Prototypes, Example 22
THE TWO AND TWENTIETH EXAMPLE.
OF IACOBS Children.
AFter Iacobs Wives and Father in Law, wee will proceed to his children,Iacobs children. which were twelve ſons and one daughter. Concerning his ſons, they were ſixe of Leah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Iudah, Iſſachar, Zebulun: two of Bilhah, Dan and Nephthali: two of Zilpah, Gad and Aſher: two of Rachel, Ioſeph borne in Padan Aram, and Benjamin borne in the Land of Canaan. The daughter was Dinah of Leah; of the birth and names of each of theſe the Scripture takes ſpeciall notice.
Reuben ſignifies, Behold a ſon,Reuben, what it ſignifies. Gen. 29.3. for his mother tooke it as a great favour of God, whereby he would mitigate her ſorrow, yea and help to remove it too, by winning her husbands love to her, the want whereof was her greateſt trouble, as you ſhall finde.
Simeon ſignifies, the hearing of God, becauſe ſhe ſaid,Simeon, what it ſignifies. God heard that ſhe was hated, and hath given me this ſon too. It was a good thing in Leah to give her ſons ſuch names, as might minde her of Gods goodneſſe in conſidering her affliction; and when ſhee ſaith that God ſaw firſt, and then heard her affliction; the laſt ſpeech is a proofe that ſhe made her moane and complaint to God, and ſo this mercy came to her as a fruit of her prayers.
Levi, what it ſignifies.The next ſon is called Levi, for ſaid ſhe, Now my husband will be united to me, or cleave to me, for the word Levi ſignifieth as much as cleaving. She was earneſtly deſirous of her husbands love, and would as it were, minde him of her hopes and deſires, that he would recompence her paines of bringing him three ſons, with the increaſe of his affection. A wife is not good if ſhe be not very covetous of her huſbands love; ſome probably ſay, that he, meaning Iacob, hearing Leahs word, to comfort her, called him Levi, and the originall ſeemes to leade us to that opinion, for the former word tranſlated, called is of the feminine gender, and is plainly referred to the woman ſpoken of before; but the latter is of the maſculine, and ſo may very likely note the husband, of whom ſhe had immediatly ſpoken. And if ſo, it was well done of Iacob, at laſt to ſpeak ſome word of comfort to his drooping wife, and to let her ſee, that the riches of three ſons had made him forget that great wrong ſhe did him, of obtruding her ſelfe upon him againſt his will, and without his knowledge, which ſhee ought not to have done, though at her Fathers command.
Iudah, what it ſignifies.The fourth ſon is Iehudah, in ſhort Iudah, as much as praiſe of the Lord, or the Lord be, or is praiſed, to expreſſe her thankefulneſſe, for ſhe ſaid, Now I will praiſe the Lord, which hath cauſed mine husbands affections ſomewhat more to incline unto me, by making me a mother of foure ſons. For ſo it may ſeeme they did, and that alſo maybe juſtly accounted one cauſe of her ſiſters envy, becauſe ſhee ſaw Iacob begin to love her more heartily than before. Theſe foure were borne one after another, yeare by yeare, without long intermiſſion; then ſhe ceaſed bearing, till Iacob had foure children by the two handmaids, then ſhe had two more ſons.
Gen. 30.18. Iſſachar, what it ſignifies.Iſſachar the fifth ſonne, ſignifying there is a reward for giving her maide to her husband, but in this ſhe was much miſtaken, God is not wont to give rewards for our bad deeds, and though it was of ignorance, yet it was a ſin in her to give her maid to her husband; therefore we muſt take heed of imitating her in conceiting that God is well pleaſed with our faults. Such is the blindneſſe of our mindes, that we are apt to run into ſuch errours.
Zebulun, what it ſignifies.The laſt ſon was Zebulun, ſignifying dwelling, becauſe God had given her ſo goodly a dowry as ſix ſons, ſhe now begins to hope not alone that her husband will love her more, but ſo much now, as to affoord her more of his company, and dwell with her, which it ſeemes before he accuſtomed not to doe, but with Rachel. For love is never ſatisfied unleſſe it enjoy the preſence and company of the perſon loved; theſe are Leahs ſins, envy at her maide, Rachel ſo far plaid the fooliſh woman, that ſhe gave her handmaiden Bilhah to be her huſbands Concubine, and ſhe had two ſons, which Rachel would needes take as her owne, rather than thoſe that her owne ſiſter brought forth, and the firſt ſhe called Dan, Dan, what it ſignifies.which ſignifies, He hath judged, for ſaith ſhe, God hath judged me, and hath heard my cauſe, and hath given me a ſon. She bewrayes a diſtempered paſſion, and would needes intereſt God into her folly, as if now God in great favour, ſeeing how ſhee was wronged, had come to right her: Fond Rachel, no body wronged her but her ſelfe, by entertaining the bone-rotting vice of envy into her boſome, and yet ſhe will needes take this as a righting of her wrong from above, for ſo the word judging ſignifies; ſo fooliſh we be that we will count our ſelves either to be wronged by men, when we have received none at all, or righted of God, when his Majeſty meaneth no ſuch matter.
O ignorant and ſelf-deceiving, and ſelf-conceited creatures that we be, let us beg more wiſdome and unpartialneſſe to our ſelves at Gods hand.
The ſecond ſon of Bilhah is Nephthali, which ſignifies wraſtling,Nephthali, what it ſignifies. becauſe ſaith ſhe, I have wraſtled with great wraſtlings with my ſiſter, and have prevailed. Certainly ſhe playes the unwiſe woman here too, and makes too bold with Gods name, in ſaying, With wraſtlings of God, and doth her ſiſter great injury. Poore Leah uſed no meanes to keepe her from fruitfulneſſe, ſhe neither did keepe her husband from her, nor any other thing by which to hinder her from being a mother, therefore her wraſtlings were only conceited wraſtlings, and ſhee proved that envy will cauſe one to thinke hee is oppoſed, when indeed he is not; let us take heed of dreaming that we bee wraſtled withall, and prevaile, when in very deed, it is neither ſo nor ſo.
The two ſons of Zilpah are next borne; the firſt Gad, Gad, what it ſignifies.which ſignifies a troupe, whereby Leah ſhewes that her deſires or hopes were yet raiſed to looke for a many more children, as indeed ſhee had three after, this by Iacob of her owne body, and one more whom her imitation of her ſiſters weakneſſe made her to account her owne too.
The next ſon is called Aſher, for now ſaith ſhe,Aſher, what it ſignifies. The daughters will count me happy, and the name ſignifies happineſſe; ſure, for ought that I can judge, no body ever applauded Leahs happineſſe in this matter, yea, ſhe would rather have been judged happy, if ſhe could have counted it happineſſe enough, to have borne ſons her ſelfe, and not followed her ſiſters folly, in giving her maide to Iacob: Wherein yet ſhe is leſſe excuſable than her ſiſter, who might ſeeme to have more reaſon for her fact, becauſe ſhee her ſelfe was childleſſe. But you may ſee what fond things wee bee many times, to count that a great matter of happineſſe, and take great content in it, which of it ſelfe verily is nothing for our good.
But the children of Rachel come at laſt; Ioſeph, Ioſeph, what it ſignifies.which ſignifies, hee will adde, or give mee another ſon; here Rachel begins to ſhew ſome goodneſſe, ſome faith; the receiving of one benefit, upon her prayers, makes her hope that God will give her another.
Benjamin, what it ſignifies.Then followes Benjamin, called by her Benoni, The ſon of my ſorrow, and Iacob not willing to have a ſonne of ſo ill and ominous a name, yet comes to the name as neare as he can, ſaying, hee ſhall bee called Benjamin; as much as if hee had ſaid, One whom I will love as my right hand, and never ſuffer to depart from me, for his mothers ſake that bare him.
Dinah, what it ſignifies.And theſe bee all Iacobs ſonnes. His daughter was Dinah, Leahs ſeventh childe: the word ſignifies judgement; and why ſhee was ſo named, becauſe the Scripture affirmes not, I will not trouble you with my conjectures.
In ſpeaking of them we will begin with the maiden, of whom wee have nothing at all noted that good is.
Who ſhe was.Some thinke ſhe was Iobs wife, whoſe life they caſt into the time of Iacob; I have nothing to alleadge either for, or againſt this opinion. It is a conjecture, take it as you ſee good: but it is probable, that Iob might live about this time, but of that no more till we come to ſpeake of Iob.
No good thing is ſpoken of her. Her faults. 1. She went into the City, to ſee the daughters of the countrey.Now we goe on with Dinah, of whom we reade, as I ſaid, nothing but evill, Gen. 34.1. Shee would needes walke into the City of Shechem, when Iacob lived thereabouts; forſooth, To ſee the daughters of the Countrey, whether they were faire maidens, what garments they wore, of what carriage, what garbes and faſhion they had. A folly to which many of you maides be too ſubject, you let your eyes looke over wiſtly upon the daughters: If you did alone take up your ſelves in contemplating the faſhions at the Market, or as you walke in the ſtreets, or the like; yet it were a ſpending of time worſe than you need to ſpend it, ſure it is not good to goe abroad idlely, when there is nothing to doe but gaze here and there, when the minde hath no imployment or buſineſſe to ſet it ſelfe about.
A gazing eye ſhewes in empty heart, and tempts the devill to come thither, one tempting to fill the heart with evill fancies, that is empty of God.
I pray you Virgins take warning by Dinah, be not you gadding abroad hither and thither, to ſee and bee ſeene alone; Dinahs ſucceſſe may give you cauſe of fearing your ſelves in ſuch occaſions. But eſpecially let me exhort you to teach your eyes more piety, than to beſtow themſelves in looking abroad to ſee faſhions then, when you come to the houſe of God, there to doe ſervice unto God. Then I ſay, doe not ſhew your ſelves ſo diſregardfull of God, ſo very hypocrites, ſuch perſons as let their hearts wander (for that wanders if the eye wander) when the body approacheth him: When you ſhould be marking what is read, or what is prayed, or what is ſung, or what is preached. A wandring eye at Church is a very bad thing, and is the devils inſtrument to ſteale away all you heare, and to make you unprofitable hearers.
I feare that this is the trueſt cauſe why many of you learne juſt nothing, and cannot anſwer what you heare, your eye carried away your mindes, that they could not attend by the eare, to what was ſpoken.
Maidens let me propound Dinahs example to you, and warne you to take heed of being deſirous to goe abroad to ſee faſhions.
But a ſecond thing is, a young man ſaw her, and tooke her,2. A young man ſaw her, and lay with her. and lay with her, and humbled her; you ſee what hurt followed here; Shee went to ſee the daughters, but one of the ſons ſaw her, and worſe than that, luſted after her, and tooke her, and abuſed her body, whether by ſolicitation and enticement, or by force and ſtrength, or whether by a mixture of both, partly ſtriving, and partly ſoliciting, I cannot ſay, the words are ſuch as may carry the ſence of ſoliciting, as well as of raviſhing: but we are willing to take things at the beſt for poore Dinah, and becauſe the Scripture uſeth theſe phraſes to deſcribe a Rape, Deut. 22.28, 29. calling it a humbling her, as here; we will in charity thinke, that the ſame miſery befell her in the City: for it was the Kings ſonne, who might eaſily bring her to ſuch a roome in an houſe as might cauſe that her crying voice might not be heard, or ſhe might be loath to cry, knowing what hee was, and that ſhe was a ſtranger. But if it were ſo, I am fearefull that her more light carriage than was fit, gave occaſion to the young man of ſuch fancies, and imboldened him to offer ſuch a kinde of violence as he thought would not be reſiſted.
Let maides take heed leaſt their wanton eye and over-light countenance and promiſing lookes doe not enflame the beholder, and offer ſuch violence to their corruption, as it were to make them offer violence to them; and take heed much more, that they be not allured to ſuch an evill, as nothing but the violence of the doer can free them from the imputation of a grievous ſin, if they ſuffer. Let their care be to keepe themſelves out of places inconvenient; what did Dinah with this young man in ſo ſecret a place, as might encourage him to offer force? Sure he would not have forced her in the midſt of the ſtreetes, he was not ſo debauſht and brutiſh, as to compell her in an houſe before many. Nay, ſcarce any man ſo lewd, that hee will attempt ſuch a thing, but when no perſon is preſent. If ſhe were raviſhed, yet ſhe was ſomewhat guilty of her owne rape, becauſe ſhee would be enticed to goe into an houſe with a ſtranger. Had ſhee beene of his long acquaintance, had hee beene a ſuitor to her before with the good conſent and allowance of both Parents, had ſhe beene allowed to ſet her minde upon him, ſo as to intend to become his wife, then it had not beene ſo blame-worthy, to have ſo farre truſted her ſelfe with him. But when her buſineſſe was nothing but to ſee and be ſeene, to ſuffer her ſelfe to be led by a ſtranger into ſuch a place as might give him opportunity to do her violence, was a ſigne that her carriage was ſcarce modeſt, not at all diſcreet.
For to excuſe her by her age, ſeemeth no juſt excuſe, ſeeing it appeareth by the young mans ſuit for her afterwards, that ſhee was now marriageable. Now therefore let her example make you maidens civill, and ſober, and modeſt in your carriage, and ſo prudent, diſcreet, and baſhfull, as not to venture your ſelves into the company of young men at ſuch places and times, as may produce as bad inconveniences to you, as this that befell Dinah.
And ſo much for this daughter, for after this we heare no more of her, but that her brethren tooke her out of Hamors houſe after they had committed the execrable murder, whereof we ſhall have cauſe to ſpeake after.
The ſonnes. Their common faults.Now come we to the ſonnes, and firſt, I will handle the things that were common to them all, viz. their ſinnes, their good deeds, their miſeries, their benefits.
1. All of them were bad except Ioſeph and Benjamin. Gen. 37.2.Firſt, it is common to them all ſave Ioſeph and Benjamin, that they were men of no goodneſſe nor conſcience; They had a good Father and Grandfather, and they profeſſed a good religion, but their converſation was naught and ſcandalous, ſo that Ioſeph being young could not in his conſcience chooſe but acquaint his Father with their evill deeds.
O this is a grievous thing, that children which have godly education by godly Parents, and have knowledge of the true God, and are members of the true Church, ſhould be yet of manifeſt ill behaviour, ſhould runne into palpable and groſſe naughtineſſe openly, to the torment of their Parents hearts, and diſgrace of true religion.
Be not ſome of you youthes (whoſe Parents, though they muſt not be compared to Iacob, yet are ſuch as have feared God, and affoorded you the beſt helpes they could to vertue and piety) as lewd and ſinfull in your carriage as Iacobs ſonnes. Yes, yes, ſome of you are as guilty of evill demeanour as theſe youthes, though you have the ſame furtherances to goodneſſe. Now for the living Gods ſake, whoſe name you take upon you, for your owne ſoules ſake, which elſe will one day rue this naughtineſſe and rudeneſſe, and for your Parents and friends ſake, that are aſhamed and vexed with your ill report, be intreated at length to conſider how great a wickedneſſe it is to live naughtily, when God hath vouchſafed you ſo many meanes to make you good, and turne you from your evill wayes, and frame you to ſuch a converſation as will beſeeme and comfort your ſelves and your Parents.
O let not a Iacobs ſonne be a drunkard, a gameſter, a wanton, a night-walker, and ill company keeper; a quarreller; let not ſuch nettles grow upon a garden, learne to ſhunne what was loathſome in the ſons of Iacob.2. They all beguiled Hamor …he Sichemite. Gen. 35.
But ſecondly, they were all guilty of beguiling Hamor and the Sichemites with purpoſed fraud and guile, yea, and with pretending conſcience and reſpect of religion: You know the ſtory it ſelfe, Shechem after he had defloured Iacobs daughter, continued yet to bee ſtrongly enamoured of her, and ſued for her to her Father and Brethren, offering any dowry. They would ſeeme to be hindered from granting the ſuit by religion; They were circumciſed, of the true religion, a religion ſleighted and neglected in Canaan, and it was not a ſafe thing in conſcience, and would be a reproach to them to make marriages with perſons uncircumciſed, but if they would embrace their religion, and teſtifie it by being circumciſed, then they would willingly condeſcend; Now all this talke of circumciſion tended but to bring the Sichemites to ſuch a caſe, that they might the better accompliſh revenge.
O miſerable fault, to cover hatred with deceitfull words, A Potſheard covered with ſilver droſſe. To ſpeake one thing and meane the contrary, to pretend a good purpoſe to cover a bad, and the more eaſily to effect it by covering.
Here was a mixture of impiety,Deceit is a great ſin. Prov. 6.10 18. & 26.26. in making religion a cloake to revenge, and of fraud in harbouring and intending, and yet diſguizing revenge.
So dealt Abſalom with his Father David, and the ſhame of ſuch ſhall breake forth in the Congregation, hee is a foole, though hee thinkes himſelfe wiſe.
Now I beſeech you take heed of deceit and guile, the deceitfull ſhall not live out halfe his dayes. To hate, and yet diſſemble with his lips, laying up deceit within him, is a loathſome thing. It is a part of the deſcription of an unſanctified man,Rom. 3. With their tongues they have uſed deceit; Nature teacheth men to blame this ſin in others, therefore nature gives light enough to diſcover it in ones ſelfe. Shame it therefore, and hate it: It is bad to have uſed this fraud for covetouſneſſe or ambition ſake, to get wealth or honour, by over-reaching others; but it is worſt of all when it is joyned with revenge and with bloodineſſe, that a man make himſelfe a bloody and deceitfull man. It is naught when only good will is pretended, but when religion is made the cloake of cruelty and villany, this is to abuſe the nobleſt thing in the world, by making it a drudge to the baſeſt.
Now if any of your conſciences be guilty of abuſing pretences of religion for the compaſſing of revenge, of goods, of luſt, of any other villanous end, he hath ſinned the ſin of Iacobs ſons. Let him be induced to repent, and let us all be induced to abhor ſo great a wickedneſſe; he that doth compaſſe any unlawfull end by deceit, makes the ſin twice as grievous as elſe it would be: He ſhews that he commits it with almoſt a full conſent of will, he makes his reaſon a ſlave to his appetite, and ſerves ſin willingly, moſt willingly and deliberately.
Let us love true, plaine, and juſt dealing, and abhorre couſenage and falſhood.
3. They all conſented to the murder of the Sichemites.Another fault of Iacobs ſonnes was this, they all ſo farre ingaged themſelves into the murder of the Sichemites, that they conſented to it, for they all joyned to ſpoile the goods of the Sichemites, they all played the robbers in revenge, it was not ſo much covetouſneſſe as revenge that made them ſpoile the City.
O how vile a ſinne is this revenge! one had done them wrong, they revenge it upon a whole City: one had injuried them in one ſiſter, they wrong a number in many ſiſters and goods beſides: here is injuſtice and malice both in a very high degree. They are ſaid to have beene grieved but with a carnall griefe, and to have beene wroth, but with a carnall wrath, for the folly committed by Shechem, and that it was a carnall wrath is manifeſt; for loe, it makes them ſeeke to revenge themſelves by a moſt exceſſive and a moſt unjuſt courſe.
I call upon you to crucifie this humour of revenge, it is evidently blamed: Avenge not your ſelves, but give place unto wrath; Recompence not evill for evill: Be not overcome of evill. Returne not evill to him that hath done thee evill; if any thing may diſgrace private revenge, this example may; for you ſee, when men thinke good to take upon them to revenge their owne quarrels, they know not how to obſerve any equality or moderation.
And now I require you all, as you will prove your ſelves true Chriſtians, and ever have the comfort of being Chriſts ſheepe, follow him in not revenging wrongs, for hee gave you an example: S. Peter ſaith, of this vertue, when hee did not render reviling for reviling, nor threatening words neither, for evill deedes. If you harbour revenge, you forgive not, and if you will not forgive, you ſhall not be forgiven.
Morall Philoſophy teacheth us not to wrong or hurt another unprovoked, but it tolerates it when wee are provoked by wrongs; but the perfection of Chriſtian religion is this, that it teacheth, and where it is in truth, enableth not alone, not to recompence wrong to a wrong doer, but alſo to doe good againſt evill.
Shunne you this wickedneſſe, and follow not the wickedneſſe of Iacobs ſonnes, but take heed of wronging any in their goods, for revenge ſake.
4. They hated their brother Ioſeph.Another fault of theſe young men, they hated their brother Ioſeph out of envie, and could not ſpeake peaceably to him; and when God by dreames foretold his preferment above them, they envyed him and hated him yet worſe; yea, all but Reuben reſolved to kill him, and to ſee what would become of his dreames, and mocked him with the name of This dreamer; and all but Reuben too conſent to ſell him for a bondſlave, and accordingly doe it, and when in that anguiſh of his ſoule hee beſought them, as themſelves after confeſſe, they would not heare him.
Ah beware you of theſe ſinnes of envying, for that will bring forth a deſire to murder or as bad as to murder and harden one to all cruelty that no intreaty ſhall ſoften. Take heed, take heede of theſe vices, Envy, murderouſneſſe, deriding, hard-heartedneſſe, cruelty. They bee fearefull vices, transforming a man into a Divell.
If any of you have beene over-ruled by them, let him nor deferre to bewaile and confeſſe them before God, and let us all oppoſe theſe vices, if they aſſault us, by holy meditations and prayers; betray not your ſelves into the hands of ſo horrible vices, for want of reſiſting them earneſtly, conſtantly and by ſpirituall meanes. Eſpecially ſuffer not your ſelves to bee tranſported thus againſt a brother, to hate a brother or neare kinſman, to thinke on murthering a brother, to neglect the cryes of a brother and bee inexorable againſt a brother, intreating not to be murdered, to caſt him into a pit and ſell him for a ſlave or to doe ſuch kinde of injury to a perſon ſo neare by bonds of Nature, O what an unnaturalneſſe is it, and what a great height and dominion of Vice doth it proove! Religion may bee abſent from an heart in which yet ſome reliques of good nature doe remaine, but hee hath quenched all ſparkes of all goodneſſe in him, that can behave himſelfe ſo miſchievouſly to one, to whom neareneſſe of bloud obligeth him. None of theſe were bretheren to Ioſeph by the mothers ſide, but alone by the Fathers, but an halfe brother is ſoe nearely joyned, that that name ſhould have beene ſufficient to have kept them backe from ſuch wickedneſſe.
Pray to God to preſerve you from unnaturallneſſe, and if any of you have trampled theſe naturall bonds under feet; let him addreſſe himſelfe to moſt hearty lamentation, or elſe the God of nature will ſharpely puniſh the ſleighting of naturall bonds. It is a diabolicall fury of ſinne that cauſeth a man to breake aſunder theſe bonds of braſſe and iron.
But yet as bad or worſe then this,5. They lied & couſened their old Father. they lyed and couſened their old Father to make him beleeve, that Ioſeph was killed by a wild beaſt, as the Story ſhewes, Gen. 37.31. Indeed Reuben was not conſenting to the ſelling of Ioſeph, but it may ſeeme that he was willing to hold his peace, and to conceale their fact, which hee thought could neither bee prevented nor redreſſed by revealing, and it may well be that they did not acquaint him with their ſelling of Ioſeph. But loe they all agree to colour their ſinne to their Father and bring him into ſuch a conceit as filled his heart with extreamity of anguiſh: Evill children they were that would cover their fault by telling ſuch a lie unto their Father as they needed not to have told; for their ſinne would not have been the more revealed, if they had ſaid nothing then to counterfit ſuch a thing, and Iacobs greifes perhaps would not have beene ſo great if there had remained any hope of his ſonnes life. But it is like that they were deſirous to put him into a conceit of Ioſeph death, for feare leaſt hope of his life might put him upon ſuch an enquiry as might finde him out againe, and ſo diſcover their lewdneſſe, for an ill conſcience is alwaies full of feare and ſuſpition, and will conjecture ſuch waies of diſcovery as no man elſe can dreame of.
Hath any of you lied to a Parent and ſought to conceale their naughtineſſe by falſehood? See this wickedneſſe with remorſe, and now take heed of abuſing your Parents with tales; yea I beſeech you beware of running into groſſe ſinnes, which will alwaies hazard you to lying and falſehood for the covering of them.
See here how one ſinne begets another in theſe men, envy doth breede an intention of murder and a wrongfull act as bad as murther, to ſell a Brother for a ſlave. This wickedneſſe brings on lying to hide it, and that in ſuch a ſort as had well nigh killed their owne Father with griefe. Feare to ſinne, for it will ſo intangle you being once in that you ſhall not know how to get out.
The uſe of all.But one uſe we muſt make of all this diſcourſe, to ſee how bad our owne natures be and to be wondrous thankfull, that God hath not ſo farre left us to our ſelves, as to be drawne to ſuch enormous offences. He that can looke upon the worſt men that have beene and the worſt deeds, ſo as to accuſe himſelfe of the ſame bad nature, and to confeſſe himſelfe obnoxious to the ſame crimes, and therefore labours to be more humble in himſelfe, becauſe of the badneſſe of his nature, and to be thankfull to God for the goodneſſe he ſhewes in reſtraining that bad nature, he makes a ſingular uſe of other mens ſins. But if we heare or ſee other mens faults onelyonly to brag of our ſelves, that we have not ſo offended nor will not ſo offend, it is a teſtimony of much blindneſſe and unacquaintedneſſe with our ſelves, and may juſtly cauſe the Lord to make us know our ſelves by giving us over to our owne ſelves in like manner.
Their common goodnes. 1. They all ſtrove to comfort their Father in his great ſadneſſe.But now a word of the common goodneſſe of all, firſt to their Father, they all gathered together to comfort him when he was in his great and exceeding ſadneſſe. This was well done, though they had wronged him in being a cauſe of his ſorrow, yet it may ſeeme they were greatly troubled to thinke of their naughtineſſe, and were carefull to to uſe all meanes of reſtoring him to contentment againe. But ah what bitter accuſations muſt thoſe their words reflect upon their owne ſelves which they uſed to comfort their Father? How could they chooſe but almoſt bewray themſelves by bluſhing one while and paleneſſe another through the cheekes of their owne conſciences, when ever they heard him, as often no doubt they did heare him name the name of Ioſeph? But howſoever, it was commendably done that now they ſought to aſſwage his ſorrowes.2. They were dutifull to him in going down to Egypt and not taking Benjamin with them. All good children ſhould ſtrive to miniſter matter of comfort to their grieved Parents, and it is an hainous and unnaturall hardneſſe to doe otherwiſe.
Further, they were all dutifull to him in going downe to Egypt and not taking Benjamin with them ſecretly or againſt his will, and ſhewed much love and honour in burying him and lamenting him, and ſhewed themſelves carefull of their families and very penitent to Ioſeph at laſt, and called to minde this ſin in their troubles at Egypt, and declared by their ſubmiſſion to Ioſeph that they had truly repented, beſides in their behaviour to Ioſeph before they knew him, they ſhew lowlineſſe and good diſcretion. So in one word they grew better and better as fruits by time grow ripe and mellow, and at laſt unfainedly repented and all turned godly men.
O that you which have beene rude, wilde, debauſhed in youth, would be carefull now in your more ſtayed time to be truly penitent and become truly godly. There is a kinde of amendment by age which is nor ſufficient to ſalvation, though it ſomething recover the credit. It is to lay aſide the practiſe of ones groſſer faults, and to frame to a civill carriage and to a creditable behaviour, though ſtill the heart remaine vaine and earthly, and bee not humbled duely by the ſight of theſe faults which were formerly committed. Such a kinde of morall amendment is better then none, but I pray you that be old, doe not ſatisfie your ſelves with that, but mend throughout. See and lament your badneſſe as well as your bad lives, lament and bewaile in ſecret and frequently the former diſorders. Be baſe in your owne eyes becauſe of them, and labour to get them pardoned, and your corrupt natures healed, and to ſhine in piety and holineſſe and all goodneſſe ſo much the more by how much your youth was more ſinnefull. All you that have beene grievous ſinners in youth take this counſell, learne this leſſon of Iacobs ſonnes.
And you young men that have too too much broken forth, O take your ſelves to taske betime, and begin to amend betime. Let your Parents have the happineſſe to ſee you reformed in their life time, to behold your change, that they may rejoyce in your reformation, and bleſſe God for his goodneſſe in hearing their prayers and granting their deſires, and you may cauſe them to live ſo much longer and more cheerefully, by ſeeing ſo happy and deſireable a ſight. It will add a new youth to an aged Parent, if he may ſee his much offending children returned quite backe to the waies of God and goodneſſe, moſt comfortably will they leave earth and goe to Heaven when they leave their children in ſuch plight as they may hope to meete them there at laſt.
But let us looke into the benefits which the Lord beſtowed upon them.3. Their benefits. 1. They had a godly Father and themſelves were pillers of the true Church.
Firſt, they had a godly Father and Progenitors and were themſelves members, yea and pillars of the Church of God, of them came a moſt populous and flouriſhing nation, in whom the viſible Church continued then, when all the nations of the world beſides did lie in darkneſſe.
A greater mercy then this the world cannot have, to be the Church of God to have the Church continue in a mans poſterity, this is a ſingular favour, and God pleaſed to take all theſe ſonnes and to make them heires of his promiſe; Iſaac had but two ſonnes, Iacob and Eſau, God tooke Iacob and refuſed Eſau, Abraham had but two ſonnes, God caſt out Iſhmael and gave the bleſſing and promiſe to one alone even to Iſaac; but ſee the great favour ſhewed to all theſe, they be all taken into the Church, all partake of the bleſſing, all are made heires of the promiſe. If we conſider their carriage, Iſhmael never committed ſo great and monſtrous a fault againſt the ſecond Table as Iudah, for he never fell into inceſt, but hee ſcorned Iſaac. Eſau never did ſo foule a fault as Simeon and Levi; but he deſpiſed his birth-right and hated Iacob. So God did not take theſe for their goodneſſe, but of his mercy, though they were of rude carriage hee ſuffered them not to deſpiſe and contemne the truth and ſo ſtill kept them within the Church. Furthermore, foure of theſe were borne of hand-maidens as well as Iſhmael, and yet the Lord rejected them not. This is the firſt benefit, we muſt learne to eſteeme it a choice mercy that God vouchſafeth us the ſame, in making us members of his Church, and in planting the true Church amongſt us.
2 God ſaved them all from a great danger.Further, God ſaved them all from a great danger, over-awing the Canaanites that they did not purſue and deſtroy them for that inſolency they ſhewed at Shechem.
It is a great mercy if God repreſſe the wrath of men towards any, ſo that when they have both provocation and power, yet they be reſtrained from taking vengeance; God hath the hearts of men in his hand and can if he pleaſeth and often doth over-rule and over-awe them in this manner.
3. They had ſtore of riches.Thirdly, they had riches and wealth in abundance, this is a common benefit, learne not to over-eſteeme it nor abuſe it, and be confident that if we feare God, he will not denie us neceſſaries.
4. Ioſeph nouriſhed them in the famine.Laſtly, they had a good friend ſent downe to Egypt to provide for them, that their families and themſelves might not periſh by famine, and he forgetting all their cruelty and injuſtice tooke care of them and their children, comforting and ſuccouring and countenancing them even after their Father was dead, ſo that they lived moſt comfortably during his life. This is a moſt remarkeable favour, that God provides long before for the helping of his people out of diſtreſſe, and that by ſuch waies as they could never gueſſe, of advancing ſuch perſons, as they did leaſt conceive ſhould be helpfull to them, and inclining their hearts to doe them good, of whom they could leaſt expect kindneſſe. But ſee the folly of man that is often bitter againſt thoſe things, by which God intends their great welfare, as Ioſephs Brethren againſt his preferment, without which they had periſhed.
Their croſſes.Now for their croſſes we reade of few, they were in danger from Eſau when they were children, yet not ſo young but that they had ſome ſence of it, but that was ſoone over and they were never the better for it. They were in danger at Shechem, 1. In danger from Eſau when children 2. In danger at Shechem. 3. Felt a famine and were roughly handled by Ioſeph.but that they conſidered not of, and God ſaved them afore they were aware. But the famine pinched them and their family, and their rough handling in Egypt cruſhed them, ſo that they were tamed with it and throughly brought to repentance. It is a great goodneſſe of our heavenly Father to heale the ſoules of his people by fatherly chaſtizements and by blowes to leade them to repentance.
We muſt be thankefull to God for our eſcaping of famine, rough uſage, and other like croſſes, but ſpecially wee muſt beſeech him that what croſſes hee ſees fit to inflict, may bee ſanctified unto us to bring us to repentance, to revive in us the remembrance of ſinnes paſt, and humble our hearts for them; farre better is it to have medicinable croſſes then to live at eaſe without croſſes. *⁎*