A practical commentary or exposition upon the Pentateuch viz. These five books of Moses Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Wherein the text of every chapter is practically expounded, according to the doctrine of the Catholick Church, in a way not usually trod by commentators; and wholly applyed to the life and salvation of Christians. By Ab. Wright; sometime fellow of St. John's Colledge in Oxford.

A PRACTICAL COMMENTARY UPON THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES CALLED GENESIS. (Book Genesis)

CHAP. I.

Verse 1. THere was a Time (or something like to that) before the be∣ginning of Time, when God did not work, and yet was not idle. For though we grant that there was no External work of the Godhead until the making of the World, yet can there be no necessary illation of Idleness in the Deity: seeing it might have (as indeed it had) actions immanent, included within the circle of the Trinity. Just so ought it to be with every Christian, who though he doth not alwayes perform the outward actions of Religion, yet he may al∣wayes be imployed within himself in some practice of Christianity: holy Thoughts, reli∣gious Meditations, mental Prayer, faithful Vows and Resolutions are those inward imma∣nent operations of a Christian, whereby he may imitate his Creator in not working, and yet not being idle. But then when he doth begin to express himself in some outward acti∣on, let him here also follow the example of his Maker: and whereas it is said, in the Be∣ginning God created the Heaven and the Earth, first the Heaven, and then the Earth; so et our actions respect chiefly Heavenly matters, in the first place let us exercise our selves

in those things that are above; and when from those we descend to things below, let even those Terrestrial affairs look upwards, and be fix'd and terminated in Heaven: and let all this be done by way of Creation too; let our Gifts, and Graces, and Endowments be ac∣knowledged to arise from nothing in our selves, and let every faculty of our Souls be sub∣ject to Gods Will as the Creation was to his Command, for he spake the word and they were made: so when God speaks let us hear, and let our will be actuated, and formed, and regulated by his voice, as the whole World was by his Word.

Verse 2. The word (Ferebatur) in the vulgar Latine, in the English (moved) denotes both motion and rest, beginnings, and wayes, and ends. We may best consider the mo∣tion, the stirring of the Holy Ghost in zeal, and the rest of the Holy Ghost in moderation. If we be without zeal, we have not the motion, if we be without moderation we have not the rest, the peace of the Holy Ghost: he moved and he rested upon the Waters in the Creation (as the word Incubabat doth imply;) he came and tarried still upon Christ in his Baptism. He moves us to a zeal of laying hold of the means of Salvation which God offers us in the Church, and he settles us in a peaceful Conscience, that by having well used those means, we are made his Children. A holy hunger and thirst of the Word and Sacraments, a remorse and compunction for former sins, a zeal to promote the cause and glory of God by word and deed, this is the motion of the Holy Ghost; and then to con∣tent my self with Gods measure of temporal blessings, and for spiritual, that I do serve God faithfully in that Calling which I lawfully profess, as far as that Calling will admit; this peace of Conscience, this acquiescence of having done that that belongs unto me, this is the Rest of the Holy Ghost of the Spirit of God.

Verse 3. In the first the old Creation, God the Father said, Fiat lux, let there be light in this greater World; in the Second the New Creation or Regeneration of Man, God the Holy Ghost said, Fiat cognitio Dei in anima hominis; let there be the know∣ledge of God in the mind of man, of man this lesser world. God the Father said, Fiat Firmamentum, let there be a Firmament; God the Holy Ghost said, Firmetur volunt as in bono, let the will of Man be confirmed in that which is good. God the Father said, let the Waters be gathered together in one place; God the Holy Ghost said, let many gra∣ces be united in one soul. God the Father said, Fiant luminaria in Coelo, let there be lights in Heaven; God the Holy Ghost saith, let the lights of Faith, Hope, and Charity be fixed in a believing Soul. God the Father said, Fiant volatilia, let there be flying Fouls; God the Holy Ghost saith, let there be religious Meditations in the mind of man soaring upward. And thus in every thing the work of our spiritual Creation is answera∣ble to the Work of our temporal in the beginning of the World, and the operations of the Third Person in the blessed Trinity upon our Souls now are but as so many parallel Lines drawn from the actions of the First Person of the same blessed Trinity upon our bo∣dies then.

Verse 10. In this and several other Verses of this Chapter it is said, that at the dayes end, God looked upon the whole that he had made, and he saw that it was good, and at the end of the week taking a view of all his works together, he saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good, Gen. 1. 31. which sheweth, that after God had done his Works, he did reflect upon them, and considered the quality and the condition of them. In imitation hereof Wise men do wish us, that at every dayes end we should re∣flect upon our Works, and take a view of what we have done that day, and at the Weeks end take an account of all our doings for that space of time, and fo further as further oc∣casion shall require. And this enquiry or account taking of our Works, they call the ex∣amination of our Souls or Consciences. And surely if we did observe this rule, though we could not find our Works, as God did his Works, to be good, and very good, but rather naught, and very naught, yet by this searching into our Works we may without all doubt make our Works for the future much better than they are for the pre∣sent.

Verse 16. God here calls the Sun and the Moon two great Lights, because, though there be greater in the Firmament, they appear greatest to us: those Works of ours are greatest in the sight of God that are greatest in the sight of men, that are most beneficial, most exemplary, and conduce most to the moving of others to glorifie God.

Verse 26. In other passages of the Creation we find a kind of commanding Dialect with a Fiat lux, and a producat terra, let there be light, let the earth bring forth; but in this of Adam we meet with words more particular of deliberation and advice, Let us make man. Man a Creature of those exquisite dimensions for matter of body, of these su∣pernatural endowments of Soul, that now omnipotency bethinks it self, and will consult; the privy counsel of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is required to the moulding and poli∣shing of this glorious peece; no doubt something of wonder was in projecting when a compleat Deity was thus studying its perfection; something that should border upon e∣verlastingness, when the finger of God was so choicely industrious: and loe what it pro∣duced, Man the master-peece of his design and workmanship, the great miracle and monu∣ment of Nature, the abstract, and model, and brief story of the Universe, the Analysis and Resolution of the greater world into the less, having little to divide him from a Deity, but that one part of him was mortal, and that not created so, but occasioned, miserably occasion'd by disobedience.

Verse 27. When God had created all the other species of the Creation, it is still said as the complement and perfection of each, And God saw that it was good; but here when Man was created, there is no such Eulogy, no such acclamation; and why? because there is no Creature but Man, that degenerates willingly from his natural dignity: these degrees of goodness which God imprinted in them at first, they preserve still: as God saw they were good then, so he may see they are good still; they have kept their Talent, they have neither bought nor sold, they have not gain'd nor lost; they are not departed from their Native and Natural dignity by any thing that they have done: but of Man it seems God was distrustful from the beginning; he did not pronounce upon Mans Creation (as he did upon the other Creatures) that he was good; because his goodness was a contin∣gent thing, and consisted in the future use of his free-will.

Verse 28. In the former Verse it is said, that God created them Male and Female, not both Male, nor both Female, but one Male, the other Female, as if purposely for the pro∣pagation of Children; and therefore when he had created them so, he said unto them in this Verse, Encrease and multiply, bring forth Children as other Creatures bring forth their Kinde. Nor was this all the blessing bestowed upon Man at his Creation, but God hath here also joyned Man in Commission with himself in the word, Dominamini, when he gave Man power to possess the Earth, and subdue the Creatures, and exercise soveraign∣ty and dominion over them. And further, God hath made Man so equal to himself, as not only to have a soul endless and immortal as God himself, but to have a body that shall put on incorruption and immortality too, which he hath given to none of the Angels; in∣somuch that Man is higher than the Angels, who want that glory that he shall have in his body.

CHAP. II.

Verse 7. AS when Man was nothing but Earth, nothing but a body, he lay flat upon the Earth, his mouth kiss'd the Earth, his hands embraced, his eyes respected the Earth, and then God breath'd the breath of Life into him, and that rais'd him so far from the Earth, as that only one part of his body (the soles of his feet) touches it, nd yet Man so rais'd by God, by Sin fell lower to the Earth again than before, from the face of the Earth, to the Womb, to the Bowels, to the Grave; so God finding the whole Man as low as he found Adams body, then fallen in Original Sin, yet erects us by a new breath of Life in the Sacrament of Baptisme, and yet we fall lower than before we were rais'd, from Original into Actual, into Habitual Sins, so low as that we think we need not a Resurrection; and this is a wonderful, this is a fearful Fall.

Verse 8. Every Earth was not fit for Adam, but a Garden, a Paradice: what excellent pleasures and rare varieties have men found in Gardens planted by the hands of men? and

yet all the World of men cannot make one twigg, or leaf, or spire of grass: when he that made the matter undertakes the fashion, how must it needs be beyond our capacity excel∣lent? No Herb, no Tree, no Flower was wanting there that might be for ornament or use, whether for sight, or for sent, or for taste: the bounty of God wrought further than to necessity, even to comfort and recreation. Why are we niggardly to our selves when God is liberal? but for all this, if God had not there convers'd with man, no abun∣dance could have made him blessed.

Verse 9. The Tree of Life was a real Tree in Paradice, but it was not able to give im∣mortality: for no corruptible food can make the body incorruptible; and if it could have given immortality, it must have had a power to preserve from Sin, for by sinning Man be∣came mortal; therefore it was called, The Tree of Life, not effectivè, but significativè, as a signe of true immortality which Adam should have received of God if he had conti∣nued in obedience; and so also was that other Tree call'd, The Tree of Knowledge, of Good and Evil, not because it gave Knowledge, but was a Seal unto them of their misera∣ble Knowledge which they should get by the experience of their Transgression, which is call'd, a Practical Knowledge. And yet here by the way, though God forbad Man to eat of the Tree of Knowledge, yet not of the Tree of Life, to shew that he desired we should be Saints, not Rabbies and Doctors.

Verse 15. That which was mans Store-house was also his Work-house, his pleasure was his task: Paradice serv'd not only to feed his sences, but to exercise his hands. If happiness had consisted in doing nothing, man had not been imployed; all his delights could not have made him happy in an idle life; Man therefore is no sooner made than he is set to work: neither greatness nor perfection can priviledg a folded hand; he must la∣bour because he was happy; how much more we that we may be so? this first labour of his was as without necessity, so without pains, without weariness; how much more chear∣fully we go about our businesses, so much nearer we come to our Paradice.

Verse 17. Here is a double comfort from these words to the Children of God; the first consists in this, in that it was the Lord of Life that first named death, Morte morieris, saith God, thou shalt dye the death. I do the less fear and abhor Death, because I find it in his mouth; even a Malediction hath a sweetness iu Gods mouth: for there is a blessing wrapt up in it, a Mercy in every Correction, a Resurrection upon every Death; from whence issues the other spiritual comfort, that as God did cast upon the unrepentant sinner two Deaths in the Text, a temporal, and a Spiritual Death; so hath he breath'd into us two lives: for so as the word for Death is doubled, Morte morieris, thou shalt dye the Death, so the word for Life is expressed in the plural at the seventh Verse of this Chap∣ter, Chaim, vitarum, God breathed into his Nostrils the breath of Lives of divers lives: though our Natural life were no life but a continual dying, yet we have two Lives besides that, an eternal life reserved for Heaven, but yet an Heavenly Life too a spiritual Life even in this World.

Verse 18. One cause of Marriage is to avoid the inconvenience of Solitariness, signi∣fied in these words, It is not good for Man to be alone: as if he had said, this Life would be miserable & irksome to Man, if the Lord had not given him a Wife to bear a share in his troubles and afflictions. Now if it be not good for Man to be alone, then is it good for him to have a Companion; and therefore as God created a pair of all other Kinds, so also of this. And this was that help in the Text; in which we see that God did provide an help for Man before he saw his own want, and while Adam slept and thought nothing, God was working and laying out for his good, and preparing him an Helper. Shewing that Man is stronger by his Wife: for as God hath knit the bones and sinews together for the strengthning of Mans body, so hath he knit Man and Woman together for the strengthe∣ning of their Life, because two are firmer than one.

Verse 20. As Adam gave every Creature the Name according as he saw the Nature thereof to be; so God gives every man reward or punishment, the Name of a Saint or De∣vil in his purpose, as he sees him a good or a bad user of his graces. When I shal come to the sight of the Book of Life, and the Records of Heaven; amongst the Reprobate I shall never see the Name of Cain alone, but Cain with his addition, Cain that kil'd his Brother; not Iuda's Name alone, but Iudas with his addition, Iudas that betrayed his

Master. God did not begin with a Morte moriendum, some Body must dye, and there∣fore I wil make some Body to kill; but God came to a Morte morieris, yet thou art alive, and maist live, but if thou wilt rebel thou must dye.

Verse 21. This Sleep that man was cast into while his Wife was created, doth teach us that our Affections, our Lusts and Concupiscences should sleep while we go about this Action, the choice of a Wife; for as the Man slept while his Wife wa•• making, so our flesh should sleep while our Wife is choosing: lest as the love of Venison wone Isaac to bless one for the other, so the love of Gentry, or Riches, or Beauty should make us take one for the other.

Verse 22. Woman was not made of the head, and therefore must not be the head, nor yet of the foot of man, and therefore must not be set at his foot; but the man must set her at his heart, near the place from whence she came. She which should lie in his bosome, was made in his bosom, & should be as close to him as the Rib of which she was fashion'd.

Verse 25. Comparatively, Adam was better than all the world beside, and yet we find no act of pride in Adam when he was alone. When there was none in the world but himself and his Wife, who was not another, but himself, though they were both naked, they were neither of them asham'd. Soliture is not the scene of pride; the danger of pride is in company when we meet to look upon one another. Thus in Eve, her first act was an act of Pride, a harkening to that voice of the Serpent, Ye shall be as gods. As soon as there were more than themselves there was pride. How many have we known that have been content all the week at home alone with their worky-day-faces as well as with their worky-day-cloaths, and yet on Sundaies when they come to Church and ap∣pear in company, will mend both, their faces as well as their cloaths.

CHAP. III.

Verse 5. THE first Sin that ever was, was an ascending, a climing too high. When the purest understandings of all the Angels fel by their ascending; when Lucifer was tumbled down by his Similis ero altissimo, I will be like the most high; then the De∣vil tryed upon them, who were next to the Angels in dignity, upon man how that clam∣bring would work upon him, he presents to man the same ladder, he infuses into man the same ambition; and as he fell with a Similis ero altissimo, I will be like the most high, so he overthrew man with an Eritis sicut Dii, ye shall be like gods. It seems this Fall hath broke the neck of mans ambition, and now we dare not be so like God as we should be; ever since this Fall man is so far from affecting higher places than his Nature is capable of, that he is still groveling on the ground; and participates and imitates, and expresses more of the nature of the beast, than his own. Fond man that is thus cheated of an assurance of Immortality, by a false perswasion that he shall be immortal: this Eritis sicut dii hath damn'd all. The Serpent perswades him if he does but taste, he shall be as God, when he hath tasted finds himself worse than a man, a very beast; being thus at once fool'd out of his Everlastingness, and the favour of his Maker.

Verse 7. Till man had sinn'd his eyes wereshut, but afterwards he sees the greatness of his sin as David did; and yet for all this he was more ashamed of his nakedness than of his sin: and therefore he endeavours by figg-leav'd aprons to cover his nakedness; but we read of no preparation that was made to hide and take away the deformity of his sin: Thus many fear more to offend because of publick shame, than for any conscience of sin, as Cain rather grieved that he was made a vagabond, than that he kill'd his Bro∣ther.

Verse 10. How would he that were come abroad at midnight to do a mischief sneak away if he saw the Watch? what a damp must it necessarily cast upon any sinner in the nearest approach of his sin if he can see God. See him before thou sinnest, then he looks lovingly: after the sin, remember how Adam would have sain hid himself from God: he that goes one step out of Gods sight is loath to come into it again. That therefore thou

maist begin thy Heaven here, put thy self in the sight of God, put God in thy sight in every particular action. In all our senses, in all our faculties we may see God if we will; and therefore Saint Augustine in his Twentieth Chapter de moribus Ecclesiae, hath colle∣cted places of Scripture where every one of our sences is called a seeing; there is a Gustate & videte, and audite, and palpate, tasting, and hearing, and feeling, and all to this pur∣pose are call'd seeing. Let us therefore make use of our sences, and endeavour alwayes to see God as he alwayes sees us; God sees us at midnight, he sees us then when we had ra∣ther he look'd off: if we see him so it is a blessed interview.

Verse 11. Wherefore is it, may some ask, that the Word of God more than any other Book doth still speak in this singular person, and in this familiar person, still tu, and tibi, and te, Who told thee? and hast thou eaten? and so in other places, thou must love God, God speaks to thee. Surely the Scripture phrase is as ceremonial, and as observant of di∣stance as any, and yet full of this familiar word to, thou, and thine. You are to know then, that in the Scripture God either speaks to the Church his Spouse, and to his Chil∣dren, and so he may be bold and familiar with them; or else he speaks so as that he would be thought by thee to speak singularly to thy Soul in particular: and therefore when thou hearest his mercies distributed in that particular, and that familiar phrase Thou and Thee, and thou knowest not whether he speak to any other in the Congregation or no, be sure that he speaks to thee: but if thou canst not find that he means thee, but thinkest that he speaks rather to some other whose Faith and good Life thou preferrest before thine own; Do but begin to think now of the blessedness of that man to whom thou thinkest he speaks, and say to God with thy Saviour, My God, my God, why hast thou for∣saken me; why art thou gone to the other side: or why to the next on my right or my left hand, and left out me? why speakest thou not comfortably to my Soul? and he will leave the ninety nine for thee, and thou shalt find such a weight and burthen, and load of his love upon thee, as thou shalt be fain almost to say with Peter, Exi a me Domine, O Lord go farther from me, i. e. thou shalt see such an obligation of mercy laid upon thee as puts thee beyond all possibility of comprehension, much more of retribution, or of due and competent Thanks-giving.

Verse 12. When Adam said by way of alienation, and transferring his fault, the Wo∣man whom thou gavest me, and the Woman said, The Serpent deceived me: God took this by way of information to find out the principal, but not by way of extenuation or alleviation of their faults. Every Adam eats with as much sweat of his brows, and every Eve brings forth her children with as much pain in her Travail as if there had been no Serpent in the case. If a man sin against God, who shall plead for him? if a man lay his sins upon the Serpent, upon the Devil it is no plea, but if he lay them upon God, it is blasphemy.

Verse 15. Here was a heavy war denounced in this Inimicitias ponam, when God rai∣sed a war between the Devil and us: for if we could consider God to stand Neutral in that war, and meddle with neither side, yet were we nigh a desperate case, to be put to fight against powers, and principalities, against the Devil: how much more when God the Lord of Hosts is the Lord of that Host too? when God presses the Devil, and makes the Devil his Souldier to fight his battels, and directs his arrows and his bullets, and makes his approaches and attempts effectual upon us. It is a strange war where there are not two sides, and yet that is our case: for God useth the Devil against us, and the Devil useth us against one another, nay he useth every one of us against our selves; so that God, and the Devil, and we are all in one Army, and all for our destruction.

Verse 20. Saint Augustine proposeth to himself a wonder, why the first Woman was call'd at first and in her best state but Isha, Virago, which was a Name of diminution as she was taken from the man, (for Isha is but a she-man,) and when in her worse state, when she had sinn'd she was call'd, Eva Mater viventium, the Mother of all living; she had a better name in her worst estate; but this was not in respect of her sin saith that Father, but in respect of her punishment: now that she was become mortal by a sentence of death pronounced upon her, and knew that she must dye, and resolve to dust, now saith he there was no danger in her of growing proud by any glorious title, af∣fliction had tamed her, and rectified her now; and thus doth God sometimes bit and bri∣dle us by afflictions lest we be too proud.

Verse 24. See the unhappiness of man! a little forbidden fruit from the hand of a frail Creature must dis-inherit us of eternal life, and man must be thrust out of doors, depri∣ved of his everlasting habitation for two pretty toyes, an Apple, and a Woman. How∣soever saith Chrysostome, Death hung not on the Fruit, but the Tempter; lamentable fe∣licity, which at the height was but conditionary, and then fatal.

CHAP. IV.

Verse 5. VVHat was the occasion of this capital malice, and mortal wrath in Cain? Abels Sacrifice was accepted, what was this to Cain? Cains was reje∣cted, what could Abel remedy this? O envy the corrosive of all ill minds, and the root of all desperate actions; the same cause that moved Satan to tempt the first man to de∣stroy himself and his posterity, the same moves the Second man to destroy the Third. It should have been Cain's joy to see his Brother accepted; it should have been his sorrow to see that himself had deserved a rejection; his Brothers example should have excited and directed him: could Abel have stayed Gods fire from descending? or should he (if he could) reject Gods acceptation, and displease his Maker to content a Brother? was Cain ever the farther from a blessing because his Brother obtain'd mercy? How proud and foolish is malice, which grows thus mad for no other cause, but because God or Abel is not less good? It hath been an old and happy danger to be holy: indifferent actions must be careful to avoid offence; but I care not what Devil, or what Cain be angry that I do good or receive it.

Verse 8. Now might Adam see the image of himself in Cain, for after his own image begot he him; Adam slue his posterity, Cain his Brother: We are too like one ano∣ther, in that we are unlike to God; however, one would have thought that these being Brethren, and but two Brethren, the beams of their affection should have been so much the hotter, because they reflect mutually in a right line upon each other; and yet behold here are but two Brothers in the world, and one is the Butcher of the other. Who can wonder at dissentions amongst thousands of Brethren, thousands of Christians, when he sees so deadly opposition between two, and these the first roots of Brother-hood? who can hope to live plausibly and securely among so many Cains, when he sees one Cain the death of one Abel?

Verse 9. No sooner doth Abels blood speak to God, than God speaks to Cain: there is no wicked man to whom God speaks not, if not to his ear, yet to his heart: what speech was this? not an accusation, yet such an enquiry as would infer an accusation. God loves to have a sinner accuse himself, and therefore hath he set his Deputy in the breast of man: neither doth God love this more then nature abhors it: Cain answers stub∣bornly, the very name of Abel wounds him no less then his hand had wounded Abel. Consciences that are without remorse are not without horror: wickedness makes men desperate, the murtherer is angry with God, as of late for accepting his Brothers oblati∣on, so now for listning to his blood.

Verse 11. There is a holy league offensive and defensive betwixt God and his chil∣dren: God shall not only protect us from others, but he shall fight for us against them, our enemies are his enemies: Nolite tangere Christos meos, saith God, of all holy people, you were as good touch me, as touch any of them. Thus when Cain had trespass'd against God himself in this, that he would bind God to an acceptation of his Sacrifice, God comes no farther for that, then to, Why dost thou thus? but in his murther committed upon his Brother (who was a child of God) God proceeds so much farther as to say, Here now art thou cursed from the Earth. When Ieroboam suffered idolatry, God let him alone, that concerned but God himself, but when Ieroboam stretched forth his hand to lay hold on the Prophet, his hand withered.

Verse 13. And what was the greatness of this punishment? this: From thy face shall I be hid. It is not that God would not look graciously upon him, but that God would not look at all upon him. Infinitely desperate are the effects of Gods putting away a soul. And yet notwithstanding this, there doth this comfort arise from the Text, that an im∣putation of sin arising from our selves, may be accompanied with error ••nd mistaking, and we may impute that to our selves which God doth not impute. For this word which some translate here Iniquity, is oftentimes in Scripture used for punishment as well as for sin, and so indifferently for both, as that if we compare Translation with Translation, and Exposition with Exposition, it will be hard for us to say, whether it can be said, my iniquity is greater then can be pardoned, or my punishment is greater then I can bear; and therefore we must have a care how we mis-impute Gods anger to our selves, arising out of his punishments, his corrections and inflictions upon us; that because we have cros∣ses in the world, we cannot believe that we stand well in the sight of God.

Verse 14. He that cares not for the act of his sin, shall care for the smart of his punish∣ment; for see this miscreant, which had neither grace to avoid his sin, nor to confess it; now that he is convinc'd of sin, and curs'd for it, how he howleth, how he exclaimeth, the damned are weary of their torments, but in vain. How great a madness is it to complain too late? he that would not keep his Brother, is cast out from the protection of God; he that feared not to kill his Brother, fears now that whosoever meets him will kill him; the troubled conscience projecteth fearful things, and sin makes even cruel men cowardly. How bitter is the end of sin, yea without end; still Cain finds that he had kill'd himself more then his Brother. We should never sin if our fore-sight were but as good as our sence; the issue of sin would appear a thousand times more horrible then the act is plea∣sant.

Verse 15. Some think this mark was a horrible trembling and shaking of his whole body, as the Septuagint translate who, For thou shalt be a vagabond, read, Thou shalt sigh and tremble: certainly whatever it was, it was a signe of Gods wrath, that others seeing this might fear to commit the like, and that he might have the greater punishment in prolonging so wicked and miserable a life.

Verse 16. It appears by this that Cain stood excommunicate. For otherwise how could Cain go out from God who was every where: so that this presence of the Lord signifies a peculiar place dedicated to God; as the Ark, the Temple were usually call'd in Scripture, The face of the Lord, Psalm 43. Exod. 23. So Ionas fled from the pre∣sence of the Lord, i. e. from the place where the Lord had spoken to him. This then should strike a terror into Christians, and cause them to live in the fear of God, and in an awful respect of his Ministers, who have the power delegated to them from God to drive obstinate sinners from his presence, and are as that Angel with a flaming Sword to keep them out of Paradice, and deprive them of the joyes and blessedness of the life to come.

Verse 20. If the author, the inventor of any thing useful for this life be called the Father of that invention by the Holy Ghost himself, as here Iabal was the Fa∣ther of such as dwelt in Tents; and Tabal his Brother the Father of Musick; how absolutely is God our Father, who invented us, made us, found us out in the depth and darknesse of nothing at all? he is Father, and Father of Lights, of all kinds of Lights. He is Lux lucisica, (as Saint Augustine expresses it) the Light from which all the Lights which we have of Nature, or Grace, or Glory have their emanation.

CHAP. V.

Verse 1. THe Soul of man as it came from God, so it is like God: as he, so it, is one immaterial, immortal, understanding Spirit, distinguish'd into three pow∣ers, which all make up one spirit. So thou the wise Creator of all things wouldest have some things to resemble their Creator; the other creatures are all body, man is body and spirit; the Angels are all spirit, not without a spiritual composition; thou art alone after thine own manner Simple, Glorious, Infinite. No creature can be like thee in thy proper being, because it is a creature. How should our finite weak compounded nature give any perfect resemblance of thine? yet of all visible creatures, thou vouchsafest man the nearest correspondence to thee; not so much in the natural Faculties, as in those di∣vine Graces wherewith thou beautifiest his soul; how then should our Souls rise up to thee, and fix themselves in their thoughts upon thee? how should they long to return back to the Fountain of their Being, and author of their being glorious; that so we may redeem what we have lost, recover in thee what we have lost in our selves.

Verse 3. Adam begetting a Son in his own likeness, is not to be understood in the shape and image of his body; but hereby is signified that original corruption which is descended unto Adams posterity by natural propagation, which is express'd in the birth of Seth, because it might appear that even the Righteous Seed by nature are subject to this depravation.

Verse 22. In that Enoch first walk'd with God on earth, before he walk'd with him in Heaven, is shewed, that we must first seek Gods glory on earth, before we can be ad∣mitted into his Everlasting glory.

Verse 24. If you will sit at the right hand of God hereafter, you must walk with God here: so Abraham, so Enoch walked with God, and God took him. God knows, God takes not every man that dies: God saies to the rich secure man, This night they shall fetch away thy soul, but he does not tell him who; that therefore you may be no strangers to God then, see him now, and remember that his last Judgement is express'd in that word, Nescio vos, I know you not: not to be known by God is damnation; and God knows no man hereafter, with whom he was not acquainted here.

Verse 29. Forasmuch as Lamech said of his Son Noah, This same shall comfort us con∣cerning our work &c. it appeareth that the faithful then look'd for a Comforter that should de••iver them from the Curse: for of this Comforter Noah was a figure, Heb. 11. 7. and the Ark was a type of Baptism, 1 Pet. 3. 21.

Verse 32. Sem is here first named, though Iaphet was first born, as being first in dignity, though not in birth; because from him, and not from Iaphet our blessed Saviour descended in a direct line. Now any relation to Christ enableth either place or person. For let the person be never so mean if God please to claim an interest in him, a poor Fisher∣man upon his Embassie is more honourable then the Embassador of the greatest Monarch in the world: and so likewise for any place in the world, be it never so mean and con∣temptible, yet if God please to send his Ministers to preach the Gospel, and the power thereof, in such places they become glorious to the whole world. Thus it was not the great circumference and populousness of Nineveh, but the preaching of Ionah there that made it known to after-ages, nor was it the City, but the Temple of Ierusalem, and the presence of Christ in that Temple that made it the glory of the whole earth. It is the Christian Religion only whose Fame shall last for ever, that is able to make both Men and Towns as famous and as eternal as it self.

CHAP. VI.

Verse 2. THe world was grown so foul with sin, that God saw it was time to wash it with a floud; if there had not been so deep a deluge of sin, there had been none of the waters; from whence then was this superfluity of iniquity? whence, but from the unequal yoak with Infidels? these marriages did not beget men so much as wickedness; from hence religious Husbands both lost their piety, and gained a rebellious and godlesse generation. Thus that which was the first occasion of sin, was the occasion of the increase of sin: a Woman seduced Adam, Women betray the Sons of God; the beauty of the Apple betrayed the Woman, the beauty of these Women betrayed this ho∣ly Seed: Eve saw and lusted, so did they, this also was a forbidden Fruit; they lusted, tasted, sinned, dyed; the most sins begin at the eyes, by them commonly Satan creeps in∣to the heart; that Soul can never be at safety that hath not covenanted with his eyes.

Verse 3. It is meant that God would no longer strive with them, in reproving and admonishing them, which they regarded not; but if they amended not in short time, within the set space, he would certainly destroy them, and therefore it was supposed that the Ark was a building 120 years, to the end they might repent: enough to justifie Gods mercy in forbearing, and his Justice in executing his Judgements upon sin∣ners.

Verse 12. Man is every Creature; as 'tis said here, all flesh hath corrupted his ways upon the earth, though this corruption were but in man, and other Creatures were flesh as well as man: but man is every creature, because as Gregory saith, Omnis creaturae dif∣ferentia in homine, all the properties and qualities of all other creatures, how remote and distant, how contrary soever in themselves, yet they all meet in man. In man if he be a flatterer, you shall find the grovelling and crawling of the Snake; and in man if he be am∣bitious, you shall find the high flight and piercing of the Eagle; in a voluptuous sensual man you shall find the earthliness of the Hogg; and in a licentious man the intemperance and distemper of the Goat; ever lustful, and ever in a Feaver; ever in sickness contracted by that sin, and yet ever in a desire to proceed in that sin: and thus man is every creature, and all flesh.

Verse 14. That God might approve his mercies to the very wicked, he gives them 120 years respite of repenting, verse 3. and here in this verse he gives them a faithful Teacher. It is an happy thing when he that teacheth others is righteous: Noahs hand taught them as much as his tongue, his business in building the Ark was a real Sermon to the world, wherein at once were taught Mercy and Life to the Believer, and to the Re∣bellious destruction.

Verse 18. Doubtless more hands went to this work of making the Ark than Noah and his Children, and yet none were saved but they; many a one wrought upon the Ark which yet was not saved in the Ark; our outward works cannot save us without Faith; we may help to save others, and perish our selves: what a wonder of mercy is this that we here see! one poor Family call'd out of a world, and as it were eight grains of Corn fann'd from a whole Barnful of Chaff: one hypocrite was saved with the rest for Noahs sake; not one righteous man was swept away for company: for these few was the earth preserved still under the waters; and all kind of Creatures upon the waters, which else had been all destroyed. Still the world stands for their sakes for whom it was preserved; else fire should consume that which could not be cleansed by water.

CHAP. VII.

Verse 2. THe unclean Beasts God would have to live, the clean to multiply: and therefore he sends to Noah seven of the clean, and of the unclean two: he knew the one would annoy man with their multitude, the other would en∣rich him; those things are worthy of most respect, which are of most use. But why seven? Surely that God that Created seven dayes in the Week, and made one for himself, did here preserve of seven clean Beasts, one for himself for Sacrifice: he gives us Six for One in earthly things, that in spiritual we should be all for him.

Verse 9. This difference is strange: I see the savagest of all Creatures, Lions, Tygers, Bears, by an instinct from God, come to seek the Ark, (as we see Swine fore-seeing a storm, run home crying for shelter) men I see not; Reason once de∣bauch'd, is worse than bruitishness: God hath use even of these fierce and cruel Beasts, and glory by them. Even they being Created for man, must live by him, though to his punishment: How gently do they offer and submit themselves to their Preserver? renewing that obeysance to this Repairer of the World, which they be∣fore sin yielded to him that first stored the World. And thus these savage Creatures went in saith the rext to Noah, not to prey, but fawn upon him. He that shut them into the Ark when they were entred, shut their mouths also while they did enter. The Lions fawn upon Noah and Daniel: what heart cannot the Maker of them mollifie.

Verse 10. By this is shewen the Lords patience: for Noah is warned seven dayes before of the Flouds coming, that by his preparation and entrance, others might be warned: and whereas God might have destroyed the World at once, it was en∣creasing forty dayes, that the World seeing every day some perish, might at length have turned to God. And the same was Ninevehs case, yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed. Our God is a gracious, merciful, and long-suffering God; and never strikes but he gives warning, that sinners may prevent the blow, by Repen∣tance and Contrition. Before Nineveh shall be destroyed, a Prophet must be sent to give notice of that destruction, and to teach them a way how to avoid it; and in case they should prove dull schollars, here is forty dayes given to learn the lesson. And as God dealt with this great City, and with the whole World before the De∣luge, to fore-warn them of his judgements and their own ruine; so deals he likewise with particular men: to some he gives forty dayes, to others forty months; nay, forty years to repent in; even a whole life time is to some men but a continued warning of their final destruction; and yet they like the old World, never beleeve it till they feel it, mock and jear at a Deluge until they are over-whelm'd with the Floud, and perish in their own presumptuous imaginations. So hard a thing it is to perswade sinners to beleeve that God is so just, or his Judgements so infallible, or their sins so destructive, until the Floud come, and a second Deluge, a Deluge of Fire sweeps them away, as that first of Waters did their unbeleeving fore-fathers.

Verse 11. It agrees with the nature of God who is goodness, That as all the foun∣tains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of Heaven were opened, and so came the Floud over all, so there should be diluvium spiritus, a flowing out of the holy Ghost upon all; as he promises, Effundam, I will pour it out upon all; and diluvium gentium, that all Nations shall flow up unto him. For this spirit, spirat ubi vnlt, breaths where it pleaseth him; and though a natural Wind cannot blow East and West, North and South together, this spirit at once breaths upon the most contrary dispositions, upon the presuming, and upon the dispairing sinner; and in an instant can denizon and naturalize that soul that was an Alien to the Cove∣nant,

empale and in-lay that soul that was bred upon the Common among the Gen∣tiles, transform that soul which was a Goat into a Sheep, unite that soul which was a lost Sheep to the Fold again, shine upon that soul that sits in darkness and the sha∣dow of death, and so melt and pour out that soul that yet understands nothing of the divine nature, nor of the Spirit of God, that it shall become partaker of the divine nature, and be the same Spirit with God.

Verse 16. Now that Noah and all his Guests are entred, the Ark is shut, and the windows of Heaven opened. God first provides for Noah before the Wicked are destroyed: of whom, many no doubt, when they saw the violence of the waves descending and ascending, according to Noah's prediction, came wading middle∣deep unto the Ark, and importunately craved that admittance which they once de∣nied. But now as they formerly rejected God, so are they justly rejected of God. Ere Vengeance begin, Repentance is seasonable; but if Judgement be once gone out, we cry too late: while the Gospel sollicites us, the doors of the Ark are open; if we neglect the time of Grace, in vain shall we seek it with tears: God holds it no mercy to pity the obstinate.

Verse 18. The Faith of the Righteous cannot be so much derided, as their success is magnified: How securely doth Noah ride out this uproar of Heaven, Earth, and Waters! He hears the pouring down of the Rain about his head, the shreeking of Men, the roaring and bellowing of Beasts on both sides of him; the raging and threats of the Waves under him; he saw the miserable shifts of the distressed Unbe∣leevers; and in the mean time sits quietly in his dry cabbin, neither fearing nor feeling evil: he knew that he which owed the Waters would steer him, and he who shut him in, would preserve him. How happy a thing is Faith? What a quiet safety, what a Heavenly peace doth it work in the Soul in the midst of all the endeavours of evil?

Verse 20. There is no doubt but very many hoping to over-run their Judgement, and climbing up to the highest Mountains, looked down upon the Waters with more hope than fear: and now when they see their Hills become Islands, they get up into the tallest Trees; where with paleness and horror, at once, they look for death, and study to avoid it; whom the Waves over-take at last half-dead with famine, and half with fear. So now from the tops of the Mountains they descry the Ark float∣ing upon the Waters, and behold with envie that which before they beheld with scorn. By which we may see, that he flies in vain, whom God pursues: and that there is no way to flie from his Judgements, but to flie to his Mercy by Re∣penting.

CHAP. VIII.

Verse 1. GOds Providence is here manifest, that watcheth not only over man, but every particular Beast likewise. Whereby man is taught to be like his Creator, and to regard the life of his Beast, Prov. 12. Xenocrates is com∣mended by Aelian lib. 13. for succouring a Sparrow that flew to him pursued by an Hawk, and after let her go, saying, Se supplicem non prodidisse, That he would not betray the very Bird that flew to him for safeguard.

Verse 3. Now when God had fetch'd again all the life that he had given to his un∣worthy Creatures, and reduced the World unto its first Form wherein Waters were over the face of the Earth, it was time for a renovation of all things to succeed this destruction. To have continued the Deluge long, had been to punish Noah that was righteous. After forty dayes therefore the Heavens cleared up, after 150 the

Waters sink down: How soon is God weary of punishing, that is never weary of blessing! Yet may not the Ark rest suddenly. If we did not stay some while un∣der Gods hand, we should not know how sweet his mercy is, and how great our thankfulness should be.

Verse 7. God doth not reveal all things to his best servants: Behold, he that told Noah an hundred and twenty years before, what day he should go into the Ark, yet fore-tells him not now in the Ark what day the Ark should rest upon the hills, and he should go forth: Noah therefore sends out his Intelligencers, the Raven, and the Dove, whose wings in that vaporous aire might easily descry further than his sight: the Raven of quick scent, of gross feed, of tough constitution; no soul was so fit for discovery; the likeliest things alwayes succeed not. He neither will venture far into that solitary world for fear of want, nor yet come into the Ark for love of liber∣ty, but hovers about in uncertainties. How many carnal minds fly out of the Ark of Gods Church, and embrace the present world: rather chusing to feed upon the un∣savoury Carkasses of sinful pleasures, than to be restrain'd within the strait lists of Christian obedience.

Verse 9. How exactly doth the Soul of every man resemble this Dove? That poor innocent Creature after it was exposed to the wide World, was in perpetual motion, no rest to be found until it returned to the Ark: And just so is the condition of every man; so long as we are in the World, so long we are in a restless condition; perpetu∣al troubles and vexations; no rest to be found until we return unto the Ark, unto the God that sent us forth: thither must we fly, or be over-whelm'd in the Deluge of the worlds vanities, and perish for ever. Mans Soul is Gods Turtle, Created for God, and therefore can find no rest but in God. It may flutter up and down in the World, fly from one trouble, from one perplexity to another, but no peace, no rest to be found until it return unto that God who commanded it forth upon his work and em∣ployment; which causeth it to take up the complaint of the Psalmist, Oh that I had the wings of a Dove, then would I fly away and be at rest.

Verse 11. The Dove is sent forth, a Fowl both swift and simple. She like a true Citizen of the Ark returns, and brings faithful notice of the continuance of the Wa∣ters by her restless and empty return; by her Olive-leaf of the abatement. How worthy are those Messengers to be welcome which with innocence in their lives bring glad tydings of Peace and Salvation in their mouths.

Verse 16. Ambrose and some Hebrews note, That when Noah was bid to go into the Ark, he and his Sons are joyn'd together, and so his Wife and his Sons Wives likewise, chap. 6. vers. 18. but here in their coming forth, He and his Wife, his Sons and their Wives are coupled, to shew that they lived a part in the Ark, and accom∣panied not together; which is most probable, though not upon this ground, but as he farther notes, Maeroris tempus er at non laetitiae, It was a time of Mourning, and not of Mirth: and for that he knew the Deluge came because of the intemperancy of the other world.

Verse 18. The Ark, though it was Noahs Fort against the Waters; yet it was his Prison also: he was safe in it, but pent up: he that gave him life by it, now thinks to give him liberty out of it. At this Noah rejoyces and beleeves; yet still he waits se∣ven dayes more. It is not good to devour the favours of God too greedily; but to take them in that we may digest them. O strong Faith of Noah that was not weary of this delay. Some man would have so long'd for the open Air after so long close∣ness, that upon the first notice of safety he would have uncovered and voided the Ark; Noah stayes seven dayes e're he will open; and well neer two months e're he will for∣sake the Ark; and not then unless God that commanded to enter, had bidden him depart. There is no action good without Faith; no Faith without a word. Happy is that man which in all things (neglecting the counsels of flesh and bloud) depends upon the Commission of his Maker.

Verse 20. No sooner is Noah come out of the Ark but he builds an Altar: not an House to himself, but an Altar to the Lord. Our Faith will ever teach us to pre∣fer

God to our selves: delay'd thankfulness is not worthy acceptation; of those few Creatures that are left God must have some, they are all his: yet his goodness will have man know that it was he, for whose sake they were preserved. It was a privi∣ledge to those very bruit Creatures that they were saved from the Waters to be offer∣ed up in Fire unto God: What a favour is it to men to be reserved from common de∣structions, to be sacrific'd to their Maker, and Redeemer?

Verse 21. God had accepted sacrifices before, but no sacrifice is call'd Odor quietis; it is not said that God smelt a favour of Rest in any sacrifice but that which Noah offered after he had been variously tossed and tumbled in the long hulling of the Ark upon the Waters; and this was a sacrifice in which God himself might rest himself. For God hath a Sabbath in the Sabbath of his Servants, a Fulness in their Fulness, a satisfaction when they are satisfied, and is well pleased when they are so: and there∣fore the Lord said, That he will not Curse the Earth again, (speaking not generally of all kind of Cursing the Earth, but only of this particular Curse by Waters▪) And whereas 'tis added for a Reason, for the imagination of mans heart is evil; it is not meant that God would spare the Earth, and Beasts, because man is subject to sin, but the Promise is made specially for man: that being he is by nature subdued to sin, he is to be pitied, and not for every offence, according to his deserts, to be judged; for then the Lord should continually over-flow the world: moreover, where it is said, Gen. 6. 6. That the Lord would destroy the World, because the imaginations of their hearts were evil: it may seem strange, that the same cause should be here urged why he would not: therefore this is here added, to shew the original of this Mercy, not to proceed from man, but Gods own favour.

CHAP. IX.

Verse 1. THere is a lawful, nay a necessary desire of being better and better: and that not only in spiritual things (for so every man is bound to be bet∣ter and better; better to day than yesterday, and too morrow than to day;) but e∣ven in temporal things too there is a liberty given us; nay, there is a Law, an Obli∣gation laid upon us, To endeavour by industry in a lawful Calling, to mend and im∣prove, to enlarge our selves and spread even in worldly things. And therefore when God delivers this Commandment the second time to Noah for the repairation of the World, Encrease and Multiply, (which is not only in the multiplication of Chil∣dren, but in the enlargement of Possessions too) he accompanies it with this Reason in the second vers. The fear of you, and the dread of you shall be upon all, and all are de∣livered into your hands; which Reason can have no relation to the multiplying of Children, but to the enlarging of Possessions. God planted Trees in Paradise in a good state at first, at first with ripe fruits upon them: but Gods purpose was, That even those Trees, though well then, should grow greater. God gives many men good Estates from their Parents at first, yet Gods purpose is, That they should en∣crease those Estates. He that leaves no more than his Father left him, if the fault be in himself, shall hardly make a good account of his Stewardship to God; for he hath but kept his Talent in a Napkin.

Verse 13. That little fire of Noah which he kindled in the former Chapter, through the vertue of his Faith purged the World, and ascended up into those heavens from which the Waters fell, and caused a glorious Rain-bow to appear therein for his secu∣rity. And here behold a new and a second rest: first God rested from making that World; now he rests from destroying it: even while we cease not to offend, he ceases from a publick revenge. His Word was enough, yet withal he gives a sign, which may speak the truth of his Promise to the very eyes of men: Thus he doth still in his

blessed Sacraments, which are as real Words to the Soul. The Rain-bow is the pledge of our safety, which even really signifies the end of a shower. And further, the Rain-bow having two special Colours in it, one Coeruleus & exterior, which is wa∣terish, is a sign the World shall not any more be drown'd; the other Rubeus, which may be a sign the World shall be consumed with Fire. Thus all the signs of Gods in∣stitution are proper and significant.

Verse 21. Who would think after all the favours that God had shewn Noah, to have found this Righteous man lying Drunken in his Tent? Who would think that Wine should over-throw him that was preserved from the Waters? That he who could not be tainted with the sinful examples of the former World, should begin the example of a new sin of his own. What are we men if we be left to our selves? While God upholds us, no tentation can move us; when he leaves us, no tentation is too weak to over-throw us. Behold he, of whom God in an unclean World had said, Thee only have I found Righteous, proves now unclean when the World was purged. The Preacher of Righteousness unto the former age, the King, Priest, and Prophet unto the World renewed, is the first that renewes the sins of the World which he had reproved, and which he saw condemned for sin: Gods best Children have no fence for sins of infirmity: which of the Saints have not once done that, whereof they are ashamed?

Verse 22. Ungracious Cham saw his Fathers nakedness, and laughed at it: His Fathers shame should have been his, and should have begot in him a secret horror and dejection; How many graceless men make sport at the causes of their Humiliation? Twice had Noah given him life; yet neither the Name of Father, and Preserver, nor Age, nor Vertue could shield him from the contempt of his own. I fee that even Gods Ark may nourish Monsters; some filthy Toads may lie under the stones of the Temple. And further, Cham was not content only to be a witness of this filthy sight; he goes on to be a proclaimer of it. Sin doth ill in the eye, but worse in the tongue: as all sin is a work of darkness, so it should be buried in darkness. The report of sin is oft-times as ill as the Commission; for it can never be blazoned without unchari∣tableness, seldom without infection: Oh the unnatural and more than Chammish Impiety of those Sons, which rejoyce to publish the nakedness of their spiritual Pa∣rents, even to their enemies.

Verse 23. Behold here how love covereth sins; these good Sons are so far from go∣ing forward to see their Fathers shame, that they go back-ward to hide it. The Cloak is laid on both their shoulders, they both go back with equal paces, and dare not so much as look back, lest they should unwillingly see the cause of their shame; and will rather adventure to stumble at their Fathers Body, than to see his nakedness. How did it grieve them to think that they who so often had come to their Father with Re∣verence, must now in Reverence turn their backs upon him; and that they must now cloath him in pity, who had so often cloathed them in love! And which adds more to their duty, they covered him and said nothing. This modest sorrow is their praise, and our example: the Sins of those we love and honour we must hear of with indig∣nation, fearfully and unwillingly beleeve, acknowledge with grief and shame, hide with honest excuses, and bury in silence.

Verse 25. God preserves some men in Judgement; better had it been for Cham to have perished in the Waters, than to live unto his Fathers Curse. And yet how e∣qual a regard is here both of Piety and disobedience? Because Cham sinned against his Father, therefore he shall be plagued in his Children; Iaphet is dutiful to his Father, and finds it in his posterity. Because Cham was an ill son to his Father, therefore his sons shall be servants to his Brethren; because Iaphet set his shoulders to Shems to bear the Cloak of shame, therefore shall Iaphet dwell in the Tents of Shem, partaking with him in blessings as in duty. When we do but what we ought, yet God is thankful to us, and rewards that, which we should sin if we did not. Who could ever yet shew me a man rebelliously undutiful to his Parents that hath prospered in himself and his seed.

Verse 27. If thy Child prove undutiful and refractory, do for him as Noah did here for Iaphet. Noah had given that son of his a great deal of good Counsel no doubt, and had perswaded him to become a lively Member of Gods Church; but knowing well to how little purpose all this would be without Gods working upon his heart, he falls to Prayer, God perswade Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Shem: As if he had said, I have advised and done my uttermost to perswade thee my Son, but all this is but lost labour, unless God put in his helping hand; now therefore, the good Lord perswade thee. Thus do thou for thy refractory Child, desire God to perswade him, to con∣vince him, to turn his heart, and thou shalt see that nothing shall stand in his way, but the work shall be accomplished; if God undertake to mend thy Son, and make him good, all his ill conditions shall not hinder it.

CHAP. X.

Verse 1. CHam is set in the midst between Shem and Iaphet; wherein is shadowed the condition of the Church, that ungodly persons will ever be mingled among the faithful. The purest Grain hath some Chaff mixed with it, and the purest and most sanctified Congregations, as well in Heaven as on Earth, have had their mixture of Reprobates. There was a Iudas in that glorious Synod of Apostles, and a Lucifer even in Heaven its self. Thus still is the Church that Moon in the Scripture; a glorious Body, but not without her spots.

Verse 10. Nimrod signifies a Rebel, and Babel confusion: to intimate, that Re∣bellion evermore begins in Confusion, Confusion in the Church, and Confusion in the State; in the one the Lawes of God are disordered, in the other the Laws of man; Babel is still the beginning of that Kingdom where a Nimrod is the mighty man; and where a Nimrod is the mighty man, still the aim is at a Kingdom, though the King∣dom prove a Kingdom of Confusion: Nimrod will be great, though his own great∣ness distract and confound him. And thus it fares also with every wicked man who is a rebel against God, the beginning of his Kingdom is a Babel likewise; his understan∣ding is distracted, his affections are disordered, and all his actions are out of frame, a confusion possesses both the beginning, and end of all his wayes. And to this pur∣pose was the Psalmists Prayer against both these Nimrods; O my God, make them like unto a Wheel; let them turn round in all their actions, let them never be fixed and setled in their courses, but let a giddiness, a vertigo, pursue their Designes, and let both the beginning and end of their Kingdom prove a Babel.

Verse 25. Eber (of whom came the Hebrews, or Israelites, Exod. 1. 15.) that he might have before his eyes a perpetual monument of Gods displeasure against the am∣bitious Babel builders, calls his Son Peleg, or Division; because in his dayes was the Earth divided. It is good to write the remembrance of Gods worthy works, whether of Mercy or Justice, upon the Names of our Children, to put us in mind of those dispensations of God; for we need all helps, such is either our dulness, or forgetful∣ness. Upon this account we of this Nation have been very zealous in conferring such Names upon our Children at their Baptism, as might put them in mind of some part of their Christian Profession; and lest our Children should be ignorant of the mean∣ing of those Names, they have been of late years interpreted; and instead of Bap∣tizing our Children with the Names of Timothy and Theophilus, these latter times have re-baptized even Names as well as Children, and have Christened them Fear-God, and Love-God, and Fight a good Fight: but how these men have imitated their Names, these late years have sufficiently declared to the whole World.

CHAP. XI.

Verse 4. HOw fondly do men reckon without God? Come let us build: as if there had been no stop but in their own will; as if both Earth and Time had been theirs. Still do all natural men build Babel, fore-casting their own Plots so resolutely, as if there were no power to counter-mand them. Let us build a City; if they had taken God with them, it had been commendable; establishing of Societies is pleasing to him that is the God of Order: but a Tower whose top may reach to Heaven, is a shameful arrogance, an impious presumption; Who would think that we little Ants that creep upon the Earth, should think to climb up to Hea∣ven by multiplying of Earth! But wherefore was all this? Not that they loved so much to be neighbors to heaven, as to be famous upon earth: It was not Commodi∣ty that was here sought, nor Safety, but Glory: Whither doth not thirst of Fame carry men whether in good or evil? One builds a Temple to Diana in hope of glory, intending it for one of the greatest Wonders of the World: Another in hope of Fame, burns it. He is a rare man that hath not some Babel of his own whereon he bestows pains and cost only to be talked of.

Verse 7. When God bestowed upon man his first benefit, his Making; it is exprest thus, Let us, all us, make Man. God seems to muster himself, all himself, all the Persons of the Trinity, to do what he could in favour of man. So also here when he is drawn to a necessity of executing Judgment, & for his own honor & consolidation of his servants, puts himself upon a revenge, he proceeds so too. When man had rebell'd, and began to fortifie in Babel, then saies God here, Let us, all us, come together, and descendamus & confundamus, let us, all us, go down and confound their Language and their Fortifications. God does not give paterns, God does not accept from us acts of half Devotion, and half Charities; God does all that he can for us: And therefore when we see others in distress, whether National or Personal Calamities; whether Princes be dispossest of their National Patrimony and Inheritance; or pri∣vate Persons afflicted with sickness, or penury, or banishment; let us go Gods way all the way. First, Feciamus hominem ad imaginem nostram, Let us make that man ac∣cording to our image, let us consider our selves in him, and make our case his: And remember how lately he was as well as we, and how soon we may be as ill as he; and then descendamus & confundamus, let us, us with all the power we have, remove or slacken those Calamities that lie upon him.

Verse 8. He that taught Adam the first words, taught these Builders words that never were. One calls for Brick, the other looks him in the face and wonders what he means; and how, and why he speaks such words as were never heard; and instead thereof brings him Morter, returning him an Answer as little understood. At first, every man thinks his Fellow mocks him; but now perceiving this serious Confusion, their only Answer is silence, and ceasing. They could not come together (but must of necessity be scattered) for no man could call them to be understood; and if they had Assembled, nothing could be determined, because one could never attain to the others purpose: No, they could not have the honour of a general dismission; but each man leaves his Trowel and Station, more like a Fool than he undertook it. So commonly actions begun in glory, shut up in shame.

Verse 9. All external actions depend upon the tongue; no man can know anothers mind if this be not the interpreter. Hence, as there were many tongues given to stay the building of Babel; so there were as many given to build the New Ierusalem, the Evangelical Church. Multiplicity of Language had not been given by the Holy Ghost for a blessing of the Church, if the World had not been before possessed with multiplicity of Languages for a punishment. Hence it is, That the building of our

Sion rises no faster, because our tongues are divided; happy were the Church of God, if we all spake but one Language: Whilst we differ, we can build nothing but Babel; difference of tongues caused their Babel to cease, but it builds ours.

CHAP. XII.

Vers. 1. IT was fit, That he that should be the Patern and Father of the Faithful should be throughly tryed: for in a set copy every fault is important, & may prove a rule of Error. No Son of Abraham can hope to escape temptations, while he sees the bosom in which he desires to rest, so assaulted with difficulties. Abraham must leave his Country and Kindred, and live amongst strangers: the calling of God never leaves men where it finds them: The Earth is the Lords, and all places are a∣like to the wise and faithful. If Chaldaea had not been grosly idolatrous, Abraham had not left it; no Bond must tye us to the danger of infection. But whither must he go? To a place he knew not, to men that knew not him: It is enough comfort to a good man, wheresoever he is, that he is acquainted with God; we are never out of our way while we follow the calling of God.

Verse 3. When the wayes of a man please God, he will be gracious to his House and Posterity. God is so pleased with the Obedience of his People, that he will shew Mercy to such as belong to them. When God saw Noah righteous before him in that corrupt age and generation, he made all that belong'd to him partakers of the same deliverance with himself; saying unto him, Enter thou and all thine house into the Ark. This appeareth in the person of Abraham, when God had call'd him out of his Country and from his Kindred, and had made a Covenant with him to bless him, he adds, I will also bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee: And this is but the tenor of the Covenant that God hath made with all the faithful; their Faith is available both for themselves and for others. God will be our God, and the God of our seed after us. And this is the priviledge and prerogative that the faithful have; they beleeve this merciful Promise of God themselves, and thereby entitle their Children unto it. For as a Father that purchaseth House or Land, giveth there∣by an interest unto his Son therein; so he that layeth hold on the Promise that God hath made to all godly Parents, doth convey it unto his Children; so that albeit they want Faith by reason of their years, yet they are made partakers of Christ, and en∣grafted into his Body.

Verse 7. Never any man lost by his Obedience to the highest; because Abraham yielded, God gave him the possession of Canaan: I wonder more at his Faith in ta∣king this possession, than in leaving his own. Behold Abraham takes possession for that Seed which he had not, which in nature he was not like to have, of that Land whereof he should not have one foot, wherein his Seed should not be setled of almost five hundred years after. The power of Faith can prevent time, and make future things present: If we be the true Sons of Abraham, we have already while we sojourn here on Earth, the possession of our Land of Promise: while we seek our Country, we have it.

Verse 10. Even Canaan here doth not afford Abraham Bread, which yet he must beleeve shall flow with Milk and Honey to his Seed: Sence must yield to Faith; wo were us if we must judge of our future estate by our present: Egypt gives Relief to Abraham, when Canaan cannot. In outward things Gods enemies may fare better than his friends. Thrice had Egypt preserved the Church of God in Abraham, in Iacob, in Christ: God oftentimes makes use of the World for the behoof of his,

though without their thanks: as contrarily he useth the wicked for scourges to his own inheritance, and burns them; because in his good they intended evil.

Verse 13. Hitherto hath Sarah been Abrahams Wife, now Egypt hath made her his Sister; Fear hath turned him from an Husband to a Brother: No strength of Faith can exclude some doubtings: God hath said, I will make thee a great Nation; Abra∣ham saith, The Egyptians will kill me. He that liveth by his Faith, yet shrinketh and sinneth. How vainly shall we hope to beleeve without all fear, and to live without infirmities? Some little aspertions of unbelief cannot hinder the praise and power of Faith. Abraham beleeved, and it was imputed to him for righteousness: He that through inconsiderateness doubted twice of his own life, doubted not of the life of his Seed, even from the dead and dry Womb of Sarah; yet was it more diffi∣cult that his posterity should live in Sarah, than that Sarahs Husband should live in Egypt; this was above nature, yet he beleeves it. Sometimes the Beleever sticks at easie tryalls, and yet breaks through the greatest tentations without fear.

Verse 14. Holy Iob's Covenant with his Eyes in the Old Testament, should be e∣very Christians in the New; to look to his looks, to set a guard and sentinel over his Eyes: for from looking comes lusting, from a lascivious glance proceeds a lascivious act; and it is all one in Gods esteem with which part of the body we commit adultery; so that if a man lets his Eye or his Thought loose, and enjoyes the lust of either, he is an Adulterer before God. It was therefore our Saviours advice, Mat. 5. If thy right Eye offend thee, pull it out: the meaning is this, That when thou doest give check to the loose evibrations and wanton twirles of a lascivious Eye, thou dost at that very time pull out that wanton Eye from thy body, and the lustful Devil that is in that wanton Eye from thy soul. There is great reason therefore that we should set a strict watch over this Cinque-port of our bodies: Beauty is a dangerous bait, and Lust is sharp-sighted. It is not safe gazing on a fair Woman: how many have died of the wound in the Eye? No one means hath so enrich'd Hell as beautiful faces.

Verse 19. It is a sad case when an Egyptian shall reprove an Israelite, when a Pharaoh shall rebuke an Abraham; and therefore all Professors of Religion should so practice it, as the very Infidels, seeing their good works answer their good words, may glorifie their Father which is in heaven. For our Calling as it is most eminent, so most eyed, and worst censured by all the Infidel part of the World. If an Apostle rub but an ear of Corn on the Sabbath, 'tis breaking of the day; a heathens Motes are a Christians Beams, and a Turks indifferency is my evil; somethings being expedient in respect of the man, which are scandalous meerly for his Religion: none therefore to keep within so strict lines both for words and deeds as the Christian; for behold, saith the Apostle, We are made a gazing stock to the world, to Angels, and to men.

CHAP. XIII.

Verse 2. ALthough the Scripture tells us, That it is hard for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; yet the Scripture saith not that it is absolutely impossible: Heaven gate stands open for the Rich as well as for the Poor; for rich Abraham here, as well as for poor Lazarus in the Gospel: and as it is true, Blessed are the Poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven: So it is also as true, Blessed are the Rich, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus Adam and Noah flew up to Heaven with the Monarchy of the whole World upon their backs. The Patriarchs also (as in this Text Abraham) with much Wealth, many holy Kings with rich Crowns and Scepters. It is not Wealth therefore as Wealth, but Sin

that is the clogg that keeps men from ascending the burthen of covetous desires being more heavie to an empty Soul than much treasure to the full; for not the meer Possessi∣on and use of riches offends, but the affectation.

Verse 7. When the strife began between Abraham and Lot, the Scripture notes it as a special Memorandum here, that the Canaanite was then in the Land. Doubtless there are at this time also in our Land too many who carry Canaanitish hearts and minds, who would; no less than the old Canaanites, rejoyce and triumph in our dis∣cords; saying among themselves, Aha, so would we have it: But let those that have the Spirit of Abraham, learn also the Speech and Language of Abraham; who though he was in Age, and Dignity superiour to his Nephew Lot, yet came and said unto him, I pray thee let there be no strife between me and thee, for we are Bre∣thren.

Verse 9. Before Abraham and Lot grew Rich, they dwelt together; now their Wealth separates them; their Society was a greater good than their Riches: many a one is a looser by his Wealth; who would account those things good which makes us worse? It had been the duty of young Lot to offer, rather than to chuse; to yield rather than contend: Who would not here think Abraham the Nephew, and Lot the Uncle? It is no disparagement for greater persons to begin treaties of Peace: better doth it beseem every Son of Abraham to win with love, than to sway with po∣wer. Abraham yields over this right of his choice, Lot takes it. And behold Lot is cross'd in that which he chose, Abraham is blessed in that which was left him: God never suffers any one to lose by an humble remission of his right in a desire of Peace.

Verse 10. Wealth hath made Lot not only undutiful, but covetous: he sees the goodly Plain of Iordan, the richness of the Soyl, the commodity of the Rivers, the scituation of the Cities, and now not once enquiring into the Condition of the Inha∣bitants, he is in love with Sodom. Outward appearances are deceitful guides to our judgement or affection: they are worthy to be deceived that value things as they seem. It is not long after that Lot payes dear for his rashness. He fled for quietness from his Uncle and finds War with strangers, by whom he is carried Prisoner with all his substance. That Wealth which was the cause of his former Quarrels, is made a prey to merciless Heathen; that place which his Eye covetously chose, be∣trayes his life and goods. How many Christians whilst they have look'd at gain, have lost themselves?

Verse 14. Gods way of appearing unto Abraham, was like our Saviours way of appearing in the flesh to the world: until such time as there was a general Peace over the whole Earth, our Saviour would not appear amongst men; and until such time as the strife was ended betwixt Abraham and Lot, and they two parted friendly, God did not appear unto Abraham: God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him, 1 Joh. 4. 16. Where Charity is, there is an habitation, a Temple for the Lord; and where it is not, there is a dwelling-place for the Devil: Religion is but rottenness without it, our Devotions unsavory, our Sacrifice distaste∣ful, and all our front of Holiness but dross and rubbish; Therefore Christ saith, If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar, and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought a∣gainst thee, first be reconciled with thy Brother, and then offer thy Gift. Otherwise Dissention and ill-will will over-shadow the Altar, and keep the grace of God from descending: The fountain of Love will not be laded at with uncharitable hands. Ia∣cob will be reconciled to his Brother before he builds an Altar; and Abraham must be at peace with Lot, before God gives him a visit.

Verse 15. Ever is not alwayes used for Eternity. Aristotle defines Aeternum to be Periodus durationis cujusque rei: lib. 1. de Coelo. It is diversely used in Scripture. First, for the continuance of the world, as the Rain-bow was a sign of Gods ever∣lasting Covenant; that is, so long as the world continueth. Secondly, It signifies the whole time of mans life, I will sing of thy mercies for ever, Psal. 89. 1. Thirdly, That is called Eternal whose time is not prefix'd with man, though it be with God;

as Circumcision is call'd an everlasting Covenant, because it was not to be altered by man. But here some take these words not leterally, but upon Condition; That the Land of Canaan should so long be their inheritance as they obeyed God, according to Deut. 4. 25. As if the Lord should say (saith Cajetan) Quam diu erit semen tuum, as long as they shall be thy Seed, I will give them this Land: therefore when they began to degenerate from Abraham, God was no longer tyed to his Pro∣mise.

CHAP. XIV.

Verse 2. TO gather Armies, and to muster men to Battel is no new sign, but an old and ancient device among the sons of men. Thus here we have mention of two Armies; the one raised by Chedor-laomer and his Confederates; the other by the Kings of Sodom & Gommorrah, these rebelling, the other punishing their rebellion. Now seeing the misery of Wars hath such an ancient stamp upon it, not lately bred, but the Child of former times, say not the old dayes are better than these; grow not wanton and weary of things present, to loath the blessings we enjoy, as the manner of many is. We complain that we are fallen into evil times, we praise the dayes that are past, and consider not that in this we murmur against God, who hath made all things good, and governeth all things well. The present state of things are grievous, because present troubles are felt, and former discommodities are forgot∣ten long ago.

Verse 12. Let us have no fellowship with evil men, or evil actions; unless we will partake with them in the punishment. It is our Christian discretion to forsake their company, lest we be taken in the net, and snared in their wayes. Many have sustain'd much danger, and endured much affliction by conversing with evil men. Lot was never more grieved, nor less secured, than when he was even in the very midst of Sodom. He made choice to dwell there, as the place where he might soonest enrich himself, but he quickly repented him of his choice. He was taken pri∣soner by forreign Enemies, and was in greatest danger by violence at his own home. To communicate with the wicked is all one as if a man should throw himself into the company of Theeves. The servants of God, which are endued with those heavenly gifts, divine graces (which are the greatest treasure) have a great charge about them: It concerns them therefore to take heed, that by evil company they be not robb'd and deprived of them. We should beware of the company and conditions of men; if we count our selves happy in the league of the wicked, we are utterly lost, and are walking in the road-way that leads to death.

Verse 15. In regard that War it's self is lawful, it follows that the stratagems of War are not unlawful. It is not against the Word of God to use subtilty and policy, to lay snares and baits to entrap and circumvent the Enemy. In all actions of War and Peace, we must deal wisely and warily. When we live in peace and quietness, it is required of us to walk not only in a lawful, but in a wise course; but much more in War, where the Enemy is watchful, the snares are subtile, and the danger greater. This appears evidently both because God commanded it, and the godly practise it. God commanded it to Ioshua in the taking of Ai, Iosh. 8. 2. and it was practised here by Abraham. True it is we are to keep promises to all, even to our enemies. We must not promise to save them, and then destroy them. Notwithstanding we are not bound to make known to them whatever we speak or do; but are to conceal our intents to the end the victory may be obtain'd.

Verse 16. All things that are taken in a lawful War, are not lawful plunder. The

Philistines when they got the victory over the Israelites, and had the spoyl of the field, yet there was an Ark amongst that spoyl which they had nothing to do with, and they had better have let it alone, than have medled with it; that did belong to the God of Israel more than to his People; and therefore when they took away that, they took Gods Judgements and Vengeance along with it, and they did return it with far greater joy and triumph than they took it away. Touch not mine anointed, saith God, and do my Prophets no harm; they are Gods, and man hath nothing to do with them. And therefore when the five Kings in this Chapter had taken away Lot, one whom God would not have touch'd, they not only lost him, but all the rest of their spoil; all the Goods were brought back again for that good mans sake. If those Kings had not made Lot their prisoner, the rest of the spoil might have been law∣ful prize. So pretious in Gods eyes are his Saints.

Verse 19. It is a just observation of Philo, that God only by a propriety is stiled the possessor of heaven and earth by Melchisedec in this speech of his to Abraham: We are only Tenants, and that at the Will of the Lord; at the most we have but jus ad rem non dominium in rem, a right to these earthly things, not a Lordship over them; we have only a right of favour from their proprietary and Lord in heaven, and that liable to account. Let me then charge the Rich-man that he be not high-minded and proud of that which is none of his. That which Law and Case-Divinity speaks of life, that man is not Dominus vitae suae sed custos, is as true of Wealth: Na∣ture can tell him from Seneca, that he is not Dominus but Colonus, not the Lord, but the Farmer.

Verse 23. Solomon in his Proverbs tells us, that the blessing of the Lord maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it; intimating that they which grow rich, and not by Gods blessing, but by such means as God hath accursed, the Lord doth add such a deal of sorrow, and care, and vexation with it, that they were as good or bet∣ter be without it. Such riches were those that Abraham rejected at the King of Sodoms hands in this verse; when he offered him Goods and spoyls enough to have enriched him and all his houshold: No, saith Abraham, I will not take so much as a thred from you: men shall never say that Abraham was made rich, and not by Gods blessing but by the King of Sodoms means; God shall make Abraham rich, or he will ever be poor. It is reported of one that was a better Lawyer than an honest man, that he should say, He that would not venture his body shall never be valiant, nor he that will not venture his soul be rich. Let them that make no reckoning of their souls venture them at their perils; but let all that desire contentment here, or heaven here∣after, make their Prayers to God, and say, from such kind of Riches, Good Lord de∣liver us.

CHAP. XV.

Verse 1. IT is Saint Cyrils note, That as Abraham (so long as he was in his own Country) had never God appearing to him, save only to bid him go forth; but after when he was gone forth, had frequent visions of his Maker: So while in our affections we remain here below in our Coffers, we cannot have the com∣fortable assurances of the presence of God; but if we can abandon the love and trust of these earthly things in the conscience of our obedience, now God shall appear to us, and speak peace to our Souls, and never shall we find cause to repent us of the change.

Verse 4. In the 13 Chapter God promised Abraham an innumerable Seed, but yet heknew not whether it should be his natural or adopted seed; now the Lord cleareth

that doubt, and telleth him it should come out of his own bowels: yet Abraham was uncertain, Whether this Seed should be by Sarah, or another, which is told Gen. 17. 16. So God deals his Promises not all at once, but by degrees; by that means to cause us still to rely upon him, and continually to pray for the performance of what we expect.

Verse 12. Not only a fear of God must, but a terror of God may fall upon the best. When God talked with Abraham here, a horror of great darkness fell upon him saith the text. The Father of lights, and the God of all comforts present, and present in an action of mercy, and yet an horror of great darkness fell upon Abra∣ham. When God talked personally and presentially with Moses, Exod. 13. Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. When I look upon God in those terrible judgements which he hath executed upon some men, and see that there is no∣thing between me and the same judgements (for I have sinn'd the same sins, and God is the same God) I cannot look upon God in what line I will, nor take hold of God by what handle I will; he is a terrible God, I take him so; and then I cannot discon∣tinue, I cannot break off this terribleness, and say, He hath been terrible to that man and there is an end of his terror, it reaches not to me. Why not to me? In me there is no merit, no shadow of merit, in God there is no change, no shadow of change. I am the same sinner, he is the same God, still the same desperate sinner, still the same terrible God.

Verse 16. The sins of a professing People, or Nation, are sooner ripe than the sins of the wild world: as fruit that grows more in the Sun, is concocted and comes to ma∣turity sooner: and therefore 'tis observable, that God bears longer with the world, yea, and in a sence deals more gently in their punishment. The sin of the Amorites here was long many years e're it was full ripe; but Israels was ripe in forty years; and seeing they were most look'd upon of all the people of the earth; therefore God will visit upon them all their iniquities, and that to their cost, they shall more inten∣sively feel his wrath. How dear was Israel unto God, by how many sweet, loving, and precious appellations were they called, his Apple, his Spouse, his Treasure, his Jewels, his Darling, and yet cast out and abandoned by that God. Oh how should this Nation of ours hear and fear, and do no more so wickedly, lest God make a quick dispatch, and do as by ASIA, remove the Candle and Candlestick out of its place.

CHAP. XVI.

Verse 2. VVHat a lively patern do I see in Abraham and Sarah, of a strong Faith, and a weak? Of strong in Abraham, and weak in Sarah; she to make God good of his word to Abraham, knowing her own barrenness, sub∣stitutes an Hagar; and in an ambition of Seed perswades to Polygamy. Abraham had never look'd to obtain the Promise by any other than a barren Womb, if his own Wife had not importuned him to take another: when our own apparent means fail, weak Faith is put to the shifts, and projects strange devices of her own to attain the end. She will rather conceive by another Womb than be childless. So great is the desire of Children.

Verse 5. Those that are most injurious, do commonly complain most of injuries; and this both in respect of God and their Neighbour. Thus Adam when he had com∣mitted that grand Catholick sin in Paradise, layes the fault upon God, The Woman which thou gavest me, she perswaded me, and I did eat: God gave him the Woman as an help against temptation, and yet he upbraids God with his gift, and charges him

with the sin, when the Devil and his own weakness were the cause: And thus Sarah in the Text complains against her Husband, when she her self had done the injury: She gave Hagar to her Husband, and yet cryes out My wrong be upon thee. The guil∣ty seldom accuse themselves.

Verse 9. Mans extremity is Gods opportunity; and the best seed-time for his graces is when the soul is harrowed with a sense of sin, and the body is plowed up with its punishments: then did Saint Lukes Prodigal think of returning to his Father, when he knew not else whether to go: and so Hagar in the Text was easily perswaded by the Angel to go back and submit to her Mistris when she was humbled by affliction. Now she was under the rod, she was ready both to hear and obey: Affliction was her best School-master.

Verse 10. Ishmael though he were not the chosen seed, yet received a goodly temporal blessing, by which we see that these outward blessings are no signes of e∣ternal election: and here we may likewise observe that before this Promise was made to her, Hagar was bid to humble her self; so we must repent ere we can have Gods favour.

Verse 11. Affliction hath a voice: and as musick on the waters sounds farther and more harmoniously than upon the Land, so prayers joyned with tears. These if they proceed from Faith, are showers quenching the Devils Canon-shot, a second Bap∣tisme of the soul wherein it is rinsed a-new, nay, perfectly cured; as the tears of Vines cures the Leprosie, as the Lame were healed in the troubled Waters. Now whether Hagars grief were for sin, or for the present pressure only, I have not to say: but God is so pitiful, that he hears and helps our Affliction as he did Hagars in this Text.

Verse 15. God presents to us the joyes of Heaven often to draw us, and as often the torments of Hell to avert us. And to this purpose Origen saith aright as Abra∣ham had two Sons, the one of a Bond-woman, the other of a Free, but yet both sons of Abraham: So God is served by two fears, and the latter fear the fear of future torment is not the perfect fear, but yet even that fear is the servant and instrument of God too. Who can so absolutely divest all sense, saith Chrysostome, but that when the whole City is in a combustion and commotion, or when the Ship that he is in strikes desperately and irrecoverably upon a Rock, he is otherwise affected towards God then, than when every day in a quietness and calmness of holy affections he hears a Sermon. Gehennae timor (saith the same Father) regni affert coronam, even the fear of Hell gets us Heaven.

CHAP. XVII.

Verse 1. IT is Gods prescript to Abraham here, Walk before me, and be perfect; and that is when (as to allude to that known Expression) Manus ad Clavum Oculus ad Coelum; as our hand is upon the work, so our eye must be upon God in every thing we do; which is the ground of that uprightness, called in the Scripture Dialect, perfection. Where you may note the difference between these three expressions of the holy Ghost, to walk with God, after God, and before God. We walk with God as a sweet companion, after God as a commanding Lord, before God as an observing Judge; we walk with him as his Friends, after him as his Servants, before him as his Children; lastly, we walk with him by an humble familiarity, after him in a regular conformity, before him by a cordial integrity; and this is according to Gods rule to Abraham, Walk before me, and be perfect.

Verse 3. When God talkes with us in his Word, or we talk with God in our Pray∣ers we cannot be too humble; you see from this text, that Abraham the Father of the faithful fell upon his face at a conference with God, and shall we that are his sons not fall upon our knees? Certainly were there never a Church standing in the world, nor so much as one stone left for a Bethel wheresoever we came to Pray we should worship; first looking up to our God and his infinitude, with Glory be to thee O Lord; then in the Publicans dejected posture reflecting upon the dust our original and our end, with Lord be merciful unto me a sinner: and indeed can we presume high∣er than the dust when we reverence before our Maker, or do less than hide our own faces with shame, appearing before the glorious light of that countenance which we cannot see and live, and which we shall one day look upon with trembling, if not now with shame.

Verse 5. There is no Faith, where there is either means or hopes. Difficulties and impossibilities are the true Objects of Belief; hereupon God adds to Abrahams name that which he would fetch from his Loins, and made his Name as ample as his Posterity; never any man was a looser by beleeving; Faith is ever recompenced with Glory.

Verse 7. God hath in great mercy and goodness promised to shew grace and favour, not only to the faithful themselves, but to their seed after them; and as the mercy of God is great, so the Faith of the godly is effectual for themselves and their Children: God will be our God, and the God of our seed after us. If then we consider either the Promise of God to be merciful, or the Faith of the godly to beleeve, in both re∣spects we may collect and gather this truth, That the love of God to the faithful shall so abound, that it shall come to their posterity, like the pretious Oyntment poured on the head of Aaron that ran down upon his beard and flowed to the border of his garments; or as the dew on Hermon and Sion, which watered the valleys which were beneath them. Now seeing that goodness hath the Promise of bringing a blessing upon the families where it is profess'd, it is required of us to profess and beleeve the Gospel, that so we may procure a blessing upon our selves and Children. The neg∣lect of which bringeth utter ruine to Father and Child. So then godly Parents must have a care to bring-up their Children and Families in the true Faith and fear of the Lord, which may be a means by the blessing of God to save thy son from death, and to deliver his soul from destruction.

Verse 11. Circumcision is a seal of the Covenant betwixt God and us, if we be in God and God in us; if we be circumcised within, if the fore-skin of our hearts be taken away, then is the outward Circumcision a seal unto our Covenant with God; otherwise it is a seal indeed, but a seal without a Bond, a seal without any stipulation betwixt God and us; we are no whit priviledged by it, no more than are the Turks who yet are circumcised: which is the reason that the Jewes at this day have no be∣nefit by this Covenant, because they are uncircumcised in their hearts, that vail that fore-skin is not taken away; and that only is the circumcision which seals the Cove∣nant betwixt God and us, the Gospel-circumcision, the putting off the old Adam by that circumcision of Christ; which is the work of the Spirit wrought by the Word upon the Soul of a poor sinner, whereby the corruption of his nature is mor∣tified, and himself received into an everlasting Covenant and Communion with God.

Verse 14. In the first Covenant that God made with his People (as we see here) That person that would not be circumcised, that soul was cut off from the people of God; and just so in the second Covenant that God made with his people, the Covenant of the Gospel; He that is not circumcised in heart, and made new by regeneration, he shall have no part with the Saints in heaven, Joh. 3. 3. The wise man is not priviledged by his wisdom, nor the strong man by his strength; the King is not freed by his Crown and Dignity, nor the Priest by the power of his Keyes. For if any one enters himself in Covenant with God under the New Testament, and hopes for benefit by that Covenant, as Abraham and his Seed did undergo the outward Circumcision of

the body, so must he the inward Circcmcision of the heart. No Circumcision, no Son of Abraham; no Son of Abraham, no Son of God.

Verse 17. Abraham was old e're this Promise and hope of a Son was given; and still the older the more uncapable: Yet God makes him wait twenty five years for per∣formance. No time is long to Faith, which had learned to defer hopes without faint∣ing and irksomness. Abraham heard this news of a Son and laughed, but not as Sarah in the next Chapter, as if it were impossible. For Abraham laughs and beleeves, expects and rejoyces; he saith not, I am old and weak, Sarah is old and barren; where are the many Nations that shall come from these withered Loins? It is enough to him that God hath said it; he sees not the means, he sees the promise, he knew that God would rather raise him up seed from the very stones that he trod upon, than himself should want a large and happy issue.

Verse 23. Abraham is not content only to wait for God, but to smart for him: God bids him cut his own flesh; he willingly sacrifices this parcel of his skin and bloud to him that was the owner of all. How glad he is to carry this painful mark of the love of his Creator. How forward to seal this Covenant with his bloud betwixt God and him, not regarding the soreness of his body in comparison of the confirma∣tion of his soul. The wound was not so grievous, as the signification was comfortable. For herein he saw that from his loins should come that blessed Seed which should purge his soul from all corruption. Well is that part of us lost, which may give assurance of the Salvation of the whole; our Faith is not yet sound, if it hath not taught us to neglect pain for God, and more to love his Sacraments than our own flesh.

CHAP. XVIII.

Verse 2. ALthough he appeared in men, yet it was God that appeared to Abra∣ham: though men Preach, though men remit sins, though men ab∣solve, God himself speaks, and God works, and God seals in those men. Again, remember that nothing appeared to Abrahams apprehension but men, yet Angels were in his presence: And therefore though we bind no man to beleeve necessarily that e∣very man hath a particular Angel assisting him, yet know that ye do all that ye do in the presence of Gods Angels: and though it be in its self, and should be so to us a stronger bridle to consider that we do all in the presence of God (who sees clearer than the Angels, for he sees secret Thoughts, and can strik imediately, which they cannot do without commission from him) yet since the presence of a Magistrate, or a Preacher, or a Father, or an Husband, keeps men often from ill actions; let this prevail something with thee to that purpose, that the Angels of God are alwayes present, though thou discern them not.

Verse 3. And he said, My Lord: Where note, that though Christ himself were not among these Angels, yet Abraham apprehended a greater Dignity, and gave a greater respect to one than to the rest, but yet without neglecting the rest too. Ap∣ply thy self to such Ministers of God, and such Physitians of thy Soul, as thine own Conscience tells thee do most good upon thee; but yet let no particular affecti∣on to one, defraud another in his dues; nor impair another in his esteemati∣on.

Verse 10. As the Angel which came to Abraham at the Promise and Conception of Isaac, gave Abraham a further assurance of his return at Isaac's birth, I will certainly return unto thee, and thy Wife shall have a Son: So the Lord which is with thee in the first Conception of any good purpose, returns to thee again to give thee a quickning of that blessed Child of his, and again and again to bring it forth and bring it up, to accomplish and perfect those good intentions which his Spirit by over∣shadowing

thy Soul hath formerly begotten in it. Thus God comes to us in nature, and he returns in grace; he comes in preventing, and returns in subsequent graces; he comes in thine understanding, and returns in thy Will; he comes in rectifying thine actions, and returns in establishing habits; he comes to thee in zeal, and returns in discretion; he comes to thee in fervor, and returns in perseverence; he comes to thee in thy perigrination all the way, and returns in thy transmigration at the last gaspe. So God comes, and so he returns to his Children.

Verse 12. In the former Chapter Abraham heard this newes and laughed; and in this Chapter Sarah hears it, and laughs too: they did not more agree in their desire, than differ in their affection; Abraham laughed for joy, Sarah for distrust: Abra∣ham laughed because he beleeved it would be so; Sarah, because she beleeved it could not be so: the same act varies in the manner of doing, and in the intention of the doer: yet Sarah laughed but within her self, and it is bewrayed. How God can find us out in secret sins! How easily did she now think, that he which could know of her inward laughter, could know of her Conception! And now she that laughed and beleeved not, beleeveth and feareth. When she hears of an impossibility to Nature she doubteth, and yet hides her diffidence; and when she must beleeve, feareth; be∣cause she did distrust.

Verse 15. Sarah thinks in this verse to cover her distrust with a Lye, one sin with another. Thus any thing serves us for a cover of sin; even from a net that every man sees thorow to such a cloud of darkness, as none but the Prince of Darkness, that cast that cloud upon us, can see us in it, nor we see our selves. That we should hide lesser sins with greater, is not so strange; that in Adultery we should forget the cir∣cumstances in it, and the practises to come to it: but we hide greater sins with lesser, with a manifold and multiplied throng and cloud of lesser sins; all comes to an in∣differency, and so we see not great sins. As for instance, Easiness of conversation in a Woman seems no great harm; adorning themselves to please those with whom they converse, is not much more; to hear them whom they are thus willing to please, praise them, and magnifie their perfections is little more than that; to allow them to sue for the possession of that they have so much praised, is not much more neither; nor will it seem much at last to give them possession of that they sue for.

Verse 21. God does not reward or condemne out of his Decrees, but out of our actions. Thus God sent down his Commissioners (his Angels) to Sodom, to en∣quire and to inform him how things went: And thus God went down himself to en∣quire and informe himself how it stood with Adam and Eve. Not that God was e∣ver ignorant of any thing concerning us, but that God would prevent that danger∣ous imagination in every man, that God should first mean to destroy him, and then to make him that he might destroy him, without having any evidence against him. God goes not out as a Fowler, that for his pleasure and recreation, or for his com∣modity, or commendation would kill, and therefore seeks out game that he may kill it. God made man ad imaginem suam, to his own image: If he had made him un∣der an inevitable and irresistable necessity of damnation, he had made him ad imagi∣nem Diabolicam, to the image of the Devil, and not his own. God then accepts or condemnes man secundam allegata & probata, according to the evidence that arises from us, and not according to those Records that are hid in himself. Our Actions and his Records agree; we do those things which he hath decreed, but only our doing them and not his decreeing them, hath the nature of evidence.

Verse 23. Draw neer to thy self as Abraham drew neer to God; and admit thine own expostulations as God did his. Let thy own Conscience tell thee not only thy open and evident rebellions against God, but even the immoralities and incivilities that thou doest towards men in scandalizing them by-thy sins; and the absurdities that thou committest against thy self in sinning against thine own reason; and the unclean∣ness and consequently the treachery that thou committest against thine own body; and thou shalt see that thou hadst been not only in better peace, but in better state, and better health, and in better reputation, a better friend, and better company if thou

hadst sinned less; because some of thy sins have been such as have violated the band of friendship, and some such as have made thy company and conversation dangerous ei∣ther for temptation, or at least for defamation.

Verse 25. So long as there lies a Certiorari from an higher Court, or an Appeal to an higher Court, the Case is not so desperate, if the Judge do not right: for there is a future Remedy to be hoped. If the whole state be incensed against me, yet I can find an escape to another Country; if all the world persecute me, yet if I be an ho∣nest man I have a supream Court in my self, and I am at peace in being acquitted in mine own Conscience. But God is the Judge of all the Earth, of this which I tread, and this earth which I carry about me; and when he judges me, my Conscience turns on his side, and comfesses his Judgement to be right: And therefore Saint Pauls Ar∣gument Rom. 3. seconds and ratifies Abrahams expostulation here; Is God un∣righteous? God forbid; how then shall God judge the World? A particular Council may err, but then a general Council may help to rectifie that particular; the King may err, but then God in whose hand the Kings heart is, can rectifie him. But if God that judges all the earth judge thee, there is no error to be assigned in his Judgement, no Appeal from God not throughly informed to God better informed; for he alwayes knows all evidence before it is given. And therefore the larger the ju∣risdiction, and higher the Court is, the more careful ought the Judge to be of wrong Judgement; for Abrahams expostulation reaches in a measure to them; Shall not the Iudge of all (or of a great part of the earth) do right?

CHAP. XIX.

Verse 3. THough Lot would be a guest of Sodom, yet because he would not enter∣tain their sins he becomes an Host to the Angels: and indeed where could the Angels have lodged in Sodom, if not with Lot? The houses of holy men are full of these heavenly spirits when they know not; they pitch their Tents in ours, and visit us when we see not, and when we feel not, protect us. It is the honour of Gods Saints to be attended by Angels.

Verse 5. The filthy Sodomites being now flocked together, and stirred up with the fury of Envie and Lust, dare require to do that in Troopes, which to act single had been too abominable, to imagine unnatural. Continuance and society in evil, makes men outragious and impudent: it is not enough for Lot to be Witness, but he must be Bawd also; (bring forth these men, that we may know them.) Behold! even the Sodomites speak modestly, though their acts and intents be villanous. What a shame is it for those who profess purity of heart, to speak uncleanly and lascivi∣ously?

Verse 8. Lot craves and pleads here the Lawes of Hospitality; and when he sees head-strong purposes of mischief, chooses rather to be an ill Father, than an ill Host: his intention was good, but his offer was faulty. If through his allowance the Sodo∣mites had defiled his Daughters it had been his sin; if through violence they had de∣filed his Guests, it had been only theirs. There can be no warrant for us to sin lest others should sin: it is for God to prevent sins with Judgements; it is not for men to prevent a greater sin with a less: the best minds when they are troubled yield incon∣siderate motions; as Water that is violently stirred, sends up bubbles. God meant better to Lot than to suffer his weak offer to be accepted.

Verse 11. When men are grown to that pass that they are no whit better by af∣flictions, and worse with admonitions, God finds it time to strik. Now Lots Guests begin to shew themselves Angels, and first deliver Lot in Sodom, then from Sodom: first strike them with blindness whom they will after consume with fire: how little did the Sodomites think that vengeance was so neer them! While they went groping in

the streets and cursing those whom they could not find, Lot with the Angels is in secure light, and sees them miserable, and fore-sees them burning. It is the use of God to blind and besot those whom he means to destroy: the light which they shall see shall be fiery, which shall be the beginning of an everlasting darkness and fire un∣quenchable. Wickedness hath but a time; the punishment of wickedness is beyond all times.

Verse 12. If thou beest a Child of God, Gods Spirit shall deal with thee as his An∣gel did with Lot in Sodom. He told Lot over-night that he would burn the City, and bad him prepare: God shall give thee some grudgings before he exalt thy feavor, and warn thee to consider thy state, and consult with thy spiritual Physitian: Again, the Angel call'd Lot up in the morning, and then hastned him; and when he prolong'd (saith the text) the Angel caught him and carried him forth: because though there was no co-operation in Lot, yet there were no resisting neither: God was pleased to do all with Lot for his temporal preservation, and he will do all for thee too in thy spiritual.

Verse 13. One would have thought that the late plundring of Sodom should have reformed that City from their sins: but wicked men grow worse with afflictions, as Water grows more cold after an heat. And as they leave not sinning, so God leaves not plaguing of them but still follows them with succession of Judgements. In how few years did Sodom forget she was spoyled and led Captive? If that wicked City had been warned by the Sword, it had scap'd the Fire; but now this Visitation hath not made Ten good men in those Five Cities. How fit was this heap for the fire which was all chaff? Only Lot vex'd his righteous Soul with the sight of their uncleanness: he vex'd his own Soul, for who bade him stay there; yet because he was vex'd, he is delivered. He escapeth their Judgement from whose sins he escaped. Even the good Angels are here made the Executioners of Gods Judgements: There can∣not be a better, or more noble act, than to do Justice upon obstinate Male∣factors.

Verse 16. The Messengers do not only hasten Lot, but pull him by a gracious vio∣lence out of that impure City: they thirsted at once after the vengeance upon Sodom and Lots safety; they knew God could not strike Sodom till Lot were gone out; and that Lot could not be safe within those Walls. We are all naturally in Sodom; if God did not hale us out, whiles we linger, we should be condemned with the World. If God meet with a very good field, he pulls up the Weeds and lets the Corn grow; if indifferent, he lets the Corn and Weeds grow together; if very ill, he gathers the few ears of Corn, and burns the weeds.

Verse 20. So say most men of their bosome sins; Lord, this sin is neer to flye unto; it is but in my bosome, and it is but a little one Lord; perchance but a trip of the tongue, or a wanton glance of the eye, or a lustful thought of the heart; O let me escape and abide in that sin, in that Zoar, and my soul shall live: and he saies most truly that his Soul shall live. For it is as impossible that such a one should live without his beloved sin, as it is that he should live without his Soul.

Verse 21. O the large bounty of God which reacheth not to us only, but to ours! God saves Lot for Abrahams sake, and Zoar for Lots sake: if Sodom had not been too wicked, it had escaped. Were it not for Gods dear Children that are intermix'd with the World, the world could not stand; the wicked owe their lives unto those few good, which they hate and persecute.

Verse 26. Lot at the 17 verse may not so much as look at the flame; whether for the stay of his passage, or the horror of the sight, or tryal of his Faith, or fear of commiseration. Small Precepts from God are of importance, obedience is as well tryed, and disobedience as well punished in little as in much. And therefore when Lots Wife did but turn back her head in this verse, whether in curiosity, or unbelief, or love, and compassion of the place, she is turned into a Monument of disobedience; ut praestarit fidelibus condimentum, saith Saint Augustine, that it might be a seasoning to faithful men; and teach us not to look back, not to fall off from that calling in

which we are once entered. And now what did it avail Lots Wife not to be turned into ashes in Sodom, when she is turned into a Pillar of Salt in the plain. He that sa∣ved a whole City cannot save his own Wife. God cannot abide small sins in those whom he hath obliged. If we displease him, God can as well meet with us out of Sodom as in it.

Verse 35. Though Lot fled from company he could not flye from sin: he who was not tainted with Uncleanness in Sodom, is overtaken with Drunkenness and Incest in a Cave. Rather than Satan shall want baits, Lots own Daughters will prove Sodo∣mites: those which should have comforted, betrayed him. How little are some hearts moved with judgements! The ashes of Sodom and the pillar of Salt were not yet out of their eye, when they dare think of lying with their own Father. They knew whilst Lot was sober he could not be unchaste; Drunkenness is the way to all bestial affections and acts. Wine knows no difference either of persons or sins. By this we see likewise what a dangerous thing it is to give way to temptation, Lot be∣ing once drunk is the more apt to fall into it again.

Verse 37. No doubt Lot was afterwards ashamed of his Incestuous seed, and now wished he had come alone out of Sodom; yet even this unnatural Bed was blessed with encrease, and one of our Saviours worthy Ancestors sprung after from this line. Gods Election is not tyed to our means; neither are blessings or Curses ever traduced. The chaste Bed of holy Parents hath often bred a Monstruous Generation; and con∣trarily God hath sometimes raised an holy Seed from the Drunken Bed of Incest or Fornication. Thus will God magnifie the freedom of his own choice, and let us know that we are not born but made good.

CHAP. XX.

Verse 3. THe truth was here not only concealed but dissembled: as the Moon hath her specks, so the best have their blemishes: we are born men not An∣gels; and as our composition is flesh and bloud, so are we subject to the temptations that are apt to arise from those principles of our Nature. A Sheep may slip into a ditch as well as a Swine; only here's the difference, the one delights in the mud, the other would fain get out of it: the righteous may fall seven times a day as well as the wicked, but then the righteous riseth as oft and repenteth of his sin; whereas the wicked lies down and continues in it. This was the second time Abraham had committed this sin, and yet still continued the Father of the faithful.

Verse 5. God had reproved Abimelech on Abrahams behalf, and now Abimelech reproves Abraham on Gods. God told Abimelech that he had taken another mans Wife, and Abimelech replyed, That other man had told him a Lye. It is a sad thing that Saints and Beleevers should do that for which they should justly fall under the reproof of Infidels: we should rather dazle their eyes and draw from their Con∣sciences at least a testimony of our innocency, as David did from Sauls, when he said, Thou art more righteous than I my son David. The life of a Christian should be a Commentary on Christs life; Which of you can condemne me of evil, said Christ to the Jewes? and we that bear his Name should follow his steps; and so carry our selves that we may not be condemned by the world. For our profession as it is most emi∣nent, so most eyed, and worst censured; none therefore to keep within so strict lines as the Christian, being one ever under monitors: for behold, saith the Apostle, We are made a gazing stock to the world, to Angels, to men.

Verse 7. The reward of sin is death saith the Apostle; but what kind of death? a double death saith this text, Morte morierie; thou shalt die the death, a death complicated in its self, death wrap'd in death; and what is so intricate, so intangling as death? Who ever got out of a winding-sheet? It is death aggravated by its self,

death weighed down by death; and what is so heavy as death? Who ever threw off his Grave-stone? It is multiplied by its self; and what is so infinite as death? Who ever told over the dayes of death? Let several sinners then pass this consideration through their several sins, that as Abimelech here, so they must without Gods mer∣cy upon every sin die the death; and that a double death eternal and temporary, tem∣poral and spiritual death.

Verse 9. Adultery is called here a great sin; not only for the uncleanness and filthi∣ness of it, but because of the punishment that follows, and sometimes overtakes whole Cities and Kingdoms for that sin in their Governors: as it would have done here had not God with-held Abimelech from that sin, verse 6. Now God keeps his Children from sinning either by instinct of his Spirit, or the instruction of his Word, or by the guiding and guard of Angels, or by diseases, as here.

Verse 11. Wheresoever is wickedness, there can be no fear of God; these two can∣not lodge under one roof; for the fear of God drives out evil, Ecclus. 1. 26. As therefore Abraham here argues well from the Cause to the Effect; because the fear of God is not in this place, therefore they will kill me: So David argues back from the Effect to the Cause, they imagine wickedness on their Bed, therefore the fear of God is not before them. I would to God neither of these Arguments were demonstra∣tive; but our lives shew they are. For if we feared the Lord durst we dally with his Name, durst we tear it in pieces? Surely we contemne his person, whose Name we contemne. The Iewes have a conceit that the sin of that Israelite which was stoned for Blasphemy, was only this, that he named that ineffable Name Iehovah. Shall their fear keep them from once mentioning the dreadful Name of God, and shall not our fear keep us from abusing it. Durst we so boldly sin against God in the face if we feared him. Durst we mock God with a formal flourish of that which our heart tells us we are not, if we feared him?

Verse 14. Thus God comes as it were out of an Engine and helps his people at a pinch. Abraham had brought himself into the bryars, and could find no way out. Many a heavie heart he had no doubt for his dear Wife (who suffered by his default) and she again for him. God upon their Repentance provides graciously for them both. She is kept undefiled, he greatly enriched; and now they are both secured and dismissed with rewards and priviledges. Oh who would not serve such a God as turns our errors and evil counsels to our great good; as the Athenians believed their God∣dess Minerva did for them.

Verse 16. Abraham is said to be a veil of Sarahs eyes. First, That no man, know∣ing her to be Abrahams Wife, should look upon her to desire her. Secondly, It put∣teth Sarah in mind of her subjection to Abraham, whereof the veil is a sign, 1 Cor. 11. 10. Thirdly, Abraham was her veil, that is, her just excuse that she did this for his cause being by him perswaded: but the former Exposition is the better. For the following words the meaning is, that all this was that she might he reproved, or in all this she reproved her self: so that they seem to be the words rather of the Writer concerning Sarah, than of Abimelech to Sarah.

Verse 18. Barrenness is a just punishment for an Incontinent life. This may be seen in Solomon who of 300 Concubines, and 700 Wives, left but one Son Rehoboam, and he not very wise to succeed him.

CHAP. XXI.

Verse 6. VVE must rejoyce in the least Mercy, how greatly then in the greatest; our joyes take their measure by our mercies. When Sarah had a Son she said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear me shall laugh with me. Her mercy in receiving a Son was so great, that it would serve a whole world to make merry with. The man that had found his lost Sheep, laid it on his shoulders re∣joycing, (it was a pleasant burthen to him) and when he came home he called toge∣ther his Friends and Neighbors, saying, Rejoyce with me. As some afflictions are so big, that all our own sorrows are not large enough to weep and mourn over them; so some blessings are so big, that they call out more than our own affections to rejoyce over them.

Verse 9. It is not alwayes a disparagement to be laugh'd at; the best may be laugh'd at, the just upright man is so; holiness is under disgrace among unholy men. Saint Paul telling this story reports it as a great example of unholy scorn, he that was born after the Flesh, did persecute him that was born after the Spirit, Ishmael persecuted Isaac. Moses here tells us the manner how, and the weapon wherewith. Ishmael did not lift up his hand against Isaac (as Cain did against Abel) but his tongue, he mocked him. Those greatest differences in divine Heraldry of being born after the flesh, and after the Spirit, shew where the quarrel lay: it was the spiritualness of Isaac which rendered him so obnoxious to his Carnal Brother Ishmael. Isaac was born after the Spirit; and doubtless he shewed some fruits of the Spirit, which Ishmael did not relish, and therefore mocked him. And the Apostle gives the reason, The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him, 1 Cor. 2. 14.

Verse 10. Sarah speaks angerly concerning Ishmael, This son of the Bond-woman shall not be Heir with my son: and might not God have said as roundly concerning us, these bond-slaves of sin and Satan shall not be Heirs with my Son. But such is the goodness of our gracious God, he deals with us like the Father of the Prodigal Child: the Son feared a sharp rebuke, and the Father provided a dainty feast. And thus God not only pardons our indignities, but crowns us with mercies and loving kindness. So that we may confess ingeniously with the Prodigal Child, We are not worthy to be called thy Sons, make us as one of thy hired servants; vouchsafe us even the least measure of thy favour, and it is more than we can deserve or expect.

Verse 12. Let us never be ashamed to follow the counsel of such as are discreet and godly. Neither is it greatly material who they be that give us good counsel, whether our superiors, equals, or inferiors. For we must not weigh so much who is the counsel∣lor, as what is the counsel. The child is somtimes made able to advise the Father, the Ser∣vant may somtimes see more than his Master, the Wife may sometimes give good coun∣sel to her Husband; and it is no dispraise or disparagement for them to hearken to their inferiors, but they ought to receive it as a Message brought unto them from God; yea if an enemy should perswade us to that which is good, we ought to make this benefit and advantage of him, as to hearken to our own profit. Abraham accounted it no reproach or reproof unto him, to obey the Counsel of his Wife, when she perswaded him to cast out the Bond-woman and her Son; and Abraham is commanded to listen unto it; for God said unto him, In all that Sarah shall say unto thee, hear her voice. Away then with the pride and pevishness of all those that take it as a discredit unto themselves to be put in mind of their duty to others, and refuse all Counsel whereof themselves are not the Authors.

Verse 16. It fares with us for the most part as it did with Hagar; as long as her Bread and her Bottle held out, so long she was reasonably well content; we hear no complaint, no moan that she made; but as soon as ever these were wasted and spent,

presently she falls a crying out she was undone, she and her child must dye, there was no other hope. Thus it fares with us, as long as our means and monies hold we can be pretty well content, God Almighty seldome hears of us; but if these be exhausted and gone, we are presently out of heart: we think there is no way but one with us, we and our children must perish, there's no remedy; unless God open our eyes as he did Hagars, to see the fountaim of his goodness, that is ever at hand to supply the Poors necessities, and then we are quieted. It is an easie matter for a man to pray for his daily bread, when he hath it in his Cubbard; but when our own provisions fail us, then to rely and rest upon the provisions of God, that's the tryal of a Christians Faith. It is an easie matter to swim in a warm Bath; but he that can hold up his head in a dangerous Sea, when every Wave is ready to swallow him up, that's the tryal of a mans strength; so 'tis an easie matter to be content in a plentiful estate, where there is no want, no lack of any thing: but for a man to be cast into a Sea of Troubles, where so many wants like so many Waves come daily breaking in upon him, then to hold up his head with content and confidence in God, there's the touchstone of an undissem∣bled Faith indeed.

CHAP. XXII.

Verse 2. ALL the injunctions of God that went before were but easie tryals of A∣brahams Faith in respect of this Command; at which all the Ages of the World have stood amaz'd, not knowing whether they should more wonder at Gods injunction, or Abrahams obedience: Many years had that good Patriarch waited for his Isaac, now at last he hath joyfully received him, and that with this gracious accla∣mation; In Isaac shall thy seed be call'd, and all Nations blessed. Behold the Son of his Age, the Son of his Love, the Son of his Expectation, he that might not endure a mock from his Brother, must now endure the knife of his Father; Take thine only Son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and offer him for a burnt-Offering. Never any Gold was tryed in so hot a fire; who but Abraham would not have expostulated with God? but God knew that he spake to an Abraham, and Abraham knew that he had to do with a God: Faith had taught him not to argue, but obey. In an holy wilfulness he either forgets Na∣ture, or despises her: he is sure that what God commands is good; that what he pro∣mises is infallible, and therefore is careless of the means, and trusts to the end.

Verse 3. In matters of God, whosoever consults with flesh and blood, shall never offer up his Isaac to God: there needs no Counsellor when we know God is the Com∣mander. Here is neither grudging, nor deliberating, nor delaying; his Faith would not suffer him so much as to be sorry for that he must do. Sarah her self may not know of Gods charge, and her Husbands purpose; lest her affection should have over∣come her Faith: that which he must do he will do; he that hath learn'd not to regard the life of his Son, had learn'd not to regard the sorrow of his Wife. It is too much tenderness to respect the censures and constructions of others, when we have a direct word from God.

Verse 4. It seems this good Patriarch was to travel three whole dayes to this Exe∣cution; and still must Isaac be in his eyes, whom all this while he seems to see bleed∣ing upon the pile of wood which he carries; there is nothing so miserable as to dwell under the expectation of a great evil. That misery which must be is mitigated with speed, and aggravated by delay. All this while if Abraham had repented him, he had leisure to return; there is no smal tryal even in the very time of tryal.

Verse 5. When Abraham went up to the great Sacrifice of his Son, he left his Ser∣vants, and his Ass below. Though our natural reason, and humane Arts serve to carry us to the hill, to the entrance of the mysteries of Religion; yet to possess us of the hill it self, and to come to such a knowledg of the mysteries of Religion as must

save us, we must leave our natural reason, and humane Arts at the bottom of the hill, and climb up only by the light and strength of Faith. Dimitte me quia lucescit, said that Angel that wrestled with Iacob, Let me go for it grows light. If thou think to see me by day-light, saith that Angel thou wilt be deceived. If we think to see this mysterie of the Trinity by the Light of Reason, Dimittimus, we shall loose that hold which we had before; our natural Faculties, our Reason will be perplex'd and enfee∣bled, and our supernatural, our Faith not strengthened that way.

Verse 6. When they are come within sight of the chosen mountain, the Servants are dismissed; what a devotion is this that will abide no witnesses? he will not suffer two of his own vassals to see him do that which soon after all the World must know he hath done; yet is not Abraham afraid of that piety which the beholders could not see without horror, without resistance, which no ear could hear of without abomination. What stranger could have endur'd to see the Father carry the knife and fire, instru∣ments of that death which he had rather suffer than inflict, the Son securely carrying that burthen which must carry him?

Verse 7. If Abrahams heart could have known how to relent that question of his dear, innocent, and religious Son, had melted it into compassion; My Father, behold the fire and the wood, but where is the Sacrifice? I know not whether that word, My Father did not strike Abraham as deep as the knife of Abraham could strike his Son, yet doth he not so much as think (O miserable man, that may not at once be a Son to such a God, and a Father to such a Son) still he persists, and conceals, and where he meant not, prophesies; My Son, God will provide a Lamb for a burnt-Offer∣ing.

Verse 10. Abraham here lifts up his hand to fetch the stroke of death at once, not so much asthinking by chance that God will relent after the first wound. Now the stay of Abraham the hope of the Church lies upon bleeding under the hand of a Father; what bowels can chuse but yearn at this spectacle? which of the Savagest Heathens that had been now upon the hill of Moriah, and had seen through the bushes the hand of a Father hanging over the throat of such a Son, would not have been more perplex'd in his thought, than that unexpected Sacrifice was in those briars: yet he whom it nearest concern'd is least touch'd: Faith had wrought the same in him which cruelty would in others, not to be moved. He contemns all fears, and over-looks all impossi∣bilities; his heart tells him that the same hand which rais'd Isaac from the dead womb of Sarah, can raise him again from the ashes of his Sacrifice. With this confidence was the hand of Abraham now falling upon the throat of Isaac, who had given him∣self for dead; when suddenly the Angel of God interrupts him, forbids him, commends him.

Verse 12. The voice of God was never so welcome, never so sweet, never so seaso∣nable as now. It was the tryal that God intended, not the fact. Isaac is sacrificed, and is yet alive: and now both of them are more happy in that they would have done, than they could have been distress'd if they had done it. Gods charges are oft-times harsh in the beginnings, and proceeding; but in the conclusion alwayes comfortable: true spiritual comforts are commonly late and sudden. God defers on purpose that our tryals may be perfect, our deliverance welcome, our recompence glorious. Isaac had never been so precious to his Father, if he had not been recovered from death, if he had not been as miraculously restored as given: Abraham had never been so blessed in his Seed, if he had not neglected Isaac for God.

Verse 13. The only way to find comfort in any earthly thing, is to surrender it in a faithful carelesness into the hands of God. Abraham came to Sacrifice, he may not go away with dry hands; God cannot abide that good purposes should be frustrate. Lest either Abraham should not do that for which he came, or shall want means of speedy thanks-giving for so gracious a disappointment; behold a Ram stands ready for the Sacrifice, and as it were proffers himself to this happy exchange. He that made that beast brings him thither, fastens him there. Even in small things there is a great providence; what mysteries there are in every (though the least) act of God.

CHAP. XXIII.

Verse 1. BEcause the years of Sarah are here distinctly numbred, and the Hebrews read thus, and the lives of Sarah was an hundred years, and twenty years, and seven years; the Jewish Rabbins collect, that here is commended her beau∣ty and her chastity: viz. that she was as fair at an hundred years as at twenty, and as chast at twenty as at seven; but this collection of the Rabbins perchance is scarce warrantable from the words; yet from hence we may safely conclude for our com∣fort, that the Lord doth number all our years, and whether they be few or many, he hath set them down in his Book of Remembrance. For here Sarah's daies are pun∣ctually numbred; and Iob in his Fourteenth Chapter mentioneth moneths and daies; how that our daies are exactly determined, and the number of moneths which man hath to live are in the Lords hand. Wherefore no good man need make any question but that the Lord hath a care of him, and that his life doth not depend upon the skill of the Physitian, but the good pleasure of our God.

Verse 2. These words, She dyed at Hebron, bids us meditate on theformer Story. 'Tis well known that at Beersheba Abimelech made a league with Abraham; the tenure whereof was, that the one should not hurt the other. whereupon Abraham suppo∣sing he should have set up his staff there, planted a grove: yet for all this Sarah di∣eth not there, but dieth at Hebron certain miles distant from Beersheba, and dieth in the absence of Abraham, and happily without the presence of her Son and acquain∣tance, dieth in a strange place among strangers: which may serve to comfort those whom the Lord will not vouchsafe to die in their own Country among their nearest and dearest Friends, wanting them to close up their dying eyes, and perform the duties and offices of love. For though Friends be absent, yet the best Friends God and his Christ are ever present to the faithful; and when all forsake, yet they never forsake, and Heaven is no further from one place than another: and then in regard we are all with Sarah and Abraham here liable to a wandering and a wavering condition, this should hold up in us all a longing desire of Heaven, where all joy remains and is fix'd for evermore, seeing here we have no happiness, no rest, no quietness. Here is only the vally of tears and weeping, we must look for the happy place of joy and gladness in another World, where shall be no more sorrow, nor crying, nor tears.

Verse 4. This Sarah that before was the desire of Abrahams eyes is now desired to be removed out of his sight; she that before had a beauty to tempt Kings, had not now so much left her by death, as to take her own Husband. I have read of a fair young German Gentleman, who living, refused to be pictured, and put off the importunity of his Friends, by giving way that after a few daies burial they might send a Painter to his Vault, and if they saw cause for it, draw the image of Death unto the Life; they did so, and found his face half eaten, his Midrife and Back-bone full of Serpents; and so he stands pictured among his armed Ancestors. Thus doth the fairest Beauty change, and it will be as bad with you and me as it was here with Sarah; and then what nearest Relation will endure our company, what Servants shall we have to wait upon us in the Grave, what officious people to cleanse away the moist cloud cast upon our faces from the sides of the weeping Vaults, which are the longest Weepers for our Fu∣nerals; all our Friends will then like Abraham in the Text desire to remove us out of their sight.

Verse 8. The eye affects the heart with sorrow-occasioning objects; if sorrow be in the eye, it will not stay long from the heart. Hence when Sarah was dead, Abra∣ham in this Text thus bespeaks the people among whom he dwelt, If it be in your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight. It did afflict the heart of Abraham with sorrow to see the body of his deceased Wife, or the Coffin where she lay, whom he had so entirely loved, therefore he saith, Bury her out of my sight.

Verse 9. This world is but a thorow-fare: we have no place to settle to abide here, and therefore our first purchase of possession should be like this of Abrahams, a place to bury in, not to build upon: Our Grave is our long and lasting home; all our other houses are but transitory, and as short-lived as our selves. And therefore to mind us of our mortality, it were good with the Patriarch here to make our Se∣pulchre our first purchase. Upon this account when our first Parents had made them Garments of Figg-leaves, God gave them Garments of skins; with those they would have covered their shame, with these God did discover their mortality.

Verse 19. Though the pomp of Funerals concerns not the dead in real and effe∣ctive purposes, yet it is the duty of the living to see their Friends fairly Interr'd. For to the Dead it is all one whether they be carried forth on a Chariot, or a wooden Beer, whether they rot upon the earth, or under the earth, whether in a Cave, or in a Ditch. There is nothing in this but opinion, and the decency of some to be served. Let thy Friend therefore be interr'd as Sarah was here after the Laws of the Country, and the dignity of the person. It was therefore that our blessed Saviour who was ever tem∣perate in his expence, was yet pleas'd to admit the cost of Maries Ointment upon his head and feet, because she did it against his Burial; by which he remark't it to be a great act of piety, and honourable to Interr our Friends according to the proportion of their condition, and so to give a testimony of our hopes of their Resurrection.

CHAP. XXIV.

Verse 3. ABraham would not link his Son with the wicked: he remembred what had come of such Marriages in the Age before him; when the Sons of God took them Wives of the Daughters of Men only for their Beauty, without regard of Religion or honesty. Their destruction was a lesson to him; he avoided their sin by fearing their punishment. And afterwards under the Law God gave his people express charge concerning this, Exod. 34. and the reason is there given, Lest they make thy Sons go a whoring after their gods; a sufficient reason to prevail as with the Jew, so much more with the Christian.

Verse 12. The necessary use of seasoning and sanctifying the first entrance into the married estate, is by prayer to God. Abrahams servant being intrusted with a busi∣ness of that nature, commended the whole success to God by prayer; and the Woman being sent away by her Friends, was dismiss'd with a blessing upon both. Look to the first Marriage that ever was, the Lord himself knit the knot, and confirm'd it with a blessing, Gen. 1. and Gods course should be a pattern for the following times; and to assure us withall, that when this is left out we may well say as Christ did in another Particular concerning Marriage, From the beginning it was not so. And good reason there is for this: for Marriage is the Covenant of God, and if he be not call'd to con∣firm it, it cannot prosper.

Verse 14. When Eliezer went a wooing for his young Master Isaac; the tryal by which he intended to prove a fit Wife for Isaac, was this; that if saith he, when I say to the Maid give me drink, she say again drink, and I will give thy Camels also, she without more ado should be a Wife for Isaac; that is, if she were gentle; not like the Woman Iohn 4. who when Christ asked her Water, call'd him Jew; How is it that thou being a Iew, askest water of one that is a Samaritan: for though there be many sins incident to Women, yet no vice in Women is so unwomanly as this. If Adam had been furious the matter had been less; for he was made of Earth the Mo∣ther of Iron and Steel, those murthering mettals; but the Woman she that was made of so tender mettal to become so terrible, the weaker Vessel so strong in passion, yea to look so fair, and speak so foul, what a contrariety is this. There was great reason sure to compare a good Woman to a snail: not only for her silence, and continual keeping

of her house, but also for a certain timorousness of her nature, which at the least sha∣king of the air shrinks back into her shell: and so ought the Wife to do if her Hus∣band but speak, to play all hid, and under hatches; and to say to her Husband as Ra∣chel to her Father, Let not my Lord be angry.

Verse 30. Laban gave this respect unto Abrahams Servant, not for his own sake, nor yet his Masters, but for the Ear-rings sake, and the Bracelets. Thus many love God for their own interest, and not his glory; in all their services they look a squint at God, but directly at self-ends; and seldom or never look at his glory but through the spectacles of self-love. Such was Iehu's Zeal serving God so far as he might serve himself, 2 King. 10. But this is merchandizing with God, and not obedience, to serve him for ends. I am never at the pitch of sincerity, till I see enough in God him∣self without looking out of him, to have him as my exceeding rich reward. When it comes once to this point, that the beauties of Gods truth, and the pleasantness of his wayes, and the holiness of his will, and the equity of his Laws, are the arguments and wages that hire me to his service, then do I serve him as I ought.

Verse 39. Here the servant leaveth out the charge that was given him by Abraham in the sixt Verse of this Chapter: Beware that thou bring not my Son thither again, for this speech would have offended them; as though Abraham had counted them a forlorn and wicked people. We learn then from this discreet omission of this part of Abrahams charge, that every truth in all places, and upon all occasions is not to be uttered.

Verse 63. It is our duty to study the Heavens, and be acquainted with the Stars; in them the wonderful works of God are seen; and a sober knowledg in Nature may be an advantage unto Grace. Heaven is the most considerable of all inanimate Crea∣tures, and more considerable than most of the animate. And therefore some of the Rabbins tell us, that when Isaac went out into the field to meditate, the subject of his meditation was the Stars, or the Heavens. It is good to take field-room sometimes, to view and contemplate the works of God round about. Only take heed of the folly of Astrological curiosities confining the providence of God to secondary causes; avoid that, and the heart may have admirable elevations unto God from the meditation of the Works of God. If the Heavens declare the glory of God, we should observe what glory that is which they declare. The Sun, Moon, and Stars are Preachers, universal Preachers, they are natural Apostles, the World is their charge, and their words saith the Ps. 19. go to the end of the earth.

Verse 65. At the first meeting of Isaac and Rebecka, he was gone out to meditate in the fields, and she came riding that way with his Fathers man, who was imployed in making that Marriage; and when upon asking she knew that it was he who was to be her Husband, She took a veil and covered her face, saith that story. What free∣dom and nearness soever they were to come to after, yet there was a modesty, and a bashfulness, and a reservedness required before; and her first kindness should be but to be seen. A man would be glad of a good countenance from her that shall be his, be∣fore he ask her whether she will be his or no: a man would be glad of a good counte∣nance from his Prince before he intend to press him with any particular suit: and a sinner may become to his Miserere mei Domine, to desire that the Lord would think upon him, that the Lord would look gratiously towards him, that the Lord would re∣fresh him with the beams of his favour, before he have digested his devotion into a for∣mal prayer, or entred into a particular consideration what his necessities are.

CHAP. XXV.

Verse 8. A Braham died, saith the text, plenus dierum, full of years; it is not said so in the text of Methusalem that he died full of years, and yet he had another manner of gomer, another measure of life than Abraham: for he lived al∣most eight hundred years more than he; but he that is best disposed to die, is fullest of years. One man may be fuller at twenty than another at seventy. David lived not the tythe of Methusalems years, not ten to his hundred, he lived less than Abra∣ham, and yet David is said to have died full of years, 1 Chron. 29. he had made him∣self agreeable to God, and so was made ripe for him. In that therefore Abraham is said here to die in a good old age, whereas for many before him dying much elder this phrase is not used; it was not the old age of his body, but his perfection of vertue that made a good old age. Again, it is said in the Hebrew text, he was full, and no more: upon which reading, because dayes is not in the original, the Rabbies gather that he was full, not only of dayes, but of all other blessings.

Verse 21. Of all the Patriarcks, none made so little noise in the World as Isaac; none lived either so privately, or so innocently; neither know I whether he proved himself a better Son, or Husband. For the one, he gave himself over to the knife of his Father, and mourned three years for his Mother: For the other, he sought not to any Handmaids bed, but in a chaste forbearance reserved himself for twenty years space, and prayed: Rebecca was so long barren; his prayers proved more effectual than his seed. At last she conceives, as if she had been more than the Daughter-in-law to Sarah; whose Son was given her, not out of the power of nature, but of her Hus∣bands Faith.

Verse 22. God is better to us than we would our selves: Isaac prayes for a Son, God gives him two at once: now she is no less troubled with the strife of the Children in her Womb, than before with the want of Children. We know not when we are pleased; that which we desire, oft-times discontents us more in the fruition; we are ready to complain both full and fasting. Before Rebecca conceived, she was at ease: before spiritual Regeneration there is all peace in the Soul; no sooner is the new-man form'd in us but the Flesh conflicts with the Spirit. There is no Grace where there is no Unquietness; Esau alone would not have striven; nature will ever agree with its self: never any Reb••cca conceived only an Esau; or was so happy as to conceive none but a Iacob; she must be the Mother of both that she may have both joy and exercise. This strife began early; every true Israelite begins his War with his being.

Verse 26. So early, so primary a sin is Pride, that we see even Children strive for place and precedency; and Mothers are ready to go to the Heraulds to know how Cradles should be ranked, which Cradle shall have the first place. Nay, even in the Womb in this text there was contention for precedency; Iacob took hold of his Bro∣ther Esaus heel, and would have been born before him. And as our Pride begins in our Cradles, so it continues in our Graves and Monuments. It was a good while in the Primitive Church before any were buried in the Church, the best contented them∣selves with the Church-yards. But now persons whom the Devil kept from Church all their lives, Separatists and Libertines, that never came to any Church, Pride and vain-glory brings to Church after their deaths in an affectation of high Places and sumptuous Monuments in the Church; and such as have given nothing at all to any Pious Uses; or have determined their Almes and their Dole which they have given in that one day of their Funeral and no farther, have given large Annuities for new painting their Tombes, and for new Flags and Scutcheons every certain number of years.

Verse 31. These two were the Champions of two Nations, the field was their Mo∣thers Womb; their quarrel precedency and superiority; Esau got the right of Na∣ture, Iacob of Grace. Yet that there might be some pretence of equality, lest Esau should out-run his Brother in the World, Iacob holds him fast by the heel; so his hand was born before the others foot. But because Esau was some minutes the elder; that the younger might have better claim to that which God had promised, he buyes that which he could not winn: if either by strife, or purchase, or suit, we can at∣tain spiritual blessings we are happy: If Iacob had come forth first, he had not known how much he was bound to God for the favour of his advancement.

Verse 32. There was never any Meat, except the forbidden Fruit, so dear bought as this Broth of Iacobs; in both, the Receiver and the Eater is accursed. Every true son of Israel will be content to purchase spiritual favours with earthly; and that man hath in him too much of the bloud of Esau which will not rather die than forgo his birthright. Hence we may further learn, that if Esau were so much to blame to fell his birthright for a mess of Pottage, which yet was to save his life; how much more are they to blame that Ahab-like sell themselves to work wickedness; that for a title of honour, esteem of men, or for a little white and yellow dust, which is called Gold and Silver (meer vanities) will sell their souls? Alas! These ticklings will turn into stings; and the torment will be the more torment the more plea∣sing the sin was. 'Twill be but cold Comfort for any man to go to Hell with Credit; or that others think him gone to Heaven, when he feels him∣self in Hell.

Verse 33. Esau sold his Birthright, and with it, as the Rabbins say, Heaven its self; whereof the birthright was a type and pledge. So Esau's sin was in his unthankful∣ness for such a dignity; in limiting it to this life, in selling it so cheap; but especially in his prophane parting with a spiritual blessing for a temporal, with the food and joy of Angels for a mess of Pottage. Such a foolish bargain makes every impenitent per∣son in the sale of his soul for a thing of nought; which Christ (who only knew and paid the price of a Soul) saith, is more worth than the world. Let there be no pro∣phane person among us as was Esau, saith the Apostle, Heb. 12. And that there may not, let not men take pleasure in pleasure, spend too much time in it. It was not simply a sin in Esau to go a hunting; but yet the more he used the more prophane he grew by it, and came at length to contemne his birthright. God allows men to stoop to lawful delights and recreations for their bodies sake, as the Eagle to the prey, or as Gideons Souldiers to soop their handful, not swill their belly full. An honest heart is where his calling is; such a one when he is elsewhere is like a fish in the air, where∣unto if it leap for Recreation or Necessity, yet it soon returns to his own Ele∣ment.

Verse 34. Esau may be as great a glutton in his Pottage as those greedy Dogs, Isa. 56. 12. Thus the Poor may sin as much in their throat as the Rich; for men have talem dentem, qualem mentem, such an appetite as they have affection: there is Epi∣curisme in course fare, as well as dainties. An Esau's luxury is in his mind more than his taste.

CHAP. XXVI.

Verse 1. IF the Canaanites had amended by the former Famine, this latter had been prevented. For God takes no delight in the misery and affliction of his Creatures. He first tries gentle means, and if those will do no good, rigid and severe courses must be used: first he chastiseth us with Rods, and then with Scorpions: if a single Famine will not humble us, that Famine shall be doubled till we are brought low, and continued upon us so long as we continue in our sins. So that if we be destroyed,

our destruction is from our selves; and if God doth multiply his Judgements upon us, it is because that we do multiply our sins: if man be not weary of sinning, what reason is there that God should be weary of punishing.

Verse 7. So long as we carry flesh and blood about us, we shall be subject to such passions as arise from that flesh and blood: Moses had his anger; Abraham and Isaac their fear. But now these passions must be kept within their bounds, or else they run out into sin. As here Isaac's fear was too predominant, it made him as it had done his Father Abraham call his Wife his Sister, and in that to lie; which sin was greater in him than in his Father, because he was not warn'd by his Fathers example. Now the child of God should rather die than lie. Nec prodam nec mentiar, said that good Bishop in St. Augustine; and that was a brave Woman in St. Ierome, that being on the Rack, resolved and answered the tormentor, I had rather tell the truth and perish, than lie and live. The Chamelion is the most fearful of all Creatures; and doth there∣fore change into all colours to save it self: so will timerous persons. Let us therefore fortifie our hearts against this passion, that we may not fall into the sins of the pas∣sion.

Verse 13. Isaac waxed rich because the Lord blessed him, verse 12. it is Gods blessing that maketh rich. Godliness hath the promises of both lives; now the Pro∣mises are the unsearchable riches of Christ, Ephes. 3. 9. who is the heir of all, and hath godly men his co-heirs, entailing upon them riches and honour, life, and length of daies, the blessings of both hands; and if at any time God doth deny gain to godli∣ness, it is that it may be admired for itsself; as having a self-sufficiency, and a hid trea∣sure of its own. Agrain of Grace is worth all the gold of Ophir, and a remnant of Faith of more value than the richest Ward-Robes. Thus a Righteous man is the rich∣est man in the World; true piety hath true plenty, and whereas the Wicked in the ful∣ness of their sufficiency are in straits, the Godly in the fulness of their straits are in all sufficiency.

Verse 18. Origen extends this power far, though not very confidently; perchance saith he in every one of our souls there is this well of the Water of Life, and this power to have power to open it: whether our souls be intended by Origen of us as we are men, or of us as we are Christians I pronounce not; but divide it: in all us as we are natural men there is this Well of Water of Life: Abraham digg'd it at first the Father of the Faithful, our Heavenly Abraham infused it unto us at first in Adam; of whom as we have the image of God though defaced, so we have this Well of Water though stopt up: but then the Philistins having stopt this Well, Satan by sin having barr'd it up, the power of opening it again is not in the natural man; but Isaac diggs it again, Isaac who is Filius laetitiae, the Son of joy; our Isaac, our Jesus he opens this Well of Life again to all that receive him; according to his Ordinance in his Church he hath given this power of keeping open in themselves this Well of Life, these means of Sal∣vation.

Verse 22. When Isaac's servants had digged a first and a second Well, the Heards∣men of Gerar contended about it, saying, the Water is ours: then his Servants digg'd a third Well, and for that they strove not; therefore he call'd the name of it Reho∣both, i. e. room; for now saith he, the Lord hath made room for us. Thus we may say of all our comforts and mercies Rehoboth, that is, room; but of all our afflictions that they are straits.

Verse 30. In a Feast there are two things; extraordinary provision, and extraordi∣nary company; both are lawful. God hath given us the Creature not only for neces∣sity, but for delight; and it is a clear argument that such use of the Creatures in feast∣ing is lawful, because God hath made more Creatures serving for the delight of man, than he hath made for the necessity of man. If God had meant that men should do nothing but maintain their lives, and serve their own necessity, so as they might go on in their places and callings, one half of the Creatures might have been spared; but God made nothing in vain: therefore he is willing we should use the creatures for moderate delight. Thus Abraham made a great Feast at the weaning of Isaac, and Isaac here

makes a Feast for Abimelech and Phicol the chief Captain of his Army: and the like examples we have in divers other places. And our Saviour Christ himself was at a Feast in Cana of Galilee, where when Wine fail'd he supplied it by miracles.

Verse 31. Men may do much, and go far in the love of Gods people, and yet not love them as they ought to be loved: they may hold an outward correspondency with them in outward peace and neighbourhood; they may live quietly by them, and with them; be free from quarrels, suits, contentions, vexations, and oppositions against them, and in these respects may keep fair quarter with them, and yet for all this not love them, as Gods people are to be loved. Abimelech and Phicol desire to live pea∣ceably and quietly with Isaac, that there may be an Oath and a Covenant between them; but yet these being Heathens, could not love Isaac as a godly man should be loved; they departed from him in peace saith this verse, peace is one thing, and love is another.

CHAP. XXVII.

Verse 2. AS Isaac said here that he knew not the day of his death; so may we say both of the time, and also of the place and manner of our death. For death surprizeth some, as Abel when he was walking in the field, others as Uz when he was sitting at his door; some with Iobs children at a Feast, others with the Philistines sporting in a Theater. Thus likewise may we say of the manner of our death; there is a natural death when a man dies, as a Lamp goes out, because there is no more Oyl to feed it; and there is a violent death, when the soul is thrust out of doors, and the Lamp of Life not burnt, but blown out. Iosia dies by the hurt of an Arrow, a Pro∣phet of God by the teeth of a Lyon, Abimelech by the fall of a stone. Boast not thy self therefore of to morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth; if not an end of thy sins, it may be an end of thy life; if it bring not forth conversion, it may bring forth confusion.

Verse 4. What hath careless Esau lost, if having sold his Birth-right, he may obtain the blessing. Or what hath Iacob gain'd if his Brothers Venison may countervail his pot∣tage. Yet thus hath old Isaac decreed, who was not now more blind in his eyes than in his affections. God had forewarn'd him that the Elder should serve the Younger, yet Isaac goeth about to bless Esau. The dearest of Gods Saints have been sometimes transported with natural Affections; he saw himself prefer'd to Ismael though the Elder, he saw his Father wilfully forgetting Nature at Gods command, in binding him for Sacrifice; he saw Esau leudly matcht with Heathens, and yet he will remember nothing, but Esau is my first-born: but how gratious is God, that when we would, will not let us sin: and so orders our actions, that we do not what we would, but what we ought.

Verse 8. That God which had ordain'd the Lordship for the younger, will also con∣trive for him the blessing; what he will have effected shall not want means: the mother shall rather defeat the Son, and beguile her Husband, than the Father shall beguile the chosen Son of his Blessing. What was Iacob to Rebecca more than Esau, or what Mother doth not more affect the Elder. But now God inclines the love of the Mo∣ther to the Younger, against the custom of Nature, because the Father loves the Elder against the promise. The Affections of Parents are divided, that the Promise might be fulfil'd. Rebecca's craft shall answer Isaac's partiality. Isaac would unjustly turn Esau into Iacob, Rebecca doth as cunningly turn Iacob into Esau: her desire was good, her means was unlawful. God doth oft-times effect his just will by our wicked∣nesses; yet neither thereby justifying our infirmities, nor blemishing his own actions.

Verse 19. Here is nothing but counterfeiting: a fained person, fained name, fai∣ned Venison, a fained answer; and yet behold a true blessing, but to the man, not to the means: those were so unsound, that Iacob himself doth more fear their curse than hope for their success: but Rebecca presuming upon the Oracle of God, and her Hus∣bands simplicity dare be his surety for the danger, his Counsellor for the carriage of the business, his Cook for the Diet; yea dresses both the meat and the man. And now she wishes she could borrow Esau's tongue as well as his garments; that she might se∣curely deceive all the senses of him, who had suffered himself to be more dangerously deceived by his affection. But this is past her Remedy; her Son must name himself Esau, with the voice of Iacob. It is hard if our tongue do not bewray what we are in spite of our habit. This was enough to work Isaac to a suspition, to an enquiry, not to an incredulity; he that is good of himself will hardly believe evill of another; and will rather distrust his own senses, than the fidelity of those he trusted; all the senses are set to examine, none sticketh at the Judgement but the ear: to deceive that, Ia∣cob must second his dissimulation with three lies in one breath; I am Esau, As thou badst me: My Venison. Onesin entertain'd fetcheth in another; and if it be forced to lodg alone, either departeth or dieth. I love Iacobs blessing, but I hate his lie I would not do that wilfully, which Iacob did weakly, on condition of a blessing: he that pardoned his infirmity would curse my obstinateness.

Verse 23. Good Isaac had first set his hands to try whether his ears inform'd him aright; and then feeling the hands of him whose voice he suspected, that honest heart could not think that the skin might more easily be counterfeited than the Lungs: a smal satisfaction contents those whom guiltiness hath not made scrupulous: Isaac be∣lieves, and blesseth the Younger Son in the Garments of the Elder. If our Heavenly Father smell upon our backs the savour of our Elder Brothers Robes, we cannot depart from him unblessed.

Verse 27. As Isaac said of his Son here, The smell of my Son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed. So the Lord of Heaven as he smelt a savour of rest from the Sacrifice of Noah should smell from us (if we intend to be his Sons, and Heirs of the Promise as Iacob was) the savour of Medicinal Herbs of remorse, and repentance, and contrition, and detestation of former sins; and the savour of odoriferous, and fragrant, and Aromatical Herbs, Works worthy of Repentance, amendment of Life, Edification of others, and zeal to his Glory.

Verse 32. No sooner is Iacob gone away full of the joy of his blessing, then Esau comes in full of the hope of the blessing; and now blowing and sweating for his re∣ward, he finds nothing but a Repulse. Lewd men when they think they have earned of God, and come proudly to challenge favour, receive no answer, but Who art thou? the hopes of the wicked fail them when they are at the highest; whereas Gods chil∣dren find these comforts in extremity which they durst not expect.

Verse 33. Both the Father and the Son wonder at each other; the one with fear, the other with grief; Isaac trembled, and Esau wept; the one upon Conscience, the other upon Envy. Isaac's heart now told him that he should not have purposed the blessing where he did, and that it was due unto him unto whom it was given, and not purposed; hence he durst not reverse that which he had done with Gods will besides his own: for now he saw that he had done unwilling Justice: God will find both time and means to reclaim his own, to prevent their sins, to manifest and reform their er∣rors.

Verse 34. Who would have lookt for tears from Esau; or who dare trust tears when he sees them fall from so graceless eyes. It was a good word here, Bless me al∣so O my Father: every miscreant can wish himself well. No man would be miserable if it were enough to desire happiness. Why did he not rather weep to his Brother for the pottage, than to Isaac for a blessing? If he had not then sold, he had not needed now to begg; It is just with God to deny us those favours which we were careless in keeping, and which we undervalued in enjoying. How happy a thing it is to know the seasons of Grace, and not to neglect them, how desperate to have known and neg∣lected

them! these tears were both late and false, the tears of rage, of envie, of car∣nal desire: worldly sorrow causeth death. Yet whiles Esau howls out thus for a bles∣sing, I hear him cry out of his Fathers store, (Hast thou but one blessing O my Father?) of his Brothers subtilty, (was he not rightly termed Jacob?) I do not hear him blame his own deserts. He did not see while his Father was deceived and his Brother crafty, that God was just, and himself uncapable: he knew himself prophane, and yet claims a blessing.

CHAP. XXVIII.

Verse 11. NOne of all the Patriarks saw so evil dayes as Iacob did; from whom justly hath the Church of God therefore taken her Name; neither were the Faithful ever since called Abramites, but Israelites. That no time might be lost, he began his strife in the Womb; after that, he flyes for his life from a cruel Brother to a cruel Uncle. With a Staff goes he over Iordan alone, doubtful and com∣fortless, not like the Son of Isaac. In the way the Earth is his bed, and a stone his pillow; yet even there he sees a Vision of Angels. Iacob's heart was never so full of joy, as when his head lay hardest. God is most present with us in our greatest de∣jection, and loves to give comfort to those that are for saken of their hopes.

Verse 12. This Ladder betokeneth Christ, who above is God of his Father, beneath is man out of Iacob's Loins, Ioh. 1. 51; the Angels ascending and descending are the blessed Spirits; which first ministred to the person of Christ, and secondly for the good of his body, namely, the Elect, Heb. 1. 14. The Angels went up and down; none of them were seen standing still: we must alwayes be going forward in our Christian courses, and not think to be carried to heaven in a feather bed, but we must climb a Ladder: if we expect to be carried as Elias was in a Chariot, it will be a fiery Chariot.

Verse 14. Against Iacob's four-fold cross here is a four-fold comfort, a plaister as broad as the sore, and sovereign for it: Against the loss of his Friends, I will be with thee saith God; Against the loss of his Country, I will give thee this Land; Against his Poverty, Thou shalt spread abroad to the East, and to the West; Against his soli∣tariness and lowness, Angels shall attend thee, and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth; whereunto we may add that which surpasseth all the rest, In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed: thy Seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and that dust of the earth shall shine as the stars in heaven: they that trust in the Lord shall have the blessings of both worlds; they shall be blessed here temporally, and hereafter eternally.

Verse 15. It is a great and peculiar priviledge of the Church and every Member of it, to have God present with them, and President over them. He is not far off from those that are his (however in time of Affliction, and in the hour of tentation, he seemeth so to them) but is ever with them, and holdeth a gracious hand over them. This is it which the Lord so often promiseth in his Word, and truly performeth to the great comfort of all his Children. This is it which the Lord speaketh to Iacob going from his Fathers house to Padan Aran, Lo, I am with thee, &c. And God thus pro∣miseth his presence, that the faithful might be assured of his protection and defence being gathered together by his power, without which they could not have any com∣fort. If he were not present with us, he could not consider of our wants, nor suc∣cour us in our necessities, nor refresh us with his help while we walk in the valley of the shadow of death. Seeing therefore we have comfort to be preserved in all perils, and to be heard in our Prayers and Requests that we make to God, we are assured and perswaded of his continual presence amongst us for our good and safe∣ty.

Verse 17. Though the Almighty be every where, yet not every where after the same manner, say the Schools; his presence indeed shines forth in all, but not the same degrees of his presence; and though his glory filled both the Bush and the space about it, yet not both alike; the one with fire, the other perchance but with smoak: and therefore we read Exod. 3. of a place where Moses may stand, and a place so holy whither he may not draw nigh; the first too holy for his shoes, the last too hot for his feet. Thus also we read of Gods House made with hands, and his House not made with hands; and to both Holiness required for their Consecration, and an awful e∣steem for their Diety: Sanctified they must because they are Gods, and Reverenced because he is in them. To witness whose personal residence was that solemne erecting of Altars where God vouchsafed to appear. Thus God here appeared to Iacob and strait wayes his Stone is anointed into a Pillar, and what the last night was a pillow for himself, must now be a resting place for his God; there offering up his dues to heaven where he had before to Nature.

Verse 20. A mean or middle estate, which is neither too eminent nor too obscure, too rich nor too poor, above contempt below envie, is to be preferred before the greatest: first, because it is most free from danger; as not being so low as to be trodden upon, nor so high as to be seated in the eye of envie. Secondly, Because it preserveth us from forgetfulness of God, irreligion, and prophanness, which accompanies prospe∣rity, and from the use of unlawful means to maintain our estate, and from impati∣ency, murmuring, and repining against God to which we are tempted in poverty. If then our God hath been so gracious unto us as to give us a convenient competency in these outward matters, let us reckon our lot to have fallen unto us in a pleasant ground, and that we have a goodly heritage. And indeed our Nature desires not much. Food and Raiment are the only necessaries for this life (I mean the preserva∣tion of it) we stand in need of. If God will be with me saith Jacob, &c. that is all which he doth require: hitherto tend all our earthly labours and industries. Oh that we were wise to consider this, how small a debt we owe to Nature, how little would content it.

CHAP. XXIX.

Verse 1. SO should it be with a man after his Communion with God in the Sacra∣ment, as it was with Iacob after his Communion here with God in Bethel; Then Jacob lift up his feet and came into the Land of the People of the East: He lift up his feet, he went with strength, with spirit, with cheerfulness: and then he went, that is, after he had had that sweet fellowship with God in Bethel, he was so cheer'd and refresh'd with that spiritual bait, that in the strength and force of that, he went on lively and cheerfully in his journey. So when we have had fellowship with God in the Sacrament, in the strength of that heavenly bait at the Sacrament, we should lift up our feet and go on cheerfully, lively, lustily in our journey towards Hea∣ven.

Verse 9. Masters of Families should so order the Duties of their Families, that every one under their jurisdiction may have such an employment as is most proper for him. Thus here Rachel kept the Sheep, while Leah had her task within doors. God hath dispensed his Gifts diversly for the common benefit. To one man is given Knowledge, to another the gift of Utterance, to a third is given to speak with diverse Tongues, to a fourth the Interpretation of those Tongues. There is scarce any one but hath something or other in him that is excellent and extraordinary; some special talent to trade with, some Honey to bring to the common hive; if he have but an heart to it. Let every man therefore according to his several ability improve his Talent to the glory of the donor, and the common good.

Verse 17. God hath two Daughters, the younger which is Heaven, is fair and love∣ly like Rachel, and courted by all; the elder is Repentance, which with tears is blear∣eyed, like Leah and neglected by most: but if men ask as Iacob for Rachel, God will answer as Laban did Iacob, 'Tis not the custome of the place to Marry the Younger be∣fore the Elder; he that will not marry the Leah of Repentance, shall never have the Rachel of Heaven.

Verse 20. Iacob thought seven years service a short time, that he might enjoy Ra∣chel; when his eye was upon his love, he thought seven years, and seven to them, but a small time. Did Iacob account so many years but a small time, and shall not we ac∣count seven dayes, seven hours short? Admit it be more, it is but a short time, if we have heaven, if we have Rachel in our eye: fix our eyes upon immortality, upon heaven, and then all tribulations will seem not only light, but nothing; and not only short, but as if they had never been, but as yesterday; or as yesterday is to a thou∣sand years, to eternity.

Verse 23. After the service of an hard Apprenticeship had earned her whom Iacob loved, his Wife is changed, and he in a sort forced to an unwilling Adultery. His Mother had before substituted him who was the younger Son for the elder; and now not long after his Father-in-law by the like fraud substitutes to him the elder Daugh∣ter for the younger. God comes oftentimes home to us in our own kind, and even by the sin of others payes us our own when we look not for it.

Verse 26. Many things may be Customable which yet are not commendable, and used to be done, which often were better undone. Such practise draws nearer the Doctrine of the Pharisees than of Christ. For what was it else that the Pharisees did so much stand upon under the tradition of the elders; and what did they censure our Saviour and his Disciples so hardly for but their Customes; and what was it that our Saviour did so deeply tax them for but the observation of their superfluous and super∣stitious Customs. The Fathers and Doctors of the Church were most plain and preg∣nant in this point, Veritate manifestata cedat consuetudo veritati: for Christ said, I am the Truth; not, I am the Custome. And in truth without this limitation and re∣gard, if men be carried away with the name of Custome, and will enquire no further into any thing than what is the Custome, what hath been used heretofore; much injury and evil may be committed; Thus Laban here deceaving Iacob pretends the Custome of the place; it was not forsooth their Custome to marry the younger be∣fore the elder: but under that pretence he falsifies his promise, abuseth his Daughter, and deceives his Friend.

Verse 28. It is doubtful whether it were a greater cross to Iacob to marry whom he would not, or to be disappointed of her whom he desired. And now he must begin a new hope where he made account of fruition. To raise up an expectation once frustrate, is more difficult than to continue a long hope drawn on with likelihoods of performance; yet thus dear is Iacob content to pay for Rachel even fourteen years servitude. Commonly Gods Children come not easily by their pleasures; what mi∣series will not love digest and overcome? And if Iacob were willingly consumed with heat in the day, and frost in the night, to become the Son-in-law to Laban, what should we refuse to be the Sons of God?

Verse 31. Rachel whom Iacob loved is barren, Leah which was despised is fruit∣ful. How wisely God weighs out to us our Favours and Crosses in an equal ballance: so tempering our sorrows that they may not oppress, and our joyes that they may not transport us. Each one hath some matter of envie to others, and of grief to himself. Thus Leah envies Rachels beauty and love; Rachel envies Leahs fruitful∣ness; yet Leah would not be barren, nor Rachel blear-eyed. And here also we see how the Lord useth to chastise the preposterous affections of his servants, as Iacob's love, with Rachels barrenness.

Verse 35. Leah had praised the Lord before at Rubens and Simeons birth, but now upon the occasion of a new benefit she praiseth him again: which teacheth us, that as Gods Mercies are multiplyed towards us, so we should encrease and go forward in giving of thanks.

CHAP. XXX.

Verse 2. THough Iacob was as tender an Husband to Rachel as she could be a Mo∣ther of Children if she had them, yet his love kept within bounds; and he would love his Wife so far as she loved his and her God. If Rachel be angry with God, Iacob will be angry with Rachel; and if she inconsiderately will advance him to Gods seat, and thrust Gods power into his hands, Iacob will make use of it to reprove her, and condemne her by asking the question, Am I in Gods stead, who car∣rieth the key of the Womb under his own girdle. Moses was the meekest man on Earth, yet when Gods glory is concerned, and a rebellious people have broke the com∣mandements of God, Moses will break that Table of stone wherein they were writ, and his anger will destroy part of the people, that Gods anger may not consume them all. Now let us imitate these great examples; and that we may be angry and not sin, let us only be angry for sin.

Verse 4. I see in Rachel the image of her Grand-mother-Sarah; both in her beauty of person, in her actions, in her success: she also will needs suborn her handmaid to make her a Mother, and at last beyond hope her self conceiveth. It is a weak greediness in us to affect Gods blessings by unlawful means: what a proof and praise had it been of her Faith if she had staied Gods leisure, and would rather have endured her barren∣ness than her Husbands Polygamy. Now she shews her self the Daughter of Laban; the Father for covetousness, the Daughters for emulation have drawn sin into Iacobs bed: he offended in yielding, but they more in solliciting him; and therefore the fact is not imputed to Iacob, but to them. In those sins which Satan draws us into, the blame is ours; in those sins which we move each other unto, the most fault and pu∣nishment lies upon the tempter.

Verse 6. Here Rachel makes use of Gods name to prophane it; and under pretence of Religion would have God justifie her Maids and her own sin. Many cry up that Cause to be Gods which he never will own, and put his Name to those Writings which at the last day shall condemne them. And indeed there hath of late years been no sin so common among Christians as to prostitue both Gods Name and his Cause; and as that great Commander of the powers of darkness, the Devil, can transform himself into an Angel of light; so there are no deeds of darkness so black and ugly which have not been like their Father the Devil mask'd, and veil'd, and clouded even with light its self; I mean with those glorious, heavenly, Angel-like pretences of Religi∣on and Conscience. Insomuch that not only the most unchristian, but the most in∣humane practises, the most unnatural savage barbarities of this last age of the World are now avowed to be the dictates and commands of God, that God himself (as in the text) hath judged and allowed them.

Verse 18. Leah broke the bonds of Matrimony and yet expects a reward: thus many times men flatter themselves in their sins, and think that they are rewarded of God when they do ill. As Micah (having made houshold gods, and entertained a Levite) cryes, Now I know that the Lord will be good unto me because I have a Levite to my Priest; but he never thought he had an Idol to his God. Thus Leah here re∣joyced in that for which she should have repented, and takes that for her hire, which God, for all she knew, intended as her punishment. And indeed her Son Issachar (who was the hire here) was none of the wisest, and withal a slave: and therefore in Iacobs Prophesie, Gen. 49. compared to an Ass, and one that for his ease would sub∣mit unto any burthens, impositions, taxes. This was a simple, low, poor spirit; and his posterity were for the general very unworthy and vile: and yet this was the hire, the reward, the blessing that Leah rejoyced in; as if God had approved of the sin by the success and fruitfulness of her handmaids Womb: and this was her error

of measuring and judging of things by the success: as if God did not many times give Children, and Honour, and Riches in his wrath, and were not many times angry with men though they outwardly prosper. If this were not so the Turks and some Christians too at this day were in an happy condition, who judge of the goodness of their cause only by the success; and because they are not crossed, that therefore they are blessed.

Verse 20. Children are a good dowry if they prove good; and though they are al∣wayes an heritage that cometh of the Lord, yet they are not alwayes the Lords he∣ritage: When our Children appear to be Gods heirs as well as ours, then may we justly esteem them to be the best part of our estate, and our greatest dowry. Other∣wise they will prove but sad blessings, and such as we had better be without; and yet all men desire them: how much rather should we cover grace, and those things which accompany salvation; having got these we may safely and surely say, God hath en∣dued me with a good dowry.

Verse 27. Iacob rich in nothing but Wives and Children was now returning to his Fathers house, accounting his Charge his Wealth. But God meant him yet more good. Laban sees that both his Family and his Flocks were well encreased by Iacobs service. Not his love therefore, but his gain makes him loth to part. Even Labans covetousness, is made by God the means to enrich Iacob: and even his strait Master entreats him to that recompence which made his Nephew mighty, and him∣self envious.

Verse 41. In the very shapes and colours of brute Creatures there is a divine hand which disposeth them to his own ends. Small and unlikely means shall prevail where God intends an effect. Little peel'd sticks of Hazel or Poplar laid in the troughs, shall enrich Iacob with an encrease of spotted Cattel. Labans Sons might have tryed the same means and failed. God would have Laban know that he put a difference betwixt Iacob and him; that as for fourteen years he had multiplyed Iacobs charge of Cattel to Laban, so now for the last six years he would multiply Labans Flock to Iacob: and if Laban had the more, yet the better were Iacobs. Even in these outward things Gods Children have many times sensible tastes of his favours above the wicked.

CHAP. XXXI.

Verse 13. VVHen God appeared here to Iacob upon his return from Laban, he tells him I am the God of Bethel: by which expression he no doubt intends to mind Iacob of the Promise, not only made there by God to him, but likewise by him to God; for so it followeth, Where thou vowedst a vow to me. God is the God of pious resolutions as to approve of them, when made, so to look after them how they are made good; and let me tell you, to prophane that heart that is once conse∣crated to God, to faulter in the execution of what is solemnly resolved in Gods ser∣vice, is a fetching the Sacrifice from the Altar, and will certainly bring the coal of fire along with it. Hadst thou never put in for the title of a Friend or votary, with an O God my heart is ready to do thy will, thou hadst not been perfidious, though pro∣phane; but by breaking thy promise thou addest the guilt of unfaithfulness to that of disobedience, and thy sin becomes beyond measure sinful.

Verse 18. I know not whether Laban were a worse Uncle, or Father, or Master: he can like well Iacobs service, not his wealth: as the wicked have no peace with God, so the godly have no peace with men; for if they prosper not, they are despised; if they prosper they are envied. This Uncle, whom Iacobs service had made his Father, must now upon his wealth be fled from as an enemy. Iacob knew his churlishness, and therefore resolves to be rather unmannerly, than injur'd: well might he think that he

whose oppression chang'd his wages so often in his stay, would also abridg his Wages in the parting. Now therefore he wisely prefers his own estate to Labans love. It is not good to regard too much the unjust discontentment of worldly men, and to pur∣chase unprofitable favour, with too great loss.

Verse 24. The Lord hath a negative voice upon the motion of all Creatures; he commandeth the Sun and it riseth not. It is a royal prerogative that the Lord com∣mands the Sun to rise; but that the Lord hath a power to stay the Sun from rising, lifts up his prerogative to the highest. In all disputes about Power, he is resolved to be greatest who hath the negative voice, which checks and gives a super sedeas to all others; this is the prerogative of God, he can stay the motion of the Sun, and of man. The Sun dares not do his Office to the day, nor the Stars to the night, if God say no. Thus al∣so he stops man in his nearest preparation for any action. When Laban pursued Ia∣cob with hard thoughts against him, and strong resolutions to deal harshly with him, the Lord gave a negative voice, Take heed that thou speak not to Iacob either good or bad: when God commands, Laban shall not have the use of his own tongue.

Verse 29. As God sometimes said to Satan, Afflict the body of Iob, but save his life; so God saith still to bloody wretches who are the Limbs of Satan, the bodies of such and such are in your hands, the estates of such and such are in your hands, but save their lives; the life of a man is never at the mercy of a Creature, though it be a common speech of men when they have a man under them, now I have you at my mer∣cy; though some bragg as Laban did here to Iacob, it is in the power of my hand to do you hurt; yet God often checks them, as he did Laban, from so much as speak∣ing hurt. Creatures though full of Love, cannot speak good, and though full of ma∣lice, they cannot speak bad if God forbid: then much less can they do us hurt, and least of all hurt our lives, if God with-hold.

Verse 32. Though Iacob when he fled from his Father-in-Law Laban, were free enough himself from the theft of Laban's Idols, yet it was dangerously pronounc'd of him with whomsoever thou findest thy Idols, let him not live: for his own Wife Rachel had stoln them; and Caro conjux; thy Wife thy self thy weaker part may in∣sinuate much sin into thine actions, even when thy spit is at strongest, and thou in thy best confidence. Only thus these two cases may differ; Rachel was able to cover those stoln Idols from her Fathers finding with that excuse the custome of Women is come upon me; but thou shalt not be able to cover thy stoln sins with saying the infirmity of man is come upon me, I do but as other men do.

Verse 37. When controversies arise, the rule of love bids us refer our differences to the determination of Brethren. In the first and best times men did not presently run to Law; and call one another before the Judge; they had daies-men, and Um∣pires to determine matters between them. To bring every matter to the Judgement∣seat when possibly a Brother or a Friend, might take up the matter is a transgression a∣gainst the Law of Love. We should rather labour after reconcilements, than Sutes in Law; which are a cause not only of trouble and expence, but of great breaches and heart-burnings among Friends and Brethren; 'tis rare if a man wrongs not his Soul by seeking the rights of his credit or estate.

Verse 41. The children of this World are wise in their Generations, omitting no manner of means to bring their purposes to pass. We may observe by continual ex∣perience the nature of ungodly men; they are subtile and cunning in their kind, they watch their waies and times to fit them, to work out their wicked devises and inventi∣ons. Thus did Laban deal with Iacob, changing his mind, revoking his bargains, al∣tering his wages, and murmuring at his prosperity. Now seeing this is the nature of the enemies of the Church, this should on the other side teach us to deal wisely and warily with them, lest we be snared and circumvented by them; we are set as upon an hill, we are placed as upon a Stage; if we profess Christ Jesus, a smal spot will be seen in our garment. It behoves us therefore to be wise as Serpents, and innocent as Doves; the wisdom of our enemies is joyned with wickedness, our wisdom must be

mix'd with godliness. Their wisdom is a circumventing by laying of snares, our wis∣dom must be to be circumspect in avoiding of snares.

Verse 55. Behold! Laban follows Iacob with one Troop in this Chapter, and in Chapter 23. Esau meets him with another, both with hostile intentions: both go on till the utmost point of their execution, both are prevented ere the execution. God makes fools of the enemies of his Church, he lets them proceed that they may be fru∣strate, and when they are gone to the utmost reach of their tether, he pulls them back to their task with shame: Lo now Iacob is left by Laban with a kiss: of the one he hath an Oath, tears of the other, peace with both; who shall need to fear man that is at league with God.

CHAP. XXXII.

Verse 1. THe Rabbins note that Iacob knew these Angels to be the same which he saw ascending and descending the ladder: and whereas Iacob is not said to meet them, but they to meet Iacob, therein appeareth the dignity and prehemi∣nence of the Saints, whom the Angels are ready to attend.

Verse 9. Strong desires are importunate, and will improve every interest for the obtaining of what is desired. What we cannot carry upon our own interest, we la∣bour to carry upon any other more prevailing name and interest. Iacob here moves the Lord in his prayers by the remembrance of his Fathers Abraham and Isaac; O God of my Father Abraham, and God of my Father Isaac. Iacob did not pray to his Fa∣ther Abraham, but he made use of his Fathers Name as a motive in prayer; and though all names and interests are swallowed up in the name and interest of Jesus Christ, as to the deserving a grant of what we pray for; yet we may argue and plead with God in prayer for the Churches sake, yea for our own Childrens sake, that God would do us good, that we may be further instrumental for their good.

Verse 10. When a poor Soul considers what God hath done for him, in admitting him into communion with himself to eat bread at his table continually, he cries out even weeping for admiration as Mephibosheth did, 2 Sam. 9. What is thy servant that thou shouldest look on such a dead dogg as I am, and when he considers from what a low to what an high estate God hath brought him, he saith as Iacob here, I am less than the least of all thy mercies, and when Christ tells a Soul that he will make him a King and a Priest to God, he humbly saith as Saul to Samuel; am not I a Benjamite of the smallest of the Tribes of Israel, yea it saith as Elizabeth said to Mary the bles∣sed Mother of our ever blessed Jesus, when she heard the Salutation that the Babe (the heart of a true Believer) leap'd within her, and she spake, Blessed art thou; whence, O whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord, (Oh saith the Soul that my God) should come to see me, even me, poor worthless me; it fares with such a Soul as with the Disciples, Luke 24. Jesus stood in the midst and said, Peace be unto you, and they were terrified and affrighted; but he said, Why are ye troubled? it is I, behold my hands and my feet, and they believed not for joy and wondred.

Verse 11. It is like that Esau prepared himself to be revenged of Iacob, as may ap∣pear by Iacobs prayer and fear here, which was not without cause: whereby the pow∣er of God is also set forth, that could in the very way change that purpose of Esau: and withall Iacob sheweth in this his weakness and infirmity; that although looking to Gods promise, he had confidence, yet turning himself to the present danger he fear'd; and here, while Iacob prepared himself by war, prayer, and gifts to satisfie his Brother he doth well; for though God hath promised us deliverance, we ought to use all good means, and working, under Gods providence.

Verse 12. Prayer is not only a bare manifestation of our mind to God, by such a sute or petition; but in Prayer there is or ought to be an holy arguing with God a∣bout the matter which we declare; which is a bringing out, and urging of reasons and motives, whereby the Lord may be moved to grant what we pray for: and this is clear from this example of Iacob in this Chapter.

Verse 24. When we are most retired from the World, then we are most fit to have and usually have most communion with God. David shews us divine work when we go to rest; the bed is not all for sleep; commune with your own hearts upon your bed, and be still, Psal. 4. be still and quiet, and then commune with your hearts, God will come and commune with them to, his Spirit will give you a loving visit. When Iacob fearing the rage of his Brother, had put himself into the best posture and defence he could, and had sent his Wives and Children over the River, the Text saith that he was left alone; which is not to be understood, as if his company had left or deserted him; Iacob's solitariness was not passive, but effective; he having disposed of all his Family, withdrew himself, and stayed alone; and what then? then he had a Vision in∣deed; then there wrestled a man with him till the breaking of the day: he spent not the night in carping and caring what should become of him to morrow; no he retires to pray for a blessing upon his former cares, and a blessing he obtains.

Verse 25. What a wonder is here? Iacob received not so much hurt from all his enemies, as from his best Friends; not one of his hairs perish'd by Laban or Esau, yet he lost a joynt, by the Angel, and was sent halting to his Grave; he that knows our strength, yet will wrestle with us for our exercise, and loves our violence and impor∣tunity, O happy loss this of Iacob; he lost a joint, and won a blessing: it is a favour to halt from God; yet this favour is seconded with a greater. He was blest because he would rather halt, than leave ere he was blessed. If he had left sooner he had not halted, but then he had not prospered; that man shall go away sound but miserable, that loves a limb more than a blessing. Surely if Iacob had not wrestled with God, he had been folid with evils, how many are the troubles of the righteous!

Verse 30. Holy men even in this life have a sight of the face of God: the Soul of a Believer hath interviews with God; God and he do often look one another in the face. Wheresoever the Saints are except in cases of desertion, the place may be cal∣led (as Iacob here call'd this where he wrestled with God) Peniel, that is, the face of God; yet not in that sence fully in which Iacob calls it so; he call'd it the face of God, because he had seen God face to face. We can call it so only (ordinarily) be∣cause we see his face. It is one thing to see the face of God, another thing to see God face to face; the former is the common priviledge of Saints in this life, the latter is the priviledge of but some Saints, and those rare ones, to have it here.

Verse 31. At death God wrestles with his people, laying hold on their Consciences by the menaces of the Law. They again resist this assault by laying hold upon God in Christ by the Faith of the Gospel; well assured that Christ hath freed them from the curse of the Law, by being made a curse for them on the Cross. God yields himself over-come by this re-encounter, but yet toucheth their thigh, takes away their life: howbeit, this hinders not the Sun of Life Eternal to arise upon them.

CHAP. XXXIII.

Verse 4. VArious and miraculous are the means which God useth to deliver his People from their Enemies; sometimes he divides them, and sets the Churches enemies one against another: so he did for Gideon's small Army to the Mi∣dianites mighty Host, setting every mans Sword against his fellow; sometimes he changeth their minds, and turneth the stream of their affections. Thus was Esau's heart mollified towards Iacob, who instead of a devouring enemy becomes an em∣bracing friend, and meets him with kisses, to whom he had intended blowes. Indeed what Solomon saith of the Kings heart is true of all mens, That they are in the hands of the Lord as the Rivers of Waters, and he turneth them wheresoever he will: No wonder then if sometimes he mollifies the Obdurate, qualifies the Malicious, and melts the Frozen Hearts of Wicked men into Love and Compassion to∣wards his Servants.

Verse 5. Children are the blessings of the Lord, nay, they are part of his inheri∣tance. Children are an heritage of the Lord, saith the Psalmist, and the fruit of the Womb is his reward: they are special blessings. Children (as it is to be observed) are a resemblance of our immortality, because man revives again, lives a-new (as it were) in every Child: he is born again (in a civil sence) when others are born to him. There are some who count their Children but Bills of Charges, but God puts them upon the account of our Mercies. And therefore how holy and piously doth Iacob speak here concerning his Children; These (saith he) are the Children which God hath graciously given thy Servant.

Verse 9. The carnal minded man looks no further than this world; and if he can get but his Chests and his Barns fill'd, thinks he may say with Esau here, I have e∣nough Brother; and that he may sing a Requiem to his Soul with that rich man in the Gospel, Soul, take thine ease, thou hast Goods laid up for many years; when God in the mean time is not thought upon, without whom there can be no true fulness, no sincere abundance. Let us therefore accustome our selves to find out God in the Crea∣ture, and in all our gettings, in all our preferments, in all our studies; and then be we as covetous as we will, as ambitious as we can, we shall be sure to have enough; for God will be abundantly sufficient to us for all. God is treasure, and God is honour enough. Wouldst thou have all this World, wouldst thou have all the next World too? Plus est qui fecit Coelum & Terram, saith a Father; he that made Heaven and Earth is more than all that, and thou mayest have all in having him.

Verse 10. Wicked men cannot be so ill as they would. That strong Wrestler a∣gainst whom Iacob prevailed, prevailed with Esau, and turned his wounds into kisses. An Host of Men came with Esau, an Army of Angels met Iacob. Esau threatned, Iacob prayed. His prayers and presence have melted the heart of Esau into love. And now instead of the grim and stern countenance of an Executioner Iacob sees the face of Esau as the face of God. Both men and Devils are stinted; the stoutest heart can∣not stand out against God. He that can wrestle earnestly with God, is secure from the harms of men. Those minds which are exaspearated with violence, and cannot be broken with fear, yet are bowed with love: when the wayes of a man please God, he will make his enemies at peace with him.

Verse 11. If we want this Worlds good, let us not be discouraged; God often∣times recompenseth the want of earthly blessings with great abundance of heavenly graces. This Christ declareth in Rev. 2. I know thy works, and tribulation, and po∣verty, but thou art rich. He maketh them rich in Knowledge, in Faith, in Obedi∣ence, and Joy in the holy Ghost. He blesseth them with inward comfort, and with peace of Conscience that passeth all understanding. He giveth them patience in

trouble, meekness of spirit, and an holy contentation, to sustain the weight of their affliction: and albeit they bear a gracious burthen, yet he hath eased them of a grea∣ter, the burthen of their sins, which in Christ they feel to be lightned and remitted. This the Apostle testifieth, We are as dying, and yet behold we live; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. This is that Iacob perswaded his own heart, and told it to his Brother, God hath shewed mercy unto me, and therefore I have all things: for so it is in the Original, not I have enough, (as it is in our English Bibles) but I have all. Esau had much, but Iacob had all, because he had the God of all.

Verse 13. A Conscientious Minister should follow Iacobs example in this verse, and so order their flocks as he did his. They must have an eye to the weak ones of their Congregations, and so to respect all, as they over-drive none. He must so Preach as his people are able to hear, and not alwayes as he is able to Preach. He must divide, and chew, and masticate his Matter and his Doctrines as Nurses do their Childrens meat, and speak to the shallowest Capacities of his Hearers; else he shall be a Barba∣rian to them, and they to him. And as in their instruction, so likewise in their re∣proofs and correction, they must have a care of the little Ones, of the tender Lambs of Christ's flock, and deal gently with them. A Venice-glass must be otherwise handled than an Earthen-pitcher; some must be rebuked sharply, severely, but of o∣thers we must have compassion, making a difference, Jude 22.

CHAP. XXXIV.

Verse 1. CHristians should of all others be very shy of the occasions of evil, and take heed of the Wine when 'tis red in the glass, and have an eye to their eye when they look on a Maid. Dinah out of a gadding curiosity must needs vi∣sit the Daughters of the Land; and while she goeth to see the Daughters, the Son saw her, visamque cupit, and having seen her he took her, having taken her he lay with her: the report whereof coming to Iacobs Sons they were grieved; being grie∣ved they were wroth; being wroth they meditate revenge; meditating revenge they speak deceitfully; having deceived they slew; having slain they spoyle. See how great a fire a little matter kindleth, what great evils issue from small beginnings: take heed then of these beginnings.

Verse 3. Shechem in this verse bewrays a good nature even in filthiness; he loves Dinah after his sin, and would needs Marry her whom he had defiled. Commonly Lust ends in loathing. Ammon abhors Tamar as much after the act, as before he loved; and beats her out of doors, whom he was sick to bring in. But Shechem would not let Dinah fare the worse for his sin. And now he goes about to entertain her with honest love, whom the rage of his Lust had dishonestly abused. Her de∣flouring shall be no prejudice to her, since her shame shall redound to none but him, and he will hide her dishonour with the name of an Husband. Those actions that are ill begun, can hardly be salved up with late satisfactions; whereas good entrances give strength to the proceedings, and success to the end.

Verse 4. I find but one only Daughter of Iacob; who must needs therefore be a great Darling to her Father; and she so miscarries that she causes her Fathers grief to be more than his love. As her Mother Leah, so she hath a fault in her eyes, which was curiosity. She will needs see and be seen, and whiles she doth vainly see, she is seen lustfully. It is not enough for us to look to our own thoughts, except we be∣ware of the provocations of others. If we once wander out of the Lists that God hath set us in our Callings, there is nothing but danger: her virginity had been safe had she kept home; or if Shechem had forced her in her Mothers Tent, this loss of her virginity had been without her sin, now she is not innocent that gave the occasion. Her eyes were guilty of the temptation: only to see is an insufficient warrant to

draw us into places of spiritual hazard. If Shechem had seen her busie at home, his love had been free from outrage; now the lightness of her presence gave encourage∣ment to his inordinate desire. Immodesty of behaviour makes way to lust, and gives life unto wicked hopes.

Verse 14. The two old men, Iacob and Hamor, would have ended the matter peaceably, but youth commonly undertakes rashly, and performs with passion. The Sons of Iacob think of nothing but revenge, and which is worst of all begin their cruelty with craft, and hide their craft with Religion. A smiling malice is most dead∣ly, and hatred doth most rankle the heart when it is kept in, and dissembled. We cannot give our Sister to an uncircumcised man; here was God in the mouth, and Satan in the heart. The bloodiest of all Projects have ever wont to be coloured with Religi∣on; because the worse any thing is, the better shew it desires to make; and contra∣rily the better colour is put upon any vice the more odious it is: for as every simula∣tion adds to an evil, so the best adds most evil: themselves had taken the Daughters and Sisters of uncircumcised men; yea, Iacob himself did so; why might not then an uncircumcised man obtain their Sister? Or if there be a difference of giving and ta∣king, it had been well if it had not been only pretended. It had been an happy ra∣vishment of Dinah that should have drawn a whole Country into the bosome of the Church; but here was a Sacrament intended not to the good of the soul, but to the murther of the body.

Verse 15. Simeon and Levi, when they meditate their revenge for the Rape com∣mitted upon their Sister, when they pretended Peace yet they required a little bloud, they would have the Shechemites Circumcised; but when they had opened a Vein, they made them bleed to Death; when they were under the soreness of Circumcision, they slew them all. Gods Justice required bloud likewise, the bloud of his Son; but that bloud is not spilt as was the bloud of these Shechemites, but poured from that Head to our Hearts, into the Veins and Wounds of our own Souls. In the Circumcision and Passion of our Saviour there was Bloud shed, but no Bloud lost.

Verse 23. It was an hard task for Hamor and Shechem not only to put the knife to their own fore-skins, but to perswade a multitude to so painful a condition. Now to bring this about, as the Sons of Iacob dissembled with them, so they dissemble with the people; Shall not all their flocks and substance be ours? Common profit is pre∣tended when as only Shechems pleasure is meant. No motive is so powerful to the vulgar sort as the name of Commodity; the hope of this makes them prodigal of their skin and bloud; not the love to the Sacrament, nor the love to Shechem: sinister re∣spects draw more to the profession of Religion than Conscience; if it were not for the Loaves and Fishes, the train of Christ would be less. But the Sacraments of God mis-received, never prosper in the end. These men are content to smart, so they may gain.

Verse 25. Now that every one lies sore of his own Wound, Simeon and Levi rush in armed, and wound all the Males to death: Cursed be their Wrath for it was fierce, and their Rage for it was cruel. Indeed filthiness should not have been wrought in Israel; yet murther should not have been wrought by Israel. If they had been fit Judges, which were but bloudy Executioners, how far doth the punishment exceed the fault. To punish above the offence, is no less injustice than to offend. One of∣fendeth, and all feel the revenge: yea, all the innocent suffer that revenge, which he that offended deserved not. Shechem sinneth, but Dinah tempted him. She that was so light as to wander abroad alone only to gaze, I fear was not over-difficult to yield: and if having wrought her shame, he had driven her home with disgrace to her Fa∣thers Tent, such tyrannous lust had justly called for bloud: but now he craves, and offers, and would pay dear for but leave to give satisfaction: to execute rigor upon a submiss offendor is more merciless than just: or if the punishment had been both just and proportionable from another, yet from them which had vowed Peace and Affini∣ty, it was shamefully unjust. To disappoint the Trust of another, and to neglect

our own promise and fidelity for private purposes, adds faithlessness unto our cruelty.

Verse 30. Who would have looked to have found this outrage in the Family of Ia∣cob? How did that good Patriarch, when he saw Dinah come home blubber'd and wringing her hands, Simeon and Levi sprinkled with bloud, wish that Leah had been barren as long as Rachel. Good Parents have grief enough though they sustain no blame for their Childrens sins. What great evils arise from small beginnings. The idle curiosity of Dinah hath bred all this mischeif. Ravishment follows upon her wandring, upon her ravishment murther, upon the murther spoyl. It is holy and safe to be jealous of the first occasions of evil, either done or suffered.

CHAP. XXXV.

Verse 1. HEre God pulls Iacob by the ear as it were, and minds him of his Vow which he had well-nigh forgotten: but God looked for performance, and would not let him be quiet till he had made good what he had promised. Most mens practice proclaims, that, having escaped the danger, they would willingly de∣ceive the Saint. Deliverances commonly are but nine dayes wonder at most, and it is ten to one that any Leper returns to give praise to God. If any thing doth rouze up our hearts to thankful remembrance of former Mercies, it must be the sense of some present misery: as here Iacob was in a strait and fright; his Sons had troubled him, the Country was ready to rise upon him and rout him out; and now God takes this opportunity (for we are best when at worst) and gently minds him of what was his duty, and would be for his safety.

Verse 5. The Lord hath a Negative voice upon the motion of all Creatures. We see an instance of this here; when Iacob and his Family journied, the terror of God was upon the Cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the Sons of Iacob: they had a mind to pursue and revenge the slaughter of the Sheche∣mites, but God said Pursue not; and then they could not pursue, they must stay at home. Thus also when his People the Iewes were safe in Canaan, he encourages them to come up freely to Worship at Ierusalem; by this assurance, No man shall desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God. God can stop not only hands from spoyling, but hearts from desiring. Our appetite whether con∣cupiscible or irrascible are under his command, as well as our actions: we should con∣sider this to help our Faith in these times. The Sword is in motion among us, even as the Sun; and the Sword seems to have received a charge to pass from the one end of the Land to the other; yet a counter-mand from God will stop the Sword from going on; If he speak to the Sword, the Sword shall wound no more.

Verse 10. Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel. That is, not only, or not so much Iacob as Israel. Both which Names he had given him of striving and strugling. All Gods Israel are Wrestlers by Calling, and as good Souldiers of Jesus Christ must suffer hardship. Nothing is to be seen in the Shulamite but as the ap∣pearance of two Armies maintaining civil broils within her; the Spinit warreth a∣gainst the Flesh, and the Flesh against the Spirit. Wherefore we have more than need to take unto us the whole Armour of God, and to strengthen our selves with every piece of it. At no place must we lie open, for our enemy is a Serpent; if he can but bite the heel, he will transfuse his venome to the heart and head.

Verse 19. We see here how Iacob is tryed with a new cross, deprived of his Crown, his Stay, his Comfort, his Wife. Which is writ for our instruction, to teach us that Gods Children must not look to live at ease in this life. They must not Prophecy of Peace to themselves, That there shall be no leading into Captivity, and no complaining

in our streets. They must not dream that they shall be alwayes carried on Eagles wings, but their dreams must be of Willow-trees by the Waters of Babel, of afflicti∣ons and crosses: a Christian must be a daily cross-bearer: which made this Patriarch in another place say, Few and evil have the dayes of my Pilgrimage been. The Child of God, a Son of Iacob, must not think to walk in plain and easie paths to heaven; but must climb hard, it is all up-hill; the way lieth inter Epauleum & Magdalum, as the Septuagint read the text, Exod. 14. 2. that is, by turreting and towering, turning and winding, as Origen Expounds it; Never any went to Heaven with dry eyes.

Verse 22. Iacob's life was a continual warfare. First Rachel, the comfort of his life, dieth; and when, but in her travel, and in his travel to his Father? Then his Children, the staff of his age, wound his Soul to the death. Reuben proves incestuous, Iudah adulterous, Dinah ravished, Simeon and Levi murtherous. Er and Onan stricken dead, Ioseph lost, Simeon imprisoned; Benjamin the death of his Mother, the Fathers right hand, endangered; himself driven by Famine in his old age to die a∣mongst the Egyptians, a people that held it an abomination to eat with him. Thus ma∣ny are the troubles wherewith the Lord tryeth his Children. And if that God with whom he strove, and who therefore strove for him, had not delivered his soul out of all adversity, he had been supplanted with evils, and had been so far from gaining the name of Israel, that he had lost the name of Iacob. Now what Son of Israel can hope for good dayes, when he hears his Fathers were so evil. It is enough for us if when we are dead we can rest with him in the Land of Promise. If the Angel of the Covenant once bless us, no pain, no sorrows can make us miser∣able.

CHAP. XXXVI.

Verse 1. DEmosthenes (that great popular Orator) was wont to hugg himself as he went in the streets, to hear the Common People say as he passed by, This is Demosthenes, There goes the great Orator: but it can be no Joy, nor Credit for any man to be pointed at and stigmatized by the People for an infamous person. This is Edom, is no Commendation though Registred in the Book of God; no happiness for Esau to find his Name in Scripture in the Book of God, unless he could find it also in the Book of Life. It had been happier for Ieroboam and Iudas if their Names might have been forgotten, than to be remembred under those ignominious Characters of Iudas the Traitor, and Ieroboam that made Israel to sin. The wicked though they think to get them a Name, and to that end lay Plots to keep it up, and protect both it and themselves; yet their Names shall either rot and perish, or if they be remem∣bred, it shall be only (as his was that burnt the Temple of Diana) as a Curse in the Nation wherein they live, as the publick fire-brands and incendiaries, the common plague, ruine, and desolation of their Country.

Verse 6. Esau no doubt was as strong, if not stronger than Iacob, yet fled before his face; surely there was something in it more than the power of Iacob that daunted Esau, and something more than ordinary appeared in Iacobs face, from which Esau fled; there was a divine Majesty seated there, and with this Esau was not acquainted; and therefore it struck a terror into him and made him fly: and all this not without a special Providence of God to make room for the right Heir. Canaan was the pro∣mised Land, but not for Esau; he had sold his Birth-right, and with that the Promise which was annexed to it: the Land flowing with milk and honey was too good for him that valued a mess of Pottage above the Blessing of the first-born. A Iacob only, one blessed of God, was to inherit that Country which should afterwards be blessed

by the Son of God: the Holy Land was no inheritance for an Esau, a prophane person.

Verse 20. Esau was by Marriage allied to this Seir; for he took Aholibamah, the Daughter of Anah, to Wife, vers. 2. and yet the Posterity of Esau were so un∣natural as to drive their own Kinsmen out of their Country, Deut. 2. 12. No tyes ei∣ther of Bloud, or Friendship, or Nature, or Religion, are able to hold wicked men, when Ambition, or Covetousness drives them on: the Sons of Esau value not their nearest Relations; an Estate to them is of far greater esteem then Kindred or Friends, then either their Brother, their Father, or their God himself.

Verse 31. As Esau was the first-born, so he was the first King likewise; and good reason the Elder Brother should wear the Crown before the younger; especially since Iacobs Portion was not so much a temporal Crown as an eternal. For though Iacob by Gods Decree was to have the blessing, yet not the inheritance of the first-born: temporal Estates or Dominions are not entailed to Grace, neither can the Children of God, as such, challenge to themselves the power and authority of other men; as their King, so their Kingdom is not of this World. And therefore let Esau Reign, and Edom have Kings, while Iacob is a Slave, an Israel under and Egyptian Captivity; yet Iacob shall Reign at last, and that for ever; and Israel have a King whose sove∣raignty shall spread over the whole World, and endure longer than it: the Scepter shall not depart from Iudah until Shilo come, no nor then neither; for his Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and his Dominion endureth throughout all Generations, Psal. 145. 13.

Verse 43. When Edom (in the 31 verse of this Chapter) was a King, then was Israel a Slave; but here when Edom was a Duke, Israel was a King: which instructs us not to look at the beginning of Gods Providence, but the end and design of it: Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is Peace, saith the Psalm. 38. 37. And therefore let the wicked, how prosperous, how secure, how merry soever they be, remember this in the midst of their joy, that their Master the Devil gives them pleasant entrances into their wayes, but reserves the bitterness for the end of their journey; and on the contrary let the Righteous, how sad, how con∣temptible, how dejected soever they be, remember this in the midst of their tears, that God their Father invites them to the worst Dish at first, and sweetens their conclusion with pleasure; and let them assure themselves, that though the first hand∣ful that God gives them in their voyage to the Land of Promise be a Wilderness of Bryars and Thorns, and the first Waters that they must drink in that Wilderness, be Waters of Marah, the bitter water of their own tears; yet in the end of their jour∣ney they shall over-flow with the milk and honey of Canaan, the Land of eternal peace and happiness.

CHAP. XXXVII.

Verse 2. I Marvel not that Ioseph had a double Portion of Iacobs Land, who had more than two parts of his sorrows: none of his Sons did so truly inhe∣rit his afflictions, none of them was either so miserable, or so great; suffering is the way to Glory. I see him not a clearer Type of Christ than of every Christian: because we are dear to our Father and complain of sins, therefore are we hated of our carnal Brethren; if Ioseph had not medled with his Brothers faults, yet he had been envied for his Fathers affection; but now malice is met with envie. There is nothing more thankless and dangerous than to stand in the way of a resolute sinner. That which doth correct and oblige the penitent, makes the wilful mind furious and revenge∣ful.

Verse 4. Hence we may learn how inconvenient a thing it is for Parents to be par∣tial in their love to their Children; and withal that it is no marvel that brethren fall out for Goods and Land, when Iosephs brethren hated him for a Coat. We may fur∣ther also consider from this place, how few men judge themselves happy or unhappy according to what they are, but by comparing themselves with others: where all go naked, none are ashamed. Many augment their misery by seeing others more happy; and yet think themselves happy when they see others more miserable. We many times gather our sorrows from others joyes, and our joyes from others sorrows. We bless our selves when we see them below us; and yet think all we have to be no blessing, when we look on them that are above us. Lord, let not me think my good the less, because others have more; or my evil the more, because others have less: but let me learn in all estates to be content, and to welcome the Will of God let it come how it will.

Verse 19. What meant Ioseph in the beginning of this Chapter to add unto his own Envie by reporting his Dreams. The concealment of our hopes and abilities hath not more modesty than safety. He that was envied for his dearness, and hated for his intelligence, was both envied and hated for his Dreams. Surely God meant to make the relation of these Dreams a means to effect that which the Dreams impor∣ted. We men work by likely means, God by contraries. The main quarrel was, Be∣hold this Dreamer cometh! Had it not been for his Dreams, he had not been sold; if he had not been sold, he had not been exalted. So Iosephs state had not deserved envie if his Dreams had not caused him to be envied. Full little did Ioseph think when he went to seek his Brethren, that it was the last time he should see his Fathers House. Full little did his Brethren think when they sold him naked to the Ishmeelites, to have once seen him in the Throne of Egypt: Gods Decree runs on, and while we either think not of it or oppose it, it is performed.

Verse 20. In an honest and obedient simplicity Ioseph comes to enquire of his Bre∣threns health, and now may not return to carry news of his own misery: whiles he thinks of their welfare, they are plotting his destruction; Come, let us slay him. Who would have expected this cruelty in them which should be the Fathers of Gods Church: he look'd for Brethren, and behold murtherers: every mans tongue, every mans fist was bent against him. Each one strives who shall lay the first hand upon that changeable Coat, that was dyed with their Fathers love, and their envie.

Verse 24. It was thought a favour that Reubens entreaty obtained for him that he might be cast into the Pit alive to die there. And now they have strip'd him naked, and haling him by both arms as it were, cast him alive into his Grave. So in pretence of forbearance, they resolve to torment him with a lingring Death: the savagest Robbers could not have been more merciless: for now besides (what in them lies) they kill their Father in their Brother. Nature if once degenerate, grows more mon∣strous and extream than a disposition born to cruelty. And now what stranger can think of poor innocent Ioseph crying naked in the desolate and dry Pit (only saving that he moistened it with tears) and not be moved? Yet his hard-hearted Bre∣thren sit them down carelesly with the noise of his Lamentation in their ears to eat Bread, not once thinking by their own hunger what it was for Ioseph to be famished to death.

Verse 28. Whatsoever they thought, God never meant that Ioseph should perish in that Pit; and therefore he sends very Ishmeelites to ransom him from his Brethren: the seed of him that persecuted his Brother Isaac shall now redeem Ioseph from his Brethrens persecution. And now when Ioseph had comforted himself with hope of the favour of dying, behold death exchang'd for bondage: how much is servitude to an ingenuous Nature worse than death? For this is common to all, that to none but the miserable. Iudah meant this well, but God better. Reuben saved him from the Sword, Iudah from Famishing: God will ever raise up some favourers to his own a∣mongst those that are most malicious. How well was this favour bestowed? If Ioseph had died for hunger in the Pit, both Iacob and Iudah and all his Brethren had

died for hunger in Canaan. Little did the Ishmeelitish Merchants know what a treasure they bought, carried, and sold, more precious than all their Balms and Myrrhs. Little did they think that they had in their hands the Lord of Egypt, the Jewel of the World: why should we contemne any mans meanness, when we know not his de∣stiny.

Verse 32. One sin is commonly used for the vail of another: Iosephs Coat is sent home dip'd in bloud; that whiles they should hide their own cruelty, they might afflict their Father, no less than their Brother. They have devised this real Lye to punish their old Father for his Love with so grievous a Monument of his sorrow.

Verse 33. When Iacob saw the Coat of his Son Ioseph, It is my Sons Coat (saies he) but an evil Beast hath devoured him: So Christ will say to us at the day of Judg∣ment, This is the face and figure of a man, but an evil Beast hath devoured my image. The Drunkard hath lost the Image of God, and laid a Swine in the room of it. The Covetous hath lost the Image of God, and laid a ravenous Wolf in the room of it. The Adulterer hath lost the Image of God, and laid a Goat or an Horse in the room of it. The Crafty and Contentious person hath lost the Image of God, and laid a Fox and a Dog in the room of it.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

Verse 2. I Find not many of Iacobs Sons more faulty than Iudah, who yet is singled out from all the rest to be the royal Progenitor of Christ, and to be ho∣noured with the dignity of the Birth-right; that Gods Election might not be of Merit but of Grace: else, howsoever he might have sped alone, Thamar had never been joyn'd with him in this line. Even Iudah marries a Canaanite; it is no marvel though his Seed prosper not: and yet that good Children may not be too much dis∣couraged with their unlawful propagation, the Fathers of the Promised Seed are rais∣ed from an Incestuous Bed: Iudah was very young, searce from under the rod of his Father, yet he takes no other counsel for his Marriage but from his own eyes, which were like his Sister Dinahs, roving and wanton: what better issue could be expected from such beginnings. Those proud Jewes that glory so much in their Pedigree and Name from this Patriarch, may now chuse whether they will have their Mother a Canaanite or an Harlot.

Verse 7. Even in wicked and sinful Courses oft-times the birth follows the belly. Iudahs eldest Son Er is too wicked to live; God strikes him dead ere he can leave any Issue, not abiding any Sience to grow out of so bad a stock: notorious sinners God reserves to his own vengeance. He doth not inflict sensible Judgements upon all his enemies, lest the wicked should think there were no punishment abiding for them else∣where; and again he doth inflict such Judgements upon some, lest he should seem careless of evil. It were as easie for him to strike all dead as one; but he had rather all should be warned by one; and would have his enemies find him merciful, as well as his Children just.

Verse 9. Onan sees the Judgement of his Brother Er, and yet will follow his sins Every little thing discourages us from good, nothing can alter the heart that is set upon evil. Er was not worthy of any love; but though he was a miscreant, yet he was a Brother; Seed should have been raised to him; Onan justly leeses his life with his seed, which he would rather spill than lend to a wicked Brother. Some duties we owe to humanity, more to neerness of bloud. Ill deservings of others can be no ex∣cuse for our injustice, for our uncharitableness.

Verse 11. Iudah hath lost two Sons, and now doth but promise the third, whom he sins in not giving: it is the weakness of Nature rather to hazard a sin than a danger;

and to neglect our own duty for wrongful suspition of others: Though he had lost his Son in giving him, yet he should have given him: a faithful mans promise is his debt, which no fear of damage can dispense with. But whereupon was this slackness? Iu∣dah fear'd that some unhappiness in the bed of Thamar was the cause of his sons mis∣carriage; whereas it was their fault, that Thamar was both a widdow and childlesse: those that are but the patients of evil, are many times burthened with suspitions; and therefore are ill thought of, because they fare ill: afflictions would not be so heavy if they did not lay us open unto uncharitable conceits.

Verse 14. Now Thamar seeks by subtilty that which she could not have by award of justice; the neglect of due retributes drives men to indirect courses; neither know I whether they sin more in righting themselves wrongfully, or the other in not righting them. She therefore takes upon her the habit of an harlot, that she might perform the act. If she had not wish'd to seem a whore, she had not worn that attire, nor chosen that place. Immodesty of outward fashion or gesture bewraies evil de∣sires: the heart that meanes well will never wish to seem ill; for commonly we affect to shew better then we are: many harlots will put on the semblances of Chastity, of modesty, never the contrary. It is no trusting those which doe not wish to appear good.

Vers. 15. Iudah esteems her by her habit, and now the life of an harlot had stir'd up in him a thought of lust; Sathan finds well that a fit object is half a victory: Who would not be asham'd to see a Son of Iacob thus transported with filthy affections? At the first sight he is inflamed, neither yet did he see the face of her whom he lusted after. It was motive enough to him that she was a woman; neither could the pre∣sence of his neighbour the Adullamite compose those wicked thoughts, or hinder his unchast acts.

Vers. 20. That sin must needs be impudent that can abide a witness: yea so hath his lust besotted him, that he cannot discern the voice of Thamar, that he cannot fore∣see the danger of his shame in parting with such Pledges; there is no passion which doth not for a time bereave a man of himself. Thamar had learn'd not to trust him without a pawn; he had promised his Son to her as a Daughter, and fail'd, now he promised a Kid to her as an harlot, and performeth it: Whether his pledge con∣strain'd him or the power of his word, I enquire not: Many are faithful in all things save those that are the greatest and dearest: If his credit had been as much endan∣gered in the former promise, he had kept it.

Vers. 23. Now Thamar hath requited Iudah, She expected long the enjoying of his promised Son, and he performed not; but here he performes the promise of the Kid, and she stayes not to expect it. Iudah is sorry that he cannot pay the hire of his lust, and now feareth least he should be beaten with his own staffe, least his Signet should be used to confirm and seal his reproach, resolving not to know them, and wi∣shing they were unknown of others. Shame is the easiest wages of sin, and the surest, which ever begins first in our selves. Nature is not more forward to commit sin, then willing to hide it.

Vers. 24. Three months hath Iudahs sin slept, and now when he is securest, it awakes and bates him. News is brought him, that Thamar begins to swell with her concepti∣on, and now he swels with rage, and cals her forth to the flame like a rigorous Judge, without so much as staying for the time of her deliverance; that his cruelty in this justice should be no lesse ill, then the injustice of occasioning it. If Iudah had not for∣gotten his sin, his pitty had been more then his hatred to this of his Daughters: how easie is it to detest those sins in others which we flatter in our selves.

Vers. 26. Thamar did not deny the sin nor refuse the punishment, but cals for that partner in her punishment which was her partner in the sin: The Staffe, the Signet and the Handkerchief accuse and convince Iudah; and now he blushes at his own sen∣tence, much more at his act; and cries out, She is more righteous then I. God will find a time to bring his Children upon their knees, and to wring from them penitent confessions: and rather then he will not have them soundly ashamed, he will make

them the Trumpets of their own reproach. Yet doth he not offer himself to the flame with her, but rather excuses her by himself. This relenting in his own case shamed his former zeal. Even in the best men nature is partiall to its self: it is good so to sentence others frailties that yet we remember our own, whether those that have been or may be.

CHAP. XXXIX.

Verse 5. HE that is mourned for in Canaan as dead, prospers in Egypt under Poti∣phar, and of a slave is made a Ruler. Thus God meant to prepare him for a greater charge, he must first rule Potiphars house then Pharaohs Kingdom: his own service is his least good; for his very presence procures a common blessing: a whole family shall fare the better, for one Joseph. And thus houses and citties and nations are blessed for the righteous sake.

Verse 7. Josephs vertue was not looked upon alike by all eyes: his fellowes praise him, his Master trusts him, his Mistresse affects him too much: prima adulteri ocu∣lorum tela sunt secunda verborum, first she casts her eyes upon him and then sollicits him, all the spite of his brethren was not so great a cross to him as the inordinate affections of his Mistresse. Temptations on the right hand are now more perillous and hard to resist by how much they are more plausible and glorious. But the heart that is bent upon God knowes how to walke steadily and indifferently between the plea∣sures of sin and the fears of evill.

Verse 9. Joseph saw this pleasure would advance him, he knew what it was to be a Minion of one of the greatest Ladies in Egypt, yet resolves to Contemne it. A good heart will rather lie in the dust then rise by wickednesse: how shall I do this and sin against God. He knew that all the honours of Egypt could not buy off the guilt of one sin, and therefore abhors not onely her bed but her company. He that will be safe from the acts of evill must wisely avoid the occasions.

Verse 12. If the Devil meet thee in an object of temptation as the Devill met Joseph in Potiphars wife, yet if thou doest not adhere to this Devil, dwel upon a delightful meditation of that sin; if thou doest not fuel and foment that sin, assist and encourage that sin by high diet, wanton discourse, other provocation; if thou with Ioseph here doest throw away these garments of thy sin, the clothes that keeps thy sin warm, thou shalt have reason on thy side, and thou shalt have grace on thy side, and thou shalt have the history of a thousand that have perished by that sin on thy side; even Spittles will give thee souldiers to fight for thee by their miserable example against that sin; nay perchance sometimes the vertue of that woman whom thou dost sollicit will assist thee, and by these and such like helps and assistances thou shalt be able to fly from that sin, that Devill, that did pursue thee, as Ioseph did from Potiphars wife.

Verse 18. This is the second time that Ioseph was stript of his garment; before in the violence of envy, now of lust; before of necessity, now of choice; before to deceive his Father, now his Master; for behold the pledge of his fidelity which he left in those wicked hands is made an evidence against him of that which he refused to doe: therefore did he leave his cloak because he would not do that which he is accused and comdemned because he left it: what safety is there against great adverseries, when even arguments of innocence are used to convince of evill. Lust yeelded unto is a pleasant madness; but it is a disperate madness, when it is opposed. No hatred burns so furiously as that which ariseth from the quenched coals of love.

Verse 19. Potiphar was here too credulous, and before he examined Ioseph con∣demns him. It was therefore a very good rule of Epicharmus, be not light of beleife, try before you trust, hear both parties before you condemne either. Wisdome would

that as men should not be over censorious; (this man blasphemeth say they of our Saviour) so neither over credulous as the giddy headed Galatians were to their sedu∣cing Doctors, I wonder that ye are so soon removed, Gal. 1. 6. It is a singular folly to take mens bare authority as in matters of Fact (with Potiphar here) so in matters of faith (with the Galatians there.)

Verse 20. Doubtless Ioseph denyed the fact, but he dare not accuse the offender: there is not onely the praise of patience but oft-times of wisedome in unjust suffer∣ings: he knew that God would find a time to clear his innocence and to regard his chast faithfulness. And now no-prison would serve him but Pharaohs. Ioseph had lain obscure and not been known unto Pharaoh if he had not been cast into Pha∣raohs dungeon: the afflictions of Gods Chrildren turn ever to their advantages. For no sooner was Ioseph a prisoner, then (as we read in the next verses) a Guardian of the prisoners. Trust and honour accompany him wheresoever he is, in his Fathers house, in Potiphars, in the Jayl, in the Court, still he hath both favour and rule.

CHAP. XL.

Verse 3. FIrst see here the slippery estate of Courtiers, to day in favour, to mor∣row in disgrace: hence the Turks have a proverb, that great men are but Statues of glasse; and Plutarch wittily compareth great men to Counters, which now stand for a thousand pounds, and anon for a farthing. Secondly, whereas the second verse tels us that Pharaoh was wroth, and this third verse, that he clapt the Baker and Butler in prison without any examination so farre as we read; this will teach us that anger is an ill counsellour; and as smoke in a mans eyes hindreth sight, so doth rash anger the use of reason. It is reported of Alphonsus King of Arragon, that vexed with his Cup-bearers stubbornness, he drew his dagger and run after him, but before he came at him he threw away his dagger, lest he should catch him and kill him in the heat of his anger: an example to be followed by all Christians.

Verse 8. Dreames are either naturall or supernatural. Naturall dreams are not much to be regarded. Diviners and dreamers we are forbid to hearken unto, Ier. 27. 9. that use there is of them in Physick to discern our temperatures, in divinity our beloved sins. Supernatural dreames are sent by God and his Angels; and that either to comfort us, as Mat. 2. 19. or to chasten us, and fright us as here. Such fearful dreames cause a bad sleep and a worse waking. And therefore, Job in his 7 chap. and 15. verse, made choice of strangling rather than such dreams. Hippocrates tels us, that many have been so afrighted with dreames and apparitions, that they have hanged themselves, leaped into deep pits, or other wise made themselves away. Let those that either have not been so terrified, or so tempted, or so deserted of God, blesse him for that mercy.

Verse 11. It is just in the Sacrament as it was in the dreames of Pharaohs Butler. The clusters of the Vine brought forth ripe Grapes and Pharaohs cup was in his hand, and the Butler took the Grapes and press'd them into Pharaohs cup. The Sacrament is as a Vine set before us, full of clusters of ripe Grapes, and these Grapes full of juyce, Christ with all his fulness offered to us in the Sacrament. Now our care and course should be to have the liquor and bloud of these Grapes poured into the cup of our hearts. How may that be done now? as Pharaohs cup came full'd; he took the Grapes & press'd them & crushed them into Pharaohs cup, & so the cup was fill'd. So must we take these Grapes and press and crush them, we must squeeze forth the liquor of them. That we do when faith is actuated and is set on worke in the use of the Sacrament: Actuated faith takes these Grapes and presses them, and wrings out of the Sacrament that which fills our hearts.

Verse 13. Pharaohs Butler and his Baker went both out of prison in a day; and in

both cases Ioseph in the interpretation of their dreames cals that (their very discharge out of prison) a lifting up of their heads, a kind of preferment: death raises every man alike so far as that it delivers every man from his prison, from the incumbrances of his body; both Baker and Butler were delivered of their prison, but they passed into diverse states after, one to the restitution of his place, the other to an ignominious ex∣ecution. Of thy prison thou shalt be delivered; whether thou wilt or no thou must die: fool this night thy soul may be take from thee; and then what thou shalt be to morrow prophecy upon thy self by that which thou hast done to day.

Verse 16. He desired an interpretation of his dream; not because he had a mind to be instructed thereby, but for that he expected some good as well as the Butler: so some have a regard to the preaching of the word, not for conscience sake, but onely seek∣ing thereby their own ends, which if they misse they goe away as the young man in the Gospel, sad, Mark 10.

Verse 23. The Cup-bearer here admires Ioseph in the Jayle, but forgets him in the Court: how easily doth our own prosperity make us both forget the deservings and miseries of others. But as God cannot forget his own, so lest of all in their sorrowes. For after two years more of Iosephs patience, that God which caused him to be lifted out of the former pit to be sold, did call him out of the dungeon to honour, and of a miserable Prisoner made him Ruler of Egypt. How happy is it with good men that they have a God to remember them, when they are forgotten of the World.

CHAP. XLI.

Verse 14. SO long as God is with Ioseph he cannot but shine in spite of men: the wals of that dungeon cannot hide his vertues, the Irons cannot hold them. Pharaohs Officers are sent to witness his graces, which he may not come forth to shew without a Miracle: for God now puts a dream into the head of Pharaoh: he puts the remembrance of Iosephs skill into the head of the Cup-bearer, who to plea∣sure Pharaoh not to requite Ioseph, commends the Prisoner for an Interpreter: he puts an interpretation into the mouth of Ioseph; he puts this choice into the heart of Pharaoh, of a miserable Prisoner to make him the Ruler of Egypt.

Verse 35. When we have enough for to day, it is but honest prudence to lay up for to morrow. The poor contemptible Ant gathereth that food in harvest that may serve her for the Winter. It is good for a man to keep somewhat by him, to have something in store against a rainy day. A good saver makes a well doer; is a Dutch proverbe. Care must be taken that our layings out be not more than our layings up. Let no man here object that of our Saviour, Care not for to morrow: there is a care of di∣ligence and a care of diffidence, a care of the head, and a care of the heart; the for∣mer is needfull, the latter sinfull.

Verse 40. Worldly men may advance, dignify, and honour Gods People; and yet not love them as godly men should be loved. Besides Gods sanctfying Graces, there are oft-times in Gods Children (as here in Ioseph) other gifts of wisdome, prudence, learning, fidelity, skill and activity in secular imployments: all which may gain them great respect in other mens hearts. So Pharaoh here honoured Ioseph, and we see his ground in the foregoing verse. So many a master loves a godly Servant, not because he is a good man, but because he is a good Servant: this is selflove, they love them because they love themselves; such men are for their profit and advantage, and for their turnes; and therefore out of a selflove & selfrespect, love and respect them. That their love of them is not for their godliness appears by this, because though there were not one dram of grace and godliness in them, yet for their other abilites they should be no lesse dear unto them then now they are with all their graces.

Verse 44. Behold how one hour hath changed Iosephs Fetters into a chain of Gold,

his Rags into fine Linnen, his Stocks into a Chariot, his Jayl into a Palace, Potiphars Captive into his Masters Lord. He whose Chastity refused the wanton allure∣ments of the Wife of Potiphar, hath now given him to his Wife the Daugh∣ter of Potipherah. Humility goes before Honour, serving and suffering are the best Tutors to Government. How well are Gods Children paid for their Pati∣ence; how happy are the Issues of the Faithful! never any man repented him of the advancement of a good Man.

Verse 46. There is mention made here of Iosephs age: first, that by this it may be gathered how long Ioseph was a Servant in Egypt. Secondly, his age is expressed, that it might appear what wonderful Graces he had received at those years, of Chastity, Patience, Wisdome, Policy, and Government. Thirdly, by this President of Ioseph made a Governour at thirty, we see that at this age a man is fit for publick imploy∣ment. David at that age began to reign, Ezekiel prophesied, Christ and Iohn the Baptist began to preach.

Verse 56. Pharaoh hath not more preferr'd Ioseph, then Ioseph hath enrich'd Pha∣raoh: If Ioseph had not ruled, Egypt and all the bordering Nations had perished. The providence of so faithful an Officer hath both given the Egyptians their lives; and the Money, Cattle, Bodies, Lands of the Egyptians to Pharaoh. Both have reason to be well pleased, the Subjects owe to him their Lives; the King his Subjects and his Dominions: The Bounty of God made Ioseph give more than he received. It is like the seven years of plenty were not confin'd to Egypt; other Countries ad∣joyning were no less fruitful: yet in the seven yeares of famine Egypt had Corn when they wanted. See the difference betwixt a wise prudent frugality, and a vain ignorant expence of the benefits of God. The sparing hand is both full and beneficial, whereas the lavish is not only empty but injurious.

CHAP. XLII.

Verse 2. GOod Iacob is pinched with the common famine. No piety can exempt us from the evils of neighbourhood. No man can tell by outward events which is the Patriarch and which the Canaanite. Neither doth his profession lead him to the hope of a miraculous preservation. It is a vain tempting of God, to cast our selves upon an immediate provision, with neglect of common meanes: His ten Sons must now leave their Flocks, and goe down into Egypt to be their Fathers Purveyors. And now they goe to buy of him whom they had sold, and bow their knees to him for his releif, which had bowed to them before for his own life.

Vers. 9. It was no small joy to Ioseph to see this late accomplishment of his antient dreames, to see the Suppliants (I know not whether more brethren or enemies) groveling before him in an unknown submission. He that was hated of his Brethren for being his Fathers Spie, now accuses his brethren for common Spies of the weakness of Egypt. He could not without their suspition have come to a perfect intelligence of his Fathers estate and theirs, if he had not objected to them that which was not. It is more safe in cases of inquisition to fetch farre about; and it is wisdom sometimes to conceal our knowledge that we may not prejudice truth.

Vers. 16. It now doth Ioseph good to seem merciless to his Brethren, whom he had found wilfully cruel; to hide his love from them, which had shewed their hate to him; and to think how much he favoured them, and how little they knew it. And as sporting himself with their present misery, he pleasantly imitates all those actions reciprocally unto them, which they in despite and earnest had done formerly to him; he speaks roughly, rejects their perswasions, puts them in hold, and one of them in bonds. The mind must not alwayes be judged by the outward face of actions. Gods countenance is oft-times severe, and his hand heavy, to them whom he best loves: ma∣ny a one, under the habit of an Egyptian, hath the heart of an Israelite: And here

that Ioseph might seem enough (and indeed too much) an Egyptian, Ioseph swears heathenishly: How little could his Brethren suspect, that this oath could proceed from the Son of him that swore by the fear of his Father Isaac? How oft have sinister respects drawn weak goodness to disguise its self even with sins.

Vers. 18. The onely best curbe to restrain from evil, and spur to incite to good, is the fear of God. All honesty flowes from this holy fear. And therefore it is a Pro∣bleme in Aristotle, why men are credited more than other creatures, the answer is, Man only reverenceth God, therefore you may trust him, therefore you may commit your self to him. He that truly feareth God is like unto Cato, of whom it is said, he never did well that he might appear to do so, but because he could do no otherwise. You need not fear me, said Ioseph, here to his Brethren, for I fear God, and so dare do ye no hurt.

Verse. 21. As they formerly hardened their hearts against the pittiful complaint of their Brother Ioseph; so they confess to be just, that now their suit and petition was not heard: And then in that they said one to another, we have verily sinned, we see the admirable effect of affliction, which brings a man to the knowledge of his sin, and so to repentance: And further when they came to this repentance, none of them transferres the sin from himself, neither doth any of them discharge any of the rest of that sin; they all take all; they say one to another, we, all we, are verily guilty, and therefore is this distress come upon us, upon us all: National calamities are indu∣ced by general sins; and where they fall, we cannot so charge the Laity as to free the Clergy; nor so charge the People as to free the Magistrate. Let us therefore never say that it is aliena ambitio, the immoderate ambition of a pretending Monarch that in∣dangers us; that it is aliena perfidia, the falsehood of perfidious Neighbours that hath disappointed us; that it is aliena fortuna, the growth of others who have shot up under our shelter that doth overtop us; they are peccata nostra, our own pride, our own wantonness, our own drunkenness, that makes God shut and close his hand to∣ward us, withdraw his former blessings from us, and then strike us with that shut, and clos'd, and heavy hand, and multiply calamities upon us.

Ver. 24. No Song could be so delightful unto Ioseph, as to hear them in a late remorse condemn themselves before him of their old cruelty towards him, who was now their unknown Witness and Judge. They had heard Iosephs deprecation of their evil with tears, and had not pittied him; yet Ioseph doth but hear their mention of this evil which they had done against him, and pitties them with tears: He weeps for joy to see their repentance, and to compare his safety and happiness with the cruelty which they intended, and did, and thought they had done.

Verse 28. Simeon is left in pawn, in Fetters; while the rest of Iacobs Sons return with their Corn, with their paying nothing for their Provision but their labour; that they might be as much troubled with the beneficence of that strange Egyptian Lord, as before with his imperious suspition. Their wealth was now more irksome to them than their need: And they fear God means to punish them more in this super∣fluity of Money than in the want of Victuals, (What is this that God hath done to us?) It is a wise course to be jealous of our gain, and more to fear than to desire abun∣dance.

Verse 38. All temporal things are troublesome: if they be good, it is trouble to forgoe them; and when we see that they must be parted with, either we wish that they had not been so good, or that we had never enjoyed them; as some did of St. Augustine when he died: If they be evil, their presence is troublesome; and still we wish, either that they were good, or that we were eased of them. Good things are troublesome in the event, and evil things in the use; they in the future, because they shall come to an end, these in the present, because they doe continue. Oh that men would look to things that are eternal, for they are good here, and will be better here∣after.

CHAP. XLIII.

Verse 1. THis Land where the Famine now was, was Canaan, Gods own Inheri∣tance, the Land which he had promised should flow with Milk and Hony, yet here was a Famine, and at that time when his own Children, his Israel, and the first the very best of those Children dwelt in the Land. Gods own People must want when his Enemies the Egyptians had enough and to spare. From whence we may learn, that neither Gods Love, nor his disaffection is to be judged by the things of this world: Outward appearance is an ill signe to try the favours of God by; for his Face, his outward appearance was most grim, most severe against his own Son; our blessed Savi∣our, who drunk a more bitter Cup from the hand of his Father (against which he prayed, Father, if it be possible let this Cup passe from me) than that of Gall and Vinegar, which was offered him by the Iews. Let therefore the wicked, the Egyp∣tians, the Enemies of Gods Church, how prosperous, how secure, how plentiful soever their condition may seem to be in this life, remember this in the midst of their jollity; that their Master the Devil gives them pleasant entrances into his wayes, but reserves the bitterness for the end; we may say of their plenty as we use to say of some ill ta∣sted meat or drink, the prosperity of the wicked hath a scurvy tang with it, an ill come off. On the other side let Gods Israel, his Children, how sad, how dejected, how much soever in want they seem to be, remember this in the midst of their misery, that though the first handsel that God gives them in the Land of Promise be a Famine, yet in the end they shall overflow with the Milk and Honey of Canaan.

Verse 3. Benjamin was the beloved Son of his Father, and so is Christ; no seeing the face of God unlesse we bring our Benjamin, our beloved Brother along with us. And therefore whatever entercourse we have with God, we must have Christ with us. We must not offer Sacrifice without the High-Priest; Let us offer nothing to God with∣out Christ: There is no appearing before God, no commerce between God and us untll we be reconciled in Christ, in whom we must offer all our Sacrifices and endeavours. We must not then own an absolute God in our devotions, we must not think of ma∣king any addresses to God, but as he is reconciled in Christ, and at peace with us in Christ, and so our Persons, and Prayers, and all shall be accepted in the Person of Christ, who is the true Mercy-seat, the beloved Benjamine, in looking upon whom God frees us from the curse of the Law.

Verse 9. Christ descended lineally from Iudah, who in this particular of suretiship was a type of Christ: For as Iudah here did engage to his Father Iacob for his Bro∣ther Benjamin, so did our blessed Saviour to his Father for us, and was our Security for the payment both of our debt and duty, both for our sins and our obedience. And as Christ was our Surety to God for the discharge of our debt (the Security and Debtor in Law are reputed as one Person) so he is Gods Surety to us for the perfor∣mance of his Promises. Christ was the Surety of the first Covenant to pay that debt, of the second Covenant to perform the Duty.

Verse 11. Old Iacob that was not used to simple and absolute Contentments, re∣ceives the blessing of seasonable provision, together with the affliction of that heavy message, the losse of one Son, and the danger of another; and knows not whether it be better for him to die with hunger, or with grief for the departure of that Son of his right hand. He drives off all till the last; protraction is a kind of ease in evils that must come. At length (as no plea is so importunate as that of Famine) Benjamin must goe; one evil must be hazarded for the redress of another. What would it a∣vail him to see whom he loved miserable? How injurious were the affection to keep his Son so long in his eye, till they should see each other die for hunger. And there∣fore the ten Brothers doe now return into Egypt with double money in their Sacks, and a Present in their hands; the danger of mistaking is required by honest minds with

more than restitution. It is not enough to find out our own hearts clear in suspicious actions, except we satisfie others.

Verse 12. If this were an oversight, then restitution was necessary; we must not any wayes defraud or over-reach our Brother. Whatever you would that men should doe unto you, so doe unto them, said our Saviour, Matth. 7. 12. If we would not have others wrong us, why should we wrong them, that former saying of Christs must be the general rule of direction in common conversation and mutual interdealings one with another. That is the royal Law, the Standard of all equity in this kind, accord∣ing to which we must converse with all men.

Verse 23. Iosephs Steward would never have spoken so reverently of the God of the Hebrews, but that he was so taught of Ioseph, who was careful to instruct his family in the right way. So did Abraham, Gen. 18. 18. and Iacob, Gen. 34, and so should we.

Verse 34. Now hath Ioseph what he would, the sight and presence of his Benja∣min, whom he therefore borrows of his Father for a time, that he might return him with a greater interest of joy. And now he feasts them whom he formerly threatned, and turns their fear into wonder: all unequal love is not partial; all the Brethren are entertained bountifully, but Benjamin hath a fivefold portion: By how much his welcome was greater, by so much his pretended theft seem'd more hainous: For good turns aggravate unkindnesses, and our offences are increas'd with our obli∣gations.

CHAP. XLIV.

Verse 1. FIll the mens sacks with food as much as they can carry, said Ioseph here to his Steward; look how they came prepared with sacks and Beasts, so they were sent back with Corn; the greater and the more sacks they had prepared, the more Corn they carried away; if they had prepared but small sacks and a few, they had car∣ried away the lesse. A prepared heart is a vessel that shall be fill'd at a Sermon or the Sacrament. Now the more or lesse the heart is prepared, the greater or lesser the vessel, according to the size and capacity of the vessel shall it be fill'd. Fill such mens hearts with special blessings, with vertue from Christ, with the comfort of the holy Ghost, sayes the Lord at a Sermon, or the Sacrament; fill them with special food as full as they can hold, as much as they can carry. Let us be careful to prepare our hearts to the purpose. The larger is our preparation, the larger is our vessel; the larger our vessel, the larger our dole at a Sermon or Sacrament. If we carry not away as much as we would it is our own fault, that by preparation we did not furnish our selves with a larger vessel.

Verse 4. This blind Nature saw to be the sum of all sins, ingratum dixeris, omnia dixeris. Some vices are such as Nature smiles upon, though frown'd at by Divine Ju∣stice, not so this. Philip King of Macedon caused a Souldier of his that had offered unkindness to one that had kindly entertained him, to be branded in the forehead with these two words, hospes ingratus. Unthankfulnesse is a Monster in Nature, a Solecisme in Manners, a Paradox in Divinity, a parching Wind to dry up the Fountain of further favour. Benjamins fivefold Messe was no small aggravation to the theft here laid to his charge.

Verse 12. The Graces which God finds in us are like the silver which Ioseph found in Benjamins sack, of his own putting in. For our will herein is like the lower Sphere, quae non nisi mota movet, moves not unlesse it be first moved. Why should we then be loth to acknowledge to have all our ability of doing good freely from God, and immediate∣ly by his grace, when as even those faculties of Nature, by which we pretend to doe the offices of Grace, we have from God himself too. For that question of the Apostle in∣volves

all, What hast thou that thou hast not received? Thy natural faculties are no more thine own, than the Grace of God is thine own. But as thy body conceived in thy Mothers womb could not claim a soul at Gods hand, nor wish a soul, no nor know there was a soul to be had: so neither by being a man indued with natural faculties canst thou claim Grace, or wish Grace; nay those natural faculties, if they be not pre∣tincted with some infusion of Grace before, cannot make thee know what Grace is, or that Grace is. To a Child rightly disposed in the womb God does give a soul; to a natural man rightly disposed in his natural faculties God doth give grace, but that soul was not due to that Child, nor that grace to that Man.

Verse 14. If I am bereaved of my Children (saith Iacob here) I am bereaved. Which was spoken by him, not rashly or desperately, as if he cared not what became of himself, but through the obedience of Faith in sacrificing his will unto Gods. And this is according to that Petition in the Lords Prayer, Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven. A godly Man sayes Amen to Gods Amen, and puts his fiat and placet to Gods: As one said, He could have what he would of God. Why? How was that? Because whatever was Gods will, that was his. And thus to submit unto Gods will is to serve him with a true heart, a heart truly and entirely given up to God, delighting to doe his will, and therefore well content to wait, or, if God see good, to want what it most desires, be it Health, or Wealth, or Wife or Children; being ambitious rather that Gods will should be done than our own, and that he may be glorified though we be not gratified.

Verse 16. This iniquity which God is said here to find out, is not to be referred to this present Accusation, whereof they were not guilty but to their former trespass committed against Ioseph, as they in like manner confessed, Gen. 42. and by this we should learn to look to God in our afflictions, whereof we see no evident cause.

Verse 17. How easie is it to find advantages where there is a purpose to accuse? Benjamins sack makes him guilty of that whereof his heart was free. Crimes seem strange to the innocent; well might they abjure this fact with the offer of bondage and death: For they which carefully brought again that which they might have ta∣ken, would never take that which was not given them. But thus Ioseph would yet dally with his Brethren, and make Benjamin a Theif that he might make him a Servant, and fright his Brethren with the peril of that their charge, that he might double their joy and amazedness, in giving them two Brothers at once: Our happiness is greater and sweeter when we have well fear'd and smarted with evils.

Verse 23. Iosephs Steward like a good Man speaks comfort and life unto these fainting dis-spirited Patriarkes: He knew there was a warre in their Con∣sciences, and therefore he brings peace unto their afflicted spirits. To break the bruised reed, to greive one that is in the agony of his soul, to strike the breath out of a mans body who is giving up the Ghost, is cruelty upon cru∣elty. And therefore it was the complaint of Saint Cyprian against the Persecu∣tors of Christians in his time, In servis Dei non torquebantur membra sed vul∣nera, they laid stripes upon stripes, and laid wounds upon sores, and tortu∣tured not so much the members of Gods Servants, as their bleeding wounds.

CHAP. XLV.

Verse 1. VVHen Iudah had seriously reported the danger of his old Father, and the sadness of his last complaint, compassion and joy will be conceal'd no longer, but break forth violently at Iosephs voice and eyes. Many passions do not well abide witnesses because they are guilty to their own weakness. Ioseph sends forth his servants that he might freely weep. He knew he could not say I am Ioseph without an unbeseeming vehemence.

Verse 4. I am Ioseph: never any word sounded so strangely as this in the ears of the Patriarkes. Wonder, doubt, reverence, joy, fear, guiltiness, struck them at once. No marvel if they stood with paleness and silence before him; looking on him and on each other: the more they considered, the more they wondred; and the more they be∣leived, the more they feared. For those words, I am Ioseph, seemed to sound thus much to their guilty thoughts; you are murtherers, and I am a Prince in spite of you: my power and this place give me all opprotunities of revenge; my glory is your shame, my life your danger, your sin lives together with me. But now the tears and graicous words of Ioseph have soon assured them of pardon and love, and have bidden them turn their eyes from their sin against their brother, to their happiness in him, and have changed their doubts into hopes, and joyes. Thus actions salv'd up with a free forgiveness are as not done; and as a bone once broken is stronger after well setting; so is love after reconcilement.

Verse 5. Let us remember this in all oppressions we meet with, that they fall not upon us without divine providence. What Eliphaz saith of affliction in general, is true of oppression in particular, it comes not forth of the dust, neither doth it spring out of the ground. And this truth was confirmed by Ioseph in this text; who though sold by his envious brethren into Egypt, yet saith, that God had sent him into Egypt. David being rail'd upon by Shimei, said, God had bid him curse; and Iob being robbed by the Sabeans, said, God had taken away: thus also concerning the Iserae∣lites bondage under the Egyptians, the Psalmist saith he turned their heart to hate his people, and deal subtilly with his servants. Let us not therefore with the foolish dog, bark at the stone, but rather look at the hand acknowledging God in all.

Verse 8. God so orders and disposeth the actions of men as seems best for his glory: as Ioseph spake here to his Brethren, when he discovered himself to them in Egypt, whether they had betraied and sold him; now it was not you that sent me hither but God: they sent him thither instrumentally & enviously, but it was God that sent him thither providentially and graciously; it was his power and wisedome which ordered that dispensation sweetly, else his Brethren had made foul work of it; or they sent him thither to make him a slave that was their designe, but God sent him thither to make him a Prince and Ruler, to make him a Preserver of Egypt and of his own family too, as he speaks at the end of this verse, he hath made me a Father to Pharaoh, and Lord of all his house, and a Ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Verse 11. Although the fift Commandement was not then writ in stone, yet it was sufficiently engraved on the Table of Iosephs heart, honour thy Father and thy Mother, and surely one part of his honour is to provide for them in case of want, which was Io∣sephs particular care in this text, to nourish and cherish his father as a man nourisheth his little ones, saith the Hebrew, lovingly and tenderly. This the Apostle commends to us, 1 Tim. 5. 4. as a thing not only good before men but acceptable before God. Epo∣minondas rejoyc'd in nothing more then that he had lived to cheer up the hearts of his aged Parents by the reports of his victories. Aristotle cap. 6. de mundo, tells us that when from the hill Etna there run down a current of fire that consumed all the houses thereabouts; in the midst of those fearful flames the River of fire parted its self, and made a kind of lane for those who ventured to rescue their aged Parents out of the jawes of death.

Verse 21. Ioseph is here as bountifull as his Brethren were formerly cruel. They send him naked to strangers, he sends them in new and rich liveries to their father; they tooke a small sum of money for him, he gives them great treasures; they sent his torne coat to his father; he sends variety of costly raiment to his father by them; they sold him to be the load of Camels, he sends them home with Chariots. It must be a great favour that can appease the conscience of a great injury. Now they return home rich and joyful, making themselves happy to think how glad they should make their father with this newes.

Verse 26. Good old Iacob did never hope that Egypt should have afforded such pro∣vision as this, Ioseph is yet alive: this was not food but life to him. The return of Benjamin was comfortable; but that his dead son was yet alive after so many yeares lamentation was tydings too happy to be believed, and was enough to endanger that life with excesse of joy which the knowledge thereof doubled. Over excellent objects are dangerous in their sudden aprehensions. One grain of that joy would have safely cheer'd him, whereof a full measure overlayes his heart with too much sweetness. There is no earthly pleasure where of we may not surfeit; of the spirituall we can never have enough.

Verse 28. Iacobs eyes revive his mind, which his eares had thus astonished. When he saw the Chariots of his son be beleived Iosephs life and refreshed his own. He had too much before so that he could not enjoy it: now he saith I have enough, Ioseph my son is yet alive: they told him of his honour, he speaks of his life; life is better then ho∣nour. To have heard that Ioseph lived a servant would have joyed him more, then to hear that he died honourably. The greater blessing obscures the less. He is not worthy of honour that is not thankfull for life. Yet Iosephs life did not content Iacob without his presence (I will go down and see him ere I die) the sight of the eye is better then to walke in desires; good things pleasure us not in their being, but in our enjoying. Thus did Iacob rejoyce when he was to go out of the land of promise to a forraign Nation for Iosephs sake; being glad that he should loose his country for his son. What shall our joy be? who must goe out of this forraign land of our pilgrimage to the home of our glorious inheritance; to dwell with none but our own in that better and more lightsome Goshen, free from all the incumbrances of this Egypt, and full of all the riches and delights of God.

CHAP. XLVI.

Verse 2. GOd hath not used one means alone, but diverse to speak unto the world; either by Angels, or by the cloud, or between the Cherabims, or by Urim, or by Dreams, or by Visions. To this purpose there is a rule set down, Num. 12. if there be a Prophet of the Lord among you I will be known to him by a Vision, and will speak to him by a dream; and to this rule we might add sundry ex∣amples out of Scripture as of Iacob here, of Samuel, of Daniel, of Iohn; all declaring that God used to declare many things by Visions to his Servants, and to others when it pleased him: that so by this means he might have the revelation of his will appear to be onely his, and not of themselves. For however it pleased the Lord to deal with his servants, and what way soever he used to signifie his good pleasure, in all these cases he imprinted in the mindes and hearts of them to whom he shewed himself cer∣tain notes and evident tokens, whereby they might expresly and clearly know that it was his doing, that so they should chalenge nothing to themselves but ascribe all unto him.

Verse 3. Cause of feare Iacob might see sufficient: but God would not have him look downward on the rushing and roaring streams of misery that run so swiftly under him and his posterity, but stedfastly fasten on his power and providence, who

was his God and the God of his father. He loves to perfect his strength in our weakness: as Eliah would have the Sacrifice covered with water that Gods power might the more appear in the fire from heaven.

Verse 4. God saies to Iacob here, I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I wil also surely bring thee up again. God goes down with a good man into the grave, and will surely bring him up again. When? the Angel promised to returne to Abram and Sarah for the assurance of the birth of Iaac acording to the time of life, that is, in such time as by nature a Woman may have a child; God will return to us in the grave acording to the time of life; that is, in such time as he by his gracious decree hath fixed for the Resurrection. And in the mean time no more than the God-head departed from the dead body of our Saviour in the grave, doth his power and his pre∣sence depart from our dead bodies in that darkness.

Verse 6. Iacob being not willing to be a burthen unto Pharaoh more then needs must, brings down all his Estate into Egypt. Though the Famine forced the Patriarch to be beholding to Pharaoh for bread, yet he would not be Engaged to him for meat. And therefore tooke his Cattle along with him; and although he could not bring down his house into Goshen, yet he carried his goods. It is an happiness so to live with others as not to be beholding, but rather helpful than burthensome. When the Prophet desired a cake of the widdow in the dayes of famine, he rewarded her with a barrel of meal, which outlasted that famine, and rather then he will be a burthen to the poor Woman, a miracle shall releive her.

Verse 27. Well may the Rabbins say, that these seventy souls were as much as the seventy Nations of the world, when Moses tels us Deut. 10. 22. that whereas their fathers went down into Egypt with seventy souls, now Iehovah had made them as the Stars of heaven for multitude; and this too by miraculous wayes and means. As for instance, when this Israel of God was shackel'd (perchance for their forefathers selling Ioseph to be a slave) with the Irons of Egypt; where their burthens were turned into bondage, and their bondage into bloud, their souls also being ever on the rack of continuall fear and suspence, lest their bodies might be thrown into the same brickhils they had built, and become the fire to harden their own handiwork; Yet here how did God tie up Pharaohs hands with plagues, turning their poisons into cordials, and their enemies malice to their greatest improvement; in that he made them grow under their burthen; and propagate through that inhumane distructi∣on of the Male fruit of their body. So able is God to raise his Church from a small number to an infinite, from seventy persons to the Stars of heaven, or the sand on the Sea-shore for multitude.

Verse 29. The height of all earthly contentment appear'd in the meeting of these two; whom their mutual losse had more endear'd to each other. The intermissi∣on of comforts hath this advantage, that it sweetens our delight more in the re∣turn, then was abated in the forbearance. God doth oft-times hide away our Ioseph for a time, that we may be more joyous and thankfull in his recovery. This was the sincerest pleasure that ever Iacob had, which therefore God reserved for his age. And if the meeting of earthly friends be so unspekably comfortable, how happy shall we be in sight of the glorious face of God our heavenly Father, of that our blessed Redeemer; whom we sold to death by our sins, and which now after that noble triumph hath all power given him in Heaven and Earth.

CHAP. XLVII.

Verse 3. IT is fit that every one that lives in a Common-wealth should labour in that Common-wealth, and bring some benefit, some honey to the common hive, unlesse he will be cast out as a drone. Pharaoh would hardly have suffered even Io∣sephs own Brethren to have lived idly under his jurisdiction; and therefore his first question here was, What is your Occupation? At Athens every man gave an yearly account to the Magistrate, by what Trade or course of life he maintained himself; which if he could not doe he was banished. Take ye the evil and unprofitable ser∣vant (said our Saviour) and cast him into utter darkness; away with such a fellow from off the earth which he hath burthened; for he is no more missed when gone then the parings of ones nailes. Those therefore that have a talent, a trade to live on, must improve that talent, must follow that trade, whereby the world may be the better, and not think to come hither meerly as Rats and Mice, only to devour victuals, and to run squeaking up and down. These are Ciphers, or rather Excrements in humane Society. In the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread, was the old Sanction. Even Paradise that was Mans Store-house, was also his working house. They bury them∣selves alive, that, as body-lice, live on other mens sweat and labours, and it is a sin to re∣lieve them.

Verse 4. These plain dealing men did not desire to live at Court, though their Bro∣ther was the chief Favourite, but in Goshen; which as it was next to the Land of Ca∣naan, so was it most fit for their Cattle. These honest religious Patriarks chose rather a poor Shepheards life in Gods service, then to ruffle it as Courtiers out of the Church. So did Moses afterwards and David, Psal. 84. 10. and the poor Prophet that died so deep in debt, and good Micaiah, and those that wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, Heb. 11. who happily might have ruffled in silks and velvets if they would have strain'd their Consciences. Origen was contented to be a poor Catechist at A∣lexandria, every day in fear of death, when he might have been with his fellow Pupil Photinus in great authority and favour, if not a Christian. God takes it kindly when men will goe after him in the Wildernefs, in a Land not sown, Ier. 2. 2. that is, chuse him and his wayes in affliction, and with self-denial.

Verse 6. Those that are ingenious and industrious in their calling, shall be preferred and had in esteem by great men. How much more then doth it concern Christians to improve their Talent, that they may be accepted and preferr'd by God. That Servant in Saint Luke that had improved his pound to ten pounds, was made Lord over ten Cities, and he that had encreased it but to five pounds, had authority but over five Cities: As every one had traded so he was rewarded, and had a different degree both of Grace and Glory. Let all men therefore according to their several abilities im∣prove what they have to Gods Glory and the good of others, and then they may be sure they shall improve it for themselves, and their own both good and glory.

Verse 9. Mans life is but a sojourning, it is but a Pilgrimage, said Iacob here, and but the dayes of his pilgrimage neither, every one of them quickly at an end, and all of them quickly reckoned. Thus also did the rest of the Patriarchs count themselves but as Strangers and Pilgrims in the earth, and thereby declared that they sought a Coun∣try, Heb. 12. 14. Here we have no continuing City; first no City, no such large Be∣ing, and then no continuing at all, it is but a sojourning. Here we are but viatores, Passengers, Wayfaring men; this life is but the high-way, and thou canst not build thy hopes here; nay to be buried in the high-way is no good mark, and therefore bury not thy self, thy labours, thy affections upon the world.

Verse 22. However Infidels and Idolaters were destitute of the knowledge of the true God, yet they accounted it a special duty to honour the Priests of their Groves and Altars, and perswaded themselves that they should never receive any blessing at

the hands of their Gods, unlesse they honoured those that were esteemed as his Ser∣vants. Thus Moses witnesseth, that when Pharaoh, during the Dearth and Famine that was in Egypt, had received all the Money, bought all the Cattle, and purchased all the Land of the People, to supply their necessity and save their lives, yet he would not buy the Priests Land, but sustained them for their Office sake. And are Idolaters and Infidels thus bountiful in the maintaining of their Priests? How then should this serve to reprove our dulness and backwardness in the true worship of the Eternal God. How many are there that live in the bosome of the Church, and profess the true Religion, who yet to maintain a learned Minister, that is able to save their souls, repine and grutch to give sixpence a quarter. What a shame is it for those whom the Lord hath blessed with abundance, that they should spend all on their backs and bellies, on Hawks, or Hounds, or Whores; and nothing at all to the Glory of God, the com∣fort of their fouls, and help of their Brethren.

Verse 28. Just so many years as Iacob had nourished Ioseph in Canaan, did Ioseph nourish Iacob in Egypt; repaying his Fathers love to the utmost penny. These were the sweetest dayes and freest from trouble, that ever the good old Patriark saw. God reserves his best to the last. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, saith the Psalmist, for (be his beginning and middle never so troublesome) the end of that man (his after-end at least) shall be peace: A Goshen he shall have either here or in Heaven, and a Peace both in this world and the next; the peace of Conscience here, and the peace that passeth all understanding hereafter.

CHAP. XLVIII.

Verse 1. IAcob have I loved, said God; and yet this Beloved of God was under many troubles and afflictions in his life, and visited with sickness before his death. And all this doth very well agree with the dispensations of Gods Providence. For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourgeth every Son whom he receives. Afflicti∣ons are Christs Love-tokens. When Ignatius came to the wild Beasts, Now, saith he, I begin to be a Christian. Omnis Christianus crucianus, every true Christian must take up his Crosse and follow his Saviour. It is reported of an antient Doctor of the Church, lying upon his sick bed, and being asked how he did, and how he felt himself, he pointed to his Sores and Ulcers (whereof he was full) and said, Hae sunt gemmae & pretiosa ornamenta Dei, These are Gods Gems and Jewels, wherewith he decketh his best friends, and to me they are more pretious than all the Gold and Silver in the world.

Verse 3. It is not enough to relate Gods Mercies to us in the lump, and by whole∣sale, but we must instance in the particulars both to God and men, upon every occa∣sion, setting them down one by one, and cyphering them up, as Davids word is, Psal. 9. 1. I will praise thee O Lord, and I will shew forth (or sum up) all thy marvellous works. When Moses in Exodus met with his Father in Law, he reckoned all the par∣ticular Mercies that God had done for Israel, in Egypt, and at the Red Sea, he omitted none. The truly thankful keep an Ephemerides, a Calender, and Catalogue of Gods gratious dealings with them, and delight to their last to recount and sum them up. We should be like Civit-boxes, which still retain the scent when the Civit is taken out of them.

Verse 7. Iacob makes mention of Rachels burial, to put Ioseph in mind, that Ra∣chel forsook her Fathers house to live in Canaan, so to stir him up much more to leave Egypt, which was not his Country; as also that he might have a greater desire to the place of his Mothers Sepulcher.

Verse 14. Iacob feeling with his hands which was the Elder and bigger, (for the words are, he caus'd his hands to understand) on purpose laid his right hand on Ephraim in way of preheminence; which sheweth that God bestoweth his Gifts without respect of persons, as also it prefigureth the calling of the Gentiles instead of the Iews, who were as the elder Brother. 3. From this we may deduce an evident truth in experience, that Gods dispensations towards the Righteous and the Wicked in this life, are like Iacobs dealing here with Iosephs Sons, crosse and strange: For as he laid his right hand on the Younger, and his left on the Elder, so doth God oft-times, for the present, distribute with his left hand crosses to the good, and with his right favours to the bad: And not only in a literal sense, as our Saviour speaks, He maketh the Sun to shine, and the Rain to fall upon the just and the unjust, but in a metaphorical sense he causeth the Sun of Prosperity to shine upon the Unjust, and the Rain of Adversity to fall upon the Just.

Verse 15. When a Curse fals upon the Children the Father is cursed; as in the Blessing of the Children tht Father is blessed. Thus Ioseph brought his two Sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to his aged Father Iacob, that they might receive his Bles∣sing, who laying his hands upon their heads blessed Ioseph, saith the Text, and said, God before whom, &c. and then it follows, The Angel which redeem'd me from all evil, blesse the Lads. Now as Iacob in blessing the Children of Ioseph blessed Ioseph him∣self; so Noah, Gen. 9. in cursing the Children of Cham cursed Cham himself. Va∣lerius l. 1. hath observed concerning the Tyrant Dionysius, that though he escaped free and untouched in person from the vengeance which his sacrilegious wickedness de∣served, yet his Sons were involved in so much misery, that in them, he being pas•• feeling, suffered, and being dead paid dearly for his stolue dainties. The light of Nature as well as Scripture tels us, that evils falling on posterity are reckoned upon the Fathers score. And thus as 'tis with Curses, so likewise with Blessings, upon the same account, and for the same reason, though they are conferr'd upon the Children, yet the Fathers memory is blessed and honoured by them.

Verse 17. It is dangerous to follow men blindfold (how seeing soever those men are) but it is safe and our duty to follow God blindfold, how seeing soever we think our selves to be. We must not be displeased as Ioseph was here with his Father Ia∣cob. When we see God laying his right hand upon Ephraim; and his left upon Manas∣seh doing things crosse to our thoughts; much lesse may we take upon us to direct the hand of God, as Ioseph would Iacobs, where we please. The Lord knows, as Iacob answered Ioseph, what he doth, and it becomes us to acquiess in what he doth, though we know it not. And though God turn Kingdomes upside down, though he send great afflictions upon his own People, and make them a reproach unto the Heathen, though he give them up unto the power of the Adversary, and make all their enemies to rejoyce, yet no man may say unto God, Why doe you thus? his Works are unsearch∣able. It is beyond the line of the Creature to put any question, a Why or a Where∣fore about thr Work of the Creator. Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the Potter power over the Clay?

Verse 21. This good Patriarch that had before wrestled with an Angel, did not now fear to wrestle with Death; and therefore speaks of it without the least fear or con∣sternation of spirit. It was no more betwixt Iacob and Death, but, Behold I die. He knew he was to change his Place indeed, but not his Company, Death was to him but the day-break of eternal brightness, it was but (as that Martyr said) winking a lit∣tle, and he was in Heaven immediately. Why then should this sad toil of Mortality dishearten us, why should we be so foolish, as to fear that which is the Port which we ought one day to desire, never to refuse. And therefore some have welcom'd Death, some met it in the way, some baffied it in persecution, sickness, torments, knowing it to bethe end of a temporal Misery, and the beginning of an everlasting Joy.

CHAP. XLIX.

Verse 6. GOdly men are not at all pleased with the way of the wicked, how much soever they thrive in it. Iob had said much of the Greatness, Riches, and Glory of the Wicked, but saith he, However the counsel of the wicked is farre from me, Chap. 21. the wayes of the godly and wicked differ as much as their ends; & their counsels are as distant as their conclusions will be. Every good man saith of the counsel and ways of the wicked, how prosperous soever, as Iacob said of his Sons, Sime∣on and Levi, O my soul come not thou into their secret. Let me be far from their secret, far from their Cabinet Counsel, and close Committees, O my soul come not thou into their secret. Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly. The further we keep from their counsel, the nearer we are to blessedness.

Verse 7. Many times Man though forbidden curses, then it is his Sin, and he is Sa∣tans Minister for evil against his Brother. Yet in some cases to curse is Gods Com∣mand and our Duty, and then we are Gods Ministers for wrath against the Wicked. Thus when the Patriarch Iacob was upon his death-bed, and bed of blessing, yet he pronounced a Curse upon the rage and anger of his two Sons here, Simeon and Levi. Now in all lawful cursings we must observe these two Rules. First, to aim the Curse at the destruction of the Sin, not the Sinner. Secondly, where the Sinner appears incorrigible, yet to desire the clearing up of Gods Justice in punishing, not the pu∣nishment its self. To curse any thing or person passionately is infirmity; to curse any thing or person maliciously is grosse impiety.

Verse 8. What difference the Holy Ghost is pleased to put here betwixt sinners, when yet the sins of those men were in a manner equal. Reubeus Incest in the fourth verse was punished with a Curse, and the like sin of Iudahs is pardoned, and in a sort prospereth. If this sin had not cost Iudah many a sigh, he had no more escaped his Fathers Curse, then Reuben did. I see the difference not of sins but men: Remissi∣on goes not by the measure of the sin, but the quality of the sinner; yea rather the Mercy of the Forgiver. Blessed is the man (not that sins not, but) to whom the Lord imputes not his sin.

Verse 10. This Hebrew word Shilo is derived from Shalah, which signifies secu∣rity and safety. So that Christ is Shilo, that is, he in whom all persons may securely trust: You may sit down in safety in Christ, and rest your souls for ever; he is Shilohs our Lord Protector, our Saviour. And the Hebrews use the same word to signifie the fleshly Mantle in which the Infant is wrapped in the Mothers belly, because the Infant lieth there quietly and securely, it is out of fear, and hath no thought of any danger, but lieth securely out of harmes way.

Verse 18. Gods Children upon the discovery of his glory and that happiness of the next Life, are fill'd with longing desires after God and those Enjoyments. Lord I have waited for thy salvation, said Iacob: he speaks this upon his death-bed, as that he had been looking for all his life; as if that were the account of all his actions in the World, and the Story of his whole Life. I have longed, for thy salvation, said David. All desires are summ'd up in longing. There is a strong desire in the Saints to see and injoy God in his Ordinances. Now if there be so great and so long∣ing a desire to see the Lord through these Mediums, and in these Glasses, how much more to see him immediately face to face? How would that desire swallow up all our desires in glory? And indeed we could not abide in Glory with any other desire but that. The Saints are described in their present state by this Periphrasis, such as love the appearing of Christ, as if they loved nothing else. What then will Christ be to them when he shall appear. They who love Christ whom they have not seen, how will they love Christ when they see him.

Verse 23. God sometimes seems an Enemy to his faithful Servants. For one to be before God as a Butt, continually shot at, what other interpretation can sence make of it but this, that God looks upon him as an Enemy. Iacob said of Ioseph here, The Archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him. Ioseph was the common Mark of his Brethrens Envy. But in this case, as it is said of Ioseph, when his Brethren came to him he made himself strange to them: Ioseph was of a meek and loving dis∣position, and therefore like a Player upon a Stage he only acted the part of a rigid Master or Governour; thus many times the Lord takes upon him the posture of an Enemy, and forces a frown upon a poor Creature, whom he loves and delights in with all his heart; he makes him as his Mark to shoot at, whom he layes next to his heart. Besides, observe from hence further, that God takes the most eminent and choisest of his Servants for the choisest and most eminent afflictions. Thus Ioseph was made the White here that the Archers shot at. Ioseph was the most emi∣nent for Grace and Goodness of all his Brethren, he was the most remark∣able man for Grace and Holiness, therefore he must be the Mark.

Verse 27. Tertullian will have this Text have relation to St. Paul; Paulum mihi etiam Genesis repromisit: I had a Promise of Paul in Moses, saith that Father, then when Moses said Iacob blessed Benjamin thus, Benjamin shall ravin as a wolfe, &c. that is, at the beginning Paul shall scatter the Flock of Christ, but at last he shall gather and reunite the Nations to his service. As he had breath'd threatnings and slaughters against the Disciples of the Lord, so he became os orbi sufficiens, a mouth loud e∣nough for all the world to hear: And as he had drawn and suck'd the bloud of Christs mystical Body, the Church, so in that proportion that God enabled him to, he recom∣penced that damage by effusion of his own bloud, and then he bequeathed to all posteri∣ty his Epistles, which are as St. Augustine cals them, ubera ecclesiae, the Paps, the Breasts, the Udders of the Church, and which are as that cluster of Grapes of the Land of Canaan which was born by two. For here every Couple, every Pair may have their load, Iew and Gentile, Learned and Ignorant, Man and Wife, Master and Servant, Father and Children, Prince and People: and thus was the spoil in the Text divided.

CHAP. L.

Verse 2. BUrial, and Christian Burial, and solemn Burial, are all Evidences and Testimonies of Gods Presence. God forbid we should conclude or ar∣gue an absence of God from the want of solemn Burial, or Christian Burial, or any Burial. But neither must we deny it to be an evidence of his Favour and Presence, where he is pleased to afford these. So God makes that the seal of all his Blessings to Abram, that he should be buried in a good old age. God established Iacob with that Promise, Gen. 46. that his Son should have care of his Funerals: And here Ioseph doth command his Servants the Physitians to embalme him when he was dead. To the same purpose also of Christ it was promised, that he should have a glorious Burial. Isa. 11. and therefore Christ interprets well that profuse and prodigal piety of the Woman that poured out the Ointment upon him, that she did it to bury him. And so shall Ioseph of Arimathea be ever famous for his care in celebrating Christs Funerals. If we were to send a Son or a Friend to take possession of any place in Court or forraign parts, we would send him out in the best equipage: Let us not grudge therefore to set down our Friends in the Anti-chamber of Heaven the Grave, in as good a manner as without vain-gloriousness and wastfulness we may.

Verse 10. Solemn and appointed mournings are good expressions of our dearness to the departed Soul of our Friend, and of his Worth and our value of him, and it hath its praise in Nature, in Manners, and in publick Customes. Let thy Friend therefore be Interr'd after the Manner of the Country, and the Laws of the Place, and the Dignity of the Person. For so Iacob here was bu∣ried with great solemnity and publick mourning; and Devout men carried Stephen to his Burial, making great lamentation over him. And in∣deed that man is esteemed to die miserably, for whom no Friend, no Rela∣tive sheds a tear, or payes a solemn sigh. I desire to die a dry Death, but am not very desirous to have a dry Funeral: Some Flowers sprinkled on my Grave would doe well, and a soft showre to turn those Flowers into a springing memory, or a fair rehearsal, that I may not goe out of my doors as servants carry out the entrailes of Beasts.

Verse 12. Iacob on his Death-bed bound his Sons by oath to interre him in a prescript solemnity. And indeed those solemn Rites which we strew on the Funerals of our deceased Friend are no effect of curtesie but debt: And there∣fore those dispositions are little below barbarous, which snarle at a moderate sorrow and decent interrment of the Dead. He then that in a wayward Opini∣on shall disallow of either, may well deserve the honour of Iehoiakims Funeral, the burial of an Asse. Had not our Saviour his clean Linnen, his sweet Ointment, his new Sepulchre?

Verse 13. This was a religious Providence the Patriarchs had in purchasing a possession place for their burial; and Posterity kept it up a long time, even to superstition, thinking their bones never at rest till they were laid in the Sepulchre of their Fathers. Which honourable way of Interrment in these tympanous and swelling times of ours, were a good means to preserve our Names from rotten∣ness, if our Law-Suits, and Pride, and Riot have left so much of a devoured Inhe∣ritance as will serve the Dimensions of a dead Body.

Verse 15. The guilty Conscience can never think its self safe: So many years experience of Iosephs Love could not secure his Brethren of remission: Those that know they have deserved ill, are wont to mis-interpret favours, and think they cannot be beloved. All that while his Goodness seem'd but conceal'd and sleeping Malice; which they fear'd in their Fathers last sleep would awake and bewray its self in revenge. Still therefore they plead the Name of their Fa∣ther, though dead, not daring to use their own. Good meanings cannot be more wrong'd than with suspition: It greives Ioseph to see their fear, and to find they had not forgotten their own sin, and to hear them so passionately crave that which they had.

Verse 17. Forgive the trespass of the Servants of thy Fathers God. What a conjuration of pardon was this? What Wound could be either so deep or so festered as this Plaister could not cure. They say not, the Sons of thy Father; for they knew Iacob was dead, and they had degenerated, but, the Servants of thy Fathers God. How much stronger are the bonds of Religion than of Na∣ture! If Ioseph had been rancorous this Deprecation had charm'd him, but now it resolves him into tears.

Verse 19. They are not so ready to acknowledge their old offence, as he to protest his Love; and if he chide them for any thing it is for that they thought they needed to entreat; since they might know it could not stand with the fellow-servant of their Fathers God to harbour maliciousness, to purpose re∣venge. Am not I under God? And fully to secure them he turns their eyes from themselves to the Decree of God, from the Action to the Event; as one that would have them think there was no cause to repent of that which proved so successful. And from hence we learn also, that even late confession finds for∣giveness. Ioseph had long ago seen their sorrow, never but now heard he their humble acknowledgement; Mercy staies not for outward solemnities. How much

more shall that Infinite Goodness pardon our sins, when he finds the truth of our repentance.

Verse 20. Be sin what it will be in the nature of it, yet my sin shall conduce and co-operate for my good. So Ioseph said here to his Brethren, You thought evil against me, but God meant it unto Good; which was not only good to Io∣seph, who was no partaker in the evil, but good even to them who meant no∣thing but evil. And therefore as Origen said, etsi novum, though it be strangely said, yet I say it, that Gods anger is good: so said St. Augustine, audeo di∣cere, though it be boldly said, yet I must say it, many sinners would never have been saved if they had not committed some greater sin at last than before; for the punishment of that sin hath brought them to a remorse of all their other sins formerly neglected.