Certaine plaine, briefe, and comfortable notes vpon euerie chapter of Genesis Gathered and laid downe for the good of them that are not able to vse better helpes, and yet carefull to read the worde, and right heartilie desirous to taste the sweete of it. By the Reuerend Father Geruase Babington, Bishop of Landaph.

Chap. 13. (Book 13)

The especiall heads of this Chapter are these.

• The welth of these 2 mē Abr. & Lot, frō the 1.v. to the 7.
• The dissention betwixt them from the 7. to the 14.
• The iteration of Gods promise from the 14. to the end.

THe wealth of them sheweth that riches also som∣times are bestowed vpon the godly,* 1.1 such as shall be heires and inheritors of the peerelesse ioyes of euerlasting life.* 1.2 And therefore though it be hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God, and euen easier for a camell to go through the eye of a nedle, yet it is not impossible, but God with whome all things are possible, can bring it to passe.

2 It teacheth vs that euen with wealth a man may be godly, and folow his vocation, to the good liking of almightie God, and the discharge of himselfe, in such measure as humane frailtie per∣mitteth, for neither Abraham nor Lot are hindred heereby from pleasing God. Needlesse therefore it was, and but a Philosophi∣call folly or pang, that Crates cast his money into the Sea, and sayde, Ego te mergam, ne mergar a te. I will drowne thee, least I bee drowned of thee: for with money and many worldly blessings moe a man may serue God, as heere Abraham and Lot dyd. Or that our holye Monks thought (at least made the common people thinke) that the touching of money woulde

defile them, and the not touching or dealing with it was great puritie and holynesse. There is no such matter wee see by these two great seruants of God. But there is a rule which wee may farre better folow, and in deede ought to folow, layd downe by the spirit of God in the Prophet Dauid, to wit, If riches in∣crease, set not thy hart vpon them, &c. Vse them we may, but loue them we cannot without a fault. That which is sayd in the Gospell, Sell all, and giue to the poore, is vnderstood of a hart willing if neede be, not of a deede when cause concurreth not. Li∣ber si sis ab auaritia, omnia vendis licet nihil vendas, sin minus nihil vendis, licet omnia vendas. If thou be free from couetousnes, thou sellest all things though thou shouldest sell nothing, otherwise thou sellest nothing, though thou shouldest sell all things.

* 1.33 The contention betwixt them sheweth an accidēt of wealth through our corruption,* 1.4 now and then to make strife and disagree∣ment, euen where a bond of nature is to the contrary: so it did heere, they were both so wealthy, that the land could not beare them, that they might dwell together.

4 But where began the contention? amongst their seruants, theyr heardmen could not agree together:* 1.5 and brawles a∣mongst seruants at last reach to their maisters, they many tymes harkening to the same more partially then they should: too true this is by dayly experience found in euery coast and countrey, would God either this example, or thousands of euils that growe thereby, might make them amend that yeeld too much to thys mischiefe. It is neither pittie nor charitie to beleeue all reports, much lesse the reports of a man greeued against the partie, who hath greeued him, least of all against him, who hauing nothing at all offended, the mayster I meane, is only abused because his ser∣uant hath done what his mayster neither wished nor liked. Let not Lot and Abraham so cruelly iarre and stomack one an other, be∣cause their seruants cannot agree together: and what seruants? their heardmen, their dogkeepers, or horsekeepers, or the basest they haue. Where should wisedome appeare if not in this, to dis∣cerne persons, causes, times, and occasions, and neuer for a baser to lose a better, for a stranger, a neighbour, for a seruant, and cause of no accompt, a gentleman and loue of most great accompt.

5 I but what shall a man doo? his seruant is abused, other mens seruants seeke to crow ouer them,* 1.6 & to rule the rost as they list. This is an iniury to the mayster, and a shame to suffer it. So a man may be made a foole, and compted a wretch and a dastard of no reputation, and neuer a man care to serue him that will no better sticke to his men, then so. Well sayd flesh and bloud, and ould Adams corruption, I knowe this is the songe thereof, and much more then this to this ende. But either wee bee Christians or none. If wee bee Christians, and care for his word, wee haue heere a direction what to doo, surely euen as godly Abraham did at this time. He considered all circumstances, loued concord, regarded peace, sought it, and insewed after it. Thought it would bee farre more credit for him to haue vnitie and good loue, then the bitter effects of the contrary. Therefore hee hartneth not his seruants and setteth them on, hee taketh not their tales into his bosome, to worke dislyke of Lot his Cosen, hee looketh not bigge vppon Lot, biddeth hym not away from hym, &c. But hee talketh with hym of the matter, and that not hotely, but kindly and friendly, with great meekenesse and loue, knowing in wisedome that speach somewhat, but kinde and soft speach much more cooleth a heate that beginneth to rise,* 1.7 and doth out a fyre that began to flame. Hee is Lots elder and Vncle, his bet∣ter in that respect and all other, yet hee standeth not vpon that, looking when Lot shoulde come vnto him, and stoupe to hym, but as in yeares and euery way hee did excell him, so in wise∣dome and mildnesse, in humilitie and temperance of affections hee farre passeth him. Ouerruling himselfe by that vertue thus farre, that hee goeth to hym, and vrging him with that which Lot not so well considered, to wit, that they were brethren, neighbours, friends, kinsfolks, &c. moueth hym thereby as by so many strong reasons, and mightie hands, that loue and peace might remayne betwixt them, and contention and brawles be far away bothe from them, themselues, and from their people: I pray thee sayth hee, I pray thee, let it not be thus, but so, and so forth. He gaue hym his choyse to goe which way hee would, and would accept what hee refused. O paterne of wisedome and all vertues for all Noblemen, Gentlemen, and whosoeuer may say they

bee brethren either in nature, or in Ch••ist and Religion. Shall wee not obserue it and folow it? Are wee •• shamed to bee Abra∣hams? so wise, so meeke, such louers of concord and vnitie? Take heed that the God of Abraham be not then ashamed of vs, both ••eere and in his kingdome for euer. Yet was Abraham a man, I warrant you, and had a sort of tall fellowes that woulde strike, if he bad. As you see when he went to rescue Lot from the furies of them that had taken him prisoner.* 1.8 But Abraham will neuer shew his manhood and might against his brother, his neigh∣bour, his kinsman. He defyeth that manhood and stomack, hee think••th nothing can be more reprochfull to him, then to breake such bands of loue, and to iarre with such a person as is so neere vnto him. Would God we would marke it, and remember euer that the bond of one God, one faith, one baptisme, and so forth, is as farre aboue the bond of one father, one mother, and such like, as God is aboue man, spirituall things aboue carnall, and the spirit aboue the flesh. Amplifie it further your selfe in your me∣ditation. I may not be long.

6 Marke the estate of these two men now. Remember the famine mencioned in the Chapter before,* 1.9 a cause why these men remoued hither.* 1.10 Haue they now any want? Doo you see any miserie vppon them? Nay doo they not abound with all store, comfort, and plentie? Neuer then can that man or wo∣man perish for want, that want not an hart to serue and trust in the Lorde. The Lyons doo lack and suffer hunger, but a man or a woman that feareth God,* 1.11 shall want nothing that is good. Gayne is not godlynesse, but godlynesse is great gayne, if we be content with that which wee haue,* 1.12 and it hath the promise both of this life, and that to come.

7 Let vs marke also Lots yeelding to reason, when it is layd before him,* 1.13 and acceptance of kindnesse when it is offred hym, without any wayward wilfulnesse in his owne conceipts and dea∣lings.* 1.14 So should all good men doo, hating to be of the number of them, whome nothing can please, who haue made Will theyr God, and wilfull waywardnesse their plot for euer: yeelding to

nothing, accepting of nothing, caring for nothing, but what their owne wits deuise, & their owne tongues motion, yea many times going euen from that also, if it be consented vnto.

8 Lot chose the playne of Iorden for hys place, because it was most pleasant both for water and all commodities,* 1.15 * 1.16 euen as the Garden of Eden. But see and marke, when hee thought hee had got Paradise, hee got Hell. Sodom and Gomorrha proued filthye places, and all his pleasures were sowsed with sowre fruites of curssed inhabitants. Sped neuer man thus but Lot? gaping for pleasure, hath none gotten payne? parting from Abraham a faithfull friend, because they were wanton and ouer wealthy. Haue none light of Sodomites and filthy Gomorr∣heans, God being iust, and so quitting their folly? Go wee not alwayes then by shew and pleasures, when wee chose a place to a∣bide in.* 1.17 But looke we rather at vertue and honestie of our neigh∣bours that shall be, for feare of a griefe as great as Lot had by these filthy folowers of all vice and wickednesse. Better is a place with fewer pleasures amongst good liuers, then many mo delightes, with an vngodly neighbourhood. It is a great griefe that is a dayly griefe, yea an hourely griefe, and that at home too, where a man would fayne finde comfort, to oppose to forren woes and troubles.

9 In the repetition of his promise,* 1.18 which it pleased God to make,* 1.19 Verse 14. wee may first obserue the weakenesse of all mens faith, and what neede there is that with o••ten helpes it shoulde bee propped and strengthned. The Lorde vseth no meanes without a cause, and therefore vsing heere the meanes to comforte Abraham, hys wisedome sawe what was neede∣full, wee are assured. If Abraham needed, how much more other men, so farre inferiour in strength of fayth to Abra∣ham.

10 Againe, we may see y^e sweet goodnes of God watching, wat∣ching oportunities, & euen then ••ō••••••ting Abraham,* 1.20 by repe••••••••ō of his promise, when Lot was gone frō him, & he by reason therof

might haue bin sad and dismayed. So is the eye of our gracious God euer vpon vs, to spye our distresses, and to helpe vs, when we haue most neede.

* 1.2111 Abrahams obedience, an argument of his faith. You also see heere remouing when God commanded, without euer any grudging or carnall gaynesayings, as before hath beene noted.

* 1.22Lastly, let his building of the altar shewe vs his thankeful∣nesse for Gods mercies to quicken our dulnesse, and teach vs his open professing of the Religion he truly imbraced, against all close dissemblers of their consciences,* 1.23 yea let it make vs remember alwayes, that it sufficeth not any man to beleeue with the hart vnto righteousnesse,* 1.24 vnlesse also as occasion shall serue he con∣fesse with the mouth vnto saluation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Verse 2.
• * 1.2

  Riches giuen to the godly.
• * 1.3

  Verse 7.
• * 1.4

  Wealth cause of contention sometime.
• * 1.5

  Seruants set may∣sters at variance.
• * 1.6

  Maysters excuses to deale in their ser∣uants qua∣rells.
• * 1.7

  Speech endeth anger, and silence nourisheth & increa∣seth it.
• * 1.8

  When ma••hood ••s to bee ••hewed.
• * 1.9

  Verse 10.
• * 1.10

  Pietie ne∣uer bring∣eth losse in the ende.
• * 1.11

  Psal. 34.
• * 1.12

  2. Tim. 6. 1. Tim. 4.
• * 1.13

  Verse. 10.
• * 1.14

  Good men yeeld to reason.
• * 1.15

  Verse 11.
• * 1.16

  Men ga∣ping for pleasure, get payne.
• * 1.17

  Good neigh∣bours.
• * 1.18

  Verse 14.
• * 1.19

  The conti∣nual weak∣nes of man, needeth continua•••• comforts from God.
• * 1.20

  Gods com∣fort•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in fit times
• * 1.21

  Obedience
• * 1.22

  Thanke∣fulnesse.
• * 1.23

  Open pro∣fession of religion.
• * 1.24

  Rom. 9.10.