Prototypes, Example 27
THE TWENTY SEVENTH EXAMPLE.
OF IOSEPHS STEVVARD.
ONE perſon alone remaineth to be ſpoken of, whom wee cannot name to you,Ioſephs Steward. His name is not expreſſed in Scripture, neither any thing ſaid of his birth or death: he was a good ſervant. for the Scripture giveth him no name at all. He hath a good name, a good report in Scripture for a good man, but no name, that is, no particular ſurname, or proper name, by which he was uſually knowne and diſtinguiſhed from other men of his Country or progenitors: of his birth or death we have nothing, but he is ſet forth by his relation to Ioſeph, he was Ioſephs Steward; for as Ioſeph ſowed, ſo did he reape, what a kind of ſervant and Steward himſelfe was to Putiphar, ſuch a kind of Steward in ſome degree, did God provide for him. He himſelfe was a good ſervant to his Maſter, and himſelfe being a Maſter, enjoyes a good ſervant to himſelfe; many times the Lord ſees fit to bring a mans good deeds into his owne boſome, a good child to his Parents, hath good children himſelfe, a good ſervant hath good ſervants, and ſo in the reſt. Let this incourage you that be in the place of ſervants, to performe your duties diligently unto your domeſticall Rulers your Maſters, for by this meanes you may lay up for your ſelves, a comfortable hope of being ſerved with like care and diligence your ſelves. God no doubt hath a ſpeciall hand in diſpoſing of ſervants to every Maſter, it is he that ordereth things ſo, as ſuch a man hath good, and ſuch a one bad ſervants▪ men often uſe great care to chooſe a ſervant, and meete with a very bad one contrary to all their hopes and care, againe ſometimes by meere caſualty almoſt men light upon a very good ſervant.
He was good to his Maſter and to his brethren. 1. Teachable. Gen. 43.23.More particularly his carriage was good to his Maſter, and to the ſtrangers, brethren to his Maſter, but not by him knowne ſo to be. 1. Teachable, they learnt ſome knowledge of the true God from him. The God of your Fathers, ſaith he, and your God hath given you this treaſure. How came this man to know a diſtinction of Gods? How came he to know that they had a God of their owne, peculiar to them and to their Fathers, which was not then acknowledged to be the God of all the world? Egypt had many Gods, this man acknowledgeth one God, and that one God which was acknowledged and worſhipped by theſe men and by their Forefathers. It is not likely, that Ioſeph told his Steward, that theſe were his brethren, but it is undoubtedly manifeſt, that they were ſome ſuch as he knew to be worſhippers of the true God, which hee knew by ſome few men, to be worſhipped in the Land of Canaan. Therefore you ſee how kindly he ſpeakes to them, that a man may even perceive by his words, that they were ſo much dearer to him, becauſe they pertained to that God. This was the more obſervable, becauſe he was an Egyptian ſervant; O that all you which be ſervants to godly Governours, would learne ſome goodneſſe from them, even to know and ſerve God; you all have ſome knowledge of that one God: but learne alſo the feare and love of that God, the ſincere and carefull worſhip of that God from your Governours, that would fain teach it you, and would count themſelves happy if you would learne it from them. But for a ſervant to live in the family of a Ioſeph, that laboureth to teach godlineſſe unto him by word and example, and yet declares no ſenſe nor feeling of God, no knowledge or reſpect of him, how great a ſinne is this, and how certainely ſhall this Steward of Ioſeph riſe up againſt ſuch in judgement?
2. He was a very dutifull ſervant.But ſecondly, Ioſephs ſervant was a very obſequious and dutifull ſervant, whatſoever his Maſter bad him doe was preſently done, c. 42. ver. 25. Ioſeph commanded him to fill their ſackes with corne as much as they could carry, and to put every mans money into his ſackes mouths, and to put his ſilver cup in the youngeſt ſackes mouth, and his corne money, and he did according to his Maſters words, and c. 44.4. He bids him runne after them, and ſay, Why have you returned evill for good? is not this the cup in which my Lord drinks, and for which he would make diligent ſearch, That was an evill act and unlawfull.for ſo I thinke it ſhould be rendred, for the matter of divining was farre enough from Ioſephs. Loe the obedience of this ſervant; he by the light of nature without Scripture, was taught to doe that, and did it, which the holy Scriptures teacheth us to doe, viz. to be obedient to our Maſters, as you reade by Saint Paul to the Epheſ. Co…oſ. As alſo to Timothie, and by Peter. Therefore they are to be blamed, that living in times of clearer light, and enjoying more helps towards vertue, are yet farre leſſe obedience then this man was.
As vineger to the teeth, and ſmoake to the eyes, Salomon in Proverb.ſo is a ſloathfull meſſenger to him that ſends him, and even ſo is a ſloathfull or careleſſe ſervant to them that imploy him: as vineger ſets the teeth an edge, ſmoak makes the eyes to mart, ſo theſe provoke anger and griefe in their Governours. Fulfill therefore the honeſt commandements of your Governours, with ſpeed and diligence, what things they appoint you to diſpatch, let them be diſpatched in fit ſeaſon, and manner. If thou wert a Maſter thou wouldſt have ſuch a ſervant, be thou therfore ſuch a one, and do as thou wouldſt be done by. O but his Maſter (may ſome ſay) bad him doe that which was not lawfull, viz. To lay ſnares for the men, in putting the cup into Benjamins ſacke unawares to him, and then following after them with a grievous accuſation; that they had done great wrong, and ſhewed great ingratitude in taking away his Maſters cup, and ſo bringing them backe as if they had beene great malefactors. I anſwere, that it is probable, Ioſeph had acquainted his Steward with his meaning, that he did this not with an intention of bringing them into ſervitude, or doing them any wrong, but making a little further tryall of them for ſome conſideration, and ſo the thing was not ill done of Ioſeph, nor of him. Let your obedience, therefore know its due limits, obey your Maſters in all things, ſo farre as juſtice and your duty to God will permit.
Thirdly,3. He was very kind curteous to Ioſephs brethren. his carryage to Ioſephs brethren was very kind and curteous, he brings them to his Maſters houſe, ſpeakes comfortably to them, ſaith peace be to you, freeth them from their feares, wherewith they were perplexed, lifts up their hearts to God, and ſaith, he had given them that money, brings Simeon forth to them whom they had left bound behind, and gives them water to waſh their feet, and provender to their Cattle. Loe what ſtore of kindneſſe and courteſie he ſhewes to theſe ſtrangers? his Maſter appointed him to bring them to his houſe, but all the other kind uſage is from himſelfe as it were an over-plus, beſides that which was enjoyned him, out of a good and affable nature, and out of ſome good will he bare them, becauſe he had beene informed of the God of their Fathers.
Now let him be an Example to us, of practiſing like curteſie to ſtrangers, and ſpecially when we ſee them troubled and grieved, and moſt of all, if we perceive them to be ſervants to the true God, learne that vertue of this Steward, though hee was a ſervant, and bond-man, yet it was to Ioſeph.
Thus have I finiſhed the Examples of the Booke of Geneſis, which containes a ſhort and briefe ſtory of the things done from the beginning of the world to the death of Ioſeph, for the ſpace as it is thought by ſome, of 2309 years or therabouts, and of ſome, of 60 more, becauſe they doe differ in judgement, ſo much about the age of Terah, when he begat Abraham.
The maine thing in the whole ſtory to be obſerved is, how wonderfully the providence of God, wrought by degrees, to bring his Church from out of the loynes of Abraham, and to make it a great and mighty Nation, which was but a little family, preſerving truth, and Religion, in that houſehold and lineage, when hee ſuffered all other Nations by little and little to follow their owne way and runne into Idolatry and abominations.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Whately, Prototypes (1640)