Prototypes, or, The primary precedent presidents out of the book of Genesis showing, the…Prototypes, or, The primarie precedent presidents out of the booke of Genesis shewing, the…

Now after his calling, he fell into some sins,¹ though not wilfully nor presumptuously, but of weakness and of infirmity. The first fault was weakness of faith. Though he was the Father of the faithful, and is commended in Scripture for the strength of his faith, and that he wavered not nor staggered at the promise of God through unbelief, yet at the first, his faith was mixed with unbelief, and showed it self to have some feebleness in it. For first, when he went down into Egypt because of the famine, and saw that the men were wicked and feared not God, he was in doubt, least the men of the place would kill him for his wives sake. God had promised him before that time to give the land of Canaan to him and to his seed after him, and yet he had no seed, therefore as yet he could not be put to death, unless the promise of God should fail him and come to nothing. Notwithstanding the promise which should have been frustrated, if himself had died without issue, he doubted least he might be slain by them, as being distempered and diverted by fear from considering and taking diligent notice of the promise. This was a manifest imperfection of faith you see. Wherefore let us take notice that in the faithfullest of Gods people there will be defects of faith, as also there was want of it in David, when he said, I shall one day fall by the hand of Saul, and in Moses, ²when he said, How will Pharaoh hear me? seeing the Israelites did not, and again, Why hast thou sent me to deliver the people? seeing Pharaoh oppresseth them the more since I spake to him.

Now after his calling, he fell into some sinnes,¹ though not wilfully nor presumptuously, but of weakenesse and of infirmity. The first fault was weakenesse of faith. Though he was the Father of the faithfull, and is commended in Scripture for the strength of his faith, and that he wavered not nor staggered at the promise of God through unbeleefe, yet at the first, his faith was mixed with unbeleefe, and shewed it selfe to have some feeblenesse in it. For first, when he went downe into Egypt because of the famine, and saw that the men were wicked and feared not God, he was in doubt, least the men of the place would kill him for his wives sake. God had promised him before that time to give the land of Canaan to him and to his seede after him, and yet he had no seed, therefore as yet hee could not be put to death, unlesse the promise of God should faile him and come to nothing. Notwithstanding the promise which should have beene frustrated, if himselfe had died without issue, he doubted least he might be slaine by them, as being distempered and diverted by feare from considering and taking diligent notice of the promise. This was a manifest imperfection of faith you see. Wherefore let us take notice that in the faithfullest of Gods people there will be defects of faith, as also there was want of it in David, when he said, I shall one day fall by the hand of Saul, and in Moses,