become a prey it is his glory When Paul hath finished his course then time to die Martyr 2 Tim. 4.8 Thirdly Marvellous are the dispensations of providence in this kinde sometimes by peace propagating the Church sometimes by persecution Act. 9.31 Phil. 1.12 Under Dioclesian the Emperour especially this was the course when weekly daily hundreds of Christians were Martyred in so much that the rate of one moneth taken amounted to seventeen thousands yet out of their Ashes sprung up New which made Tertullian say Semeâ— est sanguis Christianorum I say in our Saviours language Luke 12. Fear not little Flock Though evill dayes approach us and come on fast yet if God have any service for us to do on earth it is not all the spight of the world shall shorten our dayes First A hiding place we shall finde in the day of Gods wrath Secondly Fire shall not burn The Lions shall not devour Daniel while God hath service for him here on earth Some Ebedmelech God will raise up to speak good for Ieremie to the King some one or other Boyling oyl or lead shall not destroy the Evangelist Saint Iohn Marvells Miracles we read in Church-Story of strange deliverances of Saints If these move not yet let us consider First Our hairs are numbred Luke 12. Secondly Are ye not of more value then Sparrows Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints I remember it for this end because perhaps our hearts may be surprized with fears in this wavering condition we live in and our fears may perhaps distract or deject us As they spake Dan. 3. The God we serve is able to deliver us and the Lord will certainly preserve us in life while he hath use of our service upon earth Why are we timorous Oh we of little faith First Meditate seriously the examples of Gods marvellous deliverances of his people in former times Secondly Think of the promise First Either God will keep evils from us Or Secondly Take us from evils Isa 57.1 Or Thirdly Support in or under the evill that the issue may be comfortable 1 Cor. 10.13 2 Cor. 12.9 Secondly As precious things are not parted withall but at a dear rate So certainly it is true dearly they pay for the blood of Saints that spill it Truly said Cyprian There never was bloody persecution raised against the Church but there followed it as an acoluthite some extraordinary remonstrance of Gods vengeance in famine sword pestilence captivity and the like From the time of righteous Abel to Zechary Matt. 23. from that very day to this hath it been verified Cain had his mark as some say terrour and trembling set on him not slain indeed lest the people should forget it but plagued in the posterity their vitious manners brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly Of Manasseth it is noted He filled Ierusalem with blood from corner to corner himself is carried away captive and repenteth yet to this cause is imputed the seventy yeers captivity in Babylon And our Saviour giving reason of the destruction of Ierusalem Matth. 23. saith They had killed the Prophets and stoned them who were sent unto them Those Civill warres read of in Romane Monarchie began not till persecutions raised against Christians decay of the Empire in the heat of persecution till at length Mahomet first and after him the Turk had seized the more part of the Christian world What should I speak of particular persons There is scarce any noted for notorious in bloody persecutions who is read to have died a dry death or not to have lived in horror of conscience or hardnesse of heart and blasphemy as we read of Herod of Pilate of Iulian c. I spare mention of those endlesse and unsufferable torments reserved for them against the life to come 2 Thes 1.5 Tribulation to them that trouble us for them is reserved the mist of darknesse for ever And do not marvell it For First They cost Christ dear even his own precious blood 1 Corinthians 6.20 1 Peter 1.19 Secondly They were nearly knit to Christ so near as members one to another as the body to the head Ephes 1.22 Ephes 5.30 and by compassion he is tortured when they are tormented Thirdly The malice bent toward Christians in respect of Christianity is bent indeed against Christ himself the head of Christians and certainly they who desire to root Christians out of the earth would if they could pluck Christ out of heaven In a word The cause they suffer for is Christs no marvell if he so tenderly take the shedding of their blood which for his sake they spill For thy sake are we killed Amongst many presages of some great evill coming towards us as First The death of so many Righteous Secondly The ripenesse of sinne Thirdly The unprofitablenesse of our smaller corrections Fourthly Our long Peace and which grows up with it our deadly security Fiftly The melting of our hearts as Rahab speaks Iosh 2. at the noise or rumour of the approaching enemy c. Give me leave to minde you of this as one A principall meritorious cause of all the wrath that hangs over our heads You may call to minde the Tempora Mariana The dayes of Queen Mary How much precious blood of Saints was spilt as water upon the ground which yet was never perhaps expiated by any wrath of God or by any solemn humiliation of the people Lest any say These dayes are past and gone and we have since had gracious Princes who have been Nursing-Fathers Nursing-Mothers to the Church as was King JAMES and Queen ELIZABETH both of most blessed memory It is true but so had Ierusalem after Manasseh Iosiah that peerlesse King of Iudah there was none like him before or after yet God remembred the sinne of Manasseh and therefore sent Nebuchadnezzar a wicked Idolater to carry them away captive Oh that we could think of it and lay to heart this amongst all our other sinnes Blood defiles the land the blood of Innocents the blood of Martyrs is precious in Gods eyes we must by our smâ—rt know the price of it Oh sirs that amongst all our other sinnes this might be matter of our humiliation peradventure yet the Lord would return and have mercy upon us I confesse we have many sinnes of our own personall committing but this sinne of our fathers how do we not tremble at If that be it that the sonne smarts not for the father except he resemble in the fathers sinne True indeed in eternall not so in temporall judgements that made Daniel confesse the sinneâ— of his fathers Dan. 9. and the Lord threaten to visit the sinnes of the fathers upon the children Exod. 20. It serves me thinks for caution to all the brood of Cain amongst us whose hands indeed are restrained but hearts boyl with malice against Gods people for Christianity-sake And I am perswaded there are amongst us who if times would serve for it would
for God and desire to do good to his Church willingly suffering the respit of their own glorious reward to the end they might though on hardest tearms bring glory to God and do him service in the land of the living Therefore this reason themselves give alwayes First For that they saw the one half then of them which also was made to be an instrument of Gods service to lie brute and senslesse in the grave Secondly For that they desired to benefit the generation then living and to propagate Gods praise to succeeding posterities Psal 71.18 Isa 38.19 20. See also Psal 30. and 88. and 6. and 115. Beloved Remarkable is Gods providence to me in casting me without any thought or choice of man upon a Text presenting to my memorie even according to the time this great mercy of God to my soul delivering my soul from the pit of corruption that I might yet live to do him service in the land of the living Worthy were my tongue to cleave to the roof of my mouth my right hand for ever to forget her cunning if I should now forget or passe over with silence the great love God hath shewen to my soul in delivering it from the pit of corruption O Lord enlarge my heart to praise thee At Bristoll Even upon this day according to the time of life this time twelve moneths was I in the jaws of death none that beheld me saw so much as the least hope of life my soul had not the least commerce with the body so farre as I know Much about this hour God was pleased graciously to look upon me to shew me some glimpse of his mercy some beginnings of life some hope that I should walk before him in the land of the living and hitherto by Gods mercy I live performing him weak but hearty service in his Church Lord what is man that thou so visitest him Who am I the least of all Saints the chief of all sinners on whom thou thus magnifiest thy mercie What is that service poor I have done What that service thou reservest me to do O Lord be pleased to reveal it unto me to make me worthy by thy grace chearfully to perform it Da quod jubes jube quod vis for thou hast redeemed my soul from hell my life from death thou hast continued abilities and opportunity to do thee service to walk before thee in the land of the living Blessed be thy glorious Name O Father of mercies and God of all consolation blessed be thy Name for ever and ever and let all thy people say Amen Secondly Correct that errour of your judgements wherein I know you please your selves many of you ignorantly as if it were a matter of grace more then ordinary to pray for death untimely in respect of the tearm of nature This hold for a Rule I dare say it is certain While God gives ability to do him service or opportunity or hath use of us in meanest service be it but as David to declare Gods righteousnesse to the generation present as Hezekiah the father to the childe to shew Gods truth Isa 38.19 so long ought we to desire to live we sinne in wishing our premature death And well weigh it and tell me whether such desires upon what ground soever argue not rather self-love more love of our selves then of our God when God hath use of our service on earth to wish our selves out of the world Who can shew me any Saint of God in old or new Testament who ever made prayer to God or approved himself in the desire of death when God had use of him here in the land of the living without apparant fault Elias * 1 Kings 19.4 14. he indeed in a passion prayes unto God for death and his reason mark which should have been a reason rather to move him to pray for preservation of life because now there was so great use of his service for the benefit of the Church That of Iob and Ier. 3. and Ier. 20. are apparantly passionate wishes of flesh and blood arising from discontent at their crosses which I think no gracious man allows in himself or another And make what pretences you will I dare undertake to evidence the prayers the desires are sinfull to wish death as long as there is ability or opportunity to do God any service upon earth or use of service upon earth First That of * Iob 6. Iob upon this ground I have not yet denied the words of the holy One seems fair neither can I blame his fear of his own infirmity but yet there was faithlesnesse in the wish for hath not God promised to support 1 Cor. 10.13 Secondly That of imperfection of grace and sinnes by defect in the service of God is as plausible as any thing to legitimate the desire yet it proceeds from a false ground It is false that the longer we live the more we sinne if we be Gods the longer we live the lesse we sinne sinne is mortified daily and we bring forth * Psal 92.14 more fruit in our age Thirdly That of evills to come from which to be taken away aforehand is promised as a favour Isa 58.1 and 2 Kings 22.20 yet warrants not the wish This let us be assured of First Simply if we speak Proroguing of life to the utmost tearm of nature is the blessing untimely death simply considered is the judgement That it turns to a blessing is by accident it is a blessing by accident Secondly I do not think but Iermiâ—hs blessing was in the fruit as great as Iosiahs for though Iosiah saw not the evill yet Ieremiah endured the evill with patience in the mean time did service to God in sustaining his Church Iâ—siah went before Ieremiah to heaven Ieremiah had more glory in his time In a word Some God takes away from evills to come in mercy and favour they are such as he sees likely to be overcome of the evills in that respect he shews them favour others he reserves to taste the evills to give testimony to his truth To them this is a favour yea and simply the greater favour Is the question which is rather to be desired Answ Simply if we speak Prerogation of life for that is natively the blessing Secondly For the comparison it is to be meâ—sured by the quality and state of the persons Hath God use of their service upon earth First They ought to preferre Gods glory before their own salvation Secondly They shall be assured God will give issue with the temptation 1 Corinth 10.13 Thirdly Neither loose they ought in the measure of their reward as according to pleasures in sin so much torment so according to pains in this life is the measure of our glory If you will ask me how we shall know whether God hath use of our service upon earth Surely The question is obscure and curious to be measured onely by continuance of abilities opportunities or calling from God
as willingly carry a faggot to our burning as they now shoot out their arrows even bitter words I beseech you pray God to give you better hearts ye have heard that their blood is precious in Gods sight it will cost you dear honour or stupidity of conscience and in the end everlasting torment Secondly Remember who said He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Zech. 2.8 Thirdly How strict the charge is Touch not mine Anointed and do my Prophets no harm Psal 105.15 Fourthly Set before your eyes the example of Gods wrath on former persecutours People Nations Kings Monarchies God hath not spared for this sinne Take we heed lest he spare not us Nay be sure he will not spare us if we have hand or least stroke in their persecution in their blood Not us of all people for clearly hath the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ shined long amongst us that we cannot as missed forefathers pretend ignorance they had been nursed in Popish superstition we in the true faith of Jesus Christ if we so farre fall away as to imbrue our selves in the blood of Gods Saints for us is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things Thirdly Precious that is highly he esteems it as men do things that are most precious as their costliest jewels As if there were not vertue in all the whole roll of Christian vertues so great as this to suffer death for the Name of Christ Apoc. 12. They loved not their lives unto death Heb. 12 Ye have not yet resisted unto bloed in striving against sinne Phil. 1.29 To you it is given not onely to beleeve but to suffer for the name of Christ as if therein were Munus I say not in genere necessarii but in genere boni I am sure magni Hence the Apostles joy in it as in their glory Act. 5. ult and Paul when he would preferre himself before other Apostles 2 Cor. 11.22 23 c. useth this same Argument Ancients talk of Aureola Martyrum The crown of righteousnesse is reserved for all that love Christs appearing but there is a Coronet upon that Crown for them who suffer death for the Name-sake of Christ Tears are put into a bottle made varnish to our clarity and glorious splendour no drop of blood but wins us a river of glory effusion of it the whole Ocean as it were of beatitude It checks our cowardize Oh we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we cowards dastards so timorous in declining our glorry Why are our spirits so dejected as to begin already to halt twixt two opinions or to resolve of neuterality or joyning to the prevailing side First Know there were sometimes who were ambitious of it Sum ego Christianus Secondly Christ promiseth to own us if we confesse him Luk. 9.26 Thirdly Protests to deny us if we deny him Mat. 10.22 Fourthly martyrdom is necessary in Casu Absolutely alwayes Quoad paeparationem animi Mat. 10.38 39. Fiftly weight of glory promised to light momentany afflictions 2 Cor. 4.17 Sixtly A cloud of witnesses yea our Saviour himself gone before us Heb. 12.12 c. What if the Lord select us from amongst his Army of Militants to be his Champions to take up or cast down the Gauntlet in the quarrell to his Kingdome First He hath promised to support 1 Cor. 10.13 Secondly Given us no Armour for the back Eph. 6. but thunders wo to the back-slider Heb. 10.38 Thirdly Honors with conformity to Prophets to Christ in suffering Mat 5 12. Fourthly We are far above the ordinary rate of his Saints when he culls us out as it were to resist unto shedding of blood Fiftly Let us not forget it is the condition of our raigning with him Rom. 8.17 2 Tim. 2.12 Sixtly This way went Christ into his Kingdome Luke 24. The disciple must not be above his Master Seventhly He hath begotten us to a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 and he first arising up hath given us a pledge of our resurrection to immortality Now the good Lord affect our hearts with these things that we may all rest assured of protection so long as God hath use of our service in life and couragiously resolve to glorifie him in our death if he shall call us to suffer for his Name to the shedding of blood knowing that our blood is precious in his sight and that a drop of it is not shed but wins us a River of blessednes But may we not think it meant of death naturall of Saints Certainly it is true their death is precious understand death in the childe of God is not a meer passion there is action vertuous action in it death of impious men is meerly passive as of brutes and not without resistance and sluggish reluctation and that I say not onely of Nature but of Will too Reasons of it are First This life they know the other they know not Secondly Have no assurance of better state in the life to come Thirdly Soul in passage sees terrour of Judge and knowing no share they have in the mediation of Christ would live alwayes that they might sinne alwayes Now in the death of Gods Saints there is action vertuous action the complement of all vertuous qualities Therefore St Peter calls it The laying down of the Tabernacle St Paul His departure Giving up the ghost Commending the soul unto God In which last act of a Christian is the perfection of Christian vertues First No faith like this Though he kill me when he killeth me I trust in him Iob 13.15 Secondly No love like this To love the present fruition of Christ Thirdly No hope like this Even when we are dying to expect life when the body is falling to expect Resurrection Fourthly No obedience like this willing to consent to the will of God in dying and herein to say Thy will be fulfilled and I am content to do it Psal 40.8 This makes even the Naturall death of Gods Saints precious in his sight VERSE XVI Oh Lord Truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the sonne of thine handmaid Thou hast loosed my bonds TO discern Connexion in matter of Devotion is difficult the motions thereof being for the most part affectionate Howbeit here is no difficulty There is before mention of the favours God had done him here is the use of the favour Therefore I am thy servant And it contains a Protestation or acknowledgement of his obligations to so gracious a God as had rescued him from the jaws of death wherein note we First The occasion Secondly The matter of the Protestation amplified by the grounds of it Thirdly The vowed expression of it Vers 17. So see how favours of God work upon a gracious dispotion forcing after a sort not onely to acknowledgement of obligation but to tendering of service unto God see 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Isa 6.8 Lo here I am
not of their minde who ensure truth of religion by outward things I know the primary rule is Gods word But Secondly when Gods word hath so clearly warranted our religion and withall we see the might of his marvellous Acts in prospering those states and kingdomes that professe it It is a secondary argument to encourage us to continue in the grace of God I beseech you brethren think upon this above all other duties when I am dead and gone Above all nations that ever were Christian never saw any more plentifull tokens of Gods favours then we if we shal now turn back to Popery take heed lest he make not us a spectacle to all the Churches of the world as he did the Jews Now the good Lord unite our hearts to fear his Name to continue in the grace of God to limit and appropriate our religious services and devotions to that God whom we have so often experimented to be so gracious unto us that by no imposture of the wicked we may be drawn away and fall from our stedfastnesse To him for his mercies in hearing our prayers be glory for ever and ever Amen VERSE III. The sorrows of death compassed me and the pains of hell gat hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow THis tends as I think to explication of what is foresaid of Davids fervent love and vowing himself Gods servant For it may be demanded What is the favour of God so great that thus maketh thee devoted to his fear I 'le tell you I was in misery inextricable and he helped me Three things we have here to be noticed First Davids state in this Verse Secondly His behaviour Vers 4. Thirdly The event Vers 5 6. Sense The sorrows of death compare Psal 18.5 Act. 2.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pains of Death yea as it were of a woman in travell compassed me as Psal 40.12 and 118.10 11 12. so that there appeared no possible way of escape Pains of Hell Sheol that is Mortiferi Lethales Deadly and Mortall Sheol oftentimes in Scripture signifies the Grave as Gen. 37.35 and 42.38 and 44.29 31. sometimes Hell of the damned Psal 86.13 Deut. 32.22 Ps 9.17 The summe is Pulls and straights of mischief so great as seem to threaten me with Death In a word so called First Either by similitude like or proportioned to them Secondly Effective such as threaten me with Death and the Grave Deadly Hellish are the pains and torments I feel Found me See Gen. 44.34 Now so calls he the perils he was in from Saul and other persecuters by Metonymie of the effect sorrows for perills because they wrought in him such Deadly and Hellish sorrow as in the end of the Verse Observ But so see what straights of trouble what perplexed sorrows and inextricable pulls Gods dearest Saints are sometimes plung'd into see 2 Kings 19.3 Children come to birth and there is no strength to bring forth his whole Church see in like straights Exod. 14.10 13. Three children Dan. 3.21 Daniel himself Dan. 6.16 see Psal 88.3 What Reasons See Deut. 8.2 There was a nearer cut into Canaan then by the wildernesse and such as wherein they should not have fallen upon so many exigents Red sea Famine Thirst c. Why that way Psal 10.4 5 6. the ungodly is so proud he cares not for God neither is God in all his thoughts especially when all things are prosperous then flourisheth this pride That cursed nature we have all in us except by grace and gracious means it be restrained or reformed Marry when extremity of pain and perill comes as David notes of the Israelites Psal 78.34 and as it is noted also of Manasseh 2 Chron. 33.12 13. then they sought God shortly then it was to pull down their pride and to drive them to their God in true devotion Secondly To prove what is in their hearts as it is said of Ioseph that the word of the Lord * Psal 105.19 tryed him the basest Persian will be a * Hest 8.17 Jew to enjoy their privileges and I doubt not but there are some who endure some fight of afflictions but when it comes to matter of exigent and extremity ye then see them to flie off from God and say it is * Mal. 3.14 15. vain to serve him Thirdly To glorifie his power and mercy and grace in their deliverance or sustentation 2 Cor. 12.9 to see a creature so frail with constancie to endure fire frying sawing asunder Heb. 11.37 lie long as Lawrence and yet insulting over the fury of Tyrants and daring them to do their worst who can but say Digitus Dei est hic The finger of * See Exo. 14.13 God is here and none but his Fourthly To teach us saith * 2 Cor. 1.8 9. Paul not to trust in our selves but in the living God How loth is nature how hard is it in grace not to * Pro. 3.5 leave a little to our own wisdome and power that oft till all other hold-fasts fail us we forget to cast our care upon God or to relie upon him The Lord to beat us off from these sometimes permits unto extremities Take heed how ye condemn broken reeds Vse men of God in sincerity for this because God writes * Iob 13.26 bitter things against them lest ye condemn the generation of the just yet so did the wicked in Davids time Psal 22.8 and Psal 71.11 You must Know First That Gods love is not known by * Eccles. 9.1 outward things Secondly And what think you of our Saviour A man of * Isa 53.3 sorrows and extremities and who saw as many exigents as any Yet of him proclaims the Father from heaven He is my * Mat. 3.17 beloved Sonne in him I am well pleased But Secondly is it not strange Gods children should so judge of themselves on this occasion Certainly it is true what censure they would tremble to passe on others in like case they spare not oft to passe on themselves Of all passages in the story of Iob that one thing wonders me that with all the pleading of his friends whereby they labour to prove him hypocrite yet still he maintains not that he was without sinne but void of grosse hypocrisie Thirdly Think not when thou comest to Gods service and hast for Gods cause forsaken the world as * Iudg. 17.13 Micah therefore God must now blesse thee in outward things especially whilest precisely thou keepest this way First Where is thy promise absolute and unlimited I dare say thou canst not alledge one Secondly Hast thou a privilege above all Gods servants or hath God or will he for thy sake make another way then by the Crosse Act. 14.22 I know God is pleased to respect our infirmities yet without some afflictions and perhaps exigents canst thou hope to enter Gods kingdome or think thou walkest with a right foot to the Gospel see 2 Tim. 3.12 Thirdly Hast thou not learnt that God
carefull to seek God in likelihood such as would have made better use of his mercies as Matth. 11.21 These are grounds of this holy Rhetorique which if by your selves you will work upon by meditation Trust me no more if ye finde them not such as will sweeten Gods favours towards you Reasons pressing the performance meditate these First Nothing sooner stops the fountain and current of Gods bounty then doth unthankfulnes this hazards to an utter deprivall as Rom. 1.21 Secondly Or else the blessing shall be scanted in the measure as to the Jews Amos 8.11 Thirdly or else the blessing continued shall turn to a curse and snare unto thee as riches reserved for hurt Eccles 5.13 The word to harden Isa 6.10 knowledge to aggravate sinne and punishment Ioh. 9.41 Secondly according to the measure of bounty and favour contemned or slighted so usually is the measure of wrath in the day of visitation Matth. 11.23 Jews highliest advanced in Gods favours Never did Nation under the sunne drink deeper of his wrath see Deuter. 28. Levit. 26. And my feet from falling Whether means he into penall misery and mischief or into sinne There is Lapsus moralis as 1 Cor. 10.12 Erre I or would David here be understood of sinning so Psal 73.2 My feet were almost gone my steps had wel-nigh slipt And if I be not deceived the cariage of the Text swayeth to such understanding rising still from the lesse to the greater First It is more bounty to be kept from grief then from death for there is a greater enlargement from misery but it is not more bounty to be kept from the sense of affliction then to be kept from death which is the greatest of temporall evills but it is more bounty in a gracious eye to be kept from sinne then from death Secondly How his eyes from tears If not kept from sinne That had sure cost him many a tear as Peter Matth. 26.75 But understand it De lapsu morali so still riseth the gradation to enlarge Gods bounty yea which I count the greatest blessing in these afflictions he kept me steady in my course of piety and suffered not afflictions to sway my heart from him still in a gracious eye the benefit seems greater to be delivered from sinning then from greatest outward affliction that is the reason Saint Paul Rom. 8.37 triumphs over all afflictions 2 Cor. 11. and 12. He counts them his glory his crown but speaking of the prevailing of corruption in particulars he bemoans himself as the miserablest man alive Rom. 7.24 The reason of this is for that rectitude of judgement is so farre vouchsafed that such men sanctified can discern twixt good and evill twixt evill and evill and in their eye Malum culpae is greater then Malum poenae The evill of sinne then the evill of pain For First That makes evill not this Puniri non est malum comparative scilicet sed fieri poena dignum Secondly In afflictions they know they may retain favour of God not so in sinning Thirdly That opposite to increated this to created goodnesse And besides this hahaving tasted the smart of sinne in the soul as who hath not that is Gods What affliction is comparable to that of an accusing conscience When may we hope to fasten this opinion in our multitude to think sinne greater then povertie then death then bonds c. The source of all sinnes is this in the people that in their sensuallity and Epicurisme they will redeem the least affliction with the greatest sinne Rather then want steal kill what not rather then loose life countrey liberty commit idolatry deny Christ rather then be counted odde or singular runne into any sinne of good-fellowship swear swagger drink and be drunken c. rather then feel a little sicknesse runne to sorcerer rather then a little losse in their goods to a Cunning-man a Witch that is saith Isa 8. from the living to the dead from God to the devill Oh that Christians had learned but what some heathens thought that to be vertuous is more happinesse then to have the wealth of Xerxes the pleasure of the Epicure the Dominions of Alexander the honour of the great Cyrus or Darius That it is more miserable to be vitiously inclined then to endure the poverty of Irus Learn I beseech you learn herein to reform and rectifie your judgements see Ioseph Gen. 39.9 How shall I commit this great wickednesse and sinne against God To this end meditate First The unavailablenesse of all outward benefits to stead us in the day of Gods wrath What then can be like to this Isa 38.3 I have walked before thee in the truth and uprightnesse of my heart Secondly What hazard thou makest of soul for fulfilling the lust of the body thou wilt be enclined to make Moses his choice Heb. 11.25 To suffer afflictions then to enjoy pleasures of sinne Thirdly How do we forget That for all these things the Lord shall bring us to judgement Eccles 11.9 Fourthly Fear him that can cast body and soul into hell Luke 12.5 c. Secondly Try we our selves by this I do not say all grace stands in this for I know a naturall mans judgement may be so farre cleared as to confesse it is greater evill to sinne then to be afflicted and yet it is something as Paul speaks * Phil. 1.10 To disâ—ern the things that differ And surely He is not farre from the kingdome of God who hath his judgement thus farre rectified But First In whom judgement so farre works that when the least sinne is offered or a great affliction chuseth rather to be afflicted then to sinne against God he hath in him something supernaturall Secondly He that can more heartily thank God for this that he hath delivered from the power of sinne then from bodily calamities he hath in him something supernaturall Thirdly He whom this meditation calms in his pressure Well though God suffer me thus to be afflicted yet he hath delivered from the power of darknesse he hath kept me from sinning against him and in that meditation findes contentment that man hath in him something supernaturall And tell me thou that art so much discontented at the course of Gods providence in dispensing outward blessings To whether of the two thinkest thou is he most bountifull To thee whom he hath made rich in faith though poor in this world or to those Epicures and worldlings whose bellies he fils with his hid treasure yet suffers to live in dominion of the * 2 Tim. 2.26 Devill Lazarus or the Glutton Say not therefore Gods wayes are not equall even now thou mayest discern betwixt the righteous the unrighteous if thou knowest how to value blessing with blessing and to give the spirituall preheminence above the temporall My feet from falling Yet warily understand Not as if David had not at all sinned under his afflictions for see vers 11. his extravagancie in his passionate censures and story testifies
But because it is uncertain This rule walk by First Though simply if we compare state with state it is best to be with Christ for that is the end of our life there is perfection and consummation of holinesse there is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Yet secondly for thee whose service God hath use of on earth it is better to live on earth the yeers of Methuselah doing God service then to be whirried as Elias with chariots of Angels presently into heaven In heaven thou hast thine owne glory on earth thou promotest Gods glory and in the end findest a glorious reward proportioned to thy measures of doing service to God here upon earth What then may we say of them whom God hath taken away in the prime of their life as that peerlesse Iosiah amongst the posterity of David Answ What but what Saint Paul speaks of the Martyrs The world was not worthy of them that people unworthy of such a pearl a Prince so peerlesse as was Iosiah for now the Lord remembred the sinnes of Manasseh and the time of vengeance drew neer upon that rebellious and gainsaying people Secondly Or that God saw their weaknesse and some likelihood of their corruption therefore took them away by death as Henoch by transmutation Ne malitia mutaret intellectum Thirdly Or they had served their generation according to Gods will as is said of David Act. 13.36 therefore fell asleep or as our Saviour Had finished the work which God had assigned them to do and were therefore taken away unto glory Ioh. 17. they had finished their course and kept the faith and were now to receive their crown of their righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4.7 8. And yet it is true while God gives ability and opportunity to do him service upon earth while he calls us to do him service upon earth while he hath use of our service of men upon earth it is his great blessing to reserve us to walk before him in the land of the living to be preferred in our choice before the hastening of our salvation and glory in the kingdome of heaven Blessed be thy glorious Name most glorious God Father Sonne and holy Ghost for all thy mercies for thy marvellous loving kindnesse shewen to me in a strange city in rescuing me from the gates of death and from the jaws of the grave in love delivering my soul from the pit of corruption preserving my life to walk before thee in the land of the living Lord God What shall I render unto thee for all thy benefits thou hast done unto me for this unspeakable mercy thou hast vouchsafed unto me It is little too little for so great a favour to praise thy power thy goodnesse thy grace thy mercy thy truth and my heart is too narrow to comprehend the heighth and depth of thy love to me in Christ Iesus even in this one favour vouchsafed unto me Lord enlarge my heaâ—t and â—ffectioâ—s fill it with love of thy Majestie zeal of thy glory Take up body and soul what ever I am or have to thine own use Behold Lord truly I am thy servant disiâ—ing to do thee service upon earth Lord accept my endeavours pardoâ— mine imperfections give more strength to perform Lord I am willing to do it yea my heart is ready Be pleased Lord to accept these calves of my lips this poor weak morning sacrifice of praise and thankesgiving which goeth not out of fained lips Lord thou knowest it accept it therefore for thy promise sake for thy mercy sake for the merits sake of sonne Iesus the Mediatour of all Grace and mercy to the sonnes of men To him with thee O Father of mercies O holy Spirit Comforter of the Church and chosen children be all honour and glory for this and all other thy mercies towards all Churches of thy Saints for ever and ever Amen That might here be annexed by all good means to cherish life that we may perform the service God expects from us Scripture points us to four causes or means of shortening life First Immoderate sorrow especially for things of this life Prov. 12.25 Heavinesse makes the heart sloope Prov. 15.13 By sorrow of heart the spirit is broken see 2 Cor. 7.10 Secondly Intemperance whether in diet or other luxurie which what tends it unto but the shortening of the dayes Plures gula quam gladias and it is that the Lord foretells to men given to the flesh Prov. 5.11 The flesh and bodâ— are consumed see Prov. 6.26 and 7.23 Thirdly To this adde those other grosse crimes for which God hath threatened untimely death the blood-thirsty and deceitfull live not out half their dayes either the sword of the Magistrate seizeth on them or else Gods immediate hand taketh them away as we see in Absalon Adonijah c. Fourthly immoderate pining of the body with immoderate fasting watching labour though never so religiously imployed see Col. 2.23 If we follow the second reading which perhaps is here implied it implies the promise or vow of David in thankfulnesse unto God for his marvellous deliverance vouchsafed unto him Wherein are three things considerable First The act Secondly The manner Thirdly The mean First The act is to walk or to serve God Secondly The manner in sincerity Thirdly The meane implyed in the Trope Before him But so see we the generall fruit of all Gods gracious deliverances vouchsafed us the duty we owe him in liew thereof that is to do him service in that rank or station whatsoever it is God hath placed us in so Zacharie speaking of the end of that great deliverance from spirituall enemie it is to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse Luke 1.74 75. and Psal 50.15 23. hence Davids acknowledgement and protestation Psal 116.16 17 18. To fill up the meaning that must be weighed That the Lord expects in respect of speciall favours speciall service increase of our measures according to the measures of our abilities Ye must understand that there is upon all a generall obligation and duty of service that they owe unto God arising from benefits they enjoy in common with others as Creation Providence Redemption Word c. which bond yet by speciall favours grows more strait especially when they grow towards personall and we become after a sort proprietaries in them for example Israel had a bond of service as heathen from Creation and Providence but much more for the specialty of Gods favour in their deliverance from Aegypt wherefore that is prefixed as a reason of obedience to the Decalogue Exod. 20.2 in shewing his word unto Iacob his statutes and ordinances unto Israel so is the bond yet more increased Psal 147.20 Levi had yet more then Israel God had singled them out of all the Tribes of Israel to minister before him Num. 16.9 therefore he looked to be sanctified by them especially Levit. 10.3 wherefore see this a circumstance of aggravation upon Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.25 that he rendred not unto