A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse…

Glover the ⟨p. 10⟩Martyr wept for joy of his imprisonment; An• God forgive me (said Mr. Bradford, when a prisoner) my unthank fullness for this exceeding great mercy, that among so many thousands, he chooseth me to be one in whom he will suffer. I was carried to the Cole-house, saith Mr. Philpot the Martyr, where I with my fellows, do ¹rouse together in the straw as cheerfully, we thank God, as others do in their beds of down. Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, being a long time prisoner under Charles the Fifth, was asked what upheld him in his long imprisonment? He answered, that he felt the divine consolations of the Martyrs. Gen. 49. 23. The Archers (or as the Hebrew here hath it the Arrow-masters) have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him. These Arrow-masters were his barbarous Brethren that sold him, his adulterous Mistress, that harlot-like hunted for his precious life. his injurious Master, that without any desert of his imprisoned him, the tumultuating Egyptians, that pined with hunger perhaps spake of stoning of him, and the envious Courtiers and enchanters that spake ²evil of him, before Pharaoh, to bring him out of favour; but by divine assistance, and Gods favourable presence, he proved too strong for them all. Ver. 24. But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob, &c. Joseph is likened to a strong Archer, that as his other enemies as archers shot at him, so his bow was steadfast, and his arms strong by the signal presence of God with him. Such an eminent presence of God had Joseph with him, that he never wanted courage, comfort, or counsel, when he was at the worst. The divine presence will make a man stand fast and firm under the greatest pressures; ³it made Joseph use his bow against his adversaries. As David did his sling against Goliath, he slung, saith one, ⁴as if he had wrapped up God in his sling.