Sarah and Hagar, Sermon 15
THE FIFTEENTH SERMON.
GEN. 16.11, 12. Becauſe the Lord hath heard thine affliction.
Verſ. 12. And he will be a wilde man.
THe words of the Angell to Hagar, were of three ſorts:
Firſt, of Queſtion, verſ. 8.
Secondly, of Direction, verſ. 9.
Thirdly, of Prediction; and he foretelleth,
Firſt, concerning the numerous multiplication of her ſeed, verſ. 10.
Secondly, concerning the childe ſhe went withall.
1. That ſhe ſhould bring it forth.
2. That it ſhould be a ſon.
3. That ſhe ſhould call his Name Iſhmael.
To which is added the reaſon of the Name, verſ. 11.
Thirdly, he foretelleth the quality, and diſpoſition, and courſe of this ſon, verſ. 12.
He ſhall be a wilde man, his hand ſhall be againſt every man; and every mans hand againſt him.
We have diſpatched the words of Queſtion and Direction; and in thoſe of Prediction, are come as far as his Name:Calvin in locum. Obſerv. 1. The father of mercy oft heareth the miſeries of his ſervants before they can put up their prayers. and have ſpoken ſomething, concerning the impoſition of Names.
Now for the Reaſon of this Name, here; Becauſe the Lord hath heard thine affliction. Calvin upon this paſſage ſaith, non legimus Agar in ſ…is anguſtiis confugiſſe ad preces: we read not any thing of Hagars prayers, in theſe ſtraights of hers, and yet ſhe is heard: God (ſaith he) inclineth to help people, ſometimes upon their ſupplication; ſometimes even when they are mute, and ſay nothing; maketh his ſun to ſhine, and his rain to fall, upon the juſt and the unjuſt; he helpeth them; for the former, he is ſaid exaudire preces; to hear the prayers: for the latter, exaudire miſerias; to hear the afflictions of his people. It is certain, that God is ſo merciful, that many times he bringeth thoſe out of trouble, that never ſeek unto him in their trouble: and ſome negligent ones are apt to plead this; and therefore when the hand of God is upon them, they do not make ſupplications to their Judg; but ſuch ſhould know, that that deliverance which cometh without ſeeking,Application Dan. 9.23. hath not that comfort and ſatisfaction in it, which that hath that commeth upon a mans paines: for it argueth the love of God to a man, as the Angel telleth Dan. c. 9. At the beginning of thy Supplications the Commandement came forth, and I am come to ſhew thee, for thou art greatly beloved. Secondly, it ſtirreth up love in men towards God. I love the Lord (ſaith David, Pſal. 116.Pſal. 116.1.) becauſe he hath heard my voice and my ſupplications. Thirdly,1 Sam. 1. two laſt verſes. It ſtirreth one up to the greater thankfulneſs, as we ſee in Hannah, 1 Sam. 1. the two laſt verſes, For this Child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me my Petition which I asked of him, therefore have I alſo lent him unto the Lord; and as long as he liveth he ſhall be lent unto the Lord: That eſtate which is caſt upon a man unexpectedly, hath not that true ſweetneſs in it, with that which a man hath gotten by his own induſtry: And therefore it is promiſed as a ſpeciall bleſſing, that a man ſhall eat the labour of his hands, Pſal. 128.2.Pſal. 128. And ſo for a man to be freed from trouble, without any ſeeking unto God, is not ſo comfortable, as when a man hath prayed and begged hard for it.
But I hold you no longer in this:
For with the leave of ſo Reverend an Author as Calvin is, it may very well be ſuppoſed, that Hagar did pray, in her affliction, unto the Lord; and that God upon her humble prayer was inclined to ſhew her mercy: and therefore the moſt underſtand by this Phraſe; He hath heard thine affliction, the prayers which ſhe made in her Affliction; and ſo the Chaldee Paraphraſe Tranſlateth it,Chald. Paraph. Hath received thy prayers. And what a ground of joy is this, to have a mans Prayer admitted, and acceptable?Obſerv. 2. The great comfort of Gods accepting our Devotions, with Caution touching apprehenſions of the contrary Iob 30.20. Pſal. 80.4. Iſa. 1.15. Bleſſed be the Lord (ſaith David) that hath not turned away my Prayer, Pſal. 66.10. And he is often rejoycing, becauſe the Lord had heard him. On the other ſide, how grievous is it, for a mans Prayers to find none admittance, as we hear Job complaining, Cha. 30. I cry unto thee, but thou doſt not hear me; I ſtand up, and thou regardeſt me not. How long wilt thou be angry againſt the Prayer of thy People? ſay they, Pſal. 80. So the Church, Lamentations 3.8. When I cry and ſhout, he ſhutteth out my prayer. So how God threatneth his people, Iſa. 1. When you ſpread out your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you, yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Sometimes God not only not admitteth, but he rejecteth the Petitions of ſome, that their prayer becomes ſin,Pſal. 109.7. Pſal. 109.7. Yea, their prayer is an abomination, Prov, 28.9. So there is a comfort, to have Prayer thought well of; and ſo is it for any other duty that we perform to God; a great comfort to Abel it was,Gen. 4.4. that God did accept his Sacrifice. The word foreign ſignifieth, to look unto it, Cum delectatione, with complacency and delight; the Septuagint rendreth it, foreign, he beheld. But Sy… machus, foreign, He was delighted with it; it is part of that prayer of David, in behalf of the King, that God will accept his burnt offerings.
The word foreign is there uſed, which ſignifieth, turning into aſhes,In Piel foreign in cineres vertit. which was a manifeſtation of Gods accepting of the Sacrifice, when by fire from heaven he conſumed it; as is ſaid of Eliahs Sacrifice, and Solomons; and is ſuppoſed to be that teſtimony that God gave of his acceptation of Abels Sacrifice; and therefore Theodoſius turneth the word that we had before, foreign, inflammavit, He hath inflamed. Iſa. 56.7Iſa. 56.7. God ſaith, he will make his people joyfull in the houſe of prayer, (i.e.) whoſoever therin ſhould devoutly appear, their burnt Offerings and their Sacrifices ſhould be accepted: what a comfort was it to Cornelius, Act 10.4. when the Angel told him,Act. 10.4. that his Prayers and Almes were come up for a memorial before God: God did not only take knowledg of them, and like well of them, but they were foreign, as a ſtanding pillar in Gods ſight: Well might Solomon ſay, Eccleſ. 9. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, Eccle. 9.7.and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for now God accepteth thy works. It is not to ſay, with what a delicious raviſhing ſweetneſs the ſoul is filled, when it is perſwaded of Gods acceptation of its ſervices.
Again, Gods hearing of Prayer is not only an admittance and accepting of it, but a reſolution and purpoſe of ſatisfying the deſires of his people, ſo far as may ſtand with his glory, to give; and their good, to receive: When he is deſcribed to be a God that heareth Prayer, Pſal. 65. It is not only meant,Pſal. 65.2. that he lendeth an eare to Prayer, but he condeſcendeth to a ſatisfaction of thoſe Prayers: He fulfilleth the deſire of thoſe that fear him; he heareth their cry, and ſaveth them, Pſal. 145.Pſa. 145.19.
And therefore for the Uſe of it:
How may this encourage us to pour out our wants before God,Application in the time of our Affliction? This is that courſe that Gods people have taken, in any kind of diſtreſs; if it have been diſtreſs outward, either in regard of enemies, we ſhall find Jehoſophat ſeeking the Lord, when that great Army came againſt him, 2 Chron. 20. If ſickneſs, Hezekiah turneth him to the wall, and prayeth: Iob 16.20.If ſcorn and contempt, Job 16. My friends ſcorn me, but mine eyes poure out teares unto God. Teares the ſtrongeſt Oratory; And that which offereth the greateſt violence to Heaven. If it be impriſonment, Manaſſes being in fetters prayeth, and prayeth earneſtly, 2 Chron. 33.2 Chron. 33.
Secondly, In any inward deſires they have uſed this means; as when they have been troubled with ſome ſtrong temptation: when the meſſenger of Satan was ſent to buffet St. Paul, 2 Cor. 12.2 Cor. 12.8. He ran to God by Prayer, For this thing I beſought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me: Or if their conſcience have been wracked with a ſence of Gods wrath, They have betaken themſelves to Prayer. Pſal. 18.5. David ſaith, The ſorrows of hell compaſſed me about, Pſa. 18.5, 6.the ſnares of death prevented me; in my diſtreſs I called upon the Lord, and cryed unto my God. Yea, our bleſſed Lord, who was in a greater anguiſh of ſpirit, then ever any man in the world was, (through the apprehenſion of Gods fierce wrath againſt him,) ſought comfort this way; he offered up prayers and ſupplications, Heb. 5.7.with ſtrong crying and teares, Heb. 5.7. Let us then take the courſe that Gods people have done; and upon this receipt, there is a probatum in all times: faithfull prayer, hath ever been as Noahs Dove, that hath brought an Olive-Leafe of peace at laſt: and if we have not, ſo ſoon as we deſire, a return of our prayers, (for ſome Reaſons beſt known to God;) this may ſupport us:
Firſt, that God takes knowledg of our prayers; he could tell Ananias, Acts 9.11.that Paul prayed, Acts. 9.
Pſal. 141.2.Secondly, they are pleaſing unto him, Pſal. 141.2. as Incenſe, as odours.
Thirdly, he will certainly give an anſwer in due ſeaſon, for he hath bound himſelf by promiſe.2 Chron. 15.2. 2 Chron. 15. If we ſeek him, he will be found of us; the ſeed of Iacob ſhall not ſeek him in vain, Iſaiah. 45.19. and this is our confidence, that we have in him. 1 Ioh. 5.14. that if we aske any thing according to his will, he heareth us: in the mean time, it is our duty to wait, to tarry the Lords leiſure.
An exception. Obſerv. 3. God oft delivereth gratiouſly even thoſe that ſuffer deſervedlyFourthly, He hearing, certainly He will ſtabliſh our hearts. But now there is an Objection againſt this; ſeeing God hears the affliction of Hagar. Why, ſhe ſuffered juſtly, for her inſolency againſt her miſtreſs, and for her diſcontented flight; and therefore it was fit, ſhe ſhould ſmart for it; had ſhe been innocent, and had carried her ſelf fittingly; reaſon ſhe ſhould have been reſpected: for Gods care is for the innocent; David none other way expecteth a bleſſing from God, for Shimeis curſing of him; but becauſe he was innocent of the crimes objected againſt him,2 Sam. 16. 2 Sam. 16. and Pſal. 18.20. he ſaith, The Lord did recompence him, according to the cleanneſs of his hands. I Anſwer with Muſculus; Muſculus.God delivereth gratiouſly, even thoſe that ſuffer deſervedly; and herein his mercy appeareth: for were there no cauſe of ſuffering, but that men were innocent, mercy had no place: If the beſt of us all, ſhould have no further hope of being delivered out of our afflictions, then we are innocent, we might juſtly deſpair of deliverance: for what meer man in the world, ever ſuffered, and did not deſerve it? It is true, it may be in regard of ſome thing objected, for which they ſuffer, they may be faultleſs, and men may be unjuſt in proſecuting them; but conſidering the affliction as comming from God, there is cauſe enough; and every man muſt lay his hand upon his mouth, and juſtifie God in his ſayings, and clear him when he is judged. Though David knew he was guiltleſs of any evill, done to the houſe of Saul, as Shimei charged him; yet he underſtood well, that he was faulty otherwiſe; and that God did puniſh his other ſins, by this ſcorn of a malignant tongue: If he ſpeak of Gods recompencing him, according to his innocency; he doth not quit himſelf from all fault; but only take knowledg of Gods favour, in reſpecting his innocency, in regard of the particular objected. Iob ſuffered unjuſtly from his friends; and his heart juſtified him, in that which they laid upon him: but yet he acknowledgeth his own ill deſervings, and that God juſtly doth afflict him.
For the Uſe of this:
Firſt, let it teach us to magnifie Gods goodneſs,Application and mercy towards men; who though they have juſtly incurred his wrath, and in regard of their provocations, he might be deaf to their prayers, and not deliver them; yet in the midſt of wrath, he remembreth mercy; and taketh matter of being merciful, from himſelf; heareth their prayers, and brings them out of trouble; he is a father of mercy, Tertullian.and a God of all conſolation: tam pius nemo, am pater nemo, (ſaith Tertullian) none ſo fatherly, none ſo compaſſionate: He knoweth whereof men are made, and remembreth that they are but duſt; he dealeth not with them after their ſins, nor rewardeth them after their iniquities: though he might whip them with ſcorpions, he will do it only with rods, and thoſe rods he will remove too: the rod of the wicked ſhall not reſt upon the lot of the righteous. Pſal. 125.3.He will take them foreign (as the Greek Father calls it,) out of the furnace of affliction. He will not ſuffer them to be tempted, foreign above what they are able, 1 Cor. 10.1 Cor. 10.13. foreign, not to be ſwallowed up: He may ſuffer them premi, ſed non opprimi; to be preſſed, but yet not oppreſſed: it is true, there is deſert enough, for the continuance of his wrath; but yet he commeth virga corrigente, non gladio conſumente; with a rod of correction, and not with a ſword of deſtruction.
Secondly, Let this be another encouragement to us, to pray; ſome men apprehend ſo deeply the extent of their ſufferings, and are ſo conſcious to themſelves, of their irritating of God, that they are diſcouraged from ſuing unto God; mine iniquities have taken ſuch hold upon me, that I am not able to look up, Pſal. 40.Pſal. 40.12. And I wiſh that men could think of this, in the time of temptation to ſin; how fearfull, how reſtleſs, how indiſpoſed their ſins will make them to prayer, in the time of their need: But yet this muſt not be given way to; for God ſheweth mercy, even to ſuch as he doth afflict juſtly: when David had uttered theſe words; my ſins are more then the haires of mine head, therefore my ſoul faileth me, Pſal. 40.12.v. 13. Yet for all that, Verſ. 13. He prayeth, be pleaſed O God to deliver me; O Lord make haſte to help me. Ezrah. 3.6.And though Ezrah acknowledgeth Gods juſtice, and the peoples ſinfulneſs, Ezra 3. yet he prayeth: The Prodigall had wilfullly caſt himſelf out of his Fathers houſe, and juſtly lay under the ſad effects of his own diſobedience and profuſion; and yet he reſolveth to ſeek to his father. So Nehemiah and Daniel, ſee and confeſs the juſtice of God; yet they beg Gods mercy. 2. We muſt know, it is a very good diſpoſition to the mercy of God, to be truly caſt down, in the ſight of our ſin,Levit. 26.40, 41, 22. as the procreant cauſe of our miſery: the Lord ſaith, Levit. 26. If they ſhall confeſs their iniquity, and their treſpaſs, which they have treſpaſſed againſt me, and that they have walked contrary to mee, and that I have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the hand of their enemy; if then their uncircumciſed heart ſhall be humbled, and they then ſhall accept of the puniſhment of their iniquity, then I will remember my Covenant. 3. We muſt know, that when we pretend that we ſuffer juſtly, and therefore have no heart to go to God; our infidellity is a far greater ſin, then any we have formerly committed; for it oppoſeth God in his Truth, and maketh him a Lyar; for he hath commanded us, to call upon him in the day of trouble, and hath promiſed to hear us; and yet we will not call, but ſay there is no hope: In the fear of God therefore, let us in our afflictions, acknowledg our own deſert, but withall ſeek to God; the further we have run into Gods debt, the more need we have to ſue for mercy: and let us do this, not in regard of our own particular afflictions, but of the calamity of the times: who ſees not how cloudy the times are, and how full of diſtraction; how the ſides of the building, fly from one another and the roof, ready to fall upon our heads? It is true, our ſins have deſerved all this, and worſe; yea the very dreggs of the viall: and we muſt ſay with Mauritius, juſtus es O Domine, & recta judicia tua: juſt art thou O Lord, and righteous are thy judgments; but becauſe we are ſo deep, in the procuring of the ſtorm, ſhall we forbear to pray for the removing of it? O no; let us cry earneſtly, and mightily unto God, yea not to give over, though things ſhould grow to a greater extremity: cum duplicantur lateres, venit Moſes; when the Iſraelites taskes were doubled, then came the deliverer; and mans extreamity, is Gods opportunity. Let us pray and pray ſtill, and joyn with our prayers, a godly, ſober, righteous, and peacefull life; and God is where he was, and the ſame he was; he will not take advantage of it, in that our ſins have drawn this upon us: but he will be found of us, and will heal our breaches, and return our peace and proſperity upon us, like a ſwelling floud.
foreignOne hint further: the name is Iſhmael, i.e. God will hear: And the Expoſition is; God hath heard thine affliction. The Angel ſeemeth to tell her, that as God had heard her now, ſo her ſon ſhall carry his name; God will hear, if ſhe carry her ſelf as ſhe ought; ſhe may be confident, that he that hath heard her, will hear her in all her neceſſities, and all his likewiſe that call upon him; yea, all ſuch as call upon him faithfully.
We come now to the next Reaſon:
Wherein is the Angels prediction concerning the quality and diſpoſition of Iſhmael, S. Chryſoſtom in locum.foreign, (ſaith St. Chryſoſtom,) He foretelleth the inclination of the Child; and it is laid down in three Clauſes.
Firſt, He will be a wilde man.
Secondly, His hand will be againſt every man, and every mans hand againſt him.
Thirdly, He ſhall dwell in the preſence of his Brethren.
All which argueth the furiouſneſs, and ferity of his diſpoſition; that as he ſhall be powerfull, ſo he will be provoking and cruell; oppoſite to others, and by that oppoſition drawing enemies upon himſelf.
But before I come to the particulars,Obſerv. 4. The moſt pious Parents may have impious Children, and the contrary: Grace is not entailed by man, but only conferred by God. 1 Iohn. 2.12. obſerve of whom this is affirmed, of Iſhmael; why, He was the ſon of Abraham, an holy, meek, courteous man, a great lover of peace, and this ſon contrary to him in all theſe things: We may ſee then, that Godly Parents may have wicked Children; Adam as he had a religious Abel, ſo a curſed Cain, who was of that evill one and ſlew his brother, becauſe his brothers deeds were good and his evill, 1 John 2. Noah a juſt man in his generation had a wicked Cham; Abraham had this Iſhmael who mocked his brother, and perſecuted Him that was born after the Spirit, even Iſaac. Gal. 4.29. Iſaac had an Eſau, a prophane man, as he is ſtiled,Gal. 4.29. Heb. 12.16. Eli a good man, yet had lewd ſons, who by their wicked courſes made the Sacrifices of God to be abhorred of the people, 1 Sam. 2. Sons of Belial: wickedneſs is not ſpoken in a ſtronger Phraſe in all the Scripture. Samuel a good man and upright, yet his Sons were not ſuch; they walked not in his waies, but after Bribes, 1 Sam. 8.1 Sam. 8.3. David a man according to Gods own heart, yet had he an inceſtuous Amnon, and an ambitious Abſalon, Jehoſophat had a Jehoram: Hezechiah had a Manaſſes; and Joſiah had a Jehojakim. And what is found more true in experience, the Father and Mother good, and the Child ſtark naught?
The Reaſon whereof is eaſily given: Grace is not traduced from the Parent to the Child; the Father cannot conveigh holineſs unto him, it is the gift of God; Let him be a ſanctified man, yet he begetteth a child as a man, not as an holy man, by naturall Generation, not ſpirituall Regeneration, Non ex principiis novitatis, ſed ex Reliquiis vetuſtatis, (ſaith the Father;) Not out of the principles of the new, but out of the Reliques of the old man:Gen. 5.3. Adam begot Seth in his own image; and David acknowledges (though he had religious Parents) that he was ſhapen in iniquity, and in ſin did his mother conceive him, Pſa. 51.Pſal. 51.5. The Corn purged from the chaff cometh up with it again, when it is ſowen: The Circumciſed father begetteth an uncircumciſed child: And ſo the Serpent without a ſting begetteth a Serpent with a ſting: So a godly perſon, though he can perhaps tranſmith is goods unto his Son, can he leave him his goodneſs? Can he conveigh his Graces, as his Lands? No, one mans goodneſs doth not moralize another.
For the Uſe of this:
Firſt,Application It muſt teach Parents to do what they can that their Children may be gracious; They muſt inſtruct them: They muſt inlay them with Piety in their tender years: They muſt follow them with good Advice: They muſt ſet them a good example, and they muſt pray for them; they muſt correct them when occaſion is, and unbind the bundle of Folly that is in them; that ſo their Sons may grow up as the young Plants, and their Daughters may be as the Poliſhed corners of the Temple: If there be a defect on their part in this, and that the Children grow wild through want of their cultivating and care, they have much to anſwer for.
And ſecondly, If notwithſtanding their care, the Children ſhall grow bad, they muſt reſt contented, they have freed their own ſouls, and the Childrens bloud ſhall be upon their own heads: They may plant and water, but it is God that muſt give the encreaſe; Grace is the gift of the Father of Spirits, and not of the Father of the Fleſh.
Thirdly, It ſhould teach Children to labour for a goodneſs of their own, for their Parents holineſs ſhall not make them holy, nor their Faith juſtifie them: Some have a conceit that it is goodneſs enough for them that their Parents were good; The Jews boaſted that they had Abraham to their Father,Iohn 3. but St. John Baptiſt taketh them off from this, and biddeth them bring forth fruits worthy of life: And when our Lord perceived the ſame humour in them, He denieth them to be of Abraham, and ſaith, They are of their father the devill, Ioh. 8.44.John 8.
Rom. 11.6. 1 Cor. 7.14.Why? but will ſome ſay, doth not the Apoſtle ſay, Rom. 11. That if the root be holy, the branches are holy; and 1 Cor. 7.14. The ſeed of the Faithfull is ſaid to be holy.
I anſwer, That holineſs is to be underſtood only in regard of the Covenant, by vertue whereof they are members of the viſible Church, and have right to the Sacraments, and partake of the outward Priviledges: Theſe be Foederati, (i.e.) within the Covenant. God is the God of Abraham and of his ſeed; but they be not Regenerati, not thereby regenerated in the Spirit.
Why, but yet they will ſay, The Promiſe is made to you and to your children. Acts 2.35.Acts 2.
I anſwer, Yes, but what followeth? As many as the Lord our Goal ſhall call. So in the ſecond Commandement, He ſheweth mercy unto thouſands, but of them that love him and keep his Commandements. Let the child then labour to imitate the vertue of his Parents, and have a ſtock of Grace of his own; for elſe the Piety of the Parent ſhall be ſo far from profiting him, that it ſhall adde unto his condemnation.
But now to make an entrance on that firſt particular Clauſe.
Obſerv. 5. The ſtrange Metamorphoſis of ſin.He will be a wild man. The Hebrew is foreign (that is) Onager, a wild Aſſe, a man like a wild Aſſe; or as the Chaldee, A wild Aſſe among men; the Septuagint render it only, foreign, a man of the field, or wood; a wild man. This was accompliſhed in Iſhmaels perſon,Gen. 21.20. who dwelt in the wilderneſs, Gen. 21. and ſo in his Poſterity they were as wild Aſſes. The wild Aſſe liveth in the wilderneſs, is a beaſt of an untamed nature, and unſerviceable to man,Iob 39.8, 9.10. as we ſhall ſee him deſcribed Job 39. Therefore the Prophet likeneth rebellious Iſrael unto a wild Aſs, Jer. 2.24.Ier. 2.24. So was Iſhmael in regard of his Ferity, Fierceneſs, and Savageneſs. Whence we may ſee, how ſin un-manneth men, and makes them brutiſh; brutiſh in themſelves, and towards each other; whereof there being every where too much proof already among us, almoſt in all profeſſions, and for all brutiſh qualities; I ſhall here only add this Caution: Let each one know and remember, that it were better to be a Beaſt, then like a Beaſt.
Preached, Ian. 5. 1641.