Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 1 · Chapter 44
CHAP. XLIV. Verſ. 1. And he commanded the Steward]
PEccata extrinſecus radere, & non intrinſecus eradicare, fictio eſt, ſaith Bernard. Humiliation for ſin muſt be ſound and ſoaking, or elſe it is to no purpoſe. Hypocrites hang down their heads as a bulruſh, Eſay 58.5.whiles ſome ſtorm of trouble is upon them; but in a fair ſun-ſhine-day, they lift up their heads as upright as ever. Something they do about ſin, but nothing againſt it. As artificial juglers ſeem to wound, but do not; or as Players ſeem to thruſt themſelves through their bodies, but the ſword paſſeth only through their clot hes. This Joſeph well knew; and therefore, that his brethren might make ſure-work, and have their hearts leavened and ſowred (as Davids was, Pſal. 73.21.) with the greatneſs of godly ſorrow… that they might mourn as men do, in the death of their deareſt friends, Zach. 10.12. that their ſorrow might be according to God, foreign.2 Cor. 7.10. deep and daily; like that ſorrow, 2 Sam. 13.36. that waters of Marah might ſlow from their eyes, and their hearts fall aſunder in their boſomes, like drops of water; he puts them to one more grievous fright and agony, before he makes himſelf known unto them. And this was an high point of heavenly wiſdom in him. For had he preſently entertained and embraced them as his brethren, they would ſooner have gloried of their wickedneſs, then repented of it. Neither would a little repentance ſerve for a ſin ſo ingrained, and ſuch a long time layn in. Their hearts were wofully hardened by the deceitfulneſs of ſin, their conſciences feſtered; and had it been fit for him to ſcarfe their bones before they were ſet; and lap up their ſores before they were ſearcht? Repent ye, ſaith S. Peter to thoſe that had crucified Chriſt, and were now pricked in their hearts, Act. 2.37, 38. He ſaith not; Be of good cheer, your ſins are forgiven, now that you feel ſome remorſe for them; but ſtay a while upon the work of repentance, and be thorough in it: leave not circumciſing your hearts, till you finde them as ſore, as the Shechemites felt their bodies, the third day. And this the Apoſtle ſaid to ſuch, as already felt the nailes, wherewith they had crucified Chriſt, ſticking faſt in their own hearts, and piercing them with horrour. Take we heed of laying cordials upon full and foul ſtomacks: the feeble minded only are to be comforted, ſuch as are in danger to be ſwallowed up with grief. But ſome mens ſtaines are ſo inveterate, that they will hardly be got out, till the cloth be almoſt rub'd to pieces.
Verſ. 2. He did according to the word] Servus eſt nomen officii. foreign.A ſervant is not foreign, one that moveth abſolutely of himſelf, ſaith Ariſtotle; but the maſters inſtrument, and foreign, wholly his. Such was this ſervant of Ioſeph; and ſuch ſhould we all be to God.
Verſ. 4. Wherefore have ye rewarded evill for good?] This, blind Nature ſaw, to be the ſumme of all ſins. Ingratum dixeris, omnia dixeris: Some vices are ſuch, as Nature ſmiles upon, though frown'd at, by divine juſtice; not ſo, this. Hercules is much condemned by the heathens, for killing his ſchoolmaſter Linus; Alexander, for doing the like by his friend Clitus; Nero by his tutour Seneca: Muleaſſes King of Tunes is cryed out on, Turk. hiſt. fol. 642.for torturing to death the Manifet and Meſnar, by whoſe meanes eſpecially, he had aſpired to the kingdome. Philip King of Macedony, cauſed a ſouldier of his, that had offered unkindneſs to one that had kindly entertained him, to be branded in the forehead, with theſe two words; Hoſpes ingratus: Manl. loc. com.Unthankfulneſs is a monſter in nature, a ſoleciſme in manners, a paradox in Divinity, a parching winde, to dry up the fountain of further favour. Benjamines five-fold-meſs, was no ſmall aggravation to the theft, here laid to his charge.
Verſ. 5. And whereby indeed he divineth] Iunius reads it thus, Et nonne ipſe experimento certò didicenit per illum, quales ſitis? q. d. Hath he not by this fact of yours, found out your fraud and falſe dealing; whereby ye have hitherto ſought to delude him? Is it not plain, ye are ſpyes, and naughty-packs? The Ieruſalemy Targum, ſeemeth to tax Ieſoph here fona ſooth-ſayer; or at leaſt, a ſeeker to ſuch; which God forbad, Deut. 18.10. Calvin alſo thinks he did grievouſly offend, in pretending to be ſuch an one; and did impiouſly profane the gift of the Spirit, in profeſſing himſelf a Magician. But pace tanti viri, this is too heavy a cenſure, and a forcing of the text, faith Iunius. All that Ioſeph did, was to ſift his brethren, and to try their affection to Benjamin. And if he took upon him to be a Diviner, he did it not ſeriouſly; but made uſe of that conceit, the vulgar had of him: like as Saint Paul, made uſe of that ſuperſtitious cuſtome, among the Corinthians; 1 Cor. 15.29. Sealig. Not.of baptizing over the dead, to prove the reſurrection.
Verſ. 7. God forbid that thy ſervants ſhould do] Rapine and robbery was ever condemned, amongſt very heathens, and ſeverely puniſhed. Tamerlane in his expedition againſt Bajazet, took ſuch order with his ſouldiers, that none were injured; inſomuch, that if a ſouldier had but taken an apple, or other thing of like value from any man, he dyed for it. One of his ſouldiers having taken a little milk, Turk. hiſt. fol. 313.from a country-woman, and ſhe thereof complaining, he ript up his ſt…m…ck; where when he found the milk, he contented the woman, and ſent her away, who had otherwiſe dyed, for her falſe accuſation.
Verſ. 9. With whomſoever it be found, &c.] Innocency is bold, but withalli had need to be wiſe, for fear of further inconvenience. See notes on Chap. 31.32.
Verſ. 12. And he ſearched, and began at the eldeſt] The better to avoid ſuſpition; for he knew well enough, where to find the cup. So Ionadab, Amnons carnall friend, but ſpirituall enemy, could tell David, that not all the Kings ſons (as the report ran,) but Amnon only was ſlain by Abſolon. The devill alſo when he hath conveyed his cups into our ſack, his goods into our houſes, (as the Ruſſians uſe to deal by their enemies, Heyl. Geog. pag. 243.and then accuſe them of theft,) his in jections into our hearts; if we fancy them never ſo little, will accuſe us to God, and claim both them and us too, for his own.
And the cup was found in Benjamins ſack.] Sacco ſoluto app… r…it argentum, ſaith Ambroſe. When God comes to turn the bottome of the bag upward, all will out. Sin not therefore in hope of ſecrecy; on the fair day, (at the laſt day) all packs ſhall be opened.
Verſ. 13. Then they rent their clothes] In token of the renting of their hearts for their ſins, which now had found them out, and they their ſins: for miſery, is the beſt art of memory; being like to that helve, Eliſha caſt into the waters, which fetcht up the iron in the bottome. Conſcience is like a looking-glaſs, which while it lyeth all covered with duſt, ſheweth not a man his naturall viſage: but when it is wiped, then it makes the leaſt blemiſh appear Never till now, could we hear theſe men confeſs. Now, what ſhall we ſay unto my Lord? what ſhall we ſpeak (ſaith Iudah the Confeſſour, ſo his name ſignifieth?) Or how ſhall we cleer our ſelves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy ſervants. Not this, that they were now charged with; (for why ſhould they be falſe, to their own innocency?) but their cruelty to Ioſeph, and other like foul offences; for the which God in his juſt judgment, had now brought them to condigne puniſhment. How could Ioſeph hold, when he heard all this; and not cry out, as Paul did, in a like caſe, to his diſconſolate Corinthians? Though I made you ſorry with a letter, (with a cup,) I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that this ſame epiſtle (cup) hath made you ſorry, though it were but for a ſeaſon. Now I rejoyce, not that ye were made ſorry, but that ye ſorrowed to repentance: For ye were made ſorry, after a godly manner, that ye might receive dammage by us in nothing. For behold this ſelf-ſame thing, that ye forrowed after a godly ſort, what carefulneſs it hath wrought in you: yea what apology, yea what indignation, yea what fear, foreign, Satisfaction, ſaith the old Interpreter. It may be he meant a new life, to make amends thereby to the Congregation offended, ſaith Bradford, Serm. of Repent. 14. Dan. hiſt. fol. 51.yea what vehement deſire, yea what zeal, yea what revenge! in all things ye have approved your ſelves, to be clear in this matter.
Verſ. 14. They fell before him on the ground] Humble ſubmiſſion, they knew, if any thing, would make their peace, and procure their pardon; Sic ventos vincit, dùm ſe ſubmittit arundo. It is no hoyſing up ſail in a ſtorm, no ſtanding before a Lion, &c. William the Conquerour often pardoned rebels, and received them into favour; as he held ſubmiſſion ſatisfactory for the greateſt offences, and ſought not to defeat them, but their enterprizes.
Verſ. 15. What deed is this that ye have done] As Joſeph here, ſo Chriſt ſometimes, perſonates an adverſary, when he intends moſt love. … [Wot ye not that ſuch a man as I, &c.] If that be true, that ſome conceive of Joſeph, that he here, and ver. 5. made himſelf a ſooth-ſayer, he was certainly too blame. The lip of excellenoy becometh not a fool, ſaith Solomon, but much leſs doth lying beſeem a worthy man. That is, It is naught when wicked men will be uſing gracious words, to ſeem religious: But it is far worſe, when good men will uſe the faſhion of the wicked, that they may ſeem impious.
Verſ. 16. What ſhall we ſay, &c.] An ingenuous and penitent confeſſion, joyned with ſelf-loathing, and ſelf-judging; teaching us how to confeſs to God.
Sit ſimplex, humilis confeſſio, pura, fidelis,
Atque frequens, nuda, diſcreta et, lubens, verecunda,
Integra, ſecreta & lachrymabilis, accelerata,
Fortis, & accuſans, & ſe punire parata.
Theſe ſixteen conditions were compoſed in theſe verſes, by the Schoolmen. And ſuch a Confeſſion is the ſpunge that wipes away all the blots and blurs of our lives, 1 Ioh. 1.7. Never any confeſſed his ſin in this ſort to God, but went away with his pardon. Wot ye what? (quoth King Henry the eighth, to the Duke of Suffolk, concerning Stephen Gardiner, when he had confeſſed his Popery, for which he ſhould have been, the morrow after, ſent to the Tower) he hath confeſſed himſelf as guilty in this matter, as his man; and hath with much ſorrow and penſiveneſs, Act. & Mon. fol. 1175.ſued for my pardon. And you know what my nature and cuſtome hath been, in ſuch matters, evermore, to pardon them that will not diſſemble, but confeſs their fault. How much more will God?
Verſ. 17. But the man in whoſe hand, &c.] This was the white that Joſeph ſhot at in all this interdealing with them, to try the truth of their love to Benjamin; and whether they would ſtick to him in his utmoſt perill. God hath like ends in afflicting his children, Ezek. 21.21. The King of Babylon ſtood at the parting way, at the head of the two wayes, to uſe divination. So doth God; he knows that the beſt divining of men, is at the parting-way: there every dog will ſhew, to what maſter he belongs. God ſhoots at his ſervants, for triall, as men ſhoot bullets againſt armour of proof, not to hurt it, but to praiſe it.
Verſ. 18. For ihou art even as Pharaoh] This he ſaith, the better to inſinuate; for great men love to hear of their honour, and are tickled with their great titles. P. Jovius.Paulus Jovius, writing of Pompey Colomia, Biſhop of Reatino, ſaith, that when the ſaid Biſhop, by the means of many great perſonages, was reconciled again, and brought into favour with the Pope, whom he had formerly offended; and that when they ſignified ſo much unto him in a ſhort letter, in whoſe ſuperſcription, Biſhop of Reatino, by chance, was left out; he receiving the letter, threw it away, and bad the meſſenger go ſeek ſome other Pompeio, to whom the letter was directed.
Verſ. 30. Seeing that his life is bound up.] God loved his Son Jeſus infinitely more then Iacob did Benjamin; he exalts his love far above that of any earthly parent; which is but a ſpark of his ſlame, a drop of his Ocean. And yet he freely parted with him, to certain and ſhameful death, for our ſakes. God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son. &c. This is a Sic without a Sicut; there is nothing in nature whereby to reſemble it.
Verſ. 32. For thy ſervant became ſurety] So did Chriſt for us; and therefore he muſt acquit us of all our ſins, ere he could go to his father. Loe, herein lyes the ſtrength of that reaſon, Joh. 16.10. He ſhall convince the world of righteouſneſſe, becauſe I go to the Father.
Verſ. 34. For how ſhall I go up, &c.] Here love aſcends, as fit it ſhould. Iudah (a man wiſe, and well-ſpoken) prefers his fathers life, before his own liberty. He could not live to ſee the death of his aged father. B. Fulgoſ. lib. 5.A certain Citizen of Toledo being condemned to dye, his ſon ceaſed not with prayers and tears to intreat, that he might be put to death inſtead of his father. This he obtained after much ſuite, and moſt gladly dyed for him. At Gaunt in Flanders, when a father and his ſon were condemned to dye together, the Earl deſirous to make trial, whether of the two were more loving, granted, that he ſhould live, that would cut off the others head. And after much adoe between them, the father, Philip. Came…ar. Cent. 1. cap. 92.by many arguments, perſwaded his ſon, to be his executioner.