Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 1 · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. Verſ. 1. And Abraham journeyed from thence, &c.]
EIther as grieved at the ſight of Sodom; or annoyed by the ill ayr thereof; Inde tàm gravis halitus manat, ut cum nulla animalia perferant, cujus ſolo …lfactu intereant. Hom. Odyſſ.or as loathing Lots inceſt; or driven out by a famine; or deſireous of doing good to many. Whatever it was that occaſioned his remove, we finde him ever and anon journeying from one place, and ſojourning in another. Gods people are a brood of travellers. This was Abram the Hebrew, of Heber, which ſignifieth, Pilgrim or ſtranger. They look toward Heaven in their home, as Vlyſſes is ſaid to do toward Ithaca, as a bird looks to her neſt on the higheſt Rocks.
Verſ. 2. She is my ſiſter] This is the ſecond time he thus ſinned, both againſt Piety by diſtruſt, and Charity, in expoſing his wife to other mens pleaſure, and his neighbor thereby to Gods diſpleaſure. 2 Chron. 19.2. & 20.37.So Jehoſaphat was twice taken tardy in Ahabs amity. Jonah twice reproved for Rebellion, and John for Angel worſhip. Judg. 15.20. & 16.1.Sampſon, twenty yeers after he had loved the Philiſtim-woman, goes down to Gaza, and went in to Dalilah. Lot committed inceſt two nights together. Indeed the orifice of his luſt was not yet ſtopped by repentance. But Jonas had ſurely repented of his former frowardneſs; and ſo had Sampſon, Jehoſaphat, Non dubium, quin Abram poenitudire ductus, &c. Pareus in Gen. 12.16.and Abraham too, of his former diſſimulation; which made the Lord to move Pharaoh to deal kindly with him, ſo that he had ſheep and oxen, &c. Gen. 12.16. But what ſhall we ſay to that example of the Apoſtles, Luke 22.24. Amongſt whom there was a ſtrife who ſhould be accounted the greateſt? And this was not the firſt, but the third time they had thus offended by ambition; and ever, after our Saviour had diſcourſed unto them of his Croſs. But this laſt time, moſt abſurdly, and unſeaſonably, after that he had foretold his Paſſion to follow within two days; had taught them that he was anoynted by the woman againſt the day of his burial; had adminiſtred to them the Sacrament, that Seal of Mutual Love; had waſhed their Feet, to teach them Humility and Charity, &c. Oh the incredible perverſeneſs of corrupt Nature! How ſtrongly do the beſt ſtill ſmell of the old cask, taſte of the old ſtock, though ingrafted into Chriſt, and though poured from veſſel to veſſel? And this have ye done again, ſaith the Lord, Mal. 2.13. John 5.14.A great aggravation; as numbers added to numbers, are firſt ten times more, and then a hundred, and then a thouſand. Pſal. 78.40.How oft did they provoke him in the wilderneſs, and grieve him in the deſart? A regenerate man may fall into the ſame ſin again that he hath truly repented of: Nor can we define how oft, and into how hainous; but ſurely, not oft into the ſame, that is hainous and ſcandalous. That's a graceleſs perſon that hath eyes full of adultery, and that cannot ceaſe to ſin, 2 Peter 2.19. An enemy to God, that goeth on in his trespaſſes, Pſal. 68.21. It is expreſly noted of Judah, Gen. 38.26. that he knew Tamar again no more. [And Abimelech King of Gerar] A fit name for a King; and a common name to the Kings of this Countrey: It ſignifies Father-King. I was a father to the poor, ſaith Job. Job 29.16.And Kings ſhall be nurſing fathers to the Church, ſaith Iſaiah. Iſai. 49.23. foreign. Dio. Ibi…. in vita. Bucholc. in Indice Chronol. Orbis amor & deliciae. Corculum appel. latut eſt. Tuſc. quaſt. l. 1. Parei Medul. Hiſt. pro…an. p. 482.Auguſtus was ſtiled 'Pater Patriae. And Trajan gloried moſt in his title Optimus. He deſired more to be loved, then honored, and counted it a greater dignity, Prodeſſe quàm praeeſſe. He tare his own Garment to binde up therewith the wounds of his Souldiers; and profeſſed, That he would ſo carry himſelf to private perſons, now that he was Emperor, as he wiſhed, when he was a private man, that the Emperors ſhould carry themſelves toward him. Titus, for his ſweet nature and carriage, was called the Worlds darling. Scipio the Cities Sweet-heart. Julian the Apoſtate, as he came not ſhort of the greateſt Philoſophers for learning; ſo neither of Titus for Lenity, of Antoninus for Clemency, of M. Aurelius for Moderation, ſetting aſide his Satanical hatred of Chriſtian Religion. Queen Eliſabeth ever accounted Devotion and Mercy, Camd. Eliſ. 494.the brighteſt Stars in the Sphere of Majeſty. She always thought it more fit to offend a man, then to hate him, ſaith Maſter Camden. In the yeer 1579. a young man diſcharged a peece out of a Boat, and ſhot one of the Barge-men in the Queens Barge (where ſhe was then) through both his arms; who was ſoon apprehended, and led to the Gallows for a terror to him. But whereas he religiouſly affirmed, That he did it unwittingly, and thought no hurt, he was diſcharged: Idem ibid. fol. 205.The Queen many times, ſaying, That ſhe could beleeve nothing of her people, that Parents would not beleeve of their children. This made her ſo beloved at home, and admired abroad. Queen Eliſabeth was the moſt glorious and happy woman that ever ware a Crown, ſaid that thrice Noble princeſs Anna Atestina, Thuan. hiſt. lib. 129. foreign Dio.the Mother of the Dukes of Guiſe and Nemours, as Thuanus hath Recorded it. Her Subjects were ready to ſay to Her, as the Senate ſaid to Severus, All is well with us, ſo long as thou ruleſt well over us.
Verſ. 3. And God came to Abimelech in a dream] Dreams are either natural, or ſupernatural. Natural dreams are not much to be regarded, Eccleſ. 5.7. Diviners and Dreamers we are forbid to hearken to, Jere. 27.9. Cicero confutes them that do, in his Books de Divinatione. Somnia ne cures, nam mens bu…a…a quod optat, &c.That uſe there is of them, is in Phyſick, to diſcern our temperatures in Divinity, our beloved ſins. Supernatural dreams are ſent by God, and his Angels; and that either to comfort us, as Matth. 2.19. or to chaſten us, Job 7.13, 14. And theſe are, firſt, uſually repeated, till they are regarded, as Pharaohs, and young Samuels dreams: Secondly, they do much affect us, and leave a certain perſwaſion, an inward ſence of Gods preſence in the ſoul; as Daniels, Joſephs, and Pareus his dreams. In the Calends of April (ſaith he, in his domeſtical Diary or Day-Book,) 1618. I had a terrible dream at four of the clock in the morning. Vidi Heidelbergam totam occulto incendio undiquaque fumigantem, &c. Philip. Par. in vita Davidis Parei, operib. ejus praefina.For me thought, I ſaw all Heidelberg on a thick ſmoke, but the Prince his Pallace all on a light fire. O Deus clementiſſime averte ſiniſtrum omen, & ſerva Sareptam tuam a vaſtatione hoſtium intùs & foris. Thus that good man dream't, and thus he pray'd: but the decree was paſſed, and ſhortly after executed, according to his dream. There are alſo dreams diabolical. Euſebius tells us, that Simon Magus had his dream-haunting Devils, foreign, his familiars by whom he deluded men in their dreams, and drew them into the admiration of himſelf. Theſe deviliſh dreams are either meer illuſions, as that of Eliphaz is thought to be no better, Job 4.12, 16, 17. Marbury of Repent.Or elſe they tend to ſin, as nocturnall pollutions, and other evill dreams; whereby the devill ſometimes faſteneth that ſin upon the Saints when aſleep, that he cannot prevail with them to commit whiles awake. As for Pilats wives dream, ſome Divines think it was from the devill, ſeeking thereby to hinder the work of our Redemption. [For ſhe is a mans wife] Adultery, even in Kings, is puniſhable by death. Emperors and Popes have been cut off by the juſt hand of God, in, and for this filthy ſin. Society and the purity of poſterity could not otherwiſe continue amongſt men, if this crime were not capitall. Moritur Paulu… 4. nimto Veneris uſu &c. Valentinian. Imp. Heyl. Geog.At Geneva they puniſh fornication with nine dayes faſting; Adultery with death. God appointed that ſuch ſhould be ſtoned. He ſtoneth them, howſoever, with the ſtone in the heart, Hoſ. 4.11. Prov. 7.22. Hetfer the Anabaptiſt was put to death for this ſin at Conſtance: He being a learned man, and a Preacher, inſinuated himſelf into the familiarity of many women of good ranke and repute, and defiled them; when he came to execution, he confeſſed that he would many times have repented of that foul ſin, but could not; Joh. Manlii lec. com. p. 322.ſo faſt was he held in the devills bonds: and that now he was willing to dye, and accept of the chaſtiſement of his iniquity. Howbeit, Ibid. 487.it is an opinion held and maintained by the Anabaptiſts, that Adultery is not to be puniſhed by men, becauſe the Scripture ſaith, Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Others would prove the ſame from thoſe words of our Saviour (Joh. 8.11.) to the woman taken in adultery, Neither do I condemne thee. But they may as well ſay, That inheritances are not to be divided betwixt brethren, becauſe Chriſt would not divide them, when required thereto, Luke 12.14.
Verſ. 4. But Abimelech had not come near her] Being hindred by ſickneſs, verſ. 17. Well might St. Ambroſe call ſiekneſs, Morbos virtutum officinas vocat Ambroſ. Nuper me amici▪ cujuſdam languor admonuit opimos eſſe not dum in…irmi ſum…. Plin. Epiſt. 26. l. 7. Manl. loc. com. p. 667.The ſhop of vertues. When men are faſtened to their beds, and their bones made to rattle in their skin, luſt will be laid aſleep, and little leiſure left for luxury. This made King Alured pray God to ſend him alwayes ſome ſickneſs, whereby his body might be tamed, and he the better diſpoſed & affectioned to God-ward. If it be painfull to the vine to bleed, 'tis worſe to wither. Better be pruned to grow, then cut up to burn. Otho tertius, Imperator, dictus miraculum mundi, amoribus periit. How much happier he that ſang, Periiſſem niſi Periiſſem? [Lord wilt thou ſlay alſo a righteous Nation?] For he knew, that whole Nations had ſmarted for the ſins of their Rulers; this ſin of Adultery eſpecially, as we read of Shechem, Troy, &c. How wore the Greeks plagued for the rape of Chryſis? and the Lacedemonian Common wealth utterly overturned by Epaminendas in the battle of Leuctra, for a rape committed upon the two daughters of Scedaſus by a couple of Spartan Gentlemen, traveling to Delphos: This might make Abimelech afraid, leſt for his fault, wrath ſhould fall upon his people alſo.
Verſ. 5. Said he not unto me, She is my ſiſter, &c.] Here Abraham and Sarah, Rom. 4. 1 Pet. 3.though both famous, he for his faith, and ſhe for not being afraid with any amazement, 1 Pet. 3.6. yet here they ſhew ſome trepidation. Senſe (ſaith One) fights ſore againſt faith, when it is upon its own dunghill, I mean in a ſenſible danger. Natures retraction of it ſelf from a viſible fear, M. Vines his Faſt-Sermon. Elias fulminator ad Jezabalis minas trepidat.may cauſe the pulſe of a Chriſtian that beats truly and ſtrongly in the main point, (the ſtate of the ſoul) to intermit and faulter at ſuch a time. [In the integrity of my heart] Great is the boldneſs of a clear conſcience, be it but in ſome one particular, as here in Abimelech; a man that was magis extra vitia quàm cum virtutibus (as Tacitus ſaith of Galba) rather not evill then good; one whoſe nature was not changed, Tac. l. 1. c. 12.but chained up onelyonly. Civill men are but Wolves chained up, tame Devils, Swine in a fair meadow; and yet theſe are the worlds honeſt men, and as high a price ſet upon them, as was once upon a cab of Doves-dung in the famine of Samaria. But theſe Abimelechs, theſe Catoes, theſe civill Juſticiaries, they want ſincerity in the firſt Table, and integrity in the Second; for they ſtand not upon the inward corruptions, nor leſſer breaches of the Law. Abimelech (for all his confidence here) was to blame for his wandring raſh luſt. And Cato, that mirror of morality, was a griping Uſurer, proſtituted his wife, and ſlew himſelf. Hiſt. lib. 2And yet Paterculus will tell you, that he was, Homo virtuti ſimillimus, & per omnia virtute Diis quàm hominibus propior, &c.
Verſ 6. Yea I know that thou didſt this, &c.] God takes his excuſe, and yet chaſtiſeth him; to teach us, ſaith Calvin, Non prorſus vacare culpâ qui humane modo puri ſunt. He can finde flawes in that, for which we may look for thanks. This makes Nehemiah. crave pardon of his zealous reformations; and David cry…s out, Enter not into judgement, &c. Sordet in conspect… judicis, quod fulget in conspectu operantis, ſaith Gregory. Ye are they that juſtifie your ſelves before men (ſaith Chriſt to the Phariſees) but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly eſteemed amongſt men is abomination in the ſight of God, Luke 16.15. A thing which I ſee in the night may ſhine, and that ſhining proceed from nothing but rottenneſs. But be not deceived (or if ye be, yet) God is not mocked. Sacco ſoluto apparuit argentum. Ambro….When he comes to turn the bottome of the bag upwards (as the Steward did Benjamins) all our ſecret thefts will out, all our colluſions come to light. His Law is a Law of fire, Deut. 33.2. His tribunall of fire, Ezek. 1.27. His pleading with ſinners, in flames of fire, Eſa. 60.15, 16. The triall of our works ſhall be by fire; and God before whom is a conſuming fire, Heb. 12.29. Happy are they that are here purged by that Spirit of judgement and burning, Eſa. 4.4. Theſe ſhall ſtand in judgement, yea dwell with everlaſting burnings, Eſa. 33.14. [For I alſo with held thee] Either by ſickneſs, as aforeſaid, or by a ſpirit of reſtraint, a gift that God gives to men, yea to the rebellious alſo, that the Lord God might dwell amongſt them, Pſal. 68.18. in his Religion and worſhippers; which elſe the wicked would never ſuffer. Thus God chained up Laban, and made Saul to melt over David, &c. Now many take this poor counter, (that is, I am not as ſome others are, ſo bad as the worſt) and ſet it down for a thouſand pound. Our Saviour indeed is ſaid to have looked upon the young Phariſee, and to have loved him, Mark. 10.21.becauſe he ſaw him to be a tame man, free from foule crimes, and fit to live in a Commonwealth: But no otherwiſe then as we love pictures, which are pretty things to look on, and that's all they are good for. A better nature, if reſted in, is but a beautifull abomination, a ſmooth way to hell. And yet, ſay what we can, this kinde of men grow crooked and aged with good opinions of themſelves, and can ſeldome or never be ſet ſtraight again. They will truſt in Moſes, Job. 5.45. and when they have ſick fits and qualms of conſcience, lick themſelves whole by their repentance, and ſo reſt in it: Which made Auſtin ſay, that Repentance damneth more then ſin. They ſeek not to be ſaved by the righteouſneſs of faith, neither ſee they any neceſſity of growing from faith to faith. No, they are ſet, they are as good as ever they mean to be; they that outſtrip them are too forward, they that fall ſhort of them, are deeply cenſured.
Verſ. 7. Now therefore reſtore] Let knowledge reforme what ignorance offended in. The times of ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men every where to repent, Act. 17.30. As a Maſter, when he ſets up his ſervant a double light, expects more work and better. We have a priviledg not onelyonly above the blinde Ethnicks, but above the Church of the Old Teſtament. The ſea about the Altar was brazen, 1 King. 7.23. And what eyes could pierce thorough it? Now our ſea about the Throne is glaſſie, Rom. 4.6. like to Chryſtall, clearly conveying the light and ſight of God to our eyes. God hath deſtroyed the face of the covering caſt over all people, Eſa. 25.7. And we all with ope… face beholding, as in a glaſs, the glory of the Lord, muſt ſee to it, that we be changed into the ſame image from glory to glory, 2 Cor. 3.18. If thoſe good ſouls paſſed from ſtrength to ſtrength, Pſal. 84.7.travelling many a weary ſtep, to ſee the face of God in Sion, in the obſcure glaſs of the Ceremonies; vae torpori noſtro, wo to us, if now, that ſuch a light is ſprung up, we walk not as children of that light! To know heavenly things, is to aſcend into heaven, Prov. 30.3, 4. And to know our maſters will is a great talent; of all other, there is a much in that, Luke 12.48. But then, not to do his will ſo known, is to be beaten with many ſtripes. None ſo deep in hell, as your knowing men, becauſe they impriſoned the truth (which is as a Prophet from God) in unrighteouſneſs, Rom 1.18. they kept it in their heads, as rain in the middle region, Sapientes ſapien ter deſcendunt in infernum. Bern.not ſuffering it to warm their hearts, or work upon their affections; therefore came wrath upon them to the utmoſt. None are oftner drowned then they that are moſt skilfull in ſwimming. So none ſooner miſcarry then men of greateſt parts. [For he is a Prophet, and he ſhall pray for thee] The proper work of a Prophet, Jer. 27.18. If they be Prophets, let them intreat the Lord; they ſhall be heard, when others ſhall not, as the fathers bleſſing is moſt effectuall; as the child could not be raiſed till Eliſha came himſelf, nor the ſick be healed, till the Elders of the Church be called for, Jam. 5.14. The Apoſtles divided their time betwixt praying and preaching, Act. 6.4. So did the Prieſts of the Old Teſtament, Deut. 33.10. They ſhall teach Jacob thy judgements, they ſhall put incenſe before thee. As with every ſacrifice there was incenſe, ſo ſhould every Miniſteriall duty be performed with prayer. St. Paul begins his Epiſtles with prayer, and proceeds and ends in like manner. What is it that he would have every of his Epiſtles ſtamped with by his own hand, but prayer for all his people? 2 Theſſ. 3.17, 18. [Thou ſhalt ſurely dye] So dear to God are his Saints, that he grievouſly puniſheth, even Kings for their ſakes; as Jehoram in his bowels with an incurable diſeaſe, 2 Chron. 21.18 Non deſunt qui ad phthiriaſin referunt, quo av…s quoque ipſius Herod. mag. periit. Beza Annot. in Act. 12. Oro…ius. He proteſted, ſiquam ſui corporis partem Lutherianiſmo ſciret inſectam revulſurum illicè, ne longiùs ſerperet. Sleid. Comment. l. 9. Act & Mon. 1914.the two Herods by the louſie malady. Maximinus the Emperor, a cruell perſecutor, caſt upon his bed of ſickneſs by God, was glad to crave the prayers of the Church, as Euſebius relates it. Valens being to ſubſcribe an Order for the baniſhment of Baſil, was ſmitten with a ſudden trembling of his hand, that he could not: Afterward he was burned to death by the Gothes, whom he had corrupted, by ſending them Arrian teachers. The putting out of that French Kings eyes, which promiſed before with his eyes to ſee Anne du Bourg (one of Gods true ſervants) burned, who ſeeth not to be the ſtroke of Gods own hand? Then, his ſon Francis not regarding his fathers ſtripe, would needs yet proceed in the burning the ſame man. And did not the ſame God, give him ſuch a blow on the ear, as coſt him his life? As for Charles the ninth, author of the French maſſacre, though he were wittily warned by Beza to beware (upon occaſion, of that new Star appearing in Caſſiopeia, Novem 1572. which he applied to that Star at Chriſts birth, and to the infanticide then) with, Tu verò, Camdens Eliſ. ſol. 165.Herodes ſanguinolente, time; yet becauſe he repented not, God gave him blood to drink, as he was worthy; for the fifth monethmonth after the vaniſhing of this Star▪ Conſtans fama eſt illum, Act. & Mon. fol. 1949.dum è variis corporis partibus ſanguis emanaret, in lecto ſaepe volutatum, inter terribilium blaſphemiarum diras tantam ſanguinis vim projeciſſe ut, paucas poſt horas, mortuus fuerit. This Charles the ninth, in the maſſacre of Paris, beholding the bloody bodies of the butchered Proteſtants, Spec. bel. ſac p. 248.and feeding his eye upon that wofull ſpectacle, is ſaid to have breathed out this bloody ſpeech, Quam bonus eſt odor hoſtis mortui! Another great Queen, ſeeing the ground covered with the naked carcaſſes of her Proteſtant Subjects ſaid, M. Newcom…n Faſt Serm. 27. Like Hannibals O formoſum ſpectaculum. De Alexandra Joſephus. Act & Mon. fol. 1 901.that it was the braveſt peece of Tapeſtry that ever ſhe beheld; but it was not long that ſhe beheld it. Our Queen Mary, though non naturâ ſed Ponti…iciorum arte ferox (Ipſa ſolùm nomen regium ferebat, caterùm …mnem reg…i poteſtatem Phariſaei poſſidebant) dyed of a Tympany, or as ſome (by her much ſighing before her death) ſuppoſed, ſhe dyed of thought and ſorrow, either for the loſs of Callice, or for the departure of King Phillip. This King going from the Low-countries into Spain by Sea, with reſolution never to remove thence, fell into a ſtorm, in which almoſt all the Fleet was wracked, his houſhold-ſtuffe of very great value loſt, and himſelf hardly eſcaped. Hiſt. of Coun. of Trent. 417.He ſaid he was delivered by the ſingular providence of God, to root out Lutheraniſme, which he preſently began to do; proteſting that he had rather have no Subjects, then Lutheran Subjects. Whether it was this Phillip or his ſucceſſor▪ I cannot certainly tell. But Carolus Sexiba… tells a lamentable ſtory of one of thoſe two Phillips: Hear him elſe, Ʋlcerum magnitudinem, multitudinem, acorbitatem, fatorem, lecto tanquam durae cruc…, …o integra, affixionem, ut in nullam prope commoveri partem poſſit, acres continuoſque ann…r um ſex podagrae dolores, febrim … cum dup…ici per an…os … intima, Carot. S…rib…n. Inſtit. princip, c. 20.adeoque & oſſi… medullas depaſcentem graviſſimam 22. dierum dyſenteriam, qu… n…c moram dar…t, nec deterſion…m admitteret, perpetua ſtoma…hifaſtidia, nullo po…u ſitim medicandam, capitis & oculorum inſanos dolores, ingentom puris ex ulcaribus redundanti… ▪ quae binas indie… ſcutellat divite padere impleret: Inter her, maligniſſimi oder is gravitat …, quae om…em illi ſou…um ademerat; hac, inquam▪ Rex potentiſſimus longo tempore perpeſſus eſt. So true is that of an Ancient. Potentes pot…utèr torquebuntur. Be wiſe now therefore▪ Pſal. 2.10.O ye Kings: Kiſs the ſon, leſt he be angry. He can ſoon break men with his iron Mace, and daſh them in peeces as a potters veſſell. Ingentla, hereſicia, ingentia ſlagitia, ingentia ſupplicia, as the Centuriſts have it. Chriſt ſhall raign, when Kings and Keſars ſhall lye in the duſt. Rev. 19.16. expounded.His name is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; and this name is written upon his Veſture (that all creatures may ſee his power) and upon his Thigh, to ſhew the eternity of his Monarchy, in his children and poſterity. This everlaſting Father ſhall have an endleſs government, Eſa. 6.6,7. He ſhall ſee his ſeed (the fruit of his thigh;) he ſhall prolong his daye…, and the pleaſure of the Lord ſhall proſper in his hands, Eſa. 53.10. I ſhut up this Diſcourſe with the ſtory of Ladiſlaus King of Bohemiae and Hungary, who moſt unjuſtly had cauſed Ladiſlaut, ſon to Hunniade…, to be beheaded; and together with many other Popiſh Princes, had conſpired to root out the true Chriſtians in Bobemia; which ſhould have been put in execution at the time of hi… ma…riage: immediately before, in the midſt of his great preparation… he ſell ſick, Bu…ru…and within thirty ſix hours dyed of a poſtilent ſore in his gro…. Paul. ….Like as Attila… that King of Hunnes, and ſcourge of Chriſtendome, had dyed before, being ſuffocated in his own blood, at ſuch time as he celebrated his wedding, having diſtempered his body with exceſs in wine and venery, adeò ut proverbio deeo dictam fit, eum per eandem partem animam profudiſſe, Jacob. Revius.per quam accepera…. He went out of the world the ſame way that he came into it, and ſent his ſoul, as a harbinger to the devill, to provide room for his body
Verſ. 8. Therefore Abimelech roſe early, &c.] He made haſt…, and delayed not to keep Gods Commandments, Pſal. 119.60. This is check to out dulneſs, whom ſo many exhortations and menaces of Gods month move not to amend. Some are ſemper victur, as Seneca ſaith, they defer ſo long till the Draw bridge be taken up, till the gale of Grace be blown over, till the Bridegroom go by, and ſo are ſhut out with the fooliſh Virgins, for their lingring and futhring. Nol…te vero tempus in …gis ter…e, vel Crus, ut ille, foreign. Vox crat Archiae illius Thcban…rum praefecti.Seria, rejectis in hilari compotatione, literis indiciis hodie …, proteliere. At the next pu…e of breath thou mayſt blow away thy life; or, by not diſcerning thy time, thou mayſt loſe thy ſoul, as Saul did his Kingdome. Opportunities are headlong. [And culled all his ſervants] Nature taught Infidels to take …re of their own famillies. Socrates is ſaid to have called Philoſophy down from heaven to earth; that is, W…l… in Tiliani …. Philoſoph.to have directed men to be good at home, and ſetting aſide other ſtudies, chiefly to minde, Aedibus in propriis quae prava aut recta gerantur. Cato ſaid that he could pardon all mens faults, foreign Dio in vita. Suetou in Aug. c. 65.ſave onelyonly the faults of his own family. And Auguſtus, when he went about to reſtrain gariſh attire, and looſeneſs of life in others, was ſcared and upbraided at Rome, with the exceſſes and enormities of his own houſhold. He had three untoward children whom he was won… to tearm tres vomicas, tri… carcinomara. So many mattery impoſtumes, ulcerous ſores. His wife Livia was thought to be too familiar with her friend and Phyſitian, Endemus; Pliny calls him her Paramour. Tacitus ſaith, he was ſpecie artis, frequens ſecretis. All this might be without his fault, but not without his reproach. The malicious Phariſees could object it to our Saviour; Thy Diſciples waſh not, thy Diſciples faſt not, &c. As if he were much to blame for ſuffering ſuch things. And ſurely, he is not a compleat Chriſtian, walks not in a perfect way, Pſal. 101.2.that is not good at home, that is not relatively good. The fifth Commandement is called by Philo, foreign, a mixt Commandement, and made a part of the firſt Table. It is therefore ſet betwixt both Tables of the Law, ſaith Another, becauſe all we get from God or men, we bring it home to our houſes (as Abimelech here relates his divine dream to his ſervants) the place of well-employing it. [And the men were ſore afraid]. This fear freed them; for according to mens fear, Bradford of Repent.ſo is Gods diſpleaſure, Pſal. 90. Cavebis ſi pavebis, Rom. 11.21. But they that tremble not in hearing, ſhall be cruſhed to peeces in feeling, ſaid that Martyr. This was a ſign that the Iſraelites feared God, when they beleeved God, and his ſervant Moſes, Exod. 4.31. The beſt way of prevention is to tremble at Gods judgements, whiles they hang in the threatnings. But frequentiſſimum initium calamitatis, ſecuritas, ſaith Paterculus. Sola igitur ſecurit as eſt, nunquam eſſe ſecurum, ſed ſemper pavidum & trementem, R. Groſtbead. Coloſſ. 3.23.ſaith another. Should ſervants fear their maſters, becauſe they have power over the fleſh, and not we fear God, &c?
Verſ. 9. 'What hast thou done unto us, &c.] Some warmth muſt be in a reproof, but it muſt not be ſcalding hot. Words of reviling and diſgrace, Aegros, qu…s potus fortis non curavit, ad ſalutempriſti…am aquatep…us rev… eavit. Greg.they ſcald as it were; but words that tend to ſtir up the conſcience to a due conſideration of the fault (as here) they be duely warm, and tend to make the phyſick work more kindly. How could Abraham reſiſt this ſweet and ſovereign reprehenſion? How could he but be much aſhamed, that he ſhould give occaſion to it? No oratory is ſo powerfull with good natures as that of mildneſs. Remember to reprove with modeſty and moderation.
Verſ. 11. Surely the fear of God, &c.] The onelyonly beſt curb to reſtrain from evill, and ſpur to incite to good. All honeſty flows from this holy fear. It is a problem in Ariſtotle, why men are credited more then other creatures? The anſwer is, On foreign Man onelyonly reverenceth God, therefore you may truſt him, therefore you may commit your ſelf to him. Sed quia alitèr facere non potuit. Velleius.He that truely feareth God is like unto Cato, of whom it is ſaid, He never did well that he might appear to do ſo, but becauſe he could do no otherwiſe. You need not fear me, ſaid Joſeph to his brethren, for I fear God, and ſo dare do you no hurt. Ought ye not to have feared God, ſaid Nehemiah to thoſe uſurious Jews?Neh. 5.9.
Verſ. 12. And yet indeed] See the Notes on Chapt. 11.29.
Verſ. 13. When God cauſed me to wander] Cum facerent Dii, when they, even God, cauſed me. The myſtery of the Trinity, though Calvin interpret it of the Angels; Myſterium Triados. Jun.as Cartwright likewiſe doth that of Solomon, which Junius conceiveth to be ſpoken of the bleſſed Trinity, There bee higher then they, Eccleſ. 5.8. ſc. That Three in One, and One in Three.
Verſ. 14. And Abimelech took oxen] Great men ſhould be bountiful to good men. Aeneas Sylvius was wont to ſay of learning (how much more may it be ſaid of grace?) Popular men ſhould eſteem it as ſilver, Noblemen as gold, Princes prize it as pearls. Arcadius the Emperor gave his Schoolmaſter Arſenes, (a holy man) the revenues of all Egypt, deſiring him to pray for him. Pecuni… nonegere, quòd mundo jampridèm mortuus eſſet. Par…i hiſt proſau. medul. pag. 495. Rom. 12.17.Arſenes promiſed him his prayers, but refuſed his rich offer; ſaying, that he wanted no mony, as being long ſince dead to the world.
Verſ. 16. I have given thy brother] Not thee, to avoyd ſuſpition. Provide, we muſt, things honeſt in the ſight of all men: and not onelyonly keep a good conſcience, but a good name as much as may be; learning this of the unjuſt Steward, by lawful (though he did it by unlawful) means. For our Saviour noted this defect, when he ſaid, The children of this world, &c. Luke 16.8. It was good counſel that Livia gave her husband Auguſtus, foreign. Dio in vita.It behoveth thee not onelyonly, not to do wrong, but not to ſeem to do ſo, &c. We muſt ſhun, and be ſhy of the very ſhew and ſhadow of ſin, if either we tender our credit abroad, or comfort at home. The Church took it ill, that her veil was pulled off, and that ſhe was judged to be a diſhoneſt woman, Cant. 5.7. As in the firſt Chapter, She prayes her Spouſe to tell her where ſhe may come to him: for why ſhould ſhe be as one that turneth aſide, or as one that was veiled or covered, a ſigne of lightneſs and diſhoneſty, Gen. 38.14, 15. She was willing to eſchew all appearance of evil. Some ſenſe the Text thus: I have given thy husband mony to buy thee a veil, to cover thy face that all may know thee to be a married woman
Verſ. 17. So Abraham prayed, and God healed Abimelech] Here was that of Saint James verefied. Jam. 5.15.The prayer of faith ſhall ſave the ſick; and if he have committed ſins, they ſhall be forgotten him. So he is healed on both ſides. Melch. Adam in vita Luther.The ſtory of Luther is well known, how by his prayers he recovered Theodorus Vitus of a Conſumption, after the Phyſicians had given him up for dead. The Saints are Gods favorites, they may have any thing of him. Sejanus found Tiberius ſo facile, that he needed onelyonly to ask, Life of Sejanus by P. M p. 5.and give thanks. He never denyed him any thing, and oft-times prevented his requeſt. What ſhall we think of Gods good-will to his faithful ſervants and ſuppliants?
Verſ. 18. For the Lord had faſt cloſed up all, &c.] In quibus peccamus, in iiſdem plectimur. God oft takes notice of the offending member. Dives was tormented moſt in his tongue, Quià linguâ plus peccaverat, Ev…g. lib. 1.ſaith Cyprian. Neſtorii lingua vermibus exeſa. Archbiſhop Arundel was ſo ſmitten in his tongue, that he could neither ſwallow nor ſpeak, for divers days before his death. Atque id multi tum fieri putabant, Tho. Gaſcon. in Diction. Theolog. Acts & Mon. 1622. Zonaras.quòd verbum Dei alligaſſet, ne ſuo tempore praedicaretur, ſaith the Hiſtorian. The like is reported of Steven Gardiner, Fertur Heraclius Imp. inguine ſursùm converſo faciem ſuam perminxiſſe, niſi urina (tabellâ imo ventri appoſitâ) averteretur. Idei accidiſſe creditum, ob inceſtum cum fratris filia coitum.