lesson is That even the Godly are sometimes much afraid of bodily death You see your example is plaine The disciples thinking they should presently be drowned crie out we perish so did Peter their mouth in that excellent confession of their faith seeing the wind boisterous he was afraid and when he began to sinke he cried Lord save me The Doctrine is sufficiently confirmed and so I might leave it But because many of Gods children are herewith greatly troubled and Satan assaulteth their soules suggesting that they have not faith nor true peace of conscience nor are in good estate with God because they are so fearefull to die give me leave a little to inlarge my selfe for their comfort and for illustration of this Doctrine present unto you foure glasses and thorow which it is that men and women looking Death is so fearefull or comfortable The first is the glasse of Nature the second of Fortune the third of the Law and the fourth of the Gospell In the three first Death appeareth fearefull only in the fourth comfortable Yea fearefull in the glasse of Nature more fearefull in the glasse of Fortune and most fearefull in the glasse of the Law God would have all the wicked to behold Death in the three first that through feare of Death they may repent of their sinnes and flie to Christ who saveth from it and hee would have the godly to behold Death in the glasse of the Gospell that having found grace to beleeve and repent they may die comfortably But Satan who seeketh mans destruction well knowing how remarkable the sicknesse and deaths of men are and what deepe impressions the last ends of the dead make in the minds of the living laboureth to invert this order And whereas God would have his children to behold death in the glasse of the Gospell he as much as he can hideth that from their sight and shuffleth in the other before them that he may terrifie them with the dread and horror of death and if it be possible draw them into impatience and to speake unadvisedly which the wicked hearing and seeing are thereby animated in their evill courses saying You see such and such an one great professors and holy men yet you see how impatient in sicknesse how fearefull to die And on the other side when the wicked are sick readie to die so much as he can he hideth the three first glasses and only presenteth the fourth and if in the time of health they have heard any comfortable sentences he will helpe their memories to rehearse them to the end they may lie patiently and die resolutely and cheerefully then doe such sinners boast Loe such a man though in his health a good-fellow a drunkard a whore-master gamester swearer c. yet he died like a lambe wagged neither hand nor foot I desire to make no better end which I hope I shall doe though I walke in his waies Oh see the juggling of Satan where God doth not over-master him Be wise yee that feare God Doe yee see a most wicked and prophane liver to die quietly and well condemne him not sometimes a good death may follow a bad life but it is to be feared Satan hath abused him and presented a wrong glasse before him therefore say I will not hazard mine estate upon so desperate a point I will not walke in his waies I will live well and then I shall die well and doe you see such an one as hath lived godly and well and approved himselfe to the consciences of such as knew him to be an honest man fearing God and eschewing evil yet lieth hardly impatiently bearing his visitation tossing tumbling sweating it may be talking idly and raving Alas this may befall the best of Gods children partly through the malice of Satan and partly through the weaknesse of flesh and bloud and strength of his disease But let not these things trouble thee That of Saint Augustine is most sure Non potest malè mori qui bene vixerit He cannot die ill that liveth well Yea Thou art thy selfe sick and in danger of death and thou art much troubled to thinke how soule and bodie must part friends and all be left thy body which thou hast kept so delicately clothed and fed so deliciously must be laid in a place of darknesse and cold become meat for wormes and see corruption but thou art more troubled to thinke how thou must leave thine houses lands offices wealth and honour thou knowest not to whom it may be to enemies leave a desolate widow and fatherlesse children to the mercy of the world thy selfe being cut off in the midst of thine age and deprived of all thine hopes but thou art most troubled to thinke how Death came into the world that it is the wage of sinne the seale of Gods anger malediction of the Law and portall of hell thy minde can thinke of nothing else so as now thou art even distracted with feare and wouldst give all that ever thou hast for life Oh if thou beest a penitent beleever suffer not Satan thus to abuse thee say unto him Avoid Satan thrust away these glasses from thee let not thy minde meditate on these things call for the glasse of the Gospell wherein thou shalt see the sting of Death taken away yea Death it selfe swallowed up in victory thou shalt see the nature of it changed being the end of sicknesse sorrow sinne labour and all miserie and the beginning of full happinesse and glory thou shalt see the Angels carrying soules into Abrahams bosome thou shalt see the happinesse of heaven into which the soule immediately upon departure hence entreth and such as all the wealth glory and comforts of this life are but dung in comparison of there shalt thou see God in his holy habitation a Father to the fatherlesse and Husband to the widow yea there shalt thou see thine owne mortall and corruptible body rise in glory Oh behold Death in this glasse of the Gospell and thou shalt die most comfortably and even desire to be dissolved and be with Christ I beseech you marke well my discourse of Death this day and labour to remember at the least the principal passages therof you know not how soone you may have occasion to make use of it It is appointed for all once to die but when this day or to morrow this yeere or the next where on sea or land at home or abroad how by fire or water ordinary sicknesse or pestilence naturally or violently we know not these things if preserved by you may stand you in some stead in time of need Wherefore what I have delivered in the grosse I will now more particularly unfold and from the holy Scriptures inlarge my Discourse severally The first glasse is the glasse of Nature I meane of Nature corrupted for it is the wage of sinne i◠Adam had not sinned there had not beene death Thorow this all the wise Gentiles and Heathen
and all that know not God doe behold it and thus to looke upon it is fearefull It is true that many Heathen men have seemed very valorous and have contemned it but it was rather rashnesse and desperate madnesse than true valour or courage The Prince of Philosophers himselfe hath said not only that Death is fearefull but of all evils the fearefullest What need we their testimonies when the Scripture it selfe is so cleare Iob calleth it The King of Terrors And the Apostle saith Without Christ all men through feare of death are subject to bondage Oh it is the enemie of Nature separater of soule and bodie most loving twinnes depriver of all earthly comforts which so sarre depend on life as it ceasing they also cease to be David saith When men die they must leave their wealth and honour to others God asked the foole Whose shall these things be And Abraham gave Dives begging but a drop of water a cold answer Sonne remember thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things Wherefore it is impossible for any man utterly ignorant of Christ and only seeing Death thorow the glasse of Nature but he must needs feare and either die sullenly or desperately The second glasse wherein death is seene I may with reverence to Gods providence call the glasse of Fortune as the goods of this world are called the goods of Fortune and in this glasse death appeareth more fearefull than in the former Circumstances doe greatly increase the feare of death as if a man be young healthy lustie and in strength of nature bloud runnes fresh in the veines and marrow in the bones Quanto natura fortior tanto dolor acerbior The sweeter the conjunction the more bitter the separation Also if a man be in high place of honour or great hope of preferment If a man be rich and have all things at his hearts desire how fearefull are such to die Oh death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liveth at râ—st in his possessions to the man that hath nothing to vex him that hath prosper it iâ— in all things Oh death how bitter is thy remembrance to him that with Peter thinketh it is good to be here that hath much to leave and little to hope for Againe a violent death more fearefull than that which is naturall and according to the meanes of violence and instruments of execution fearefull to die by the hands of man more fearefull to die by the mouths of wilde beasts but of all most fearfull to die by raging fire waters Which thing an Heathen Poet hath excellently expressed I feare not death but drowning a miserable kinde of death Againe to die suddenly and specially when God sheweth some token of anger doth wonderfully increase the feare of it This made such a cry thorowout all Egypt when at midnight their first-borne were slaine I doe not judge such as die suddenly and extraordinarily by water or land The wise man hath taught us not to judge of any mans estate before God by outward things God knoweth whose case it may be I am sure it hath beene the case of such as the holy Scriptures assure to have beene godly as Eli Ionathan Iosiah Sampson The Apostle saith Nothing can separate the Saints from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus not death not manner of death Sudden death to Gods children is but like the translation of Henoch and Elias which was in a moment yet let me say againe though we judge charitably of such yet to be suddenly and unlooked for surprized of death with any note of divine anger is both fearefull to the parties themselves and others For though we know we must die and ought alwaies to be ready yet who so prepared especially in times of health and prosperitie but hath many things to set in order And seeing all dependeth upon the last act the whole life being but as a levelling and drawing death as the discharge of the arrow our mother Church hath godly taught us to pray if it be his blessed will to deliver us from sudden death and to give us time of repentance and preparation with understanding memory hearing and speech to the last breath Did not Lot know that his wife should die Yes but to him and all that shall heare the storie it is fearefull that shee was suddenly turned into a pillar of salt Aaron well knew that his sonnes must die but to see two of them Nadab and Abihu consumed at once by fire from heaven it did strangely astonish him Iob knew so much too but to heare that all his children were suddenly destroyed with the downefall of their eldest brothers house wherein they were feasting made him rise and rent his clothes Yea and David knew so much and comforted himselfe after the death of another saying I shall goe to it but it shall not come to me But when he heard of the sudden death of his sonne Absolon it made his heart even turne and ouer-turne within him he never so bitterly lamented any thing as that Oh my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne Come we to our disciples They see death in the glasse of Nature and it is fearefull they see it in the glasse of their Fortune they are now in middle age strong and lustie in great hope of preferment by their Master and striving for supremacie and who shall sit on his right hand and who on his left in his kingdome death commeth upon them suddenly robbeth them of all they now are or hoped to be they have not leisure to set themselves or houses in order nor bid wife and friends farewell not leisure to swallow their spettle nor say their praiers but shortly and abruptly for life they are like to die by waters and become meat for the fishes and that by such a sudden and raging storme as if heaven meant to destroy them so as now their feare is much increased and they cry out Lord save us we perish The third is the glasse of the Law which representeth death as the wage and punishment of sin the demonstration of Gods displeasure and the gate of hell when all the curses and maledictions of God come fully and for ever to be powred out Oh in this death appeareth most fearefull and like that dreadfull and terrible strong beast which Daniel saw in his Vision which had great Iron teeth and ten hornes and devoured and brake in peeces and stamped the rest under feet Good Lord how greatly are the wicked and all guilty sinners affrighted at this sight of death Saul being a wicked man having a guilty conscience no sooner saw death at hand through this glasse but he fell straight-way all along upon the earth was exceedingly afraid and there was
neighbour either we flatter him and say All is wel or never rebuke saying Why doest thou so or else with scorne contemne despise and reject him never considering our selves that we also may be tempted But marke how meekely mildly and lovingly he reproveth them not one word of any sharpnes rigour or asperitie no nor so much as affirme This is your great sinne to be fearefull but as God asked Ionah a question about his anger Dost thou well to be angry So he only asketh them a question about their feare Why are yee fearefull intimating their feare was excessive and causelesse and so the reproofe tended rather to comfort and encourage them q. d. Be not so afraid you have no cause of such feare Oh it is the gentle reproofe the milde and loving objurgation and crimination which pierceth deepe The Lords servant must be gentle towards all This is the reproofe that David so much desired Let the righteous smite me friendly and reprove me And the Apostle biddeth us restore such an one as is overtaken in a fault with the spirit of meekenesse But for want of love it commeth to passe we reprove not at all or with such fiercenesse gall and bitternesse as tendeth not to restore but harden sinners Oh let us from this Example learne to be gentle and meeke towards poore and weake sinners and if any be too fearefull because themselves or the people of God are in any great danger let us labour to comfort them to strengthen the weake hands and comfort the feeble knees Speake to the heart of Ierusalem Feare not thou worme Iacob though thou be but a worme And againe Feare not ye men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer So much for generall observations Now more particularly consider what was it he reproved Fearefulnesse not simply feare for that is ingraffed in our nature neither did Christ goe about to rob them of their affections that they should no more feare danger than the mast of the ship yea Christ himselfe had our affections and namely this of feare but our Saviour reproveth the excesse of it called fearefulnesse The word in the Originall is of harsh signification both amongst prophane Authors as miserable weake and wicked and in the Scriptures for such as shall die the second death such a feare as God hath not given his children the Spirit of a feare which maketh men miserable weake and feeble in minde wicked in practise to use any meanes to escape the evill they feare the high way to hell and that timiditie which the wise Heathen have opposed to the vertue of Fortitude and therefore reproved Why are yee fearefull Wherefore this reprehension must teach us both by divine and humane praier and all worldly wise meanes to bridle and restraine our passions that they exceed not measure nor we be transported with the violence of them to say or doe that which is evill but to remember the Apostolike caution Be angrie but sinne not be merry but sinne not be sory but sinne not be afraid but sinne not If you give way unto it it is a most painfull passion yea as Saint Iohn saith Such feare hath torment and maketh men bondslaves Heb. 2. 15. Christ had passions but blamelesse because his nature was most holy and pure And therefore as a glasse of snow-water though never so much shaken yet abideth cleare and pure but the glasse of muddie water though whilest it standeth still the mud sinder to the bottome and the top is cleare yet no sooner is shaken but the mud ariseth and all is defiled So howsoever in times of peace health and prosperitie our passions be moderate and calme and seeme cleare yet no sooner are troubled but they grow muddie yea defile our selves and all that come neare the raging sea did not more cast up mire and dirt than their troubled affections spirituall defilements for which cause Christ here reproved them Why are yee fearefull The second particular observation is What was the object of this feare Was it God or his judgements No they did feare a temporall not the eternall death water but not fire sea but not hell drowning but not burning a creature not the Creator they may truly say with David The terrors of death are fallen upon us fearefulnesse and trembling are come upon us and horror hath overwhelmed us Which our Saviour reproveth Why are yee fearefull And he teacheth us that Gods people should not immoderatly feare no not any manner of death A lesson which it behoveth us in these daies specially to take out for as the Apostle said If the word spoken by Angels was sted fast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recoÌ„pence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation So if these Disciples having heard and seene but a little and being now in such great perill yet are reproved for immoderate feare how much more shall wee be reproved to whom the Gospell of Christ hath beene so clearely revealed who have seene so many workes of Gods goodnesse mercy power as the Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Christ into heaven Here is therefore a good lesson for us to labour that we be not immoderately afraid of death I say not not afraid of death at all for the best of Gods servants mentioned in holy Scripture as Moses David Iob Eliah Ezekiah and the rest have been I may say of them all as the Apostle saith of Eliah they were subject to this passion as wel as we Therefore he doth not say Why are yee afraid but fearefull yea as if the word were not sufficient to expresse the measure of their coÌ„sternation which yet is very significant as you have heard hee addeth thereunto an Adverb of affirmation So qâ—d Why are yee so exceedingly fearefull so fearefull beyond bounds and measure This being that he reproved in them and is reproveable in all his disciples viz. immoderate and excessiue feare of death Let us now see by what meanes Gods children may moderate the feare of death in them wherein I doe specially commend unto you these foure things viz. 1. A good cause 2. An honest life 3. A strong faith 4. Godly meditation on the good of Death First a great meanes to suppresse immoderate feare of death is to die if not for yet in a good cause Blessed is that servant whom his Master shall finde well doing Matth. 24. 46. It is a true saying It is not the punishment but the cause maketh a Martyr Christ hath not absolutely pronounced all blessed that suffer persecution but all such as suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake This was the joy of the Saints in old time that they could truly say Lord for thy sake are wee killed This caused the holy Martyrs of Christ in
this Land in the daies of Queene Mary so cheerefully to receive sentence of death so joyfully to sing in their prisons darke and loathsome dungeons so comfortably embrace faggots kisse stakes clap hands in flaming fire because all this was for a good cause even for Christ the Gospell and a good conscience sake and the holy Ghost hath pronounced Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord This made them rejoyce in death with joy unspeakable and glorious This was Iosephs comfort in prison that he was falsly accused And Daniels that he was cast to the Lions for the matter of his God Therefore Saint Peters charge is Let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a theefe or as an evill doer or as a busie-bodie in other mens matters but if any suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalfe But how great is the horror of malefactors No doubt but it pierced Ahabs soule more than the arrow did his bodie that this was the just judgement of God upon him for his sinne How fearefull was death to all such whose carcasses God overthrew in the wildernesse and destroyed them with fiery Serpents and other fearefull meanes Who knoweth the unconceiveable dread and horror which wicked men have in their soules in their prisons death-beds or executions when their owne consciences tell them This miserie is come upon me for murther theft adultery riot and such like wicked courses I doe not deny but such malefactors may die sullenly or desperately Others may be deceived and thinke they die in a good cause when they doe not So the ancient Donatists and Arrians and in our times the Priests and Iesuits thinke they die for Religion and the true Catholike cause and deserve to be Canonized for Saints whereas they suffer deserved punishment for their rebellion and sedition yea they would in death be accounted Martyrs before they have led the life of a Christian yet being thus abused and deceived by Satan and God in his justice giving them over into a reprobate sense they may even astonish men to behold their seeming patience joy and Christian resolution but yet this standeth firme that no man suffering or dying for an evill cause and his minde be rightly informed can die with comfort and peace but with exceeding dread and horror such an one must needs be exceedingly fearefull to die Yea this that I have said must also be understood with exception of Repentance Many men justly suffer pressures and miseries tortures and torments for their sinnes and evill deeds yet upon true repentance finde peace and comfort in life and death Moses died in the wildernesse and might not enter into the promised Land because hee did not sanctifie God at the waters of Strife but repenting he died with comfort Iosiah fighting rashly and without warrant from God was wounded to death but repenting of his folly he died with comfort and was gathered to his Fathers in peace The theefe on the Crosse died justly for his sinnes but repenting he died with comport and went to Paradise Our Prodigall suffered hunger and misery justly for his riotous and luxurious dilapidating and wasting his goods but repenting he found comfort Many a man commeth to great misery poverty sicknesse ache imprisonment banishment death for his disordered life yet truly repenting findeth peace and comfort But these cases excepted no man that is rightly informed in his minde and continueth impenitent can but be exceedingly afraid to die wherefore every one that would moderate the feare of death must be sure to live and die in a good cause The second meanes for moderation of the feare of death is to live an holy and sanctified life The Apostle compareth death to some fierce and truculent beast or serpent which killeth all men that grapple with it with a poysonfull sting and telleth us the sting of death is sinne As a man then would not feare but with great boldnesse encounter that Serpent when he knoweth the sting is gone so may we boldly and comfortably die when we know the sting thereof is gone Oh it is the guilt of sinne maketh men so fearefull to die But great is the peace they have that love thy Law Mark the upright behold the just the end of that man is peace The righteous are bold as Lions Oh such as here live in the feare of God making conscience of their waies eschewing evil Walking in the Spirit Mortifying the flesh with affections and lusts having their conversation in heaven And ever beholding the face of God thorow the perspective of holinesse Setting their minds on those things which are above Being passed from death to life and alreadie entred into the first degree of glorification sanctification being glorification inchoate and glorification sanctification consummate What comfort joy boldnesse have such in sicknesse and death How comfortable to the living to visit such and to heare and see their cheerefulnesse patience prayers praises benedictions valedictions if infirmitie of flesh and bloud or strength of disease doe not hinder on the other side such as walke in their life time after the flesh drinke up iniquitie like water and are continually strengthening and adding poison to the sting of death How are they distracted with feare if they see that beast but gape upon them or hisse at them How comfortlesse to visit such see their impatience observe their worldly mindednesse and heare their words of discontent discomfort and distrust if God have not laid on them the spirit of slumber Therefore let him that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie And whosoever would with comfort and boldnesse looke for death or Christ to judgement Let him deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live righteously godly and soberly in this present world The third meanes of moderation is by a lively and stedfast faith This is our victory even faith How can that man be immoderately afraid to die who doth in his heart stedfastly beleeve that Christ died for him and hath conquered Satan death and hell for him disarmed the strong man Satan deprived Death of its sting that it cannot hurt that the nature of it is changed an end of all evill the beginning of all true good It is not possible with the cleare eye of Faith to behold death in the Crystall-glasse of the Gospell and to be immoderatly afraid of it Here then was the Disciples want they had a good cause they followed their Master into the ship they lived honestly Iudas excepted but their faith was weake and therefore their feare so strong Why are yee so fearefull O yee of little faith Wherefore let all such as desire to moderate the feare of death pray for increase of Faith Oh see what an inestimable Pearle Iewel Faith is in
that it doth not onely justine us before God and appropriate unto us all the happinesse of heaven through Christ but is of so great use in this life both in the times of health and prosperity as time and occasion serve bringing forth most worthy fruits in regard of God and our neighbours and specially in our adversities and troubles David confessed hee had perished in his troubles if it had not beene for his Faith And the Apostle saith Through Faith the Saints of old stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword were tortured and accepted not deliverance Heb. 11. 33. It is Faith that breedeth Patience and begetteth godly comfort and courage hee that beleeveth doth not make haste that is whereas the vnbeleeving comming into any distresse any danger or perplexitie are distracted with care and feare and make haste running and rushing into all manner of evill and indirect meanes for releefe and deliverance as Saul who for want of Faith made too much haste to offer sacrifice and consult with a Witch Such as truly beleeve will not doe so Though earth remove and hills be hurled into the midst of the sea If God send famine he is not so fearefull for he knoweth God feedeth the Birds of the aire and the young Ravens when they call And whosoever feare him shall want nothing that is good If God send pestilence he is not so fearfull for he knoweth it is Gods arrow to hit whom he will and that if his life be more for Gods glory than his death A thousand shall fall on one hand and ten thousand on the other yet it shall not come nigh him If sword come he wil not be so fearfull Though he were compassed with ten thousands of enemies round about for he knoweth the wicked is but Gods sword that an haire cannot fall from his head but according to the good will and pleasure of his heavenly Father If sicknesse and death come he is not so fearefull For he knoweth though he die yet shall he live oh of what singular use is faith in all our troubles But I heare some as discomforted with this discourse say I thanke God my conscience doth approve my cause and walking to be honest humane frailties excepted yet I finde my selfe often very ill disposed and fearefull to die which maketh me doubt I have not faith I answer Our Saviour doth not say Because his Disciples were so fearefull therefore they had no faith but their faith was little Immoderate feare argueth imbecillitie but concludeth not a nullitie of faith And for thy comfort know this that even the best of Gods children are subject to such feares as David The feare of death is fallen upon me Psal 55. 4. But though it exceed measure for a time their faith will keepe them from despaire and in good time recover them as David said I will not feare to goe thorow the valley of death c. Psalm 23. 4. Oh pray then for the increase of faith Whereunto lastly may be added godly meditation on such great blessings as death beheld in the looking-glasse of the Gospell doth bring to every true beleever as that the Body is presently brought into a better condition than ever it had in this life for by death it is both made insensible and by that meanes freed from all the calamities of this life and ceaseth to be an Active and Passive instrument of sinne the Soule passeth to life rest and glory perfectly seeing and knowing God without intermission keeping an eternall Sabbath and without cessation or wearisomnesse keeping turnes with the Angels praising Gods name for ever and ever in fulnesse enjoying whatsoever may cause love and admiration or procure joy and contentation even an universall collection of all joyes blessings and comforts beyond all we have heard seene or can possibly thinke In regard whereof Solomon hath pronounced The day of death to bee better than the day of birth And the Apostle desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all And so much for the literall doctrine Gods people must not immoderately feare any manner of death and how that is obtained Our second doctrine is from the mysterie the ship representing the Church and the storme persecution Our Saviour reproving the disciples for their immoderate feare in this storme doth â—each vs That Gods people should not immoderately feare though the Church be in never so great danger distresse or perplexitie What greater evill threatned to the Church than by the Assyrian Monarch Insomuch that God caused the Prophet to call his sonne Maher-shalalhash-baz or make speed to the spoile yet even then the Prophet bade the people not be afraid nor say a confederacie a confederacie but sanctifie the Lord of hoasts and let him be your feare and let him be your dread and hee shall be for a sanctuary c not forbidding a moderate feare and use of godly meanes but immoderate feare and for their securitie making such leagues with Idolaters and Gods professed enemies as was forbidden Oh great is the storme now and the poore ship of the Church in mans eye in great perill but bee not so fearefull but rest on God The Church is in danger beset with enemies both powerfull and politike for crueltie and mischiefe matchlesse who have confederated and threaten her ruine True but hath not Christ said Hee will be with his Church to the end of the world nay more That the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it The ship is covered with waves but shall not be drowned the Church is persecuted but shall not bee destroied God will in his good time rebuke winds and seas and send a comfortable calme Mardochay beleeved comfort and deliverance would come and it did come and he that doth not beleeve as he did may worthily bee rebuked in the words of my Text Why are yee so fearefull O yee of little faith And so much be said of the first thing Christ reproved in his disciples viz. The excesse of feare The second followeth which is the defect of faith in these words O yee of little Faith Which reproofe is laid downe in way of admiration q. d. Oh that your â—aith should be so little and weake hauing heard and seene what you have done Out of which â—ater commeth meat and out of this strong commeth sweetnesse that I may use Sampsons Riddle yea out of this reproofe doe flow comforts abundantly to all godly minded ones who mourne in their soules because they are subject to the same reproofe having but a little â—aith For the further comfort then of all poore weake and feeble beleevers suffer me with your patience fully to open this point And marke his words he saith not O yee of no faith for they all beleeved in him
will goe to their Master Yea let Ionah be cast into the Sea and be swallowed of a Whale and then he will cry to the Lord A strange thing saith one that he that slept in the ship should be awake in the Whales belly and he that fled from God on dry land should flie to God in the bottome of the sea Oh when men have all things according to their hearts desire they seeke not the Lord. Prosperitie dulleth devotion in the best as David found by experience In my prosperitie I said I shall never be moved but thou hiddest thy face and I was troubled then I cried to the Lord and made supplication to my God Oh to correct this dulnesse and negligence it is that God many times taketh away good things from his people and sendeth many evils both generall to the Church and Common-wealth as famine pestilence sword and particular on our families and persons as sicknesse ache paine death of friends losses and crosses and all because as we say God would be better acquainted with us and see us at his Court for in miserie he knoweth he shall heare of us but else let us alone and we let him alone So much in stead of much more be said from the letter and historie Now let us proceed to the mysterie You have heard that this storme so endangering this ship doth represent persecutions and troubles which in this world doe infest the people of God As then the disciples in this dangerous tempest went to Christ and by prayer to him procured a calme so when the Church of God is persecuted and in danger all the disciples of Christ must goe to him by prayer for it So doth David injoyne Pray for the peace of Ierusalem Luther calleth prayers the Christians Canons and surely being well charged with faith and repentance and fired with zeale and fervencie of spirit they shoot farre and pierce deepe yea it pierceth heaven and overcommeth enemies on earth As then Kings and Princes when enemies approach prepare their weapons armour swords and speares When Christians heare of warres and rumours of wars they must prepare themselves to prayer muster their petitions and set them in battell array as David saith Psal 5. 3. and not trust too much in earthly meanes as David saith Some trust in horses and some in chariots but we will trust in the name of the Lord And againe An horse is counted but a vaine thing to save a man neither is any mighty man delivered by his much strength and I will not trust in my bowe it is not my sword that can save me but in God we boast all the day long The horse is prepared for the day of battell but salvation is from the Lord By all which and many other places of Scripture which might be alledged to this purpose the use of meanes is not condemned but that they be not trusted in but be seconded with true and faithfull prayer David neglected not the meanes yet purposely penned a forme of prayer for the people to use when he went forth to battell The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thee send thee helpe from his Sanctuary and strengthen thee out of Sion Moses neglected not the meanes when he sent forth Ioshuah with his Armies to fight with Amalek but himselfe went up to the top of the mountaine to pray and did more there with his prayer than all they with sword and speare For when he held up his hands Israel prevailed when he let them fall Amalek prevailed King Asa neglected not the means when there came up an huge Armie of Ethiopians even ten hundred thousands and three hundred Chariots He went out against them and set the battell in array and Asa cried to the Lord and the Lord heard his prayer and discomfited them Yea the greatest and most glorious deliverances and victories that ever the Church received from enemies were meerely obtained by prayer without a blow given Moses and the children of Israel crying to the Lord in their distresse at the Red Sea God hardned Pharaohs heart to pursue them into the Red Sea where he and all his hosts were drowned Gedeon with three hundred men only with trumpets and lamps in pitchers but sounding their trumpets breaking their pitchers and crying The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon not only the huge Armie of the Midianites ran and cried and fled but every mans sword was against his fellow and they slew one another When Samariah was in exceeding distresse by siege the Lord made the hoast of the Syrians to heare a noise of a great hoast in the feare whereof they arose and fled in the twilight and left their tents and horses and all the Campe as it was and fled for their lives When Ierusalem was besieged at the prayers of Esay and Ezekiah an Angell was sent who destroyed in one night an hundred fourescore and five thousand in the campe of the Assirians When such a great Armie came up against Iehoshaphat he commanded fasting and prayer and his forme of praier is recorded whereby they obtained that their enemies destroyed one another Oh the same God liveth still and is now as able and willing to helpe his people as ever but his people neglect him goe not unto him but trust in their owne meanes want the spirit of supplication like Ionah they are on sleepe in this great storme either pray not at all or very coldly Where is that disciple that feelingly and fervently zealously and faithfully publikely and privately at the least thrice a day with Daniel is on knee for Ierusalem helping devotion with abstinence and fasting that so they may cry mightily and wrestle strongly resolving as Iacob never to let the Lord goe and with the woman of Canaan to take no nay or deniall but they will awake him he shall never be rid of them Alas how are these things out of use Where is watching fasting striving in prayer How little are many moved being out of the storme and present danger themselves whether others doe sinke or swim but give themselves to riot and luxurie to feasting and playing Wherefore God hath sent me to you againe as this Scripture commeth not to my hand by chance so neither this passage wherewith to renue in his name the charge I have often already given There is a great storme and if ever you desire to see a calme away with his disciples here to Christ What meane yee oh sleepers arise and call on him and plie him with your continuall prayers he looketh for more earnestnesse than he hath yet found Oh pray pray pray for the peace of Ierusalem Resolve with David One thing I have desired of the Lord and that will I seeke after that the Lord will awake and have mercy on Sion
on his face and praying out of the dust with great constancie he prayed three times with submissive obedience Not my will but thine be done and with great charitie for ever and anon he visited his Disciples and gave them good counsell and comfort and what was it he thus begged Take oh take away this cap and he was heard in that which he feared the storme was calmed an Angell sent and comforted him Oh man see in thy Saviour what it is to be a sinner If the righteous and deare Sonne of God having no sinne but by imputation was so affrighted with the terrors of death how would death distract with the terrors of it impenitent sinners if God did open their eyes and let them see it in the looking-glasse of the Law clothed with the red robe of Gods fiery indignation gaping with great Iron teeth ready to devoure having in the forehead written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the booke of the law to doe them and having the keyes of hell and the bottomlesse pit in his hand Thus we have seene death in the looking-glasse of Nature and it appeareth fearefull for therein the bodie perisheth We have seene it in the looking-glasse of Fortune therein it appeareth more fearefull for therein bodie and all the good things of this world perish We have lastly seene it in the looking-glasse of the Law and therein it appeareth most fearefull for therein bodie and soule perish for ever The fourth and last glasse is the glasse of the Gospell wherein through the death of Christ the nature of it is changed of a foe it is become a friend and from a curse and punishment of sinne is become a blessing from the doore of Hell it is become the portall of Heaven Christ hath spoiled principalities and powers and triumphed openly over them on the Crosse yea and hath pursued Death into the grave his Castle and there conquered him the sorrowes of death being loosed whereof it was impossible that he should be held and so hath performed what he anciently threatned O death I will be thy plagues oh grave I will be thy destruction which made the Apostle in the name of all the faithfull so to triumph O death where is thy sting ô grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thanks be to God who giveth victory through Iesus Christ our Lord I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeveth in me shall live though he die He that beleeveth is passed from death to life and shall not come into judgement Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus and Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Loe these are the comforts of the Gospell against death which all the faithfull have enjoyed from the beginning of the world though more plentifully revealed in these last dayes And hence it is that where-ever death is beheld through the glasse of the Gospell it is seene and spoken of with abundance of joy and comfort and as the nature so the name of it is changed God called Abrahams death a going to his fathers and the death of Isaak Iacob Aaron and Moses is called a gathering to their fathers Ioshuah calleth his dying the going the way of all the earth And David useth the same words Moses and Elias talking on Thabor of Christs death call it so too they talked of his departure Yea Christ called it his departing out of this world to his Father and Simeon prayed the Lord to let him depart in peace It is but a taste but a sight Lazarus death is called a sleepe Ioh. 11. Paul calleth his death a loosing as out of prison S. Peter calleth his a laying downe of his Tabernacle Thus comfortably doe the Scriptures phrase death for the incouragement of all mortall men who must die oh get into Christ and feare not death no more than thou wouldest feare to lie downe and sleep or to put off an old garment or to goe out of prison or of a rotten Cottage that thou maist dwell in a Palace a Paradise Oh death is not now terrible but desirable as S. Paul said I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And againe Wee sigh desiring to be clothed on with our house which is from heaven Oh welcome death which to all Gods children through Christ is the end of hunger thirst sorrow care sicknesse ache paine temptations sin and all evills and the beginning of all good without end Whereof some of the learned Fathers have written most large and excellent Treatises If then these Disciples had beheld death in the glasse of the Gospel had had a strong Faith they would never have given it so harsh comfortlesse a title as calling it a perishing but as you have heard a sleeping going and gathering to fathers departing laying downe of Tabernacle c. and if their Faith had beene strong they would have said as the three children did to Nabuchadonozer O King our God whom we serve is able to deliver us Winds and Seas what meane yee to rage Our Master whom we serve is able to save vs whether he sleepe or wake but howsoever we feare not death be it sudden or looked for violent or naturall by sea or land by water or fire for if we die we shall goe to heaven and then shall we know misery no more To conclude these disciples call and pray to Christ for helpe but withall they doe their duties The Euangelist saith They did toile in rowing in another storme and so doubtlesse did they in this The heathen Mariners in Ionah as they did cry upon their gods so they cast their wares into the sea to lighten the ship and did even dig and delve or furrow the sea with their Ores if possibly they might have brought it to the land But herein appeareth a great deale of our folly that as most pray not at all so many pray only Lord save us and doe nothing else whereas God would have every one in such a storme to set to his hands to helpe to cast out the lading of the ship and lighten it What is it that ladeth the ship of the Church and endangereth it in a storme It is sinne which is heavier than sand or lead or any ballast It was too heavie for David to beare Psal 38. 4. It made the Sonne of God sweat Luke 22. 44. Yea made God himselfe complaine That hee was pressed as a Cart with sheaves Amos 2. 13. Oh Ministers Magistrates all Christian men and women set to your hands Over the boord with sinne in your selves and in others Were it not madnesse for Mariners in a storme to take in more lading And
Doctor Reconciliation for the sinnes of the world Mediator Advocate Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification Redemption Our Master Prophet Servant of God Our hope Our brother Bread of life Rock Stone cut out of the mountaines without hands End of the Law Spouse and Head of the Church Chiefe corner stone Righteous branch Seed of Abraham Sonne of David King of glory Lord of all the Righteous one Hope of glory Heire of all things Iudge of quicke and dead The Priest after the order of Melchizedech The consolation of Israel Who doth not marvell at these things and say What manner of man is this to whom so many glorious and honourable titles are given When he was but a childe of twelue yeares of age and lost in Ierusalem after three dayes his Parents found him in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors hearing them and asking them questions and all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers and his Parents were amazed And when ye heare the story will ye not marvell and say What manner of childe is this that disputed so learnedly with the Doctors When he was baptised of his servant in Iordan the heavens were opened God the Father pronounced This is that my welbeloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased and the Holy Ghost descended in the likenesse of a Dove and rested upon him And doe you not marvell what manner of man he is at whose Baptisme such strange things hapned When Peter in the name of himselfe and the rest of the Apostles did make that excellent confession of faith which Christ so commended he said Thou art the Christ or that Christ Christ is a Greeke word and answereth to the Hebrew Messiah as is expounded in the Gospell Wee have found the Messiah which is by interpretation the Christ And both doe signifie in English Anointed and yet S. Peter at another time spake more fully Thou art the Christ or anointed of God Three sorts of persons were Legally anointed with Materiall oile viz. Kings as Saul Priests as Aaron and Prophets as Elisha and these were Christs of God for that he did set them apart and furnish them with gifts for those functions whereof that externall anointing was the Symbole which God acknowledged Touch not mine anointed and whereof David made conscience though Saul was a wicked man and he was much tempted thereunto when opportunitie was offered yet he repelled the temptation saying to Abishai Who can stretch his hand against the Lords anointed and bee guiltlesse Yea his heart did smite him for comming so neere him as to cut off the lap of his garment But never any one before or since The Christ or That Christ but the blessed Sonne of the Virgin who onely received all fulnesse of grace and in whom onely all those offices did meet and concurre They have doubled in divers who were his types as David was both a King and a Prophet Melchizedeck a King and Priest and Samuel a Priest and Prophet but all three never but in him alone and therefore worthily stiled That Christ or Anointed of God That King and Prince of all the Kings of the earth to whose Scepter Lore and Law all must stoope in obedience and all shall bee destroyed that will not have him to reigne over them That great Prophet to whose doctrine all must hearken That High Priest who onely and once for all hath offered the propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of the Elect. Doe you heare these things and doe you not marvell and say What manner of man is this who onely dischargeth such great offices Againe whilest hee was here on earth he tooke three of his beloved disciples and led them up to the top of Mount Thabor and there was transfigured before them his face did shine as the Sunne his raiment was white as the light and as snow so as no Fuller on earth can white them and there appeared Moses and Elias talking with him and there was also a bright cloud and there was heard the voyce of God the Father giving to his Sonne honour and glory from that excellent glory saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him With which voice and sight the disciples that heard and saw and specially S. Peter was so ravished that he forgot himselfe and the redemption of the Elect by the death of Christ at Ierusalem and desired no other heaven but to abide there though without a Tent Oh marvell you also and say What manner of man is this Againe whilest he was here on earth what excellent doctrine did hee preach and deliver pronouncing the poore in spirit the meeke such as mourne and hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and suffer persecution for righteousnes sake Blessed requiring every disciple of his to deny himselfe take up the crosse and follow him to love our enemies blesse them that curse us overcome evill with good If we be smitten on one cheeke to turne the other yet promising great reward in heaven calling all to him that travell and are heavie laden promising he will not cast away any that come unto him that hee will not breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax that whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life yea he is passed from death to life and shall not come into iudgement that he knoweth his sheepe and will give unto them everlasting life that of all those his Father hath given him he will not lose one but raise him up at the last day that such as for his sake forsake father mother brother sister goods houses or lands shall in this world receive an hundred fold more and in the world to come everlasting life that such as now follow him in the regeneration shall sit upon thrones that such as for his sake hunger and thirst shall sit at his Table and eat and drinke with him in his kingdome such doctrine for matter and manner of deliverie as the Church truly said Hony and milke were under his tongue and his lips were full of grace Yea all the Synagogue wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth A woman could not containe her selfe when shee heard him but pronounced Blessed is the wombe that bare thee Luke 11. 27. His very enemies were astonished and said Never man spake like him And the rude multitude marvelled and questioned amongst themselves What thing is this What new doctrine is this and whence hath this man this wisdome Is not this the Carpenters sonne from whence then hath this man all these things And will not you also when yee reade in the Gospell marvell and say What manner of man is this that hath preached such new true holy humble heavenly charitable and comfortable
was famous throughout the world and affoorded so many Martyrs and let it be granted that this was Simon Peters ship which hee had left when Christ called him but not aliened the propertie but afterward used it for fishing Yet then let the Papists be pleased to note that if it were Peters it was but a fisher boat a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a navicula rather a cock-boat or small Barke Ascendente in naviculam Vulg. Mald. Band omnes Pontificij no man of war with flags streamers and abundance of cast peeces as theirs is a Beare with 3. ribs in his mouth Alas the Church of God is poore simple and abiect in comparison of other societies Witnes God himselfe who hath described it thus saying Oh thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted far unlike the Romish Church which challengeth Vnitie Visibilitie Antiquitie Vniversalitie Miracles and whatsoever may make her glorious in the world I beseech you let us not contend with them in this for the judgement of God is so upon them that nothing doth more disprove them from being the true Church of God than what they doe most challenge for themselves But why would Christ enter into a ship seeing he could walke upon the sea was it not he that led the people of Israel thorow the red sea himselfe walked on the sea and made Peter to doe so too If then he would not enable his Disciples to doe so yet why did he not compell the Disciples to enter into a ship but himselfe to walke after them upon the sea as at another time he did I Answer though he that made the sea could have walked on it yet for three causes specially he would now go in the ship First to declare the truth of his Humanitie which hee well fore-saw would be denied by Manechies Marcionites and other Heretiques and therefore as at other times so specially when he wrought any glorious miracle for declaration of his Deitie he also gave some testimonie of true Humanitie As man he did spit upon the ground as God with clay he cured him that was borne blinde as man hee wept for Lazarus his death as God he raised him that had been foure daies dead as man he entred into a ship and slept as God he stilled the raging of the winds and seas If the Disciples seeing him but once to walke upon the sea were troubled saying It is a spirit and they cried out for feare What would they have thought if he had used it ordinarily And if they were so terrified and affrighted supposing they had seene a spirit because the doores being shut hee stood in the midst of them What would they have thought if he had alwaies so supernaturally and miraculously so behaved himselfe Wherefore to declare the truth of his Humanitie hee would now enter into a ship with his Disciples Secondly for the confirmation of their faith and enabling them to greater trials first he would now be with them and but on sleepe but the next time he will be absent see how they profited by this Thus doth God proceed from lesser to greater seeing what use wee make of former providence helpe grace and goodnesse Thirdly that by his Example hee might teach us to use lawfull meanes in our callings and as wee trauell by water or land and not tempt God by rashnesse and presumption casting our selues into needlesse perils and dangers the Devill placed Christ on a pinacle of the Temple and bade him cast himselfe downe which hee could have done without hurt yet to teach us how to carrie our selves in the like case he answered It is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God So if men have occasion to passe over rivers or seas we must not with Peter strive to walke upon the sea lest we linke and be drowned as he might have beene if his Master had not saved him but by bridges ships and such ordinary waies and meanes as God by mans art hath appointed So much for the sense The letter teacheth vs that it is a thing lawfull and warrantable for Christ his Disciples as occasions serve to travell in boats and ships from place to place yea and if there arise a storme and they come into danger of life yet not to be out of heart as if they were not in their waies and therefore not to hope for protection yea though they might with more toile have gone to the same place on foot and by land for Christ and his Disciples might have gone from Bethsaida to Gaderen by land this sea being but a lake so as if they would have compassed the lake they had met with no water saving Iordan over which there were doubtles bridges and safe passages but Christ and his Disciples to avoid that toile and being wearie take ship and goe by sea warranting the like yea if any shall take ship but for pleasure and recreation it is lawfull as for pleasure to ride on horse or in coach Christ hath sanctified these things to his children I am not ignorant that this doctrine is gain-said and that wise men specially amongst the Heathen have disliked Navigation and declaimed against it and the invention thereof as one saith Goe and commit thy life to the winds trusting in wood not foure inches from death Horace admireth the boldnesse of him that first went in ship It was one of the three things that Cato repented Travell by sea when by land hee might haue gone And Antigonus gaue his sonnes charge that they never hazard themselues on such adventures and the Greeke Comicke saith It is better to be poore by land than rich by sea But these were Heathen men and though some fearefull Christians be little wiser thinking it ever safest to see raging waters from the shore yet wee are better taught in Gods Schoole viz. That as all other Arts are primarily and originally from God that first and most perfect intelligible so specially this of Navigation for God himselfe gave expresse direction to Noah how to build the Arke for the saving of the creatures in the Deluge which was the first vessell for any thing we know that ever floated on the sea and which resting upon the Mountaines of Armenia was the modell or Idaea for the building of ships the Phenicians and after the Aegyptians being the first that practised this Art which is growne to a wonderfull perfection specially since the invention of the Load-stone and it is primarily from God which by experience is growne to such perfection so exceeding vsefull and profitable for Man for this is first a singular meanes of provision for how doth the sea contend with the earth for plenty variety and delicacie how many sundry sorts of most wholesome delicate fishes for food and most usefull for their bones and oile doth the sea yeeld which we
could never enioy to Gods praise and our comfort but by the benefit of ships Againe God having enriched severall Countries with severall commodities and scarce any one that affordeth all things even for the being much lesse the well being of man but as some have great store of Corne others abound with Wine others have plentie of Fruits others stored with mines of Gold Silver Copper Tinne Lead or Iron others are for breed of Cattell that as in the bodie of the little world the head cannot say to the foot I haue no need of thee so in the body of the great world one Country cannot say to another I have no need of thee and though never so farre distant yet by benefit of Navigation the Commodities of severall Nations are exchanged merchandize with wonderfull encrease of wealth is maintained yea the knowledge of God propagated farre remote countries by this meanes being made as neare neighbours and daily passage from one to another as over a woodden bridge Lastly it is a wonderfull ease in journey shipping maketh great burthens light and long waies short conveying both persons and commodities from place to place both with more ease in shorter time and with farre lesser charge so beneficiall is the Art of Navigation Now to make Application Iacob blessing his Sonnes before his death and in spirit foreseeing their placing in Canaan as if with Iosuah he had seene the Lots cast and falne gave this blessing to his Sonne Zebulun Zebulun shall dwell at the Hauen of the Sea and he shall be for an Hauen of Ships In this Tribe was this Sea Corazin Bethsaida Capernaum which was so commodious gainful a dwelling that Moses before his death blessing the Tribes â—â—ddeth Reioyce Zebulun in thy goings out First in thy prosperous voiages whereby they did suck of the abundance of the Seas and of treasures hid in the Sands The people were so rich in Solomons daies that in Ierusalem Silver was as plentifull as stones but by his Ships he fetched it from Ophir England is a fruitfull Countrey and as compleat in it selfe as any I reade of a verie Canaan flowing with Milke and Honie specially abounding with such things as are for food and apparell which giue the Law to all other Merchandize Yet we want I say not Tabacco I would we wanted that Indian Gold and Silver and Wine and Weed and all rather than it should be so abused through wantonnesse and riot But we want Spices and thousands of comfortable blessings Our Merchants fetch them from farre in their Ships wherein they excell all Nations Lastly whereas Inhabitants in the maine Continents are subiect to sudden and violent incursions of enemies so as many times when no danger is suspected Cities and Castles are surprized and Princes led into captivitie by their enemies how doth Nature and Art secure us Islanders Nature having digged so great and unpassable a Ditch without great and long preparation and Art builded such strong though woodden Wals Castles and Bulwarkes Wherefore that we may be happie still as well in Earthly as Heavenly things let vs pray God to maintaine Merchandize the sinew of our wealth peace and welfare that they may cheerefully goe out and in and with Zebulun reioyce in their trading export such things as we can spare and import such blessings as we want And specially for his Maiesties Roiall Navie that that may be as a ready-well-furnished Wall and Castle of defense for the propulsation of everie invading Foe And so much be said of the Letter It is generally agreed by the ancient Fathers and later Divines both orthodoxall and heretical that the Ship is a most excellent Embleme and Hieroglyphick wherein is most lively almost in all things as may be gathered from the Scriptures and writings of learned Divines represented the state and condition of a true visible Church in this world The Ship I say resembleth the Church the Sea the world the storme persecutions Christ his sleepe his patience the Haven is Heaven the Pilot is Christ the Mariners Prophets Apostles Ministers the Passengers Christians divers roomes divers orders and offices the maine Mast Christs Crosse the Sailes profession of godlinesse the wind the Spirit of God the contrarie winds the counterblasts of Satan by false Doctrine the Card and Compasse whereby they saile Gods Word the pixis nautica which only eieth the fixed North Pole Faith the Cable and cordage Love the Anchor hope praiers and teares their Ordnance Word and Sacraments their food Gods good pleasure the Rudder and prosperitie the Remora which maketh the Ship stand still or saile verie slowly If I should now insist vpon these things and shew you both by what authoritie from Scriptures or Fathers or both I frame this Allegorie and how fit this resemblance is in all the passages thereof in many a Lecture I could not dispatch it I hasten to things more profitable and doe only in generall propose it and referre the particulars to your owne further meditation and now come to resolue the waightiest question which troubleth so many in these daies viz. Which is that Ship wherein Christ and his Disciples are seeing everie Ship saith he is there which is that true visible Church in these daies wherein to live and whereof to be a member is most happy To search all the Ships Pinnesses and Cock-boats which are or have beene upon the Sea were an endlesse labour there are or have beene so many Iewes Turks Arrians Anabaptists Familists yea and fruitlesse for many of them which formerly have failed faire and troubled the eies of beholders have suffered Ship-wrack and are long since sunck only some few peeces of their broken Ships doe float here and there and others have received great leakes and will sinke of themselues which shew that Christ is not in them I will only search two viz. the Romish Ship which they say is the only Ship of Christ and Peter and the Ship of the Reformed Church which they say is but an haereticall Cock-boat Have but patience and by Gods grace I shall resolve the question in whether of these doe Christ and his Disciples passe that so we may ship our selves with them For the Church of Rome there is nothing better pleaseth them than this Allegorie they say theirs is Peters Ship and therefore expresse it upon the Wals and in Tabletures in portraiture of a beautifull and goodly Ship vnder sailes the Pope at the Sterne Cardinals and Bishops and Shavelings the Mariners and plying their tacklings and the poore Protestants as Hereticks cast over board and swimming a while for life but in the end drowned And therefore they send out their Emissaries Iesuits Priests to draw all Disciples to board there But let me tell you I have searched that Ship and finde it a faire one to looke on and furnished with Masts Yards Cables Cordage large Sailes and mightie Ordnance a
number of cast Pieces but Christ is not there nor his Disciples if Inquisition can finde them out they must over board They will suffer Iewes Atheists and all sort of wicked livers but not Christs disciples This shall suffer wracke And therefore we call to all Passengers therein Come out from amongst them And for this purpose I alledge the Testimonie of one of their owne whom I doe not name for honour being such a wretched and faithlesse Hypocrite and Renegade but because such as are Popishly affected it may be will regard his saying thus therfore hath he painted in paper the Romish Church It is a good Vessell well built not rotten nor fallen in peeces but indeed the Pilot who sitteth at the sterne hath throwne aside the ordinarie Compasse and left the vse of the approved Sea Map and out of his owne capricious conceit devised a new Card and contrived a new found Compasse of his owne whose Needle hath no aspect towards the Pole or touch at all of the Load-stone sutable hereunto he hath out of his owne head framed certaine Cardinal winds which serve only for his Card and propounding only one Port his owne greatnesse and temporall pompe hath in his devised Compasse quartered out his owne counterfet winds which must blow for that haven but he ring-leads them all to wracke And will you heare what testimonie he hath given of the Reformed Churches ship in the same Sermon The Reformed Churches saith he have cast out that strange intruding Pilot and yeelded up their ship to be governed by their owne true Steeres-man such as God himselfe hath ordained and so using the infallible Card of the holy Scriptures and the true Compasse quartered out into the foure ancient Cardinall winds of the foure first Generall Councels and seconded with the under winds of the Holy Fathers they make an happy Voyage and without wandring arrive at the appointed Haven of Salvation If he had beleeved this with his heart which in the name of God he preached with his mouth he had beene an happy man but dealing falsly with God God hath justly discovered him Let them take him we renounce him as an hypocrite and nullifidian and regard not what he hath said or written I will only produce the Testimonie of a Pope viz. Pius the fifth who offred to Q. Elizabeth to approve as good the whole publike service and forme of Religion in our Church with Sacraments and Bible and that hee would change nothing so her Majestie would receive it from him as Pope and Vicar of Christ which because shee refused to doe he presently excommunicated her Let Popishly affected note that how well pleased the Pope would be with all so hee might have the government For this are we such Heretikes I will ioyne issue with a man of greater worth dignitie and esteeme amongst them than Spalato was or now will be viz. Bellarmine himselfe who taketh upon him by certaine infallible notes to the number of foure to declare which is the true ship or Church wherein Christ his disciples are It would aske a great time to examine them all it hath been worthily done by famous learned men already I will only select one or twaine and first be it knowne vnto you that whereas there are only two infallible marks notes of a true visible church viz. the sincere preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments these are none of Bellarmines notes he doth with all his learning oppose them as no true notes I must therefore ioyne in some others of his owne coyning granting such to be as indeed are not that yet it may appeare even those doe more concerne our Church than theirs which though it might be made good in examination of them all yet I will only chuse two because I will not confound the memories of the weake and such two as are most visible that so the common people may see which is the true Church indeed The former of these but the eighth in Bellarmines number is holines of doctrine he addeth there is no sect of Pagans Philosophers Iewes Turks or Heretikes but teach errors but the Church of Rome teacheth no errour no turpitude nothing contrary to reason and therefore that is the only true Church I would to God Bellarmine meant as he saith that by this note of holy doctrine it might be without partialitie tryed which is the true Church for the Scriptures containing the most holy doctrine it would follow that what Church doth preach and professe that doctrine purely by this note must needs be the true Church of God But I doe wonder that Bellarmine should dare to offer such a note whereas they teach for doctrine their owne Traditions Ceremonies give authoritie to the Pope to dispense with the Law of God yea robbe Christ of all his offices as might be shewed by induction of particulars give men liberty to finne by their Auricular Confession Indulgences and Pardons and easie deliverance out of Purgatory Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth that the mariage of Ministers is the worst sort of Fornication That it is better to maintaine a Concubine than a Wife That alloweth swearing and blaspheming so as Saupanlinus but for reproving a man for swearing was suspected to be a Lutheran and thereupon examined condemned and burned Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth no more than a very Reprobate may beleeve and practise Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth killing and poysoning of Kings and Princes Is that an holy Religion which doth canonize for Saints Thomas Becket Garnet and such like notorious Rebels That teacheth lying equivocation mentall reservation breaking of oathes Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth the breach of all the morall Commandements In a word the Romish doctrine is a most prophane carnall and obscene doctrine and most pleasing to carnall wicked and unregenerate men a maine cause why it hath so many professors all the holinesse of it is but in Apish and mimicall gestures bowing of knee lifting vp of eyes and hands abstaining from some meats weeping knocking crossing whipping which are prescribed So that as a worthy Diuine amongst us hath truly said a great part of Popery is very Magicke and nothing else but a politike Atheisme being Divines without Scripture Religious but without Faith in the name of the Lord putting to death such as die for the name of the Lord. To conclude seeing the doctrine of Popery is a renuing and reviving of all ancient Heresies a doctrine of liberty and all licentious living teaching and allowing most filthy positions and practises the Romish Church is not the true Church of God or ship wherein Christ and his disciples passe because they have not holy doctrine The second but tenth note in Bellarmines account and number is Sanctitie and bolinesse of life the very naming of which note would make any man of grace and modestie
were with Christ for the temporall good of their bodies Lord Lord save us How much more earnest should we be with him for the eternall good of our soules and importunately to beg those excellent gifts of Knowledge Faith Repentance Remission of sinnes Sense of Gods love Patience in adversitie Lowlinesse in prosperitie Peace of conscience Ioy in the Holy Ghost as Christ hath counselled First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and as the Apostle counselleth Set your affections on and seeke those things which are above Was Christ well pleased with his Disciples that craved the saving of their bodies and is he not much more pleased we should call and cry unto him for the salvation of our soules seeing hence he hath his glorious name whereat every knee must bowe and is able perfectly to save such as come unto him But herein our great dulnesse and negligence commeth justly to be taxed We are very sensible of our bodily and senslesse altogether of our spirituali wants if wee be naked and cold wee are pinched with it and all our care is for fewell and apparell if we be hungry how greedy wee are for food In this time of Famine how the hungry poore runne from doore to doore pitifully and importunatly begging bread Whose heart doth not earne to see the ghastly countenances of poore prisoners in their chaines and thorow their grates craving releefe How doe such as have money plie the market for corne and if they have it not in one runne to another and strive who shall be first served How did the leprous blinde and diseased flocke to Christ for cure And if in these dayes there were a man knowne to cure all diseases how would they seeke to him by Sea and Land yea sell House and Land to get helpe And if the life be in danger by fire or water then what crying is there Lord save us But alas our soules are ready to starve and we doe not hunger are naked and we care not for garments sicke and diseased and we seeke not to the Physitian yea we are in danger every moment to sinke into the pit of perdition and for ever to be lost in hell and destruction and yet we cry not to Christ for helpe Lord save us And the reason hereof is because we doe not know our selves to be lost and ready to perish but with those of Laodicea say we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and know not that we are wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. That which caused the Disciples here to cry so earnestly to Christ to be saved was the sense of miserie they saw if he presently helped not there was no way but one with them they were drowned every mothers childe they must all presently perish certainly none can earnestly seeke and crave salvation that doe not feele themselves to be most miserable sinners under the wrath of God utterly lost in themselves looke every moment to be swallowed up of death hell and condemnation Christ came to seeke and save that which is lost and was sent only to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel came not to call the righteous but sinners to repent i. such as in their owne sense and feeling are miserable and lost sinners When Peter began to sinke he cried Lord save me and immediatly Iesus stretched out his hand and caught him When the ship was covered with waves then the Disciples cry Lord save us and he rebuked the winds Oh it is not possible for any to be earnest with Christ for salvation till with Peter their soules begin to sinke into Hell and the poore cockboat of their Consciences is even covered with the waves of Gods displeasure One deepe calleth on another Ps 42. 6. the deep of misery to the deep of mercy De profundis clamavi Ps 130. 1. Alas thousands of Protestants who professe Christ to be their Saviour yet never tasted now sweet the Lord is nor ever were earnest with him for salvation because they were never thorowly touched with the sense of their spirituall misery to say with David I have gone astray like a sheepe that is lost and from my youth up thy terrors I have suffered with a troubled minde Thou hast vexed me with all thy stormes and all thy waters are gone over me c. And never till then can any affectionately pray with David O Lord say to my soule I am thy salvation And with the Disciples here Lord Iesu save me Many doe wonderfully brag and boast that Christ is their Saviour shed his precious bloud for them if at that instant they should die they were sure to be saved and to goe to heaven to him I would aske such a question or rather desire them to demand it of their owne soules Didst thou ever see thy wofull misery and the wretched estate wherein thou art by reason of sinne Didst thou ever see what great need thou hadst of Gods favour and of the bloud of Christ Have thy sinnes ever mustred themselves against thee which hath made thine heart to tremble with feare Yea hast thou even bin at the brinke of hell and with sighs and teares intreated mercy and salvation They answer and I suppose truly No God be thanked they were never so troubled or disquieted but have ever had merrie and peaceable hearts and have beene ever assured of Gods love neither would they for all the world doubt of it they have heard Ministers preach much of distresses and perplexities of the soule but they know not what they meane Alas poore soules how are these deceived How are they carried away with a strange presumption What a dangerous lethargie spirituall are they sicke of Even of all men most to be pittied Oh know the high way to grace is to know our soules to be emptie of grace the high way to be saved is to know our selves in our selves to be lost and damned never shall any have the benefit of one drop of the bloud of Christ that as for life and death have not begged it Oh see then what a blessing of God it is to be faithfully told and reproved for sins and to see our damnable estate in the looking-glasse of the Law that so seeing our selves to be utterly lost and undone we may cry day and night vnto God with the Disciples here Lord Iesus save us So much for the blessing desired the third last word followeth for whom they desire salvation Vs. It is not said that Peter came and praied for himselfe Lord save me and Iames for himselfe Lord save me and Iohn for himselfe Lord save mee c. as if they cared not though all the rest were drowned if they themselves escaped but they pray in common each one being as desirous of his fellowes safeguard
in this life where there is no doubting at all no feare at all no striving against unbeleefe there is no true comfort no true faith but a proud presumption For the illustration of this point know first That corruption is not seene or discerned by corruption but by grace as foule things are discerned by the light not by darknesse and sicknesse discerned by health none being more desperately sicke than he that feeleth it not none in so dangerous case as they that see not the corruptions and feele not the wants of the soule but are in that spirituall Lethargie the Church of Laodicea was thinking shee was rich and increased in goods and had need of nothing when hee was poore and miserable wretched blinde and naked The more therefore we feele our infidelitie distrust rebellion the better our estate Secondly man must be considered in a double estate viz. as he is by nature and as he is by grace By nature he is altogether flesh That which is borne of the flesh is flesh he is wholly led by the flesh he delighteth in nothing but the works of the flesh and all the works of the flesh are his and if herein he continue he and they shall perish together But in the estate of grace though he live in the flesh he walketh not after the flesh he warreth not after the flesh he is led by the spirit Indeed the flesh doth continually lust against the spirit and many times prevaileth not only begetting evill motions purposes and desires but as a strong enemy leading the childe of God captive to doe that which hee should not he would not But these motions these actions they are not his they shall never be laid to his charge If Satan object them hee may renounce them and say Indeed these are the motions actions of the flesh and we were sometime all one but now we are separate and divided it only dwelleth as an inmate but I doe not partake with her never man and wife were more firmely divorced than I and my flesh therefore if the flesh have plaied the harlot and begot these brats cast them at her doore I will not owne them I will dash them in peeces against the stones Wherein you have the Apostle himselfe for a most excellent president Now if I doe that which I would not it is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me If I should not have doubts and feares and discerne much evill in me I might then indeed justly doubt and feare I were all flesh but I doe dislike and detest them and lay them to the fleshes charge and even hereby I know that I have received the Spirit because it sheweth me the weaknesse of my faith and stirreth up holy grones sighes and desires to Heaven for the increase of it I say againe let none of Gods children be too much dejected or cast downe or grow out of heart with themselves much lesse call their estate with God into question because the remnant of corruption like a bold saucie inmate dwelleth in them and doth continually vex and disquiet them disturbe and trouble them crosse and hinder them in every good purpose and thing and still haling and pulling on to sinne with incessant importunitie and sometimes prevailing The experience of this made the Apostle so exclaime Oh wretched man With whom give thanks feelingly to God for victory through Iesus Christ for that hee hath delivered thee from the dominion bondage and slaverie of sin that it doth not reigne in thee also keep a very watchfull eye and ever give thy flesh a sowre look keep it under and in subjection make it not thy counsell be sure to make a covenant with eyes eares and all the senses they shall be strangers to it forbid thy strangers to be acquainted with it and then though sinne and corrupt flesh be such a shamelesse inmate to say as Ruth did to Naomie Whither thou goest I will goe where thou dwellest I will dwell where thou diest I will die and there will I be buried nothing but death can quite part and sunder us it shall not be able to hurt us Oh see what a sweet comfort the Gospell proposeth to Gods children even from sense and feeling of their wants and weaknesse of faith Concerning which I will not say as our Saviour did in another case He that is able to receive it let him receive it but I will even thrust it into the bosomes of weake and seeble Christians if any such be here present by removing two such Objections as are made against it and whereby as with both hands they even thrust it from them The first is this Oh I could comfort my selfe many waies if I had any faith though never so weake or small but I cannot discerne any at all but mine heart is full of infidelitie and rebellion I answer Great is the sense and assurance which commonly beleevers have of their faith otherwise the Apostle would never have said Prove your selves whether you are in the faith or not yet two times must be excepted viz. the time when God first giveth it and the houre or time of some great temptation Recount then the times which are passed and the yeeres of old yea remember the yeeres of the right hand of the most high Psal 77. 10. Hast thou at any time had the assurance and comfort of faith Be of good comfort it will revive againe Heavinesse may endure but for a night ioy will come in the morning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy faith may be cast downe but cannot be destroyed Deliquium pati non penitus mori may sownd but cannot die Or hast thou never had the sense of faith but now desirest it and art heartily sorry thou feelest it not it may be this graine of mustard-seed is but now sowen in the furrowes of thine heart water it with Word Sacraments and Prayer and doubt not but thou shalt in good time have the sense and comfort of it Oh but I have no sense of Gods love therefore I have no faith I answer Christ had no sense of Gods love and yet beleeved when he praied My God my God why hast thou for saken me How void was Iob of the sense of Gods love when hee complained God accounted him as his enemy and made him as his butt to shoot at How far was David from despaire when he complained Is his mercie cleane gone for ever No no that is but infirmitie as he confessed God changeth not nor hath any shadow of change whom he loveth he loveth to the end his covenant is more sure than that of the day and night It is but thy triall In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting compassion have I embraced thee The Sunne setteth and hath a time to
discerne a great disparitie betwixt themselves and others in regard of the graces of infusion knowledge patience zeale wisdome yet if their faith be true though never so weake or small they are equall to the best in the greatest blessings of justification and adoption This that I have said is not for encouragement of the wicked who turne the grace of God into wantonnesse resting contented in the least measure and presume of justification thereby for even thereby it appeareth that their faith is not true because it doth not grow but this is spoken for the comfort of all such as doe carefully use the means and even hunger and thirst after the growth and increase of faith but are fearefull and even out of heart with themselves because they doe discerne their faith to be so little and weake Secondly the least true faith shall never fully nor finally be lost this is Gods promise I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall never depart from me all the daies of their life And Christ hath promised He that commeth to me shall never hunger and he that beleeveth in me shall never thirst Christ praied for Peter that his faith should not faile And so hath he prayed for all those that beleeve in him and promised that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against them And Saint Iohn faith Hee that is borne of God doth not commit sinne neither can he because hee is borne of God and his seed remaineth in him Hence it is that he that once truly beleeveth is said to have eternall life To be passed from death to life To be raised and seated in heavenly places Yea to be alreadie glorified From which and many such places of Scriptures which might be alledged we doe infallibly conclude and it is the doctrine of the Church of England and of Orthodox Divines even the conclusion of the whole late Reverend Synode at Dort against Papists Arminians and whosoever Heretiques that deny it That a true faith once had is never fully nor finally lost I doe not deny but all the graces of the Spirit are like to fire if it be not nourished with fewel but have water cast upon it a great fire may be exceedingly slaked and great brands come to some few embers or sparkes So faith through neglect of meanes and falling into some great sinne the Spirit of God may be grieved the power vertue and efficacie of faith may be greatly cooled and abated and the sense of saving grace lost A true beleever may fall into a spirituall sownd but cannot die he may demurre with himselfe whether he be living or dead yea may pronounce himselfe dead but as the Apostle pronounced of Eutichus after his fall life is in him his faith is as a sparke of fire under an heape of ashes and as sap in the root of the tree in Winter time It was Peters case whose fall did wound but not kill weaken but not utterly destroy his faith upon his Masters looking upon him and hearing the Cock crow his faith revived He went out and wept bitterly for his sinne Yea true faith is so farre from being utterly lost that by the use of good meanes it doth out-grow the Mustard-seed yea out-grow Ionahs Gourd Nichodemus who was once so weake in the faith that he came to Iesus by night for feare of the Iewes yet his faith so grew that when Christ was crucified and all the Disciples fled hee went in boldly and begged the bodie of Iesus embalmed and honourably buried it Peter so weake in faith that at the voice of a silly Damsell hee denied his Master yet his faith so grew that he boldly reproved the Princes to their faces for murthering the Lord of life Thomas his faith was so weake that he openly professed hee would not beleeve that his Master was risen from death unlesse he did see the print of the nailes and put his hand into his side but it did so grow when Christ appeared againe and bade him see and feele that he said in a strong faith Thou art my Lord and my God Yea it is many times seene in daies of persecution and of great trials that such as in peace and prosperitie have shewed a strong faith and great zeale abundance of graces have in adversity beene humbled with great feare and bewrayed great weaknesse of faith Whereas such as in times of peace have shewed small knowledge little faith and weake zeale yet in time of persecution in the strength of knowledge â—aith and zeale they have stood out against the enemies and have sealed the truth of God with their dearest bloud wherein is fulfilled that of the blessed Virgin in her Song Hee putteth downe the mightie from their seats and exalteth the humble and meeke he filleth the hungrie with good things and the rich he sendeth emptie away And all this is that such as are strong and have greatest measure of graces may not be proud and presumptuous but carry a low saile thinke basely of themselves and worke out their salvation with feare and trembling praying God not to tempt them above that which they shall be able And secondly that such as are but weake in faith may not be too much disheartened and dejected seeing the Lord is able to make them strong Yea that we thinke charitably and walke lovingly towards even the weakest they that are strong beare the infirmities of the weake Rom 15. 1. For if triall came the Lord knoweth whose saith would be strong But be of good comfort oh yee weake and tender ones for if your faith be true though never so weake it shall never be fully nor finally lost yea if God have any great service for you he will furnish you accordingly his power shall appeare in your weaknesse and your bruised reed shall become as strong as the Oake in Bashan so as no storme or tempest shall be able to overthrow it Yea here let us with wise eyes behold and with thankfull hearts give glory unto God who as in the firmament one starre differeth from another in his Church furnisheth his Saints with diversitie of gifts giving to some a great measure of knowledge faith zeale to others but a little of them that such as have greatest measure may be provoked to thankfulnesse and employ their gifts to the comfort of others and the weake may have cause both of humilitie and industrie striving to overtake such as goe before them but none have cause to envie or despise another though through Satans malice and our weaknesse it too often so fall out The third and last deduction for the comfort of weake beleevers is that God heareth and accepteth the prayers of the weakest beleevers and graciously helpeth them It was prophesied of Christ hee should not break the bruised reed nor quench the
bed-chamber nor his bed no nor from off the Kings owne person as if they had said as Iehu did Come see the zeale that we have to plague the Tyrant that thus oppresseth Gods people Oh see the zeale of the Sea when God gave it commission to attach his fugitive Prophet it wrought and was troublous it wrought and was troublous The Mariners for their lives could not bring Ionah to shore if they had not cast him in the Sea would have devoured them all q. d. See the zeale we have to the Lord of hosts in pursuit of him who is so disobediently fled from the presence of his God The Apostle calleth the fire of hell a zealous fire devouring the adversaries which Dives found by wofull experience when hee complained that hee was tormented in that flame and craved a drop of water to coole his tongue But woe and alas that man is excepted out of the Catalogue of obedient and zealous creatures That man endued with Reason and shew of Religion that the Lord of the creatures should be set to schoole to learne of the poore Pismire that God should so call and command and he either doe nothing but cast his commandements behinde his backe or doe what he doth to halfes Oh that man should give God such just cause to complaine of him I have nourished and exalted children and they have rebelled against me And I have called and yee refused I have stretched out mine hand and no man regarded yee have set at nought all my counsels would none of my reproofe And I have spread out mine hands all the day to a rebellious people How did Christ complaine of the Iewes Yee will not come unto me that yee may have life And againe O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as an hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and yee would not How did Steven at his death complaine Yee stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart and eares yee doe alwaies resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so doe yee Oh that man created after Gods image and little inferiour to the Angels should not only be compared to the beasts that perish but have the dullest and rudest of them preferred before him The Oxe saith God knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doe not understand Yea the Storck in the heaven Turtle Crane and Swallow know their appointed times but my people know not the iudgement of the Lord Oh let us now profit by this usefull Doctrine First let us learne ever to trust in him how extremely desperate soever things may be with us or Gods people it is an easie thing with him to remedie all He needeth not send Legions of Angels no nor muster troops of men and arme them with sword and speare hee is the Lord of Hosts and there are not the meanest and weakest souldiers in all his band not flies lice wormes excepted but if Christ command them they are armed with power to quell the pride of the greatest Monarchs and Monarchies in the world The second Use is that we feare this great God and commander of Sea and Land who is able to cut us downe like grasse to blow us away like dust to sweepe us away as dung Oh that men should not feare that mighty God but dare to blaspheme his Name being every where in the midst of his Armie and he able to make the least dust to be our death and the basest creature we see or with contempt doe tread upon to be our destruction This Use God himselfe presseth Heare now this ô foolish people and without understanding which have eyes and see not which have eares and heare not Feare yee not me saith the Lord Or will yee not be afraid at my presence which have placed the sand for the bounds of the sea And againe If I be your Lord where is my feare The Sea saw God and fled And David biddeth the earth to tremble at his presence Shall Earth and Sea those vast and senslesse creatures so feare and tremble and shall not man a worme of the earth stand in awe The third and last Use is that from the Example of all creatures in Heaven Firmament Aire Earth Sea and Hel we learne to obey the voice of Christ This is it David so urgeth To day if yee will heare his voice harden not you hearts Be doers of the word not hearers only The Sea did roare in the storme And even now that it is still it stil lifteth up the voice He that hath eares to heare may heare it call for obedience Habent miracula linguam si intelligantur factum verbi verbum nobis August in Iohan. tract 24. A learned man hath an elegant fiction of the world calling on man to serve and obey God in these words See how God loved thee that made me for thee I serve thee because I am made for thee that thou maiest serve him that made both thee and me me for thee and thee for himselfe Oh man if thou be disobedient all creatures even Devils will rise in judgement and condemne thee For the mysterie As by the storme persecution so by the calme the peace and tranquillitie of the Church is represented and teacheth First that in despight of Sathan and all enemies which he can raise Gods people in the end shall have a calme peace and quietnesse For illustration of which Doctrine note that the calme is twofold viz. externall and internall Externall is twofold viz generall or particular Generall concerning all or many of Gods people and particular in regard of some one or few mens persons and estates For the generall see what gratious promises God hath made to his Church The gates of hell shall not prevaile against it It is Gods house built upon a rocke though the raine descend flouds come winds blow and beat upon it yet it falleth not This was typically represented in the bush which burned but consumed not In Noahs Arke though the waters prevailed long yet at last the Arke arrived safely upon Mount Ararat and the Dove returned with an Olive leafe in her mouth an infallible token that the waters were abated from off the earth There hath beene a great tempest but our ship hath out-rid it it liveth and now there is a great calme Which promises and types have in all ages been verified The children of Israel were greatly oppressed in Egypt but could not be destroyed the more they afflicted them the more they multiplied and grew they endured a great tempest and in the end God sent a great calme when he brought forth his people with ioy and his chosen with
some will that Christ himselfe marvelled at the Centurions faith hee honoured regarded and respected not his nobilitie power wealth but his faith The word being thus opened as signifying that the Disciples did very intently behold and marke this great worke and honour Christ the Worker hence first from the Letter we learne That Gods workes in the world are to be marvelled at observed and his great name to be glorified for them This is the maine end of al his works he doth all for him selfe Thus David with a divine eye could see Gods glory in the heavens Sunne Moone Stars Thunder Lightning Raine Winds Seas yea there is not the basest and most contemptible creature in the world but beheld with a spirituall eye doth declare the glory of the Creator and would make a godly man exclaime with holy David O Lord our governour how excellent is thy name in all the world Yea so great in the greatest as not lesser in the least Saint Basil convinced the bragging of Eunomius boasting of his knowledge with a few questions concerning the poore Emmet as whether it did breath how breed how long live whether it had an heart liver bones muscles arteries But why doe I wonder at her bodie how much more may wee marvell at her endowments She is very quicke and nimble in her path see her diligence shee layeth up in Summer against Winter see her providence if any of her fellowes be over-loaded shee helpeth to beare the burthen see her charitie if her heape and nest be stirred she first gathereth in her young see her naturall affection shee beareth a greater burthen than her selfe see her strength shee keepeth a right path see her order Oh is God so marvellous in this poore insectrodden vnder foot that God hath set man to schoole to learne of her how much more in the Heaven Firmament Aire Earth Sea and those great creatures therein Behemoth Leviathan So as every where by sea and land in field and house by day and night if we had wise hearts and cleare eyes we might see and marvell at Gods workes and say Oh what a glorious Creator is this Oh what a wonderfull Governour is this But alas as God complained of old of his people O foolish people and without understanding which have eyes and see not eares and heare not so we are a foolish blinde and deafe people It may be if we saw the Vnicorne or Behemoth in the wildernesse which are the chiefe of the waies of God if we could dive into the sea and see how the fishes measure out their particular habitations and keep their perfect paths if we could see what pastime the huge Whale maketh in the deepe making it to boile like a pot of oyntment the little Remora but halfe a foot long to be able to stay the greatest ship under saile or if we saw the strange motion and specially of some seas or the strange and hidden Sympathies and Antipathies discerned to be betwixt sensitive vegetative yea insensible things it may be we would marvell a little But at the motion vertue or Eclips of Sunne or Moone different glory situation position aspect or influence of Starres Thunder Lightning Raine Snow Haile the diligence and art of the Bee the admirable structure and frame of his owne bodie who marvelleth Because these things are ordinarily seene we marvell not at them God is not honored for them though indeed God is marvellous in all his workes and sought out of them that love him Oh let us from this Example learne to marvell and praise God for his great works lest we become subject to that fearefull imprecation of David Because they regard not the workes of the Lord nor the operation of his hands destroy them and doc not build them up But specially when God doth any great worke contrary to the course and order of nature established either to declare his mercie in saving his or his justice in punishing his enemies these are for all men that come to the knowledge of them to marvell as the drying up of the Red-sea dividing of Iordan feeding his people with Manna and Quailes from heaven giving fountaines of water out of the rocke preserving the three children in the fiery furnace and Daniel in the Lions den On the other side consuming Sodom and Gomorrah and Aarons sonnes with fire from heaven causing the earth to open and swallow up Core Dathan and Abiram plagued Pharaoh and all Aegypt with Flies Frogges Lice and destroyed Herod with Wormes These and many such are registred in the Booke of God that when men heare or reade the same they may marvell and say What a mercifull or just God is this who as he can arme all creatures to take vengeance on the wicked so also preserve his though as lambes in midst of wolves and his Church a poore ship in midst of Pirats and riding out all tempests Oh how marvellous is God in the subsistence of his Church The Doctrine mysticall is That God can turne all such things as the Devill or wicked men devise against him or his people to his glory and his Churches good Yea the greater is the assault and evill intended the greater is his glory from deliverance No sooner is Christ on sleepe but the winds roare and sea rageth now Satan bestirreth himselfe to drowne ship and passengers to breake off the worke of Redemption by Christ and utterly to destroy the poore and weake beleeving Apostles But see how contrary the issue is to his expectation though the Apostles be troubled and feare yet Christ awaketh rebuketh the winds and sea Christ is glorified and the Disciples faith confirmed When Christ his houre was come how did Satan bestirre himselfe to have him put to death How did hee tempt Iudas to betray him the Iewes to preferre Barabas before him Pilate to condemne him Souldiers to execute him But see how he was confounded for even herein Gods Councell tooke effect for by death he destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devill turned the crosse into a chariot of triumph spoiled Principalities and Powers and openly triumphed over them upon the crosse That which Satan intended for Christ his greatest shame to crucifie him betwixt two theeves was his greatest glory the Crosse being as his Throne and some on his right-hand absolved some on his left condemned When Christ was buried then Satan no lesse bestirred himselfe to keepe him there provoking the chiefe Priests and Pharisies to move Pilate to make the Sepulchre sure and so it was for besides the great stone which Ioseph rolled to the doore of the Sepulchre it was also sealed and a watch set to keepe it But herein the malice and subtiltie of Satan and his limbes were confounded for the surer that the Sepulchre
crueltie compared with the compassion of God God himselfe hath said Can a woman forget her sucking childe that shee should not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Our Saviour therefore useth an argument from the lesser to the greater saying If yee that are evill give good gifts to your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that aske him The Lord professed of himselfe that his bowels were troubled for Ephraim his deare sonne and pleasant childe Yea that his heart was even turned within him and his repentings did roule together As if he had begotten mercy he is called the father of it Yea as if there were no end thereof he is called The Father of mercies Yea whereas he is called the God of many things as of Patience Comfort Hope Peace c But Father and in plurall of none but this as if he were nothing but mercy Christ had compassion on the multitude when he knew they were but hungry He had compassion when he saw them bring their sicke unto him and will he not have compassion when life is in danger Oh right deare and precious in his sight is the death of his Saints Hee wept when his friend Lazarus was dead and will he not prevent it in his disciples Yes assuredly if it be for his glory and their good they doe well therefore to goe to Christ but it is enough to tell him what is their danger and misery Lord save us we perish Is then the Church of God in danger through cruell rage of bloudy persecutors so as it cannot in likelihood subsist goe to Christ and pray for his people Lord save us we perish Art thou thy selfe in danger through hunger thirst by water fire sword pestilence c. Goe to Christ and say Lord save me I perish So did David I will cry unto God most high and he shall send from heaven and save me from such as would swallow me â—p Psal 57. 2. Yea and go to him with great comfort and confidence for he hath beene made like unto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest yea hath beene touched with the feeling of our infirmities therefore let us goe bolaly to the throne of Grace and specially in danger of death Let us with his Disciples here goe to him who hath himselfe both suffered and feared it and hath in nothing more declared his goodnesse and greatnesse love and power than in delivering his servants from it when their lives have beene for his glory as his people from rage of enemies and Red sea Moses from the water Ionah out of the Whales belly the three Children out of the fiery furnace Daniel out of the Lions den yea Paul out of the mouth of the Lion Oh the dangers that every where by sea and land at home and abroad by day and night we are continually subject unto and wherein we had long since perished if he had not mercifully by his good providence and powerful protection of his good Angels preserved us To him let us ever commend our selves Lord save us that we perish not But I heare some object against this Vse and say Doe not Gods people complaine For thy sake are we killed all the day long and as sheepe appointed for the slaughter Doe they not complaine that the enemies prevailed and gave the bodies and flesh of his servants to be meat to the beasts of the field and fowles of the heaven and shed their bloud like water And againe They breake in peeces thy people and afflict thine heritage they slay the widow and stranger and murther the fatherlesse The ungodly even for his owne hearts lust doth persecute the poore Never might such complaints be more justly made than in these daies wherefore it seemeth that Christ doth not care though his people doe perish but as the carelesse shepherd said That which perisheth let it perish Zach. 11. 9. I answer that sometimes God suffereth great havocke to be made of his Church and people for their sinnes and giveth the dearely beloved of his soule into the hands of their enemies Ierem. 12. 7. nor will heare his best servants for them Ezech. 14. 20. but casteth them off to sword pestilence captivitie Ier. 15. 2. And then the enemie groweth proud and blasphemeth Who is the Lord that he should deliver Ierusalem out of mine hands And there is no helpe for them in God and then even Davids feet had wel-nigh slipt And the Prophet Habakkuk is wonderfully offended and expostulateth with God Oh God why doest thou hold thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he Yea then such as are not sound at heart fall away and say It is in vaine to serve God what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hoasts I say to all such enemies Vnderstand ye bruitish among the people He that planted the eare shall he not heare he that formed the eye shall hee not see He heareth the sighes and groanes and seeth the misery of his people and when he hath sufficiently scourged his people and accomplished his great worke upon Sion and Ierusalem he will burne the rod and Ashur shall pay for it as he hath threatned I was wroth with my people and gave them into thine hand but thou didst shew them no mercy upon the Ancients hast thou very heavily laid the yoke Oh the persecuting enemies have an heavie day comming And I say to all such as feare God Stand still and see the salvation of God Never any father corrected his childe with more unwillingnesse than God doth afflict his people his bowels yearne He putteth all their teares in his bottell And as he will preserve them they shall never everlastingly perish so either their bodies shall not perish but be preserved from sword of enemie or if he give them for a prey he will fill them with patience comfort and joy and receive them to eternall happinesse so as they shall praise him and for ever confesse Thou hast tried us as silver thou broughtest us into the net thou layedst affliction upon our loynes thou hast caused men to ride over our heads we went thorow fire and water but thou hast brought us into a wealthy place Rest assured Most precious in the sight of God is the death of his Saints They may confidently pray they may not perish for he hath numbred their very haires Matth. 10. 30. He keepeth their very bones so as not one can be broken much lesse any one shal die but as it is for Gods glory and their good Our second