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. 49. (Book 49)

Two especiall heads there are of this Chapter.

• Iacobs last Propheticall blessing of his Sonnes.
• His death.

THen Iacob called his sonnes and sayd: ga∣ther your selues together, that I may tell you what shall come to you in the last daies. Written it is of the Swan, that be∣fore his death he singeth most sweetly, and so did this godly Patriarke in this place. Ne∣uer more sweet songes than haue passed from the godly toward their later endes.* 1.1 Moses in the 31. of Deut. & in the two chapters following, Iosua in his last chapter & euen our Sauiour himselfe in the 14. chap. of Ihon, in the 15.16.17. & at his last Supper. The apostle Paul when the time of his of∣fring was at hand. 2. Tim. 4 v. 6.7.8. &c.* 1.2 The Apostle Peter when hee could thē he thought it meet while he was in this ta∣bernacle to stir them vp, knowing y^t the time was at hand, that he must lay down his tabernacle &c. This Cignea cantio, this last sweet song of Iacob because interpreters haue seen to be amost singular prophesie of thinges to come, they haue thought y^t they did not adorne and set out sufficiently, vnlesse they deuised some hydden mysteries, and dark matter to be drawen out of it, swar∣uing for this purpose from the true and naturall sence of it in di∣uers thinges. I will omit these dreames of theirs and kepe to the Text, with such matter as it properly and truely yeldeth. Praying it first to be obserued,* 1.3 how by their father Iacob it plea∣sed almighty God to informe these men of whom thousands af∣ter were to come concerning their future estate, that they might

hereby know & be most assured, y^t God cared for them, & not only so, but that most extraordinarily hee cared for them, gouerning them as his owne peculiar people chosen from the whole world & made his own. If you aske or think how could Moses y^t wrote these bookes know of this speech of Iacob to his sonnes being made in a priuat house, in a place but obscure, & about 200. yeres before he wrote. Answer your selfe with another question again & aske how could he so cunningly and so particularly describe the land of Canaan, bordering it, and distributing it vnto some as he did,* 1.4 himselfe dying, and neuer entring into it: & if you must say, by Gods spirit illuminating, guiding and directing him he did this (as in deede you must say) why not then did the same spirit reueile vnto him being a chosen instrument to commit these mat∣ters to writing, what Iacob said at his later end to his children? Yet probable also it is, that so famous a prophecie as this, and at that time made whē mens words are especially marked, to wit, at their deathes, & before so many witnesses, was right careful∣ly remembred, and by tradition caried from man to man, & from time to time, euen vnto Moses. It containeth in it the whole time from their going out of Egypt vnto y^e comming of Christ, as by diligent obseruance may appeare, not I meane euery par∣ticular accident in that time,* 1.5 but the fired and set order & course of the Church till that time. Let vs come then to the word, & obserue how he doubleth the word of hearing, saying: first hear, and then harken, al to note vnto them that they must not with an ordinary care harken vnto him, but with very great attenti∣on, with very speciall care and regard, since the matter by him now to be vttered was of weight and concerned them most neer∣ly. So noteth this repetition vsually in the scripture, as in the Psalme,* 1.6 when he saith: Hearken O daughter & consider, in∣cline thine eare,* 1.7 forget also thine own people, & thy fathers house. Againe, Heare this all yee people, giue eare all ye that dwel in the world.* 1.8 In the Prouerbs: Heare O ye childrē the instruction of a father, & giue eare to learne vnderstanding. with many such. Againe he giueth himself 2. names, Iacob, & Is∣rael saying: heare ye sonnes of Iacob, & hearken vnto Israel your father: drawing from these names 2. good arguments to stir vp

in them this attention which he requireth, y^e one of nature, the o∣ther of religion: of nature, because he was Iacob their father, of religion, because fearing God truly, & seruing him euer, he found fauour with God euen so far, as to receiue from him this name of Israel, whereof you haue heard before the full circumstance.

2 Ruben mine eldest son, thou art my might,* 1.9 & the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power.* 1.10 Thou wast light as water, thou shalt not be excellent,* 1.11 because thou wētest vp to thy fathers bed, then diddest thou defile my bed, thy dignity is gone. Comming now to particulars he beginneth with his eldest son, & as you see often repeateth his excellēcy, making great menti∣on of it, that he was his might, y^e beginning of his strength, y^e ex∣cellency of dignity, & the excellency of power, in the end throweth him out of all, saying he should not be excellent, his dignity was gone. And why thus? because he had sinned agaynst nature, & de∣filed his fathers bed. Then al these repetitions of his dignity tē∣ded but to this: to exaggerat his fault and to make it appear vn∣to his cōscience & the posterity euer after, how great it was and foule before God, as for which all this dignity was lost & taken away: Nothing more shaketh the hart of any one, not quite dead to God & grace then this course. Therefore often God vseth it in his word. Heare O heauēs, saith he by the prophet, & hearkē o earth,* 1.12 I haue nourished & brought vp children, but they haue rebelled against me. The Oxe knoweth his owner, & the asse his maisters cribbe, but Israel hath not knowen me, my people hath not vnderstood, ampli∣fying their sin by this that they had receiued this dignity to bee nourished of him, and brought vp as his Children. In the fifth Chapter agayne, my beloueds Vineyarde was in a fruitfull grounde, hedged about, the stones gathered out, planted with the best plantes, a Towre built, and a wine presse made, yet it brought forth wild grapes:* 1.13 To Dauid likewise I anointed thee king ouer Israel, and deliuered thee out of the hand of Saul, gaue thy Lords house, and thy Lordes Wiues into thy bo∣some, gaue thee the house of Israel and Iudah, and would moreouer, if that had been too litle haue giuen thee such & such thinges: wherefore then hast thou despised, &c.

Still proouing the greatnes of sin by grace and fauour vouch∣safed before. So here Ruben being vouchsafed of God to be his fathers first borne, his might, the beginning of his strength, the excellencie of dignitie, and the excellency of power, & yet sinning in this sort, his fault by these fauours was made most great, and therefore his dignitie and the sequels of his dignity most iust∣ly translated otherwise.* 1.14 As the birthright to Ioseph, the priest∣hood to Leui, and the Kingdome to Iudah. Read Deuter. 33. verse. 6. Iud. 5.15. & 16.* 1.15 Take we heede then of sinning euer, but especially when our consciences tell vs God hath beene gra∣cious, gracious vnto Bodye, and gracious to Soule, gra∣cious to our selues, and gracious to our friendes. For this is as the dignitie of Ruben which shall increase our offence, and iust∣ly plucke downe from the hand of God a verye sure and certaine punishment vppon vs, and happily euen also vpon our posterity as here in Rubē, whose whole ofspring was depriued of honor. There is not one of vs but hath receiued mercy from heauen in verye great measure, if wee bee aliue within to feele it. Therefore not one of vs, but euen in this respect bound with a carefull hart to auoide the thing that offendeth God. And hap∣py wee if wee will doe it, remembring Ruben here and his fearefull losse, his dignitie being gone, as his Father sayth.

2 Simeon and Leui brethren in euill, the instruments of crueltie are in their habitations.* 1.16 * 1.17 Into their secrets let not my soule come, my glory be not thou ioyned with their assem∣blye, for in their wrath they slew a Man, and in their selfe will they digged downe a wall.* 1.18 Cursed bee their wrath, for it was fierce, and their rage, for it was cruell. I will deuide them in Iacob, and scatter them in Israel. To the selfe same ende tendeth this punishment inflicted vppon these two brethren that the former did,* 1.19 euen to humble themselues in themselues, and to teach posteritie how God hateth euill. The Papistes prattle of poena and culpa, that the punishment satis∣fieth for the offence &c. But farre otherwise doth the Word in∣struct,* 1.20 telling vs euer that punishment is not imposed to make satisfaction (for that onely doth Iesus Christ and his stripes)

but to purge the hart from all hypocrisie, humbling it faythfully and vnfaynedly, and to stirre vp to repentance for y^e time passed, as also to carefulnes for the time to come, keping both body and soule in a godly feare as it were with a bridle. Therfore saith the father as you haue heard before. Quod patimur vnde plangimus, medicina est, non poena, castigatio▪ non damnatio. That wee suffer punishment, it is a medicine not a punishment, a correction, not a damnation. Non enim de peccatis sumit supplicium, sed in fu∣turum nos corrigit. For God doth not take punishment of our sinnes (forgiuen) but chastiseth vs fatherly for the time to come. Marke also in this place how fully, how plainly, how faithfully Moses layeth downe to the world in writing y^e shame & reproch of the tribe he came of, of his father Leui:* 1.21 which certainly decla∣reth the power of Gods spirit ruling & ouerruling in these wri∣tinges, and that of him & from him, not from flesh and bloud they are proceeded: for flesh & nature would haue couered these ble∣mishes in his auncestors.

3 Thou Iudah, thy brethrē shall praise thee,* 1.22 thy hand shal be in the neck of thine enemies, thy fathers sonnes shal bow downe vnto thee. Iudah,* 1.23 as a Lyons whelp shalt thou come vp from the spoile, my sonne. He shal lie down & couch as a Lion & as a Lionesse, who shal stir him vp. The scepter shall not depart from Iudah,* 1.24 nor a lawgiuer from betwixt his feet vntil Shiloh come, & the people shalbe gathered vnto him. He shall bind his asse fole vnto the vine & his asses colt vn∣to the best vine. He shall wash his garment in wine,* 1.25 & his cloke in the bloud of grapes. His eies shalbe red with wine, & his teeth white with milke.* 1.26 Great is the blessing of Iudah then, & many fauours are vouchsafed to him. Mighty in battaile & prosperous in war shal he be. Of him shall come kings, one af∣ter one & many in number til at last the Lord Iesus come, who is K. of Kings, & L. of Lords. Earthly blessings he shal also in∣ioy, as wine & milke, that is, a countrey most abundant in vines and pastures and all cōmodities. His brethren shal bow to him, & his enemies shal feare him as men do to stir vp a Lionesse that is a sleepe. What greater blessings? but I pray you let vs remē∣ber,

was not Iudah also faulty when he lay with Thamar his daughter in lawe, as we heard before? how happeneth it then that Iacob so sharpely reprouing Rubē, Simeon & Leui passeth ouer in silence thus Iudah his fault and speaketh of nothing but blessings vnto him? Surely this thing was of God y^t we might therby learne that sometimes he euen passeth ouer and couereth the faults of his chosen in sweete mercy as at other times he o∣penly toucheth them in vnblameable iustice. That in Iacob also we might take a lesson not euer to publish whatsoeuer we know. The discretion of a man passeth by an offence & the same againe at other times doth it not: there are times to speake, & times to be silent, which this guider of Iacob here wil also direct his seruāts vnto as shalbe fit, y^e hartely in prayer & for his glory beg y^e same.

4 Zabulon shal dwel by the sea side, & he shalbe an hauen for ships,* 1.27 his border shalbe vnto Zidon. Here Iacob in y^e spi∣rit disposeth to Zabulon what 200. yeres after by lot fell so out as wee see in Iosua chap. 19.10. &c. whereof came a double com∣fort.* 1.28 First to incourage them very cherefully when time should serue, to goe into that land wherein their portiō and inheritance was assured already, Secondly, to be content with it when by lot it should fall vnto them, knowing that though thus the casting of lots was vsed: yet this was altogether the same which their father Iacob in the Spirit had foretold, and therefore no For∣tune or chance, but the very finger and prouidence of God.

5 Issachar shall bee a strong Asse, couching downe be∣twixt two burdens.* 1.29 * 1.30 And he shall see that rest is good, and that the land is pleasant, and he shall bow his shoulder to beare, and shalbe subiect vnto tribute, This is, as if Iacob should haue said, Issachar or y^e tribe of Issachar shalbe for strēgth able to doe much, being like a strong Asse, or an Asse of great bones as y^e Hebrue is, but to his strength he shal not haue corage to resist his enemies, & therefore shall couch downe betwixt two burdens, & bow his shoulder to beare, &c. A nature which we dai∣ly see in too many,* 1.31 to be content for their owne ease and earthly profit to cary sackes and coles too in them not a few. rather

then they will intermeddle any thing. In some men this is too bad, namely in magistrates and men of place in their countreis. Whose couching downe, and bowing to these burdens, because they see rest is good, wil one day be laid as hotly to their charge as now it doth greatly disgrace them in the world with good men. In the meane time they are but like Asses, as Issachar was, fit to beare.

6 Dan shal iudge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shalbe a serpent by the way, and adder by the path,* 1.32 by∣ting the Horse heeles, so that his rider shall fall backward.* 1.33 The sence is this: Dan also shall haue the honor of a tribe, and shall in subtilty and craft abound, being that way like a serpent, also that way hee shall pinch his enemies, and giue them ouer∣throwes, byting as it were the Horse heeles,* 1.34 so that his rider shall fall backward, though openly and by hand stripes (as wee say) he be not able to encounter or to do any great matter. Sub∣till secret byters then and workers of their will by pollicy, craft, and cunning are hereby noted and resembled. Outwardly and o∣penly they doe little, but couertly and craftily they are like Serpentes by the pathe, so byting the heeles (not the head) of the Horse, that in the ende the rider is ouerthrowen and falleth backwarde, as well as if openly hee had beene encoun∣tred, and peraduenture rather. So ouer-reacheth hidden guile, when a man thinketh not of it.

7 O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation. An abrupt brea∣king from the matter in hand to a meditation, as if he should say.* 1.35 O Lord whilest I thus speake of the estate of these my children and the posterity that of them shall come,* 1.36 I see vnto how many troubles and afflictions they shall bee subiect, and with what crosses they shall be exercised, but in this my fayth euer was & still is that thy gracious hand and helpe shall neuer be wanting to them, but what thou hast promised to my forefathers, thou wilt performe most faithfully in the posterity of them and mee, when thy good time shall be. For this is thy saluation O Lord, which I haue euer wayted for.

* 1.378 Gad an host of men shall ouercome him, but hee shall ouercome at the last.* 1.38 A prediction of them not vnlike to that of our Sauiour Christs concerning his children: In the world yee shall haue tribulation, but be of good comfort, I haue ouer∣come the world. To that in the Apostle: for thy sake are we kil∣led all the day long, and appointed as sheepe vnto the slaughter. Neuerthelesse in all these thinges wee are more than conque∣rours, through him that loued vs. To that againe in his epistle to the Corinthians. We are afflicted on euery side, yet not in dis∣tresse, we are in doubt, yet dispair not, we are persecuted, yet not forsaken, cast downe, but yet wee perish not &c. Finally to that of Iohn. All that is borne of God ouercommeth this world, and this is that victory that hath ouercome the world euen our faith. Who is it that ouercommeth this world, but he which beleeueth that Iesus is that sonne of God. Not therfore vncomfortable to Gad in the ende, more than this estate and lot of all Gods chil∣dren, though for the time greeuous and bitter.

* 1.399 Concerning Asher his bread shalbe fat, and he shal giue pleasures for a King. The meaning is this, a fruitfull part of the land shall fall to him, which abundance, with corne and all good fruites, shall make his bread fat, and his pleasures many e∣uen fit and conuenient for a King in that kinde. A comfortable blessing in this world, and granted to moe then I feare me feele Gods goodnes in it, and send from a feeling hart thankes to al∣mighty God for it. A blessing that this our natiue countrey hath had long, & many a particular member in it if al were thought vpon. Pleasures vpon pleasures fit for a king, yea that many a king wantes inioy priuate persons, if their spirites be not dead from all feeling.

* 1.4010 Nepthali shalbe a hinde let goe giuing goodly words. That is, this tribe shall be giuen to humanitie, to sweet speech, and by peaceable meanes rather than by force of armes to de∣fend themselues, and to haue their being and stay in the world. A course certainly not without great power, though it seeme outwardly to be weak. What more perceth thā a smoth tounge?

and what anger yeldeth not in the end to a soft answer.* 1.41 Salomons testimony of this is knowe, that a softe answere putteth away wrath, when greeuous words stirre vp anger. In his 25. Chap∣ter againe: A soft tongue breaketh the bones. Meaning the heart that is bent vnto anger. As for example,* 1.42 How pacified Gedeon the raging Ephramites.* 1.43 How staied Abigael the fury of Dauid comming with death in his heart to Nabal her husbande and all his houshold?* 1.44 What the Towne-clarke did in the vprore of E∣phesus, we see in the Actes of the Apostles. Other examples we may remember many. The saying is old and true,* 1.45 If a man will catch Birdes he may not come towardes them with a staffe. But Fistula dulcè canit volucres dum decipit auceps. The Pipe goeth sweetly whilest they are deceiued: what daily experience sheweth I neede not tell. But thinke you whether the smiling Sunne, or the blustring winde, wil cause you to laie downe your cloake first,* 1.46 surely with his kinde beames he wil take both your cloake & your coate from you, when the others puffes doth make you hold all harder. Great therefore is the power of a sweete tongue. It com∣forteth the afflicted, it healeth the sicke, it cheareth the poore, it ruleth the rich, it winneth the subiect, it appeaseth the King, and whatsoeuer it will haue, it getteth in the ende, neither anger nor strength can resist the force of it. Marke therefore well the bles∣sing of Nepthali here in this place, and know it to bee a blessing being vsed well, that hee shall be a Hinde let goe, giuing goodly wordes.

11 Ioseph shalbee a fruitfull bough,* 1.47 euen a fruitfull bough by the well side, the small boughes shall runne vpon the wall, &c.* 1.48 Great and comfortable is the blessing of Ioseph in many verses, which being sufficiently lightened with the margi∣nall notes in the Bible, I referre you to them and pray you to marke them. Beniamin is the last, and of him saith his father, He shall rauine as a Woolfe,* 1.49 in the morning he shall deuoure the praie, and at night he shall diuide the spoyle. Meaning that of him should come a seede which should bee giuen to spoyle and to liue thereby. So goeth not this blessing by affection and fauour, but Iacob by the spirite speaketh what hee must, bee hee neuer so deare. So were these twelue Tribes blessed of their father with

seuerall blessings, Whereof if some seeme hard blessings vnto vs▪ we must remember, that forasmuch as they hindred nothing the couenant, but notwithstanding them, they were all Patriarkes, euen them that were sharpliest spoken vnto, as Ruben, Simeon, and Leui,* 1.50 &c. Therefore in deed and truth they were blessed, as daily yet it may be sayd, that forasmuch as the crosses, punish∣ments, and afflictions of Gods children be so farre from hindring their felicitie in heauen, as that vsually they be helpes and furthe∣rances thereunto, therefore euen in the middest of them and in the thickest of them, they may be sayd to be blessed, yea with them and for them, I meane for that God thus vouchsafeth to chasten them in the world, to the end they may not be condemned with the world. Blood-letting making for health is not an euil, but a good, and so worldly crosses leading to God chaunge their nature, and become no curses but blessings to the godly. What a faith had Iacob here so farre to see, and so chearfully to hope? Let it teach vs to see and expect with comfort what God hath promised & wil truly performe.

* 1.5112 The blessing thus ended, the seconde part of the Chapter followeth,* 1.52 concerning the death of Iacob which heere was with great quietnes,* 1.53 and in great comfort, chearfully charging them what to do with him,* 1.54 and so taking his leaue. Let it teach vs the blessing of a staied heart to the last ende,* 1.55 with good memorie and good comfort to prescribe vnto all what is our will,* 1.56 and so to bid the world without feare, farewel. Let it teach vs the dutie of all the children of a man to be this,* 1.57 ioyntly to care for the honest bu∣rial of their parents, since here they are charged al togither to see this done, and not some one or two of them. Let vs learne that faith makes death no worse then a gathering of vs to our fathers, thogh fraile flesh oft startle at it. And finally be sure that, h•• appoin••teth not his burial in y^e land of Canaan,* 1.58 for any holines of ground, or superstitious conceypt, of one place to be better then an other of it selfe, as blinde Popery doth make a difference of the Church from the church-yard, & of places in either of them before others, as neerer the crosse and neerer the aultar, but only for the promise sake, as hath been said before, that his faith might appeare how so

constantly he belieued God, that that land should be giuen in time to his seede▪ as that dead hee would take possession of it with his fathers, and thereby incourage his posteritie vnto like hope, pa∣tiently passing on towards the time, as became their knowledge. Iacob then dieth a sweete death: he plucked vp his feete hauing thus spoken and gaue vp the Ghost. Many were his crosses whi∣lest he liued as you wel know, yet thus he endeth and endeth them Our time must come and who knoweth how soone. The God of might and mercy, be vnto vs in that houre as here to Iacob, that ende we may and yet neuer ende, die, and yet not dy••ng liue with him for euer in his kingdome, Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sweet spee∣ches of di∣uers at their deaths
• * 1.2

  2 Pet. 1. v. 13.14.
• * 1.3

  The end of this pro∣phecye.
• * 1.4

  Num. 34.
• * 1.5

  Vers. 2.
• * 1.6

  Psal. 45.10.
• * 1.7

  Psal. 49.1.
• * 1.8

  Prou. 4.1.
• * 1.9

  Vers 3.
• * 1.10

  4
• * 1.11

  Mercy re∣ceiued ma∣keth sinne more grie∣uous.
• * 1.12

  Esay. 1.2.
• * 1.13

  2 Sam. 12 7. & 8.
• * 1.14

  Gen. 49.26.
• * 1.15

  Note.
• * 1.16

  Vers. 5.
• * 1.17

  6
• * 1.18

  7
• * 1.19

  The vse of Gods' pu∣nishments to the god∣ly.
• * 1.20

  Esay, 53
• * 1.21

  An arg. of the scrip∣ture to be giuen by in∣spiration.
• * 1.22

  Vers. 8.
• * 1.23

  9
• * 1.24

  10
• * 1.25

  11
• * 1.26

  12
• * 1.27

  Vers. 13.
• * 1.28

  Zabulon.
• * 1.29

  Vers. 14.15.
• * 1.30

  Issachar.
• * 1.31

  Thinke of this.
• * 1.32

  Vers. 16.
• * 1.33

  17
• * 1.34

  Craft and secret cun∣ning.
• * 1.35

  Vers. 18.
• * 1.36

  A stedfast faith seeth a good end of all afflic∣tion.
• * 1.37

  Vers. 19.
• * 1.38

  Iohn. 16.33. Ro. 8.36.37.
• * 1.39

  Psal. 20.
• * 1.40

  Vers. 21.
• * 1.41

  Pro. 15.1.
• * 1.42

  Verse. 5.
• * 1.43

  Iudic. 8
• * 1.44

  1. Sam. 25.32.
• * 1.45

  Act. 19.
• * 1.46

  Note:
• * 1.47

  Verse 22.23.24.25.26.
• * 1.48

  Ioseph.
• * 1.49

  Beniamin.
• * 1.50

  Crosses be blessings.
• * 1.51

  Verse 29.
• * 1.52

  30.
• * 1.53

  31.
• * 1.54

  32.
• * 1.55

  33.
• * 1.56

  Iacob ••y∣eth a qui∣et death.
• * 1.57

  Notes.
• * 1.58

  Popish conceites of places to ••ury in.