Sarah and Hagar, Sermon 18
THE EIGHTEENTH SERMON.
GEN. 16.13.
Thou Lord ſeeſt me. For ſhe ſaid, Have I alſo here looked after him that ſeeth me?
THe laſt part of the Chapter ſetteth out unto us the gratitude and obedience of Hagar: her gratitude, in the 13 and 14 verſes, in giving a name to God, and a name to the Well.
For the former, I opened the name given to God.
I will not ſtand upon the Common place of Thankfulneſs:Chryſoſt. in loc. But, becauſe S. Chryſoſtome and others do obſerve, foreign: that is, the modeſt gratitude of this ſame handmaid, for Gods great favour ſhewed unto her; I will note two particulars here, upon which her gratitude is grounded.
foreignFirſt, foreign, Thou Lord ſeeſt me: As if ſhe ſhould have ſaid, I was deſtitute, and forſaken; there was no creature to yeeld me relief: but thou didſt look upon me, and hadſt mercy on me.
Obſerv. 1. All earthly defects are made up to Gods children, with ſupplies from heavenWhen Fleſh falleth off, God falleth in; when the World leaveth, God helpeth; when people are deſtitute of Earthly means, then oft come heavenly ſupplies.
Joh was in an heavie caſe, (as himſelf layeth down) in the midſt of his broyling and throbbing ſores, Job 19. his brethren were far from him, his acquaintance were eſtranged from him, his kinsfolks failed him, Job 19.13.and his familiar friends forgot him: they that dwelt in his houſe, even his maids, did count him a ſtranger: he called his ſervant, and he gave him no anſwer: his breath was ſtrange to his wife, though he entreated her for the children of his own body: the young children deſpiſed him, all his wicked friends abhorred him, and they whom he loved were turned againſt him. Good man, what a lowe ebbe was he at! nor wife, nor friend, nor ſervant, to ſtick to him! and his children gone, that might have comforted him! And yet, had not God been now his comfort, had not he looked upon him, what had become of him? But he ſaith, verſe 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth: Though outward comforts ſtinted, there was a ſpring of inward comfort. David ſaith, Pſal. 27.10. When my father and mother forſake me, then the Lord will take me up. And when he was in that great perplexity; Ziglag was burnt, his wives were carried away, and his goods, and the people ſpake of ſtoning him; well may it be ſaid, that he was diſtreſſed: Yet when the world ſo frowned, God favoured him; for it is ſaid, He encouraged himſelf in the Lord his God, 1 Sam. 30.1 Sam. 30.6. We ſhall finde, that the widow and the fatherleſs are more eſpecially intituled to Gods protection, in ſeveral places of the Scripture. The cauſe of a widow is doleful: the Hebrew calleth her foreign, from foreign, mutus, dumb: ſic appellata, quòd viro mortuo, non valeat loqui & litigare: ſo denominated, becauſe ſhe hath no heart to ſpeak, having loſt him that was her loving yoke-fellow. The Greek calleth her foreign, from foreign, to rejoyce: but ſure 'tis foreign, by a figure of contrariety, becauſe ſhe hath but ſmall cauſe of rejoycing.1 Tim. 5.5. The Apoſtle calleth her foreign, that is, ſolitary; or, as our tranſlation rendreth it, deſolate. Our Laws call her relictam, one left; vidua, à viduo the old word; à viro diviſa, as parted and divided from man, and expoſed to injury. foreign, ſaith the Greek Proverb; When the oak falleth, every one will fetch wood. Now becauſe ſhe hath loſt the vail of her eyes, God will be her protector; and becauſe ſhe is deſtitute of the comfort of her mate, he will be an huſband to her. And ſo orphans and fatherleſs are in a ſad condition: foreign, (ſaith Heſychius) is from foreign, that is, dark, or clouded: as much as foreign, and ſignifieth foreign, one that is in darkneſs. And Photinus ſaith, that foreign is foreign: an orphane is ſuch an one as hath no man to help him, no helper. I will not leave you comfortleſs, Joh. 14. In the Greek it is, foreign,John 14.18. I will not leave you orphans: intimating the caſe of orphans to be uncomfortable; and therefore it is, that God is more eſpecially ſollicitous for them, and rebuketh thoſe, in an heavie manner, that wrong them: they are left of the world, and therefore are found of God. The world was a back-friend to the poor man that lay at the pool of Betheſda eight and thirty yeers together, and, all that time, could not finde a man to help him into the pool: hominem non habeo, ſaith he, Joh. 5.John 5. I have not found a man; and therefore Deum habes, (ſaith one) thou haſt a God to help thee: Chriſt inſtantly ſaith unto him; Ariſe, take up thy bed, and walk. Our Lord telleth his diſciples; (Joh. 16.And 16.32. Matth. 26.56.) You ſhall leave me alone. Indeed it proved ſo, Matth. 26. All the diſciples forſook him, and fled: Yet I am not alone, (ſaith he;) for the Father is with me. Saint Paul ſaith, 2 Tim. 4.16. at his firſt anſwering, no man ſtood with him, but all men forſook him: notwithſtanding (ſaith he) the Lord ſtood with me, and ſtrengthened me. When men forſake, God will help. Indeed, he ſuffereth, ſometimes, men to come to that paſs, that they are utterly deſtitute, before he cometh to help; both for the manifeſtation of his own goodneſs, and the increaſe of our thankfulneſs.
And therefore for the Uſe of it:
ApplicationFirſt, Let our care be, to keep in with God, and to endear our ſelves to his protection, by a godly converſation; for if we be in with him, in all our troubles and perplexities, when men ſhall fall off, as leaves in Autumn; or be like the brakes in the Summer, that Job ſpeaketh of; we may roul our ſelves upon God, who will make amends for the worlds defect: But if we be not è ſervis, of his family, at leaſt, of good correſpondence with him, we ſhall be utterly loſt; for our friends will turn adverſaries, and they will be encouraged to do us miſchief; as Davids enemies ſaid, his God hath forſaken him, let us perſecute him, and take him, for there is none to deliver him: And they could reproach him and ſay, where is now thy God? I ſay again, let us keep in with God; and then if there be any water, it is in the Ocean; if there be any light, it is in the Sun; if there be any comfort, it is in God.
Secondly, when we finde, upon the worlds deſerting us, that God hath taken care of us; let us be truly thankful; and the more thankfull, becauſe he came in at a dead lift, as we ſay: when David was ſenſible of Gods drawing him out of a pit, wherein he muſt neceſſarily, in the judgment of fleſh and blood, have periſhed; there is a new ſong in his mouth, Pſal. 40.3.even of praiſe unto his God, Pſal. 40.3. And when the man at the pool was ſenſible, that in the want of mans help, God helped him; the next news we here of him is, that he is in the temple.Iohn 5.14. Iohn 5. And what ingenuous perſon is there in the world, that hath not found his heart inflamed; and an edg ſet upon his thankfulneſs; when he can ſay, as Hagar here; thou God ſeeſt me the world afforded no help, but, thou my God doeſt help me.
Another ground of her thankfulneſs here inſinuated, is this; that having heard all thoſe comforts that the Angell had given her, in this her affliction;Obſerv. 2. True Chriſtian gratitude looketh through the meanes and inſtruments up to the main Agent, through all ſecond cauſes to the firſt. Auguſtine. Gen. 32.10. yet ſhe looketh up higher then the Angell, even to God himſelf, and acknowledgeth him to be the fountain of all that conſolation: It is a ſpeciall part of thankfulneſs, in benefits received, to look through the meanes and inſtruments, and ſecond cauſes, unto God, and ultimately to reſolve all into him, that is Bonum omnis boni, the good of every good beſides: Fons boni lucidus (ſaith Saint Auſtin,) the cleer fountain of all good: Iacobs eſtate was much improved; he looketh further then his own induſtry. Gen. 32.10. Lord (ſaith he) I am leſs then the leaſt of thy mercies; for with my ſtaffe came I over this Iordan, and now I have gotten two bands: And Gen. 33. For his children, he looketh further then the ſtrength of his own body,Gen. 33.5. verſ. 5. Theſe be the children which God hath gratiouſly given thy ſervant. And ſo Ioſeph, for his honour and great eſtate that he got in Egypt, he looks further then his own wit and underſtanding, and the favour of his Prince; as appeareth by the name he giveth his younger Son Ephraim; God (ſaith he) hath cauſed me to be fruitfull in the land of mine affliction. Gen. 41. Deborah, though ſhe ſaw what Iael had done againſt Siſera, ch 41.52.yet ſhe looketh higher, and praiſeth the Lord for the avenging of Iſrael, Iudges 5.Iudg. 5.2. 1 Sam. 17.37. When David telleth Saul, how he ſlew the Lyon and the Bear; he doth not look upon his own courage, but he aſcribeth it unto God. 1 Sam. 17. God delivered me out of the mouth of the Lyon, and the paw of the Bear: and in other victories which he got, he doth not boaſt of his own proweſs, though he had the heart of a Lyon, and was a man both of valour and skil; but he thanked God for them, Pſal. 144.Pſal. 144.1. Bleſſed be the Lord my ſtrength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Hezekiah being freed from his dangerous ſickneſs; which was mali moris, as they ſay, and moſt probably thought to be the plague; though he had applyed the lump of figgs, which the Prophet had preſcribed, yet he pitcheth not upon this, as the main cauſe; but celebrateth the power and goodneſs of God, as knowing him to be the Author of his recovery, Iſaiah 38.Iſai. 38. The man that was cured in the beautiful gate of the Temple, by Peter and Iohn, looketh further then them; and therefore it is ſaid, that he went into the temple walking, and leaping, and praiſing God. Acts 3.Acts 3.8. He looked further then the inſtrument, even to the prime efficient: we ſhall ſee Paul directing the Corinthians, for what benefit ſoever they had received by the miniſtery of him, or of Apollos, to look further then them, even unto God. 1 Cor. 2.5. Who is Paul, or who is Apollos; 1 Cor. 2.5, 6.but Miniſters, by whom you have believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increaſe: and for thoſe comforts which himſelf received, by what mediate hand ſoever he had them, whether Ananias, or any other; He looketh up as high as God, 2 Cor. 1. Bleſſed be God, 2 Cor. 1.3.even the father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, the father of mercy, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation: even the wiſer heathens, in their deliverances by Sea and Land, would look up as high as God, (whatſoever the inſtruments were;) Hence the temples of their Deities were ſo full of thoſe foreign, their offerings; and we reade of ſome of their Altars inſcribed, Iovi liberatori, unto Iupiter their deliverer.
The Application of this point is, to ſtirr us up,Application to put this that I have ſaid, in practice; in thoſe evils of puniſhment that befall us, we are not to reſt in the ſecondary cauſes, but to mount higher, even to God; for there is none evill in the city, which the Lord doth not, Amos 3. Underſtand it de malis poenae, non Culpae; of the evils of puniſhment, not of thoſe of ſin: David knew that God had a hand in Shimei's curſing him, the Lord hath bidden him curſe, ſaith he;2 Sam 6.11. 2 Sam. 16. So Iob, in his loſſes, had an eye not ſo much to the Caldeans, and Sabeans, or to Satan himſelf, as unto God; non ad manum percutientem, ſed ad manum permittentem (ſaith Saint Auguſtine; Auguſtine.) he looked not at the hand that ſmote him, but higher; to the divine hand permitting it: The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, Iob. 1.Iob. 1.21. Saint Paul doth inſtruct the Corinthians, that when they were judged, they were chaſtned of the Lord, 1 Cor. 11.32. Iſai. 9.13.1 Cor. 11.32. and it is taxed as a great fault, when men turn not unto him that ſmiteth them, Iſai. 9.13. So in bleſſings received, we ſhould not ſtick in the meanes, but acknowledg God to be the Author, and prime efficient; and that inferiour cauſes are but his inſtruments; for as in evils of puniſhment, if we do not riſe in our thoughts as high as God, and make account they are from him, we ſhall never be patient under the rod, nor profit by it: ſo in good things received, if we look no further then ſecond cauſes, we ſhall never be truely thankful; nay, we ſhall be unjuſt, by ſhifting the debt from the true creditor. And yet, how frequent a fault is this in the world! In Victories, how apt are men to thank the ſtrength and the power they brought into the field, and to forget him that is the Lord of hoſts, and God of victory! Nay, Adrian, and Verus, of old; and Selimus, and Ferdinand, of later times, did erect monuments of Victory to their Horſes. So for honour and dignity, men thank their friends, or their money, or their own acts; not remembring that of the Pſalmiſt,Pſal. 75.6. that promotion cometh neither from the eaſt, nor from the weſt, nor from the ſouth; but it is God that pulleth down one, and ſetteth up another. So for wealth; men look no further then their own labour or induſtry, or elſe what hath been caſt upon them by the donation of friends; not remembring that of Solomon, The bleſsing of God is that which maketh rich. The returns at Sea are attributed to a ſtrong ſhip, and the Skill of the Pilot. The Fiſher (as the Prophet ſpeaketh) ſacrificeth to his net and drag. The Husbandman thanketh his dung-hill for his Crop, and neglecteth God that giveth the increaſe. Yea, ſome are ſo preſumptuous, and ſo irreligious, as to thank themſelves, and their own works, for their ſalvation: they will have, not onelyonly a congruity, but a condignity in them; and ſay, that God is tied, upon terms of ſtrict juſtice, to reward them: never thinking of God, who worketh all their works for them, ſaith the Prophet; that worketh both the will and the deed, ſaith the Apoſtle. Some, in ſpecial comforts received, either by preaching, or otherwiſe, idolize the Miniſters; and are not thankful, as they ought, to God,Iſai. 48.17. who maketh them to profit, Iſai. 48. and giveth the tongue of the learned to his ſervants, to miniſter a word in due ſeaſon, to them that be weary, And 50.4.Iſai. 50. Now what wrong is here done to God, that he muſt be robbed, to pay the inſtrument! How muſt this needs provoke him! He is not againſt ſome praiſe and thanks to be given to the inſtrument: The ſword of the Lord, and the ſword of Gedeon: But when he obſerveth us to give more unto the means, then to the author; then he is jealous, and is more juſtly offended, then Saul was with the womens ſong; Saul hath ſlain his thouſands, and David his ten thouſands. Let the keeper of the vineyard have his two hundred; but let Solomon have his thouſand: Thank we our friends, and think well of the means; but let God have the fat of the ſacrifice, as without whoſe bleſſing no means could have been available for our comfort. If we do otherwiſe, as we are unjuſt and unthankful for the preſent; ſo we lay up a judgement for after time. It is reported of Timantes of Athens, who, reckoning up his Victories, coming to one, ſaid, Hoe Fortunae meae debeo; This I owe unto my Fortune. You muſt know, he meant, by Fortune, the Deity: but he never proſpered after. When, in mercies received, we forget to acknowledge God the prime agent, and to be thankful; it is the next way to make all means, for after-time, unſucceſsful. Let us learn of Hagar here: Thou Lord ſeeſt me: I have had great comfort from the Angel; but I know he was onelyonly but thy mouth: Thou art the fountain of all my conſolation: It is thou, thou Lord alone, that ſeeſt and regardeſt me.
We come to the next clauſe; Have I here alſo looked after him that ſeeth me? Of which there be almoſt as many interpretations, as there be words in it. That a man is (as Nazianzen ſaith,Nazianzen. in another caſe) in a garden where there is variety of curious flowers, he knoweth not which to pluck firſt. Some make the meaning to be this: Have I here alſo looked after him? That is, I have onelyonly ſeen the back-parts of the Angel, and not his face. Muſculus thinketh, that ſhe was ſo fearful and modeſt, that, all the while the Angel ſpake to her, ſhe looked not upon him; onelyonly, in his going away,Obſerv. 3. The imperfection of our knowledge here, and dulneſs of our apprehenſions. Exod. 33.10. ſhe had a ſight of his back-part. And from hence ſome would gather, that our knowledge, even of Angels, in this life, is imperfect: and if of them, much more of God, who ſaid to Moſes, Exod. 33. Thou ſhalt ſee my back-parts; but my face canſt thou not ſee, and live. The Apoſtle telleth us, 1 Cor. 13. We know but in part: and, Chap. 12.1 Cor. 13.9. We now ſee thorow a glaſs, darkly: hereafter, we ſhall fee more clearly; we ſhall ſee him as he is, 1 Joh. 3. and yet, even then, Qualis eſt, non quantus eſt, 1 Joh. 3.2.(ſaith the Father;) his indulgence to us, rather then the eſſence of himſelf; for that is too ſtrong liquor for any created nature to contain: he is incomprehenſible: our eyes are too weak, to gaze againſt ſuch a Sun.
Others expound it thus:Various Expoſitions. Have I alſo here looked after him that ſeeth me? that is, I have ſeen that Angel here, after I have ſeen him in my maſters houſe. And ſome would make this the Tutelar or Guardian Angel of Abrahams family; and that he was here employed to Hagar in the wilderneſs. Concerning Guardian Angels, whether they are ſo aſſigned, and deputed by God, to the protection of ſeveral Countries, Princes, Families, and Perſons; we have formerly ſpoken. And though it be the opinion generally of the Greek Fathers, and of many of the Latine, and ſome of our later Proteſtant Divines, that there is a particular Angel to every one; (thoſe places are urged, Matth. 18. Their Angels always ſtand before God: Matth. 18.10.and Acts 12. it is his Angel:) I have ſaid, We need not be anxious about it:Acts 12.15. for, not onelyonly one Angel, but many, watch about thoſe that fear God: Pſal. 91.11.Pſal. 91. He giveth his Angels charge over them
Thirdly, others ſay, that ſhe challengeth her ſelf, that ſhe had no ſooner taken knowledge of the Angel, till he was gone. Indeed, ſuch is the dulneſs and inadvertency contracted upon men, that they take not knowledge of Gods dealing with them. Jacob, awaking out of ſleep,Gen. 28.16. ſaith, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not, Gen. 28. It is a good while, ere Samuel underſtandeth that it is God that ſpeaketh to him; and therefore twice he runneth to Eli, to know his pleaſure, thinking he had called him, 1 Sam. 31.. It is long ere Gedeon is brought to a right underſtanding, both of the party ſpeaking, and the things ſpoken unto him,Judges 6. Judg. 6. Elihu (in Job) ſaith, God ſpeaketh once, and twice, and man perceiveth it not, Job 33.14. And Saint Auguſtine ſaith of himſelf,Auguſt. 1 Conf. Deus in me loquebatur, & ego neſciebam: the Lord ſpake in me, and I knew it not.
Fourthly, ſome make this the ſenſe: Have not I here alſo looked after him that ſeeth me? That is, Did he not ſee me firſt, before I ſaw him▪ It was ſo indeed; and ſo it is with us all, that God ſeeth us, and ſeeketh us, and looketh after us, before we look after him, yea look up to him, or think of him; we are ſo happie, oftentimes, invenire, to finde him: But this we could not do, if he did not praevenire, prevent us with his grace and favour: He is fain to offer himſelf to be found, and put deſires into us of ſeeking him, or elſe we ſhould never finde nor ſeek him. We cannot ſuſpirare, unleſs he firſt inſpirare: we cannot pant after him, nor aſpire toward him, unleſs he firſt inſpire us.Bernard. In that advancement of Gods love to man, that Bernard maketh, Quòd tantus, tantùm, tantillos, tales, gratis; that the Omnipotent ſhould take care of a creature ſo mean and impotent, and of him onelyonly, and of him in ſuch a ſtate of ſin, and oppoſition to him; and all this freely: yet the higheſt is, prior dilexit; that God loved him firſt; as Saint John ſaith, not that we loved him, but that he loved us firſt. And I would to God it were our onelyonly fault, that when we do not begin: but ſuch is our weakneſs, yea our wickedneſs, that God offereth himſelf to be found, and putteth good motions into us, we do not look after him; thoſe motions do but make a thorow-fare of our ſouls; nay, they are like ſparks, they flie and die; we do not cheriſh and foment them, and purſue them; and therefore ſtill continue ſtrangers unto God, and have none acquaintance with him, as we ought.
Fifthly, ſome think the emphaſis of this ſpeech to lie in the word here; foreign, Did I ever look to finde God ſo neer me, now in this deſolate place, where all comfort failed me? Had it been in my Miſtreſs houſe, upon which Gods Sun doth ever ſhine, it had not been ſo much:Obſerv. 4. The ſubſtance of Gods mercies much advanced by circumſtances, and especially in that be loved first. but here, in the wilderneſs, that God ſhould look upon me, and ſpeak unto me; and, paſſing by my former errours, ſhould comfort me; this is extraordinary! Certainly,
Gods mercies are much advanced, according as they are circumſtantiated; as when there is but a weak beginning of them; as the captive maid is the firſt wheel in Naamans cure: when a great comfort is effected by weak means; as Hezekiahs recovery is wrought by a bunch of figs: or when the means are made glorious; as when a great perſon helpeth a poor man in his miſery: or when the mercy cometh in a time unexpected; as the meſſage of the Angel to Saint Paul, when all hopes of eſcaping were paſt: or when a man is not ſo well diſpoſed, to receive the mercy: Saint Paul was then converted, when he was in his full ſins, againſt the Church: And Hagar, when ſhe was out in rebellion: Some have met with a mercy, when they have come from lewd company: Again, the place addeth much unto it; as when Iacob hath the promiſe renewed unto him, and the viſion of the ladder in his Iourney, and when he lay in the open field: And Saint Iohn, that had his Revelation, in the place of his baniſhment; and certainly, that man that will work his heart,Application to be ſo truly thankfull as it ought; he muſt admit the conſideration of circumſtances, and recollect himſelf, when, and where, and how, and by what meanes God afforded him, this and that favour; for, to take favours in the lumpe, and groſs: and to conſider them only in the bulk; will not ſo warm the heart, and melt it into gratitude, as the laying of them open, in all their adjuncts.
Laſtly, divers do interpret it thus; I yet ſee, that is; I live though I have ſeen God: becauſe it was thought, no man could ſee God and live; I have ſeen God face to face, and my life is preſerved, ſaith Jacob, in way of rejoycing, Gen. 32. Nay they were conceited,Gen. 32.30. that if they had but ſeen an Angell, they ſhould dye. As we ſee in Gideon, Iudg. 6.22. perceiving it to be the Angell of the Lord; he ſaid, alas O Lord God; for I have ſeen an Angell of the Lord, face to face: But the Lord ſaid unto him, peace be unto thee, fear not, thou ſhalt not dye: Manoah ſaid to his wife, we ſhall ſurely dye, becauſe we have ſeen God, Iudg. 13.Iudg. 13.22. And the ſouldiers, upon the apparition of the Angell, did ſhake for fear, and became as dead men, Mat. 28.4.
And this may let us ſee, how gratiouſly God dealeth with us,Mat. 28.4. that he teacheth us by men, like unto our ſelves; for the ſight of God, ſpeaking in mount Sinai was ſo terrible, that they ſay to Moſes, Exod. 20 19.Exod. 20. Speak thou unto us, and we will hear; but let not God ſpeak with us, leſt we die: Nay, God doth not think fit, to deal with us by Angels, in the Miniſtry of his word; foreign, ſaith Saint Chryſoſtom: the diſpenſation of his word and Goſpel,S. Chryſoſtom is not inintruſted unto Angels; and why? Firſt, they could not, being of ſo ſublime a nature, have that compaſſion of us, that men may have, that are foreign ſubject unto the like to the ſame paſſions, with us: Secondly, they are too glorious, and we ſhould not endure them ſo well, being our ſelves cloathed with fleſh: Elihu ſaith to Iob. 33.Iob. 33.6.7. Behold I am according to thy wiſh in Gods ſtead, I alſo am formed out of the clay, my terrours ſhall not make thee affraid: God could either by himſelf, or by an Angell, have inſtructed the Eunuch, but he ſendeth Philip unto him: and ſo Ananias to Paul, and Peter to Cornelius; and Paul to Lydia: It is his will we ſhould ſubmit unto the miniſtery of men. And certainly, though our curious mindes may ſtand to Gods immediate ſpeaking, or the miniſtery of Angels; yet, as we ſhould not be able to endure it, ſo not to profit by it: for, that ſpeech of Abraham to the rich man, who would have one ſent from the dead to his brethren, will ſerve us in this caſe: If they will not hear Moſes and the Prophets, they will not hear an Angel.
I come to the next verſe, wherein her thankfulneſs doth appear, in giving a name to the Well, where the Angel had met with her: for it is probable, that ſhe gave the name, and that afterwards others took it up, and commonly called it by that name. Now in that ſhe gave a name to the place, we may ſee Obſerv. 5. Grateful mindes uſe all good means to keep up the memorial of Gods favours.The care of grateful mindes, to uſe all lawful means to keep Gods mercies in remembrance.
I told you before, how this woman was adviſed to lay up the memory of the bleſſing in the name of her ſon, Iſhmael: and ſo Iſaac's name was to that purpoſe, that they might never forget what a cauſe of joy he was to Abraham. So Joſeph calleth his eldeſt ſon Manaſſeh, becauſe God had made him forget his affliction; and his younger, Ephraim, becauſe God had made him fruitful in the land of his affliction. And ſo Moſes calleth his ſon Gerſhom; that is, a ſtranger there: and his other ſon Eleazer, in that God had helped him. They have alſo, for this reaſon, given names to places: as Abraham calleth the place where Iſaac was ſpared, and another ſacrifice provided, foreign,Gen. 22.14. foreign And 28.19. God will provide, Gen. 22. Jacob changeth the name of foreign into foreign; of Luz into Bethel; that is, the houſe of God, Gen. 28. that he might ever remember how graciouſly and comfortably God had revealed himſelf unto him in that place. Jehoſhaphat, and the people, called the place where they met to praiſe God,2 Chron. 20.2. after their great deliverance, the valley of Berachah, 2 Chron. 20. that is, the valley of bleſsing. Thus they have given names to times; as Mordecai, and Gods people, to keep in remembrance that deliverance of theirs from Hamans plot, called them the days of Purius, of foreign,Eſth. 9.26. or, of lots, Eſth. 9. So they have kept Anniverſaries; as we ſee in the feaſts of the Paſſeover, and Pentecoſt, and the Tabernacles, and the feaſt of Dedication, ſpoken of, Joh. 10. which our Lord himſelf did keep. Oblivion is the worſt ſort of Ingratitude: and to caſt ſuch benefits behinde our backs, or ſet them in ſome blinde corner, argueth a ſlighting of them, and no purpoſe to be thankful for them. Our Memory, though it be a natural mother to courteſies done by us; yet it is a ſtepmother to benefits received; and therefore good men (here) uſed the more care to refreſh it.
For the Uſe of it:
ApplicationLet it be our care alſo, to keep in minde Gods favours, that we may not onelyonly ſerve God with a flaſh of joy, and blaze of thanks; but may keep a continual fire within us; yea, ſet apart ſome times purpoſely, for the recalling of Gods mercies, that we may ſtir up our ſelves to the greater meaſure of thankfulneſs. Let us often meditate how free and full Gods favours are: he giveth, becauſe he loveth; and he giveth fully, becauſe he loveth. Let us think alſo, what need we have of his mercies; and what a maim it would be, to want even the leaſt of thoſe we ſeem to undervalue. And let us think alſo, how importunate we are for his benefits; and therefore a ſhame to forget them. Laſtly, how we diſpoſe our ſelves to receive future mercy, by being thankful for former: and, on the other ſide, how we ſtop the current to our ſelves, by our ingratitude.
Again, ſhe gave this name to the Well, not onelyonly for her ſelf, to quicken her own memory; but in regard of poſterity, (ſaith Ferus; Ferus in locum.) ut inde admonerentur divinae miſericordiae; that they might be thereby minded of the divine mercy: that they might know, that God did there behold his ſervant in affliction; and that they might expect the like mercy that ſhe had found, that gave the name to the Well, out of her experience of Gods mercy to her.
The favours of God to ſome, ought to be encouragement to others.Obſerv. 6. The favours of God to ſome, ought to be encouragements to others, both for expectation, and adaptation. Pſal. 32. Rom. 4.22, 23.
David, ſpeaking of that which he had found, upon his reſolution to confeſs his ſin, even the remiſſion of it, he addeth, Pſal. 32. and for this ſhall every one that is godly pray unto thee, in a time when thou mayeſt be found. Saint Paul (Rom. 4.) ſpeaking of the faith of Abraham, that it was accounted to him for righteouſneſs; withal addeth, It was not written for him alone, but for us alſo, to whom our faith alſo ſhall be imputed for righteouſneſs. Saint James giveth hopes of a good iſſue to our afflictions, by the example of Job, James 5.James 5.1. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have ſeen the end of the Lord: As who ſhould ſay, Expect the like. And,Verſe 17. verſe 17. when he will encourage to the expectation of a good return of fervent prayer, he voucheth the example of Elias, how God, upon his prayer, ſhut and opened heaven. It is ſaid of the woman that was a ſinner in the city, when ſhe knew that Chriſt ſate at meat in the Phariſees houſe, ſhe came, Luke 7. yea,Luke 7.37. thought thus: If he offered ſo much grace to thoſe that be his enemies, he will not reject me, that come in the humility of my ſoul. And it is Saint Bernards Meditation: Non renuiſti confitentem latronem, S. Bernard.non lachrymantem meretricem, non ſupplicantem Cananaeam, non deprehenſam in adulterio, non negantem diſcipulum, non perſecutorem diſcipulorum: in odore horum unguentorum currimus poſt te: Thou, O Lord, rejectedſt not the thief confeſſing, the penitent harlot, the importunate Canaanite, the reformed adultreſs, the denying diſciple, the very perſecutors of thy diſciples: and in the perfume of theſe odours, Lord, we follow thee; hereby drawn, we run after thee.
For the Uſe of this:
We are to be warned of the judgements that God hath inflicted upon others. For this end, our Lord biddeth us Remember Lots wife: Applicationand Paul telleth,Jude verſ. 7. how God puniſhed the old Iſraelites: and Jude telleth of the ſin and puniſhment of the Angels, of the old world, of Sodome; and faith, foreign, they lie out as a ſea-mark: yea, God ſaith,Zeph. 3.6, 7. Zeph. 3. that he cut off the nations, and made their towers waſte, and their ſtreets deſolate; intending, that his people ſhould fear, and receive inſtruction; that they ſhould hear, and learn, as it is ſaid in Deuteronomy. In ſanguine tuo caeteri diſcent diſciplinam, (ſaid a Proconſul unto one he puniſhed;) In the characters of thy blood; others ſhall read inſtruction.
An ſo, on the other ſide, we ſhould be encouraged and comforted by the inſtances of Gods mercies: for, Whatſoever was written aforetime, was written for our learning, (ſaith the Scripture) that we might have hope. And whatſoever God hath mercifully done for others, he hath done it to encourage others to the expectation of the like: for his arm is not ſhortened, but that he can do as much as ever: and he is as good as ever: and if we finde not what others have found, we may thank our ſelves for it; and ſo we may indeed. We would finde the ſame favour that David did: Why do we not? Becauſe, though we have ſinned with David, we have not repented with David. We would finde the ſame favour that Peter did: Why do we not? Becauſe we do not weep, as Peter did. We would finde a return of our prayers, as Elias did: Why do we not? Becauſe we do not pray fervently, as he did. We would have an happie iſſue out of our afflictions: Why have we not? Becauſe we are not humbled under the hand of God, as his children have been. If we had been ſo, we ſhould have found ſuch honey in that lion, that we ſhould have had occaſion to ſay, It was good for us to have been in trouble. Let us carry our ſelves as Gods people have done; and let us confidently expect, that the mercy he hath ſhewed to others, he will ſhew to us: and ſo we ſhall be able to tell others what God hath done for our ſouls; that ſo they may caſt themſelves alſo upon the goodneſs of the ſame God, and finde help in time of need.
Preached, Ian. 26. 1641.