Twenty-Six Sermons, Sermon 12
A SERMON PREACHED AT VVHITE-HALL Aprill 12. 1618.Serm. 12. SERM. XII.
Gen. 32.10.
I am not worthy of the leaſt of all thy mercies, and of all the truth which thou haſt ſhewed unto thy ſervant; for with my ſtaff I paſſed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands.
THis text is in the midſt of Jacobs prayer; and this prayer is in the midſt of Jacobs preparation in the time of danger. His dangers were from perſons near him, from his Alliance, by marriage, and from his neareſt kindred by blood. Laban, into whoſe houſe he had married, made advantages upon him, deluded him, oppreſſed him, purſued him. And Eſau his own brother lay how in his way, when he was returning from Meſopotamia to Canaan, from his father-in-law, to his natural father, from Laban, to Iſaac. He had ſent meſſengers to try his brothers diſpoſition towards him; they returned with relation of great preparation that Eſau made to come forth towards him, but whether in hoſtile or friendly manner, they could inform nothing. Then was Jacob greatly afraid, and ſore troubled, but not ſo afraid, nor ſo troubled, as that he was ſtupified, or negligent in providing againſt the imminent dangers. Firſt then he makes as ſure as he can at home;ver. 7. He diſpoſes his troops, and his cattel ſo, as that, if his brother ſhould come hoſtilly, he might do leaſt harm. And he provides as well as he could that he ſhould not come hoſtilly, he ſends him preſents, and he ſends him reſpective and ceremonious meſſages. He neglects not the ſtrengthening of him ſelf, that ſo he might make his peace when he were able to ſuſtein a war; he neglects not the removing of all occaſions, that might ſubmit him to a war: And in the midſt of theſe two important and neceſſary cares, love of peace, and proviſion for war, his chief recourſe is to God; to him he prays; and he prays to him firſt, as he was (as we may ſay) Deus familiaris, a God to his family, and race O God of my father Abraham, ver. 9.and God of my father Iſaac; and as a God, from whom this familiarity did not take away the reverence; for he addes there preſently the great name of Jehova, the Lord he preſent to him his obedience to his commandment, Thou ſaidſt unto me, Return unto thy Countrey, and to thy kindred, he preſents to him his confidence in his promiſes, Thou ſaidſt, I will ſurely do thee good, and make thy ſeed, as the ſand of the ſea; and upon theſe grounds and inducements, he comes to the formal prayer, Erue me, I pray thee deliver me from the hand of my brother; and he prayes for others as well as himſelf; for I fear he will ſmite me, and the Mothers upon the Children: He ſolicites God for all that are committed to him. And as in the Midſt of danger, he came to preparation, and in the midſt of his preparations, he came to this prayer, ſo in the midſt of this prayer, he comes to this humble and gratfull conſideration, that God had been already more bountifull unto him than he could have propoſed to his hopes or to his wiſhes, I am not worthy of the leaſt of all thy Mercyes and of all the Truth which thou haſt ſhewed unto thy ſervant; for with my ſtaffe I paſſed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.
Diviſio.Firſt then this part of the prayer, hath in it, that which is the Center and Baſis, and eſtabliſh-ment of all true prayers A diſclaiming of Merit; for when a man pretends Merit, it is ſo far from a prayer, as that it is rather a chalenge, an increpation, an exprobration of his ſlacknes, to whom we ſpeak that he gives us not with out asking: I am not worthy ſayes Jacob. But yet though Jacob confeſs humblie this unworthyneſs in himſelfe, yet he does not ſay that he is, or was Nothing at all, in reſpect of theſe benefits It is not Nihil ſam, but katon, parvus ſum Impar Sum; Man is no ſuch thing as can invite God to work upon him, but he is ſuch a thing, as nothing elſe is capable of his working but man. It is not much that he is;Serm. 11. but ſomething he is: But parvus ſum, prae omnibus, prae ſingulis; whether I take my ſelf altogether, thus grown up in honour, in office, in eſtate, or whether I take my ſelf in pieces, and conſider every ſtep, that thy mighty hand hath led me; I am not worthy of all theſe, nor of any of theſe degrees; not of the leaſt of theſe. Not whether I conſider thy mercies, which are the promiſes that God makes to us at firſt, out of his meer gracious goodneſs, or whether I conſider thy truth, the aſſuredneſs of thoſe promiſes, to which he hath been pleaſed to bind himſelf; non ſum dignus, not whether we conſider this Truth, and fidelity of God in Spe, in our own hope, and confident, and patient expectation, that they ſhall be performed unto us, or whether we conſider them in Re, in our thankfulneſs, and experience, as truths already performed unto us; the truth which thou haſt ſhewed, for all theſe mercies, and all theſe truths, all theſe promiſes, and all theſe performances, as they found no title at all in me to them at firſt, ſo they imprint no other title in me by being come, but to make me his ſervant, to uſe them to his glory. I am not worthy of the leaſt of all thy mercies, and of all the truth, which thou haſt ſhewed unto thy ſervant; for with my ſtaff I paſſed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. And then for a ſecond part, all this conſideration Jacob ſeals with a reaſon, for; it is not a faſhional complement with God, it is not a ſad and melancholique dejection, and undervaluing of himſelf; but he aſſigns his particular reaſon, and that is, what his former ſtate was, what his preſent ſtate is. I came over Jordan, he was forced to leave his Countrey; and he came over it but with a ſtaffe, in a poor and ill provided manner; and with his ſtaffe, no aſſiſtance but his own. And he returns again, ther's his firſt comfort; and he returns now; now that God had ſpoken to him before he ſet out, and now that God had revealed to him an army of Angels in his aſſiſtance, and now that God had increaſed his temporal ſtate ſo far, as that he was become two bands, ſo that though he ſhould looſe much, yet he had much left.
In benefits that paſs from men of higher ranck, to perſons of lower condition, it is not the way to get them, to ground the requeſt upon our own merit; Merit implies an obligation, that we have laid upon them; and that implies a debt. And a Petition for a due debt is an affront; it is not ſo much a Petition delivered as a writ ſerved upon him, to call him to anſwer his injuſt deteining of a juſt debt. Thus it is amongſt men between whom their may be true merit; but toward God there can be none; and therefore much more there boldneſs to proceed with him upon pretence of merit. Et de Deo, no tuanquam de benefico largitore, ſed tanquam de tardo debitore cogitare; That if we come not to our ends, and preferment quickly, we ſhould give over conſidering God as a gratious, and free giver in his time, and begin to conſider him as a ſlack pay maſter, and ill debtor, becauſe he payes not at our time. No Man was worthy to be biden to the ſupper;Mat. 22.8. But thoſe that were biden, were not worthy; that invitation made them not worthy. No ſparke of worth in us, before God call us; but that firſt grace of his, doth not preſently make us worthy. If we love Chriſt a little and allow him his ſhare,Mat. 13.37. but love father and mother more, if we renounce all other love, we are not ambitious, but yet would live quiet, without troubles, without croſſes, if we take not up our croſs, or if we take it, and ſink under it, if we do not follow or if we take it, and ſink under it, if we do not follow, or if we follow a wrong guide, bear our afflictions with the ſtupidity of a Stoique, or with the pertinacy of an Heretique, If we love not Chriſt, more then all, and take our croſs, and follow, and follow him, non digni ſumus we are not worthy of him. Nay all this doth not make us worthy really,Luk. 23.25. but imputatively; they ſhall be counted worthy to enjoy the next world, and the reſurrection, ſays Chriſt. We are not worthy as to profeſs our unworthineſs; It is a degree of ſpiritual exaltation, to be ſenſible of our lowneſs;Mar. 1 7. I am not worthy to ſtoop down, and unlooſe his ſhoe latchet, ſays John Baptiſt; even humility it ſelf is a pride, if we think it to be our own. OnelyOnly ſay thus to Chriſt with the Centurion, non dignus ut venirem, I was not worthy to come to thee,Luk. 7.7. non dignus ut intres, I was not worthy, that thou ſhouldeſt come to me, and let others ſay of thee, as thoſe Elders, whom the Centurion ſent, ſaid of him, dignus eſt, he is worthy, that Chriſt ſhould do for him. Be thou humble in thy ſelf, and thou ſhalt be worthy of a double honour; thou ſhall be truly worthy in the ſight of man, and thou ſhalt be counted worthy in the ſight of God.
Parvus.Now for all this unworthineſs, Jacob doth not ſo much extenuate himſelf, as to annihilate himſelf. The word is Katon; it is not Elil, it is parvus ſum not nihil ſum. It is but little; that man is, proportioned to the working of God; but yet man is that creature, who onelyonly of all other creatures can anſwer the inſpiration of God, when his grace comes, and exhibites acceptable ſervice to him, and cooperate with him. No other creature is capable of grace, if it could be offered to them. It is true and uſeful,Cyp. that Cyprian preſſes, nihil eſt noſtrum; nam quid habes quod non accepiſti, What haſt thou that thou haſt not received? Her's a Nihil noſtrum; but he doeth not preſs it ſo far as to ſay nihil nos; her's a nihil habemus, we have nothing, but not a nihil ſumus; that we are nothing; it is true, and uſeful, that Hierom ſays, ipſum meum, Hier. Epiſt. 1. ad.ſine Dei ſemper auxilio non erit meum, without the continual concurrence o… Gods grace, that which is mine now, would be loſt, and be none of mine; but it is as true, that Auguſtin ſays too, Cer…um eſt nos velle & facere …um volumus & facimus, It is we our ſelves, that chooſe, and perform thoſe ſpiritual actions, which the grace of God onelyonly enables us to chooſe and perform. It is truly and elegantly ſaid by Ambroſe, of our power, and out will, Ei committi, nihil aliud quam dimitti, to be delivered to our own will, is to be delivered to the executioner, for nihil habet in ſuis vicibus, niſi periculi facilitatem, it hath nothing in it, but a nearneſs or danger; but yet, God hath made a natural man onelyonly capable of his grace; and in thoſe men, in whom he hath begun a regeneration, by his firſt grace, his grace proceeds not, without a cooperation of thoſe men. This humility then is ſafely limited in Jacobs bounds, parvus ſum, it is no great matter that I am; but yet come not to ſuch a nihil ſum, ſuch an extenuation of thy ſelf, as to think, that grace works upon thee, as the ſun does upon gold, or precious ſtones, to purifie them to that concoction, without any ſenſe in themſelves.
Now this littleneſs, how poor, and ſmall a thing Man is,Proe omnibus. appears to him, whether he conſider himſelf in omnibus, or in ſingulis, as the word imports here, as he is altogether, or as he is taken a ſunder. Take man at his beſt, and greateſt growth as he is honourable, for, as there is a ſtamp, that gives values to gold, ſo doth honour, and eſtimation to the temporal bleſſings of this lif. Honour is that which God eſteems moſt, and is moſt jealous of in himſelf, his honour he will give to none, and it is the broadeſt, and apparanteſt outward ſeal, by which he teſtifies his love to man, but yet what greatneſs is this, in which David repeats that infirmity twice in one Pſalm,Pſal. 49.12.20. Man ſhall not continue in honour, but is like the beaſt that dye: Man is in honour, and underſtandeth not; he is like to the beaſts that periſh. In nature things that are above us, ſhew as little, as things below us; men upon a hill are as little to them in the valley, as they in the valley to them that are raiſed. It is ſo in nature; but we have forced an unnatural perverſneſs in our ſelves, to think nothing great but that which is a great way above us; whereas if we will look downvvards, and ſee above how many better deſervers God hath raiſed us, we ſhall finde at leaſt ſuch a greatneſs in our ſelves, as deſerves a great thankſgiving, but yet take thy ſelf altogether at thy greateſt, and ſay with Jacob, parvus ſun…, all this is but a little greatneſs, but a poor riches, but an ignoble honour. In all this, thou doſt but wrap up a ſnow-ball upon a coal of fire; there is that within thee that melts thee, as faſt, as thou groweſt: thou buildeſt in Marble, and thy ſoul dwells in thoſe mud-walls, that have moldred away, ever ſince they were made. Take thy ſelf altogether, and thou art but a man; and whats that: ask Ariſtotle, ſays S. Chryſoſtome, Chryſoſt.and he will tell thee, Animal rationale, man is a reaſonable Creature; but ask God and he will tell thee, Animal irreprehenſible; a man is a good man. There was a man in the land of H…z, called Job; an upright and juſt man that feared God; All men, truly men are Copies of this man. And ſine hac humanitate, without being ſuch a man as he, whoſe man ſoever thou beeſt, and whoſe maſter, whoſoever thou beeſt, parvus es, all is but a ſmall matter, conſidered together, and at beſt.
Proe ſingulis.But we may better diſcern our ſelves in ſingulis, then in omnibus; better by taking ourſelves in pieces, then altogether, we underſtand the frame of mans body, better when we ſee him naked, than apparrelled, howſoever; and better by ſeeing him cut up, than by ſeeing him do any exerciſe alive; one deſection, one Anatomy teaches more of that, than the marching, or drilling of a whole army of living men. Let every one of us therefore diſſect and cut up himſelf, and conſider what he was before God raiſed him friends to bring thoſe abilities, and good parts, which he had, into knowledge, and into uſe, and into employment; what he was before he had by education, and ſtudy, and induſtry, imprinted thoſe abilities in his ſoul; what he was before that ſoul was infuſed into him, capable of ſuch education; what he was, when he was but in the liſt, and catalogue of creatures, and might have been left in the ſtate of a worm, or a plant, or a ſtone; what he was, when he was not ſo far, but onelyonly in the vaſt and unexpreſſible, and unimaginable depth, of nothing at all. But eſpecially let him conſider, what he was when he lay ſmothered up in maſſa damnata, in that leavened lap of Adam, where he was wrapped up in damnation. And then let him conſider forward again, that God in his decree ſevered him out, in that lump, and ordained him to a particular ſalvation; that he provided him parents, that were within the Covenant, that ſhould prepare, and pour out a body for him; that he himſelf created, and infuſed an immortal ſoul into him; that then he put a care in his parents, perchance in ſtrangers, to breed him to a capableneſs of ſome courſe. That then God took him by the hand, and led him into the Court; that there he held him by the hand, and defended him againſt envy, and practiſe; that he hath clothed him with the opinions of good men; that he hath adorned him with riches, and with titles; let a man ſtand thus, and ruminate, and ſpell over Gods ſeveral bleſſings to him, ſylable by ſylable, and he ſhall not onelyonly ſay, parvus ſum, when he conſiders himſelf at his growth and altogether, but parvus eram I was too mean a ſubject for thee to look or work upon in the leaſt of theſe expreſſings of thy goodneſs.
And thus it is whether we conſider this goodneſs of God, in miſerationibus, In his mercies, or in veritate, in his truth.Miſerationis Not that Gods mercy and truth are ever ſevered; But we take his mercy to be that promiſe, that covenant, which out of his own free goodneſs he was pleaſed to make to man and which is grounded upon nothing, but his own pleaſure, and we take truth, and fidelity, to be the performance, and execution of thoſe merciful promiſes, which truth is grounded upon his promiſe. Now for his mercies, firſt, though we ſay as truly as School terms can reach too, Miſerecordia preſumit miſeriam, we can conſider no mercy, till ſomething be miſerable, upon whom mercy may work, and ſo cannot properly place mercy in God, before the fall of man in ſuch a reſpect, yet though the work of creation, were not a work of mercy, being intended onelyonly and wholly to his glory, yet to create man, in an ability to glorifie him in that way, and that meaſure as he did, this was a work of mercy, becauſe man had been leſs happy without that ability. So that of this mercy to man, of being dignified above all other creatures, in the contributing to the glory of the Creator, but eſpecially of that mercy of electing certain men, in whom he would preſerve that dignity, which others ſhould forfeit, of this general mercy, mankind was not worthy, of this particular mercy theſe particular men were not worthy, for neither theſe men, nor this mankind was then at all, when God had this mercy upon them.
But for our underſtanding the goodneſs of God,Veritates. and thereby our own unworthineſs, it appears beſt in the conſideration of his truth, of the performance of theſe his promiſes for, by the ſtrength of his truth, and fidelity in God, is my ſoul raiſed to that, that that which is ordinarily, and naturally the terrour of the conſcience of a ſinner, is the peace of mine, that which is naturally a tempeſt, is my calm, that which is naturally a rock to ſhipwrack at, is my Anchor to ride out all foul weather: and that is, the juſtice of God; that which would ſhake, and ſhiver my conſcience, if there were no mercy nor promiſe, ſettles it now becauſe there is a truth, that that promiſe ſhall be performed to me.
Briefly, God was merciful, it was meer mercy in him, to promiſe a Meſſias Chriſt Jeſus, when Adam was fallen; but to give him when he had promiſed him, was juſtice, and truth, and fidelity. So that he applies Chriſt Jeſus to me by the working of his bleſſed Spirit, this is meer mercy; but that when Chriſt is thus applied to me, I have peace of conſcience and an inchoation of the kingdom of heaven here, this is his Juſtice, and Truth, and fidelity: So that the next, and immediate reſting place for my ſalvation, and my peace, is the Juſtice of God. Now, for the expreſſing of his Largeneſs, in exhibiting to us thoſe bleſſings, which belong to this promiſe, It is an uſefull conſideration,Numb. 17. which ariſes out of that miraculous budding of the rodds of the Twelve tribes: Gods promiſe goes no farther but that, for that Man whom he would chuſe virga germinabit: His rod ſhould bud forth, but when Moſes; on the morrow went to loock how his promiſe was performed, Levies rod had budded, and bloſſomed, and born perfect fruit; In his mercys, he exceeds his promiſes; In his judgments he contracts them; as we ſee he contracted Davids peſtilence of three dayes, into leſs than one. He puniſhes to the third, and forth generation; but he ſhewes mercy unto thouſands.Exod. 20. He gives more than he promiſes; and he does it ſooner;Chryſ. as St Chryſoſtome obſerves: That whereas mans faſhion is to demoliſh and pull down that in one day, which ſpent many monthes in the ſetting up, God diſpatches faſter in his building, and reparation, than in his ruin and diſtruction; He built all the world in ſix dayes, (ſayes he) and when he would deſtroy but one Town, Jerico, he imployd Eight; Conſider him then in Miſerationibus, in his mercies, or in veritate in his truth, and wherein were we worthy of the leaſt of theſe promiſes, or performances.
Expectatio.Now, of theſe mercies grounded upon Gods will, and of theſe truths grounded upon his word, we muſt neceſſarily acknowledge an unworthyneſs in our ſelves, if they were propoſed to us, but as expectancies, but as reverſions, that ſhould be had; nay but as poſſibilities, that they might be had:Aug. for Perdidimus poſsibilitatem boni; that's our caſe now; that we have loſt all poſſibility of doing, or receiving any good of our ſelves. In decimations upon popular rebellions, when they tithe men for execution, every man conceives a juſt hope; for it is ten to one he may ſcape with his life. In Lotteries, though the odds be great on the other ſide, every man hopes, he that is never ſo far off in a remainder for land, would be loth to have his name expunged,Joh. 5. and raced out. He that had been ſick thirty eight years, and could never get into the pool, yet he came ſtill in hope that he ſhould get in at laſt: It is thus in civil and moral things; it is much more ſo in divine; even expectation from God is a degree of fruition. There is no paine in Davids expectance expectam Dominum, Pſal. 40.2.3.in waiting patiently for the Lord, as long as we know, Habakkuks veniens veniet Dominus, becauſe the Lord will ſurely come, ſays he, therefore he does not tary. It is no loſs to ſtay Gods coming, becauſe God will ſtay when he comes: when we are ſure that God will come to ſuccour us, to weaken our enemies, That's a mercy, and that's a truth, which we are not worthy of though he be not come yet.
But Jacob conſiders here,Experientia. and every man may in his particular, the mercys, and truths which God had ſhewed him already; neither doth the word which both our tranſlations have accepted here, anſwer the original nor reach home. It is not onelyonly, ſhowing; God may ſhew mercy, and truth, by way of offering it, and withdraw it again, as he doth from unworthy receivers of the Sacrament; he may ſhew it, by way of example; and encourage us by ſeeing how he hath dealt with others; he may ſhew it, and exclude us from it; as he ſhewed Moſes the land of promiſe. But there it is onelyonly Videre fecit, Deut. ult.but here it is fecit it ſelf; there it was a land which God ſhewed, here it is Mercies, and Truths, quas feciſti, which thou haſt done, and performed towards me; and then comes David eſpecially to his quid retribuam tibi, when he conſiders omnia quae tribuiſti mihi. Pſal. 116.Thine O Lord, ſays he, is greatneſs, and power, and glory and victory and praiſe; all that is in heaven, and earth is thine; thine is the kingdome, riches, and honour come of thee, in thy hand it is to make great, 1 Cro. 29.14.and to give ſtrength: But who am I ſaid David, and what is my people, that we ſhould be able to offer willingly, after this ſort: all things came from thee; and of thine own hand, have we given thee. Why thus much was David, thus much was his people, thus much are all they, to whom God hath done ſo, in mercy, and in truth, and hath made gracious promiſes, and performed them, that they are thereby become debtors to God, his ſtewards, his ſervants; which is Jacobs laſt ſtep in this part, mercies and truths which thou haſt ſhewed, to thy ſervant.
All this greatneſs, makes him not proud: for all this,Servus. he is not the leſs his ſervant, whoſe ſervice is perfect freedome. Here men that ſerve inferiour maſters, when they mend in their eſtate, or in their capacity, they affect higher ſervices, and at laſt the Kings; when they are there, they can ſerve no better maſter, but they may ſerve him, in a better, and better place; if thou have ſerved the world, and Mammon, all this while, yet now that thou haſt wherewithall, come into Gods ſervice; ſhew thy love to God, in imploying that which thou haſt, to his glory; if thou gotteſt that which thou haſt, in his ſervice (as if thou gotteſt it by honeſt ways, in thy calling, thou haſt done ſo) yet come to ſerve him in a better place; in gathering, thou haſt but ſerved him in his mines,Aug. in diſtributing thou ſhalt ſerve him in his treaſury. If thou have ſerved him in fetters, Noli timere ſerve compedite, ſed confitere, Domino & vertentur in ornamenta; let not thy fetters, thy narrow fortune, terrifie thee; thy fetters, thy low eſtate, ſhall be rings, and collars, and garters, not onelyonly ſufficiencies, but abundance, and ornaments to thee: what diſhes ſoever he ſet before thee, ſtill let this be thy grace, Parvus ſum, I am not worthy of the leaſt of all thy mercies, and of all the truth which thou haſt ſhewed unto thy ſervant; for with my ſtaff I paſſed over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands.
2. Part Quia.We have paſſed through all the branches, of that which we propoſed for the firſt part, the confeſſion of his own unworthineſs. We found a ſecond part implied in this word, for; which was, that this acknowledgement of his proceeded not out of formality and cuſtome, or ſtupidity, and dejection, but out of debatement, and conſideration and reaſon; and then we found that reaſon deduc'd and deriv'd into theſe two great branches, what his former ſtate had been, With my ſtaff I paſſed over this Jordan, and what his preſent ſtate was, I am become two bands. For the reaſon in general, he that does any ſpiritual duty even towards God, in praiſing, and magnifying him, and not upon good, reaſon, this man flatters God; not that he can ſay more good, than is always true of God; but towards God, as well as towards man, it is true, that he that ſpeaks more good than himſelf believes to be true, he flatters, how true ſoever it be that he ſpeaks.Pro. 27.14. Such praiſe ſhall be counted as a curſe; and ſuch oyl breaks a mans head. Thoſe Sceptique philoſophers, that doubted of all, though they affirmed nothing, yet they denied nothing neither, but they ſaw no reaſon in the opinions of others.
Thoſe Sceptique Chriſtians, that doubt whether God have any particular providence, any care of particular actions; thoſe which doubt, whether the hiſtory of Chriſt be true, or no; thoſe doubting men, that conform themſelves outwardly with us, becauſe that may be true, that we profeſs, for any thing they know, there may be a Chriſt, & they might be the worſe, for any thing they know, if they left him out, they might prove worſe, and in the mean time they enjoy temporal peace, & benefit of the Laws by this outward profeſſion of theirs; thoſe men that ſacrifice to Chriſt Jeſus onelyonly, ne noceat, leaſt if there be ſuch a God, they ſhould loſe him for want of a ſacrifice, that worſhip Chriſt Jeſus with a reſervation of the pretended God, that if he prove God at laſt, they have done their part, if he do not, yet they are never the worſe; theſe men, who if they come to Church, think themſelves ſafe enough, but they are deceived; The Militant, and the Triumphant Church is all one Church, but above in the triumphant Church, there are other Church-wardens, than here, & though he come to do the outward acts of religion, if he do it without a religious heart, they know him to be a Recuſant, for all his coming to Church here, he ſhall be excommunicate in the triumphant there. He praiſes not God, he prays not to God, he worſhips him not, whatſoever he does, if he have not conſidered it, debated it, concluded it, to be rightly done, and neceſſarily done. If he think any thing elſe better done, this is not well done.
Jacob had concluded it out of the contemplation of his former, and preſent ſtate;Exul. firſt he had been baniſhed from his Countrey; I came over Jordan, Herein he was a figure of Chriſt; he received a bleſſing …rom his father, and preſently he muſt go into baniſhment; Chriſt received preſents and adoration from the Magi of the eaſt, and preſently he ſubmits himſelf to a baniſhment in Egypt, for the danger that Herod intended. Chriſts Baniſhment, as it could not be leſs then four years, ſo it could not be more then ſeven; Jacobs was twenty, a baniſhment, and a long baniſhment. Baniſhment is the firſt puniſhment executed upon man; he was baniſhed out of Paradiſe; and it is the laſt puniſhment, that we ſhall be redeemed from, when we ſhall be received intirely body and ſoul, into our Countrey, into heaven. It is true our life in this world is not called a baniſhment any where in the Scripture: but a pilgrimage, a peregrination, a travell; but peregrinatio cum ignominia conjunctu, exilium; he that leaves his Countrey becauſe he was aſhamed, or afraid to return to it, or to ſtay in it, is a baniſhed man. Briefly for Jacobs caſe here, S. Bernard expreſſes it well in his own, eſt commune exilium, there is one baniſhment common to us all, in corpore peregrinamur a duo, we travell out of our Countrey at leaſt; but, Acceſſit & ſpeciale, quod me pene inpatientem reddit quod cogarvicere ſine vohis. This was a particular miſery, in his baniſhment, that Jacob muſt live from his father, and mother, and from that Country, where he was to have the fruits, and effects of that bleſſing which he had got.
He came away then, and he came away poor:Baculus. in baculo with a ſtaff; God expreſſes ſometimes abundance, and ſtrength, in baculo, in that word. Oftentimes he calls plenty, by that name, the ſtaff of bread. But Jacobs is no Metaphorical ſtaff, it is a real ſtaff, the companion, and the ſupport of a poor travelling man. When Chriſt enjoyns his Apoſtles to an exact poverty, for one journey, which they were to diſpatch quickly, S. Matthew expreſſes his commandment thus, poſſeſs no monies, nor two coats nor a ſhoe, nor a ſtaff; S. Mark expreſſes the ſame commandment thus, take none of thoſe with you, except a ſtaff onelyonly. The fathers go about to reconcile this, by taking ſtaff in both places figuratively; that the ſtaff forbidden in Matthew, ſhould be poteſtas puniendi, the power of correcting which the Apoſtle ſpeaks of, Num quid vultis vemam in virga? 1 Cor. 4.21.ſhall I come to you with a rod, or in love? And that the ſtaff allowed in Mark, is poteſtas conſolandi, Pſal. 25.4.the power of comforting which David ſpeaks of, Virga tua, & baculus tuus, ipſa me conſolata ſunt, Thy rod and thy ſtaff they comfort me. Chriſt ſpoke this but once, but in his language, the Syriack, he ſpoke it in a word that hath two ſignifications. Shebat, is both Baculus defenſorius, and Baculus ſuſtentatorius. A ſtaff of ſuſtentation, and a ſtaff of defence; God that ſpoke in Chriſts Syriack, ſpoke in the Evangeliſts Greek too; and both belong to us; and both the Evangeliſts intending the uſe of the ſtaff, and not the ſtaff it ſelf, 3. Matthew in that word forbids any ſtaff, of violence or defence, S. Mark allows a ſtaff of ſuſtentation, and ſupport; and ſuch a ſtaff, and no more had Jacob, a ſtaff to ſuſtain him upon his way. Hath this then been thy ſtate with Jacob, that thou haſt not onelyonly been without the ſtaff of bread, plenty, and abundance of temporal bleſſings, but without the ſtaff of defence, that when the world hath ſnarl'd and barked at thee, and that thou wouldſt juſtly have beaten a dog, yet thou couldſt not finde a ſtaff, thou hadſt no means to right thy ſelf? yet he hath not left thee without a ſtaff of ſupport, a ſtaff to try how deep the waters be, that thou art to wade through, that is thy Chriſtian conſtancy, and thy Chriſtian diſcretion: uſe that ſtaff aright, and as Chriſt, who ſent his Apoſtles without any ſtaff of defence once,Luke 22.36 afterward gave them leave to carry ſwords, ſo at his pleaſure, and in his meaſure, he will make thy ſtaff, a ſword, by giving thee means to defend thy ſelf, and others over whom he will give thee charge, and jurisdiction in exalting thee.
Suus.But herein in doing ſo, God aſſiſts thee with the ſtaff of others; with the favour and ſupport of other men; Jacob was firſt in Baculo, and in ſuo, nothing but a ſtaff; no ſtaff but his own; truly his own for we call other ſtaffes ours,Hoſ. 4.12. which are not ours, My people ask counſell of their ſtocks, and their ſtaff teacheth them; that is, they have made their own wiſdom, their own plots, their own induſtry, their ſtaff; upon which they ſhould not relye, & ſo we truſt to a broken ſtaff of reed,2 Reg. 18.21. on which, if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and peirce it, when God hath given thee a ſtaff of thine own, a leading ſtaff, a competency, a conveniency to lead thee through the difficulties, and encombrances of this world, if thou put a pike into thy ſtaff, murmuring at thine own, envying ſuperiours, oppreſſing inferiours, then this piked ſtaff is not thy ſtaff, nor Gods ſtaff, but it is Baculus inimici hominis; and the envious man in the Goſpel, is the devil. If God have made thy ſtaff to bloſſom, and bear ripe fruit in a night, enriched thee, preferred thee a pace, this is not thy ſtaff; it is a Mace, & a mark of thy office, that he hath made thee his Steward of thoſe bleſſings. To end this, a mans own ſtaff, truly, properly, is nothing but his own natural faculties: nature is ours, but grace is not ours; and he that is left to this ſtaff of his own, for heaven, is as ill provided, as Jacob was, for this world, when he was left to his own ſtaff at Jordan, when he was baniſhed; and baniſhed in poverty, and baniſhed alone.
Thus far we have ſeen Jacob in his low eſtate;Revertitur. now we bring him to his happyneſs: in which it is always one degree to make haſt; and ſo we will; all is compriſed in this that is, was preſent. Now I am two bands, now; it was firſt now, quando revertitur, now when he returned to his Countrey, for he was come very near it, when he ſpeaks of Jordan, as though he ſtood by it, I came over this Jordan. It is hard to ſay, whether the returning to a bleſſing, formerly poſſeſſed, and loſt for a while, be not a greater pleaſure, then the coming to a new one. It is S. Auguſtins obſervation, that that land,Aug. which is ſo often called the land of promiſe, was their land from the beginning, from the beginning Sem, of whom they came dwelt there: and though God reſtored them by a miraculous power, to their poſſeſſion, yet ſtill it was a returning: and ſo the bleſſing is ever more expreſſed; a return from Egypt, a return from Babylon; and a return from their preſent diſperſion is that, which comforts them ſtill, Chriſt himſelf had this apprehenſion, clarifica me, Glorifie me, thou father,Joh. 17.5. with that glory, which I had with thee before the world was. Certainly our beſt aſſurance of ſalvation, is but a returning to our firſt ſtate, in the decree of God for our election; when we can conſider, our intereſt, in that decree we return. Our beſt ſtate in this life, is but a returning, to the purity, which we had in our baptiſm; whoſoever ſurpriſes himſelf in the act or in the remorſe of any ſin that he is fallen into, would think himſelf in a bleſſed ſtate, if he could bring his conſcience to that peace again, which he remembers, he had the laſt time he made up his accounts to God, and had his diſcharge ſealed in the Sacrament of the body and blood of Chriſt Jeſus. Cleanſe thy ſelf often therefore, and accuſtome thy ſoul to that peace, that thou mayeſt ſtill, when thou falleſt into ſin, have ſuch a ſtate in thy memory, as thou mayeſt have a deſire to return to: and the Spirit of God ſhall ſtill return to thee,Eccleſ. 12.7. who loveſt to receive it, and at laſt thy ſpirit, ſhall return to him that gave it, and gave his own ſpirit for it.
Jacobs happineſs appears firſt now, quando revertitur; Jubenr… Domino.and now, quando jubente Domino, now, when he returned, and now when he returned upon Gods bidding, God had ſaid unto him,Gen. 31.3. turn again into the land of thy fathers, and I will be with thee, Think no ſtep to be directly made towards preferment, if thou have not heard Gods voice directing the way. Stre in uſque; ſtand upon the ways, and inquire not of thy fathers, but of the God of thy fathers, which way thou ſhalt go: for Gods voice may be heard in every action, if we will ſtand ſtill a little, and hearken to it. Remember ever more, that Applica Ephod; 1 Sam. 30.7.where David comes to ask counſell of the Lord, he ſaid to Abiathar, Applica Ephod; bring the Ephod; and there David askes, Shall I follow this company, ſhall I overtake them? when thou doubteſt of any thing, Applica Ephod, take this book of God: if, to thine underſtanding, that reach not home punctually to thy particular caſe, thou haſt an Ephod in thy ſelf; God is not departed from thee; thou knoweſt by thy ſelf, it is a vain complaint that Plutrarch makes, deſectu oraculorum, that oracles are ceaſed; there is no defect of oracles in thine own boſome; as ſoon as thou askeſt thy ſelf, how may I corrupt the integrity of ſuch a Judge, undermine the ſtrength of ſuch a great perſon, ſhake the chaſtity of ſuch a woman, thou haſt an anſwer quickly it muſt be done by bribing, it muſt be done by ſwearing, it muſt be done by calumniating. Here is no defectus Oraculorum no ceaſing of Oracles, there is a preſent anſwer from the Devil. There is no defect of the Vrim, and Thummim of God neither, If thou wilt look into it, for as it is well ſaid of the Morall Man, Sua cui que providentia Deus every mans Diligence, and diſcretion, is a God to himſelfe ſo it is well ſaid, of the Chriſtian Father Auguſtin Rectaratio Verbum Dei a rectified Conſcience is the word of God. Applica Ephod, bring thine Actions to the queſtion of the Ephod, to the debatment of thy conſcience rectified, and ſtill ſhalt hear, Jubentem Dominus or duni Revocantem, God will bid thee ſtop, or God will bid thee go forwards in that way.
Angeli.But herein had Jacob another degree of happineſs, That the Commandement of God, was perſued with the Teſtimony of Angells. Not that the voyce of God needs ſtrength; Teſte me ipſo witneſs my ſelfe, was always witneſs enough; and Quia os Domini Locutum. The Mouth of the Lord: hath ſpoken it was always ſeal enough. But that hath been Gods abundant, And overflowing goodneſs ever to ſuccor the infirmity of Man, with ſenſible and viſible things; unto the pillars in the Wilderneſs; with the Tabarnacle after; and with the temple and all the Miſterious, and ſignificative furniture thereof after all. So God leaves not Jacob to the general knowledge, that the Angels of God protect Gods Children, but he manifeſted thoſe Angels unto him, Occurrerunt ei. the Angels of God met him. The word of God is an infalible guid to thee, But God hath provided thee alſo viſible, and manifeſt aſſiſtants, the Pillar, his Church and the Angels his Miniſters in the Church. The Scripture is thine onelyonly Ephod, but Applica Ephod, apply it to thee by his Church, and by his viſible Angels, and not by thine own private interpretation.
This was Jacobs nunc; now, when he was returned,2. Turmae. returned upon Gods Commandement; upon Gods Commandement purſued, and teſtified by Angels, and Angels viſibly manifeſted; now, he could take a comfort in the contemplation of his fortune, of his eſtate, to ſee, that he was two bands. Here's a great change; we ſee his vowe; and we ſee how far his wiſhes extended at his going out;Gen. 28.20 If God will give me bread to eate, and cloathes to put on, ſo that I come againe unto my fathers houſe in ſafety, then ſhall the Lord be my God, In which vow is included all the ſervice that he could exhibite, or retribute to God. Now his ſtaffe is become a ſword; a ſtrong Army; his one ſtaff now is multiplyed; his wives are given for ſtaffes to aſſiſt him, and his children given alſo for ſtaffes to his age. His own ſtaffe is become the greateſt, and beſt part of Labans wealth; In ſuch plenty, as that he could ſpare a preſent to Eſau, of at leaſt five hundred head of cattell. The fathers make Morall expoſitions of this; That his two bands are his Temporall bleſſings and his ſpirituall: And St. Auguſtin findes a tipicall alluſion in it of Chriſt,Aug. Baculo Crucis Chriſtus apprehendit mundum; & cum duabus turmis duobus populis, ad patrem rediit: Chriſt by his ſtaffe, his Croſs, muſter'd two bands, that is Jews, and Gentiles. We finde enough for our purpoſe, in taking it literally, as we ſee it in the Text; That he divided all his company, and all his cattell into two troups, that if Eſau come, and ſmite one, the other might ſcape. For then onelyonly is a fortune full, when there is ſomthing for Leakage, for waſt; when a Man, though he may juſtly fear, that this ſhall be taken from him, yet he may juſtly preſume, that this ſhall be left to him; though he loſe much, yet he ſhall have enough. And this was Jacobs increaſe and height; and from this lowneſs; from one ſtaff, to two bands. And therefore, ſince in God we can conſider but one ſtate Semper idem immutable; ſince in the Devil, we can conſider but two ſtates Quomodo cecidit filius Orientis, that he was the ſon of the Morning, but is, and ſhall ever be for ever the child of everlaſting death; ſince in Jacob and in our ſelves we can conſider firſt, that God made man righteous, ſecondly that man betooke himſelf to his one ſtaff, and his own ſtaff, The imaginations of his own heart, Thirdly; That by the word of God manifeſted by his Angels, he returns with two bands, Body and Soul, to his heavenly father againe, let us attribute all to his goodneſs, and confeſſe to him and the world, That we are not worthy of the leaſt of all his Mercies, and of all the Truth which he hath ſhewed unto his Servant, for with my ſtaff I paſſed over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands.