Gods Three Arrows, Section 4 – Section 5
§. 4. Of the effects of famine.
IF the effects of famine be duly conſidered, it will appeare that it is a moſt ſore and fearefull judgement.Lege Ioſeph. de bello Iud. l. 6. cap. 11, 14, 16. & 1. 7. c. 7, 8
1. It bringeth ſuch as have had abundance, enough for themſelves and all that belong unto them, yea and much over-plus for the reliefe of others, to extreme penury and beggery. It exhauſteth all the mony that the rich have, and forceth them to ſell away all their goods, cattell, and lands, (Inſtance the Egyptians who ſold all to Ioſeph, Gen. 47. 18, 19.) and to let go any thing: as Iaakob, who let his darling Famis extremitas patris amorem dicit. Chryſ. Hom. 64. in Gen. 43.Benjamin go into Egypt (Gen. 42. 11.) Extremity of famine overcame the fathers love.
2. It depriveth poore men of means to worke and labour for their living. The Prophet, (Zac. 8. 10.) ſpeaking of times of famine, ſaith, There was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast. Thus meanes of livelihood were taken away.
3. It maketh men hard-hearted againſt the cries of ſuch Qui ex opulentioribus eſſe videbantur, multitudine petentium abſterriti, poſtquam innumera praeſtiliſſent, immitem & rigidum animum induebant, verentes ne eandem & ipſi cum petentibus brevi paterentur egeſtatē. Euſeb. Eccl. Hiſt. l. 9. c. 8. Fames tanta eſt in Phrygia or…a, ut neceſſariò incolae patriam relinquerent. Niceph. Eccl. Hiſt. l. 11. c. 16. Abraham habuit dies malos, quando a ſame mutabat regionem, & quaerebat …ibum. Aug. Enar. in Pſal. 33. Fames admodum exerevit: adeo ut homines ad irrationalium animantium alimenta ſint converſi. Niceph. Eccl Hiſt. l. 10. c. 35. Rebus neceſſarys deſicienti…us prohibitis, inſolitis, & exitioſis alimentis u…ebantur. Ibid. l. 15. c. 10.as ſtarve. For men that have for the preſent, feare that the famine may bring them to want, and thereupon refuſe to give to others. Yea deare and tender mothers are forced to ſtop their eares againſt the cries of their young children, having nothing to feed them withall, Lam. 2. 12. and 4. 3, 4.
4. It forceth ſuch, as otherwiſe would deale juſtly, to uſe fraudulent and violent meanes to get their living. So much doth he intimate, who praying againſt extreme poverty, rendreth this reaſon, Least I ſteale (Prov. 30. 8, 9.) and he who ſaid; Men do not deſpiſe a thiefe, if he ſteale to ſatisfie his ſoule, when he is hungry, Prov. 6. 30.
5, It puts men upon dangerous attempts, and makes them deſperate: according to the proverb, Hunger makes men breake thorow ſtone walls. The deſperate reſolution of the hunger-ſtarv'd lepers giveth inſtance hereof, (2 King. 7. 4.) It was this, Let us fall unto the hoste of the Syrians. If they ſave us alive, we ſhall live: and if they kill us, we ſhall but die. We got our bread, ſay the Iewes, with the perill of our lives, Lam. 5. 9.
6. It maketh many, if at leaſt they can get paſſage, to fly their country; and ſo voluntarily to baniſh themſelves. Abraham and Iſaak, by reaſon of famine, went to countries where they ſuppoſed themſelves to be in great danger for their wives (Gen. 12. 10, 12. and 26. 1, 7.) A famine cauſed Iaakob with all that belonged to him, to go downe into Egypt. (Gen. 46. 6.) and Elimelech with his family to go to Moab (Ruth. 1. 1.) and the Shunemite with her houſhold to go to the Philiſtines, (2 King. 8. 2.)
7. When people know not whither to go, or can not go from the place where they are (as in a city beſieged) it bringeth men to feed on the courſeſt things that they can get. As on horſe bread, on all manner of rootes, on acorns, on horſes and aſſes, on mice, rats, and all kind of vermine, on doves dung, on leather, and any other thing that can be chewed, and ſwallowed. Yea it bringeth ſuch groſſe things to high prices, 2 King. 6. 25.
8. It cauſeth men to be inhumane, and to eate one anothers Vt ma…res filios ſuos commederent obſidionis neceſſitas coercuit. Aug de Mirab. S. S. l 2 c. 26. Lege Chryſ. adverſ vituper vitae Monaſt. l 1 de Maria quadam commedente filium ſuum. ex Ioſeph Hiſt. de bello Iud. l. 7. c. 8. Fame tantopere invaleſcente, homines victus ratioxe mutata in aegritudines inciderunt. Niceph. Eccl. Hiſt l. 15. c. 10. Pestilentia ſemper famem & penuriam ſequitur. Hier. Com. in Ezek. 16. l. 4 Majorem habet poen am languor diuturnus, quam citiſſimuus exitus Aug. Epiſt. 122 ad Victorian. Quidam pallidi, & ſumme macilenti, perinde atq. ſimulachra quaedam, rerum omnium egeni, hinc & inde oberrantes, proni in trivijs ipſis concidebant. Niceph. Eccleſiaſt. Hiſt l. 7. c. 28.fleſh, (Zac. 11. 9.) and not to ſpare the neareſt and deareſt they have. For it cauſeth husbands to eate the fleſh of their wives: wives of their husbands: parents of their children: tender mothers of their children new borne, (Deut. 28. 54, 55, 56, 57.) There is an expreſſe inſtance of this kinde of inhumanity in the ſiege of Samaria. (2 King. 6. 29. Read alſo Lam. 2. 20.)
9. It moveth men to eate their owne fleſh, (Iſa. 9. 20. Eccl. 4. 5.) This hath beene oft obſerved of ſuch as have beene hanged alive in chaines.
10. It procureth ſundry diſeaſes. Among other ſickneſſes, the infectious, and mortall, and moſt uncomfortable ſickneſſe, the peſtilence followeth moſt commonly on famine. Experience of all ages hath given evidence to the truth hereof.
11. It cauſeth the moſt miſerable death that can be. It firſt taketh away all the glory and beauty of a creature: it maketh the fleſh to pine all away, and the skin to cleave to the bones. Then commeth on a lingring death, more intolerable then any ſpeedy torture. The Prophet thus with much paſſion and compaſſion ſets it out. The Nazarites were purer then ſnow: they were whiter then milke: they were more ruddy in body then rubies: their poliſhing was of ſaphire: Their viſage is blacker then a cole: they are not knowne in the ſtreets: their skin cleaveth to their bones: it is withered: it is become like a ſtick. (Lam. 4. 7, 8.) And againe, Our skin was black like an oven becauſe of the terrible famine (Lam. 5. 10.) Hence he maketh this inference, They that are ſlaine with the ſword are better then they that are ſlaine with hunger: for theſe pine away, &c. Lam. 4. 9. Our Eccleſiaſticall hiſtories alſo relate that in time of famine men being pale and extremely leane, even as very images, deſtitute of all things, wandred up and downe, fell groveling in the ſtreets, &c.
§. 5. Of preventing famine by procuring plenty.
FAmine being a judgement, and (as by the fore-named effects thereof is evident) a fearefull judgement, it will be our wiſdome to do what in us lieth to prevent it, or to *Sec § 7.moderate it, or to *Sec §. 8.remove it.
For preventing Famine, we muſt
1. Obſerve ſuch duties as procure plenty.Plenty how procured.
2. Avoid ſuch ſinnes as cauſe famine.
For procuring and continuing plenty, aCol 1. 10.Walke worthy of the Lord, unto all well pleaſing: being fruitfull in every good worke. Thus the Lord finding thee to be a fertile ſoile, he will ſow all manner of needfull ſeed plentifully in thee.
To this worthy walking is in particular required,
1. An acknowledgement that the plenty which thou haſt commeth from God. Hereof we have a worthy patterne in him who ſaid to the Lord, bPſal. 145. 15, 16.The eyes of all waite upon thee, and thou giveſt them their meate in due ſeaſon: thou openeſt thine hand, and ſatisfieſt the deſire of every living thing.
2. Thankſgiving to God for what thou haſt: and for the refreſhing and benefit thou reapeſt thereby. cDeut. 8. 10.This is expreſly commanded to this end.
3. An uſing of what thou haſt to the glory of God, accorcording to this Apoſtolicall direction, d1 Cor. 10. 31.Whether you eate or drinke, or whatſoever you do, do all to the glory of God. Gods creatures are uſed to his glory, when (beſides the fore-mentioned acknowledgement of Gods providence in giving them, and bleſſing him for them) we endeavour in the uſe and ſtrength of them to be the better enabled to do that worke which God appointeth us to do: And when we beſtow ſome of that which God beſtoweth on us, upon pious uſes, which after a peculiar manner tend to the honour of his name. To this tendeth Salomons advice, eProv. 3. 9.Honour the Lord with thy ſubſtance. f—10. Mal. …. 10.Plenty is expreſſely promiſed hereunto.
4. Charity to the poore. Thus thou ſoweſt ſuch ſeed, as will bring forth a plentifull crop. To this kind of ſeed the Apoſtle applieth this proverbe, g2 Cor. 9. 6.He that ſoweth bountifully ſhall reape bountifully. Somewhat more directly ſaith the Wiſeman, hProv. 11. 25.The liberall ſoule ſhalbe made fat: and he that watereth ſhalbe alſo watered himſelfe.
5. Providence in laying up againſt a deare yeare. Thus Vir juſtus providet multo antea. quo futurae penuriae ſuccurri poſſit. Chryſ Hom 64 in Gen. 41.may the abundance of one yeare make ſupply of ſcarcity in another yeare, and future want be prevented. By ſuch a provident care in ſummer, Bees, Ants, and other like unreaſonable creatures have abundance in winter. iPro 6. 6.To ſuch creatures we are ſent for inſtruction. kGen. 41. 48, 54.Ioſeph by ſuch a provident care brought it to paſſe, that when a dearth was in all lands, there was bread in all the land of Egypt. And if the famine had not continued ſo long as it did, the ſtore which Ioſeph laid up, might have made plenty, notwithſtanding a yeares famine or more.