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…

Not to do your selves good, as here Jacob, but to do another a mischief, as Davids false accusers to Saul, and if your consciences accuse you of such fraud, repent of it before God, blame your selves for it, seek pardon, resolve to put it away for hereafter, and entreat the Lord to fortify you against all such wickedness, that so you may be pardoned, else great is the danger of such wickedness, The bread of deceit shall be gravel in the belly, and wealth gotten by lying shall prove but vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. I pray you, consider how God chastised this guile in these two good persons, and that though they had a good end in it; For, this occasioned the rage of Esau, which made him threaten, yea, and after attempt to kill Jacob, and so drove Jacob from Isaacs family, and kept them from that comfortable enjoyment each of other, which else they might have had for twenty years together. And be you now lovers of plainness, abhor shifting and falsehood, trust God with the success of all your affairs, and trust not to your own hearts, and heads, he that seeks to effect his desires by honest and just means, he puts confidence in God, and not in himself, he that useth lying and cousinage, he puts not his hope in God, but in his own wit and heart: Show true and well grounded confidence in God, by keeping your selves within the paths of equity and truth, lovely paths, fair paths, straight paths, which shall surely lead you to more happiness and comfort at last, than lying, ⟨p. 10⟩and fraud, hateful, dirty, and crooked paths can possibly do. Learn as David saith, Psal. 119. To hate lying, and to love Gods Law, love to be guided by God, who is the God of truth, and hate to follow lies, which are of the devil, the author of lying. Do not object, that you cannot possibly escape such and such mischief, bring about such and such a good business, unless you turn a little aside; to a little lying. I answer first, trust God with success, believe above hope, let faith guide you, not natural reason; Cannot he do that which reason will call impossible? Hath not be said, Roll thy self upon God, and thy ways, and he shall bring it to pass? Will you not rest upon him for the performance of so evident a promise?

Not to do your selves good, as here Iacob, but to do another a mischief, as Davids false accusers to Saul, and if your consciences accuse you of such fraud, repent of it before God, blame your selves for it, seek pardon, resolve to put it away for hereafter, and intreate the Lord to fortifie you against all such wickednesse, that so you may be pardoned, else great is the danger of such wickednesse, The bread of deceit shall be gravell in the belly, and wealth gotten by lying shall prove but vanity tossed to and fro of them that seeke death. I pray you, consider how God chastised this guile in these two good persons, and that though they had a good end in it; For, this occasioned the rage of Esau, which made him threaten, yea, and after attempt to kill Iacob, and so drove Iacob from Isaacs family, and kept them from that comfortable enjoyment each of other, which else they might have had for twenty years together. And be you now lovers of plainnesse, abhorre shifting and falshood, trust God with the successe of all your affaires, and trust not to your own hearts, and heads, he that seekes to effect his desires by honest and just meanes, he puts confidence in God, and not in himselfe, he that useth lying and cousinage, he puts not his hope in God, but in his own wit and heart: Shew true and well grounded confidence in God, by keeping your selves within the paths of equity and truth, lovely pathes, faire pathes, straight pathes, which shall surely lead you to more happinesse and comfort at last, than lying,