LIB. II I. OJJou. PH. A 1 They told him ofhis honour,he fpeakes ofhis life: life isbetter then honour.To haveheltd that Io{ipb lived a fervant, would have joyed htm more, then to heare that he dyed honourably.The greater bldling obfcures the ldk He is not worthy ofhonour,thar is notthankfull forlife. . . . Yet Ioftpbs life did not content Iacoh without his prefenoe: ( I n;ill got downe and fie him m I dye:) The fight ofthe eye IS better then to walke mdefires; GOdd things pleafure us not in their being, but in our enjoying. . Theheight of all earthly contentment appeared in the meetingofthefc two i· whom theirmutuallloffe had more endeared to each orher : The inrermillion of comfons harh this advantage, that it fweerens our delight more in the murne,rh= was abated in the forbearance. God dorhofr-rimes hide aw.ty our Ioftph fora rime, B rhar we may bemore joyous and rhankfull in his recovery: This was rhe fincerell: pleafurerhar ever lacoh had, which therefore God referved for his age. Andifrhe meeting ofearthly friends be fo unfpeakably comfgrtable;lhow happy fuall ~e be in the light ofthe glorious face ofGod our heavenly Father! ofthat our bleffed Redeemer whom we fold ro death by our finnes! and which now afrer that noble Triumph hath all power given him in Heaven and Emh. Thus did 1ac16 rejoyce when he was ro <>oeour oftheLandofPromife, to a forraineN arion,for loflphs fake; being glad ifu.r he fuould lofehis Counrrey, for his fonne. What fuallour joy be, who ~ull: goeour of this fotrJine Land ofour Pilgrimag~, to the home o~ our glonous mhentance,to dwell w~th none but our ?wne;in rhar better and morehghtfome Gofuen, free from all the mcumbrances of this .i£- C gypr,and full ofall the riches and delights ofGod~The guilty confciencecannover rhinke it fdfe fnfe: So many yeares experience of I•ftp~s love could not fecure his brethrenofremillion: thofe that know they havedeferved ill, arewoortomif. interpret favours,and thinke they cannotbe beloved : All thatwhile his goodnelfe f<emed but concealedand lleepingmalice ; which they feared in their Fathers lajl fleepe would awake, and bewray it.felfe in revenge : Still therefore they plead the nameoftheirFather, thoughdead,notdaring toufetheirowne: Good meanings cannot be morewrongod then wit~ fufpition: It grieves loftph ro fee their feare,and to finde they had not forgotten thm owne finne, and to heare them fo pallionately crave thl<which they had. (F~rgive the m[p4{fe •fthe (irvantsofthJ Fathm C1tl:) What a conjuration or D pardon was this! What wound could be eirher fo deep,or fo fell:red, as this plall:er couldnot cure! They fay not, thefonnesof thy FJther, for they knew I~tohwas dead,andthey had degenerated; but thefervants ofthy Fathers God: How much O:ronger are rhe bonds ofReligion then ofNarure ~ If I •fipb had beene rancorous, this deprecation had charmedhim; but now it refolves him into tear«: They are not fo ready to acknowledge their old offence, as hero protefi his love ; and Ifhee chide them for anything, it is for that they thought they needed to imreat; fince I · they might know,it could not O:and withthe fellow-fervanr oftheir Fathers God to harbour malicioufneffe,to purpofe revenge.Am ''"I under G•tl? And fully to fecure them ; he turnes their eyesfrom themfelves to the Decree ofGod, from the action' to the event; as one that would have them thmke, therewas no caufe to repent of E thatwhich proved fo fucceffefull. Even late confellion finds forgivene!fe; Ioftph had long agoe feene their for- ·' row, never but now heard he thett hurnbleacknowledgem<nt; Mercy O:aye$ not for outward folemnities. How much more lhall that infinite Goodneffe pardon our finnes, when he findes the truth ofour repentance! Aaaa • Coli.
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