Works, Part 3 · Sermon 13
OBSERVATIONS ON THESE VERSES FOLLOVVING, Being part of the 42. Chapter of Genesis.
THE THIRTEENTH SERMON.
9
Ye are spies, and are come to see the weakenes of the land.
12
Nay but ye are come to see the weakenes of the land.
14
This is it that I spake vntounto you, saying, Ye are spies.
15
Hereby shall ye be proued: by the life of Pharaoh, ye shall not goe hence, &c.
21
We hauehave verily sinned against our brother, &c.
IOseph a good man, and yet lieth: so was Lot a good man, and yet loth to part from Sodom. These were great offences. Whence come they? from custome no doubt. Ioseph being amongst prophane men had some smell of their wordes. And Lot, though their wickednes and Sodomitry vexed his righteous soule, yet through custome, hee could hauehave found in his heart to hauehave liued still amongst thē. So first wee must here bee taught to eschewe ill custome and companie. The second note hence to be obserued, may answere a peece of a doubt in the former two examples of Ioseph and Lot. For some man may say, Ioseph and Lot both good men dwelt and kept companie with the wicked, therefore wee may doe so. But it may be answered, that examples proue nothing without the warrant of the word. And as for Ioseph, God had sent him extraordinarily to prouide for his fathers familie: but Lot chose to dwel in Sodō for his lucre (as ye may read in the thirteenth chapter of this booke, the tenth verse) and therefore this greedie desire was altogether vnlawfull: and though the Lord in merciemercy deferd the punishment thereof, he punished that yet at length in his wife, who was turned into a pillar of salt; in himselfe and his owne daughters, with whom hee committed abominable incest. Therefore we see, that it followeth not, because they dwelt among the wicked, therefore we may.
It was not sufficient for Ioseph to hauehave had a misliking of lying, but hee should hauehave abstained from it, and detested it in heart. No doubt he being a godly man, otherwise had a misliking of it: but because he did not euen abhorre it, we see how in time he was brought vntounto it, and as it were, to make no conscience of it. So it is not sufficient for vsus to hauehave a misliking of vnlawfull apparell, playes, sport, naughtie and vngodly talke, but we must in heart detest it, much more in practise: otherwise by euill companie wee may easily bee drawne to follow them. The Physitions meanes is to bee vsed in time of sicknes, and the plague to be auoided in flying from it: so we must vse meanes to auoide sinne by the word and praier, and as much as we may, the place where it aboundeth, least we be infected. And if it so be, that wee cannot auoide (for it may bee the Lord will sometimes trie vsus with the companie of foolish, vaine, and prophane worldlings, to see how wee will cleaue to him) if then wee cannot auoide but our eyes shall behold vanitie, our eares shall bee filled with vngratious and gracelesse graces in lying, swearing, and blaspheming the name of our God, then shew your selues to the world, that you are not of the world, assure your owne soules that you are called and chosen of the Lord, not only by a cold kinde of misliking of these things, but by an vtter abhorting and detesting them from the heart: otherwise we may be by Iosephs example, drawne not onelyonly to approue them, but also to commit the like, and to forget our selues, and to heape vp the wrath of God against vsus: so that when their destruction commeth, except the Lord shew merciemercy (but if we tempt him, hee will shew no merciemercy) wee shall be pat takers of all their plagues, and the vengeance which the iust and most righteous God hath threatned to throw downe vponupon them.
Vers. 14. Againe Ioseph said vntounto them, This is it that I spake vntounto you, saying, Yee are spies. Ioseph maketh another lie. So wee see that vse is a sore matter, which had brought him to this, that he stucke not at a lie: and yet, we know that the lier euen killeth his owne soule. Nay but see, he left not here, he went further yet. In the fifteenth verse: Hereby yee shall bee prooued: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not goe hence. Ioseph smelleth by this vse of Idolatrie: hee forsaketh the Lord, and sweareth by him which is no God. Besides, another fault, he commeth neere for swearing and periurie, because his oth commeth very neere a lie, and wee know that vntruth and an oth iumping together maketh periurie: and it cannot bee, but those that sweare readily, must sometimes be for sworne.
Ioseph was a Magistrate, Magistrates may goe farre in examining and searching and sifting suspected persons when they appeare before them, that they might come to the truth of the matter: but to affirme flatly and falsely, is against Gods commandement, and therfore a grieuous offence.
Vers. 17. So he put them inward three dayes. Now hee did not imprison them of any corrupt affection or desire of reuenge, but there may bee great reasons to shew, that hee vsed great wisdome in his doing First, if Ioseph should not hauehave done thus, but should at the first hauehave made himselfe known vntounto thē, they for shame would neuer hauehave gone back againe to their father. Secondly, this dealing thus with them was a meanes to humble them. Thirdly, he might doe thus, that he might be more fully certified of the state of his father. And lastly, the short time of his imprisoning them was a token of his louelove towards them.
Vers 18. Then Ioseph said▪ This doe and li…e: for I feare God. As though hee should say: Doe not you feare: for I feare God, I am true and iust Therefore you shall hauehave no harme, vnlesse you be wicked and vngodly men.
I am a m…n that feare God] Here is a rule of Christian life, especially for Magistrates. Wee must all feare God. All that are in place and authoritie must knowe that they are vnderunder God▪ Ioseph considered hereof not now onelyonly, but also in the last chapter of Genesis, when his brethren were afraid of him. Reade from the 14. verse of that chapter, to the 19. where Ioseph saith, Feare not: for I am not vnderunder God? And I pray you marke what this consideration wrought in him in the 20. and 21. verses: When ye thought euill against me, God disposed it to good, &c.
Now if we feare God, we must pray vntounto him for our Magistrates, that he will maintaine his feare among them. For it falleth out that we are often times punished by them, euen especially because we neuer pray for them.
Here be rules in this feare of God for religion, for praying vntounto God, and praising God: for true keeping of the Sabbath, & for conuersation of life. First, when as to the hindrance of the feare of God any lawes shall come foorth contrary to Gods word, wee must remember that we forget not to feare God, and to stand in aw of his rods, if wee swarue from his word. Secondly, if we doe not on the Sabbath day more than man commandeth, we shewe that we feare man more than God. And lastly, in all our doings and dealings, either with the Lord, or with men, let vsus remember to feare God: for if wee feare not God, what wickednesse is there which wee feare to commit? Abraham when hee came to Abimelechs Court, he feared adulterie; he had no other reason but this, Because the feare of God was not in that place. Hence euen from the want of the feare of God commeth drunkennes, and selling of wares without conscience, and oppressing of the poore, and heaping vp riches to another end, than hee that gaue them, or rather lent them, hath appointed: against all which, since man cannot make sufficient lawes, it were to be wished that eueryevery man could say truly, and from his heart, I am a man that feareth God.
Vers. 21. And they saide one to another, We hauehave verily sinned against our brother, in that wee saw the arguish of his soule, when hee besought vsus, and wee would not heare him, therefore i…t is trouble come vponupon vsus. EueryEvery word containeth doctrine vponupon doctrine. …irst wee see how necessarie afflictions are to make vsus call vponupon God. By this reason, by afflictions we feele our sinne: now without we feele our sinnes we call not vponupon God. For till we feele the burthen of our sinnes lying vponupon our conscience, as it were a weight to presse vsus downe into hell, we forget God: we foolishly perswade our selues wee hauehave no neede, for we can see none. Therefore afflictions are very necessarie for vsus, to remember God, to call vponupon him, and to bring vsus to some assurance also thereby, that wee are the children of God. That affliction is so necessary to feele our sinnes, both daily experience doth teach vsus, and examples and testimonies of the children of God doe confirme the same vntounto vsus. Iosephs brethren all the time of their prosperitie, forget what they had done to Ioseph; but now when they were in some distresse, they came to themselues, and began to call to account, and to lay before them their hard dealing with their brother. And Dauid saith in the 119 Psalme, Before I was afflicted, I went astray, the ninth part of that Psalme: but (saith he) now I keepe thy word. So then wee may boldly conclude, that affliction is a necessarie thing to bring vsus to God. And here wee may note the great louelove and care that the Lord God hath ouer vsus, and his infinite goodnes towards vsus in vsing al meanes for our saluation. First the Lord setteth downe his law vntounto vsus. and hee hath added also threatning and curses to as many as shall neglect or disobey it. But now if neither the law preached, nor yet those threatnings are able to strike a terror into our hearts, thē he vseth yet another meanes, he taketh his rods and fatherly correcteth vsus, by that meanes to moue vsus to crie to him, & himselfe by our crie to pitie vsus, and hauehave merciemercy vponupon vsus. The preaching of the law is necessarie, and the threatnings for transgression of the law must often times bee vsed. Iosephs brethren after they were sore threatned, they then began to be humbled, and to acknowledge their fault. The Lord saide vntounto Abimelech: Thou art but a …ead man, if thou restore not to Abraham his wife againe. So that wee may here see the end of threatnings, e…her they bring a man to knowe his sinne, and so to preuent the punishment due for sinne; or else they hasten and heape greater punishment vntounto vsus, if otherwise we doe no… repent. After Iosep…s brethren were threatned they were humbled, and so God repented him of the plague hee was minded to bring vponupon them. Abimelech after he was threatned he restored Abraham his wife againe, and so the Lord staied from destroying him.
Now there are two sorts of people which would hauehave Gods promises preached vntounto them, and not the law of God. The first are they which would continue in sinne. As for these they are like to the Horse and to the Mule, whose mouthes mus… bee holden with bit and bridle. Another sort there is which would not hauehave the law, nor the threatnings therof preached vntounto them; and these are they which feele themselues moued with the promises of God. But we cannot be moued liuely with the promises of Christ, except we first by the law, and the threatnings of Iohn, see the full measure of punishment, that our sins hauehave deserued. Therefore it is very requisit we first hauehave the law preached vntounto vsus, that wee may hauehave a liuely feeling of our sinnes.
As those which would not hauehave the law preached, were said to be of two sorts; so those that feele their sinnes are also of two sorts: for either they see sinne in generall, or else they are humbled more specially. Those which feele their sinnes, and hauehave a taste thereof, and see them in general, and not specially; these must be cut on both sides, they must see sinne on both sides, they must enter into the secrets of the heart, for they hauehave not yet learned to discerne of thoughts, they must euē hauehave their very hearts & thoughts laid open vntounto them. In the third to the Hebr. we are bidden not to harden our hearts at the word of God. Not to harden our hearts, that is, not only to heare the law preached vntounto our eares, & to goe no further (for so it neuer profiteth vsus, nay it is the power of death vntounto death vntounto vsus) but we must suffer it to soke into vsus, to hauehave his proper working, to pearce & to enter euen to the very secret cogitations of our hearts, that not onelyonly our wicked deedes, our vnfauorie words, but also the fountaine of al these, euen our corrupt nature, our vnbridled and vntamed affections, our heart, which is wonderfull faultie, may be made knowne vntounto vsus, that we may come to make conscience of our very thoughts, because the thoughts are grieuous breaches of the law of God, who being a Spirit, hath made a law for our heart, for our thoughts, for our soule and conscience: and thus being very loth in the sight of God to offend by thoughts vaine and vngodly, to striue with our flesh, and to hauehave our affections subdued to the spirit, that so our heart being reformed, all our members may bee conformable in eueryevery respect to the will and commandement of Almightie God. And thus farre must we be humbled, if we will be truly humbled before the Lord. And truly if wee be not rightly humbled before the Lord, we can hardly hauehave any assurance, that wee are the children of God. For without this humbling of vsus, hauing had some taste of the promises of God, wee for the most part resemble the corne that our Sauiour speaketh of sowen in the stonie groūd, which for a time flourished, that is, made a faire face, as many hypocrites can doe now; But hauing no roote, nor nothing at all in truth, they shew themselues how vnable they are to stand, because they hauehave no deepnes of ground, the seede of the word neuer begun nor rooted in their hearts. So that we must be truly hūbled before the Lord, and the word must be permitted to rip and lay open vntounto vsus the very secrets and thoughts of the heart.
Now those which see and feele their sinnes, and are alreadie humbled more especially, are humbled either by preaching of the law vntounto them, or else by affliction.
Affliction is either of the body or of the minde; of these the Lord sometime to humble vsus doth send the one, sometime the other, sometime both, and all to humble vsus before his Maiesty: when as he seeth by reason of the corruption of our nature, that the preaching of the law is not sufficient to humble vsus, & to strike that terror into our hearts which might make vsus duely prepared to receiue into our hearts the sweete and comfortable promises made to vsus in Christ, that it might be so rooted, that it might still grow vp euen to the full ripe and perfitage of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ; because I say our louing father seeth that the law will not suffice vsus, therefore it pleaseth him in merciemercy, who will leaue no way vnassayed for the saluation of his children, to prepare vsus by afflicting vsus, which can not by the hearing of his law be truly prepared.
Now if affliction bee such a notable thing, and the Lord worketh euen eternall life thereby oftentimes to those whom hee hath elected and called to bee his, how louingly ought they to embrace it to whom the Lord so fatherly doth offer it? and how patiently and chearefully ought they to beare it, in asmuch as they thereby may assure themselues that God hath seuered them from the world, and from those on whom he meaneth to shew no merciemercy in the day of his wrath?
And as for those whom the Lord as yet hath laid no scourge vponupon them, let them not long for it, but let them lay the law of God and the threatnings thereof vntounto their hearts to humble them thereby. It is better to be humbled thereby than by affliction, and yet better by affliction than not at all. To commend affliction and to mislike of preaching of the law, is as though one should commend a sore and dangerous purgation, and mislike a good diet. A good diet is able, and it is the ordinarie meanes appointed of God to procure and conserue health, which as many of vsus as are not vnwise, will obserue. Now if for want of discretion, or for greedie desire we neglect this, and so by gathering together of ill and noysome humors within vsus we endanger our life, yet to saue our life wee will suffer the working of the most strong purgation, that the Physition shall prescribe vsus: so the law that is, the ordinarie meanes to make vsus apt to heare the word of peace and saluation, and ought of vsus to be obserued and applied vntounto vsus, that we may thereby be preserued rather than by affliction; yet if our mercifull Lord and only Physition of our soule shall with tender compassion looke vponupon our sores, and shall see the maladie of our soule to bee incurable without the strong purgation of affliction, then ought we euen with good courage to take it, except we will suffer and see our endlesse vexation. So purgation is good, but it is more wisedome to obserue diet: and affliction is profitable; but if the law might take place effectually that were needelesse. Let vsus take heed therefore we deceiue not ourselues in thinking that affliction is the only meanes to bring vsus to God, and so neglect the due preparing by the law till time of affliction. We see that is the meanes rather than this: and affliction indeede is the curse of God. Now the curse of God is the verifying of his lawe: and though it please God to blesse it; as he doth alwayes to his children, for all things turne to the best to them that louelove him, yet ought it not to be the meanes to humble vsus rather than the other. The end of affliction and of threatning both is to humble vsus; and therefore it were better to be humbled by threatning than by experience of punishment; for the threats of the law may doe this as well as affliction, if we be not vnwise.
In our selues we may hauehave some testimonie of our true humbling in time of affliction, yet is it hard to say for others whether one which now feeleth the hand of God vponupon him, and neuer felt any token of Gods displeasure before, be either truly humbled for his sinnes, for which he is afflicted; or seemeth to be humbled because of the paine that he abideth. Therefore euen he that is afflicted ought to examine his own soule whether he be truly humbled, and feele within himselfe euen a griefe that hee hath so diuersly prouoked God to plague him, acknowledging Gods vnspeakeable merciemercy and long suffering, that he long ere this did not cleane consumne him: least otherwise the diuel deceiue him, as he hath done diuers, who for a time seemed to bee humbled, because of the heate of their griefe: but afterwards when the Lord hath staied his hand, they shew what their humbling was, they turne againe to sinne as a dogge to his vomit, and as a sow that is washing to her wallowing in the mire. But as for him that feeleth the weight and burthen of his sinnes, and Gods displeasure for sinne, and euen groneth as it were vnderunder the burthen of sinne, he may finde a heauenly comfort, and assurance of the fauour of God: for if thou seest a man truly humbled, him will I consider saith the Lord. To him will I looke that is of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my words.
Those that are afflicted, are either such as are instructed before, both whence their affliction cometh, and to what ende they are sent, or else they are such as are ignorant, and know nothing hereof. They that are ignorant when they see themselues so punished, they are driuen into great streights, they looke onelyonly vponupon the curse of God, they neuer consider the appertinances thereof, and that the cause thereof is the transgression of Gods law, and that it is sinne for which God is angry, and that which hee punisheth in them: vponupon which their blindnes they attribute the cause of their paine either to Witches, or to naturall causes, or fortune, or some such thing; and hereupon to be released of their griefe they goe and runne and ride to wise men as they call them, to Witches, yea oftentimes to the Diuell himselfe, and vse all vnlawfull meanes that they can deuise. But for these what remedie is there? surely euen first to consider that their afflictions are sent from God. Secondly, to enquire at his word the cause that moued the Lord to lay them vponupon them. The Lord no doubt will answere them out of his word, that it was sinne. Thirdly the end which the Lord hath set downe, which is to humble vsus. Now if wee consider that the Lord hath sent it, that sinne was the cause thereof, and wee bee truly humbled because of our sinnes, then may wee bee bold to seeke to the waters of comfort, and drinke freely of the water of life, which our Sauiour hath promised to all that come vntounto him to be refreshed. They which are instructed both whence affliction commeth, and wherefore, and to what end, they commonly are very sory, and do earnestly repent them; and although they are something troubled, because before they were neuer sufficiently humbled, yet are they not dismaid, they hauehave the stay in themselues: they hold it as most certaine, that their God as he is all wisedome, and therefore knoweth all things that are best, so hee is infinite in merciemercy, and putteth vponupon him the affection of a father to those that feare him, and giueth nothing to his children but those things which may be best for them; and therefore they know he scourgeth as a father, or beateth as a schoolemaster; and no tender father or wise schoolemaster will correct the child with beating when words may serue: so that they knowe the Lord was euen to take his rod in hand before hee could renew them, and hereby hee meaneth to fine them, that they may come out of afflictions as fined gold, whom the Lord will make vessels to eternall glorie.
That which is set downe here of the afflictions of Iosephs brethren, wee may tearme more rightly by the name of scaring, than of punishment and affliction; for they were but put in feare onelyonly, and though they were put in ward; it was but for a very small time: and wee reade of no correction that was laid vponupon them; no, it appeareth by Iosephs affection to them, who could not abstaine, but was faine often to burst forth into teares when he had gone from them, that he so tendred them as his brethren; when by the wisedome of the spirit of God hee made a shewe as though hee would deale very hardly with them, yet this fearing and searing of them it humbled them, and draue them to confesse, and to say one to another, we hauehave vtterly sinned against our brother, in that wee saw the anguish of his soule, when hee besought vsus, and wee would not heare him: therefore is this trouble come vponupon vsus. And here we see how they confessed their fault when they were scared, before they …eit any punishment vponupon them; which may be an argument, that it was a true humbling from the heart, with a griefe not of the punishment, for there was yet none laid vponupon them, but of their sinnes, which then they brought into their remembrance, and it lay as a burthen vponupon their conscience, that they euen saw Gods iudgements readie to giuegive sentence of condemnation against them, except they preuented him by speedie repentance. Whereas if it had been done, and had been in time of affliction that they had been so humbled, it had been hard to say, whether it had been done truely or dissemblingly, with a feeling of their sinnes, or the greatnes of their griefe which they sustained, as is said before.
Thus we may learne, that the Lord God doth not onelyonly, to humble vsus before his Maiestie, set forth the law vntounto vsus, and preach vntounto vsus the threatnings thereof, and then if they take no place amongst vsus, he laieth his rods and scourges vponupon our backs; but commonly of his infinite wisedome and merciemercy, before hee afflicteth, betweene the preaching of the law and affliction, he scareth vsus, he shaketh the rod of correction ouer vsus; and before he punisheth, hee sheweth tokens of displeasure, and that wee hauehave prouoked him to anger: wherefore we hauehave experience of his great merciemercy in this land amongst vsus at this day. We hauehave had the law preached vntounto vsus, loe these twentie yeeres; but where is any humbling, any confessing of sinnes before the Lord? nay, wee neglect the word, and hauehave it in contempt amongst vsus, wee euen loath the bread of the Lord, which is of power to worke saluation to all that by faith shall feede thereon; we preferre our pleasures before the keeping of the Lordes Sabbaths; wee esteeme of the Lord himselfe (who hath made vsus of nothing, bought vsus with a price, euen his owne blood, and who one day will call all before him to iudgement) as nothing: we come to pray to him with lesse reuerence than to miserable men; our lips say some prayers vntounto God, but our hearts hauehave some other Gods, namely, our belly or our goods, wherein we wholy delight, and in whom wee onelyonly trust. And indeed it is lamentable, that prayers are saide of a number to keepe a custome, and a fashion, euen mocking of God and deceiuing our own soules. Will the Lord suffer this? Is the sacrifice acceptable that commeth not from an humbled and prepared heart? no, hee will not accept it. All these abominations are in the land, and may not the Lord hauehave good cause to visit amongst vsus? nay, to come euen in iudgement against vsus? And yet see the vnspeakable merciemercy, and the long suffering, and the exceeding louelove of God towards vsus, who hath for borne his rods thus long, and yet destroieth vsus not, but before his beesome of destruction shall come to sweepe vsus away, hee sheweth vsus foretokens of his displeasure; he now beginneth to scare vsus, to see if yet by this meanes he may humble vsus, and so preserue vsus from those plagues and iudgements which hee is presently purposed to bring vponupon all the vngodly of the earth. But how doth the Lord scare vsus, and what whips be they wherewith he meaneth to scourge? They are many, and we cannot see them all, but there are three especiall plagues which the Lord is readie to powre vponupon vsus, and three manner of waies there be, whereby the Lord scareth vsus, which are verie plaine and manifest, and almost euerie childe may perceiue. He scareth vsus by feare of dear… and famine, whereof this vnseasonable weather, these immoderate waters which wee hauehave had, cannot but be fearefull tokens. He scareth vsus by tokens of a pestilence to come amongst vsus, which is alreadie laide vponupon the necks of many of our brethren in this land, not onelyonly farre off, as at Yarmouth, at Norwich, and diuers other places which wee know not, but also in this shire at Ely, wee knowe not how night it is our owne doores. A third way there is, whereby he scareth vsus, and that is more fearefull than all these, and that is by the secret deuices of our enemies, whom the Lord hath stirred vp euen to threaten a separating of vsus from his Maiestie, and from his word, and the continuance of his gouernment by his word amongst vsus, and a captiuitie, a subduing of vsus to false gods, and an ignorance of all the lawes and commaundements of our good God, whom only to serue is perfit felicitie. And this is a sore scaring: the other are sore for the time; but this punishment, if it commeth, it shall end at no time. We may partly see it, I would to God we could as well consider of it, and euen yet at the length before we feele the rod, as did the brethren of Ioseph, acknowledge our sinnes before the Lord, whom we hauehave prouoked to wrath, humble our selues before him, and call for mercy, and euen by prayer stand in the gap, and preuent the punishment prepared for vsus.
Now let vsus herein learne one point of wisedome more, which is, if God sometime shall threaten vsus by scaring, and shall sit him downe againe a little, and it falleth not out presently that wee be punished, let vsus not thereby get occasion to flatter and deceiue our selues, as though Gods rods were then cleane ouerpast, as a storme caried away with a clowd; but let vsus carefully consider what were the causes that moued him to threaten vsus, and no doubt wee shall finde that euen they were causes sufficient to prouoke him to plague vsus: and if we will not call them to minde, and confesse them while we hauehave respit giuen vsus, they wil neuer lin yelling and crying in the cares of the iust and righteous iudge for whole vessels full of vengeance to consume vsus vtterly.
Now as for the godly, and those that feare the Lord, and hauehave their hearts vpright before him, they are as it were forewarned and fully prepared whatsoeuer plagues come, they know that nothing shall come nigh them to hurt them, and they can see a glimmering of the thing a great way off, and the Lord telleth them before hand what he is minded to doe: he told Noah before hand of the great iudgement of waters when the whole world was drowned for sinne: he told Lot how hee was minded to burne and boyle vp the filth of Sodom: he told Moses before how he would destroy the Aegyptians: yea and the Prophet Dauid speaketh truly, The Lord reuealeth his secrets to them that feare him; and yet notwithstanding the deare children of God, when as nothing will serue, they must then needes looke for affliction. And if it be so that affliction must needes come, let vsus yet pray to God rather to lay any plague vponupon vsus than the famine of his word, and the subiection to the enemies of his grace; yea let vsus hartily confesse our sinnes before God as Dauid did at the threatning of the Lord by his Prophet: and if the Lord might put vsus in choise (if it seemed good vntounto his Maiestie) whether we would flye before our enemies, or whether we would wish, or chose rather a dearth in the land, or a pestilence; let vsus from our hearts beseech the Lord God that we may rather fall into the hands of the Lord, than into the hands of cruell and persecuting men.
The summe of all is.
1 Precepts to flye ill companie, which is the plague of our soule. Not only to mislike, but also to detest from the heart a wicked custome, least wee giuegive consent and reach ou… hands vntounto sinne, as Ioseph and Lot did.
2 To beware of swearing by false gods, which is idolatry.
3 To beware of often swearing, for feare of periury.
4 How the Lord hath two meanes of humbling vsus, the law, and affliction.
FINIS.