it be once committed perhaps it doth not kill presently but there is death in the Pot thou art a child of death as soone as euer thou hast committed sinne as Salvian saith well thou perishest before thou perish the sentence is upon thee thou art a dead man God to wait for thy repentance prolongs thy dayes but as soone as thou hast sinned without repentance thou art a child of death and as Poyson that workes secretly a while yet in time it appeares so at last the fruit of sinne will bee death Sin and death came in together take heed of all sinne it is no dallying matter Their soule abhorres all manner of meate THIS is one branch of the extremitie of the sicknesse the loathing of meate for God hath put a correspondencie betweene food that is necesary for man and mans relish for man being in this world to be supported the naturall moysture being to be supplied and repayred by nourishment as it is spent by the naturall heate which feeds upon it therefore God hath put a sweetnesse into meate that man might delight to doe that which is necessary for who would care for meate if it were not necessary Therefore being necessary God hath put delightfull tasts in meates to draw men to the use of them to preserve their being for the serving of him Now when these things savour not when the relish of a man is distempered that he cannot judge aright of meats when the palate is viciated there must needs follow sicknesse for a man cannot doe that that should maintaine his strength he cannot feed on the creature therefore the Palmist setting downe the extremity of sicknesse he sayth their soule abhorreth all manner of meate This the great Phisitian of heaven and earth sets downe as a symptome of a sick state when one cannot relish and digest meat experience seales this truth and prooues it to be true You see then the happines of Epicures how vnstable and vaine it is whose chiefe good is in the creature God by sicknesse can make them dis-relish all manner of meate and where is the summum bonum then of all your belly-gods your sensuall persons Againe in that he saith Their soule abhorreth all manner of meate it should teach us to blesse God not only for meate but for stomacks to eate it is a blessing common and therefore forgotten It is a double blessing when God provides dayly for our outward man and then gives a stomack to relish his goodnesse in the creature sometimes a poore man wants meate and hath a stomacke sometimes a rich man wants a stomacke when hee hath meate they that haue both haue cause to blesse God because it is a judgment when God takes away the appetite that men abhorre and loath all manner of meate Therefore if we would maintaine thankfulnesse to God labour to thanke God for common blessings what if God should take away a mans stomacke we see his state here he is at the gates of death therefore thanke God that he maintaines us with comforts in our pilgrimage and withall that he gives us strength to take the comfort of the creature Wee fee here againe one rule how to converse with them that are sicke blessed is hee that understands the estate of the afflicted and sicke not to take it ill to see them wayward it comes not from the mind but from the distemper of the body as wee beare with children so we must beare with men in those distempers if they have foode and yet loath it you see how 't is with men in that case Their soule abhorreth all manner of meate It should teach us to sympathize with those that are sicke if we see them in these distempers The next branch of the extremitie is They draw neere the gates of death DEATH is a great Commander a great Tyrant and hath gates to sit in as Iudges and Magistrates used to sit in the gates There are things implyed in this phrase First They draw neere to the gates of death that is they were neere to death as he that drawes neere the gates of a Citie is neere the Citie because the gates enter into the Citie Secondly gates are applyed to death for authoritie they were almost in deaths jurisdiction death is a great Tyrant hee rules over all the men in the world over Kings and Potentates over meane men and the greatest men feare death most hee is the King of feares as Iob calls him I and the feare of Kings Yet death that is thus feared in this life by wicked men at the day of judgement of all things in the world they shall desire death most according to that in the Apocalips They shall desire death and it shall not come to them they shall subsist to eternall myserie that that men are most affraid of in this life that they shall wish most to come to them in the world to come Oh that I might die What a pittifull state are wicked men in therefore it is called the Gate of death it rules and over-rules all mankinde therefore it is sayd to reigne Rom. 5. Death and sinne came in together sinne was the gate that let in death and ever since death raigned and will till Christ perfectly tryumph over it who is the King of that Lord and Commander and hath the key of hell and death To wicked men I say hee is a Tyrant and hath a gate and when they goe through the gate of death they goe to a worse to a lower place to hell it is the trappe-doore to Hell Thirdly by the gate of death is meant not onely the authority but the power of death as in the Gospell The gates of hell shall not prevaile against it that is the power and strength of hell so here it implies the strength of death which is very great for it subdues all it is the executioner of Gods justice If death have such a Iurisdiction and power and strength let us labour to disarme it before hand it is in our power to make death stinglesse and toothlesse and harm lesse nay wee may make it advantagious for the gate of death may become the gate of happinesse let us labour to have our part and portion in Christ who hath the key of hell and death who hath overcome and conquered this tyrant Oh death where is thy sting oh grave where is thy victory 1 Cor. 15. Thanks bee vnto Ged who hath given vs victory through Iesus Christ our Lord that now wee need not feare death that though death have a gate yet it is a gate to let us into heaven as it is a doore to let the wicked into hell So much for that In the next place wee come to their carriage in their extremity They Cryed to God in their trouble THIS is the carriage of man in extreame ills if hee haue any feare of God in him to pray and
THE RICHES OF MERCIE In two Treatises 1 Lydia's Conversion 2. A Rescue from death By the late learned and reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBS Doctor in Divinitie Published by the Authors own appointment and subscribed with his owne hand to prevent imperfect Copies 1 SAM 2.6 The Lord killeth and maketh alive hee bringeth downe to the Grave and bringeth up LONDON Printed by I. D. for Francis Eglesfeild and are to be sold by him at the signe of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1638. LYDIAS Conversion ACT. 16.14 And a certaine woman named Lydia a seller of Purple of the Citie of Thyatira that worshipped God whose heart the Lord opened that shee attended to the things that were spoken of Paul And when c. THE holy Apostle Saint Paula vessell of mercie having found mercie himselfe of God was a fit instrument to preach mercy to others Hereupon he was appointed to be a preacher to the Gentiles Among the rest of the Gentiles he was called to preach to them of Macedonia and it was by a vision as we see in the former part of the Chapter A man of Macedonia appeared to Paul by night and sayd Come to Macedonia and helpe us Indeed the state of the people of Macedonia called for help as now the state of many people doth though there be not such a vision as a man of Macedonia yet their wretched estate being under the Kingdome of Satan cries Come and help us though they doe not crie with their mouthes yet their estate cries The Apostle upon this vision takes his journey to come toward Macedonia and he stayed there a good while Hee abode certaine dayes Though God called him to Macedonia yet God did not giue him great incouragement for the present This is the manner of Gods carriage not to discouer at the present what he wil doe but leads people on by gentle incouragements and to humble them the more with little fruit at the first hee abode there certaine dayes without any great fruit Afterwards he goes out to Philippi the cheife City in Macedonia and on the Sabbath day the people were gathered together a company of women were resorted together and there he preached to them As indeed holy communion is never without a blessing they met together on a good day the Sabbath and for a good end they were met together Now Paul tooke the advantage of their meeting together on the Sabbath day he cast his net and he catcheth one with her family namely Lydia The Gospell was a sweete savour of salvation to her Hereupon there is a discourse of Lydia a short story of Lydia a story worthy to bee thought of which is in the words of my text A certaine woman named Lydia c. SHee is described First by her person and sex a certaine woman By her name Lydia By her calling a seller of purple By her citie Thiatira By her pious disposition shee worshipped God And then her conversion is set downe by the cause of it God opened her heart And what followed upon that opening of her heart shee attended to the things that were spoken by Paul and likewise shee was baptised with all her household And then the sweet fruit that this conversion of her with all her household had presently shee shewed the loue that shee felt from God in converting her to the blessed Apostle and his company shee besought them saying If yee haue judged mee faithfull to the Lord Come to my house c. which words I shall vnfold as I come to them And a certaine woman named Lydia a seller of purple c. FIRST here-is a description of her person and sexe and name and calling and city and disposition God takes notice of all the particulars of those that are his he delights to speake of them those that haue their names written in the booke of life hee knowes their names and callings and persons they are as Iewels in his eye they are written on the palmes of his hands hee takes more speciall notice of them then of the rest of the world Therefore the Apostle is very punctuall in the description of all particulars For her person I will be very short I will giue but a note or two and so come to that I mainly ayme at her conversion A certaine woman named Lydia FOR her sex shee and the rest were women that were gathered together as wee see in the former verse In Christ Iesus there is neither male nor female Sin came in by a woman and the meanes of salvation was by a woman too here were a company of women gathered together For the most part women haue sweet affections to religion and therein they oft goe beyond men The reason is Religion is especially seated in the affections and they haue sweet and strong affections Likewise they are subiect to weakenesse and God delights to shew his strength in weaknesse And thirdly especially Child bearing-women bring others into this life with danger of their own therefore they are forced to a nearer communion with God because so many children as they bring forth they are in perill of their liues Therefore the Apostle here mentions a company of women that were gathered together and among the rest a Certaine woman named Lydia What! a woman to bee the foundation of the Church of Macedonia a poore woman and then a Gaoler afterward a rugged rough Gaoler for these to be the foundation of so famous a Church as Philippi and other Churches in Macedonia Oh! yes the Kingdome of heauen is as a graine of mustard seed small in the beginning It is so in regard of the Church it selfe and in regard of the grace that euery particular member hath it is little and weake beginnings Christians are not as the Angels were perfect at the first The Church growes by little and little Therefore we should not be discouraged when the plantation of the Gospell hath poore successe at the beginning We see in the Church of Macedonia there was little successe at the first A woman and a rough Gaoler a Gaoler that both by calling and disposition and custome was a man hard and hardned too yet these two were the foundation of a great Church Was it not so among our selues The Church of latter times in the time of reformation how began it By a child and a woman King Edward the sixt and Queene Elizabeth of famous memory Therfore as the Prophet sayth Who art thou that despisest the day of little things despise not little things There is nothing lesse then grace at the first But as Christ the stocke of Iesse rose from the dead and rose up to heaven and overspreads the world now so euery Christian riseth of meane beginnings and so doth the Church it selfe A certaine woman named Lydia shee was the foundation of a famous Church Then shee is set downe by her calling A Seller of Purple GOD allowes callings The calling of Christianity
that wander in the wildernes hungrie and thirstie vers 4. They cry and God regards them The second is in verse 10. They that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death bound in iron They cry and the Lord heareth them The third is in the words of the text Fooles for their transgressions are afflicted their soule abhorreth all manner of meate him instanceth in sicknesse the most ordinary affliction and shewes that God hath a most particular providence even in that The fourth is in vers 23 Those that goe downe into the Sea they see experiments of Gods particular providence Since the fall the life of man is subject to a wondrous many inconveniences which wee have brought on us by our sins now in this varietie it is a comfortable thing to know Gods care of us in our wandrings and imprisonments in our sicknesse c. But to omit the other 3. and to come to that that is proper to the place that is the instance of Gods providence in sicknesse Fooles because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted c. In these words you have First the cause of this visitation and of all the greivance he speaks of Transgression and iniquitie And then the kind of this visitation sicknesse And the extremitie in two branches Their soule abhorreth all manner of meate and secondly They draw neere to the gates death And then the carriage of the affected and sicke parties They cry unto the Lord in their distresse And the remedie of the vniversall and great Physitian He saves them out of their distresse And the manner of this remedie Hee sent his word and healed them his operative and commanding word so as it workes with his command Lastly the fee that this high Commander askes for all the tribute or reward that he expects is Praise and Thankesgiving Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and his wondrous workes for the children of men c. So you see this Scripture conteines several passages betweene God and man in misery and in deliverance In misery God afflicts man for his sinne the passage of man to God is hee cryes to God Gods passage backe againe is his deliverance and then his returne backe againe must bee Thankesgiving So here is a double visitation in justice God correcting sinne and then a visitation in mercie upon their crying and praying God restores them and then mans dutie Thankesgiving But to proceed in order Fooles because of their transgressions c. HERE you have first the qualitie of the persons set downe Fooles Wee must understand by fooles wicked fooles not such fooles as are to be begged as we say that are defective in their naturals but the wise fooles of the world they are the cheife of fooles how ever in the Courts of men they be not found fooles yet they are fooles in Gods esteeme who is Wisedome it selfe those that thinke themselves wise that are conceitedly wise they are these fooles here In the phrase of Scripture and the language of the Holy Ghost every sinner is a foole It were a disgracefull terme if any man should give it but let no man stumble at it it comes from the wise God that knowes what wisedome is and what is folly If a foole shall call a man foole hee doth not regard it but if a wiseman especially the God of wisedome call a man foole hee hath reason to regard it who can judge better of wisedome then God who is onely wise Why are wicked men fooles and Gods children so farre as they yeeld to their lusts In divers respects First For lacke of discerning in all the carriage and passages of their lives You know a foole is such a one as cannot discerne the difference of things that is defective in his judgement discerning and judgement that especially tries a foole when he cannot discerne betweene pearles and pebbles between Iewels and ordinary base things so wicked men are defectiue in their judgments they cannot discerne aright betweene spirituall and heavenly things and other things all your worldly fooles he hunts after and placeth his happinesse in things meaner then himselfe hee takes shadowes for substances A foole is led with his humour and his lust even as the beast so there is no wicked man that shakes of the feare of God which is true wisedome but hee is led with his humour and passion and affection to some earthly thing Now a man can never bee wise and passionate unlesse in one case when the good is so exceeding that no passion can be answerable as in zeale in divine matters that will excuse all exorbitant carriage otherwise When David danced before the Arke a man would thinke it had beene a foolish matter except it had been in a divine businesse when the matter is wondrous great that it deserues any pitch of affection then a man may be eager and wise but for the things of this life for a man to disquiet himselfe and others to hunt after a vaine shadow as the Psalmist saith after riches and honour and to neglâ—ct the mayne end of a mans life it is extreame folly a man that is passionate in this respect cannot be wise all fooles are passionate and wicked men have their affections set deeply on somewhat else besides God Because passion presents things in a false glasse as when a man sees the sunne through a cloud he seems bigger when men looke not on things in the judgment of the scripture and the spirit of God and right reason but through affection things appeare to them otherwise then they are and themselues afterwards see themselues foâ—les Take a worldling on his death bed or in hell hee sees himselfe a foole then when his drunkennesse is past when hee is come to himselfe and is sober he sees that he hath catched all his lifetime after shadowes wicked men that are carried with their lusts to earthly things they cannot be wise therfore the rich man in the Gospell is called a foole and in Ier. 17. hee speaks of a man that labors all his life time and in the end is a foole Is not he a foole that will carrie a burthen and load himselfe in his journey more then hee needs and is not hee a spirituall foole that loads himselfe with thick clay as the Prophet calls it and makes his pilgrimage more cumbersome then hee needs Is not hee a foole that layes the heaviest weight on the weakest that puts off the heaviest burthen of repentance to the time of sicknesse and trouble and death when all his troubles meete in a center as it were and hee hath enough to doe to conflict with his sicknes Againe hee is a foole that will play with edge-tooles that makes a sport of sinne hee is a foole that provokes his betters that shootes up arrowes and casts up stones that shall fall on his owne head hee that
Could he in his humiliation before his great abasement on the crosse strike downe his enemies with his word what shall he doe at the day of judgement when all flesh shall appeare before him And what can he doe now at the right hand of God in heaven Let us never despaire what state soever we be in in our owne persons or in respect of the Church or common wealth Let us yet pray yet solicite God and wrastle with him for wee see here when they were at the gates of death he fetcheth them againe with his word hee can fetch things againe when they are at destruction as it were when mans wit is at a losse that he knoweth not what course to take God with a word can turne all things againe Oh that men would therefore prayse the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wondrous works to the children of men Let them sacrifice the sacrifice of Thansgiving and declare his workes with rejoycing YOU see that God the great Physitian he is good at all disseases hee is never set at any thing for he can create helps and remedies of nothing if there be none in nature hee can create peace to the soule in the the middest of trouble of conscience God can make things out of nothing nay out of contraries you see here what this great Physitian hath done hee fetched them from the gates of death when their soule abhorred all manner of meate and what doth he require for all this great cure surely the text tells us he looks for nothing but prayse Oh that men would therefore prayse the Lord for his goodnesse c. In which words you haue these circumstances considerable together with the substance of the duty First the persons who must prayse God Oh that men would prayse the Lord And then the duty they are to performe to prayse God to sacrifice to God to declare his works one main duty expressed by three termes The third is for what they should prayse him For his goodnesse It is the spring of all for all particular actions of God doe come from his nature his nature is goodnesse it selfe and indeed all other attributes are founded on goodnesse why is he gracious and mercifull and long-suffering because he is good this is the primitiue attribute And then another thing for which we must praise him For his wondrous workes for the children of men Fourthly the manner how this should be done with rejoycing and singing as the word signifies declare his workes with rejoycing For as all holy actions must be done joyfully and chearefully so especially prayse God loveth a chearefull giver much more a chearefull thanksgiver for chearfulnesse is the very nature of thankesgiving it is a dead sacrifice of thanksgiving it is a dead sacrifice else these are the mayne things considerable in these words First of all of the persons Oh that men would prayse the Lord. THE blessed Psalmist whosoever he were directed by the spirit of God hee would haue all men to prayse God not onely those that participate and haue interest in the favour but the beholders also of the goodnesse of God to others for here hee that was not interressed in these favours for his owne particular yet hee prayseth God for the blessings to others and hee wisheth that God might haue praise from them For we are all of one societie of one family wee are all brethren therefore wee must prayse God for his blessings and benefits on others and not onely our selues but we must wish that all would do so and specially wee must prayse God for our selues when we haue part of the benefit for shall others prayse God for us and shal notwe for our selues Shall the Churches of God abroad prayse God for his great deliverance of this citie as there is no Church in the world that heares of it but is thankfull for it and shall not wee for our selues Shall the angels in heaven prayse God and sing for the redemption of the Church by the blood of Christ Glory to God on high peace on earth good will to men and shall not we that haue interest in the worke of redemption For Christ is not a mediator of redemption to Angels hee hath relation to them in another respect yet they out of loue to God and the Church and a desire to glorifie God hey prayse God for this and shall not wee much more for our selues wee must prayse God our selues and desire that all would doe so as he saith here Oh that men would prayse the Lord c. and in some other Psalmes he stirs up ' all the creatures hayle and snow and winde and all to prayse God How can these praise God They doe it by our mouthes by giving vs occasion to prayse him And they praise him in themselues for as the creature groaneth Rom. 8. That none knowes but God and it selfe they groane for the corruption and abuse that they are subject unto and God knowes those groanes so the creature hath a kind of voyce likewise in praysing of God they declare in their nature the goodnesse of God and minister occasion to us to praise GOD therefore the Psalmist being desirous that GOD might be praysed for his goodnesse and mercy hee stirres vp every creature Psal. 103. even the very Angels insinuating that it is a worke fit for Angels The children of God haue such a loue and zeale to the glory of GOD that they are not content only to prayse GOD themselues but they stirre vp all they need not to wish Angels to doe it but only to shew their desire oh the blessed disposition of those that loue God in Christ What shall wee thinke then of those wretched persons that greiue that the word of God should run and haue free passage and be glorious and that there should be a free use of the sacraments and the blessed meanes of salvation they envie the glory of God and the salvation of peoples soules What shall we say to those that desire to heare God dishonoured that perhaps sweare and blaspheme themselues or if they doe not yet they are not touched in their hearts for the dishonour of God by others this is far from the disposition of a Christian he desires that all creatures may trumpet ouâ— the prayse of God from the highest Angell to the lowest creature from the Sunne and starres to the meanest shrub only divellish spirited carnal men take delight to blaspheme God that can strike them with his word and send them to their owne place to hell without repentance and can heare him dishonoured without any touch of spirit a child of God desires God to be glorified from his very heart roote and is greived when God is dishonoured any kind of way so much breifly for the first Now what is the dutie this holy man wishes That men would prayse God And sacrifice the sacrifice of thankesgiving and declare his workes OUT