1 i;~;c~i-. fJit:•. I ,-- \ I theu."C6ap.to the Hebr. ndfc, for the d10fl p3rt fo dies: Come_r~ a~o- AI nctous m:m at his death, and ralke WHtl bun, :md you l11all finde riorhing in himOrdin~:-ilyJ but rauing, and talking about his barg:hncs, his billcs, and indchrurcs, and other worldly j things.And fo we m:~y fay ofoth~r lewd liucrs: lookc what mindc they had wlulc they were liuing, and that {hall you_findc m_o!l in r.hcir mOlJthcs \\'hilc they arc dy111g: wh1ch {h.ewes plaincly,thnt as 111cn !iuc, lO the~ die. But tOme \-\'ill fay, that ofrcnttmcs_rhe god!~ man raucs and fpcakcs Icv\·dly, and (1t may be, profanely, before his death; 1nfw. It IS true indccdc: the bcil: m;~n is not trccd from any kindofbodily Gckndfc, bm is fubietf to them, as well as the \VIckcd; as,to burning fcucrs, & B fuch like : by the violence and rage of \-\'hich difeafes they arc often dnucn to rauc, to fpeak fondly,' and fomctimes lewdly; yca(it may be) proflncly. But what is that to the purpofc? for thouoh a godly man (for the time of his fit) cann~t exprdlC the grace of his heart, but ra– ther corruption of his nature; yet when he hath rccouered himtClf.: , hcc is forrie for the fame, and is then readic and willing to prai~C God with all his heart. So that ifwe would d1e well, as Iacob did, praifJng God, then let vs lead ourliucsashc did; namely, by faith, and the direCtion of his word and promif<:s. Then come death \-\'hen it will, and how it will, wee may indtcde be fore aOaulted by fickcneffe and C temptatiO;butyct we flllll neuer be oucrcomc: .for God is faithfull that bath promifed an iffue to his children in temptation, 1. Cor. 1 o. vcr. 13· Lollly, whereas l.cohworft•ipped Godat hti death; Hcrewelearnc, thatfoundun/ewi//ne– lltrtkcAie. Many men hauc z.calc indeedc, but it comes oncly from the tlrength ~nd {ound– ncffc of their bodily con!Htution:and look, as llrcngth dccaics, (o doth that kindc of zeale, But lound z.cale will not decaic and weaken with the bodie: but(asDauidfa>th ofthe righ– teous. J>fal. 92. x;. 15 .) will jlourifb likt a palme tr'e 1 And JYD'IV'e lift.! If. Ced..1r in Lilntnon,it foaO j/i/1 bring fD71h fruit< in a mansage , Rnd Jlot~rijh. This wee fee was true in Iacob; for, t\lough hee were olde, and feeble with fJck- D ridfc, .yet bee !hewed f6rth found zealc in his heart, at the hourc ofhis death. Eucn fo will it be with,vs,that profeffe religion: ifzeale be found in our heans, it will/hew it fe!fe: and t,hc older wee ate, the more fruites of grace wee fhall bring forth : and then lhewe forth more true zeale, then in younger yeares.For, though bodily llrcngth dccaie, yet founde zcale will neuer decaic : but when llrength faileth , then will 7.ealc llourifh ( if it bee found)likc to the palme trec,which will bud & fprom,thoush ·the roots ofit be cut off.\.Vhcr– fOrc,jf we would fhcw forth zeale in our age, we mnfl: get tOundncffc of ic in our youth: for ! that will put forth it fdfc in thctime of death. t ~nd thusmuch of IacQhs example. c¥t.~~?tr>;~~~"tlO~~It~ <i,~$1~~~~·)!~~~~;~~ Iofepbs fa~th. V ERSE 2:Z. 13yfaith, 1ofepbrrhen hee ; died made mention of the de~ parting of the children of fjf.. rael > andgauetommandement ofhiJbones. • ne hauc . heatd ln' the former verfcs the fcuc_. ral examples 9fthe faith ·of rhc three Patriarchs, ..Abraham 3 lfoac, and fa_. cob. Now in 'thiS vcrfe the holy Gho(l fettcth. .::lownc the example of Iofcphs faith.The words in this vcrfe are plain :md caGe, :md neede no c.Xpofition: Theyarc a plainc and bricfe fumme ofthe ende of the·50. Chapter of Gencfis. Let vs therefore come to the points ofdoChinc, and in!huClions.vvhich arc to bee learned and gathered forth of the words. , . Firfi, note: in gcncrall,.thCgreat refemblance' of this example with the former ': of Iofeph ~ godly fonne , with lacob a godly father: tor; both of them /hew forth thei• faith wheinhc}' die.For, it is faid of both, Byfa;rh IVheH hedied.' So that in ground & circuinllance oftime, they' both agree. . '· Herein we may obfcruc : lirll,thanhc good cxiiples ofSuperiotm(whether they be Ciu;Jl or Ecclefia!licall)arc ofgreat force to bring other men on, and to make them forward in the du..o. tie< of religion: their zealc (ao Pa11/faith'to the Corinthians in the cafe of Alrucs) prouoketli many. Iacobthc fathcr,a wonhyProphcr·and Patriarch, and giuing an holy and blcfftd ex• ample vnto Iofcph and his chlldren,ooih lhcw forth at his death mofi notable behauiour; whercin,he worthily cxpreffcth the truth ofhis faith.Now,his example \\'orks with Iofcph,and he in his death behaucs ··himfelfc in the fame mannerthat his godly father did before him: and therefore Superioursrnuft looke to all their fayings and doings carefully, thatthcymay be worthy examples to their lnfe,·iours, to d~·awt' thctnon in religion,and in the feare of"God. Secondly, hence infcriours alfo mufi lcarnc to follow the godly,holy,& religious examples ·of their goucrnours and fupcriours (whether they be ciuill or Ectlcfiallicall: )as wemay fee in this plae~,Icfcph doth imitate the godly ex– ample of hiS father Iacob. HercofSaintPau! giucth £\raitc charge vmo the Philippians,f.,y– ing: Rrethrt'tlbee fo!lowe,·_s of mee, and loo~~ OtJ them ~-·------------------------------------------------------~==~-----
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=