Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 1 · Chapter 45
CHAP. XLV. Verſ. 1. Then Joſeph could not refrain]
NO more can Jeſus, in the extream afflictions of his brethren, Eſay 42.14. he muſt cry like a travelling woman; which, though ſhe bite in her pain for a while, cannot long contain. foreign Herodot.As Croeſus his dumb ſon burſt forth into, Kill not King Croeſus: ſo when the Church is over-laid by Satan, or his inſtruments, his bowels work, he can hold no longer, but cryes, Save my child, Do the young man Abſolom no hurt. I was but a little diſpleaſed, and they have helped forward the affliction. Zach. 1.15, 16.Therefore thus ſaith the Lord, I am returned to Jeruſalem with mercies, or bowels; Their groans and moans, as every word of Judah's pathetical ſpeech to Joſeph, are as ſo many darts and daggers at his heart; he muſt take courſe for their relief and reſcue. For he is a very tender-hearted Ioſeph, (ſaid that Martyr) and though he ſpeak roughly to his brethren, and handle them hardly, M. Sanders Act. and Mon. 1…64.yea and threaten grievous bondage to his beſt beloved Benjamin, yet can he not contain himſelf from weeping with us, and upon us, with falling on our necks, and ſweetly kiſſing us, &c. (as he ſweetly goes on in a letter to his wife) pray, pray for us every body; we be ſhortly to be diſpatched hence to our good Chriſt, Amen, Amen.
Cauſe every man to go out from me] That he might weep his fill, and not diſcover his brethrens faults to ſtrangers. It is wiſdome, in plaiſtering the wounds of others, to clap our hand on the place, that the world may be never the wiſer. Mercer thinks, that Ioſeph concealed from his very father, the hard dealings of his brethren with him; for if he had known, he would, likely, have ſet ſome note upon them for their cruelty, as he did upon Simeon, and Levi, for their bloody butchering of the Shechemites.
Verſ. 3. I am Joſeph] What a word was that? At the hearing thereof, what a ſtrange conflict of contrary paſſions fell out in the hearts of the Patriarchs? Wonder, doubt, reverence, fear, hope, guiltineſs, joy, grief, ſtruck them at once. Shall it not be ſo with the Jews at their glorious converſion, when they ſhall hear, I am Jeſus of Nazareth, Zach. 12.10. Rev. 1.7.whom ye have perſecuted, and pierced. See the Notes on Chap. 38. ver. 27.
Verſ. 4. I am Ioſeph, your brother] Therefore you are to expect no hard ſentence from a brothers mouth. Chriſt is not aſhamed, nor will be at laſt day, to call us brethren. Pattern of Piety.He that was willingly judg'd for me, (ſaid that good woman) will ſurely give no hard ſentence againſt me. We may ſay boldly to him, as Ruth did to Boaz, Spread thy skirt over me, for thou art a neer kinſman, Ruth, 3.9.
Verſ. 5. Now therefore be not grieved, &c.] See here a lively image of Chriſts love toward his enemies, for whom he prayed and dyed, to give them repentance and remiſſion, Act. 5.31. This Angel of the Covenant firſt troubles the waters, and then cures thoſe cripples that ſtep in. This Sun of righteouſneſs firſt draws up vapours of godly grief, and then diſpells them. A bruiſed reed ſhall he not break, and ſmoaking wick ſhall he not quench, Mat. 12.20.till he bring. forth judgment to victory, that is, weak grace to perfection.
To preſerve life] Animant is cujuſque vita in fugaeſt, ſaith the Philoſopher; and muſt be maintained by means. Iſai. 57.10.Hence it is called the life of our hands, becauſe upheld by the labour of our hands.
Verſ. 7. God ſent me before you] He it is that by a powerfull providence, orders all the diſorders of the world, by a certain counſell, to his own ends, and at length to his own glory. The hands that nailed Chriſt to the croſs, were wicked hands, Act. 2. 23. And Iudas was ſent to his place, for being guide to them that took Ieſus. And yet they did no more, Act. 1.16.then what Gods hand and counſell, determined before to be done, Act. 4.28. for his glory, and the ſalvation of his elect. This Pliny derides as a ſtrange doctrine: but Plato hammers at it, when he ſaith, Irridendum ver… curam agere rerum humanarum illu… quicquid eſt ſummum. Plin. lib. 2. cap. 7.that God doth always foreign. Indeed he doth all, in number, weight, and meaſure, as the wiſe-man ſaith. He alters the property of his peoples afflictions, and, by an Almighty Alchymy, turns droſs to gold, &c. As a skilfull Apothecary, he makes of a poiſonfull viper, a wholeſome triacle.
Verſ. 8. It was not you that ſent me] Ioſeph makes the beſt of an ill matter, that they may not be over-whelmed with grief, Ier. 31.19. Poſtquam oſten. ſum fuerit mihi. Tremell.and ſo made a prey to the divell; 2 Cor. 2.11. After I was made known to my ſelf, ſaith Ephrahim, I repented. Get thee, ſaith Mr. Bradford, Gods Law, as a glaſs, to look in; ſo ſhalt thou ſee thy face foul-arraie…, and ſo ſhamefull, ſaucy, mangy, pocky and ſcabbed; that thou canſt not but be ſorry, at the contemplation thereof, &c. Eſpecially if thou look to the tag, M. Bradf. Serm. of Repent. pag. 26.27.tied to Gods Law, the malediction, which is ſuch, as cannot but make us to caſt our curriſh tailes betwixt our legs, if we believe it. But here, to cleer our eye-ſight, and keep us upright, we muſt annoynt our eyes, with Chriſts eye-ſalve Rev. 3.17. We read of a ſenſible eye-ſalve, made of Chriſts ſpittle and clay. Ioh. 9.6. As it were, Bright. in. loc.of the knowledg of Chriſt by his word, which proceedeth out of his mouth, as alſo of the knowledg of our ſelves; who being made of earth, do ſavour nothing elſe but earth. Both of theſe two knowledges, are to be joyned, and beaten together in a lumpe: elſe they help not. For our miſery acknowledged, without Chriſt, breedeth deſperation: and Chriſt, without ſence of our vileneſs, preſumption.
Verſ. 9. Come down unto me, tarry not] Chriſt ſeems to ſend from Heaven, and ſay unto us in like ſort, God hath made me Lord of all; come up unto me, tarry not. Should the King call us to court, upon no other condition, then to have and enjoy the pleaſures and treaſures, there to be had; old Iacob never went ſo willingly into Egypt, as we ſhould gladly accept, and imbrace ſuch a motion.
Verſ. 10. Thou ſhalt be neer unto me] So ſweet a comfort to friends, Cyprian. epiſt.that death it ſelf, is called but a departure. This the heathen perſecutours knew, and therefore baniſhed the Chriſtian Confeſſours far aſunder. One man may be by his counſell, an Angell to another, Ezra 10.3. As Bradford was to D. Taylour in priſon: communion with ſuch, 1 Sam. 25.is the being bound up in the bundle of life, which was the bleſſing of Abigail upon David. St. Iohn truſted to come unto the Elect Lady, 2 Ioh. 12.and ſpeak face to face, that their joy might be full. When one deſired to ſee Alexanders treaſure, he bid one of his ſervants ſhew him, not foreign, but foreign, Liban. Progyn. Chria. 1. Ioh 15.14.not his wealth, but his friends. What an honour is that, that Chriſt ſhould ſay to us; ye are my friends, if ye do whatſoever I command you: And ſhould ſay to his Father; Father, I will that they alſo whom thou haſt given me, Ioh. 17.24. 1 Tim. 5.4. A thenis capitale ſuit, parentibus foreign non perſolvere. Melancth. Not. in Heſiod. Plin. I 10. c. 23. Propriam matrem crudeliter deverat, currucam ſilicat. Melancth. Mures genitores fuos alunt infigal pietate Sphinx Philoſ. p. 230. Macrob. lib. 1. Satur. cap. 6. foreign. Ariſton de Mundo. cap. 6.be with me were I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou haſt given me? what could Ioſeph ſay more, for his father and brethren?
Verſ. 11. And there will I nouriſh thee] To requite parents, is good and acceptable before God. At Athens it was death, not to be kinde to parents, and cheriſh them. The Stork nouriſheth her old ſire and damme, with admirable piety, ſaith Pliny; and is therefore called by the Hebrews Chaſidah, or Mercifull: and by the Latines Pietati-cultrix. The cuckooe, on the other ſide, is worthily hated, for that ſhe cruelly devoureth her own damme, the hedge-ſparrow, ſaith Melancthon: Mice are ſaid to nonriſh their old ones, that cannot ſhift for themſelves, inſigni pietate. Cornelius, among the Romans, got the name of Scipio, by his kindneſs to his blind father; to whom he was the ſtaff of his old age; as Macrobius relateth. And Ariſtotle tels a ſtrange ſtory, how that, when from the hill Aetna, there ran down a torrent of fire, that conſumed all the houſes thereabouts; in the midſt of thoſe fearfull ſtames, Gods ſpeciall care of the godly, ſhined moſt brightly. For the river of fire parted it ſelf; and made a kinde of lane for thoſe, who ventured to reſcue their aged parents, and pluck them out of the jawes of death. Our Saviour much diſtaſted and deteſted that damnable doctrine of the Phariſees, teaching children to ſtarve their parents, Matth. 15.under pretence of devotion. And what would he have ſaid to the Popiſh Phariſees, that ſay, that a Monk may not leave his cloiſter to relievo his father, but rather let him dye for hunger in the ſtreets? Chriſt upon his Croſs, though as full of ſorrow as heart could cold, comm…ded his mother to be kept by the Diſciple whom he loved, with foreign, Joh. 19.27. Agreeable whereunto, was that ſpeech of the Samians, I give thee this woman for a mother, foreign.when to the richer of the Citizens, the Mothers of thoſe who dyed in the wars, were given to be maintained by them.
Verſ. 13. And you ſhall tell my father] So the Lord Chriſt bad Mary Magdalen tell his Diſciples and Peter, (becauſe he was moſt dejected for denying his Maſter, and in his dumps, he muſt know with the firſt,) I aſcend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God.
Verſ. 14. And he fell upon his brother, &c.] Gods people are not ſenſeleſs Stoicks, or flinty Nabals; but have natural affections in them, as others; yea above others, that have baniſhed good nature, and can weep as little as witches. The enemy hath ſtopt the Wells, and ſtaid the water-courſes, as Holophernes: what ſhould hinder him now from taking the town?
Verſ. 16. It pleaſed Pharaoh well, and his ſervants] And therefore his ſervants, becauſe Pharaoh. For, Aulici ſunt inſtar ſpeculi, ſaith Pareus. Courtiers are their Princes looking-glaſſes; If he laugh, ſo do they; where he loves, they love, in pretence at leaſt; Cic. de Divinatione, lib. 2.for all's but counterfeit. And here, Poteſt Augur Augurem videre, & non ridere? ſaith Cato in Tully. The Senate gave publike thanks to the gods, for all that Nero did, (even when he had killed his mother,) though they never ſo much abhor'd it. When he ſang at any time, though it were never ſo ill, (for he had a ſmall harſh voyce) his Courtiers would ſooth him up, with, Quam pulcher Caeſar, Apollo, Auguſtus, foreign, Dio in Norone.&c. And becauſe he hated the Senate, (notwithſtanding all their flatteries) Vatinius was greatly in favour with him, for ſaying, Odi te Caeſar, quòd Senator es. Paraſiti principum ſputa, inſtar canum lingunt.
Verſ. 17. And Pharaoh ſaid unto Ioſeph] Pharaoh is good to Jacob and his houſe, for Ioſeph's ſake; ſo is God to us and ours, for Jeſus ſake. As any man was intimate with Sejanus, ſo he found favour with Tiberius. Ut quiſque S… jano l…timus, it a ad Caeſaris amicitiam vali…us… contra, quibus inſe…ſus eſſet, metu ac ſordidus conflictabantur, Tacit. Matth. 11.As if any were at odds with him, they lived in continual danger and durance, ſaith Tacitus; ſo here. O miſerabilis humana conditio, &, ſine Chriſto, vanum omne quod vivimus, ſaith S. Hierome. Epitaph. Nep. tom. 1. p. 25. O the miſery of thoſe that be without Chriſt in the world!
Verſ. 8. Come unto me, and I will give you &c.] So ſaith Chriſt, Come unto me, and ye ſhall find reſt to your ſouls, health to your bones, all the bleſſings of this life and a better. Say you meet with ſome trouble by the way, as haply Iacob had foul weather erc he came down to Egypt; Non ſunt condignae paſſiones ad praeteritam culpam quae remittitur, ad praeſentis conſolationis gratiam, quae immittitur, ad futuram gloriam, quae promittitur, ſaith Bernard, ſweetly. What is a drop of vineger, put into an Occan of wine? No country hath more venemous creatures then Egypt, none more Antidotes. So godlineſs, ſaith One, hath many troubles, and as many helps againſt trouble.
Verſ. 19. Take you wagons out of the land of Egypt] Chriſt alſo will ſend his wagons for us, his Cherubims, and clouds to fetch us up to him to heaven, at the laſt day, 1 Theſſ. 4.15. as they did Moſes and Elias, Matth. 17. This, David foreſaw, and therefore envied not the pomp and ſtate of thoſe men of Gods hand, that are whirled here up and down in wagons and chariots, &c. Pſal. 17.14, 15.
Verſ. 20. Alſo regard not your ſtuff] The ſame ſaith God to his; Care not for your lumber and trumpery, ſuffer with joy, the loſs of your goods: Come, come away in your affections, I have far better things for you above; the good of all the land of the living is yours, &c. And ſhould we not cheerfully follow the Divine call? Many play loth to depart, becauſe they have treaſure in the world, as thoſe ten men had in the field, Ier. 41.8. But all that this world affords, is but traſhto the truly religious: Alexander hearing of the riches of the Indies, divided his Kingdom of Macedony among his Captains and Souldiers. And being asked what he had left for himſelf? he anſwered, Hope. And ſhould not the hope of heaven make us ſlight all earthly vanities? Spes in terrenis incerti nomen boni: ſpes in divinis, nomen eſt certiſſimi, Heb. 11.1.
Verſ. 21. And gave them proviſion for the way] So doth God give all his, meat that the world knows not of, joy that the natural heart never taſted of, the white Stone, the hidden Manna, the continual feaſt, the foretaſte of eternal life, to hold up their hearts till they come home to heaven. On the cates of a good conſcience, he goes on feeding as Sampſon did on his honey-comb, till he came to his parents; as Joſephs brethren here did on their veniſon, till they came to their father Jacob.
Verſ. 22. But to Benjamin, 1 Tim. 4.10.he gave, &c.] Gods gives his beſt bleſſings to his Benjamins. He is the Saviour of all men, but ſpecially of them that believe. The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind, the Lord raiſeth them that are bowed down. Theſe are common favours; but behold a better thing, The Lord loveth the righteous. Pſal. 146.8.This is more then all the reſt. Outward things God gives to the wicked alſo, but as Ioſeph put his cup into their ſack, to pick a quarrell with them; or at beſt, as he gave them here change of raiment, to ſhew his general love to them: but three hundred ſilverlings, and five ſuites, none but a Benjamin ſhall have the honour and favour of. Artabazus in Xenophon complained, when Cyrus had given him a cup of gold, and Chryſantas a kiſs, in token of his ſpeciall reſpect and love, ſaying, that the cup that he gave him, was not ſo good gold, as the kiſs that he gave Chryſantas. When David ſaid to Ziba, All is thine that pertained to Mephiboſheth, 2 Sam. 16.4.Ziba anſwereth, I humbly beſeech thee, that I may find grace in thy ſight: As who ſhould ſay, I had rather have the Kings favour, then the lands. Valdè proteſtatus ſum, ſaid Luther, me nolle ſic ab eo ſatiari. He would not be put off with lands, and large offers. And Moſes would not hear of an Angel to go along with them. He would have God himſelf, or none. Pſal. 134.3.The bleſſings that come out of Sion, are choyce, peculiar, even above any that come out of heaven and earth.
Verſ. 24. Fall not out by the way] Such a charge layeth Chriſt upon all his, to love one another; and to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Si collidimur, frangimur, If we claſh, we are broken; according to the old fable of the two earthen-pots, ſwimming in the Sea. The daughter of diſſention, is diſſolution, ſaid Nazianzen. And every ſubdiviſion, in point of Religion, is a ſtrong weapon in the hand of the contrary party, Hiſt. of Coun. of Trent. fol. 49.as he upon the Councel of Trent, wiſely obſerved. Caſtor & pollux, if they appear not together, it preſageth a ſtorm.
Verſ. 26. Joſeph is yet alive] This was the joyfulleſt news that ever Iacob heard, and the ſincereſt pleaſure that ever he had; which therefore, God reſerves for his age. How did his good heart, after he had recollected himſelf, dance Levaltoes in his boſome, to hear of Ioſephs honour, but eſpecially of his life? what ſhall ours do, when we ſee Chriſt in his Kingdom? [Jacobs heart fainted, for he believed them not] They had told him a tale before; and he that once hath crackt his credit, is hardly, after, believed, Beſides, he thought the news was too good, to be true. Tarda ſolet magnis rebus ineſſe ſides: The joy of heaven is ſo great, that we muſt enter into it, it cannot enter into us. Enter into thy Maſters joy.
Verſ. 27. When he ſaw he waggons] Such aſſurance have deeds above words. Segnius irritant animos demiſſae per aures, Quam quae ſunt oculis commiſſa. foreign.Nos non eloquimur magna, ſed vivimus, ſaid thoſe Primitive Chriſtians. And no Chriſtian is an ill-lived man, unleſs he be a pretender only to that religion, ſaith Athenagoras, in his Apology for them. For as one ſaid of Davids words, in the 119. Pſalm, that they are verba vivenda, non legenda; ſo is Religion to be credited, by the power and practice of it. Chriſtians ſhould lead convincing lives; and, by their piety and patience, muzzle the malevolent, thrattle envy it ſelf. I have read of a woman, Mr. Ward's Serm. The happ. of Paradiſe.who living in profeſſed doubt of the God-head, after better illumination and repentance, did often proteſt, that the vitious life of a knowing man in that town, did conjure up thoſe damnable doubts in her ſoul. The difference betwixt Divinity and other ſciences, is, that it is not enough to know, but you muſt do it; as leſſons of Muſick muſt be practiſed; and a copy not read onelyonly, but acted. [The ſpirit of Jacob their father revived] How will our ſpirits exalt and triumph, when we ſhall hear the laſt trump, ſee the meſtengers and wagons ſent for us? conſider the crowns, ſcepters, Kingdoms, glories, beauties, Angelical entertainments, beatifical viſions, ſweeteſt varieties, felicities, eternities, that we are now to be poſſeſſed of? Surely, as Aeneas and his company, when they came within view of Italy, after long toſſing in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, joyfully cryed out,
Italiam, Virg.Italiam primus conclamat Achates;
Italiam ſocii laeto clamore ſalutant:
And as when Godfrey of Bulloine, and his company went to Jeruſalem; as ſoon as they ſaw the high turrets, they gave a mighty ſhout, that the earth rang; ſo when we ſhall ſee the battlements of the new Jeruſalem, what acclamations will it ring of, &c?
Verſ. 28. It is enough, Ioſeph is yet ali…e] l…cob rejoyceth more for his life, then his honour. Why is living man ſorrowfull? Lam. 3.39.yet he is alive; that's a mercy, amidſt all his miſeries.
before I dye] This he ſpeaks after the manner of old men, whoſe ſong is' My breath is corrupt, my dayes extinct, the graves are ready for me, Job 17.1.