Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	good_a	life_n	see_v	9,943	5	3.4753	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01935	Certaine sermons preached upon severall occasions viz. The vvay to prosper. The vvay to be content. The vvay to vvell-doing. A summer sermon. A vvinter sermon. Vnknowne kindnesse. The poore mans hope. By Iohn Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex.	Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to prosper.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to be content.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to well-doing.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Summer sermon.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Winter sermon.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Unknowne kindnesse.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Poore mans hope.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Oracle of God.	1636 (1636)	STC 12071; ESTC S120526	199,234	334

more by his friend than perhaps hee sees or perceives by himselfe Hence I take it the Prophet Gad is called Davids Seer 2 Sam. 24. 11. Wee know that David was a Prophet himselfe and had Revelations and Visions from God as well as Gad and yet even hee had a Seer deputed for him and doubtlesse Gad had a speciall inspection into Davids wayes and actions and saw more by him many a time than he saw by himselfe and brought backe many of his sinnes to his sight and remembrance which had formerly escaped him unseene and unrepented for this cause I suppose doth the holy Ghost entitle him Davids Seer So Num. 10. 31. when the Israelites were travelling in the Wildernesse towards the land of Promise though they had the Cloud to direct them by day and the Pillar of Fire to direct them by night yet they desired Iethro to be in stead of eyes unto them as the text expresseth it Why What need had they of Iethro to be eyes unto them seeing they had the infallible guidance and direction of the Cloud and Fire of God Yes for though these were guides unto them in generall yet for particular places and passages in the desart Iethroes direction was instead of eyes unto them because he knew the dangers of the wildernesse which they knew not So though a man for the generall course of his life and conversation may have the heavenly guidance of Gods holy Spirit and the blessed Guardianship of Gods holy Angels yet in particular cases and circumstances of a mans demeanour and carriage a Iethro a loving friend that will deale truely and plainely with a man may be in stead of eyes unto a man to informe him of what is a right and reforme him in what is amisse to shew him much good and save him from much evill that might befall him They say that a Mole is blinde all her life and never seeth till the very point of death for then the extremity of the paine breakes open the filme of her eyes and then she seeth but then her sight doth her no good Whether it be so or no I dare not affirme But so I have heard and so I have read and surely me thinks it is a lively resemblance of the wretched estate of some kinde of men that goe blindlings on in an evill course of life like the blinded Aramites 2 Reg. 6. that thought they had beene in the way to Dothan when they were in the midst of Samaria so these thinke themselves in the way to heaven when they are in the midst of Sathans kingdome and dominion till they come to die then the extremity of their paines may peradventure breake open the filme of their hearts to see their owne miserable estate through sinne before God but who can tell whether their sight doth then doe them any good and not rather torment them the more Happie therefore is that man that can meet with such a friend as Iob and Iethro was that will be instead of an Oculist unto him to open his eyes by sober admonitions and seasonable reprehensions that hee may see his sinnes in time and save himselfe from this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Peter termes it Acts 2. 40. this perverse untoward generation We read 1 Sam. 14. 27. that when Ionathan had tasted the hony with the top of his rod the text saith his eyes were opened and he saw that he had done amisse This in my conceit is a lively resemblance of loving reprehension the Rod you will say is an embleme of correction and castigation and the hony may well passe for an embleme of a sweet and loving disposition put both these together the Rod and the Hony Reprehension and love or sweet and loving reprehension if any thing in the world open a mans eies and make him see hee hath done amisse that will doe it And this may be one reason why David desired to be smitten to be reproved ut videat that he might see his sinnes 2 Vt doleat that he might grieve for his sinnes It is with many a man as it was with Iob who lost his cattle lost his children lost all the goods hee had yet all these losses never troubled him till there came a nuntio a messenger that told him of it then Iob rent his cloathes and humbled himselfe in dust and ashes thus doth many a man run on in a carelesse course of sinne till hee hath lost himselfe lost his soule lost the favour of his God and the hope of heaven by Christ yet all these losses never trouble him untill some nuntio come some good Minister or neighbour or messenger from God and tell him how the case stands betwixt God and his soule then he grieves then he grones then or never will hee humble himselfe before the Lord as Saint Paul told the Corinthians 2 Cor. 7. 8 9. Though I made you sorry with a letter I doe not repent me because your sorrow brought you to repentance So hee is a happy man that can make his friend sorry for his sinnes either by letter as Paul did here and Eliah elsewhere 2 Chron. 21. 12. who would not goe to Iehoram to reprove him to his face but left a letter or a writing to be sent unto him which was brought him afterward when Eliah was either absent or dead and a bitter one it was as there you may read I say either by letter or by word of mouth any way he that can make his friend sorry for his sinnes doth him an happy kindnesse because this sorrow may bring him to repentance repentance brings him home to God and in God every man hath his quietus est a happy discharge from all his sinnes And this may be another reason why David desired to be smitten yet more ut doleat that hee might grieve for his sinne 3 Vt desistat that he might leave his sinnes we read Num. 22. 34. that when Balaam for the wages of unrighteousnesse was riding on to curse the people of God and that God had opened his eyes to see the revenging Angel that withstood him in the way and saw that the Angel did not smite him with his sword as he might have done but onely smote him with his word and reprehended him the text sheweth how modestly how meekely he submitted himselfe and said Now Lord saith he if my way displease thee I will get me backe againe and goe no further In like manner when thy conscience shall tell thee and Gods Angel I meane Gods Minister shall make it appeare unto thee that thy way displeaseth God that thou hast led thy life in such a way as God doth not accept be not thou more obstinate more head-strong than Balaam who is generally holden to be a Sorcerer and a Witch but if thou hast escaped vengeance and art but fairely smitten with a rebuke resolve with thy selfe and say as Balaam did Lord I perceive my way is displeasing in thy sight

the Righteous here spoken of and they are mercifull lenders that lend according to our Saviours counsell looking for nothing againe that is for nothing but their owne againe no advantage no gaine no use or their lending but they lend in meere compassion and mercie to releive their poore brethren in their need and necessitie He is ever mercifull and lendeth and marke what followeth His seede is blessed That which worldly-minded men thinke and imagine to be the onely meanes to make their children poore and miserable I meane liberalitie and sending to the poore that the Holy Ghost saith is the onely meanes to make them rich and blessed and is so farre from empoverishing and impairing their estates upon earth that it is the onely way to draw downe Gods blessing out of heaven upon them As the Prophet Ieremy told Iahojakin Ier. 22. 15. So long as thy father did helpe the oppressed and shew kindenesse to the poore and needy did he not prosper was it not well with him so that as Chrysostome saith We may not thinke that God made rich men onely for the profit of the poore but God made the poore as well for the profit of the rich Make yee friends saith our Saviour of the unrighteous Mammon as if rich men should one day finde that the poore were their best friends when they come to be received into everlasting habitations By these and the like examples and instances you may easily conceive who they be that are counted Righteous in Gods acceptation Therefore as Elisha spread himselfe upon the Shunamites child 2 Reg. 4. 34. and applied his mouth to the childs mouth his hands to the childs hands and his body to the childs body till the child began to neeze and to revive so you shall doe well to apply your selves to these patternes and presidents to see what correspondence and agreement there is betwixt 〈◊〉 lives and theirs and if your disposition be the same with 〈…〉 your acceptation shall be the same as theirs was and if you be partakers of the same righteousnesse you shall also be partakers of the same happinesse as it followeth in the text you shall never be deserted nor forsaken of God I never saw the righteous forsaken c. As for the unrighteous and ungracious that first forsake God no marvell if God in Iustice forsake them againe according to that anciently received rule Deus nunquam deserit hominem nisi prius ab homine deseratur God never forsakes any man till that man doe first forsake his God But for the righteous that cleave close unto the Lord and hold them fast by God as David speaketh and will not if they can possibly let go their holdfast beleeve it God will be a steadfast friend to them and will never faile them nor forsake them neither in life nor in death but while they live he will be with them and when they day they shall ●e with him 1 In life the righteous are never quite forsaken nor left utterly destitute of food provision and such other comforts which God in his wisedome seeth to be most expedient for them Thus saith the Lord Esay 65. 13. Behold my servants shall eate but you that is the wicked Idolaters for to them he speaketh you shall be hungry my servants shall drinke but you shall be thirsty my servants shall rejoyce but you shall be ashamed so that what ever be tide the wicked when the dayes of evill come God will take order for the righteous his servants shall be sure to be provided for In the dayes of famine they shall have enough Psa 37. 19. that is enough to content them though not enough to enrich them and if their own meanes chance to faile them at home God will provide them meanes and friends abroad as he told Elias 1 Reg. 17. when he was in great distresse at the river Besor and had neither meate nor drinke to sustaine him The Word of the Lord came unto him saying Arise get thee to Sareptah which is in Sidon and tarry there for behold I have commanded a widdow woman to sustaine thee there Elias knew not the widdow neither did the widdow know him but God who knew them both had given her a secret charge and commandement that shee should sustaine his Prophet and so she did Thus will God 〈…〉 than his owne shall want give secret charges to those we 〈◊〉 not aware of to sustaine and supply us at our need as in Pauls case Act. 17. when the ship was broken in peices which they thought should have carried them to land the Lord cast them and conveighed them safe to shore upon such boards and plankes as they did not nor durst not expect so when those helpes faile us which wee most relied upon God will so provide that somewhat else shall come in and bring us helpe which we never thought nor dreamt of Let the consideration of this teach us to take out that Lesson of the Apostle Heb. 13. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousnesse and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee If God have said it we may sweare it and pawne our lives and soules upon it that if wee live according to his will hee will never leave us nor forsake us while there is breath and life within us 2 As they are ever sustained in life so they are never forsaken in death but in their last extremity when their life is in extremis labris God is alwayes present with them either to relieve or to receive their soules 〈…〉 Iust man saith David and 〈◊〉 the upright for whatsoever 〈◊〉 beginning be yet the end of that ma● is peace And againe Follow after righteousnesse and doe the thing 〈…〉 for that shall bring a man peace at the last It was promised as a blessing to good Jasiah 2 Reg. 22. ult that he should be gathered to the grave in peace and yet we finde in the story that Iosiah died in warre How then was this promise made good I answer thus though he died in warre outwardly yet he died in peace inwardly his conscience was at peace with God and his soule was pacisied and discharged from the trouble of all his sinnes so that whatsoever his death was yet hee died in peace And such is the happinesse of all the righteous some die by fevers some by the sword some by the fire yet all through Gods mercy die in peace Therefore saith Balaam Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like unto his for though it be decreed in heaven that the Righteous must die as wel as the unrighteous yet there is as great a difference betwixt the manner of their dying as betwixt the passage of the Egyptians and the Israelites through the same red sea which was Alijs s●pul●hrum alijs vehiculum a sepulcher and a grave to the one to drowne them in perdition and

An old disciple that is to be a ●ollower of Christ from ones youth and to continue Christs faithfull servant to ones age Age is a crowne of glory saith Salomon Prov. 16 31. When it is found in the way of righteousnesse that is when an old man is found to be a just and a righteous man then he truely deserves reverence but when a man hath lived to those yeares that he comes to have Caput album and cor nigrum a head white with hoary haires and the heart blacke with wicked deeds it is the most lamentable incongruity and disproportion in the world It is observed out of Gen. 25. 8. that Abraham was the first in all the Scripture that is called by the name of an old man and yet there were many before him that were much elder in yeares and had lived a longer time in the world than he had done why then should Abraham be called an Old man rather than any of his elder ancestours Philo gives this to be the reason that it was propter canitiem virtutum not so much for the age of his body as for the antiquity of his vertue though they were elder in yeares than he yet Abraham was elder in grace and vertue than they and had beene a vertuous a religious man and had served and feared the Lord a longer time than any of his predecessours and for this cause was he written the first old man in the Register of Almightie God And so at this day not he that is first Christened but he that is the first and best Christian is the eldest man in Gods account and comes nearest unto him who is the Ancient of dayes Whereas he that is full of dayes and empty of grace that hath attained bonum se●ectutem as one saith a good old age but wants the maine of all which is Bonum senectutis the goodnesse of old age who when the harvest of his yeares is come doth not bring forth that fruit unto God of devotion and piety of wisedome and gravity of temperance and charity that is to be found in men of fewer yeares Most wretched and miserable is his condition for he comes as it were to the borders of Canaan to the very point of time wherein Gods children make their happy transmigration into heaven but by reason of his sinnes is thrust backe againe so that when he should die and ascend to the place of eternall blessednesse he dies and descends to the pit of utter darkenesse where is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth Such is the miserable condition of that man or woman whose body is declining to the grave but his spirit hath not learned to ascend to God that gave it You therefore that are aged persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ready and ripe for the grave learne to resemble the Sunne whereof the Prophet David speaketh Psal 104. Sol novit occasum suum the Sun knoweth his going downe and therefore before his setting sends forth the brighter and the clearer and the sweeter beames so you cannot but know that it will not be long ere the sunne of your life goe downe therefore before the night of death come upon you send forth some beames of light some good prayers to God some good deeds to the poore shew some token for good before your death that it may appeare that your soules are gone the way of life And then looke how the Rivers when they come neere the sea the tide comes forth to meete them so when your soules come neere to heaven your God and Saviour shall meete you in the way and receive you into those eternall mansions which himselfe hath prepared for you So much for the Time how long David had beene an observer and an eye-witnesse of Gods Providence sc from his youth to his age I come now to the observation it selfe Non v●di justum derelictum I have not scene the righteous forsaken Wherein are two things remarkeable 1. The persons priviledged and they are the Righteous 2. The priviledge of those persons and that is they are never forsaken 1. The persons priviledged to wit the Righteous Here the question will be where any such persons are to be found for it is certaine that a Righteous man is Rara avis in terris as this world goes The Prophet once cried O yee heavens drop downe righteousnesse When Righteousnesse saith a learned man was taken up into heaven and the earth was utterly devoid of it But we trust in God the world is not altogether now so bad but that by Gods grace there are some though not many righous persons to be found amongst men but who be they that deserve to be so called and so accounted Ans I will shew you some particular instances out of the Booke of God what kind of persons went under the name of Righteous men in the dayes of old and leave the application to your selves ● The first that ever went under the name of a Righteous man was Abel of him you shall read Heb. 11. 4. That he offered a more excellent sacrifice than Caine by which he obtained witnesse that he was righteous God himselfe testifying of it Now wherein did Abels righteousnesse consist or what was it for which Abel was accounted righteous the text sheweth it was for that he offered uberius sacrificium a richer a fuller a better sacrifice than Cain for Caine also offered a sacrifice to God such a one as it was but it was a pinching sacrifice and the fruits that he offered were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the refuse of that he had that which he cared not for himselfe that he offered to the Lord but Abel made choise of the best and offered the most so that his sacrifice was both more and more excellent than Caines it was better and bigger too and for this he obtained testimony from God that hee was a righteous man Hence I note that they which are voluntary and free in their offerings to God that are willing God should have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best and principall part of all their substance that hold it in scorne as David did that it should be said they should worship the Lord and be at no cost these are they in the first place that deserve the name of righteous men Contrariwise they that are of a base and niggardly disposition to God-ward that thinke as Iudas did every thing to be perditio to be waste and lost that goes to the maintenance of the worship and service and Ministers of God they are farre from Abels disposition and consequently farre from being Righteous in Gods account 2 The next Righteous man was Abraham of whom the Apostle speakes Rom. 4. 3. Abraham beleeved God and this was counted to him for righteousnesse Now wherein did Abrahams righteousnesse consist the text saith in his faith in his beleefe of God God Almighty called him out of his owne Countrey and made him leave all his friends and meanes behind him

cure and put him by from all his possibilities and hopes And this is the great Cordolium the very heart-ake and greevance of many a worthy man many a worthy Scholler that hath lyen a long time at the poole of the Church and Court hoping at length to climbe up that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle calls it 1 Tim. 3. 13. that good step or stay to honour and preferment that others have done and still one or other steps in before him intercepts him of his hopes and casts him downe as low as ever his expectations raised him up If this be any of your cases I shall give you no other counsell then I desire of God to take my selfe and that 's this to learne of that Cripple to be content for a time to tarry Gods leasure to attend still at the poole I meane at the ordinances of God and you shall see at length that if Angels cannot helpe you Christ him selfe will come and doe a cure upon you and rather worke a miracle than your faith should be disappointed or your hope should make von ashamed In the meane time you must know that there is a speciall dispensation of God in his dealings with some of his servants Num. 12. 7. My servant Moses is not so saith God he is faithfull in all my house unto him will I speake mouth to mouth Here was a speciall favour that God would shew to Moses which hee would not shew to every one that was faithfull in his house You see Matth. 17. when Christ was tansfigured upon the mount hee took but three of his Disciples with him and left the rest hehind who yet were as neare and deare and as good Disciples as they Afterwards Matth. 27. when Christ arose from death it is said that many of the Saints arose to attend him Many Saints not all others that had beene as holy and as sanctified men as they stayed still in their graves and their bodies lay in the dust expecting glory Thus doth God still deale with his servants some he raiseth up to wealth and honour and preferment othersome hee depresseth and holdeth downe with poverty want and neede who yet no doubt are as true and faithfull servants to God as they that are advanced Salomon tells us Eccles. 9. 11. The race is not to the swift nor the battell to the strong nor riches to men of understanding nor favour to men of knowledge his meaning is that men of greatest abilities men of greatest sufficiencies are oft times kept low when others that are but Gregarij ordinis to our thinking are advanced and lifted up This is to learne us to be content with our estates because they are of Gods assignement and designation Content I say not onely by constraint but willingly as the Apostle speakes in another case for you know there is a twofold contentment voluntary and involuntary The Involuntary is when a man is content with his estate against his will because he cannot helpe it As Simeon of Cyrene Matth. 27. 32. submitted himselfe to beare the crosse of Christ because hee was Angariatus compelled and forced to it as the Text sheweth this is a thankelesse and fruitlesse contentment virtus nolentium nulla est God takes no pleasure in forced patience patience perforce hath small thankes with God But it is the voluntary contentment which proceeds ab intrinseco from an inward working of grace from that same free sperit that David speakes of Psal 51. when a man doth voluntarily freely and of his owne accord endeavour to worke himselfe to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to an inward selfe-sufficiencie whether his estate please him or no as they did Ier. 42. 6. Whether it be good or whether it be evill we will obey the voyce of the Lord c. Not onely when Gods Will and ours sute together but when there is an utter disagreement betwixt them then to be content without constraint is thanke worthy with God You see by experience A man that comes to an Inne if hee can get a better lodging and better attendance he will if he cannot yet he will be content with it for why Hee considers it is but for a night and hee is gone thus wee come into the world as it were into an Inne which is a place of passage no place of abode if we can get a better estate or a better condition use it in Gods name if not yet learne to be content for why it is but for a night for a short space and you are gone And so I come to the last case of all and that is 6. Hezekiahs case to be crost in ones departure to be called to die at such a time when a man desires most to live when God shall shorten a mans dayes in his journey as David speaketh and take a man away in the midst of his age in the minority of his children in the unsetlednesse of his estate this of all the rest may seeme the heaviest crosse yet learne of Hezechiah to be content to live as long as God will spare thee and when God will have thee be content to dye When a loving mother sendeth forth her childe to nurse and the nurse hath kept it long enough if the mother thinke good to take home her owne child againe hath the nurse any cause to grudge or complaine how much lesse cause have wee to shew any token of ungodlinesse and discontent that God should take home our departing soules the worke of his owne hands the plant of his owne grafting who tenders it more than a mother doth her child and will keepe it better and safer for us than wee can keepe it for our selves It is said of David Act. 13. 35. When hee had served his time by the will of God then he fell asleepe and was gathered to his fathers Every one hath his time set him to serve God in this world some a longer some a shorter time as it pleaseth God to predetermine and set it downe now when a man hath served his time as David did and done that he came for into the wotld I meane when hee hath repented of his sinnes reformed his wayes provided for his familie and made heaven and salvation sure to his owne soule if then it shall please God to send forth that same Ang●lum mortis as the Hebrewes speake the Angel of death to call him home and fetch him into his fathers kingdome what just cause hath such a one to take Iobs wives counsell in the best sence and even to blesse God and die It is a lamentable case when a man must die whether he will or no when God comes to pull away a mans soule as Iob speakes Iob 27. 10. What hope hath the hypocrite when God comes to pull away his soule Iust as you see when a great fish is taken with an Angle the man pulls and the fish pulls and the man pulls again and by force of Armes twitcheth it

downe into the soule Though we cannot command or forbid the raine to water the earth as Eliah did if we can water and mollifie the earthen hearts of men with the supernaturall raine of heavenly Doctrine and make a dry and barren soule beare fruit to God Is not this as great a wonder as the other Though we cannot cause nor command the thunder as Samuel did to terrifie the people for their sinnes yet God hath his Boanerges his sonnes of thunder still that by ratling from heaven the terrible judgements of God against sinne and sinners are able to make the stoutest and the proudest heart upon earth even tremble and quake and fall downe before the presence of God and is not this as great a miracle as that of Samuel to bring an unhumbled sinner upon his knees and make glad to cry God mercy for his sinnes In a word though wee cannot cast out devils out of mens bodies as the disciples of Christ could doe if we can cast the devill out of mens soules by the powerfull Gospell of Iesus Christ is it not as great a wonder Beleeve it brethren the conversion of a sinner to God and bringing of a soule to heaven is absolutely without comparison the greatest miracle the greatest wonder in the world And these be the miracles wherewith it pleaseth God to grace the Ministers of the Gospel therefore ye observe that the Collect for Ministers runnes thus Almighty God which onely workest great marvels c. When a soule is sicke to the death with a surfeit of sinne is recovered and revived againe by that same healthfull spirit of grace which God together with his Word doth breathe into the soule it is so great a marvell so rare a wonder that the Angels of heaven rejoyce to see it I have held you over-long in the former part of Eliahs prayer which brought the judgment heare now in a word or two the Reversing of the judgement and I have done And he prayed again the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit It well becomes the Prophets of God to be mercifull Good Eliah had not the heart to hold the people too long under a judgement when hee saw hee had done enough to humble them he desires God to reverse the judgement As it is observed of the good Angels in the old and new Testament when they appeared to any either man or woman their method and manner was this Primò terrent deinde laetisica●t they first terrified them and put them into feare then presently comforted them and put them out of feare Thus did Eliah with this people thus did Moses with Pharaoh that good man had not the heart to hold wicked Pharoah alway under a judgement but upon the least entreaty made suit to God to reverse it So dealt the Prophet with Ieroboam 1 Reg. 13. 6. when he had smitten him with a judgment and had him at the advantage that his hand was withered Ieroboam was glad to submit and say Intreate now the face of the Lord thy God and pray for me that my hand may be restored me the man of God had not the heart to deny him but immediatly besought the Lord and the Kings hand was restored and became as it was before When a judgement comes then Prophets are in season Abraham is better than a King in this case Gen. 20. 7. 17. Restore the man his own for he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee and ver 17. Abraham prayed unto God and God healed Abimeleeh c. Goe to my servant Iob saith God to his friends Iob 42. 8. and my servant Iob shall pray for you for him will I accept So Act. 8. 24. When Peter had denounced a curse on Simon Magus he was glad to crouch and cry unto him Oh pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me Thus ye see that judgements and plagues will bring Prophets into request men commonly deale with their Ministers as boyes do by Walnut-trees and other fruit-trees in faire weather throw cudgels at us in foule runne to us for shelter In the dayes of peace and prosperity we are past over as superfluous creatures of whom there is little use and lesse neede but when the wrath of God falls on the naked soule when the conscience is wounded within and body pained without then the Minister is thought on I say no more if you desire their prayers and that God should heare them praying for you in your extremity do not slight them doe not wrong them in prosperity Remember how Ahab and all Israel were glad to be beholden to Eliah to reverse their judgment and you doe not know how soone the case may be your owne therefore as you love your soules love those that have charge of them And he prayed againe c. When I looke into the Story 1 Reg. 18. I can finde no direct prayer that Eliah made for raine But I ●iud there a twofold prayer that he made 1. A virtuall 2. A formall prayer 1. A virtuall prayer not for raine but for their conversion Oh Lord saith Eliah bring backe or b●ing home the heart of this people unto thee vers 73. and this includes all other prayers that can be made A prayer for Conversion is a prayer for every thing Ier. 31. 18. When Ep●ratm prayes for conversion Turne thou me and I shall be turned saith God I will surely have mercy upon him c. Such is the goodnesse of God that he will with-hold no good thing be it raine be it plenty be it any thing that is good for them from them that are converted and brought home by true repentance to him Therefore if thou standest in neede of any temporall mercy pray first for conversion and all other good things shall be super-added and throwne in unto thee or if thou prayest for any child or for any friend to doe him good indeed pray for his conversion and thou prayest for every thing that one prayer is instar omnium insteed of all the rest If hee be in an ill way desire God to bring him backe and for future things take no care 2 A formall prayer when he saw that the people were truely humbled and that their hearts were indeed brought home to God insomuch that they cried out with an ingemmination The Lord he is God the Lord he is God then hee buckles his head betweene his knees to shew the humble prostration of his soule and falls a praying to God for raine After humiliation any prayer comes in season Esay 1. Wash ye make ye cleane put away the evill of your doings c. And now come saith God and we will reason together now let us parle now let us confesse now pray and I will heare you Iud. 10. 17. When the Israelites put away their strange gods and turned themselves to the true God by sincere repentance and reformation the text saith

a chariot to convey the other Sicco pede without wetting their feete to the land of Promise This is that which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12. 11. the quiet fruit of righteousnesse for though the bud and blossome of Righteousnesse I meane the first beginning of Grace and Christianity may be troubled and assaulted with difficulties and doubts and feares yet the fruit is alwayes quiet and the end is alwayes peace so that the Righteous while the live they live to the Lord and when they die they die in the Lord so both in life and death the Lord is theirs and they are his they never forsake the Lord nor doth the Lord ever forsake them I never saw the Righteous forsaken Ob. No may some say Did David never see the Righteous forsaken as when he himself cried out Psal 22 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and art so far from my helpe And doth not Sion it selfe which is the Church of God and mother of the faithfull complaine in like manner Esay●9 ●9 14. The Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten mee And did not our blessed Saviour who was Righteousnesse it selfe when he was in that bi●ter passion upon the Crosse and suffered those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those unknowne and unexpressible torments did not he crie out to the amazement of men and horrour of Angels My God my God why hast thou forsaken me How then can David say He never saw the righteous forsaken Ans I answer in the words of a Father Quosdam deserit Deus quosdam des●rere videtur some God doth indeede forsake as he did Saul and Iudas and such others because they had indeede and in earnest forsaken and cast off the Lord other some God doth but onely seeme to forsake as hee did David and Sion and his owne blessed Sonne our Saviour As when some tender mother will seeme to forsake her childe and goe aside and hide her selfe onely to trie whether the childe will moane after her or no and then hearing the childs moaning she is wont to make the more of it than she did before Thus it pleaseth God many times to hide himselfe as the Prophet speaketh Esay 45. 15. Thou O God hid●st thy selfe O God the Saviour of Israel but it is onely to see whether we will make any moane after him and lament after the Lord as the Israelites did and groane and grieve for his departure Therefore as our Saviour when he heard them say He whom thou lovest is sicke Iob. 11. 3. he answered This sicknesse is not unto death so when it may be said Hee whom God loveth is forsaken it may be answered This forsaking is not unto death but when they seeme in the sight of others and in their owne sence and feeling to be most rejected and least regarded of God then is God nearest to their helpe and succor In a word there is a twofold desertion the one in sinne the other in punishment God may leave the Righteous to either or both of these that is hee may suffer them to fall into some grievous sinne or he may suffer them to lie long under some grievous punishment and yet not forsake them neither 1. Desertion is sin is when God withdraweth the assistance of his grace and leaves the righteous to fall into some great offence as he did David and divers others and of Hezekiah it is said totidem verbis 2 Chron. 32. 31. That God left him to try out al that was in his heart not but that God knew all before but Hezekiah did not know so much by himselfe nor would not beleeve that he had so bad so base an heart till he tried it and found it by wofull experience therefore God left him to himselfe to pull downe the pride of his heart and to make him humble and vile in his owne eyes Thus God left Saint Peter as you know but wherefore did hee leave him Our Saviour saith it was but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 22. to sift and winnow him as wheat Looke then what winnowing is unto the wheat a meanes to cleanse it and purge it from drosse and dust and chaffe the same is temptation and sinne to the righteous a meanes through Gods mercy and their owne repentance to make them more cleane more holy more humble in the sight of God And for this cause I suppose that God who if he pleased could easily withhold the righteous from sinne doth yet in his wisedome leave them to themselves and let them fall that by falling they may have experience of their infirmity their infirmitie may draw them to humility humility brings them home to God and in God they have their quietus est a free and full discharge from all their sinnes 2. Desertion in punishment is when God casts the righteous into tribulation and anguish and then seemes to leave them and neglect them and take no notice of the burthen that lies upon them as you read Judg. 6. 13. the Angel of the Lord came unto Gideon and said God is with thee thou mighty man of valour Gideon answered Alas Lord if the Lord be with us how then is all this evill come upon us that good man could not per●wade himselfe but that God had quite forsaken him when he saw there was so much evill come upon them he thought that Gods goodnesse and their evills his mercies and their miseties had beene incompatible and could not have consisted nor stood together But Gideon was mistaken in that and so are the Righteous many a time and oft when they measure Gods presence by prosperity and hi● absence by adversitie For God is not absent when hee punisheth but onely seemes to withdraw himselfe and his favour that the Righteous might draw nearer and creepe closer to God as one that shivers of an Ague drawes neerer and creepes closer to the fire Thus you have seene the priviledge of the Righteous that notwithstanding their sinnes and notwithstanding their punishments yet they are never wholly deserted nor forsaken of the Lord. I come now to the last part of my Text and that is The continuance and succession of Gods favour and mercy that it doth not rest onely upon the Righteous themselves but extendeth and enlargeth it selfe to their posterity and to their seed Nee semen ejus querens panem nor their seed begging their bread This shewes the gracious descent and propagation of Gods blessing when it alights Like the Oyle that was powred on Aarons head it wet not his head and his beard alone as David speaketh Psal 1 33. 2. but went downe to the skirts of his cloathing so the mercy and loving-kindnesse of the Lord doth not rest and remaine onely upon the head of the family upon the righteous parents but descends and runnes downe to the utmost of their posterity and is derived from them unto their ●eed Here then come in two Points worthy to be resolved First