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. 26. (Book 26)

The heads of this Chapter these.

• The famine, verse. 1.
• The exile of Isaac and his accidents, to ver. 15.
• The hatred of the Palestines against him, to 16.
• The couenant betwixt the king and him.

* 1.11 TOuching the first, wee remember, and the words remember vs also,* 1.2 that God tryed Abraham this mans Father be∣fore, euen with the same affliction in a strange coūtrey, and now he tryeth his sonne after him with the same. There∣by giuing vs occasion to learne, that euen such temptations as others be∣fore vs our Fathers and brethren haue tasted of, we also must ex∣pect and prepare our selues for. The cup of affliction, is not ap∣propriated to some fewe, but made ready euen for the whole num∣ber

of Gods elect, as the Father of wisedome shall iudge it sit. Now if others also haue drunke with vs both before, and shall af∣ter, then false is that peeuish perswasion, that Sathan so faine would fasten in our mindes, that none but we taste of this crosse, or in this sort and such like. It is not so, but as heere, what Isaac is tried with, his father also indured before, so what we abide, others in like sorte haue abidden, and it is no more token of Gods displea∣sure to vs, then to them, but his messenger in loue, to invre our faith both to them and vs. The Apostle Peter is very plaine, & let not his wordes depart from before your eyes, day or night:* 1.3 whom resist, saith he, stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same, the same afflictions (marke it) are accomplished in your brethrē which are in the world. Both of which place and matter, I haue much more spoken in the last petition of the Lords praier, to your comfort I hope, if you will there see it and consider it.

2 The Lord appeareth to Isaac and saith,* 1.4 go not downe to Egipt, &c.* 1.5 where we see the care & prouidence of the Lord for his chosen euer, whom though he exercise as it pleaseth him, yet he ne∣uer leaueth destitute of his comfort. His eye sleepeth not, nor his loue fainteth, but euer he is ready to supply an other waye, what wanteth someway to his children. Gen. 41. He admonisheth Pha∣roh of a famine to come, by his seruant Ioseph? and whye? But that so he might prouide for his seruant Iacob, a place to be fed in 2. Kings and 8, you haue an other notable example of this mercy. Let the Lord then worke his pleasure with vs, sure we are by these examples, he will not faile vs, but prouide for vs, as shall be best.

3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with thee, &c.* 1.6 Note the blessing of God vpon men,* 1.7 when they are where God appointeth them. If we carue for our selues, bee it vnto vs according to our bouldnes. But if we tarrie Gods leasure, & folow his calling, and his directiō, surely it shalbe to vs there according to mercy: a good place to stay flitting minds: no waye respecting the Lord in theyr changes, but their owne pleasures or selfewill.

4 Many blessings he promiseth here to Isaac if you marke them,* 1.8 and why? Because Abraham obeyed my voice, sayth hee,* 1.9 &c.

teaching vs plainely, that there is no more effectuall meanes to prouoke God to mercie toward children, then if their parents be∣fore obeyed Gods voyce. This is it that God cannot forget, nei∣ther will forget,* 1.10 for his goodnes sake. But euen vnto thousands of their seed that serue him, and keepe his commaundemenes will he be good. O parents marke it, and lay it to your hearts. You see the fruite of your comming to church, of your hearing the worde, receiuing the Sacraments, and of leading your life according to the waye prescribed, it sealeth vp the Lords fauour, not onely to your selues, but to your children after you, to a thousand desents. This cannot raking and scraping vp worldly pelfe do, with neg∣lect and contempt of all I haue named, but euen quite the con∣trary, and therefore I pray you marke it.

* 1.115 What might be noted heere in his denyall of his wife, hath sufficiently bin touched in the remembrance of this matter in his Father before him Chap. 20. whether you may resort againe,* 1.12 * 1.13 and compare the Father and sonne together: making this note with your selfe that feare and distrust is found in the most faithfull, and therefore no cause we should vtterly dispayre for our own wants.

* 1.146 Abimelechs iudgement of adulterie, in the 10. verse, will condemne many carelesse sinners in this kinde, that make not the like conscience to offend thus, that this man did. These cursed dayes make but a sporte of this sinne so fowle, in the eyes of very Heathens. But let vs beware, and lay it to our hearts, how in all ages, men that haue not been past all honestie, haue been perswa∣ded that Gods vengeance should light of wedlock breakers.

7 Abimelech then gaue charge as you see, for Isaacs safetie, and his wiues also,* 1.15 threatning death it selfe to hym that should touch them. See Gods mercy to take away his feare, that for his wife he should be killed, and not onely so, but to raise him vp such a friend of the king, as heere wee see. O what is not God able to do for his faithfull seruants, and what is he not willing to doe also for theyr comfort? Let vs cleaue to God then, and hee will cleaue to vs, let vs trust in him, and he will neuer forsake vs.

8 Isaac thus hauing found grace with the king,* 1.16 that he might be safe, fell to labour, and sowed a crop. The Lorde was present in that also, and gaue him of his labour increase an hundred fould. So the Lorde blessed him among these strangers, and is that arme shortned, that it cannot nowe blesse our labours in our seuerall callings and trades, if it please him? We knowe it is not, and therefore rather we want Isaacks trauell,* 1.17 who lay not on the one side, and looked to liue, but laboured truly, and sowed his seed, or els we want his good heart toward God and religion, and ther∣fore the Lord serueth vs thereafter. Iudge your selues, as you best can, and amend what you finde to be amisse: with sowing, not with sleeping Isaac got his increase, and yet not with sowing nei∣ther without Gods blessing, but the Lord blessed him saith y^e text ver. 13. and so makes him the author of this fruitfulnes in y^e land, as euer he is. His mightie increase also otherwise, the text doth shew you, and marke it well, what God can do.

9 So he increased in very deed, that the Philistins had Enuie at him. Thereby we finding the saying true,* 1.18 that pouertie breeds pittie, and plentie, spite: yea thereby wee seeing the guise of this world most playne before vs, that if a man want he is contemned, and if God blesse him hee is enuied, for enuie is a greefe at an o∣thers well doing. And there is no poyson like this poyson, for all others hurt some others, & not themselues, but enuie rather wa∣steth and weareth our owne selues, then hurteth others. Actius Sincerus sayd well of it, when being in company where question was made, what was good for the eyes to quicken the sight, and some sayd Fennell, some Saladine, some glasse, &c. He sayd Enuie was better then all those. Noting thereby, that enuie and spite, is euer busie, to spie quickly, rather with most then least: what re∣medy but patience, and patience against spite, shall euer haue vic∣torie at the last. Xenophon sayde to one that spake spitefully of him, Tu didicisti maledicere, & ego conscientia teste maledicta contemnere. Thou saith he, hast learned to speake euill, and I in the testimonie of my cleare conscience, to contemne thy spite. So say we, and so do we, and the game will be ours in the end. Paci∣entia vincit omnia, non collu••tando sed sufferendo non murmuran∣do,

sed gratias agendo. Patience ouercommeth all things, not with strugling againe, but with suffring, not with murmuring, but with giuing of thanks. Socrates was merry, when he answered one that asked him, why he put vp an iniury, and cauld not the par∣tie into law: What? if mine Asse take vp his heele and hit mee, must I goe to the law with him by and by. Noting what patience is rather to be vsed of wisemen.

* 1.1910 The Philistins stop vp his wels, &c. This being theyr malice, let it harten vs, if euer we finde the like, and teach vs, that it is as true of malice as of loue, that if it cannot go, it will creep: that is it will shew it selfe as it can, and if it cannot do all it would, it will yet doo peeuishly all it can.

* 1.2011 Isaac vpon this changeth his dwelling, and we may learne by it, that quietnesse is to be sought aboue profit.

* 1.2112 In digging of these pits that heere you see, marke theyr names: the first is digged, and he calleth it Esek, that is conten∣tion or strife, because they stroue with him for it. Then digged he a second,* 1.22 and called it Sitnah, which is hatred. But at last, He digged a third, for which they stroue not, and therfore he cal∣led it Rehoboth, because the Lord had made him rowme. So then after Esek and Sitnah, strife and hatred, at last hee came to Rehoboth,* 1.23 rowme and rest, let vs hope the like, after trouble, peace,* 1.24 after strife, rest, and after paine, pleasure, to the praise of Gods mercy, that in time shall moderate what is amisse.

13 God appeareth to him, & comforteth him, saying, feare not,* 1.25 &c. See, and see againe, the care of God for a true seruant of his. These crossings and striuings you haue seene, & how gree∣uous they were to a poore stranger you can consider, more farre then the like would haue been among his owne friends. God ther∣fore speaketh and cheereth him vp, leauing vs this to remember euer, that he seeth our greefes, noteth our wrongs, marketh our strifes, and in most need he will euer comfort vs. O sweete mercy of a gratious father, how may it cheere vs: he is not kind for Isaac alone, but for all them that trust in him, and that haue we found I

am sure all of vs, if we will remember, and f••ll shall find if we will regarde him. His time he knoweth, and wee may not apoint him,* 1.26 his time he will keepe, and we may not doubt him, our pinche hee spyeth, and we shall feele him.

14 Yet see more both of mercy and power in the Lorde to his Childe.* 1.27 That vnkinde king that reuersed his loue towards Isaak and thrust him away, the Lorde maketh seeke to him againe for fauour, & to feare his vertue. So can God do, if it please him,* 1.28 with any of vs, when we are most troden downe and abused, by any e∣nemies that we haue. But let vs not appoint him: what he doth is euer best, onely let vs see what he can do, if it be good for vs.

15 Isaac when they came, expostulateth with them of his wrong yet he forgiueth it, and feasteth them liberally.* 1.29 A good example for our eger wraths, that will neuer be appeased. If one of vs be touched, we carrie deadly hatred to our graue with vs,* 1.30 and haue rooted it also in our posteritie, that they may carrie it. Thus did not Isaac, and God was with him.

16 Concerning Esau in the 34 verse. It biddeth vs marke, who they be that marry against their parents minde,* 1.31 & also with wiues of a false religion: Surely Esaus not Iacobs, that is, vngodlye children, not godly children, that haue grace in them. Againe, howe bitter it is to a godly parent, to see the degeneration of his childe, and to harbour or countenance daughters in lawe that feare not God. Thirdly, it is very worthie noting, that albeit this matching of Esau in that Countrey with mens daughters, as we may pro∣bably thinke, not meane, might haue beene some wordlye strength to Isaac, who was there a stranger, yet being not in the Lorde, hee detesteth such meanes, and wisheth in his heart no such affinitie, but in faith relyeth vpon the sure God.

17 Let vs not passe it ouer vnmarked, how though Isaac had wealth at will, and flowed in aboundance outward, yet wanted be not in his howsehold crosses. But Esau marrieth against his will,* 1.32 greeueth the heart both of father and mother. So must it be, and so shall it be, for this world is not heauen. The Lord onely knit vs to him in all our crosses. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Verse. 1.
• * 1.2

  The tryals of Gods children are alike.
• * 1.3

  1. Pet. 5.9.
• * 1.4

  Verse. 2.
• * 1.5

  Gods care for his e∣uer su••e.
• * 1.6

  Verse. 3.
• * 1.7

  Dwel wher God pla∣ceth thee.
• * 1.8

  Vers. 4.5.
• * 1.9

  The profit to children of parents pietie.
• * 1.10

  Read 1. reg 11.34.
• * 1.11

  Verse. 7.
• * 1.12

  Verse. 8.
• * 1.13

  Verse. 9.
• * 1.14

  Verse. 10.
• * 1.15

  Verse. 11.
• * 1.16

  Verse. 12.
• * 1.17

  It is not lawfull (saith the heathen Xenophon for any that sowe not corne, to praye that they may haue good corne: this verye na∣ture spake.
• * 1.18

  Verse. 14.
• * 1.19

  Verse. 15.
• * 1.20

  Verse. 17.
• * 1.21

  Verse. 20.
• * 1.22

  Verse. 21.
• * 1.23

  Verse. 22.
• * 1.24

  Nube solet pulsa can∣didus ire dies.
• * 1.25

  Verse. 24.
• * 1.26

  Read Hab∣bak. 2. v. 3.
• * 1.27

  Verse. ••6.
• * 1.28

  Reade Act. 7.35.
• * 1.29

  Verse. 27.
• * 1.30

  Verse. 30.
• * 1.31

  Verse. 34.
• * 1.32

  Verse. 34.