Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Book 2 · Chapter 42

Commentary on Genesis and Exodus · Book 2 · Chapter 42

p. 351CHAP. XLII.

1. The Method or Argument of the Chapter.

IN this chapter, first is set downe the comming of Israels sonnes into Egypt, wherefore they came, to buy food, vers. 1, 2. which of them came, all but Benjamin, and why? left he should die by the way, vers. 4.

Secondly, the manner of their entertainment in Egypt, is described, from, vers. 7. to v. 26. 1. Ioseph dealeth roughly with them: in charging them to be spies, vers. 7. to 16. then in detaining Simeon, and binding him before their eies, till such time as they brought Benjamin, vers. 20. to 24. other interlocutory speeches are inserted, of the Patriarkes among themselves, in confessing their sinne toward their brother, vers. 21. 2. Ioseph sheweth this kindnesse to his brethren, in causing their money to bee put in their sacks mouth, vers. 25.

Thirdly, their returne home is expressed. 1. What happened in the way as they went, that in opening of their sacks they found their money. 2. The report and narration to Iacob of their manner of handling and entertainement in Egypt. 3. The refusall of Iacob to send his sonne Benjamin with them, although Ruben earnestly perswaded him.

2. The divers readings.

v. 1. Why are ye… negligent, or sloathfull? H.S.C. why gaze yee, or looke ye one upon another? B.G.T.P. heb.S.C.H.c. T.G.r H.S. ad.

v. 2. Buy us necessaries from thence. H. buy us food. S.G. corne. B. buy us from thence. T.C.P. heb.

v. 4. &. 36. Lest he take hurt by the way. H. be sicke by the way. S. die in the journey. C.G. lest destruction befall him. B. T. P. as…n, destruction, death.

v. 7. He considered, what he should say unto them. C. he made himselfe strange unto them. cae…er.C.c, S.c. S.H. alts

v. 9. Ye are come to consider the passages of the land. S. to see the weakenesse or nakednesse. caeter.

v. 11. We are peaceable men, and intend no evill. H. we are peaceable and no spies. S. we meane truly, and are no spies. B. G. we are true or honest men, and no spies. C.T.P. heb cun, right, true.

v. 16. By the health of Pharaoh. H.S. by the life of Pharaoh. C.B. G. so may Pharaoh live. T. P. heb.T.r.

Yee shall be carried away. S. ye shall be in bonds. caet.

v. 19. Carry the corne, which ye have bought for your houses. H. carrie the corne which ye have bought.S. cor. S. carrie the corne, which faileth in your houses. C. carry corne for the famine of your houses. G. to put away the famine of your houses. B. P. carry corne, the famine whereof is in your houses.T.C.r. T. carry corne of the famine of your houses· heb.

v. 25. To fill their sacks with corne. H.B.G. to fill their vessels or instruments with corne. C. T.P. calah,T.G.r. a vessell.

v. 30. Put us in prison as spies of the countrey. S. G. tooke us for spies of the countrey. caeter.S. G. c. T. C.r.

v. 33. take vi…ctualls necessary for your houses. H. take corne which ye have bought for your houses. S. take food to put away the famine of your houses. B.G. B. take corne, that failed in your houses. C. take that whereof there is a famine in your houses. T. take the famine of your houses. heb.

v. 34. Ye may receive him that is kept in bonds. H. I will deliver your brother. caet.H. cor.

v. 35. They every one found the bundels of money. H. they and their father, &c. caet.

v. 36. Simeon is in bonds. H Simeon is not. caet.H. cor. H. cor. T.B.G.r.

v. 36. All these evils are fallen upon me. H. all these things are upon me. S. C. against me. caet.

v. 38. My gray haires to hell. H.C. old age to hell. S. to the grave. B.G.T.P. sheol, the grave.

3. The explanation of doubtfull questions.

QUEST. I. How they are said one to gaze on another.

Vers. 1. WHy gaze ye? 1. Not as though they set a good face upon the matter, and would not be knowne to want, because of the Canaanites among them. 2. Neither doth this phrase shew any contention or strife among them: as straining curtesie, who should seeke out first. 3. Nor yet did they one gaze and stare upon another, musing to see how they were altered and changed with famine. 4. But the simple meaning is, that they stood as men amazed, not knowing what to doe: to the same purpose the Septuagint translate, why are yee idle? &c. Mercer.

QUEST. II. How the Patriarkes descend into Egypt.

Vers. 2. GEt ye downe. 1. The Hebrews note is curious, who out of the word redu, goe downe, the letters whereof, make 210. doe gather the time of the abode of the Israelites in Egypt. 2. It is not like that they went downe into Egypt of purpose to seeke out Ioseph whom they had thither sold, as repenting of their fact. 3. But God so directed Iacob, that he sendeth them thither, that Iosephs dreames might take due effect: for now they all humbling themselves to Ioseph for food, doe revereverence to his sheafe, as Ioseph formerly had dreamed, Mercer.

p. 352QUEST. III. How Ioseph could know his brethren, and not be knowne of them.

Vers. 7. WHen Ioseph saw his brethren, he knew them, &c. 1. He knew them at the very first sight of them, not as the Hebrews imagine, because all strangers, that came for corne, gave up their names before they came into the citie, who they were, and from whence they came. 2. Neither needed Ioseph of purpose disguise himselfe in his habite as some of them again think, not to be discerned of his brethren: for they pressed upon him unawares among others, that came for corne. 3. Therefore it was an easie matter for Ioseph to know his brethren, because they were at mans estate when they sold him, Mercer and Ioseph might take specially view of them, when they did so afflict him: as men beset of theeves take speciall notice of them, Muscul. and by one, Ioseph might know another, whereas if hee had seene them asunder, it had not beene so easie; their speech also was the same, nothing altered, P…er. 4. But Ioseph was not knowne of them: he was altered in stature, countenance, and voice, being but a child of 17. yeares when they sold him: his imprisonment and afflictions might much alter him. Likewise his princely state and pompe tooke away all suspition and surmise from his brethren, that he was Ioseph: as also he spake not unto them in hebrew, but by an interpreter.

QUEST. IV. Wherefore Ioseph speaketh roughly at the first to his brethren.

Vers. 7. HE spake to them roughly. Ioseph thus dealeth with his brethren for divers reasons. 1. That by this meanes they might be brought to the knowledge of their sinne committed against him: for men by afflictions learne to know themselves: as these also did, vers. 21. Mercer. 2. The more roughly they were handled at the first, the more acceptable was the favour shewed afterward, and the benefit appeared so much the greater, Augustin. qu. 46. in Genes. 3. By this meanes Ioseph came to the knowledge of his fathers state and Benjamins, for he might feare, seeing onelyonly Benjamin wanting, lest they had of malice against Ioseph, wrought some evill against him, being his only brother by his mother. Chrysost. hom. 64. and Calvin.

QUEST. V. What Ioseph meaneth by the weakenesse of the land.

Vers. 9 YE are spies, and are come to see the weakenesse of the land. 1. By the weakenesse of the land, we neither understand with some, the idlenesse and slothfulnesse of the people: although the Egyptians, by reason of the overflowing of Nilus which made the grounds fruitfull, were much given to sloth. 2. Nor yet with Aben Ezra doe we expound, the nakednesse, to be the secrets of the land, because▪ the naked parts are secret. 3. Nor with the Septuagint, vestigia, the waies or passages into the country. 4. But the weake places, were the unwalled and undefenced townes, as the Latine, which Mercerus aloweth, readeth, immunita loca, places without defence. And that this specially belongeth to sp…e…, Moses sheweth, who giveth this charge to those which were set to spie out the land of Canaan: Consider the land, what it is, and the people that dwell therein, whether they be strong or weake, many or few, whether the land be good or bad, whether they dwell in tents or walled townes, Numbers 13.19, 20.

QUEST. VI. Why they alledge that they were all one mans sonnes.

Vers. 11. WE are all one mans sonnes, &c. 1. It is not like, as the Hebrewes conjecture, that these ten brethren did disperse themselves, at their entring into Egypt, and every man tooke a sundry way to seeke Ioseph, and that they confessed so much unto him, whereupon hee tooke occasion to say they were spies: for concerning Ioseph, they supposed that he was dead, vers 13. But Ioseph doth thus charge them rather, because they came in that company as conspirators: and therefore they goe about to excuse the matter, for their comming so together. 2. Wherefore their meaning is this, 1. That the cause of their so comming in one company was, for that they were brethren, and so much the more unlike to be spies because they came together, whereas spies use to disperse themselves, Mercer. 2. And seeing they are brethren, it is like that their father would have imployed his servants rather than sonnes in such a businesse, Muscul. 3. And seeing it was a capitall crime and danger to be a spie, it is unlike that one man would hazzard all his children at once, Iun.

QUEST. VII. Whether Ioseph made a lie, and so offended, in charging his brethren to be spies.

BUt now whereas Ioseph against his owne knowledge chargeth his brethren to bee spies, seeing they came for corne, how was not this a fault in Ioseph, so to dissemble? 1. I neither will yeeld this to have beene an infirmity in Ioseph with Calvin. 2. Neither with some, excuse this fact, and say it was, iocosum mendacium, a pleasant lie, or in sport. 3. Much lesse was it a purposed lie, as though Ioseph should sweare to it, by the life of Pharaoh: for by that oath hee affirmeth not that they are spies, but bindeth them to bring their brother Benjamin. 4. Wherefore I thinke rather that Ioseph used here no lie at all. 1. But not in that sense, as R Salomon taketh it, as though Ioseph had called them spies one way, because they searched the next way into the land of Egypt out of Canaan, and that they understood Ioseph another way: for Ioseph expoundeth himselfe that he meaneth spies properly, that they came to see the weakenesse of the land. 2. Neither doth he speake in the opinion of others, that they are counted spies, but this thrice urging of that word, sheweth that he spake as from his owne judgement. 3. Neither doth he speake figuratively turning his finger to himselfe, and that they spied out his weakenesse, and abused his youth and simplicity, when they sold him to the Ismaelites, as Rupertus. 4. But I rather thinke, that Ioseph thrice spake, not assertive, by way of assertion, or affirmation, but probative and tentative, by way of question to trie them, which was no lie nor dissimulation at all: as neither was that in our Saviour, that to make triall of his disciples humanity, made shew as though he would have gone further, Luke. 24.

p. 353QUEST. VIII. Whether Ioseph had before forgotten his dreames.

Vers. 9. ANd Ioseph remembred the dreames, which he dreamed of them. 1. Not that Ioseph had either made small account before of his dreames, seeing the contrary event in his imprisonment and other afflictions. 2. Or that prosperity had made him to forget his former visions. 3. But now, when he saw his dreames to take effect, he doth more lively remember them, & better understandeth them than before, as it is said of the disciples, that they understood not those things, which were said of Christ at the first, but after hee was glorified, then they remembred that they were written of him, Iohn 12.16. Calvin.

QUEST. IX. Whether Ioseph sweareth by the life of Pharaoh, or therein did wel.

Vers. 15. BY the life of Pharaoh you shall not goe hence. First some excuse Ioseph here, admitting this to be an oath. 1. Because in effect he did sweare by God, who was the author of Pharaohs health and life. 2. Some againe doe extenuate his oath, that he sware in effect by nothing, as Socrates used to sweare by a goose, or dog, Zeno by the Caper tree, to shew the vanity of the heathen that used to sweare by their Gods: but it is not like, that Ios…ph set so light by the health of Pharaoh, as Augustine well noteth: an bono & fideli servo vilis fuerit salus Pharaonis? 3. Some would excuse it, because I…s…ph was not in good earnest, but did all this in a friendly kind of dissimulation: but as it is not lawfull to lie in jest, so much lesse to sweare in jest.

Secondly they that denie this to have beene an oath, 1. Some say it was but a vehement kind of obtestation, as Moses calleth heaven and earth to witnesse, Deut. 30.19, and as a man may contest▪ by his faith, by his head, and such like, Calvin. But yet this will not helpe, for our Saviour condemneth, whatsoever in our speech is used beside yea, or nay, Math. 5. that out of Deut. is a patheticall compellation of the creatures to be witnesse, against the people of their ingratitude and disobedience, which is much unlike this case here. 2. Some hold this speech of Ioseph to be an execration: as if he should say, he wished Pharaoh no otherwise to live, than he would doe as he said, Thom. Aquinas. But Ioseph was more reverent and respective of Pharaohs health and life. 3. Iunius saith it is a constant kinde of affirmation used both among Christians, and others: and will have it like to those asseverations, 1 Sam. 2.2…. O my Lord (Anna saith to Eli) as thy soule liveth, and Abner saith to Saul, as thy soule liveth (O king) I cannot tell, 1 Sam. 17.55. and as the use was to sweare by the soule of the Emperour, as he alleageth out of Vlpianus: But herein I cannot consent unto that learned man: for in those phrases, they alwayes either protested by themselves, in the first person, as 2 King. 6.31. God do so to mee, and more also: or by those to whom they speake, in the second person, as in the examples given in instance: and therefore the case is not all one with this: And concerning that use, to protest by the Emperous soule, though it continued under Christian Emperors, yet it is certaine that it was taken up before in the time of Idolatry, when they ascribed divine honours to their Emperors. 4. Wherefore I rather incline to thinke, that this kind of speech, to say, by the life of Pharaoh, was used commonly in Egypt as an oath, partly of flattery, partly of superstition, in ascribing too much to their Kings: which use they seeme to have derived from the Hebrewes, that as they used to sweare vivit dominus, the Lord liveth, so they, Pharaoh liveth: and the Hebrewes write, that to this day it is a law among the Egyptians, that he which falsly sweareth by the kings head in a pecuniarie matter, shall be put to death, Perer. yea and the imperiall law is, that he which did commit perjury, swearing per genium Imperatoris, by the soule or spirit of the Emperour, should be beaten with clubs, and it should be written over his head foreign, sweare not rashly, Iun. ex Vlpian. But yet Ioseph in this place of purpose sweareth not, but by the common use and custome spake as the rest did, as it appeareth by his twice using of the same words together: like as in our English tongue, many suddenly will say (Mary) having no intent to sweare: which notwithstanding at the first (I thinke) was taken up as an oath by the name of Marie: And beside Ioseph doth conforme himselfe of purpose to the Egyptian phrase, that his brethren should not suspect him to be an Hebrew, which they might easily have done, if he had said, as the Lord liveth: Therefore although Ioseph may be somewhat herein excused, yet can he not be cleared or justified, but that living among a superstitious people, he was somewhat polluted also by their manners, Mercer. Genevens. annot. in the great Bible: and so Iosephs brethren did take it, that he charged them with an oath.

QUEST. X. Whether Ioseph did forsweare himselfe.

Vers. 16. BY the life of Pharaoh yee are but spies. It might seeme that Ioseph here did forsweare himselfe, because they were indeed no spies. 1. It doth not satisfie to say, he did not forsweare, because there is no mention made directly of God: for though we ought onelyonly to sweare by the name of God, yet he that sweareth fa…sly by any other thing, forsweareth himselfe: It seemeth it was the Pharises doctrine that a man might sweare by other things as well as God, so they did not forsweare: but our Saviour, not m…sliking their caution against forswearing, sheweth further, that it is not lawfull so much as to sweare at all, by the heaven or earth, by the head, &c. Math. 5.34. 2. Neither sufficeth it to say that Ioseph did sweare in jest, not in good earnest, and therefore forsweareth not: for an oath is not to be used in sport, but we must sweare in judgement, Ierem. 4.2. that is, advisedly. 3. Wherefore to exempt Ioseph from perjurie, first he saith, by the life of Pharaoh, ye shall not goe hence, except your youngest brother come hither: this was performed, for they did not all goe, but left one bound to be a pledge for the rest: Againe hee saith, if they failed in bringing their brother, by the life of Pharaoh they were spies: that is, as their words should not prove true for the one, so they might very well bee suspected for the other, and worthily held to bee spies: so Augustine well expoundeth, Exploratores deputabimini p. 354merito mendacii vestri; You shall deserve by your lie to be counted spies, quast. 139. in Genes. And againe they did in a manner take it upon them, to be counted spies, if it were not true which they said, Mercer.

QUEST. XI. Why Simeon was taken and bound rather than any other.

Vers. 24. HE tooke Simeon from among them, and bound him. 1. They did not choose Simeon, to be a pledge for the rest, but Ioseph tooke him. 2. Either because Ioseph had experience of his bloudy minde against the Sichemites, and so might hold him a principall agent in his affliction; and some hold that Iudas Iscariot, that betrayed our blessed Saviour, came of this Simeon. 3. Or because he would not assist Ruben, in delivering of Ioseph, being the next in yeares, and so they both joyning together might have swayed the rest, sic Theodoret, quaest. 102. in Genes. 4. Or rather, because he was the author of the conspiracie to kill Ioseph, and the first that let him downe into the pit, as Philo thinketh. 5. Ab… Ezra, whom Iunius followeth, saith, Ioseph tooke Simeon for the rest, because he was the eldest, not Ruben, whom he spared for his kindnesse and brotherly affection toward him, though he committed him to prison with the rest at the first, lest he should have bewrayed himselfe. 6. And Ioseph knew Simeon to be of an unquiet and turbulent spirit, and therefore detained him, lest he might have hindered the motion for the bringing of Benjamin, Muscul.

QUEST. XII. Who it was that opened his sacke in the Iune, and what sacke.

Vers. 27. AS one of them opened his sacke to give his asse provender, &c. 1. Some say this was Levi that opened his sacke, some thinke it was Ruben, but it cannot be certainely gathered who it was. 2. One of them opened his sacke, not that great one wherein they carried their corne, as Ramban; for it is not like that they gave their asses wheat, neither yet was it the purse wherein they put their money, as Mercer. for he thereout tooke provender for his horse, but it was another lesser sacke, wherein they carried provision for their asses, Iun. and therefore another word is here used (amthacath, which signifieth a bag that is stretched out) than before, where that, wherein they carried their wheat, is called (sack) a sacke, the same in English and Hebrew. 3. And though they were in an Inne, it might be that there was no provender to be had, but such as they had brought; the word is malon, a lodging place, not like unto our Innes, where provision is made both for man and beast, Muscul.

QUEST. XIII. Whether one or all opened their sacks in the Iune.

BUt whereas one of them is here said to open his sacke, and finde his money, and the rest at home in the presence of their father, vers. 35. and yet Gen. 43.21. they are all said to have opened their sacks in the Inne: for the solution hereof. 1. Some thinke, that indeed one of them did open his sacke in the Inne, and the rest at home: but they in reporting of it make but mention of the Inne, to be more compendious, Iun. or by a synechdoche, all are said to doe it, because one did, Muscul. or they joyne together, that which was done in the Inne,Reconciliation of places. and the house. But none of these answers doe satisfie, for still the contradiction remaineth: for they thus say to Iosephs steward, As we came to an Inne, and opened our sacks, behold, every mans money was in our sacks mouth, Gen. 43.21. then it must needs be that every mans sack was opened. 1. For it is not like, that after one had opened his sacke, and found his money, but that the rest, wondering at it, would trie whether they had theirs also. 2. To say that the rest of their money was not in the sacks mouth, but in the midst as some Hebrewes, and that therefore they opened their sacks againe at home, is against the text before alleaged, every man found his mony in his sacks mouth. 3. Beside as one opened his sacke to give his asse provender, so it is like the other did so also: for that one asse carried provender for all the rest, as Mercerus conjectureth, was neither likely nor possible. 2. Wherefore I thinke rather, that they all opened their sacks, and found their money in the Inne, and knit up their sacks againe, till they came at home, and then in the presence of their father emptied their sacks, that he might see also where the money was put.

QUEST. XIV. Of Rubens inconsiderate speech.

Vers. 37. SLay my two sonnes, if I bring him not to thee. 1. This was but a foolish offer of Ruben, for what satisfaction had it beene to Iacob, if Benjamin had miscarried, to kill two of his nephewes? and indeed it seemeth that Ruben, though the eldest, was not the wisest, as it is evident, by that his folly, in lying with his fathers concubine, for the which fact he lost his birthright, and it was given to Ioseph, 1 Chron. 5.1. 2. Yet because Iacob had them in jealousie, for making away of Ioseph, Ruben by this speech would take all suspition from his father, of any hard measure to bee offered to Benjamin, Calvin, Ruben speaketh here but of two sons, whereas he had foure in all, Gen. 46.9. either because two of them were but little ones, and the other therefore more deare unto him, Mercer. or because these two only were now in sight and present, when Ruben uttered this inconsiderate speech, Iunius.

4. Places of Doctrine.

1. Doct. How the Iewes should be intreated at the hands of Christian Princes.

Vers. 17. SO he put them in ward, three daies. Rupertus would have this proceeding of Ioseph against his brethren, to be a pattern for Christian Princes, how they should intreat the Iewes: that as Ioseph doth only imprison them, and handle them roughly, to bring them to knowledge and confession of their treachery against him: so Christian governors should not put the Iewes to death, but use them hardly, by laying taxes and impositions upon them, that at the length they may be brought to repentance p. 355for their blasphemies against Christ: as it is in the Psalme, Slay them not lest my people forget it, but scatter them abroad by thy power, Psal. 59.12. Rupert. lib. 9. comment. in Gen. cap. 4.

2. Doct. Where the feare of God is not, there can be no true vertue.

Vers. 18. THis doe and live, for I feare God, &c. Ioseph biddeth them bee secure of his sincere and true dealing with him, because he feared God: so that true religion is the fountaine of vertue and honest dealing: they therefore that feare not God may for a while make a semblance and shew of honestie, but it cannot be in truth, where the ground of true religion is wanting: where therfore the feare of God is not, we cannot expect any vertuous action, as Abraham reasoned with himselfe when he sojourned in Gerar, The feare of God is not in this place, and they will slay me for my wives sake, Gen. 20.12.

3. Doct. The guilt of sinne remaineth when the act is past.

Vers. 21. THey said one to another, we have verily sinned against our brother. By this wee learne, that although the act of sinne be done and past, yet the guilt and conscience of sinne may continue, as here the sinne which they had committed against Ioseph 23. yeares before, is revived, Muscul. As the Lord said to Cain, If thou doest not well, sinne lieth at the doore, Gen. 4.7. It lieth lurking in the doore of the conscience, ready upon every occasion to assault us.

4. Doct. The author of affliction, it commeth not by chance.

Vers. 28. WHat is this that God hath done unto us? These men having a guilty conscience, thinke that God meeteth with them in every corner: yet this good perswasion they have, that nothing hapned to them by chance, as this, the finding of their mony in their sacks mouth, but they ascribe all to Gods providence, they make him the authour of their crosses and affliction, Calvin. As David in like manner saith, that the Lord bid Shemei curse him, 2 Sam. 16.11.

5. Places of Confutation.

1. Confut. Saint Pauls prophecie of some that should give eare to the doctrine of devils, fulfilled in the Synagogue of Rome.

Vers. 6. THey bowed their face to the ground before him. Here Iosephs brethren unwittingly doe fulfill Iosephs prophecie, that they should fall downe unto him and doe him reverence: like as the Jewes did ignorantly accomplish many things in the passion of Christ, which were foretold by the Prophets: So also they which in these dayes give eare to the doctrines of devils in the Romish and Antichristian Synagogue, doe fulfill the prophecie of the Apostle, 1 Tim. 4.1. some of them of ignorance and simplicity, but their blinde guides of malice and obstinacie against the truth, Muscul.

2. Confut. Against Purgatory.

Vers. 8. IOseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. Augustine propounding this question, how it came to passe that all this time of Iosephs prosperity he sent no word to Iacob, but he continued still mourning for his sonne, giveth this reason, Quoniam sine istis minutis peccatis Iacob esse non potuit, volens Deus illa parva peccata in hoc seculo igne tribulationis consumere, &c. Because Iacob could not be without some small sinnes, God would by this meanes purge them with the fire of tribulation in this world, serm. 82. de tempor. If small sinnes then (which they call veniall) bee purged in this world, then there is nothing remaining to be cleansed in purgatory fire afterward, which they say serveth to the purging, not of mortall, but veniall sinnes: and indeed Iob well sheweth that our purgatory fire is in the affliction and sorrow of this life, where he saith, Exibo ut aurum, I shall come forth like gold, Iob 23.10. And the Prophet saith, That the Lords fire is in Sion, and his furnace at Ierusalem, Isa. 31.9. it is not then in hell or Purgatory. I much muse that Pererius alleaging this sentence of Augustine, could not perceive how strongly it maketh against Purgatory.

3. Confut. Against the swearing by Saints.

Vers. 15. BY the life of Pharaoh ye shall not goe hence, &c. Thomas Aquinas justifieth this fact of Ioseph, in swearing by the life of Pharaoh, and would warrant thereby the swearing by creatures, as namely by Saints: for an oath, saith he, is made two wayes, by execration, when some creature is produced, that God should shew his judgement upon if one sweare falsly, as when one sweareth by his head, or such like: the other way is by contestation, either directly, when the name of God is mentioned, or indirectly, when some creature is named in whom the truth should be manifested: so we sweare by the Gospell, wherein Gods truth is expressed: by Saints, that beleeved in the truth: so Ioseph sware by Pharaoh, a minister of Gods truth and justice, Thom. 2.2. qu. 89. ar. 6.

Con…ra. 1. This subtill disputer doth justifie that kinde of oath, which is directly forbidden by our Saviour himselfe, as to sweare by the head, Matth. 5.36. Neither shalt thou sweare by thine head: wee may justly suspect him in the rest, when at the first he dare controll the holy doctrine of the Gospell. 2. Men use not to sweare by the Gospell, but upon it, when they lay their hands upon the book: for so we reade, that the Saints have used some visible ceremonie and rite in taking an oath: as Abrahams servant layed his hand upon his masters thigh, Gen. 24.3. Iacob did sweare unto Laban upon an heape of stones, but neither did the one sweare by his masters thigh, nor the other by the stones, but by the name of God, Gen. 24.3. Gen. 31.53. Iacob sware by the feare of his father Isaack: after the same manner is a booke used as a visible object for further evidence, in the ministring of an oath: but Saints are neither visible,How a booke is used in the ministring of an oath. nor present, and therefore the case is not alike. 3. It is also directly forbidden to sweare by any but by the Lord, Deut. 6.13. Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God, and serve him, and sweare by his name: and though [onelyonly] p. 356be not here found, yet our Saviour so interpreteth, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him onelyonly shalt thou serve, Matth. 4.10. and so consequently, by him onelyonly shalt thou sweare. 4. Concerning Iosephs act, I have shewed before, quest. 9. that although it may be somewhat qualified and extenuated, yet it cannot be justified: but it savoureth somewhat of the Egyptian manners, and seemeth to be against that place, Zephan. 1.5. where the Prophet reproveth those that sweare by the Lord, and sweare by Malcham, that is, their King: whether they made the idoll, or a mortall man their King; both abuses are here reproved.

6. Places of Exhortation.

1. Observ. The righteous not exempted from publike calamity.

Vers. 1. IAcob saw that there was food in Egypt, &c. Iacob among the rest of the Canaanites tasted of the famine: whereby we see that the righteous are not exempted from publike calamities: as Abraham was pinched in like manner with famine, and constrained to goe into Egypt, Gen. 13. for the …ingdome which the righteous looke for is not of this world, Muscul.

2. Observ. God at the first seemeth to deale hardly with his children, as Ioseph did with his brethren.

Vers. 7. HE spake to them roughly. Like as Ioseph at the first seemed to handle his brethren hardly, yet inwardly he yearned in compassion toward them, and in the end shewed them great kindnesse: so the Lord dealeth with his children. When he humbleth them by affliction he seemeth unto them as an enemie, as Iob complaineth, that God counteth him as one of his enemies, cap. 19.11. but in the end he sheweth his gracious favour, and fatherly affection, Mercer.

3. Observ. Against the custome of swearing.

Vers. 19. OR else by the life of Pharaoh, &c. Ioseph sweareth twice together: such a thing it is to have an evill custome: many that use to sweare are so accustomed to it that they cannot doe otherwise but sweare, Calvin. therefore we must take heed that sinne be not confirmed by custome: but as the Apostle saith, Be not overcome of evill, but overcome evill with goodnesse, Rom. 12.21.

4. Observ. As men measure to others it shall be mete to them againe.

Vers. 21. WE would not heare him, therefore this trouble is come upon us. As they hardned their hearts against the pitifull complaint of their brother Ioseph, so they confesse it to bee just that now their suit is not heard. Thus it is just with God to pay men home in their owne measure: therefore let men take heed how they use their poore brethren hardly; the time may come that they may finde as hard measure at other mens hands: therefore let every man remember that saying of our Saviour, That which yee would that men should doe to you, doe you unto them: this is the Law and the Prophets, Matth. 7.12.

5. Observ. Affliction bringeth a man to repentance.

Vers. 21. ANd they said one to another, we have verily sinned, &c. We see the wonderfull and admirable effect of affliction, which bringeth a man to the knowledge of his sinne: it is the Lords plow wherewith we are made fruitfull: like to the helve which Elizeus cast into the water, which fetched up the iron in the bottome: so affliction raiseth up a sinner that lay drowned and mudded in his sinne.

Three notable fruits of affliction.Affliction hath three notable effects: it maketh us to know God, our selves, and the world: first it stirreth us up to thinke of God whom wee have offended, and to turne us to him by true repentance: as the Scripture testifieth of Manasses, that after the Lord had humbled him by affliction, then he knew that the Lord was God, 2 Chron. 33.13. We are called to the knowledge of God three wayes; 1. By inspiration and inward motion wrought in us by God himselfe.Affliction maketh us to know God. 2. By the ministery of man, as either by their examples, or admonitions and instructions. 3. We are forced by the necessity of affliction, Perer. ex Cassian. And as the profiting by affliction is a signe of spirituall health: so the hardning of the heart under the crosse is a signe of desperate state, as the Prophet Ieremie saith, Thou hast smitten them but they have not sorrowed, Ierem. 5.3.

Affliction bringeth us to know our selves.Secondly, affliction causeth us to know our selves: 1. Our mortall and corruptible state, our vile and fraile nature, that weareth and wasteth away with trouble, anguish, and sicknesse: as the Prophet David saith, When thou with rebukes doest chastice man for iniquity, thou as a moth makest his beauty to consume, Psal. 39.7. 2. Beside, man by his affliction seeth his faults as in a glasse, and calleth to minde his former errours: as David saith, Before I was afflicted I went wrong, Psal. 119.67.

Thirdly, affliction learneth us to know the world: 1. How vaine it is, as the Preacher saith, Vanity of vanities, Affliction teacheth us to know the world what it is.all is but vanity, Eccles. 1.2. 2. It sheweth the instability and mutability of the world, how suddenly men fall from riches to poverty, from health to sicknesse, from honour to misery: as the Apostle saith, The world passeth away and the lust thereof, 1 Ioh. 2.17. 3. Affliction layeth open the misery and trouble that is in the world: for man is borne to sorrow, as the sparks flie upward, Iob 5.7. that a man may say of the world and the pleasures thereof, with Moses in his song, Their vine is the vine of Sodome, and as the vines of Gomorrha, their grapes are as the grapes of gall, their clusters be bitter, their wine is the poyson of Dragons, Deut. 32.32. 4. The deceitfulnesse of the world appeareth by affliction: how it deceiveth the hope of those that trust to it: like as Lot made choise of the pleasant fruitfull vale of Sodome, which was soone turned into a filthy lake and poole of brimstome. 5. Lastly, By affliction and tribulation wee know the world to be evill, wretched, and wicked, that there is no goodnesse in it; as the Apostle saith, The whole world lieth in wickednesse, 1 Ioh. 5.29. ex Perer.