Prototypes, Example 7
THE SEVENTH EXAMPLE.
OF HAM, NIMROD, Babilonians.
I Have offered to your conſideration the Examples of the Old World, I proceede to ſpeake of the World that now is, as S. Peter calles it, 1. from the floud to Abraham, and then from Abraham to the death of Ioſeph, for there the Booke of Moſes called Geneſis is concluded. Now here firſt I will ſet before you the bad examples of bad men, then the good examples of good. Of the bad we have Cam, Nimrod, particulars, and the builders of Babel in an heape as it were, and of the good wee have Sem and Iaphet, and the godly poſterity of Sem, whoſe geneologie is noted to ſhew the age of the world till Abram.
Firſt J will begin with Ham and note his parentage and life,Ham. for of his death in particular Moſes hath made no mention. For his parentage, he was the ſon of Noah borne to him before the floud after his 500. yeare. for to that age lived he before he became a Father,His birth. and after that in the whole time of his life hee had no more children, God of purpoſe it may ſeeme giving him but few children, becauſe his minde was to begin the preſent world with a few, as he did the firſt with one man, that ſo his bleſſing in the large increaſe of mankinde afterwards might be more evidently diſcovered. But the youngeſt ſonne was this Ham.
His life.Now for his life I marke three things in it. Firſt, the great benefits God beſtowed upon him. Secondly, the great ſinnes he committed. Thirdly, the great puniſhments which God inflicted upon him for his ſinnes.
In which 1. His benefits, he was ſaved in the Arke from the Deluge.Firſt, God vouchſafed to ſave him in the Arke from the Deluge of waters, ſo that he periſhed not with the world, but eſcaped with his Father and Brethren. It was a ſpeciall and ſingular favour, to make him one of the few, that is, eight perſons that were delivered from the raging waves, and enjoyed the benefit of a miraculous preſervation of that little handfull of men, whereof the Church viſible did then conſiſt. Wee ſee that one was an Hypocrite, a diſſembler, a wicked unſanctified man, who though he continued a profeſſour of the true religion, and worſhipper of the true God with his Father and Brethren, yet was deſtitute of true piety and continued graceleſſe, a ſervant of ſinne, voide of due reverence and charity towards his aged Father, Gods Miniſter and the moſt holy man of all thoſe times, and ſerved God with them alone in outward forme and faſhion. For had he beene truly good he would not have run into ſo foule a ſin, at leaſt he would not have perſiſted in it without repentance as he did.
See then that the Lord ſhewes a great deale of patience, long-ſuffering and goodneſſe to hypocrites in the Church, and maketh them partakers of all outward benefits and priviledges which are beſtowed upon the Church: ſo did Iſhmael live in Abrahams family a long time, and Eſau longer in Iſaacs. So Core, Dathan, Abiram, and the reſt of thoſe rebels and murmurers were brought out of Egypt, paſſed thorough the ſea, ſaw the miracles, and did eate Manna, and drunk water out of the rock, and were ſhadowed with the cloud, and conducted by the pillar of fire among the reſt of the ſons of Iacob. And I pray you to take heed by this warning, of priding and pleaſing your ſelves in this, that you be members of the Church, eſcape divers puniſhments, enjoy many mercies, live in good eſteeme among the godly, and carrie away as great credit as any other men in the Church. All this befell Cham a wicked Hypocrite, and at laſt a damned Reprobate. It is a dangerous thing to flatter our ſelves in a bad eſtate and to couzen our ſelves with falſe arguments, making our ſelves to truſt upon a falſe concluſion, and to judge our ſelves Gods children and in the ſtate of ſalvation, upon ſuch reaſons as have no verity nor ſtability in them. You live in the true Church, ſo did Cham, you live amongſt godly men, have beene borne of godly parents, have beene inſtructed in the doctrine of godlineſſe, ſo was Cham: you have eſcaped great puniſhments, enjoyed great benefits, and beene well reputed of by godly men: all this befell Cham, and all this notwithſtanding Cham was curſed and damned and ſo may you. In after times, the Jewes bragged of the Temple of the Lord, and the Temple of the Lord are we, and yet the Lord rejected them and caſt them out of his ſight. In Chriſts daies the Jewes bragged that Abraham was their Father, for Iohn Baptiſts warning would not ſerve the turne to make them forbeare ſuch idle boaſting of their Pedigree, but our Saviour telleth them that the Divell was their Father; yea Iudas himſelfe was one of Chriſts Familie and Diſciples and Apoſtles, and truſted with the bag, and yet a Divell. O therefore beguile not your ſelves with ill grounded hopes and build not upon a rotten foundation.
If you ſay unto mee, why then you leave us in uncertainty and affoord us no ſure pillar upon which to ground our hopes.
I anſwer, not ſo, but I will turne you to ſome Texts of Scripture that ſhall give you ſure arguments of comfort, from which if you can conclude your ſelves Gods people, that you are ſo indeed and not alone in ſhew, your comforts will hold water as it were in the day of death and judgement. Ierem 7 5. the Prophet bids them thoroughly amend their waies and their doings and not truſt in lying words. Loe thorough and univerſall reformation of heart and life, that, that is the onelyonly ſufficient proofe of being Gods children, and ſuch as ſhall inherit his Kingdome: all that can be alledged without this is no better then lying words which will deceive, So Iohn did after teach the Jewes, Mat. 3.9. Say not wee have Abraham for our Father, that Allegation will prove fruitleſſe if it goe alone, but what muſt they doe more? Bring forth fruits meete for repentance, that is, frame your ſelves to a thorough reformation of your hearts and lives, and ſo S. Iohn teacheth, Hee that doth good is of God, 3. Epiſt of Iohn 11.hee that doth evill hath not ſeene God, whoſoever he be that makes ſo good uſe of thoſe helpes which God hath for that end provided in his Church, as to attaine true repentance, true amendment of life, that is, a conſtant and upright care and endeavour to caſt away all tranſgreſſions and make him a new heart and a new ſpirit, reſolving in nothing to ſinne, but in all things to walke according to the direction of Gods Word, and where he faileth ſtill continuing to lament and confeſſe it before God, judging himſelfe, and craving pardon and helpe in the name of Chriſt, that man ſhall be ſaved, that man is a ſolid Chriſtian, that man is not a Cham, let him rejoyce in God as a true member of the Church: but whatſoever elſe may be either had or done without this bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance, is no more then may be alledged by ſome Cham or other. Therefore againe, I beſeech you ſatisfie not your ſelves with other things, but apply your ſelves to this amendment of heart and life with all ſpeed and with all diligence. Let Cham be your warning, truſt not in lying words.
And further, now that you ſee in the Arke among the eight perſons one Hypocrite, who did afterwards evidently diſcover his hypocriſie, learne to know that there will be ſuch in the Church to the worlds end, as were alſo in the family of Abraham, Iſaac, Iacob, David, Hezekiah and other good men, even tares among the wheate, and goates among the ſheepe, and unfruitfull branches in the vine, that you may learne as to feare your ſelves, ſo eſpecially to ſatisfie your owne hearts, and not to be offended by the like accidents in your owne times. If a man that hath long lived in an orderly courſe of life and gotten himſelfe the name of a good man, and enjoyed many benefits in the Church, ſhall afterwards fall quite away from goodneſſe, and manifeſt himſelfe to have beene no better then a Cham, let not this trouble you nor diſmay you, neither take you occaſion from their wickedneſſe to condemne either goodneſſe it ſelfe or good men, as to ſay that they be all diſſemblers, there is never a better in the pack, but improve their fall to the making of your ſelves more watchfull over your ſelves and prayer-full for your ſelves: and ſtill love and honour Gods Church, though ſome that profeſſe themſelves to be lively members of it, doe manifeſt their guile by their utter falling away at the laſt.
We have done with the goodneſſe of God to Cham in ſuffering him to live in the Arke. Now follow his ſins.
…. His ſinnes. 1. He was a Hypocrite.The firſt ſinne which we gather from that which ſucceeded is this, that he was an Hypocrite, one that contented himſelfe with a bare outward ſhew of goodneſſe, and did not labour for the power of it to humble him, to diſcover his ſecret faults to him, and to heale his ſoule by bringing the Image of God, even the divine nature to him which was alſo the ſinne of Caine before, and after too of Eſau and of Iudas, and Achitophel, and many others. Take you heed of this Brethren, take you heed of this. Beware that you be not Hypocrites, ſatisfied with ſome externall ſhew of religiouſneſſe joyned with civill converſation of life, freedome from groſſe ſinnes, and orderly living to the world-ward, but ſeeke after the ſoule-ſpirit of godlineſſe, which conſiſts in finding out and reforming the corruption of your natures, and the ſecret diſorders of your inward man. He that ſo prayeth and heareth, that theſe ordinances make him ſee and be humbled in the ſight of the filthie quagmire of ſinne that is within him, by which he is carried from God to himſelfe, and to ſinne, and the world for his owne ſake, and labours to have his inſide more and more cleanſed and reformed, and drawne up to God and the things of God, this man is a true Chriſtian. But he that ſatisfies himſelfe in an outward forme of holy duties and of civill honeſt converſation, not diving to the depth of his heart, this man may proove, and if he mend not will proove a guilefull Cham at laſt.
2. He ſaw the nakedneſſe of his Father. Gen. 9 22.But now his next ſinne is, and Ham the Father of Canaan ſaw the nakedneſſe of his Father. If he had ſuddenly and occaſionally come into the place where Noah lay uncovered, and his eyes before he was aware, had lighted on that object, and he had preſently turned away his countenance from it with griefe for his old Parents fault, and out of tender compaſſion, that ſeeing had beene no ſinne. But the meaning is, he gave himſelfe to ſtand and gaze upon his Fathers unbeſeeming carriage and unſeemely parts, ſo as to delight in it, and thereby to ſtirre up and nouriſh in himſelfe a contempt and ſlight eſteeme of his Father. Hee did not ſee it with pitie and remorſe, and make the beſt of it as of a matter of infirmity, into which the good old man fell unawares: but he beheld it with gladneſſe, laughter, deriſion, jeſting, ſporting at his Fathers nakedneſſe and miſdemeanour. This is a great fault to behold the ſinnes and offences chiefely of Parents and other ſuperiours, and moſt of all of godly and holy men. Fathers of the Church and of Religion as well as of our perſons, I ſay, to behold their faults with an over-open and a greedy eye, with ſcorne and ſcoffes and contempt of them and of piety, and of goodneſſe in and thorough them. For this certainely comes from nothing elſe, but a ſecret diſlike and averſneſſe from goodneſſe it ſelfe, againſt which we are glad to pick a quarrell, and are willing to have ſomewhat to object againſt it, that wee may hinder our ſelves from imbracing it, and from a gladneſſe alſo to have ſomewhat to alleadge in excuſe of our owne naughtineſſe, and for the imboldening of our ſelves to perſiſt in it ſtill without feare. It is nothing but hypocriſie, I meane a being contented with a falſe counterfeit goodneſſe, yea willingneſſe to favour and allow our ſelves in our owne ſinnes, that maketh us with joy and delight in our ſelves and ſcorne and contempt againſt them, to gaze upon the faults and ill carriages of the godly men with whom wee live, which is alſo ſo much the more aggravated, if the reverence which we owe them in regard of their places, and love in regard of their neereneſſe to our ſelves, have not beene able to withdraw us from ſuch injuriouſneſſe.
This is one ſinne of Ham, curſed Ham the Father of Canaan, come and examine yourſelves, if none of you have acted Hams part againſt your Parents, againſt the Magiſtrate, againſt the Miniſter, againſt any Chriſtian or neighbour: Have you not beheld the faults of any ſuch with content and gladneſſe in it? have you not beene willing to ſtand thinking of that fault? and to make your hearts thereby bold to deſpiſe and ſleight them, to laugh at them and to cenſure them. If this have beene to a perſon neere and eminent, the fault receives great aggravation by that circumſtance, but if it have beene done to any Chriſtian man though not of ſuch worth or neereneſſe, or to any man at all, it was a wickedneſſe to be abhorred, ſhewing a moſt uncharitable diſpoſition;1 Cor. 13.6. for charity rejoyceth not in iniquity, that is, is not glad to ſee another commit ſinne, and withall an heart that is willing to hide its owne ſinnes and make them ſeeme little or nothing, and make it ſelfe bold to commit them ſtill by beholding other like ſinnes in other men chiefely ſuch as are bound in duty to be, and in reaſon ſhould be expected to be better then ones ſelfe: hee alwaies ſees the faults of others to ſome miſchievous intention and with ſome evill affection that lookes upon them with an open and earneſt eye, as taking king ſome content in this, that ſuch and ſuch alſo be bad as well as himſelfe.
Now if you have runne into ſuch a fault, call it to minde and repent of it, and know that how great ſoever the crime was, your crime was as great or greater in ſo beholding, Hams thus beholding his Fathers nakedneſſe was worſe then his Fathers diſcovering himſelfe. And now I require you to make Ham your warning, doe not as he did, but as your owne conſciences tell you that he ſhould have done. Aske thy ſelfe if thou beeſt a reaſonable man of any judgement, what ſhould this ſonne have done in ſuch a caſe, ſhould he not have turned away his eyes from looking on ſuch a ſpectacle, ſhould he not have ſighed and mourned, and ſaid, alas, alas, how hath this befalne my poore aged and godly Father, O how was he overtaken with wine that was never wont to exceed himſelfe in foode or the like. Should he not have prayed God to forgive him and have told himſelfe in this wiſe, ah doe thou learne O Cham, how weake a thing a man is, and how apt to fall into ſinne, that thy ſelfe maiſt learne to be more watchfull, and ſo have caſt ſome garment over the old man to have ſaved him from further diſgrace, if any other perſon might have had occaſion to approach him: Sure you cannot but yeeld that Chams duty had beene to have carried himſelfe thus reſpectively and pitifully towards his Father, doe you as duty bound him to doe, not as leudneſſe and naughtineſſe prompted him to doe. Mend his faults and imitate them not, be reformers and not followers of what was amiſſe in him: Commiſerate the ſinnes and falls of other men, chiefely Parents, Magiſtrates, Miniſters, Aged men, and men of former godly converſation and of vertuous and religious carriage in other things: I ſay commiſerate them, pray for them, lament their weakeneſſe and their ſlips, take notice of your owne dangers and ſo wake your ſelves by their offences. But whoſoever will contemplate ſuch dolefull ſights with gladneſſe and inſultations, ſaying, Aha, aha, as David ſpeaketh of his Adverſaries, that man will collect boldneſſe to ſinne and impenitencie in ſinne, and a ſleighting of righteouſneſſe and righteous men from ſuch offences, and ſo will ſtumble and fall and deſtroy himſelfe againſt thoſe blockes as they may be termed.
But I come to another fault of Chams. He contented not himſelfe to ſee but muſt alſo blab abroad what he had ſeene,He acquainted his Brethren with his Fathers nakedneſſe. and tells it not alone to one, but to his two Brethren that were without and did not ſee it. He left his Father ſtill uncovered, and gets him out of doores to finde Sem and Iaphet, and ſo ſoone as he met with them, reports, no doubt laughingly and fleeringly what he had ſeene, like enough adding alſo words to this purpoſe, to draw them to the like, and bid them goe in and they ſhould ſee ſuch a thing as they would little have thought ever to have ſeene. But let us ſatisfie our ſelves to take the fault as it is ſet downe. He told the fault and told it to his two Brethren that were without and needed not to have beene acquainted with their Fathers nakedneſſe, if hee wretched whiſperer could have commanded himſelfe ſilence.
So you have in him that foule ſinne of whiſpering of another mans faults behind his backe,Whiſpering is a great ſin. aggravated with the conſideration of the perſons againſt whom he ſinned, his Father, and towards whom, his Bretheren both of them, and where, even without. It is a ſinne and wickedneſſe to ſcatter abroad the faults of others, and to divulge thoſe matters of diſgrace againſt them, which a man might eaſily keepe cloſe, if he were maſter of his mouth, and is not bound by any duty to reveale; and eſpecially to blab them to ſuch as elſe would not know them, and ſuch as might be moſt grieved and hurt by hearing them. This J ſay is a ſinne, it proceedeth either from a twatling laxative humour cauſing that a man muſt vent all he knowes, and be talking of many things, or elſe from an uncharitable diſpoſition to the party whoſe name one tenders not, his perſon one loveth not. It is hurtfull to the ſpeaker, feeding his hypocriſie, making him ready to commit the ſame or the like ſinnes, and hurtfull to the hearer, to infect him or to grieve him, and to him of whom report is made to reproach and diſcredit him, and withdraw the heart of the hearers from him. It is much aggravated when the thing reported is falſe and uncertaine, taken up upon meere heareſay, and the perſon of whom J ſpeake, either my Parent, Brother, Friend or Superior, my Magiſtrate, Maſter, or of note in the Church, as a Miniſter, or eminent in goodneſſe, as this juſt Noah. This was the fault of Cham.
I call upon your conſciences to find out your ſinnes in the like kind, if not degree, have you not ſpoken of the faults of your governours or of others, to others meerely to diſgrace, or elſe meerely to hold up talke when other matter failed. Bretheren do not count this a ſmall offence, a talebearer, a whiſperer, a revealer of ſecrets, is no ſmall offender. Hee doth not walke according to the plaine rule of our Chriſtian Religion, doe as you would be done to, he doth not bridle his tongue, he doth not walke according to charity. He is injurious to the name of another, and a wrong doer to the whole world, by ſcattering abroad examples of evill, hee ſhewes himſelfe no hater of ſinne, that loves as it were the ſmell and favour of it. He is a manifeſt tranſgreſſor of Gods Commandement, and at laſt makes himſelfe odious to thoſe that heare him, and to thoſe that are ill ſpoken of by him. For the hearer cannot chooſe but diſcourſe thus, if hee ſpare not anothers name, whether will he ſpare mine in another place, and therefore I have no reaſon to truſt him or be familiar with him, and he whom he hath miſreported will heare of it at laſt, and then hee will hate him, as a perſon treacherous and falſe-hearted, and cannot but reaſon thus with himſelfe, ſo long I have lived by him and ſo neare, ſo often have I beene in his company, hee never opened his mouth to admoniſh me, but in mine abſence to do me diſgrace hee hath not beene ſparing. It cannot be that he wiſheth my good in his heart, that uſeth not his tongue to do me the greateſt good, that is, to reforme, but doth imploy it to doe me the greateſt hurt he can, that is, to diſgrace me.
Therefore if you have beene whiſperers, ſee the fault and be ſorry. It is a Cham like treſpaſſe; And now charme your tongues I pray you, as from all evill language, ſo ſpecially from telling other mens ſecret ſinnes abroad, and making that open which might have beene well kept cloſe: Whoſoever hath made his Brothers faults, eſpecially a Parents or the like, open to any man, if he himſelfe might have kept them from that one without ſinne, hath committed a ſinne in ſo doing. Further then wee are moved by the neceſſity of our duty to reveale other mens offences, we are bound in duty to conceale them, farther then it would have beene a ſinne not to have ſpoken of them, it cannot but be a ſinne to talke of them. You muſt not thinke, that it is at your liberty to declare your neighbours ſecret faults, when you will your ſelves, you would not have others deale ſo with you. As wee may not lawfully hurt our neighbours body till ſome neceſſity of duty bind us, ſo neither his name, for the ninth Commandement, at leaſt the fift requireth to be as chary of that, as the ſixt doth to be chary of his body. Ceaſe, ceaſe to be whiſperers, above all take heed you bee not worſe then Chams, for hee ſpake nothing but what he ſaw with his owne eyes, O do not you dare to ſpeake what you never ſaw, but either conjecture alone of your owne head, or have onelyonly heard of others.
Thus wee have done with Chams fault, now let us conſider his puniſhments.
3. His puniſhments. 1. God curſed him in his ſon Canaan.God curſed him in his ſonne Canaan, not that himſelfe in perſon was exempted, but that the curſe ſhould ſhew it ſelfe moſt apparently upon Canaan, and that Iſrael might be more encouraged to goe up againſt the Cananites, a nation antiently curſed of God, and his curſe ſtandeth in this, that he ſhould be a ſervant of ſervants, not ſo much to men, although that alſo in that was underſtood and fulfilled, but to Idols, to ſinne, to Satan. So Cham by diſcovering his Fathers fault gets a grievous curſe upon himſelfe and his poſterity.
O learne to terrifie your ſelves from this ſinne, by threatning your ſelves with this curſe. Shall J provoke God to curſe me and my children after me? ſhall I ſow the ſeed of miſery for my ſelfe and thoſe that are to come of my body hereafter? Let Gods ſeverity upon thoſe whereof himſelfe hath given us knowledge in the word, make us carefull to preſerve our ſelves from their offences, and to that let us both acknowledge our owne aptneſſe to the ſame crimes, and inability to deliver our ſelves from them, as alſo crave at the hands of God the gracious helpe of his Spirt to preſerve us.
If any demand. But why ſhould the curſe fall on Canaan for Chams fault?
I Anſwer, The Lord hath all the children of all wicked men ſo farre obnoxious to his juſtice, that it cannot be a wrong in him to puniſh the Father in the ſonnes, or the ſonnes in the Parents. So have we done with Cham.Gen. 10.
The next bad man of whoſe badneſſe the Holy Ghoſt takes notice is Nimrod. Hee was the fourth from Noah, Nimrod.and thus his geneologie riſeth, Noah, Cham, Cuſh, Nimrod. His name ſignifieth wee will rebell, or a rebell, whitherby chance or otherwiſe given to him;What his name ſignifieth. of him this one thing alone is noted, that hee began to be mighty in the earth, Gen. 10.8. hee was a mighty hunter before the Lord, inſomuch that his name gave occaſion to a proverbiall ſpeech, if any man would deſcribe a violent tyrannicall fellow, he would ſay, as Nimrod the mighty hunter. By hunter here is not meant an hunter of beaſts, but an hunter of men, the word tranſlated hunting may well be engliſhed foode or prey, and hee may be called a man of prey, that is, of ſpoile and booty. Hee was the firſt that affected to erect a Monarchie,The firſt that ſtrove to erect a Monarchie. and to make himſelfe a commander over men by force and ſtrength of armes, ſo that his ſinne, was ambition, uſurpation, tyranniſing, that is, a violent inforcing men to yeeld to his dominion,Was as a tyrant and ambitions. whether they would or not, though he had no right or title to command over them, for hee was the ſonne of Cham, who was the youngeſt of Noahs ſonnes, and withall accurſed of God to be a ſervant of ſervants, and yet he would make himſelfe a commander over others, and we have it noted, what City he began firſt to erect his tyrannie in, viz. Babel, whence it may ſeeme the plague ſpoken of afterwards did drive him, and yet he left not but went to other Cities, and made his dominion ſtill larger and larger.
Learne of him to take heed of ambition and tyranny, J need not to pray you to forbeare a tyrannicall uſurpation over Cities and nations, but take you heed of that degree of tyranny which is incident to men of your ranke, even of carrying out your owne will againſt equity and right. A tyrant is an odious name, this mighty hunting made Nimrod infamous, he did openly profeſſe and practiſe it, which ſeemeth to be meant by calling him mighty hunter in the ſight of God. He cared not for God nor man, but openly and in the ſight of God and man attempted to ſubdue the nations and people round about him, and to make himſelfe a great commander. Put away from you ambition, vaine glory, covetouſneſſe, violence, and all thoſe ſinnes which are together wrapped up in this one word tyranny; ſo I have done with theſe two particular ſinners.
I goe on to ſet before you a troupe of ſinners all at once, whereof I conceive that Nimrod was the ringleader, for it was done at Babylon his City which he built, and which he had conſtituted the head and Metrapolitan City of his dominion. The fault you have ſet downe, Gen. 11.2, 3, 4. viz. The Babylonians.that paſſing through the countrey Eaſtward from the place where Noah lived, and meeting with a very fruitfull plaine in the land of Shinar, that is, of Chaldea, Their faults.they conſulted to make brickes (for that the countrey afforded not hewne ſtone,) and to uſe a kind of naturall mortar or ſlime that abounded in that place in ſteed of artificiall mortar, and ſo to build a City and a Towne that ſhould reach up to Heaven, mooved thereto partly out of an ambitious deſire of a great name and credit to continue long afterwards, and to ſpread farre and neere for the preſent, to prevent diſperſion, which their guilty conſciences cauſed them to feare, though no ſuch thing was yet begun to be executed upon them. Here we muſt informe you of their ſinne, which was not ſimply the building of a City, nor building of it of ſuch matter, but ambition and vaine glory, and carnall confidence, and then the puniſhment of their ſinne in the dividing of their tongues, and ſcattering them abroad.
Firſt then their ſin is a vaine-glorious erecting of a ſtrong City and an exceeding high tower, joyned with a confident perſwaſion that they ſhould ſave themſelves from any miſchiefe and calamity, by meanes of their City. The occaſion that did further them to this worke is, that they were all of one language, and ſo would eaſily agree upon a bad thing, and that they met with a fit place, and had fit matter bricke and ſlime, and that they were ſo fully bent upon it to finiſh this their tower, that no meanes was left to ſtop them, but Gods comming downe upon them with ſome heavy chaſtiſement, I conceive that they had finiſhed, or neere finiſhed their City, and were now ſetting apace and eagerly about the tower, afore the Lord did croſſe them by that puniſhment. For ſeeing Babel was the beginning of Nimrods Kingdome, and that he could not have finiſhed it after the diviſion of tongues, if he had not done it wholly, or for the moſt part before, it will follow in likelihood, that they were permitted to ſettle therealong while, and to finiſh their City. But when they grew ſo mad that with a City they would have a Tower, as it were to outface God and ſave them from diſperſion in deſpight of him, then it was high time for the Lord himſelfe to oppoſe them.Vaine-glory, Carnall confidence. Obſtinacie. Here there are 3. ſinnes, 1. Vaine-glory, 2. Carnall confidence, 3. Wilfulneſſe and obſtinacy. Vaine-glory, for they ſought a name by an exceeding ſtrong City and high Tower. 2. Carnall confidence, for they imagined to make themſelves ſafe from diſperſion and miſery, by meanes of that City and Tower. 3. Obſtinacy, becauſe that God himſelfe witneſſeth they were ſo fully bent upon their projects, that except by violence, there was no way to ſtop them in their attempts. Here be 3. ſinnes in the Babel builders Tower.
They gave themſelves to earthly mindedneſſe in hunting after a name, and this they would get forſooth, by ſuch a building as the world had never ſeene the like for greatneſſe and height, and never ſhould ſee.Vaine-glory a ſinne. Be not you vaine-glorious, ſtudying to doe ſome earthly vaine thing, for which you may be talked of farre and neere, and for a long time. This is vaine-glory, the vice by which men affect to be famous and much talked of, and magnified in the world for ſome great earthly matter that they have gotten, for getting a great deale of riches together, for raiſing their family, for a fine houſe, for being the firſt that did ſuch or ſuch a thing or the like. Be not I ſay vaine-glorious, let not your hearts affect this foaming froth of mens tongues. Care not for ſuch kinde of praiſes and commendations: but ſet your hearts upon better things, to get you a name in Heaven, and in earth to be good, holy, juſt. Praiſe is a thing which the Apoſtle commandeth us to follow, but by praiſe he meaneth praiſe worthy things, not praiſe it ſelfe further then it is a neceſſary effect and companion of things praiſe-worthy. Be good for conſcience ſake to God, that ſo you may have, though you ſeeke not after it, good eſteeme of men and their good reports. This vaine-glory will ſo choake all true deſire of goodneſſe and all true goodneſſe, that at laſt it will make you to fall into that high degree of Hypocriſie, as with the Phariſees you ſhall doe all your deeds to be ſeene of men, and if you doe any good thing, ſhall even looſe your reward in Heaven.
But againe, take heede alſo of carnall confidence, that is,2. Carnall confidence is a ſin. promiſing your ſelves ſafety from any affliction in reſpect of any outward thing. That is carnall confidence, to make ones ſelfe beleeve that he ſhall continue ſecure from all earthly dangers in reſpect of a Citie, a Tower, a friend, a great eſtate, or the like. Alas, all theſe things be vanity and lies, they are the arme of fleſh. Truſt not in Princes, truſt not in Horſes or in Chariots, truſt not in wiſedome, truſt not in man. The Holy Ghoſt doth every where diſſwade men from this vaine confidence, and pronounceth a curſe againſt them that truſt in fleſh and tells them that they withdraw their hearts from God. He that conceiveth ſo well of any earthly thing as to promiſe himſelfe ſafety from that, is made careleſſe by that of ſeeking Gods favour, and is ſo earneſt after that, as hee will not have leaſure to thinke of pleaſing and obeying God, and ſeeking to him and truſting on him. It is a fearefull ſinne, and yet a common one, hardly can men keepe their hearts from committing this idolatry, you muſt humbly pray to God to diſcover to you the vanity of all earthly and terrene things, and to ſhew his Omnipotency and All-ſufficiency, that ſo he may be your confidence and your dread.
Laſtly, beware of that ſinne of wilfullneſſe and obſtinacie,3. Obſtinacie is a ſin. that are ſo bent upon an evill courſe, as no words nor other like meanes will turne you from your ill courſes, this was the ſinne of Elies ſonnes, of Pharaoh, of Iſrael, of Amaziah. This is a fore-runner of miſchiefe, Hee that hardens his heart againſt a reproofe ſhall ſurely come to miſchiefe, let no man ſtay him. When the Lord ſees that words will not ſerve the turne, he comes with rods, and if the rod will not divert men from their evill paths, then ſwords muſt. Wherefore put you on a flexible and tractable diſpoſition, and an heart that will eaſily be diſſwaded from an evill way. Pray to God, pray to him to give you a minde full of light that may quickly diſcerne evill, and an heart full of ſoftneſſe that may quickly be withdrawne from it.
Now conſider the puniſhments, God comes downe to ſee, that is,Their puniſhment. takes notice of their ſinne and wilfullneſſe in it, and therefore conſults with himſelfe, the Father with the Sonne and Holy Ghoſt to goe downe (by the powerfull worke of his hand) and to confound their languages, and by that meanes to ſtop their worke and ſcatter them thence, from which effect the world did call that Citie Babel or confuſion, ſo inſtead of great honour and a great name, they gate ſhame and confuſion, and were thence diſperſed, from whence they expected ſafety from diſperſion. Thus God catcheth the wicked in their owne devices, brings miſchiefe on them from that wherein they truſted for ſafety, and ſhame from that from which they expected glory. Yea ſee here, that God hath ſtrange and unwonted puniſhments to lay upon ſinners, for who would have ever had a dreame of ſuch a thing as this, viz. to have them made unable to ſpeake their mother languages, and all of a ſodaine to ſpeake gibriſh one to another. So powerfull is God over man that he can take from him, his tongue, his wit, his ſoule, all things in a moment.
The puniſhment of ſtrange languages is a heavie puniſhment.It was an heavie chaſtiſement making way to much ignorance and barbariſme, and to much warre and bloudſhed, and to a great eſtrangement among mankinde, and to great toile and labour for the getting of all learning, and cauſing much errour and miſtaking in all Arts and Sciences chiefely in Religion, ſo that next to our caſting out of Paradiſe and to the floud it deſerveth the name of the heavieſt puniſhment that the world hath felt, yea in reſpect of the ſucceſſion of men it was worſe then the floud, that onelyonly drowned the men who lived in the preſent time, this hath drowned in ignorance and errour all ſucceeding times. Let us feare the Lord our God who onelyonly doth wonderfull things, and can tell how to plague his enemies with heavie ſcourges. We have now finiſhed the Examples of theſe bad men.
Sem and Iaphet, their vertues, they covered their Fathers nakednes. Gen. 9.23.Looke to the good, Sem and Iaphet, and Sems poſterity to Abram. Of Sem note his good deed, his reward and his death; for his good deed, it was common with him and Iaphet, they went backward, and ſo covered their Fathers nakedneſſe, that they might not ſee it, partly out of modeſty, and partly out of filiall reverence and reſpect which they bare unto him. Thus, thus ſhould all good children doe, even refuſe to ſee their Parents nakedneſſe or any thing that might withdraw a due regard and feare of them, any ſinnes or weakeneſſes of theirs notwithſtanding, yea all men ſhould be ſo truly loving one towards another, as to uſe the mantle and veile of love to cover a multitude of ſinnes, ſo as to goe backward as it were and not ſee them. Wee ſhould what in us lies and ſo farre as duty will ſuffer, conceale the faults of all men, further then the neceſſity of healing them and of preventing the miſchiefe that may elſe follow of them will permit us. Every man would be ſo dealt withall himſelfe. Who doth not praiſe the vertuous carriage of theſe two Brethren. Imitate it, I beſeech you chiefely towards Parents, Magiſtrates, Miniſters, keepe ſecret if you can their ſecret faults, and hide their ſhame from breaking forth. Nothing is more fit to be covered then ſinne. It is like a carkaſſe which doth leaſt hurt when it is buried under ground, ſo farre therefore as duty will ſuffer you, bury, bury it, under ground with it, and let it lie hid under the garment of ſilence. See it not if you can chooſe, ſay nothing of it more then you muſt needs.
Now conſider the bleſſing with which their goodneſſe was rewarded,Their benefits, true religion was continued in their poſterity. Sem had God for his God and the dominion of Canaan given him, that is, the true Religion was to continue in his poſterity, the Meſſiah to come of him, and his ſeede to have the poſſeſſion of the land of Canaan, and Iaphet at laſt was to be brought to the participation of the ſame Religion with him, by the perſwaſion of the Goſpell. So it is a great mercy to have the true Religion continued in a mans poſterity, and to be brought from errour unto the truth. Whether Iaphets ſelfe were a godly man, it is not certaine, but in doubtfull things it is good to incline to the beſt ſide, and to take things in the beſt part, therefore we will hope that he was ſo, and with Sem did inherit the bleſſing in his perſon as well as after his ſeed was admitted unto it. And let us now bleſſe God that hath performed this Propheſie, for it is likely that we of theſe Countries are of Iaphets poſterity, and now we ſee the Lord of Heaven be bleſſed, that God hath perſwaded us to accept and imbrace Chriſt and ſo to dwell indeed in the tents of Sem.
But now for the ſeede of Sem they were theſe,The ſeede of Sem. Gen. 11.10. Arphaxad who lived 438 yeares, almoſt 200 fewer then his Father Sem, as Sem did 350 fewer then Noah. Selah who lived 433 yeares, the halfe alone of the lives of men before the floud, for at the floud God did ſhorten mens lives by halfe, to keepe them from ſo great a height of wickedneſſe, as in that long lived age they came unto, and to ſhorten the toile of the godly upon earth. Heber lived 464, the longeſt of all but Sem after the floud, it is likely he was a very worthy man, from him the name Hebrewes came to his poſterity, and endured for many yeares after. Peleg lived 239 yeares, about the building of the Tower of Babel, ſo you ſee then God ſhortened mans life one halfe, ſeeing them againe to grow ſo exorbitantly wicked. Reu lived alſo 239 yeares, juſt as long as his Father, which is not found in any other that I remember. Serug lived 230 yeares. Nahor lived 148 yeares, it may ſeeme that he was the firſt of the Patriarkes that fell to Idolatry, for Laban ſware by the gods of Nahor, therefore his life is almoſt by halfe as ſhort as any of his predeceſſors. Then Terah lived 205 yeares, he fell to Idolatry but repented afterwards and went with his ſonne Abraham towards the land of Canaan, dying in the way, and buried his eldeſt ſonne before himſelfe, which had not befalne any Patriarke before that we reade of. (*⁎*)