Coma. Ofthe Frósnife oflong Life. chap-IL 3 NowParents Welling much conduceth unto this, that by their bleffing we may prolong our days. The biding ofNoah to Sem, reacheth to life Eternal,, and ofya- Geri.926,27, ?het to this life, that he fhould dwelt in latitudine tetr.,be enlarged and dwell in the tents of Sem: and a curfe fell upon Cham, both for this life, and the other, and that 25 upon him andhis .polterity.. This bleffing of the Parents is effeáual, becaufe it is a fruit of Faith, as the A penile tells tss to thecafe of Ifaacbiding Jacob, andof Jacob bluffing the Ions of yoreeph i and as their bledings, fo their curfesare efT Crual; we lee it in the ftorÿ. of Ifaac. He bids Efeu fetch him Venifon, that he may beefs him ; Rebecca counfcls Ja- cob to prevent Efau ; he dares not left his Fathercurfe him, yet at his Mothers in- Gen. 27. 7. ftigation he adventures, and Ifaac bleffeth himwith a bleffing which afterward pro- 28. ved effectual; for when Efate came tobe bleffed, Ifaac told him, dedifratri tuobene- 33, etiitinnem, &erit beneddtxr, I have bleffed him, and he (hall bebleffed : yet Ifaac lo- 25.A. ved Efau better than Jacob; but this was the workofGods Providence that Ifaac fhould give thebklling to Jacob. So likewife in jnacabr Melling ofEphraim the younger before Mrinafres the elder, 4e. 15. the younger fhould be greater than the elder, though he fhould be great too : ftrange bleffing it was ( for the manner ) and mighty ( for the effect ) and when Jacob bluffed Jafepb becaufe he had fed his Father , ( a part of the Honour here 42.25. commanded, as was fhewed before, ) therefore he bleffed him with the blcfíings of the Heavens, of the Air, and of the Decp ; and this biding proved effethsal,' for that Tribe continued ,°ongeft in profperity, and remained with Judab', when the ten Tribes were carried captive, and never returned. Thus the Parents are thePfa(m rt5.15: In(truments whichGod choofeth to convey his Bleffings by ; you are the bleífed of theLord, as the Prophet fpeaks : Thebleffing is Gods, and Parents the Inftru- mente. Before we leavethis, a que(lion muff be anfwered. How is this Promife fulfilled, frnce we fee by daily experience the contrary, weIce Qucft that dutiful Children have died in the ftrength oftheir years, and diifobcdient and flubborn have profpered and lived long ; and therefore that is very true which the _cc 9. 2. 3, Preacher tells us, allthings come alike to all, &c. r:We fay, that riches, honour,long life, and other outward thingsarebut gifts of Anfwer.1 Gods left-hand, and are common alike to all, as well to the bad as to the good. Ifaac inhis biding gave the fat of the Earth to acob, rind after verfe 39. He gives it to his-brother Warr; and profperity is the lot of the wicked afwell as the godly, ne boni ni nis czepide profegaerenrur, left the good fhould be fet too eagerly Pror. 3.15, upon it; and adverfty is common to the godly, afwel as the wicked, ne ilia turpiter tffugiatur,left thegodly armlet fhun it bafely. 2. Again, the reafon why Adverfity is common to both, is, becaufe if it fhould fail upon all the Wicked in this life, queftion would be made, where is that judg- ment we look for ? And if wholly upon the godly, we fhould be apt to fay, Des; i Pet. 3.4r toots refpicit nos, God regards us not, his Providence fails. And therefore to let us Pfatm io. 12. fee, that his "rovidence continues, he will give to his Children fome good things here, and to tt us know, that he bath judgment in folte, he imparts foltre of 15 them to the °Nicked. Not will he bellow all upon the ungodly becaufe then they would apt to conceive, that they werenot at Gods difpofe, but would fa- crifice to th r own net, and attribute all to outward means : nor all, upon his.Citil Joy r S< dren, left tI Devil and his inftruments fay , as he did concerning Job; doth Sob ferveGod for nought ?` But how then (hall we acquit God of injuftice,. and how is his promife of long objelt. Ltii, tothem that honour their Superiours performed ? r. The diftine lionofbese and male, will acquit him. A promife mull carry a be- Anfwer. nefit with it, ifnot, it were better -tobe withOut it than- to have it. Nowlong Life, without that ble(Gngofgoing well with aman,is adifpleafure. It is thecomfort and bear- 5. r6. delight which weenjoy in our life, which is here promifed as a bleffing. For Saint .lisysstlkine faitft, non elk vera vita, *hi non féliciter vinitur :,thlu annot be called a ttue'life, which brings not content and happinefs with it. :Effisn.beingperfecuted by r Kings 19..4. 3ezebel, thought his life not a b'metit,attdtherefore quits God of his promife : Nom, 'Lord, take away-mylife. Anddtkd>detd loivliec may b: noiteneut in two refpeEks. r. In
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