared how man came into the world and how woman but you must observe more particularly the different matter of which they were made and the parts of which they consist Man had a body and that was made of the dust of the earth to teach him Humility but he had also a soule and that was breathed into his nostrils that is infused by God wonderfully and immediately put into mans body it is called a breath of life and after a soule of life that is a soule which procured breathing and living nothing is harder for a man to conceive of then the nature of his owne soule next the nature of God and Angels for the former is much more hard to comprehend the latter equally difficult at least and it should be unto us a matter of great abasement that wee cannot tell what to make of our selves that is of our soules that it is we know by the effects it workes in the body and the absence of these effects and the following of contrary effects when it is departed from the body and this is all we know in a manner onely we may gather by discourse that it is a substance incorporeall because it selfe doth informe the body and one body cannot in reason be fit to informe another The Scripture also tells us certainely that it is an immortall substance which must returne to God that gave it and reason subscribes to this truth because finding the soule a thing simple it cannot conceive how it should be corrupted O how ignorant are we and what cause have we to be puffed up with conceit of our knowledge seeing so much blindnesse doth now possesse our mindes that in a manner all we have to say of our owne soules and spirits the best part of us is this that we cannot tell what to say As for Evah shee also consisted of a body and that was made not of earth but of a bone of her husband to instruct her and him both of their duty that shee should acknowledge her subjection unto him as being taken out of him and helpefull to him as being made of a rib an helpfull bone in his side and to instruct him that he should account her deare unto him and make precious reckoning of her using her as in a manner his equall as being a peece of himselfe and extracted from his own side Now a woman also hath a soule an immortall spirit to make her a living and a reasonable creature for where sin is found there is a reasonable soule because none other is capable of knowing and consequently transgressing a law made by God but woman was in the Transgression that is shee sinned and sinned first before Adam therefore shee had a soule and a reasonable soule and they seeme to have beene wilfully blinde that whether out of the silence of God in not mentioning the breathing of a soule into Evah or upon what other mad conceit would needs make themselves and others beleeve that women had no soules I conceive it was the device of some brutish and sensuall man that by instilling this most absurd conceit into that Sexe would faine draw them to commit all licentiousnesse with boldnesse for if they have no soules it could be no fault in them more then in the bruit creatures to give over themselves to all sensuality and libidinousnesse You have heard Mans beginning know now his life and herein consider his behaviour and the things that befell him his behaviour bad good indifferent doubtfull Their bad carriage stands in two things Their first sinne whereby they fell and their following sinnes which they added after their fall The first sinne was the eating of the forbidden fruit for you shall have it recorded that the Lord having placed Adam in a garden to dresse and keepe it spake to him in this wise Of all the trees of the garden thou maist eating eate that is thou maist lawfully and with mine allowance eate it was at his choice to eate of what kind he pleased and if it seemed good unto him to forbeare eating of any he might forbeare then followes a prohibition of one kind of fruit viz. of the tree of knowledge of good and evill which is in the midst of the garden thou maist not eate that is you shall not lawfully do it in regard of naturall power he had ability to eate and not eate of that as of any other but God did take away from him the morall liberty of eating of it and by his authority saw good to abridge his liberty and this alone to make it appeare to Adam that he was an absolute and a
soveraigne Lord over him and had full power and authority to forbid him what he saw good to forbid and to command what he saw good to command So the Lord did here call Adam to a profession of his absolute subjection to God his Maker and of Gods absolute right to himselfe and all other creatures and to this prohibition he subjoynes a threat of death In the day that thou eatest it thou shalt certainely die in dying thou shalt die Doubtlesse the Lord meant this of both deaths naturall and spirituall and it is to be interpreted thou shalt become subject to a naturall and to an eternall death thy body and soule both shall be made in their kind mortall Thy body subject to such putrefaction and distemper as shall cause it to be an unfit receptacle for the soule and thy soule subject to such sinfullnesse and distemper in its kind as shall make it unfit to hold any fellowship with God and so thy soule shall be separated from thy body and both from God the life of thy life in this same phrase is the wicked man threatened by the Prophet at Gods appointment O wicked man thou shalt die the death that is most surely die and be damned The Lord did not meane that naturall and eternall death should instantly follow upon their eating but obnoxiousnesse to both and some degrees of both should follow instantly and at last the consummation of both with an implicite exception of his grace in Christ in pardoning him Lo now Adam had from Gods own mouth an expresse and plaine Commandement wherein he was directly forbidden one and but one tree with warrant for the use of all the rest and a plaine and expresse threat of death to begin to insue immediately upon his eating And this Commandement either God himselfe or else Adam had made knowne to Evah for you heare that shee doth both alleadge it and oppose it to the Serpents temptation at the first Now this Commandement so plaine so easie so equall that hee could not be ignorant of it nor incurre any inconvenience by yeelding to it nor picke any exception against it This Commandement which both of them knew full well did they transgresse and that very speedily How long they continued free from the sinne I know not because I find it not revealed and will not conjecture because the not revealing it by God makes mee thinke it is not to much purpose to know If the first act of eating were that of the forbidden fruit it is a great aggravation of their sinne that they transgressed Gods Law in a manner afore they did any other thing if they stood any while it is a great aggravation that after much experience of Gods bounty they would be bold to offend him and taste of the forbidden fruit after the feeling of the sweetnesse and goodnesse of other fruits but it was not long afore they did eate and it was likewise done upon a poore motive the temptation of a base Worme and it was yeelded unto without much resistance for not many words passed them before Eve had condescended You have the Storie of this sinne in Gen. 3.1 c. where is first the Tempter a Serpent the most naked or subtilest of all beasts then the temptation in the matter of it and the successe The matter The Serpent said to the Woman hath God indeed said you shall not eate of every tree of the garden in which hee would make Eve either doubt of Gods Commandement or else be discontent with it as if hee had dealt niggardly with them in not permitting them to eate of every tree or as if the forbidding of this were as much as if hee had prohibited them all the trees intimating that this was as good as all the rest and the not giving them this as much as the deniall of all the rest Then the Womans answer telling him that he had allowed them all the rest and forbidden this alone and that on paine of death then the Serpents reply in which he contradicteth Gods threat that the Woman might not give credit unto it for he tells Evah that they should nor certainely die yea not onely so but that God knew well enough how eating of that tree would procure to them an increase of knowledge then the successe of the Temptation is that shee beleeving the Serpent and conceiving that shee should gaine knowledge by the eating and considering the beauty and pleasantnesse of the fruit did not alone eate of it her selfe but also gave her husband perswading him also to feed of it which he at her perswasion did Thus was the first Commandement utterly transgressed which so soone as it was done they began to have sence of their nakednesse and sewed figleaves together to make them aprons for the covering of their nakednesse which now began to appeare shamefull unto them This was their first sinne upon this followed divers other sinnes viz. their running away from God and hiding themselves among the trees as if it had beene possible for them so to have escaped his sight and then excusing their fault he by laying the fault partly on Eve which gave him and partly upon God which gave her to him and shee upon the Serpent which had seduced and beguiled her So they had done evill and sought to hide their sinne instead of confessing it and humbling themselves for so sinne blindes the minde hardens the heart drives a man from God and sets all the minde out of frame estranging the soule from God and causing a man to be filled with slavish feare that makes him flie from his presence This sinne brought terrour of conscience from whence of necessity followed sinfullnesse and mortality This is their bad carriage Doubtfull and indifferent may seeme to have beene their making of them aprons of leaves for that shewed some shame and desire to hide their shame Now follow the things that were good in them viz. their imbracing of Gods goodnesse and turning to him by Faith and Repentance after the promise intimated in the giving Eve the name of Evah or Mother of all living as much as if he had said though we be all dead by this sinne yet wee shall live by the promised seed which Evah shall bring forth and then Evah giveth the name of Caine to her first sonne saying I have obtained a sonne the Lord or of the Lord perhaps expressing her hope that Caine was that sonne the Lord which should bruise the Serpents head and after calling the second sonne by the name of Abel to signifie their submitting themselves to the crosses and miseries which they felt and after bringing up their sonnes in a calling the one a Shepheard the other a Husbandman and in teaching them to worship God and to bring gifts and sacrifices to him the one of his sheepe the other of the fruits which the land did affoord Now consider we the benefits God had bestowed upon them before their
his name And this seemeth the rather to be the meaning because there is little reason to thinke that Adam and Seth did not long before this apply themselves to the carefull worshipping of God in their assemblies and to take all good meanes to save themselves from the corruption of the Kaynites Or it may be rendered then it was begun to call by the name of Lord that is men began then to have that name given them of the sons of God and this I like best of all the three because in the beginning of the sixt Chapter which continues the story and the fift Chapter is but a digression put in to shew the age of the world at the floud it is said the sonnes of God saw the daughters of the sonnes of men Whereby it is apparent that to the men that professed true religion with Adam and Seth the name of the sonnes of God was given and to the rest the name of the sonnes of men The professors of the true religion were called sonnes of God that did worship the true God after the manner that God taught by Adam The other were called sonnes of men that gave themselves over to worldlinesse and vanity and prophanenesse for my part I suppose that before the floud there was no Idolatry because the Holy Ghost would not have omitted the taxing of that sinne as well as those it doth taxe if it had beene then used in the world But let us take the words to meane then it was begun to call on the name of the Lord and then it shall be added as a commendation of Seth that in his daies religion began to flourish more then ever before by his diligence joyning with his Father Adam much more respect was had to piety and greater numbers of men imbraced the profession of piety And this ought to be the care of every good man to further the progresse of true religion and to cause the name of God to be faithfully called upon of many Now of the rest of Adams seed there is a Catalogue made in the fifth Chapter of all the ancient Fathers from the first man Adam to Noah in whose daies the floud fell out by which it appeares of what standing the world was when it was growne so corrupt that the Lord could no longer endure the manners of it And in this Catalogue the Holy Ghost takes this order 1. He shewes of what age every one was when he begat his eldest sonne How many yeares he lived after the birth of that sonne 3. How old he was when he died The number of the persons are in all ten Adam Seth Enoch Cainan Mahalaleel Iared Enoch Methuselah Lamech and Noah Adam at a hundred and thirty yeares begat Seth and after lived eight hundred yeares and had more children in that time and died aged nine hundred and thirty yeares Adam was in truth the eldest man all things considered for though Methuselah out-lived him thirty nine yeares for he was nine hundred sixty nine yeares and Adam but nine hundred and thirty yet Methuselah was borne an infant Adam was made a perfect man the first day and in those times a man was but a child at thirty nine yeares for no question they would give their mindes to marriage in that newnesse of the world paucity of men and plenty of ground so soone as they were fit for it So Adams perfect estate at the first countervailed the living of forty yeares and more Seth he lived a hundred and five yeares and begat Enos and living eight hundred and seven yeares begat divers more children and ended his daies at nine hundred and two Enos lived ninety yeares and begat Cainan c. as you may reade in the story Nothing is mentioned of any one but the length of his life the time when hee had his first sonne and that hee had more sonnes Onely of Henoch it is noted that he walked with God that is lived a most holy life and that he died not at all but was translated after hee had lived three hundred sixty five yeares The Lord shortned the daies of his pilgrimage and rewarded his singular piety with taking him up to Heaven soule and body immediately without dying He was changed without any separating of his spirit from his body and in him we have an example what should have beene the course that God would have taken with all men if man had continued in the state of innocency viz. he should not have died soule and body should never have departed one from the other but after a man had proceeded in godlinesse till hee had gotten so large a measure of it as in this life hee could for though Adam were perfect habitually yet not actually I meane though hee had an ability to attaine perfect knowledge of God and the creatures yet hee had not yet actually gotten all such knowledge as hee was to get both of God and of the creatures then should he have beene translated into Heaven to see God immediately and to know him better then in this life he could be knowne Sinne entring caused death had not that come in we should have gone to Heaven without death as this Henoch did Now out of all these things written concerning these Ancients the direct parents of our Lord wee gather this that death is common to all and how long soever a man lives at last hee must leave the world and therefore we learne two things principally First to prepare for death that whensoever it befalleth wee may change for the better not for the worse and this preparation for death must be not alone a little before it comes or at the houre of its approach but in the whole course of our life by beginning early to repent and continuing daily to turne and renew our repentance that so we may get an assurance of our being taken from earth to Heaven for he that begins unfaignedly to turne to God and so continues hee shall surely be saved and for the most part shall obtaine before his departure hence an assured apprehension of his salvation Therefore hee must as Henoch did walke with God in a continuall care of obeying him and labouring to hold fast a constant perswasion of his favour and love to him in his Sonne for it is testified of Enoch that he pleased God so that what in Genesis is called a walking with God that S. Paul calls pleasing of God and also that by faith he was translated that he should not see death even by his beleeving and resting upon Gods mercy for so it is said he beleeved that God was and was a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him which finding himselfe to do he resolved that God would reward him So must each of us walke with God constantly resolve and indeavour to please God in all things and retaine in our selves an assured peaswasion that God will graciously accept and reward us in Christ with giving us life eternall and
certainely shall this Steward of Ioseph rise up against such in judgement But secondly Iosephs servant was a very obsequious and dutifull servant whatsoever his Master bad him doe was presently done c. 42. ver 25. Ioseph commanded him to fill their sackes with corne as much as they could carry and to put every mans money into his sackes mouths and to put his silver cup in the youngest sackes mouth and his corne money and he did according to his Masters words and c. 44.4 He bids him runne after them and say Why have you returned evill for good is not this the cup in which my Lord drinks and for which he would make diligent search for so I thinke it should be rendred for the matter of divining was farre enough from Iosephs Loe the obedience of this servant he by the light of nature without Scripture was taught to doe that and did it which the holy Scriptures teacheth us to doe viz. to be obedient to our Masters as you reade by Saint Paul to the Ephes Coâ—os As also to Timothie and by Peter Therefore they are to be blamed that living in times of clearer light and enjoying more helps towards vertue are yet farre lesse obedience then this man was As vineger to the teeth and smoake to the eyes so is a sloathfull messenger to him that sends him and even so is a sloathfull or carelesse servant to them that imploy him as vineger sets the teeth an edge smoak makes the eyes to mart so these provoke anger and griefe in their Governours Fulfill therefore the honest commandements of your Governours with speed and diligence what things they appoint you to dispatch let them be dispatched in fit season and manner If thou wert a Master thou wouldst have such a servant be thou therfore such a one and do as thou wouldst be done by O but his Master may some say bad him doe that which was not lawfull viz. To lay snares for the men in putting the cup into Benjamins sacke unawares to him and then following after them with a grievous accusation that they had done great wrong and shewed great ingratitude in taking away his Masters cup and so bringing them backe as if they had beene great malefactors I answere that it is probable Ioseph had acquainted his Steward with his meaning that he did this not with an intention of bringing them into servitude or doing them any wrong but making a little further tryall of them for some consideration and so the thing was not ill done of Ioseph nor of him Let your obedience therefore know its due limits obey your Masters in all things so farre as justice and your duty to God will permit Thirdly his carryage to Iosephs brethren was very kind and curteous he brings them to his Masters house speakes comfortably to them saith peace be to you freeth them from their feares wherewith they were perplexed lifts up their hearts to God and saith he had given them that money brings Simeon forth to them whom they had left bound behind and gives them water to wash their feet and provender to their Cattle Loe what store of kindnesse and courtesie he shewes to these strangers his Master appointed him to bring them to his house but all the other kind usage is from himselfe as it were an over-plus besides that which was enjoyned him out of a good and affable nature and out of some good will he bare them because he had beene informed of the God of their Fathers Now let him be an Example to us of practising like curtesie to strangers and specially when we see them troubled and grieved and most of all if we perceive them to be servants to the true God learne that vertue of this Steward though hee was a servant and bond-man yet it was to Ioseph Thus have I finished the Examples of the Booke of Genesis which containes a short and briefe story of the things done from the beginning of the world to the death of Ioseph for the space as it is thought by some of 2309 years or therabouts and of some of 60 more because they doe differ in judgement so much about the age of Terah when he begat Abraham The maine thing in the whole story to be observed is how wonderfully the providence of God wrought by degrees to bring his Church from out of the loynes of Abraham and to make it a great and mighty Nation which was but a little family preserving truth and Religion in that household and lineage when hee suffered all other Nations by little and little to follow their owne way and runne into Idolatry and abominations FINIS 1 Tim. 3.2 Tit. 1.8 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will beare both readings 2 Tim. 2.15 1 Tim. 4.12 1 Pet. 5.3 Tit. 2.7 There are two singular virtues in a good Example 1 It may profit a world of people 1 Thes 1.7 8 2 It is lasting and may doe good for a long time after 1 Pet. 3.5 6. M. Harris at Hanwell * He was a Preacher at Banbury above thirty yeares * Hee went over in his preaching the whole Booke of Iudges both the Samuels the 1 Kings to the 11. C. or therabout all the Psal to the 106. the whole Gospel of Iob. besides al the principles of Religion often Heb. 13.7 Owne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci. Mat. 3.12 By marriage of sisters M. Thomas and Mistres Ioyce Whately * M Thomas Pot The Preface to the insuing Treatise Bare Examples binde not The Method observed in handling all the Examples Nothing can be said of Adam and Eves Birth but of their entring into the world Gen. 2.7 Adam what it signifieth 21 22. verses of the same Chapter The Creation of Man was necessary There must be first Man and why Non datur infinitum actu The time and matter of mans Creation Why Man was made of the dust Gen. 2.7 It is hard to understand the nature of the soule Eves body was made of a rib and why A fond conceit that women have no soules and the originall of it Their life Their bad carriage The first sinne of our first Parents Gen. 2.16.17 How long Adam continued before he sinned is not revealed * The Hebrew word is ambiguous The fall of our first Parents described Divers sinnes followed the first sinne Their doubtfull and indifferent behaviour Their good carriage Evah why so called Their benefits 1. Before their fall 2. After their fall Their Crosses Their Death Why the length of any Womans life except Sarahs is not mentioned in Scripture The uses of the whole Omnes nos eramus ille unus Rom. 5.12 We should not bee proud of apparell Ede bide lude c. Eves first fault The greatnesse of our first Parents sinne Caines Birth Caines carriage 1. Good 1. Hee had a calling The commendation of husbandry 2. Was outwardly religious 3. Built a City 4. Had but one wife Some thinke Eve still bare
power to performe the duty to which he exhorted And sometimes likewise he would shew the remedyes against such or such a vice from which he disswaded as may bee seene by his Sermons already extant Also when hee thought it was needefull to discusse and handle any common place or head of Divinity hee would doe it very judiciously fully and most profitably Though hee had but an ordinary study of books for such an accomplisht Divine yet hee was one who had read very much For hee would read most swiftly yet not cursorily for he could give an account of the substance and most remarkable particulars of what hee had so read Hee had allso allwayes when hee pleased the benefit of a Booke-sellers shop which caused him to forbeare to buy many Bookes Though hee preached so often yet what hee preached was before well studied and premeditated Hee usually did pen his Sermons at large and if before he preached hee had but so much time as to read over what he had written and to gather it up into short heades hee was able if hee thought it fit to deliver it in publike well neare in the same words It pleased God to put a seale to his Ministery in the conversion confirming and building up of many thousand soules by his meanes in the whole course of his Ministery Hee was a most diligent visitor of the sick people that were under his charge without respect of Persons after that it came to his knowledge that they were sicke He was a ready Peace-maker amongst his flocke that should happen to be at variance He abounded in works of Mercie hee was a truely liberall man one that studyed liberall things for hee would seeke out to finde objects of his mercy rather then to stay till they were offered Hee did set apart and expended for the space of many yeares for good uses the tenth part of his yearly commings in both out of his temporall and ecclesiasticall meanes of maintenance Hee had an heavenly gift in Prayer both for aptnesse and Fullnesse of Confessions Petitions Supplications Intercessions and Prayses as allso for readinesse and copiousnesse of apt words together with Fervency of Spirit to poure them out unto God in the name of Christ in the behalfe of himselfe and of all those who in Prayer joyned with him He had this singular abilitie that in his Prayer after Sermon he could collect into a short Sum all which hee had delivered to his Hearers and make it the matter of his Prayer to God to the end they might be inwardly taught of God and become Beleevers and doers of what was taught them Likewise when hee had read a Psalme or Chapter in his Family hee was so well seene in the Text and of so good a Judgement and of so choice a memory that though the Chapter was part of the Ceremoniall Law or in the bookes of Numbers Chronicles and hardest Prophecies he in his Prayer would discover the scope and meaning and chiefe notes of Observation and their use in such sort that oft-times when I have heard him I have much longed that I could call them all to minde For I found the matter of his Prayer to be a better Commentary of that Chapter with apt observations and applications for use then I could finde in any Authour that I had read who had vvritten thereupon His manner was daily Morning and Evening to call his Family together and to reade a Psalme or Chapter in the Scriptures and to pray with them and oft to catechize them besides his constant Prayer Morning and Evening with his wife and also constantly alone by himselfe He did set a part private dayes of Humiliation for his Family upon speciall occasions and oft times before their preparation for their due receiving of the Lords-Supper At which times he did exceed himselfe in powring out his soule to GOD in most aboundant and most free Confessions of sinne and expressions of Sorrow for sinne with teares and with earnestnesse of Petition for pardon and grace and for the good of the Churches of God but for our whole State and Church of England more specially and particularly He was much in dayes of private Fasting and humbling himselfe before God alone that hee might make and keepe his peace with God and obtaine more Grace to keep more close to him and to walke more evenly with him and that hee might the better keepe under his body and bring it into subjection following the Example of the Apostle least having preached to others hee himselfe should not live answerable to his Doctrine without reproofe knowing that Ministers ought to be unreproveable He was so much in this that it is thought by such as knew him best that it impaired the health of his body though it made much for the good of his soule He was very able and very ready to conferre with and to resolve the doubts of those many who in love and desire of information came unto him He bare a tender love unto and had a conscionable care of that great people over which God had made him over-seer For although his mainetenance from them was but small in comparison and unkindnesses and discouragements many and his offers of greater preferment in the Church in respect of outward mainetenance were oft and importunate yet he would not be perswaded to leave them Yea though once for reasons which suddenly tooke him he did promise to accept of another charge yet within a while hee intreated mee to tell that Person to whom he had promised that hee had better thought of it and did desire to be released of his Promise and that out of Consideration of that great people which he should leave saying that if he should accept of that lesser charge when he should come into the Church amongst them his heart would in yerning towards his other people aske him what he did there He was duely inquisitive after the affaires of Gods Church and people and according as hee received true intelligence of their weale or woe so hee had his sympathies and Fellow-feelings with them in either of their conditions Hee was much grieved and troubled when hee saw that difference of opinions and thereupon strangenesse distractions and rends to arise and bee made in the Church amongst Bretheren professing for the maine and in fundamentalls the same Truthes Hee signified so much to mee with bewayling many times Hee was judiciously charitable to any that should differ in some opinions from him so long as he saw that they agreed with him in the maine and Fundamentall Points of Religion and were diligent to enquire after the Truth and saw allso that they did indeed shew the Power of Godlinesse in their lives Hee could and did highly esteeme them love them and converse Christianly and familiarly with them and that because although hee thought they were in an errour and hee would in private and publike endeavour to reclaime them yet he was perswaded that their desire
servnig sinne as sure as hee had power to abstaine from committing sinne Say to your selves Adams sinne shall not damne mee if in sence of the misery which it brought upon me I can fully seeke to Christ the promised seed Further let us follow him and her in that was good in both How did Adam accept his wife saying This is flesh of my flesh and shee shall be called Evah and a man shall forsake Father and Mother and cleave to his wife O you husbands love your wives as your owne flesh cleave to them above all and forsaking all other keepe you onely to them You wives be content to be subject to your husbands as it is sure Evah was before her fall at least and probable after too for we reade of no braules betwixt them O joyne together to bring up your children well first in some honest calling then in the knowledge of the true God and care of worshipping him I say teach your sonnes and daughters things necessary for their profitable and holy living in the world bring them not up in idlenesse and ignorance but so carry your selves to them that it may not be imputed to you if they prove wicked and be thankfull to God for your children and learne to rejoyce especially in their goodnesse as Adam and Evah did in Seths Learne of your first Parents to be good Parents and follow all the things that were good and commendable in them Againe from their afflictions learne to prepare for afflictions and to make a good use of them when they come if you thinke to live in this world without briers and thornes without sweat and labour you are much deceived Crosses are assigned to us as just chastisements for our sinne we must to dust let us expect misery and death and labour to make our selves fit for crosses It was Gods great goodnesse that he would not suffer Adam to remaine in Paradise and to joy the tree of life For had hee lived in so much pleasure as that place would have affoorded and had he found all the creatures as good and comfortable to him now after his fall when his nature was made sinfull as when it was sinlesse O how greatly would his sin have growne through the fatnesse of that over delightfull estate even as weedes doe in a rich and unmanured soyle Sure had not God sent a curse on the earth and inflicted griefe and misery upon man hee would never have repented never have conceived of his spirituall misery never have turned to God and sought God so that as it is a mercy in the Physitian to make the patient sicke with a medicine so it was in God to send these afflictions on us Let us not therefore flatter our selves in vaine conceits of living merrily but let us prepare for afflictions which all must in some degree meete withall in their severall callings It was the voice of an Epicure in the rich man that said eate and drinke and take thine ease we should say to our selves rather sinne hath made mee subject to divers crosses and I will labour to receive them patiently from Gods Almighty hand if he thinke it fit to exercise me with them Especially you that are Parents of children looke for crosses in your children thinke this boy may proove not an Abel not a Seth but a Caine a wicked and a sinfull Caine a hater of goodnesse and fugitive from God Let mee take heed therefore that I doe not over-love him that I doe not cocker him and as it were marre and kill his soule by over-cherishing his body If wee finde our selves apt to over-prize and over-love our children wee must moderate those passions by such meditations and if we finde our selves apt to over-grieve for their death wee must tell our selves Ah might not their lives have prooved much more bitter to mee then their death can who would not rather bury a sonne young then live to see him proove a Cain and who can tell but his sonne for whose death he takes on with so much excessive sorrow may not fall out to be as wicked as Caine. If any say I hope not so I answer him where be the grounds of his hope did not our first Parents hope as much thinke you Sure Evah giving Caine a name shewed that shee had good hopes of him when he was borne yea those that have good and godly children must prepare to be crossed in their afflictions Hast thou an Abel a godly child O make thine heart ready to heare that some wicked hand hath knockt him on the head perhaps his owne Brother that some violent death hath seized upon him and taken him away before his time and labour to be willing to yeeld to Gods hand if he will so crosse thee for why shouldst not thou stoope to as heavie a burden as that which Adam and Eve did beare in the beginning of the world For the death of good children yea their miserable and untimely death and for the wickednesse yea the notorious and unnaturall wickednesse of other children let every man prepare himselfe by looking upon the example of Adam and Eve that suffered these crosses yea let every godly man learne to prepare for persecution from all Caines but that wee shall treat on when we come to Abels example But Brethren we must not onely prepare for crosses of this kinde but we must also make a good use of them when they come that is wee must turne them into medicines as Physitions doe some poysons causing the sorrow which they will worke in us to become a medicine against our sinnes of which they be the proper and naturall effects When you meete with crosses and calamities say now I see Gods Justice and Gods Truth now I see the hatefullnesse and hurtfullnesse of sinne and therefore now I will mourne not because I am crossed but because I have deserved this crosse and a worse too and so frame to confesse and bemoane the sinne and to supplicate for pardon and helpe at the hand of God in the name of Christ especially looke to those sinnes to which your crosses have some reference and respect Are you crossed in your goods thinke if you did not over-love them and get them unjustly or if in your children see if you did not over-love them and cocker them and so in all things of like kinde In what God smites you see if you have not in that sinned against him and so frame to lament your sinnes and to seeke helpe against them This will helpe to make your crosse easie and quickly to remove it this will cause that you shall be gainers even by crosses When wee see the ill deservings of sinne and the perfect righteousnesse yea the goodnesse of God in calling thus to repentance happy are they that be so afflicted and so taught in Gods waies And Brethren let mee yet make one use of Adam and Eves great sinne to warne you that you take heed of presuming of
Caine nay willing to be at cost in Gods Worship and for it Also satisfie your selves with one wife for Caine did so he knew his wife wives he had not Yea be builders up of your families by thrift and husbandry for so could Caine not pullers of them downe by riot and unthriftinesse say to thyselfe How shall this first of all bad men rise up in judgement against mee if I cannot frame my selfe at least to be as good as he was A man should even blush to thinke what is the eldest sonne of the Divell more vertuous then I am O how bad a man am I then Secondly we must make some good use of that was bad in Caine which is double First to take great heed to our selves to mortifie those vices and shun those sinnes which we finde related of him Caine was a very Hypocrite a man that contented himselfe with the outward acts of Gods Worship but was not Sanctified did not frame his heart to please God and set himselfe to doe well O take heed to your selves that you be not such but labour to present your hearts to God and in all his services to offer your soules and bodies to him and not alone the externall service seeke in and by the duties of religion to be made new creatures Joyne care of a good life in your whole conversation with your outward devotion then you shall not be Hypocrites but uprright Beware of Hypocrisie find out it selfe and its ill effects lament them confesse them pray against them Be afraid least you should prove Hypocrites cry to God to keepe you from being such and to make you sincere An Hypocrite is apt to runne into all sinne nothing is accepted from him he is apt to fall away into open profanenesse and to be quite cast of by God for his sins And you may see in Caine what be the signes of an Hypocrite 1. Envie at those that be better then himselfe and even hating them because they have better esteeme then himselfe 2. Not striving to reforme his sinnes when hee is admonished nor confesse them to God and craving helpe against them but rather persisting in them and denying them 3. Chasing at admonitions 4. Casting of at last all care of religion 5. Murmuring against God for the greatnesse of his punishment and so despairing of his mercy as to run away from him O beware of all these signes of prevailing Hypocrisie and do as Caine should have don Strive against guile set against envie labour to profit by Gods admonitions in his Word though hee come not now in person to admonish you If you have sinned confesse it to God stoope to his Justice confesse him righteous if he destroy you Hold fast a perswasion of the possibility of having your sins pardoned how great soever and a hope of finding pardon at least in such a degree as may make you runne penitently to God and boldly to crave pardon And most of all take heed of growing utterly impenitent out of despaire and goe not about to burie your selves in the world and so to ease the torments of your consciences but by humble falling downe before God seeke for mercy which will indeed refresh you Profit your selves by the lamentable and tragicall story of Caine. And above all take heed of letting envie proceed to that height as to carrie you into actuall murder but resist and oppose it and cast it out of your hearts that it may not bring you to be spillers of innocent blood that is a crying sinne and you see what torment and hardnesse it is apt to bring upon the committer chiefely if the cause of hatred and envie be goodnesse Againe blesse God heartily for preserving you from envie from murder from hypocrisie from muttering from despaire from open profanenesse from meere and prevailing worldlinesse For wee have the same nature that Caine the same corruptions full of pride full of hypocrisie full of ignorance of God and apt to be bold to any evill if wee may conceale it from men Wee who have the selfe-same bad nature if God have preserved us from so mighty prevailing and breaking forth of corruption let us not lift up our selves above others but give the glory to God and be satisfied with the comfort not daring to take the praise unto our selves each one of us in his kinde would be as bad as Caine if God had in like manner left us unto our corruptions and the temptations O that wee could be humbly thankefull for our preservation from such soule sinnes and crimes Now let us remember Caines miseries and crosses and let us affright our selves from sinnes by them Thinke would I have God make mee a fugitive and a runnagate fill mine eares with the voice of terrour and make a dreadfull sound possesse mine heart alwaies curse the things I take in hand for my sake as hee did the earth for Caines sake deliver mee up to grosse sinnes to hardnesse and utter prophanenesse to impenitencie and despaire and a meere forsaking of God and Apostacie then let mee not be an Hypocrite let mee not mocke God with shewes let mee not sleight reproofes not caring to amend Let me not hide my sinnes and allow my selfe to doe evill in secret fearing mans eyes more then Gods Let mee not mutter against his Justice let mee not denie his Mercy Let mee not runne into the sinnes of Caine which by degrees procured to him this mischiefe Hypocrisie brought forth rejecting his service not profiting by that chastisement brought forth discontent and envie against his Brother not hearkening to reproofe to resist envie brought forth murder not confessing and lamenting that but hiding it brought forth Gods judgement to make him a fugitive not stooping to that but murmuring brought forth despaire and that utter Apostacie and profanenesse Beware of these sinnes which you see so fearefully punished and affright your selves from these faults by the miserable effects of them in Caine. Take great care that sinne make not such a progresse in your soules till it utterly separate you from God as it did Caine. Wee have more and clearer meanes then Caine besides his evill to be our warning if wee proove as bad as he wee shall fare much worse because of that aggravation of sinne which it will receive from this consideration Tremble to thinke of yeelding to Hypocrisie envie murder muttering despaire c. flie from those waies which brought Caine to ruine Yea learne thankefullnesse to God that hee hath not laid such miseries upon you as upon Caine viz. a terrified conscience and a curse upon your estates that can affoord you no comfort and an heart possessed with desperate fancies and impatient risings against God These be fearefull evills wee also have deserved them but God hath not inflicted them upon many of us O let our hearts rejoyce in his goodnesse that hath delivered us and let us make use of his patience to draw us to repentance that wee doe not
on This is a lawfull invention and good and comfortable Cheerefullnesse and Mirth so that it be moderate and well guided for the circumstances is a lawfull thing whether Musicke by voice or instrument whether winde instruments or other hand instruments It is a very good and lawfull thing to solace ones selfe with musicke and a warrantable recreation so that it be not abused and hee that first found it out is to be counted a benefactor to mankinde But the last named he was the most profitable inventer he that found out the art of iron worke he was an excellent Smith This was Tubal Caine thought to be the same that the Heathens called Vulcane Smiths are a necessary calling Their art is helpefull to all other Sciences both for peace and warre to them belongeth the making of all the necessariest instruments of husbandry of all sort of tooles for other trades and of armes also for the Souldier No part of mans life can be without iron worke A knife a key an hatchet a forke a saw a mattock a sythe a raking hooke a chezill a sword a speare a shield an helmet who can reckon up the things that Smiths do make for mans use This was therefore an exceeding fruitfull invention so much the more to be commended by how much it is more wearisome and laborious for it is you know a strong labour in some things and a curious in other things and much of it is much annoyed with heate about the fire And thus hath God stored the world with needfull arts by meanes of Lamechs sonnes that were it seemeth unsanctified men We must make some use of all this first to be thankefull unto God that hath imparted to some men such good wits and understandings that they were able to finde out and perfect those severall Sciences and Callings for how toylesome and uncomfortable would our lives be if we did not enjoy these helpes and comforts Even this naturall ability is from God and deserveth thankes from us Againe men must set themselves to be profitable to the world by either inventing or adding to the inventions of others in any kinde It is good to doe something for which the world may be the better and not to come into the world meerely as rats and mice onely to devoure victuals and to runne squeaking up and downe Be you followers of such if you cannot invent and perfect an art yet learne and follow some that is already invented These men were not idlesbees doe naughts O be you as good at least as these sonnes of Lamech onely labour to be so moderate in following and using all these earthly things that you be not earthly minded thereby but may become carefull of things that pertaine to the soule and to another life as well as of those that belong to this present life and to this body of clay It is good to use the world but not to love it to set our hands on worke about the things of it but not to set our hearts upon it This is a baiting place and not a place of habitation we make a journey through this world we do not dwell in the world O let our mindes and desires and wishes be in Heaven and let us doe those outward things with reference unto Heaven that by profiting men and serving God in a calling we may make our way to Heaven the easier and our wages there the greater And so much for the linage of Caine. Now we come to another off-spring of Adam If is not to be thought that he remained childlesse till the birth of Seth or that God would smite him in that newnesse of the world with so long a barrennesse or that he so long forbare society with Evah As it is said that he lived an hundred and thirty yeeres and begat Seth so it is said hee lived long after and begat sonnes and daughters therefore it is likely also that in that hundred and thirty yeeres before he begat sonnes and daughters but because the Lord intended to draw out the linage of Christ therefore he lets all the rest goe and fastens alone upon Seth of whom the promised seed was to come in a direct line Of Seth then we must speake His Birth gladded Evah and Adam too no doubt because they understood by revelation from God that he should be a godly man Therefore hee is called Seth that is he hath appointed because saith Evah God hath appointed mee another seed instead of Abel whom Caine slew Loe it is an hundred and thirty yeares after and yet shee hath not forgotten the murder of Caine. The infamy of a sinne will cleave long to a mans name and the griefe of a crosse if it be a stinging crosse indeed as this was will lie long upon the soule But why saith shee a seede instead of Abel it may be it was because shee saw little piety and goodnesse in the other sonnes and daughters none of them was like Abel in religion and godlinesse But for Seth shee understood that God would make him as good a man as Abel and therefore shee rejoyceth in him for a good Parent is little gladded in children if they proove not pious and godly children Gods children as well as his or hers wherefore those children that would glad the hearts of their Parents must see themselves to follow the waies of vertue that their aged Parents may have joy in them Now of Seth nothing is said but that he begat a Sonne at an hundred and five yeares old as the next Chapter shewes calling him Enosh that is sorrow or griefe because of the many griefes and sorrowes to which men are subject in this life Well may man have the name of sorry given to him so full of miseries is he as Iob spake long after Onely it is added that in Seths daies men began to callon the name of the Lord. It may be rendred some thinke the name of God was prophaned in calling on that is men grew then very prophane in a carelesse abusing Gods publike Service and Worship Others thus then it was begun to call on the name of the Lord that is men began more publikely and religiously and openly to call on the name of God to professe true piety more carefully in publike assemblies It notes in the former sence a growing worse of the times in the latter a growing better I am in doubt whether sence to fasten upon I thinke rather of the twaine it is a taxing of the publike profanation of God in abusing his worship because it followes immediately upon the giving of the name Enosh sorrowfull miserable mortall man as a reason of that name why did his Father call him so because Gods name then began to be prophaned in calling upon men grew more and more carelesse and remisse in Gods service and did it in so bad and negligent and indevout a fashion as it was rather a profaning then a worshipping or honouring of
telleth of their notable unbeleefe that did not give any credit to Gods threats nor knew of the floud till the waters came and drowned them All Noahs preaching prevailed nor to make them take notice of the judgement that hanged over their heads The mercy of God towards them appeareth in that he gave them a large warning a hundred and twenty yeares to repent in which his Spirit continued to strive with their wickednesse God taketh to himselfe the similitude of a man who being greatly displeased with the ill carriage of his Inferiours is faine to strive with himselfe to keepe downe his anger that it raise not up it selfe against them in excesse and over-suddenly The striving of Gods Spirit is a patient continuing to use the meanes of reclaiming sinners to see if it be possible to winne them Gods bounty taketh paines as it were to breake mans sinfull heart So God resolved to continue striving but for a hundred and twenty yeares and all that while he determined to continue this course of gentlenesse and withall hee used in that time the ministery of Noah who was therefore called a Minister and Preacher of righteousnesse by S. Peter that he might reduce them to some repentance and amendment therefore is it said The long-suffering of God waited in Noahs daies and in all this space they had great outward mercies Yea there were men of great stature borne which prooved also men of great renowne for wealth riches honours and outward eminencies so that they felt no manner of punishment almost in earthly things but were reserved to that great and heavie punishment which waited for them at last even to the deluge or floud of waters God made all the great deepes to breake up and the springs to over-flow so that the waters gushed up from the ground and then opened the windowes of Heaven and caused all the waters from above to fall downe till at length the raine continuing for the space of forty daies and the waters finding so violent an issue upwards the whole earth and all the highest mountaines were covered with water fifteene cubits that is a cubit being counted for halfe a yard seven yards and an halfe high to the cutting off of all the sonnes and daughters of Adam and of all the birds and beasts that could not live in the water save those few that were in the Arke with Noah who besides his preaching by the signe of building the Arke did warne them but all in vaine of the following floud So you have the summe of the story of the old World in their sinfullnesse and Gods forbearance for along time and Gods severity and their misery at the last Let us make due uses now of all For the chiefe thing in such stories as these is to make a good use because these are set forth for an Example to them that shall hereafter live ungodlily For their soules also perished eternally as well as their bodies for anything that can be learn'd out of Scripture to the contrary except that we may conceive the Lord might be mercifull to the soules of infants that were not of age to make use of the meanes that should have brought the rest to repentance nor did not runne to the same extremity of wickednesse unlesse I say wee may hope in charity that God would shew compassion on the soules of these the men of yeeres perish soule and body both Now what uses must wee make 1. Of their sinnes 2. Of Gods patience 3. Of Gods severity Of their sinnes we must make divers uses First to take notice of our owne corrupt nature that is ready to grow so extreamely naught For wee also are the posterity of Adam and have the same corruption of nature that these had and our imaginations and the forme and frame of our hearts and all our thoughts will be onely evill continually if God give us to ourselves and there is not one of us that would not grow unjust voluptuous worldly violent and most extreamely wicked in every kinde of wickednesse as occasion would offer it selfe if the Lord did not hold us backe either by restraining or sanctifying or both To him let us give the praise of our being restrained or sanctified and let us confesse his goodnesse that doth not give us over to all licentiousnesse to commit all wickednesse with greedinesse An hearty praising of God for delivering us from notorious sinfullnesse is a testimony of some grace Mans heart is apt to turne such freedome into matter of swelling and selfe-conceitednesse if our lesse badnesse makes us more thankefull and humble not haughty and arrogant it is a signe of some truth of goodnesse But innocency joyned with swelling lifting up our selves and despising others is no better then that of the Pharisee This is the first use of their sin The next is to teach us to take heed of such wickednesse that great sinnes may not grow common but that there may be some to oppose the rest some to mourne for the rest and to take care of keeping themselves unspotted in the world that so great and publike punishments may be kept back Let us every way strive to cause that sinnes grow not huge and universall that they come not to an high degree and to commonnesse so that all joyne in them for then likely some great and heavy calamity must insue With us sinnes do grow very great great faults are committed by many but yet we are to praise God that all flesh hath not corrupted their waies there be some though but few in comparison of the multitude yet I say some that set themselves against the great and common iniquities which may give us some hope that the Lords chastisements shall follow us onely for reformation not for utter extirpation of the Nation Let us all use our best diligence to hinder the greatnesse and commonnesse of sinne that wee may prevent destroying and all-devouring blowes A third use from their sinnes is that we be carefull to avoid these particular sinnes or to repent of them and to reforme them if wee have committed them 1. Take great heed of making carnall marriages with persons sinfull and wicked for beauties sake or any such carnall respect For if it offend God that men be lewd to take wives voide of true religion and piety because of their fairenesse then surely to be so farre over-ruled with gaine or any other earthly consideration as for these things sake to make matches with carnall and naughty men must needs offend God Let no man doe so therefore let piety I say piety be the match-maker let beauty riches and all such things come after in the second or third place and let no man for any respect of face faire state c. marrie themselves to foule conditions foule manners false religion wicked conversation Surely that which swayes a man most in matrimony swayes him most in his whole life this being one of the maine matters
that concerne him in his life If godlinesse and religion be not of force to command us in this thing it cannot be conceived that we have any sound knowledge of it and if outward things sway us most here they have the soveraignty and dominion of our hearts Shew your selves spirituall in choice of yoke-fellowes if you will enjoy the comfort of being so in good earnest and in sincerity And if any have done otherwise O let them be much humbled it is a great fault an hazarding of ones selfe to destruction or of his children a signe that one doth not rightly know neither sinne or goodnesse if in this matter wickednesse cannot disgrace all other things and vertue over-ballance all other and therefore if God have made such a match very dismall and unhappie to any one and that they have found these things unable to give content and with these they have beene turned aside from the right way let them acknowledge the justice of God and turne the punishments into a meanes of unfained repentance for the sinne It is just with God to crosse mens false opinions of things and make them meete with wretchednesse where they did falsely and unwarrantably promise to themselves contentment as they doe most times in such kinde of ill made marriages If any good man have so transgressed he is now called to repentance for it by Gods hand crossing and Gods Word warning him Againe beware I pray you of the next sinne viz. unjustice and violence that is taking away the goods of others by strong hand whether by manifest violence or by violent wresting and abusing of law through strength of wit or purse or both To take away that from another by any manner of strength which is his in right that is violence God hath often in his Word spoken against this for the waters of the floud have not yet washed it out but it hath place in the world still Those that are stronger then others will wrench and pull and make a shift to tug all they can unto themselves though they have no right unto such things covetousnesse and greedy desires beget oppression to satisfie such an unsatisfiable desire David complaines Psal 55.9 that hee hath seene violence in the citie and Psal 11.5 Him that loves violence his soule hateth By violence men tread underfoot the light of nature and bury their reason in passion and under it It is the property of beasts to be lead by will and passion what they desire to have if they can possibly get it by any device or power they will have it rules of right they acknowledge none nor can acknowledge because they want reason which is the sole distinguisher betwixt right and wrong But man that hath reason which can set downe limits and bounds to every mans possessions and benefits should follow his reason and not take so much as his hand can reach and pull unto it selfe but alone that which he findes the rules of equity to give him He that doth otherwise doth infinitely trespasse upon Gods Royalty over the whole world for he doth not carrie himselfe in this great family according to the will of him that is the sole maker and master of it and so lives as if himselfe were Master and chiefe Lord and not bound to any rules but those of his owne will Violence therefore is a grievous sinne It will bring Gods curse and anger and hatred upon the committer A violent man is odious in the world and in Heaven too his love of himselfe makes him iâ—jurious to all and therefore also loathsome Flie violence therefore either of hand or head and take nothing but what in true right you can prove to be your owne and if you have gotten any thing by violence repent of it and rid your hands of it else the hand of God shall be heavie upon you for it he will bring your violence upon your owne pates And know I beseech you that as there be two sorts of violent beasts so of men You know there be Lions and Beares and Tigers and great creatures that prey upon the weaker as upon the Sheepe the Cowe c. and then there be little beasts too that prey upon the lesser as the Weezle on the Mouse and on Chickens and such like that be lesser then themselves So there be two sorts of violent men too the great and wealthie man and the poore and meaner man The one can beare out his violence openly and doth it in greater things The other doth it more closely and in lesser things but both will have what equity doth not give them by one or other shift or wile or act of his hand And truly as great wickednesse is found in poore men this way as in the wealthier He that is as bad as his place will suffer is as wicked a man as another that in higher place is more apparantly wicked Give the Weezle the fangs and limmes of a Lion hee will doe as much mischiefe as a Lion Therefore the poore robbing the poore is compared to a sweeping raine that leaveth no food and none more violent then these little violent ones when they can tell how to make way and beare out their violence will not you see it evidently in the boldnesse of the poorer sort to steale corne at this time of the yeare He that will pull a piece of ones sheafe from him if hee were a great Prince of name and power would pull his whole living from him Beware therefore of those unjust waies of getting which are under your hands and in your powers incident to your places repent of them shun them and forbeare them for conscience sake that you may not provoke Gods wrath against you Further the men of this time were extreamely worldly as our Lord Jesus noteth they sold over themselves to the world and cared not for Noahs preaching nor for any thing that might concerne their soules but sold over themselves to earthly dealing as you reade in Luke 17.26 27. O be not many of you such are not your hearts fully possessed with all earthlinesse Doe not you set your selves altogether to the things of this life with the meere neglect of that which concernes a better Surely those that doe so are in heart Atheists they doe not thoroughly beleeve that immortality of the soule nor the being of another world For were every mans heart fully perswaded that his soule should continue for ever in another world either in eternall weale or woe it were not possible for him not to consider of the estate to come as well as of the state present if we did as well know and beleeve that there is an Hell and Heaven as that there is an earth and in it misery and welfare we could not but be as studious to get the future happinesse and escape the future misery as the present I pray you therefore strive against that sinne of the old World viz. giving up your selves
of them bethought himselfe of making an Arke but this fellow hath gotten some new revelation and hee is a building a huge thing like a Chest almost so long c. So you think the man is not in his right wittes Bretheren you easily perswade your selves that this good man was laden with these scoffes and the like behind his backe and like also before his face and to his very teeth For wicked wittes will never cease gybing at those good things that crosse their sence and reason Yet Noah obeyed went on built the Arke that is was obedient to God in a thing that made him ridiculous to the world So will true Faith do it will make a man obey the Lord in those actions by which hee shall make himselfe a derision to all men almost and more then a derision a prey and spoile too The Obedience of Faith is such an Obedience as will make all men to be at Gods becke in acts of that nature as will cause him to be blamed and despised of all the world as we see in Abraham in Moses and in all those almost that are reckoned up in the 11. of the Heb. Because it makes a man firmely and stedfastly to apprehend greater good things and greater evill then those that are seene and so those visible ones do not sway him and rule on him for hee that sees a greater danger or evill will easily cast himselfe upon a farre lesse to shun the greater so contrarily a good thing And so much for Noahs goodnesse before the floud Now see in and after the floud how he carried himselfe Hee entred into the Arke as God bad him and committed himselfe to Gods protection trusting on him for safety Here was no mast oare rudder canvasse or marriners to steere and guide this vessell a wonder it was that the billowes did not cast it over and over that they did not breake the barres by their continued rage and that it had not perished with all its burden But in went Noah taking all the Beasts with him assuring himselfe to be safe for so God had told Here is an excellent act of faith even to use Gods meanes of attaining the good things promised and there rest himselfe without any further carking and perplexity of mind This was the act of Noahs faith all the floud time hee heard it raine as if Heaven and Earth would come together he perceived the cloudes to be in a fury with the sonnes of men the waters raged and roared and through the windowes hee might see how all was changed into a Sea yet there he kept himselfe quiet and made account that himselfe and his houshold should do well enough in all this confusion of nature Hee had Beares Lions Tigers Wolves and all manner of devouring beasts within the Arke hee was never a whit afraid of such neighbours but rested himselfe peaceably upon Gods promises O Beloved that we could do so for our soules for our estates for every thing use Gods meanes and then promise our selves the wished effect and trouble our selves with no further feare and dismayednesse as S. Peter saith doing well and not being dismayed with any feare O how happy would our lives be in the midst of a deluge of dangers if we could thus enter into our closets as it were and shut the doore I meane use Gods meanes and rest on him Againe Noah continued in the Arke till God bad him come out hee perceived the waters to cease raging hee discovered the tops of the mountaines hee sends out the discoverers the Raven and the Dove and learnes by them great abatement and he sees with his eyes all day when he had removed the top of the Arke yet hee stirres not out till God bad him goe out who had bidden him goe in So must you do my Bretheren you must tarry in the Arke as it were so long as God sees fit and not make hast out of it of your owne heads Be so long in affliction as God will have you goe not out till hee leade you out you may wish the time of deliverance and send out the Raven and the Dove use the best meanes you can to helpe your selves especially by prayers to God and you may remove the covering of the Arke you may looke round about by faith and with joy see your deliverance comming forward but keepe this as a certaine conclusion not to stirre out of any estate though never so troublesome till you have good warrant from God going before and guiding you Now at last see what good Noah did after the floud hee built an Altar to God and offered sacrifice in thankes for his deliverance and in a desire to frame his houshold to true piety and to establish the worship of God amongst them O let each of us learne carefully to acknowledge Gods goodnesse in great deliverances and to offer him the sacrifice of praise if hee have safe guarded us from the raging flouds of adversity and calamity And let us be carefull to establish and set up the worship of God in our families and amongst our people publikely and privately every way Build Gods altar offer Gods sacrifices I meane exercise Gods religious worship pray heare read meditate come to the Sacraments set not Gods ordinances at variance Doe not picke quarrells with anyone of them exalt not one to depresse another let them all goe together in their times and especially performe the true meaning of these sacrifices Offer up the sacrifice of Christ in a perpetuall renewing of the memoriall thereof in your soules to God and renewing of your faith in it offer up the sacrifice of a contrite spirit and broken heart sighing daily for daily sinnes and infirmities offer the sacrifice of earnest prayers for all good things and of hearty praises for what wee have received already and offer up your selves to God by him to be sanctified to doe him faithfull service in all holy obedience to all his holy lawes Be truely heartily uprightly religious and devoute in your whole lives But next Noah planted a vineyard hee fell to husbandry for my part J doubt not but that God had made vines from the first and that though wee heare of no vineyard yet there might have beene store of them But howsoever Noah set himselfe to his calling to husbandry O let us every man follow him and give himselfe to his husbandry and his vineyard the tradesmans trade is his vineyard every mans calling is his vineyard be like Noah fall to planting and dressing this vine Abhorre idlenesse have some vineyard O how miserable is hee that hath nothing to do O how unhappy a thing is it to be in the world as a cipher in Arithmeticke But lastly Noah is a faithfull Prophet and pronounceth Gods curse even against his owne sonnes herein he becomes to us a patterne of fidelity in the calling of a Minister even to denounce all things that God puts into our mouthes against all
pay tithes of our goods Gen. 12.7 You have an Altar built to God a profession of his true religion among the Cananites there he called on Gods name that is performed publike worship of sacrificing and praying one named for all And v. 13.14 againe it is said that he came to the place of the Altar which he had made at the first and there called on the name of the Lord. And v. 18. there at Hebron he built an Altar to the Lord and when God appeared to him C. 17. v. 3. he fell on his face before God shewing all due outward respect unto him when he spake unto him And C. 14. Melchisedech was Priest of the most high God and he met Abraham and blessed him and Abraham gave him tithes of all I do not thinke he meant onely of all the spoiles though that hee did too but a constant tithing of all he had is meant This tithing was an acknowledgement of his subjection to Melchisedech and so necessary to be performed to Christ who is a Priest for ever after that order who must blesse and take the tithes of us Surely tithing is no Leviticall ceremony for it is not originally and primarily due to the Leviticall Priesthood but it is due to an eternall Priesthood even that after the order of Melchisedech and therefore so farre as I see it must be eternally due neither can any man lawfully forbeare to pay them to Christ neither can any man receive them in Christs steede but he that is Christs officer to preach in Christs steed and sow his spirituall things Now I pray you looke that you be religious as Abraham professe religion come to Gods house call on Gods name Learne that publique prayer is an holy ordinance of God frequent that and doe not slight and despise it as many of you do offer up spirituall sacrifices to God Pay your tithes duely of all which I know none of you all that doth make conscience of you thinke that too deare a price to buy the worship of God with but why should you not shew your selves subject to Christs Priesthood as well as Abrahams If you could make it manifest to be a Leviticall ceremony you might thinke your selves dispensed with it by Christs comming But you cannot shew any good reason why it should be so and here is a good reason it was not so for it was due to a Priest of another order then that of Aaron wherefore shew your selves truely religious by a conscionable setting a part to God the tithe of all you have as Abraham did For when here it is said he tithed all and in the Hebrew the spoiles it is no reason to shorten the wider place by the narrower but to reconcile both together thus he paid tithe of all and also of the spoiles as well as other things I am in hope to prevaile with you for all other things but in this I have no hope to prevaile because profit pleades against me and because the thing is controverted and denied by divers Now when a costly service is questioned O how hard is it to perswade men to see that truth and follow it Well I shew you mine opinion and leave it to God to perswade you but in other things which are not controverted I pray you to obey as Abraham did and to shew your religion as he did And so we have shewed you Abrahams faith obedience feare and devotion O that we could shew the same vertues in our lives I come to shew you next the good carriage of Abraham to men-ward First himselfe then others For himselfe I request you to note First that he was a very humble man truely humble one that did esteeme himselfe nothing in comparison with God and that is true humility to have a meane esteeme of himselfe out of a true apprehension of Gods greatnesse and the infinite distance betweene God and himselfe you shall see this in Abraham because when God came to shew him what should become of the Sodomites and he out of mercy was mooved to pray earnestly for them he saith unto God I am dust and ashes O good man that when he came neere to God he had a sence of his owne meanenesse and intitled himselfe no better then dust and ashes This humility must wee also be cloathed withall it is a necessary fruite of the knowledge of God and our selves without which we cannot be true Ceristians It is the cabinet and storehouse of all graces It allures God to give us grace it causeth all crosses to seeme easy if God will lay them on it makes all duties appeare seasonable It is a grace by which a man becommeth like unto Christ who humbled and made himselfe of no reputation Paul was nothing in his owne esteeme David counted himselfe a flea and a dead dog and Christ hath said that if we humble our selves we shall be exalted For alas be we not sinnefull and shall we not then be humble Be wee not mortall men be we not damnable creatures and shall we not be humble Beloved search if you have this grace that is a meane esteeme of your selves in respect of your nothingnesse compared to God and your sinfulnesse in your selves and if you find your selves laid low and made vile in your owne estimation this is to be like Abraham You have the vertues of Abraham in respect of himselfe Now in respect of other men First his family then others without his family For his family considered generally and specially Generally he brought them up godlily and religiously and taught them vertue and goodnesse as is witnessed of him Gen. 18.19 I know hee will command his houshold to keepe judgement and justice and to keepe the way of the Lord. If he had not taught them the good way how should he require them to keepe it and the word signifieth to command and teach both and it is that of which usually the word translated precepts doth come Abraham then was carefull to teach his people the waies of God and to teach them all goodnesse Hee did that to his houshold which God hath commanded us bring them up in the nurture and information of the Lord. For indeed God did bid him circumcise his children and servants and if he must administer the Seale of the Covenant to them then he must teach them the Covenant it selfe even the whole doctrine of godlinesse Brethren be not a number of you farre from following Abraham in this matter you have not gotten so much knowledge as to be able to teach your people the doctrine of true piety the way of God justice and judgement nor doe not strive to get knowledge And many that have knowledge make no care of communicating Ah if he that provides not for the family things needfull to the body denies the faith how is he guilty of that fault which doth not provide for their soules I beseech you therefore be humbled for your omission of this
respect of God man and her selfe For God shee is commended for her faith for the Author to the Hebrewes telleth us That by faith shee received strength to conceive seede and was delivered of a sonne when shee was past age because shee was perswaded that hee was faithfull which had promised where you see the nature of faith it is an acknowledging of Gods faithfullnesse a giving him the honour of his faith and setting to ones seale that God is true Faith causeth the minde of a man to submit it selfe to the Word of God and to be assured that hee can and will keepe promise for to the promise of God it looketh principally and this faith will cause a man to receive power from God to doe those things which otherwise of himselfe he wanted all power to doe This faith will make a weake man strong it will put fruitfullnesse into a barren wombe and life and strength into a dead body it will make a barren soule fruitfull in good workes and make the heart to conceive the Word so as to bring forth the fruit of good living whereto of it selfe it is as unable as a body past age is unapt to bring forth a childe Consider therefore whether you have gotten such a faith into your hearts as makes you fruitfull of good workes If we beleeve Gods promises faithfully it will sub-minister strength to produce all sorts of good workes which otherwise the heart of it selfe would never produce For he that beleeveth Gods promises shall obtaine strength from God to obey his holy Commandement and according to the strength of it to abound in good workes of all sorts Faith is a strong grace and puts a new power into the soule by which it shall be fit to doe good workes We have more largely discoursed of the nature of faith in the Example of Abraham who is also commended for faith Then Sarah in respect of Abraham her husband had two worthy vertues First shee obeyed Abraham her husband Secondly shee reverenced him and that in her heart and tongue too for shee called him Sir when shee thought of him in heart Her obedience shewed it selfe in a cheerefull forwardnesse to prepare things necessary to entertaine Angels that came unto her in the likenesse of men for it is said Abraham hasted into the Tent to Sarah and bad her quickly make ready three measures of fine flower and make cakes upon the hearth which shee did accordingly without grumbling or deferring Shee did not oppose her husband and demand husband you know not what these men be nor whence they come why should you make such care to prepare for them but without any more adoe at her husbands commandement shee gate all things ready according to his desire This is a commendable thing in a wife and is to be followed by all you godly women who would be counted daughters of Sarah if your husbands wish you to doe things honest and lawfull you must addresse your selves not to make your objections but to yeeld your cheerefull obedience according to S. Pauls commandement that saith Wives bee subject to your husbands in all things If any say that this was but a small matter I answer true but it is reported as it were a taste of her good disposition in this matter and a signe of her dutifull obedience the glory whereof the Holy Ghost giveth her more generally saying that shee obeyed her husband meaning constantly and generally shee submitted her selfe and was obedient Secondly it is noted of her that shee reverenced her husband which is also commanded to wives by S. Paul saying Let the wife see that shee feare her husband Loe it is earnestly charged upon women they must looke to it that they yeeld it Let the wife that is every wife see that is carefully looke to it and not make shifts or pretend excuses but see that shee doe it even feare her husband There is a double feare one which maketh one tremble and flie from the thing feared as hurtfull and mischievous so as men doe feare a Lyon or Beare to runne from him as fast as they can that hee may not teare us in pieces such a feare as this is not required Another feare is feare of offending wronging or grieving the person feared flying and shunning all such things as would displease him and make him conceive with dislike an irrespectivenesse of him This is the feare of the wife not to dare to displease her husband or anger him not so much least he should flie upon her with reproofes and blowes as least shee should be an instrument of griefe to one whom shee loveth and honoureth by her undutifullnesse and rudenesse And it must be noted that shee did so reverence him as to call him Lord. And how did shee call him Lord not in speaking to him or in speaking of him before others by whom it might be told him againe what shee had said but when shee thought of him or spake of him with the inward speech of her heart which none could relate againe but God who hath related this to her praise For that title shee gave him even in her inward cogitations when she said in her selfe at the hearing of the Angels promise that she should have a son Shall I have pleasure after I have waxed old my Lord being old also So the reverence of a good wife should be hearty and cause her when shee doth but thinke of her husband even then to give a title of due respect Wherefore to give rude and undecent termes to an husband such as would but become a Mistresse speaking to her bondman Ned Iacke Dick Tom Robbin is even a little too much familiarity in a wife favouring of some degree of contempt The ground of these two duties reverence and obedience is the image of God in the husband For he doth stand in Gods roome over her because as Christ is the Head of his Church so is the husband the wives head and the woman is the glory of the man meaning one that is made to bring some glory and honour to him Now by this fruit of Sarahs obedience which the Holy Ghost hath noted it is prooved that Sarah was huswifely in her house even as a woman that could stirre about in her family and looke to the dispatching of necessary affaires by her servants and them in her family For had shee beene a coy and nice or idle and sloathfull dame shee would neither have dressed meale nor kneaded it nor made cakes of it nor seene to the baking of them nor yet have followed her maid-servants and looked that they should have beene diligent in this businesse Further in respect of her sonne Isaac shee was a very loving Mother and nursed him with her owne breasts and thought it a duty for her so to doe for so it is noted of her that shee said by way of thankefull wondering at the benefit who would have said
and bee submissive that will shew humility and winne favour with God and man Further it was well done of Hagar and is some good proofe of her piety that shee considered of this vision Gen. 16.13 and called the name of God thou God seest mee confessing that now shee took notice of Gods seeing and observing her waies and that shee said moreover have I also here looked after him that seeth mee as if shee should say Doe I live after the Lord hath come thus to take notice of mee and to reproove mee and send mee home againe and so the name was called it may be by Abraham to whom when shee returned she related this vision the well of him that lived and him that saw because the Angell looked upon her and shee lived or because the living God pleased to see her and looke upon her Shee was thankfull to God for his goodnesse in looking mercifully upon her and bringing her home againe to Abrahams family We must be thankfull if the Lord daigne us that favour to meete us in our wandrings and turne us backe againe from them Further it was a good thing in Hagar that shee yeelded her selfe to Abraham to goe away without murmuring and distemper when hee sent her away and her sonne in such poore fashion patient bearing of such hard and severe usage was no little proofe of goodnesse And when her sonne was like to die for thirst she shewed her selfe patient for shee went a good way off because she would not see him die and there shee sate and wept shee might have done better to have prayed with her weeping but to sit and mourne not to hang her nose over him weeping and roaring was some signe of patient discretion shewing her love to him And lastly shee tooke care of him afterwards to provide him a convenient wife for so it is said Gen. 21.21 this is a duty of Parents to make fit provision for the timely bestowing of their children in marriage whereof to be negligent is a part of one that regardeth not to keepe his childe in good order and to make too much haste is to make them hasten to misery So Hagar was a good servant and a good wise Mother and a good woman her carriage except in a few things was good See her faults now First shee grew proud because shee was with childe by Abraham and despised her Mistresse The Maidens of Leah and Rachel may shame Hagar in this for neither of them is accused for any such misdemeanour Take heede yee servants that you grow not insolent and contemptuous against your governours you see how much it distempered Sarah and it is a grievous sinne to put your rulers into passion by your ill carriage When the Angell met Hagar he commands her to goe and humble her selfe to her Mistresse It is apparant therefore her carriage to her was amisse There be some servants that having beene over-familiar with the Master take occasion soone to sleight their Mistresse So they add sinne to sinne and are found double offenders If any of you have offended in contempt much more in so ill grounded a contempt do that which the Angell bad Hagar humble your selves before God if not to your Mistresses Follow what was good in Hagar not what was bad Another fault of hers was that she ran away from her Mistresse which the Angell also shewes to have beene sinfull by sending her backe againe Let not the Divell make any of you play the fugitive by running away from your governours if they be somewhat sharpe to you rather strive to pacifie them by submission then to cast off the yoke by betaking your selves to your heeles These be her onely faults for I am loath to charge her with having an hand in Ishmaels mocking of Isaac for Ishmael was then upon the point of sixteene yeares old for Abraham was eighty sixe when Ishmael was borne and 100 when Isaac was borne and Isaac sucked some while like enough above a yeare and so Ishmael must be neere about sixteene that shee may thinke he was so sensible of being Abrahams heire as to laugh at the stirre made about the young childe as if by his comming into the world he should be dis-inherited Now see her crosses and comforts First shee was so happy as to be a servant in Abrahams house and so a member of the true Church within the Covenant of grace by vertue of her being a member of that domesticall Church It is a very good benefit when the Lord vouchsafeth to place a servant in a good family under good and Christian Governours which will affoord them all good usage for their bodies and all needfull helpes also for the salvation of their soules They may enjoy as much comfort in this as in any one thing that can befall them in respect of their habitation and dwelling to have good Governours in a good house For in being under the roofe and custody of a godly man they be under the custody of God himselfe and guard of holy Angels Wherefore let all those that have children and must dispose of them to be servants be principally carefull of this matter Let your care be to provide for yours Masters not alone of good estate with whom they may live comfortably for their bodies having good attire good fare good diet and the like but by whose meanes the may be helped to knowledge faith obedience graces of all sorts and to life eternall hereafter Seeing your children be made after Gods image have a soule as well as a body and have neede as much of things profitable for the soule since that is the farre better part and if that be well the good estate thereof will easily countervaile and make amends for the evills which the body suffered but if it be in bad estate all the bodily benefits will nothing at all advantage it therefore I require you in the first place to respect this most necessary thing in placing out your children And all you servants that have beene directed either by Gods providence or by the carefull indeavours of your good friends unto such households wherein you have all good usage for your outward man and over and above the comfortable helpes of domesticall duties to bring you unto goodnesse take notice of this mercy and thanke God for it and take heede that you grow not weary of those holy duties and shew not your selves so prophane as to be troubled at that which should be your greatest content Yea I pray you so many as live in good families strive so to conforme your selves to the goodnesse of the household as that you may have goodnesse by the meanes of goodnesse there used for otherwise that which should have procured life to you shall serve to make your destruction more terrible Learne to pray learne to heare Gods Word learne to be good by the precepts and examples of your Governours else as our Saviour telleth that
that tie their horses to the rack-staves and fill themselves with drink or victuals Then his last good deed is he makes hast about his businesse to tell it and set it a foot for he would not eate till he had done his errand and then he effects his businesse fully for he rose up betimes in the morning and would not stay one day but with all speed returnes to let his Master see his good successe O that you servants would all be such servants faithfull diligent in your Masters affaires religious devout prayerfull thankfull on all occasions and carefull of the beasts and other goods committed to your charge and returne home when your businesse is dispatched Now faults in him the Lord shewes none as I said before for the cause then mentioned Benefits he had foure very great 1. That God gave him a godly Master 2. That God gave him favour in his eyes so that he trusted him with all he had 3. That God made him a true Christian for bond and free are all one to God And lastly that he prospered him and brought him safe and with good successe to his Masters house You that be servants pray for these blessings Beseech God to make you his free men and if God grant you favour and good successe in your journeys learne to be very thankfull for it And for his crosse it was this he was a servant to be a bond-man is a lesse desireable condition as Paul intreateth saying if thou maist be free use it rather but it is an easie crosse if a man can meete with so godly a Master and be accepted with him hence S. Paul saith care not for it you that must live by service grumble not at this crosse For your service is not a bondage for life but alone as apprentices for a certaine time or as hired servants from yeere to yeere murmure not at the meanenesse of your estate but frame as this man to be faithfull and godly and you may live as happily here and get as much glory in Heaven hereafter as your Masters * ⎠* THE ELVENTH EXAMPLE OF LOT his VVife and Daughters AFter the Example of Abraham and his Family wee come to those that lived in the same Age with him particular persons and whole Cities and peoples Among particular persons I will begin with Lot and then speake a word of his wife and daughters For himselfe when and of what Mother he was borne it is not recorded but wee have notice of his Father who was Haran the brother of Abraham who died before his Father in the Countrey of Mesopotamia The death of Lot is also concealed in Scripture so that we cannot acquaint you when he ended his daies nor where But in his life we must observe what good is found in him and what evill and secondly what things he met withall in his life both good and bad First for his goodnesse in generall he hath the testimony of the Holy Ghost by the pen of S. Peter that he was a righteous man It is said there that God delivered just Lot as also that righteous man dwelling amongst them vexed his righteous soule This is proofe enough of his goodnesse and it was necessary for the cleering of his name that the New Testament should testifie of his righteousnesse because the narration of his life in the old leaves him in such a case as would make the Reader afraid least hee had quite falne away from all goodnesse but Peters testimony is proofe enough that the committing of that great sinne did not take him of from the number of the righteous No sinne is so great but repentance wipeth it so cleane away that the offender is righteous and must be so esteemed notwithstanding the grievousnesse of his crime Now let each of us labour to get true righteousnesse that though this title be not bestowed upon him by the undeceivable pen of some Author of holy Writ yet hee may heare it pronounced by our blessed Saviour at the last day when standing on the right hand he may be blessed with the blessing of the righteous And let me be bold to turne my speech unto you that have beene and are the grievousest sinners If you lament your unrighteousnesse rest on Christs righteousnesse and hereafter studie righteousnesse in your lives you shall enjoy the happinesse of righteous men at last There is a seeming righteousnesse a meere Pharisaicall paint when a man carries himselfe blamelesly to men ward at least in respect of the grosser acts of evill This will save no man at the last nor comfort him in time of temptation there is a true and reall righteousnesse which will undoubtedly save them which can be so happie as to get it and of this true righteousnesse there are two sorts one of the Law it standeth in a perfect conformity of heart and life unto the exact rule of Gods Law And if there had beene a Law given which could have given life doubtlesse righteousnesse should have beene by the Law but now the Scripture hath concluded all under sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ may be given to them that beleeve So now we must have a righteousnesse by promise that is by the Gospell for that of the Law is too high for us And the righteousnesse of the Gospell is twofold one without us performed by our blessed Saviour for us as a surety paies the debt for the debters use and benefit by which we stand just before God and have our sinnes pardoned and are accepted to salvation When we have so seene our own misery as to goe quite out of our selves and rest alone upon Christ for all good things according to the promise The other is within us it is a gift bestowed upon and wrought in us by the Spirit of God alwaies and inseparably joyned with the former by which we are manifested to our selves and to others to be just and it standeth in a true desire and indeavour to know and leave every sinne forbidden by God and to know and doe all good workes required so that we still continue to humble our selves for our failings and to seeke unto God for pardon and helpe in and by Christ and his Spirit This righteousnesse of faith which denominates him in whom it is righteous you must all get else you shall never attaine eternall life It is a thing appointed of God in such perfection of goodnesse and wisdome that it cannot be found in any Hypocrite seeme he never so good and will surely be found in any upright hearted man be he never so weake never leave striving till you have gotten it and gotten certaine knowledge that you have it Dost thou in thy heart see and acknowledge thy selfe to be a cursed sinner by reason of thy corrupt nature that is derived to thee from Adams loynes and thy wicked life whereby thou thy selfe hast actually
First what if you doe you have lost many worse labours Secondly I say who can tell why will you thinke so hardly of your Brother Why I have tried already I answer God may give better successe now Againe I answer though he hearken not you shall not loose your labour for you shall shew love and obey Gods commandement and receive a reward from him Yet another good deed of Lots was that he fought to deliver his sonnes in Law and perswaded them to get them out of Sodome too We should labour not alone to get out of Sodome our selves but to helpe others out also whether it be out of the sinnes or out of the punishment of Sodome We should detest that selvish humour which prevaileth with many if themselves escape danger they care not what becomes of others O selfe-love is a fruit of brutishnesse charity of a right understanding Live not like beasts if they see perill approaching they runne away for their owne safe-guard and never consider of the rest let us strive to draw as many as we can out of sin and misery The last good thing I will note though it should have beene brought in before as being done before was this for a good while together hee kept close to his Unkle went with him into Egypt came with him out of Egypt and dwelt neere him I meane in Canaan It is a good thing to love the company of good men and delight to dwell with or neere them and happier had it beene for Lot if hee had not suffered himselfe to be divided from his Unkle Let men learne to count it a great happinesse to dwell neere to good neighbours and let them take heede that a little thing doe not separate them from such And so much for Lots goodnesse Now his badnesse And I will begin there where he began first to shew it He chose rather to dwell in a rich fertile place amongst vile sinfull men then with some earthly inconveniencies with a godly and faithfull man so shewing too great a love to riches and too small a love to goodnesse I beseech you if any of you be so minded that you will take notice of it as a fault To be so much ingaged to earthly things that for the more easie obtaining of a large quantity thereof a man can be content to pitch his Tents in Sodome and to dwell there is too great a proofe of a worldly minded man It was the beginning of Lots ruine In choice of your habitation looke chiefely to the good of the soule If you doe not be assured that some way or other God will crosse you as he did Lot We shall lesse beare out those faults with impunity for which the godly in Scripture have smarted before us because men did not receive warning by the dealing of God with them The brother is whipt more severely that seeing another brother corrected before him was bold yet to rush into the same fault Doe not commit the fault that cost Lot so deare a price Leave not a good place for the soule to get a great benefit for the body let not the world sway you neither wholy nor chiefely in choosing the place of your habitation Lot should have said Unkle so much content and good doe I receive from your good selfe unto my soule that I will make an hard shift afore I will leave you yea I will rather abridge my cattell then loose your company or at least I will be content to take a place neere you though it be not so fat and fruitfull as some other places Doe you as your owne understanding now that you see the whole carriage of things will teach you that Lot ought to have done And so much for this fault Now againe worldlinesse continued to grow stronger in Lot for hee continued to dwell in Sodome even though they were exceeding great sinners It was well done that he grieved for their sinnes it would have beene better done if he had forsaken the City Hee might have departed of his owne accord with farre lesse losse then God forc't him out at length Sure it is a fault if a man can possibly remove to make his constant aboad in an extreame wicked place where heinous and foule sinnes are usually and impudently committed for if a mans selfe escape the infection yet it is too too probable that his children shall be defiled and catch the sinnes of the places as the daughters of Lot and most of his servants did for had they beene righteous they should have escaped with him And most times if any man that hath any the least goodnesse doe suffer himselfe to be so neighboured it is a fruit of some carnall passion or other in favour of which he hardens himselfe to endure such a miserable thing as the continuall hearing and beholding of great wickednesse Let us take heed no such thing in inveigle us to pitch out Tents in any Sodome But againe Lot I think offended in going about to match his daughters with any of the wicked generation of the Sodomites What could he finde none other in all the world to give his children for wives but to two wicked men in that wicked City Would he be content to have his children his childrens childrens children and all his posterity to live in that little hell and to be indangered unto the like abhominations Surely the love of the world prevailed here with him more then it ought to have It is a fault too common with us many a Father is regardlesse how bad the place and family be into which he matcheth his daughter so the state be good Be the Towne as bad as Sodome and the person as prophane as these men yet a good living will make them to plant their children in such a garden as it were or wildernesse rather I cannot conceive but that this is a proofe of mans too high esteeming of outward things and I beseech you Fathers learne of Lot provide better for the placing of your children Another fault of Lots is that he did offer his two daughters to the Sodomites saying Doe to them what seemeth good in your eyes Out of a desire to save his guests from villany he prostitutes those that should have beene dearer to him then any guests and so would redeeme the strangers from wrong with the hazard of his childrens chastity He is to be somewhat excused by the present occasion in that hurrie and distemper he had not leasure to consider well of the thing he did but through hast was pushed forward to doe so great an hurt unto the two maides Hee doth evill here that good may come of it a thing that S. Paul would never allow for he saith concerning it God forbid The doing of evill is simply sinfull the suffering of evill not so wherefore a man should resolve rather to be a patient in the greatest evill then an agent in the farre lesser In doing any evill a
doth send them upon men in favour to prevent divers sinnes which else hee knowes they would have committed in that time if health had continued Let us not murmure against GOD because of such crosses but rather take notice of his goodnesse in the same especially in point of sicknesse if it linger upon us and thinke thus with our selves how many sinnes might I have runne into if this bodily feeblenesse had not kept mee within dores And when wee bee sicke or otherwise affected let us turne our thoughts round about us to finde out if any such thing be some sinne that wee should have runne into but for such prevention See if thine heart have not harboured some unconsidered fault and further the health of your bodies by turning sicknesse into purging physicke for your soules So have we finished the example of this King Somewhat about that time there lived foure Kings whose names are recorded in holy Writ but nothing at all for their praise Their names were 1. Amraphel King of Shinar that is as it is thought of Chaldea or Babilon where it may seeme that Nimrod erected a Monarchie and it may bee that this man was some successor of his or one of his Posterity and would needes inlarge his Monarchie so farre as the land of Canaan with whom was joyned Amoch King of Elkasar Chedarlomer King of Elam and one Tydall King of Nations What these Kings were or whether mentioned in Heathen Stories or not it matters not to enquire But here they are patternes of unjust violence in Warre They had the keener swords and therefore would make themselves Lords over other Kings and compell them by brunt of Warre to receive their yoke and acknowledge some Homage Nothing more usuall then for potent Kings to make at least unnecessary Warres for their growth in greatnesse many times they doe not so much as alleadge a shew of title but their owne ambition is the ground of their plea and sometimes they pretend most frivolous titles So doe they disquiet themselves and others and cause much innocent bloud to bee shed almost inforcing their Subjects to become wilfull murderers Wee must blesse God that hath caused us to live now a good time under peaceable Princes and must inforce our prayers to God begging the like mercy still The Conquering side is often more miserable by sinning then the conquered by slaughter or captivity But God doth use these great Cockes of the game as instruments of his Justice to punish the naughtinesse of those that abuse peace and become more wicked by so great a benefit Let us learne to take heede of wickednesse that the God of Heaven may not also make us a prey to violence and ambition And though you bee not Kings to whom I speake yet I pray you take heed that you runne not into the same fault that these Kings though not in so high a degree use not injustice and injuriousnesse and violence so much as your lower places will suffer a Weesell is a ravenous beast as well as a Lion But the maine sinne that these committed and which brought upon them their ruine was this that they would needs take Lot among the Sodomites Suppose the Sodomites did owe them Homage and gave just cause of quarrell yet was Lot no Sodomite nor Patron of their rebellion They should have spared him that never had beene their subject nor done them any wrong at all Indeed if Lot had gone to Warre against them and involved himselfe in the Sodomites evill cause if their cause were evill hee was justly taken captive with them but the briefe narration seemeth rather to intimate otherwise Chap. 14. verse 11 12. They tooke the substance of Sodome and their victuals and went their way and they tooke Lot also and his substance for hee dwelt in Sodome intimating as I said that hee was taken not in the battell but in the spoiling of the City afterward but you see what is the manner of insulting conquerours they sweepe away all they meete and every thing and person shall bee good bootie that lies within their reach but they smart for this spoile for hence was Abraham justly occasioned to put forth his courage for the reskue of his Kinsman and so were they deprived of the whole victory because they spared not a man whom they should have spared It often falleth out that one act of injustice looseth much that otherwise was justly gotten Beware of swallowing ill gotten wealth it hath a poysonfull operation and like some such evill simple in the stomacke will bring up the good foode together with ill humours It is said the King of Sodome had rebelled so intimating a kinde of justification of the Warre with him but it is not said that Lot had rebelled and therefore they should not have seized on him for the Sodomites sake Use justice and take nothing from any man that is due unto him neither punish any without right chiefely touch not a good man that feareth GOD unlesse his faults require that hee bee made to smart for them GOD can beare the carrying away Captive of many Sodomites rather then of one Lot Now consider how God humbleth these great and insolent Conquerours that carried all before them hee armes Abraham against them with so much wisedome and valour that hee sets upon them by night and discomfits them afore they could well tell who it was that fought with them So it falleth out often that God doth beate farre greater armies by the farre fewer Hee that feareth God and hath a just cause neede never bee discouraged from battell because his companies are but few The God of Warre whom the Scripture cals a man of Warre carries victory to that side where hee pleaseth to joyne and tell mee if hee have not most times given the greatest victories to his servants when their enemies power was such as farre surpassed theirs Some trust in bow and speare but hee that maketh mention of the name of God he is in best possibility to become a victor Take heed of making God your enemy that maketh one man to chase ten and ten to flie before one * ⎠* THE FOVRTEENTH EXAMPLE OF The Sodomites WEE are come along in Abrahams time to the Sodomites Concerning whom the Holy Ghost found nothing so much as like to any vertue which might be commended or imitated in them unlesse perhaps it may have a little relish of vertue that the King of Sodome after Abrahams victory over the foure Kings Gen 14.17 21. went out to meete Abraham and willed him to give unto him the persons and take the goods for a booty to his owne use There may seeme to be a small shadow of gratitude in that hee was willing that Abraham should enjoy the spoile but if wee consider the matter better this will shew it selfe to be rather a vice for first hee doth not so much as thanke Abraham for his hazard and paines in fighting with those
men with blindnesse a kinde of giddinesse of braine and dazeling of eyes like to those that have fed of some kinde of roote that makes them little lesse then wilde and mad for the time they could not finde the doore by groping and yet continued still to wearie themselves by groping after it Here is the greatest obstinacy and wilfullnesse in sinning that could be imagined when not alone no loving disswasion could withdraw their mindes from such a shamefull attempt but even the heavie and immediate hand of God was unable to pull them backe from continuing in their horrible and outragious onsets God might by force hold them from doing the evill but from indeavouring to doe it nothing would hinder to be so hard-hearted in a sinfull course that neither words nor blowes will so much as interrupt a man in his naughtinesse or cause him to turne a little aside or make a little stop in it but that he rusheth like a horse into the battell plunging himselfe in it like a madman running to drowne himselfe and with violence striving to rid himselfe of them that seeke to hinder him from working his mischiefe this may seeme as high a degree of sinning as that of the Sodomites O take heed that sinne lay not so fast hold upon you let it not be so absolute and mighty a commander I pray you examine your selves whether you have not sinned grossely boldly wilfully and obstinately in some other kinde as the Sodomites in masculine lusts at least whether you have not discovered the same faults in lesser degrees and know that more deepe remorse and wounding of heart is necessary to be sought after by all men for sinnes that have so many weights at their heeles to make them heavier They must rend our soules more which are laden with such considerations Was not the sinne grosse Yes Did I not commit it presumptuously Yes Did I not commit it shamelesly Yes Did I not commit it wilfully Yes Did I not persist in it against dehortaions Yes Was I so furious that some strong hand of God befalling in the instant could not hinder mee Yes O then how Sodomiticall was this sinne and how should I wonder that I should so farre surpasse all bounds and breake all bands as to commit such a crime in such a manner But here is one fault particularly to be noted in Lots sonnes in Law their Father sought to get them out of that place and so out of that plague and therefore by commission from the Angels went forth to them acquainted them with the perill and besought them to save themselves they count his words no better then the doating dreames of an old man and will not be mooved at all unlesse it be to laugh at him and so they burne with the other Sodomites because they would not beleeve their danger Thus doe men yet still pull perdition on themselves the Ministers of the Gospell preach to us to the same purpose that Lot did speake unto his sonnes in Law Come out of such and such a sinne for God will surely destroy the committers of it and what successe doe we meete withall After many an houre bestowed in seeking to make men see that if they doe such things they shall not inherit the Kingdome of Heaven but shall fall into the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone wee have no other fruit our words appeare to them as if they were the words of one that mocked or were in jest they will not be made to thinke that any such danger is neere them Tell mee I beseech you what you thinke might not Lots two sonnes have escaped this fire of Sodome if they would What was the cause of their perishing but because they would not beleeve their Father in Law also they might have left the City with him and escaped the brimstone Surely beloved you shall be able to alledge nothing at the last day to make your destruction more tollerable for why doe you perish but because you will not give credit to the threats of God and labour to leave all sinne which you may as well indeavour to leave if your wilfullnesse did not hinder as Lots sonnes might have left Sodome If you say we could not beleeve those words I answer true but even as these wretches could not beleeve their Father because by hardening themselves in evill they had made themselves obstinate against every thing that crossed their carnall desires It is a fearefull sinne Brethren to be no otherwise affected to the threats denounced against your sinnes by Gods Ministers then as these gracelesse young men even to thinke them but words of sport counterfeit words which have no truth nor substance in them but were very mockery and scoffage so thought these foolish fellowes but in the morning they were made to feele what they would not beleeve at midnight when they scorched in the flames they in vaine repented their ill entertainement of their Father in Lawes speeches and perswasions and to no purpose wished that they had beene over-intreated by him A number of you live in the selfe-same sinne hee that threatens hell-fire and destruction against you for your drunkennesse filthinesse revenge worldlinesse is counted a mocker an idle fellow that knowes not what hee saith but must say something when he is gotten into his Pulpit and no more reckoning doe you make of it but when death hath carried your soules to hell then you shall too late accuse your owne folly and wish you had hearkened with more beliefe O accept these threats with faith that they may draw you out of sinne and save you out of hell The sinnes of Sodome related by Moses you have heard of The Prophet Ezekiel by way of upbraiding Iudah relates some other sinnes together with this as you may reade Ezek. 16.49 Pride fullnesse of bread and abundance of idlenesse were in her and in her daughters and they strengthened not the hand of the poore and needy and they were haughty and committed abhomination before mee First the Holy Ghost telleth us of their pride this is a grievous vice pride of heart is a fearefull sinne 'T is like a great swelling in the body which unfitteth it for any good service and is apt to putrifie and to breake and runne with loathsome and foule matter So doth this pride disable the soule from any good duty and at left breakes forth into most odious and filthy deeds that cause it to be tedious to God and man The Scripture often condemneth it and pronounceth heavie threats against it Psal 73.6 a wicked man is blamed because pride compasseth him as a garment he weareth it upon himselfe as some faire and gorgeous robe of which hee is so farre from being ashamed that he rejoyceth in it and thinketh himselfe to be made more comely and honourable by it and Prov. 8.13 hee saith the feare of God is to hate pride amongst other things there named It must needs be concluded
to be a fearefull offence the hatred of which must needs arise from the feare of God It is blamed in an Heathen Nation Ier. 48.29 Wee have heard of the pride of Moab he is exceeding proud his loftinesse arrogancie and pride and the haughtinesse of his heart The Prophet saith of the Iewes too Chap. 13.13 that hee will weepe in secret places for their pride And our Saviour reckoning up that abhominable litter and broode of sinnes which have their originall in mans heart that is his corrupt inward disposition amongst the rest nameth pride Marke 7.22 And how much God hateth this vice is evident by the threats which in his Word he hath thundred against it S. Peter saith â— Epist Chap. 5.5 God resisteth the proud hee sets himselfe against him as in an armie ordered for the battell he is alwaies in the field as it were with his troopes ranked and ready to give the onset and take every advantage of doing him mischiefe Salomon saith Prov. 11.2 When pride commeth then commeth a fall a man is apt to runne into most shamefull faults and so to bring upon himselfe the greatest of all reproaches when once hee giveth pride the possession of his heart and after Prov. 16.28 Pride goes before destruction This sinne is a necessary forerunner of ruine it is an Harbenger to note our a lodging place for misery and calamity and Chap. 29.23 A mans pride shall bring him low truly low enough even as low as hell it selfe for must it not needes cast him low and low that maketh God his utter enemy It must be a loathsome vice if wee consider the causes whence it comes and the fruits which it produceth The roote of it is nothing but ignorance or follie or both Ignorance is the not knowing of what one should know Folly the not usefull considering of what one doth know and were not the heart made starke blinde with one or both of these vices it could never rush into pride For so meane is a man in his very Creation that he comes of dust and nothing and in his sinfull corruption now much more meane when he is of his Father the Divell as the Scripture saith nothing but the spawne of Hell and a very bastard mis-begotten by the Prince of darkenesse and subject to so many miseries here and to such a weight of eternall misery hereafter that if he were duely informed of this basenesse and did rightly beleeve it and consider of it hee could not possibly be puffed up with a good conceit of himselfe But his high fancies are ever strong and working in him when his heart is so filled up with darkenesse and blindnesse that either he doth not at all or not certainely know these things A drunken beggar will carry himselfe like some Emperour and he cares for no man because he hath not the wit to take notice of his owne basenesse So it is with the proud man so very a foole hee is that hee cannot instruct himselfe of his owne contemptiblenesse and therefore he is apt to be lifted up in himselfe now folly and ignorance be so vile things themselves that no naturall issue of them can choose but be like themselves even sinfull and wicked Againe the effects of it are exceeding hurtfull the punishments it causeth the Lord to lay upon men are great as you heard before he is a professed enemy to him hee hath threatned to pull him downe Hee that exalteth himselfe shall be abased God will marre the pride of men and staine their excellencie and he plagues them often in their bodies and states by giving them up to such absurd carriages as doe pull ruine upon themselves and alwaies in their soules by giving them up to the hardnesse of their hearts so that they be of all the most impenitent and irreformable and therefore it is said that when God will convert a man he covers his pride by chastisements and when Ieremy chargeth the people to amend and give glory to God before his judgements come upon them hee saith if you will not heare my soule shall weepe in secret for your pride noting that this filthy pride doth even stop up the eares against all wholesome advertisements O how fearefull a vice is that which cuts off the way to all amendment by turning away the eare from receiving instruction the principall instrument of working amendment But it produceth many sinfull carriages in all respects First in respect of all persons Secondly of all states Thirdly of all qualities For persons it makes him in whom it ruleth and so farre as it ruleth rebellious against Gods precepts carelesse of his promises and regardlesse of his threats so that hee despiseth and contemneth all the authority of God and will not be guided by his counsell Caine was a proud man you all know hee would never else have killed his Brother on that quarrell whereof you heard Now when God himselfe came to admonish him and disswade him from that murder it was all in vaine hee would not hearken to God but continued to harbour malice till it brake forth into bloudshed In respect of men for ones selfe it makes him selfe-ish all for himselfe not regarding who be hurt so himselfe be pleased selfe-willed and heady so that no counsell will rule but hee will head strongly like a madded beast runne on in his owne race as the Captaines that came to Ieremy for counsell because they were proud men and as the Scripture notes would not accept of his counsell And it fills him full alwaies of discontent fretting and vexation nothing no person can please him he is still finding faults just like one that hath a swelling upon his hand something or other toucheth it still and drives him to out-cries And for others towards his superiours he is undutifull and will not heed their words nor be ruled by them He thinkes himselfe too good to receive their correction or reproofes or chastisements and growes worse rather then better For his inferiours he is likely tyrannicall and Lionlike and cares not how he disgraceth and wrongeth and over-punisheth them rating and striking and laying about him even for nothing or as good as nothing For those that are more prosperous then himselfe and excell him in any thing he is ever envious and spitefull and malignes them for it For those that are below him he is scornefull and disdainefull and insolent in deriding and sleighting them for his equals hee is arrogant and insolent too still lifting himselfe above them and preferring himselfe before them If he meete with men in a good estate he grudgeth at them if with miserable men he scornes them and passeth by them pittilesly if not scoffingly And towards all in generall he is contentious and froward ready to picke and prosecute quarrells to make the worst of every thing and to take all with the left hand ready to work in proud wrath quickly angry and apt to vent his anger in lofty and
hath cause to make but meane account of himselfe so will these thoughts helpe to chase out pride But consider a man in his spirituall misery he was conceived in sinne he is of his father the Divell he is a slave to sinne a traitor to God He is full of all wickednesse destitute of all holinesse and cannot escape eternall damnation by any worth or power of his owne but must needes sinke downe to hell and be made fuell for that eternall burning You see by what meanes you may subdue pride hee that findeth it out and resisteth it with these weapons shall undoubtedly prevaile against it hee that thinkes himselfe free from it and takes no paines to subdue it shall surely bee conquered by it And let the consideration of this that pride is so foule a vice make you blesse God with much thankfulnesse for crosses afflictions and divers temptations and tribulations for what be they else but medicines to take downe pride and who that hath a great swelling in his body doth not thinke it a benefit deserving recompence as well as thankes to have a fit medicine prepared and applied that at length may take downe that swelling It is to be confessed that the best of men be too proud even now notwithstanding all the crosses they have felt and sinnes they have committed O how much more proude would they have beene had not God made use of such things to tame and depresse them And of their pride so much The next fault is fulnesse of bread this is reckoned as a fault and either it is so indeed or the Spirit of God was deceived who put it downe here in the catalogue of Sodomitish crimes You must either grant that fulnesse of bread is a foule sinne or else you must tell the Prophet that himselfe and the Spirit by which he spake were both in an error 'T is attributed to Dives in the Parable hee fared deliciously every day 'T is charged on wealthy men as one of the sinnes that shall procure their howling and misery you have nourished your selves in the day of slaughter meaning they gave themselves over to feasting and banqueting every day A daily continuall stuffing the belly with store of savoury and delicate foode is hurtfull for the body and soule too Use abstinence feed sparingly fare hard and short sometimes And so much for the second sin of Sodome fulnesse of bread The third is abundance of idlenesse here is the fault it selfe idlenesse and the measure of it very much idlenesse Idlenesse is a sinne especially when it growes to be abundance of idlenesse Salomon hath bent himselfe to the disgrace of this fault in many of his Proverbes Goe to the pismire O sluggard Prov. 6.9 9. how long wilt thou sleepe 10. Yet a little sleepe 24.30 I went by the field of the sloathfull and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding a witlesse fellow a foole And the Apostle condemnes it in the younger widdowes that they learnt to be idle 1 Tim. 5.13 and many threats are made against the idle person and the sluggard 19.15 an idle soule shall suffer hunger There are divers reasons to prove this fault to be a great sinne First it is a crossing of that end which God had in making man hee made him to be usefull and profitable as the members of the body idlenesse makes him unprofitable hee gave him a minde and a body fit for usefull and laborious imployments he spends this strength to no purpose So he doth even thwart Gods intention in creating all things and himselfe among the rest for all were made for labour in some fruitfull matter as we see the Sunn and heavenly bodies the waters and trees and all the creatures Secondly he depriveth himselfe of all right in conscience to foode and other necessaries and maketh himselfe a theefe in all he eateth and drinketh and spendeth for this cause S. Paul saith hee that will not worke let him not eate so hee is interdicted the use of Gods creatures as it were a man banished out of the world A civill right in the courts of justice hee hath to the possessing of things because of his title to them and interest in them but a conscionable right to the use of them hee hath not therefore Paul wisheth men to labour and eate their owne bread intimating that it is not their owne in the court of conscience before God if they gaine not an interest to it by paines Thirdly idlenesse is a great nourisher of all vices It nourisheth pride and selfe-conceitednesse For the sluggard is wiser in his owne eyes then seven men that can render a reason he is apt to filthinesse and lust why was Sodome so lewd but because they were idle Every temptation doth easily seize upon him that is at leasure and doth nothing as a bird that sitteth still on a tree is easily hit with an arrow or bullet He can have while to hearken to a temptation and to ruminate upon the evill things which Satan and the flesh doe stirre up In nature things that lie still gather rust and standing water soone breeds noysome creatures and soone putrifies and especially idlenesse makes a man a busie body full of medling with other folkes matters and that for the most part to do more hurt then good The nature of man is active and if it be not imployed in some usefull thing it must follow sinne and vanity Lastly this sinne exposeth a man to want Idlenesse will cloath with ragges his penurie commeth like an armed man and like a traveller hastily surely strongly it cannot be resisted it will not linger Hee that followeth vaine persons shall have poverty enough The sluggard will not plow in Winter therefore hee must begge in Summer and have nothing And if it fall out that great meanes doe keepe an idle person from want yet hee hath a most poore and beggarly soule utterly destitute of saving graces and vertues for he must labour for these things that will attaine them But let us see what idlenesse is It is that vice by which men refuse to bestow themselves constantly and painefully in some profitable thing and take leave to spend their pretious time in things unprofitable Some things are unprofitable simply as fond and roving thoughts tatling and vaine words some things are unprofitable accidentally in respect of their excesse as sports and pastimes and sleepe and ease and sitting still and in respect of the manner of doing as dealing with a slacke hand and working by halves He that will not continue to take paines in things usefull and beneficiall to himselfe and others but whileth out his time in sitting still and twatling with others of matters impertinent to him or uselesse in themselves or discoursing with himselfe about like points or gives himselfe to excesse of sleepe or of sports or else followes his businesse by the halves this man is idle
to offer his soone or of Isaac in yeelding up himselfe to be offered were greater for a man doth likely love his life as well as he loveth his childe Now Abraham subdued his love of his sonne unto God and Isaac subdued the love of his life to God both notable patternes of sincere obedience This example you reade in Gen. 22.9 when Abraham and Isaac came to the place which God had appointed Abraham built an Altar laid on the woode and stretched forth his hand and tooke the knife to slay his sonne Isaac at that time was of such an age that he might have resisted his Father being old or have got himselfe free by flight from him but he gave up himselfe into his Fathers hands or rather into God hand and yeelded his throate to the stroake of the sacrificing knife Hereby it is apparent that he began to feare God betime in that he would not withhold himselfe from God as his Father did not withhold his sonne O that we could approve our Faith by the like effects of it even by a willing yeelding of our lives to him when he doth call for them and not refuse to die if he should call us unto it for his commandements sake God is the author and Lord of our lives and nothing is more agreeable to reason then that we should be content to give up life and all into his hands from whom we have received life and all things And surely in this case it shall be proved true which our Lord Jesus telleth in the Gospell whosoever will loose his life shall save it As Isaac was partaker of that great blessing wherewith the Lord rewarded Abraham for his obedience in offering of his sonne saying in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thee Neither Father nor sonne you see were loosers by yeelding up the one his sonne the other his life into the hands of God But contrarily hee that will save his life shall undoubtedly loose his life for he must necessarily die at some other time as all other men and then his soule shall be lost together with his life because he loved not God better then his life and he that hateth not his owne life in comparison of God shall not be counted worthy of him Let us therefore see that our soules be so thoroughly subjected unto God if ever we desire to be counted the seede of Abraham and the brothers of Isaac But oh how farre short do very many of us come of this obedience for how should any man beleeve that we would readily part without lives for God which will not part with honour or goods or pleasure yea any of our sinnes at his commandement You be not Isaacs if you cannot be content to give up your lives to God how much lesse if you stand with him for other matters farre lesse then life This is the first part of Isaacs goodnesse to God-ward he became obedient to death Secondly he was devoute and religious given to all holy exercises by name to meditation and prayer principall exercises of piety and religious services of God for so it is noted Gen. 26.25 Hee builded an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. Loe here he worshipped God publikely by sacrifices and prayers and though it be not mentioned that he offered or prayed before an Altar at any other time as I remember yet this once naming of his piety is set downe to signifie his constant care in this duty his Father brought him up in it therefore he could say Where is the lambe Indeed the Lord hath abolished such kinde of Altars and such kinde of sacrifices now since the comming of Jesus Christ into the world and offering himselfe once for all as a propitiatory sacrifice to take away the sinnes of the world but yet now also we have an Altar whereof they have no right to eate that partake of those sacrifices Christ Jesus is our Altar who sacrifieth all those services which we offer up unto God by him and our sacrifices are spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ The offering of a contrite and broken heart God doth much esteeme the offering of praises and prayers the calves of our lips done unto God in the name of Christ are very pleasing unto him the presenting of our selves soules and bodies to him is exceeding delightfull yea with doing of good and distributing as with sacrifices God is greatly contented as S. Paul saith these are an odour of sweete savour a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God If a man retire himselfe and considering the death of Christ for sinne doe humbly present himselfe before God confessing his sinnes and judging himselfe for them and labour to lament them with hearty griefe before God as causes of the death of his sonne this is a gratefull sacrifice If hee praise God in the Name of Christ as for all other benefits so for the great blessing of redemption wrought by Christ this also doth give a sweete odour unto God if he even consecrate himselfe to God resolving to walke before him in all upright obedience praying for the Spirit of God to sanctify him that in all things he may please God no Bullocke or Ram can please the Lord so well If he set apart some portion of his wealth to God and give it to releeve the necessities of the Saints this is very sweete incense so that hee trust not in the merit of the worke as if it could deserve any thing for the worthinesse of it but trust alone in Christ for the acceptation of himselfe and it and all his services Would you confirme to your owne consciences that you be true Isaacs Aske your selves then doe you offer these burnt offerings if not you be not as Isaac childeren of the promise if yea you may assure your soules that you be O then study to abound in these services Againe it is noted that he called on the Name of God there and so it is noted Gen. 25.21 that Isaac intreated the Lord for Rebeccah his wife because shee was barren Hee prayed constantly to God for a childe in this also testifying his religiousnesse and his Faith So wee must be carefull to pray to God for all good things we neede for childeren if we want them for good successe in our callings and whatsoever else we neede or desire For God is the giver of all good things and hath commanded us in all things to make our requests knowne unto him and biddenus to pray continually and in all things give thankes so we are bound to pray as much as Isaac Therefore those that are carelesse of worshipping God in this duty according to that description of a wicked man written by David in the fourteenth Psalme they call not on the name of God are not surely the children of God as was Isaac but the children of Satan rather for the Spirit of God
betake your selves unto any sinfull meanes of escape but rather choose to die then to sinne against God as knowing death to be no great matter but sinne to be an hatefull thing and worse by farre then death And how should this undaunted and spirituall fortitude be attained but by conversing with death often in your thoughts so as to get some good assurance that it shall not be able to carry you to the region of darknesse to eternall death but alone to let you out of this dungeon into a roome farre more lightsome and blisfull He that thinkes much of death so as to make himselfe carefull by frequent renewing of his repentance and amendment of his life to get his salvation assured to himselfe shall at last be happily armed against the feare of death and shall be made so resolute as to choose rather to die then sinne Againe if you finde so much weakenesse in any of Gods Saints with whom you live as you finde recorded in the story of Isaac I pray you be no harsher so them then you be to him Tell mee what thinke you of Isaac was hee a godly man or not if you say no you contradict the Scripture if you say yea then you must learne not to deny to another the name of a good man because you meete with the like disorders in him that are here noted in Isaac if hee feare too much if hee hath used some sinfull meanes to escape death or other danger Nay a man ought not to deny himselfe the name of a man truly sanctified because hee findeth the same imperfections in himselfe To call in question ones being sanctified in respect of the hanging on of such weakenesses is to nip and discourage the worke of grace and to hinder the growth of it no lesse then a cold frost doth hinder fruites from growing But Isaac telleth a manifest lie Lying is a sinne and the lying tongue will bring destruction but to bee so transported with some present passion as to be thrust into the mire of lying is such a thing as may befall a godly man Come and take heede that you doe not imbolden your selves to lie by abusing this and the like Examples but rather resolve and pray against it as knowing in how much danger you stand of falling into it For though to bee over-taken with this sinne in hast doe not disproove the truth of sanctity yet to be a lier one that makes account that this is so small an offence that hee will not be so precise as to forbeare to helpe himselfe by it if need be this is a proofe of a man that hath not yet gotten any sanctity Lying is a sinne so plaine that scarce is it possible to be ignorant of it but through wilfullnesse because a man refuseth to be willing to know that fault which hee is not willing to leave For no man can choose but blame it in another and therefore his inward soule doth plainely tell him that it is also naught in himselfe Now to live purposely in a knowne sinne resolving that hee must and will doe it if occasion serve this is to be a worker of iniquity Remember therefore the word of S. Paul Put away lying seeing you have put off the old man intimating that hee hath not cast off any part of the old man that hath not throwne away this rag of it Lying will breed boldnesse to sinne hard-heartednesse in it impudency after it Therefore you must determinately conclude with your selves to put away lying and speake the truth one to another In these two things Isaac sinned against GOD and himselfe But his sinne against Abimelech was in that hee was like to have drawne him occasionally into a great sinne hee did that which might easily have hazarded him to thinke of making Rebekah his wife that is of committing adultery It is a sinne to become a stumbling blocke to another by doing that which may make him bold to doe a thing that is sinfull as Abimelech complained to Abraham and also to Isaac take heede that you become not stumbling blockes in a more palpable fashion by inticing perswading exhorting giving evill example or the like Be carefull not to partake with other mens sinnes and if you can call to minde any thing done by your selves in the like nature viz. such an act as might have pulled another to wickednesse though the ill effect have not followed yet you must repent of your uncharitablenesse and rashnesse herein Another fault of Isaacs is this that he had too great respect to good fare he loved his tooth and palate a little too much he was an aged man and hee gave himselfe a little more then enough to savoury meate and his love to good fare carried him so farre awry in his affections that he loved Esau more then Iacob Gen. 25.28 Surely it was too great a love to Venison that caused him to love a worse sonne above a better This is a weakenesse against which it is needefull to strive our sensuality inclineth us unto it wee are apt to thinke it no sinne may not a man use Gods benefits and enjoy the comforts of this life in good measure why should not hee fare well that hath much given him by God But sure to be so over-ruled by ones palate that any disorders be bred thence in ones life towards any person or thing cannot but be a sinne for all these excuses Doe not wee know that cockering of the body doth likely depresse the soule and the feeding of the belly and pleasing of the taste doth breed an aptnesse to be lesse delighted with better things Thus you have Isaacs faults First Forgetfulnesse of Gods promise Secondly Carnall feare of death Thirdly Lying to prevent danger Fourthly Scandalizing Abimelech Fiftly over-loving his worser sonne and Sixtly Over-loving good fare We will goe on now to consider what blessings he enjoyed First Spirituall God pleased to make his covenant in him and to bestow the birth-right and blessing upon him and therefore also did appeare to him and blessed him Gen. 25.3 4. and after Vers 24. It is a singular favour of God to give a man spirituall blessings to make him his childe to appeare to him and comfort him by giving him assurance that hee is his childe and confirme his Faith in his gracious promises This is the greatest favour to blesse us with spirituall blessings Ishmael had the terrene but Isaac had the spirituall blessings these were given also to Iacob as a singular prerogative It is an admirable favour indeede to enjoy these for they will not cease at the end of this life but will continue till another life and will bee perfected in another life eternally I pray you consider whether God have vouchsafed these unto you hath he caused you to feare his name hath he made you to beleeve his promises hath he appeared to you in his word and ordinances and given you some happy apprehension of his
to see this fault in your selves and amend it even staying too long at your gawdes following them such a space of time together or with such great violence that you be even tired and spent by them Sports must be done sportingly not with the like seriousnesse and earnestnesse as serious matters A small deale of time should be allotted for matters of small value for seeing time is precious to give much of a precious thing for that which is a very meane and worthlesse thing is surely to suffer ones selfe to be consumed by fancy and passions and not to walke rationally and discreetly Learne therefore not to suffer your selves to be brought under the bondage of any the most lawfull recreation but to be able to breake off seasonably And when is the season ye may ask I answer when you have bestowed so much time in them as to have attained the proper end of them As in meate and drink a man should forbear to take more when he hath received so much as is requisite for the ends of food So in sports And every mans discretion will tell him unlesse he hath put out his eyes by making himselfe a bondman to pastimes that the end is to fit him for better matters by preserving the health and maintaining the vigour and cheerefulnesse of his body and minde He must not tarry at them as long as he can or till he be weary but when he hath been so long constant in them as is fit to stir and exercise his body and prepare him for serious matters then must he leave them off and goe to serious matters And I pray you let me propound to your considerations a fit rule for the measuring of your time for sports Will not sanctified reason tell you that you ought not to bestow more time in recreations though never so honest to refresh your bodies then in spirituall and holy duties to edifie your soules Give not more houres usually to these basest of all things playes and games than to those most usefull of all things reading the Scriptures Prayer Meditations and those things that are next to spirituall duties in value and usefulnesse studying some worthy knowledge or doing some profitable businesse in your callings Let not the more worthy thing be set behinde the lesse worthy let not the Vassall be set above his Soveraign and have more honour than his Lord and King Another fault in Esau in regard of his conversation about earthly things is that when he came now to be an ageder man and saw it vain to follow pastime he fell as Isaac tels him Gen. 27.40 By thy sword shalt thou live He made himselfe great by war The sword was not appointed to get lands and livings withall but to defend and maintaine men against unjust violence and to punish offenders and malefactors But Esau followed the wars to make himselfe great as it hath been used much formerly and is now Men would fight with others to take away their lands and goods from them and to make themselves possessours and Lords of their countries to get riches command and glory and make themselves great in worldly respects they would betake themselves to weapons and fighting This is so far as I can discern a fault and sin I say to take occasion of warring and making battailes to win mens lands and goods from them If you say how was this a part of Isaacs blessing to Esau if it were a sinne I answer Isaacs meaning is to relate what outward prosperity Esau should have so that he doth not justifie all the meanes he should use to make himselfe great but alone shewes that he should be great and obtain a gallant countrey It is a kinde of temporall blessing to overthrow in war and to conquer though one deale not justly in that matter of war Indeed if men may live by their sword where is the rule of equity Doe you as you would bee done by where is the following after peace which all are commanded to follow with all Where is that threat or curse become Which David pronounceth from God by way of just imprecation against such Scatter the people that delight in war Such kinde of war as is enterprized to make a living of and to get away other mens possessions for else to fight Gods battailes as Iosuah and David did in pursuing them with the sword which were Gods enemies and whom he appointed to be so pursued is a good thing and honourable and such as those worthy men before named did much delight in So then to make warres and stirres by invading others and picking and ready accepting any occasion of quarrell for the raising of a Monarchie or Principalitie to himselfe is a sinne and so farre as I see it was Esaus sinne who by his sword made himselfe owner of such a Countrie as within a little time his posteritie was raised to a great Kingdome for he dispossessed the inhabitants of Mount Seir and erected the beginning of the kingdome of Edom. Indeed to live by ones sword or by his wits may well dispute for the precedency in sinfulnesse The one couzens the other kils the one useth secret tricks the other open force The one armeth it selfe with fraud the other with violence The one hurts men in goods the other in life too the one will have it because he can over-reach you in wit the other because he can over-master you in strength the one careth not so he can beguile you whether he have iust title or no the other careth not so he can beate you whether his title be good or not the one breaketh the eighth and ninth Commandements the other the eighth and sixth Commandements never a better of them but that the worse which is joined with more crueltie and bloudinesse And Esau had a kind of presage of his fierce and bloudie nature when he looked so red at his very birth and when he was affected with the red colour of the pottage so red so red in respect whereof also his name began to be called Edom which signifieth red Here you may see what an erring judgement man hath since his fall for how have men honoured Conquerours and great fighters and souldiers whereas if the war was entred into not out of compulsion to defend or out of justice to punish publike injuries against Cities or Common-wealths or Countries it was meere robbery and murder they were but great Pyrates and great Theeves and great murderers and yet the foolish blindnesse of men will needs give them honour and good esteeme But I need not disgrace war to you only this you must note that Esau which gave himselfe in his younger time to nothing else but sports afterwards gave himselfe to nothing else but war and spoiles Oft voluptuous youth many times ends in an injurious old age They set up themselves by bad meanes at last which gave themselves to vanity and toyes before Thus much of Esaus conversation in respect of
working for they are such as worke not in this sense is imputed Perfection of parts is when all the parts of goodnesse are found in a man As a childe of five yeares is a perfect man in respect of parts he hath a soule and body he hath hands head heart legs c. and therefore is that way perfect though stature and strength and discretion be not found in him in the same degree that after when he is a growne man Now there are two kindes of parts found in every thing first First the parts essentiall as matter and forme Secondly the parts integrall viz. as the severall members of the matter heart head c. in a man So in the point of goodnesse goodnesse is perfect when it hath all the parts of goodnesse viz. the matter which is the act of doing good and leaving evils 2. The forme which is the subjection of the will to the will of God in that a man is therefore carefull to leave evill and doe good because he acknowledgeth himself to owe and is willing to performe all obedience unto God his maker and Redeemer and these are the essentiall parts of goodnesse The integrall are the doing of good in every kinde and leaving of evill in every kinde with an endeavour and striving and wishing to doe it in every degree even to leave all evill the very least degree and to do all good in the very highest degree Thus you see what perfection is It is an endeavour and resolution to doe all things which God commandeth and to leave all the things which he forbiddeth perfectly in obedience to his authority or if you will in briefe Perfection of the Gospell is a striving after the perfection of the Law Now we must be thus perfect because it is a singular goodnesse of God to accept such an imperfect perfection at our hands For he might have held us still to the condition of workes and so rejecting our endeavours because falling short of what the Law requireth might have destroyed us notwithstanding such endeavours but he hath been pleased to make a new Covenant in which he requireth and accepteth our hearty endeavours though there be much failing O should not this move us to labour and strive As if a debtor owing an hundred pounds and not able to pay it should have these conditions propounded to him from his Creditor well pay me what you be able so you bring me good money not counterfeit and I will accept it Should not this make them very carefull to bring him so much as they were able and that in good silver not copper and false coine Againe we lose both our goodnesse and our selves also if we be not plaine and perfect If we have respect to all Gods Commandements and be found in Gods presence wee shall not be ashamed but confusion will cover our faces at the end if we satisfie our selves with hollow and defective goodnesse for a lame sacrifice will not be acceptable on Gods Altar Now I pray you let each of us consider of himselfe whether he be such a dissembler that hath little shew of piety and is not pious indeed We must be followers of them that by patience and faith inherite the promises and be such as they that have gone to heaven if our selves purpose to goe to heaven And if you be not so but openly sinfull or hollowly and dissemblingly good now see your misery you shall never be heires with Abraham Isaac and Iacob if you labour not to be like unto them in this perfection And the way to be perfect is to see our want and to pray to God to make us such Wee have him tyed by a just faithfull promise to fill the hungry and to heare them that call upon him Further it is said that Iacob dwelt in Tents not only meaning that he was a man brought up to tend cattell as they did that dwelt in Tents whereas Esau was an huntsman first and a souldier after but chiefly that he did not set himselfe to seek great possessions and faire palaces and houses in the world but sojourned in the land of Canaan as in a strange countrey dwelling in Tents with his Father Isaac as before him Abraham had done which thing the Apostle taketh notice of as a profession of their being Pilgrims and Strangers upon earth and seeking an enduring City So here are two things observable and imitable in Iacob one that he gave himself to tend cattell and was a very skilfull and able Shepheard as appeared after when he undertooke to tend his Father in lawes flocks It is necessary that a man have some calling some profitable employment by which he is able with the common benefit of others to maintain his own selfe and family and to uphold his estate It is a promise Thou shalt eate the labour of thine hands Loe labour must get our food else we have not the good mans blessing In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou get thy bread This is a punishment so far as it tendeth to inflict disquietment and troublesomenesse upon men in their labours but so far as it enjoyneth labour it is not a punishment but a precept He that tilleth his ground shall have bread enough Tilling of ones ground that is diligent following of ones honest calling is required and how shall a man follow that which he hath not Also nature teacheth this plainly enough the contrary also is full of danger to the soule exposing a man to many temptations and filling the heart with noysome lust and making it harder to escape and to walk in a Christian manner of life Wherefore those that have imitated Esau rather than Iacob and have given themselves to sports and vanity so that they be not able to doe any thing for their maintenance if need required have much to answer for before God and have brought much misery on themselves in regard they are in greater difficulty of being saved than other men in giving Satan and flesh an exceeding great advantage against their soules He that hath no calling is in danger to be a follower of idle companions and the troupes of such persons leade not in the way to heaven Therefore I call upon all you that are Parents and all you children that are come to yeares of discretion requiring you to be carefull of your childrens education and to traine them up for some due vocation and calling and you children to be obsequious to your Parents in this behalfe yeelding your selves to their directions and this exhortation I would inforce not only upon the poorer sort whose belly craveth it of them as Solomon saith but even on the wealthier sort too whose soules I am sure doe as much crave it of them For there is no man of so great birth and blood but that there is some noble study or other and some honourable employment wherein it will be to his honour to be skilfull and conversant Men of place
crosse Say then wast thou ever driven out of thine owne habitation to serve in a strange place and an hard master that wronged thee and used thee discurteously Wast thou ever in danger to have all thy goods taken from thee by an enraged man stronger than thy selfe and pursuing thee with a revengefull minde nor wast thou never in perill of thy life by a revengefull person armed with foure hundred souldiers nor wast thou never tormented with seeing thy sonnes murderers couzeners and robbers nor hast thou never lost a deare childe and thought him slaine by a violent death nor did never no son of thine commit incest with his mother in law if not see how favourable God hath been to thee above Iacob and praise love an honour him and make his gentlenesse an argument of turning and obeying for if thou compare thy sins with Iacobs there need be no doubt but that thine have been as great as his and thy repentance as little But it is our good not our sins that God lookes to in correcting as a Father corrects not a little childe for as great a fault so much as he doth a stronger Againe learne to beare the crosses thou hast with more patience and quietnesse of minde by comparing them with Iacobs crosses which have been more in number and more weighty and grievous Why doth any of you my Brethren take the matter so heavily that some childe of his is somewhat stubborne and ill disposed When none of them have committed murder incest rapine and such sins as Iacobs sons did commit Why doe you make such a stir at wrongs When none of you were ever so pursued by any foe as Iacob was by his brother and Father in Law Why doe you take on so for the ordinary and naturall death of a childe seeing none of you hath had such a childe torne by wilde beasts or some other like violence as Iacob conceived Ioseph to have miscarried Why doe you complaine of famine and of want When none of you hath suffered such a famine as compelled him to send so far as Iacob sent to Aegypt for Corne which is thought to be not much lesse than two hundred miles We complaine of ease If our so much lamented afflictions were laid in the ballance with Iacobs we should finde them very light and trifling businesses in comparison Want of looking about and observing the burdens that are fastened unto other mens shoulders causeth us to aggravate our owne so much in our owne conceits as that by making them seeme extraordinarily heavy wee even wilfully cast our selves into excessive sorrow for them But againe you that are yet at ease and have not tasted any so bitter a cup as Iacob did many must bee perswaded to take some paines with your owne hearts to make your selves thinke that some such crosses may befall you and therefore to prepare for them by resolving to beare them and praying God to sit you for them and sanctifie them to you Mans self-loving minde is willing to flatter it selfe with good hopes rather then to forewarne it selfe with wise warnings O I hope I shall never see my children my wife so naught I shall never finde such ill usage I hope Come hither vaine man and either give a good reason of thine hopes or else confesse them to be fruits of thine extreame folly and doting self-love Hath God ever promised thee that no such thing should befall thee I am sure thou canst shew no such promise Hast not thou deserved as much as Iacob to be severely chastened of God I am sure thou oughtest to say yes Doth not thy body soule name children lie abroad in as open a Sea and as tempestuous Here also thou oughtest to say yes and therefore shouldest also condemne these silken soft hopes of thine and say Well God may make me as afflicted as Iacob and therefore I will even expect the same or as bad and if they come I will beare them all seeing God and my ill deservings in them Yonder is a very towardly boy I love him dearely what if I should heare he were torne of beasts Lord if it be thy will let it not be so but if it be make me to beare it with quietnesse and why should I not so stoope to thy will in every thing yea I will doe it by thy grace If thou say I see many escape such crosses I answer and thou seest many afflicted with them and why maist not thou be amongst the number of those that suffer them as well as of those that escape them But lastly take heed of making over-bold with Gods favour as a wanton childe that presumes he shall not be whipt and therefore cares not almost what wanton and evill prankes he playes Doe you not see here that the Lord of heaven knowes how to whip his owne children throughly and to purpose You have not to deale with a foolishly pittifull Father that cannot finde in his heart to heare his children cry and see them smart and bleed No he can strike he can lay it on soundly he can make you roare and cry and bleed hee can doe it yea and he will doe it too if he finde that your conceit of his love and gentlenesse brings forth no better fruit in you than this that by presuming of it you are made more wicked Wherefore say to thy selfe if such abominable fancies arise foolish man that I am doe I so requite the Lords kindnesse Doe I put his clemency to this use Did he not cut and wound Iacobs soul Did he not handle him roughly even though we never reade that he did entertaine such presumptuous conceits How then will hee deale with me if I doe so exceedingly provoke him by so exceedingly abusing his goodnesse And so frame to condemne and blame thy wickednesse in having such motions and pray to God to worke in thine heart a reverend awe of his Majestie by making his justice and anger so terrible to thee as to make sin abominable that would insence that wrath and justice against thee * ⎠* THE TWENTIETH EXAMPLE OF IACOBS Wives FRom the Story of Iacob I proceed to his Wives and Children and so to other his contemporaries Iacob had foure Wives It was not his own seeking that his Wives grew to such a number for he was painfull and laborious and a chaste man that would very contentedly have satisfied himselfe with one woman But he was drawne into this way of Polygamy by severall occasions Now of his Wives the true and lawfull Wife was Rachel for her he agreed with her he espoused himselfe as it is like for we cannot thinke but that after his Father had promised to give her to him upon seven yeares service he would acquaint her with it and desire her good will and unlesse he had attained it the marriage would not have proceeded and been as it was solemnly celebrated to her hee bare singular affection and her alone he looked for Now for Rachel you
acknowledgement If you would learne that all things are pure unto the pure you would not bee hindred from so good a service by any scruple or abuse But I am afraid niggardlinesse hath as great a hand in breaking of such feasts as any thing else Whether you feast or not be it at your choise but mee thinks againe I repeat it safe escaping the danger that tooke away Rachel may well call for even a publicke and thankfull acknowledgement So much of Rachel whom we leave by her husband solemnly interred unner a monument erected upon her grave which kept her name up long and occasioned the calling of all the mothers dwelling thereabouts by her name When it is said Rachel weeping for her children because they were not Now of Leah she was a wife of Iacobs the first he had given though not promised Of her vertues we have not much noted but she shewed her selfe patient and loving to her husband somewhat quiet to her envious sister and thankfull to God for her children though her husband loved her lesse than was meet yet we read of no brawles either with him or her sister She entertained him very lovingly when he came home from field and she had hired him of her sister She consented also to goe with him into Canaan she was desirous of children and had many but a fault or two she slipped in First she went to bed to her sisters husband at her fathers persuasion which she ought not to have done In him that thought she was Rachel there was no sinne in her that knew she was not Rachel it was a great fault but excused by the fathers authority but she wronged Iacob much and made her owne life full of affliction Another little fault she had shee seemed a little too unkind to her sister in not being willing to impart some of her sonnes mandrakes but often unkindnesses and wrongs breed such an estrangement betwixt them who are otherwise neerly joyned as that they sticke at small curtesies We must take heed it doe not so with us but Leah had a little anger with her she could upbraid her sister with an injury when she came for a curtesie O that she had not too many followers in this weaknesse Her benefits were these she had a good husband and many children and was matcht into the Church and we hope went to Heaven for her carriage in respect of her children shews some goodnesse Indeed she was faulty in imitating her sister and giving Zilpah to Iacob much more faulty in thinking that God gave her the next sonne for a reward of that fault But so weake we are and ignorant of sin somtimes that we verily thinke God is pleased with our sins and recompenceth them with benefits And for her crosses they were want of her husbands love and comfortable cohabitation and all the miseries shee underwent with her husband besides her Father was something unkinde as it may seeme for she saith He counted them strangers and she also had an imperfection in her visage for she was bleare-eyed I hope you will all learne to imitate her vertues flie her sins be thankfull for the like mercies and patient under the like crosses and then you shall not be losers of time by hearing her story Now the two handmaidens Zilpah and Bilhah Zilpah hath nothing said of her but that Shee bare Iacob two children Gad and Asher So called of Leah that would needs imitate her sisters weaknesse and call them hers Bilhah is taxed of a grievous sin she suffered her selfe to be polluted with incest by Iacobs first borne If he offered her violence or surprized her by any device it was his fault not hers but it is not likely to have been so because God doth not report it so For God would not wrong any in reporting their acts to the worst but if there had been any excuse of her fault the Lord would have done her right in rehearsing it he should not else doe the office of a good writer of a Story O let all women take heed of adultery and chiefly of incestuous adulteries with their husbands son in law or brothers or a like neare of blood where the offence is made much more heinous by that aggravation and if any have committed any such crime let the mentioning of it in this woman bring it to their remembrance and provoke them to repentance that they may not have so fearefull a crime to answer for upon their sick-bed in the houre of death Likely such grosse crimes will cry out then if they have been smothered before but a conscience purged from them by sincere repentance performed in health may enjoy quiet and peace in death notwithstanding the remembrance of them For a sin repented of shall be pardoned and a pardoned debt cannot hurt at all not so much as terrifie if the pardon of it be knowne But something there was in it that God saw it fit to have his Church stored with the seed of bond-women for two of Iacobs wives were such because he would have us know that hee doth not much stand upon nobility and being free borne and the like One third part of his people Israel were seed of bond-women Though he would not let Hagars seed inherite yet that was not because he did looke to her condition but that he might figuratively set forth his aversnesse from them that will needs be in bondage under the Law when the Gospell brings them liberty and therefore now he doth equally take into the Church Dan and Nephthali Gad and Asher as well as Reuben and Levi Simeon and Iudah These earthly considerations vary nothing with God nor is the one any more acceptable with him than the other Let not those which enjoy the priviledges of this world in these matters sleight or despise such as want them and let not those that are meanlier borne trouble themselves at that depression Spirituall priviledges may belong to those that are of no reckoning in the world and those that are of high esteeme in it may be deprived of them The Tribes that came of the bond-woman were admitted into the possession of Canaan and to the fellowship of the Tabernacle as well as the rest It were a misery indeed to be outwardly mean if that would impeach our spirituall estate but seeing no such thing will follow let us shew our high esteeme of the soul above the body by not regarding the things of the body so that the soul be wel * ⎠* THE ONE AND TWENTIETH EXAMPLE OF LABAN WE have spoken of Iacobs selfe and of his Wives now I will goe on to speake of his Vncle and so of his Children His Vncle and Father in law was one Laban of Padan Aram of whose birth and death the Scripture takes no notice at all and indeed it is scarce worth the while to mention the birth and death of wicked men It is no great matter when they
his owne bosome The living God markes the carriage of servants accepts their diligence and fidelity and rewards it and it is as evident a note of true piety to be a good servant as a good King or a good Minister and that will make you good servants if you know that in so doing you shall be accepted by God and have your wages from him if your Governours should be froward And to remember that Saint Peter requireth you to shew your selves true Christians by being good servants even to unquiet and crooked Masters But if any of you have shewed your selves froward servants sullen dogged sloathfull idle false untrusty at best but eye-servants that caâ—ed no further to doe your duty then you conceived your Masters should know of your carriage otherwise not caring how you loitered out the time how wastfull you were and adding to these faults also answering againe and frowardnesse and falsehood denying your faults O be humbled in seeing your selves so unlike to Ioseph you would be accounted good Christians as he was a good son to Iacob and be sorrowfull you have not approved your selves such as he did approve himselfe When we see the godlinesse of those whom the Scriptures commend unto us we must take notice of our own naughtinesse with remorse and sorrow and runne to God to pardon and reforme it God that made Ioseph a good servant can make thee so too seeke unto him for his Spirit to make thee humble and conscionable Secondly in his Masters house this godly man shewed the true feare of God in that he forbare to commit a sinne to which he was so vehemently solicited saying to his Mistresse How shall doe this great evill and sinne against God Gen. 39.9 Wee must all labour to plant an awfull apprehension of Gods greatnesse justice and presence in our minds that wee may not dare to sinne against him this is the vertue so much commended in the Scriptures so often required and that hath so many promises made unto it This is that vertue which must prove our knowledge of God and our faith in him I meane a not daring to sinne in respect that wee know it is offensive to him and will provoke him against us This vertue will hold the heart from secret sinne and such to which wee are much solicited perhaps also much inclined He that hath this grace is mounded and armed against the strongest temptations of Satan and of evill men No man can doe himselfe a better turne then to abound in it the Prophet calls it our treasure He that hath gotten it in any good quantity hath gotten the richest treasure in the world and that which will doe him more good then all gold and silver Salomon calleth it the beginning or head or chiefe part or first fruits of wisdome It is a grace which maketh knowledge usefull which else will end or rather vanish in meere discourse and twattle It is a grace that cannot be found but in a heart thoroughly sanctified he that hath it is sure to find favour with God and to walke holily with God No man can sufficiently set forth the excellency of this grace It is that by which we must worke out our salvation without which wee cannot hold out in the way of piety it must helpe us against false feares and false hopes against pleasure against profit against credite against discredite against all the wayes that Satan hath to draw us to sinne It will make you forbeare secret sinnes and such as flesh hath much to say why it must needs commit a large measure of feare will make you forbeare such sinnes and if there be any there it will make you carefull of rising out of them by speedy repentance But you that are bold to sinne in secret and carelesse to repent of the sinnes that you can keepe secret flatter not your selves with a false imagination that you have the feare of God before your eyes Thirdly this worthy man had a thankefull and loving respect unto his Master for saith he my Master hath thus and thus honoured trusted me and shall I so requite his love as to defile his wife you see that every man ought to take great heed of wronging that person in any thing from whom he hath received much kindnesse in any respect The good that another hath done as should offer it selfe unto our minds to make us stedfast in forbearing to doe any thing that may wrong him as we should abstaine from injurying a benefactour in his wife or goods or name or in his children or in his body or in any other respect Consider if you have beene thus thankefull or not and he that is proved by the verdict of his owne soule to be ungratefull having not remembred good turnes received to make him temper himselfe from injuries let him know that this shall be a great aggravation of his fault that what should have prevayled to withdraw a man from sinne and hath not shall certainely prevaile to make his punishment the more grievous Hast thou wronged any one in his good name wife c. Concerning whom if ingratitude and love of sinne had not polluted and corrupted thy memory thou mightest have said he hath done this and this for me and shall I so requite him blush for shame to thinke that thou hast incurred the odious name of an ingratefull man a terme of as much reproach as any can be And now tread in Iosephs steps this way shew that you doe account your selves indebted for favours and curtesies by having them ready in your minds as a disswasive from any manner of injuriousnesse to them in whose debt you stand for such curtesies Let your memories serve you for good purposes Corruption will soone recall injuries to hinder from gratifying another let us as soone recall kindnesses to hinder from hurting But fourthly This Ioseph shewes forth that excellent vertue of chastity and that in an high degree for being a young man and earnestly and often yea almost continually importuned by his Mistresse to commit adultery with her he continues to repell her temptations with a peremptory denyall and shuns her company by all the wayes he can when she caught him at such an advantage once that having him alone she durst lay hands upon him and offer as much violence as that sexe could offer in that case he leaves his garment with her and runnes out so farre is he from yeelding a truer and nobler patterne of continency how can we thinke of If we consider his age and his person and the person of the solicittesse and the continuance of her evill suit and her earnestnesse in it how great a patterne is he of constant and invincible purity But the words that can be bestowed in commending him will all fall short of his worthinesse I shall endeavour to commend this grace unto you chastity is a sweet and excellent vertue The keeping of the Body pure
and undefiled and forbearing to mixe ones selfe with any person not allowed by God according to his Ordinance especially when strong temptations are offered to inflame libidinous fancies deserveth great praise for it shewes that the heart is fully resolved not to doe evill Indeed if the not entertaining of such motions arise from inability of body and unfitnesse to satisfie them this cannot be called castity but debility Wee must consider how much the Apostle disgraceth uncleannesse and fornication he saith it is injurious to Christ to the holy-Ghost to a mans owne body to Christ if he be a professour of Christianity that doth it for it takes one that is joyned to him and to his mysticall body as a member thereof and makes it the member of an harlot which is a great indignity to the holy-Ghost for it takes a Temple dedicated to him such is the body and soule of every Christian and makes it a hog-sty to lodge filthy lusts in to a mans owne body for he that doth it sinnes against his owne body in making-that the very instrument of committing that soule sinne Now as much as may be said in the reproach of the sinne so much on the contrary maybe said in prayse of continency by it a man keeps Christs members and the holy-Ghosts Temples and his owne body free from so great basenesse of being made subject to an harlot The way is first to plant in ones owne heart a reverend feare of Gods all-seeing eye yea to pray much to God to bestow a good measure of this grace upon him The second is to count the sin a great wickednesse for so hee saith this great wickednesse The holding fast in ones mind an apprehension of the grievousnesse of a fault is a great preservative against it but if one once yeeld to fancy that it is no great matter then will it prove no great matter to draw us to it And indeed this sinne of Adultery must needs be a great wickednesse because it sinnes against a cleare light and is contrary to a solemne vow and Covenant made betwixt the marryed 3. A man must often ponder on the threats of God made against this sinne and presse them upon his owne soule and pray to God to make him beleeve and feare Fourthly he must prevent the occasions and fly from them even that occasion of being present especially in solitary places and alone with those to whom his heart is inclined or indeed with any with whom such a sinne may be committed but upon just grounds and causes And lastly a man must not trust upon his owne strength but constantly supplicate to God keep downe his inordinate passions or else he shall find them too unruly for him Labour you that be young and you that be elder and all to attaine this power over ill desires God that wrought it in Ioseph can worke it in any other as well you shall doe well to produce Iosephs Example unto God and beseech him to shew his Spirit and his feare in you as he did in him Why are godly mens worthy deedes set up before our eyes in Scriptures but that we may strive and pray and hope to be made like unto them But as all must bee exhorted to get Chastity so chiefly those which have beene overtaken already with the contrary crime of Adultery or fornication or both It is more easie to forbeare a sinne the first time then the second the second then the third and so forth unlesse great care be used to get the heart throughly healed If Joseph had lived in Fornication with any other he could never have resisted his mistresses inticements They that have yeelded to this sinne shall more hardly save themselves from it then those that have never yeelded but if a man doe frequently and unfainedly repent of this as well as of other sinnes it will bee made so loathsome to him that by Gods assistance he shall prevaile against it yea even though it be his darling corruption I goe on to shew how Joseph behaved himselfe in the house of his Prison and that to his Master there the Jaylor and also to the Kings Officers that were committed thither First he fell to his old trade of diligence and faithfulnesse carrying himselfe in so vertuous a manner that the Jaylor did affect him and liked him more and more till at last he intrusted him with all the charge of the prison This was a great trust for you know what extreame danger a Jaylor chiefely of such prisoners doth put himselfe in if his prisoners escape there againe therefore let all inferiours be perswaded to seeke to winne their Superiours by good and vertuous carriage especially meekenesse submissivenesse painefulnesse and trustinesse This will worke a man into favour even with an hard master but I spake of that matter a little before I will shew you his carriage to the prisoners to whom he was an Attendant it is commendable in these three respects First he shew'd himselfe desirous to comfort them when they were sad and dejected asking them why they were sad had hee not bin of a kinde and tender disposition he would not have heeded how a person to whom himselfe had no more relation had fared whether sorrowfully or merrily but so kinde was hee that hee seekes to comfort them by asking them the cause of their sadnesse and seeking to remove it We should all learne to practice this courteousnesse to all men chiefly to such as are in affliction otherwise even helpe to raise up their hearts with good words and so much as we can to become instruments of cheering them as you see Joseph intreating to know their Dreames and diligent to interpret the same It is an excellent vertue to be ready to comfort the afflicted and to revive the spirits of them that bee cast downe so farre as we be able but a churlish carelesse temper whereby a man cares not whether men cry or laugh be merry or sad is a proofe of much pride and stupidity of spirit and must be abhorred Againe you see him faithfull in interpreting their dreames not seeking to flatter the Baker in regard of the likenes of the dreames You must learne to deale truely with men telling them as the thing is not falsifying your words to please them and to prevent their sorrowes Most of all must men deale truly in interpreting and applying Gods Word and you must learne to be so wise as to accept such true and plaine dealing Lastly Ioseph was so wise and so prudently carefull of redeeming himselfe out of prison that he would not let slip the opportunity of speaking to the Butler to remember him It is very lawfull for any man to use good meanes of getting out of a crosse and to take all such advantages as God shall afford of suing and supplicating unto such as may be helpefull to him in that behalfe as Ioseph doth but still wee must take heed that
her hate him Their hatred made him a slave her hatred made him a prisoner bondage and imprisonment brought him acquainted with the chiefe Butler made himselfe known to Pharaoh and so brought him up to this exceeding height of place Blessed be God for his goodnesse to his people no man shall hazard himselfe to temporall misery for conscience sake but God will requite him with a hundred fold at least more comfort here as well as with life eternall hereafter Let Iosephs wages make you not afraid so farre as you are called to it to doe Iosephs worke that is to say and doe good and forbeare evill though you incurre hatred and danger and much affliction thereby Lastly Ioseph was blessed too in his posterity to make his wellfare up fully he lived to see the sonnes of Manasseth and Ephraim his two sonnes and he lived to see the part of the birth-right even the double portion conferred upon his children and that by the mouth of his Father inspired by God when he made his last will Iacob adopted his two sonnes to himselfe to make two Tribes and God made them both great but especially the younger he made him a principall Tribe for possessions and command afterwards and this also is some satisfaction to a Father if he know that his children after him shall flourish for many generations O that we could feare God and follow true vertue and piety as Ioseph did that he might blesse us also as he did him in our selves and posterity in our state and our name in our bodies and in our soules and in all that pertaineth to us according to his promise And let all that feare God be assured that so farre as is good for them the Lord will give them prosperity in these things for he made the same promises to all his people and will confirme them so farre as they are capable and it may stand with their spirituall good Now you have heard of Iosephs life conclude we with the conclusion of his life his death For neither honours nor favours nor grace nor any thing could keepe death away and it must befall me and you and all that now live and are to live hereafter onely marke that he dyed a godly and comfortable death for in the cloze of his life he made profession of his being an Hebrew not an Egyptian by taking an oath of them for the carrying of his bones into the Land of Canaan gave them a promise of their returne thither which was also an exercise of his faith to demonstrate his comfortable expectation of life eternall whereof the Land of Promise was a figure You are not ignorant Brethren that within the compasse of an hundred yeares a minute being compared to eternity the whole number of you must be as well as Ioseph dying and dead men Be intreated to divorce your hearts from sinne the cause of death from the world which at death you must leave and from men which cannot helpe you neither in nor after death and labour to get righteousnesse which will deliver from death some assurance of heaven that ye may have a place of comfort after death and interest into Christ who can save you from the hurt of death And these things if you attaine you may triumph over death with Pauls question Death where is thy sting else death will triumph over you with the question of Christ Whose then shall be these things of which thou gloriest So much of Ioseph THE TWENTY SEVENTH EXAMPLE OF IOSEPHS STEVVARD ONE person alone remaineth to be spoken of whom wee cannot name to you for the Scripture giveth him no name at all He hath a good name a good report in Scripture for a good man but no name that is no particular surname or proper name by which he was usually knowne and distinguished from other men of his Country or progenitors of his birth or death we have nothing but he is set forth by his relation to Ioseph he was Iosephs Steward for as Ioseph sowed so did he reape what a kind of servant and Steward himselfe was to Putiphar such a kind of Steward in some degree did God provide for him He himselfe was a good servant to his Master and himselfe being a Master enjoyes a good servant to himselfe many times the Lord sees fit to bring a mans good deeds into his owne bosome a good child to his Parents hath good children himselfe a good servant hath good servants and so in the rest Let this incourage you that be in the place of servants to performe your duties diligently unto your domesticall Rulers your Masters for by this meanes you may lay up for your selves a comfortable hope of being served with like care and diligence your selves God no doubt hath a speciall hand in disposing of servants to every Master it is he that ordereth things so as such a man hath good and such a one bad servants men often use great care to choose a servant and meete with a very bad one contrary to all their hopes and care againe sometimes by meere casualty almost men light upon a very good servant More particularly his carriage was good to his Master and to the strangers brethren to his Master but not by him knowne so to be 1. Teachable they learnt some knowledge of the true God from him The God of your Fathers saith he and your God hath given you this treasure How came this man to know a distinction of Gods How came he to know that they had a God of their owne peculiar to them and to their Fathers which was not then acknowledged to be the God of all the world Egypt had many Gods this man acknowledgeth one God and that one God which was acknowledged and worshipped by these men and by their Forefathers It is not likely that Ioseph told his Steward that these were his brethren but it is undoubtedly manifest that they were some such as he knew to be worshippers of the true God which hee knew by some few men to be worshipped in the Land of Canaan Therefore you see how kindly he speakes to them that a man may even perceive by his words that they were so much dearer to him because they pertained to that God This was the more observable because he was an Egyptian servant O that all you which be servants to godly Governours would learne some goodnesse from them even to know and serve God you all have some knowledge of that one God but learne also the feare and love of that God the sincere and carefull worship of that God from your Governours that would fain teach it you and would count themselves happy if you would learne it from them But for a servant to live in the family of a Ioseph that laboureth to teach godlinesse unto him by word and example and yet declares no sense nor feeling of God no knowledge or respect of him how great a sinne is this and how
and of all that die in the Faith of our Lord Jesus to whom bee ascribed all Might Majestie Dominion and Glorie both now and for ever more Amen This Man of God and faithfull Minister of Christ departed this life upon Friday the 10. of May Anno Domini 1639. neare the end of the six and fiftieth yeare of his age Feb. 25. 1639. Imprimatur THOMAS WYKES Banburies Funerall teares powred forth upon the Death of her late pious and painefull Pastour Mr. William Whately deciphered in this Sympathizing Elogy I am that Orbin which of late did shine An heav'n enlightned starre with raies divine Which did arise within mee and dispence Light life heate Heav'n-infusing influence And went before me steering right mine Eye Vnto the very place where CHRIST did lye He was a Cynosura in my motion To Heaven's bright haven on this worlds vast Ocean Or as the Aegyptian Pharos to descrie The rockes of sinne and errour to mine Eye Hee was my Glorie Beautie Consolation My very soule I but the Corporation I would goe on with bleedings to recite His and mine owne sad fall but I can't write Throbs shake mine hand and griefe my sight destroyes And when I speake ah teares doe drowne my voice Yet will I sigh and give my sorrowes pent Within my breast by mournefull breathings vent Come then speake sighs write teares and sadly storie The dark Ecclipse that hath befell my glorie My Starre is falne and Heavens did so dispose That there he fell where he at first arose The Starres above us thus their races runne Returning thither whence they first begunne But did I say hee 's fallen Stay me there He is translated to an higher spheare Where though to th' world he is obscur'd he may Shine forth unvailed in a purer ray Fixt to an endlesse rest in heavens bright throne Above all starry Constellation But ah alas Death hath dispos'd it so That his rise prooves my fall his weale my woe His weale my woe strange what a change is this My welfare was but now in wrapt in his But thus Death innovates and did he not Tell me that he Commission hath got And warrant for his fact from heavens great King I would have brought him into questioning Ah death what hast thou done Dost thou not care To make a breach which ages can't repaire So rare a Frame in peeces for to take VVhich Heav'n and nature did combine to make A Master-peece For who did ere behold So sound a spirit in so strong a mold Heaven's treasure which within his breast abode VVas by his liberall tongue disperst abroad All Graces gave a meeting in him even To make his breast a little map of Heav'n His lips distilled Manna and he stood Not so for Church-goods as the Churches good His voice it was a trump whose sound was made VVith breath divine which it from Heaven had His life a dayly Sermon which alas Methinkes was measur'd by too short a glasse Ah Death though Painters give thee holes for eyes Yet thou canst see to take the richest prize To hit the fairest mark yet I suspect It was my sinne which did thine hand direct My light had I improov'd it well for gaine VVould have remaind els lights sha'nt burn in vain Yet sure he is not dead for why I find Him still surviving in my breast enshrin'd And who can say that he 's of life bereaven That lives in 's works inpious hearts in Heaven He 's but a sleepe by death undrest not dead Or hath but changd his dresse for he in stead Of these sin-staind ragges of mortality VVeares a pure robe whose length's eternity M. B. EXAMPLE I. OF Adam and Eve AS all other knowledges are conveniently taught by Precepts and Examples so is that best of knowledges the art of living holily Hence it is that as I have instructed you to my poore ability in the Law and the precepts of good life so I doe now intend to set before your eyes the Examples recorded in Scripture of Men both good and bad that by observing the swervings of the one and the right walking of others you may better keepe your owne feete in the streightest paths Onely concerning Examples you must know this thing in generall that no Example at all hath the force of a precept either to binde the consciences of men to any thing as a duty or to restraine from any thing as a sinne because the knowledge of sinne is from the Law and where there is no Law there is no transgression and our care must be to walke in Gods waies not in the waies of any man whatsoever But Example prevaileth alone to perswade the will as a fit argument of Exhortation or Dehortation not as an argument to proove a thing needfull or sinfull Seeing then my duty is to perswade you to all goodnesse and to disswade you from all evill and the Examples of Scripture are undoubted and certaine and they offer themselves as it were unto the sences and so more worke on the will to allure or deterre I thinke it a convenient meanes of helping you in all righteousnesse and against the contrary to make a collection of those Examples of good or bad things which are left us upon record by a divine pen and I will range these Examples according to the order of time wherein they lived so farre as I can informe my selfe thereof by the Word of God And I will begin with Adam and Eve and put them both together because their good and evill was put togeher in practise thereof The Method I intend to take in each person is this I will consider his Birth Life and Death and in his Life I will looke to his carriage and behaviour in respect of the deeds he did good bad indifferent and doubtfull and the things that befell him either prosperously or adversely in benefits or afflictions Now for Adam and Eve because they were the first fountaines of mankind and therefore could not be borne in the same manner as others be for he that is borne must have a Parent and he that hath a Parent was not the first man or woman because his Parent was before him therefore I cannot tell you any thing of their Birth but of their entring into the world by another way which was to them the same in effect that our begetting and birth is to us I will informe you according to the Scriptures for it much concernes us to understand our originall and to know certainely how mankinde came into the world Know then in summe That God made Man of the dust of the earth and breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soule Here is in briefe the Creation of Adam now Adam signifieth red Earth because his body was made of such kinde of Earth and concerning Woman it is noted that God caused a deepe sleepe to fall upon Adam and then tooke one of his ribbes