comfort of our owne conuersion and repentance doe but question thy owne heart how thou standest affected towards those thousands in Israel that yet are held in miserable bondage vnder Sathan power of darkenesse wallowing in the bloud of their owne soules Canst thou mourne for these as Samuel did for Saul dost thou pittie them in their spirituall miseries and doe thy bowels earne within thee towards such And dost thou labour to the vtmost of thy power and according to thy calling to bring home those that goe astray to the knowledge of the truth dost thou take all opportunities that are offered vnto thee by admonition instruction and reprehension to set forward the Lords worke herein Surely there cannot be a more certaine note of the truth of grace in thy heart and of thy owne conuersion then this When thou art conuerted saith our Sauiour to Peter Strengthen thy brethren No man can truely desire and indeuer the spirituall good of another that hath not tasted of the work first in himselfe But if on the contrary part vpon this examination thou findest that there is in thee no touch at all of griefe for the sins of other men thou layest not their miseries to heart the horrible sinnes of the times such as are whordome pride drunkennesse swearing prophanation of the Sabbath c. These things doe no whit affect thee nor trouble thee surely thou hast cause to mourne in secret and to be humbled for the hardnesse of thy owne heart for as yet the worke of grace is not wrought in thee for if it were it would manifest in this to labour the spirituall good of others Doâ— but consider the truth of this poynt in the example of this Penitent Theefe that had the least time that euer we read of or heard of to manifest the fruits of his repentance in and we shall see that howsoeuer his time was short and he was now to minde the euerlasting welfare of his soule yet hee is not vnmindfull of the spirituall misery of the soule of his Brother by rebuking him for his blasphemy by putting him in minde of his sinne and the equitie of that his deserued punishment that was now inflicted vpon him and all to this end if it were possible that his heart might bee touched with some remorse for sinne and hee be brought to repentance for the same There is no grace in that heart that doth not indeuer this in some measure of life Secondly if their case be miserable that doe not compassionate others in their spirituall miscries what shall wee say of those that with Simeon and Leui are brethren in iniquitie that prouoke one another come let vs cast in our lots together that are Sathans spokesmen and solicitors to draw men into sinne And those againe that are so farre from labouring the spirituall good of others as Ismael-like by reproches and disgraces lay stumbling blocks in the way of others to hinder them in their Christian courses like the Scribes and Pharisies against whom our Sauiour pronounceth a woe because they entred not into the kingdome of God themselues nor suffered those that would And last of all this may prouoke all vnto this duty and to labour to approue the truth of their owne conuersion by labouring to be instruments of the spirituall good of others And this duty rests vpon all Reu. 1.6 for we are all a kingdome of Priests and haue receiued a holy accomptment of the Father So especially the Ministers of the Word whose sacred calling cals for this duty they are in a speciall manner to looke vnto it they are to preach the Word in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 Sow thy seede saith Salomon in the morning and let not thy hand rest in the euening for thou knowest not which shall prosper God calleth not all at the same houre but some at one time and some at another neither doth hee make the Word effectuall at all times at the first hearing for the strong man armed will not quickly leaue his Luke 11. possession But many liue long vnder the ministery of the same before they beleeue and imbrace it yet at the last God toucheth the hearts of many to attend and to be saued What though they doe not finde that comfortable returne of their labours are not some to lay the foundation and others to raise vp the building Is not the Word to be the sauour of death to some as it is to be the sweet sauour of life to other-some Is not their reward with the Lord Esa 49.4.5 and their recompence with their God And vnto this day must Parents and Masters be prouoked to set forward the Lords worke by the conscionable performance of Oeconomicall duties they must bee helpefull vnto the Minister this way it is not enough for them to bring their people to Church and to cast them off so vnto the Minister his burthen is too great if thou helpe not The Apostle cals Philemon Phil. 1. his fellow labourer no doubt it was in regard he so fitted and prepared his family for Pauls ministery And for this many of Gods worthy seruants are highly commended in the Word as Abraham Gen. 18. Iesh 24. Acts 10. Iosuah Cornelius The Parent and Master is as straightly charged with their families as the Minister with the congregation and if any vnder them doe dye for want of instruction the Lord will require the bloud of such a one at their hands VERSE 40. Doest thou not feare God seeing thou art in the same condemnation HItherto wee haue heard the Reprehension of the Penitent Thiefe in generall He rebuked him Now the Euangelist comes to set downe the particulars of his reprehension with those seuerall arguments and reasons to make the same the more effectuall for he that is to deale with rebellious and obstinate sinners had need to bring with him very mouing and effectuall arguments to disswade from sinne Now his arguments are 1. A persona From the nature of the person against whom he rayled God 2. A timore Dei From the feare of God the want whereof was the cause of his blasphemy 3. A praesente miseria From his present miserie Knowing thou art in the same condemnation 4. A iusto iudicio From the equitie of his punishment We are instly punished 5. Ab innocentia Christi From Christs innocencie This man hath done nothing amisse All which being duely consiclered are very powerfull motiues and arguments to set on his reprehension and to make the same the more effectuall And thus doth this Penitent manifest the truth of his conuersion by many blessed fruites and effects thereof The particulars whereof follow Fearest thou not God Text. q. d. O wretched man that now suffering the due reward of thy sinne shouldest thus blaspheme an Innocent euen the Lord Iesus Christ himselfe from whom saluation commeth Euen him before whom thou art shortly to appeare to giue an account of all thy euill deeds
A PATERN OF FREE GRACE OR The exceeding Riches of the Free Grace and Mercy of God in Christ to Believing and Repenting Sinners By the example of that admirable Convert or rather miraculous mirror of Gods wonderful Love and Mercy in saving the Repenting Thief on the Cross Wherein is excellently handled the Doctrine of true Repentance the exceeding Sinfulness of Sin with the desperate danger of final Impenitency with the certainty of Salvation to repenting Sinners by Christ By that Godly and Faithfull Servant of Christ and his Church Samuel Smith Minister of the Gospel and Author of The Great Assize and Davids Repentance Rom. 9.18 He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth London Printed for John Andrews at the White Lion near Pye-Corner 1658. Courteous Reader BE pleased to take notice that there are five other godly Treatises extant of this pious Authors viz. The Great Assize Davids Repentance Davids blessed Man Moses Prayers And The Practice of Godliness The Christian duty An excellent Book likewise called The Silver Watch-bell Also a most pious and comfortable Treatise entituled The Everlasting Joyes of Heaven or The blessed Life of a Christian in Grace here and in Glory hereafter very seasonable for these times Also an excellent Sermon called Christs first Sermon or the Necessity Duty and Practice of Repentance opened and applied a very godly Book and is but three pence price There are likewise seven other small Books all of them very godly and very comfortable for thy soul One is entituled The Charitable Christian. Another The Plain Mans Path way to Heaven directing ever one how they may be The third The Devils disease or the sin of Pride arraigned and condemned The fourth The dreadful Character of a Drunkard The fifth The Black Book of Conscience or Gods High Court of Justice in the Soul The sixth The Fathers last Blessing The seventh Doomesday at hand All very necessary for these licentious times Each of them being but of two pence price and are to be sold by John Andrews at the White Lion near Pye-Corner THE ADMIRABLE CONVERT Luk. 23. vers 39.40 c. ANd one of the euill doers which were hanged railed on him saying If thou bee Christ saue thy self vs. But the other answering rebuked him saying Doest thou not feare God seeing thou art in the same condemnation We indeed are iustly here for we receiue the due reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amisse And he said vnto Iesus Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome And Iesus said vnto him Verily I say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise OF all Doctrines to be preached none more necessarie then the Doctrine of true Repentance which as it is most necessarie to life and saluation as our Sauiour witnesseth saying Luk. 13.5 Except ye repent ye shall all perish So neuer more neglected then in these times wherein too many of Israels Watchmen bend themselues not to serue to the edification of the faith of the Church as to disturbe the peace thereof wherein the malice and policie of Sathan in the purest Churches to corrupt the purity of doctrine hath beene euer seene But to leaue such as wearie themselues and Hearers with knotty questions tending rather to strife then edification therein many times to get a name of profunditie they leade their people rather into a labyrinth then work them to true piety It is the Doctrine of true repentance we haue now in hand and herein of that Admirable Conuert or that Mirror of Gods mercy the Thiefe on the Crosse whose example as it is full of consolation vnto the godly so no one example of Gods mercy in the whole Scripture more abused by wicked and licentious men Before we come to these particulars it will not be amisse that we first cast our eyes vpon the Lord Iesus Christ himselfe who as the Prophet Isaiah saith Isâ— 53.12 was numbred with transgressours And as Saint Luke obserueth in this Chapter Vers 32. There were also two other malefactours led with him to be put to death Verse 33. And when they were come to the place which is called Caluary there they crucified him and the Malefactours c. There were foure kindes of death in vse amongst the Iewes The foure kindes of death in vse among the Iewes as capitall punishments for capitall offences First stoning a kinde of death commonly inflicted vpon Blasphemers Stoning Leuit. 24.14 Deut. 17.7 and Idolaters where the hand of the witnesse was first to be vpon him Secondly Beheading Beheading Thirdly Burning Fourthly Strangling Burning Deu. 21.22 which punishment was afterwards changed by the Romans into crucifying Crucifying Deu. 21.23 which kinde of death was aboue the rest full of paine ignominie and reproach and therefore reserued for grand Malefactours The manner whereof was this The body was to hang on the tree till night and before the Sunne was set the same was to be taken downe and buried This kinde of death was branded with a curse by God himselfe He that is hanged is accursed of God And for the nature of this kind of death without all question it was performed with much torture and paine the Armes being stretched out and fastened vnto the tree with nayles which pierced both hands and feet in which miserable torture and paine the crucified was to remain and abide till death And if it should be inquired why the Iewes did so earnestly vrge Pilate that Christ might be crucified no question it was done in respect of them because this kind of death was the most ignominious bitter and reproachfull such was their malice against Christ And herein something would be obserued concerning 1. The Iewes inflicting 2. Christ suffering 3. The nature of the death crucifying Doct. 1 First of all The malice of the wicked great against Christ and his members in these Iewes we may take notice of the implacable rage and malice that is in wicked and vngodly men against Christ and his members No wilde beast is more sauage and cruell then wicked men are yea and that against the most innocent Here is Christ Iesus himselfe the Obiect Abiect and Subiect of the malice of mercilesse men who thought they could neuer shew cruelty enough vpon Christ Of them it may truly be said Destruction and calamitie are in their wayes and the way of peace they haue not knowne And hence is it that in the Scripture wicked men are resembled vnto Lions Beares Wolues Foxes and Beasts Mat. 7.15 Cant. 2.2 The. 3.2 Pro. 12.10 2. King 8.11 yea such kind of beasts as are of a cruell and deuouring nature yea as Solomon saith The very mercies of the wicked are cruell What a greeting was there betwixt Elisha and Hazael the very sight of Hazael caused the man of God to weepe foreseeing the cruelty that he would exercise vpon the people of Israel Their young men saith
Apple of gold and picture of siluer Christ chose the fittest time to teach the people and to do good and that in the Synagogue vpon the Sabbath Act 9.31 So the Church hauing peace did then edisie themselues And indeed the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light Potiphars wise chose the sittest time to prouoke Ioseph to lust Gen. 39.11 Ioseph was alone in the house Esau chused the fittest time to be reuenged on his brother The dayes of mourning for my father will haue an end and then I will kill my brother In the affaires of this life men are wise to take the fittest opportunitie The Crabsish desiring to feede on the Oyster cannot perforce open the shell therefore watcheth opportunitie till the oyster openeth himselfe against the Sunne and then putteth in his claw This wisedome ought to bee in euerie Christian to take the fittest opportunitie to the doing of good But he is my superiour whom I heare sweare Obiect 2 and blaspheme the name of God or otherwise sinne what haue I to doe with such a one Indeed I grant there may be a preposterous zeale and boldnesse in man Resp that is rather to bee condemned then commended therefore inferiours must know that it is their part rather to aduise then reproue to aduertise See Mr. Lapthorne his spirituall Almes then to reprehend their superiours lest they passing the bonds of their calling do iustly exasperate them against them for as Magistrates Ministers parents and masters by Gods ordinance are to rebuke reprehend and punish So Subiects people children and seruants by the same rule are to aduise and aduertise And thus did the seruants of Iob deale with their master Iob 31. and Iob saith that he durst not contemne the aduise of his seruant or maid when they contended with him A reproofe to such must be vsed as a sowre pill couered ouer with sugar that it may the more easily be taken downe Brethren saith the Apostle if any man be ouertaken with a fault Gal. 6.1 ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A metaphor as the originall signifieth borrowed from Surgeons which with a sleight of hand put a shattered bone into its place before the partie be almost ware of it This serues for the iust reproofe of those that can see men runne a licentious course Vse 1 and neuer seeke to reclaime them that can heare others sweare and blaspheme the name of God raile vpon Ministers and speake euill of the good way of righteousnesse without any zeale for God or compassion to the soules of their brethren Many there be that will neuer rebuke sinne in their brethren vntill God reuenge it from heauen whereas if they had met with due reprehension of their faults they might haply haue been brought to repentance and so haue preuented those plagues Or if men doe speake of the sinnes of others it is behind their backs in the most vildest and disgracefullest manner that may be These rather shew themselues to be of the generation of cursed Cham that vncouered the nakednesse of his father then of Gods people that mourne for the sinnes of others and in brotherly loue seeke by all meanes possible to recouer them into the state of grace No doubt it pierced this Penitent Thiefe to the heart to heare him blaspheme and raile on Christ he can by no meanes beare it But howsoeuer his owne griefe was great and paine grieuous he seemeth to neglect all and falleth to the rebuking of his fellow sinning against God this will a grations heart do And wo to that man that can with patience heare God dishonoured that is not affected with the sinnes of other men such are farre enough from the worke of grace and conuersion and from that Christian compassion that ought to be in vs towards others to saue a soule to couer a multitude of sinnes or to free themselues from the sinnes of other men Secondly this may serue to admonish euery one in the feare of God to make conscience of this duty that we admonish one another and seeke to conuert one another from going astray this is the truest testimonie of loue we can shew to others For indeed no man loueth naturally that doth not loue spiritually for by how much the more excellent the soule is aboue the body by so much the more excellent is the loue to it aboue that of the body And indeed this will be a sound witnesse vnto our hearts of our loue towards others in that wee haue admonished our brethren and sought by all meanes possible to recouer them from their sinfull waies It shall be a pretious balme that shall not breake their heads Neither may these thoughts hinder vs that we haue no hope to preuaile by our admonitions and reprehensions this we are not so much to looke after as the conscionable discharge of our owne duty And thus farre we are sure we shall glorifie God to be witnesses of his word and truth when the wicked in the last day shall be put to silence not being able to plead ignorance or that they had no warning And let vs know that the Spirit of God bloweth where it listeth and the Lord can euen of Lyons Tygers and Cockatrices make at his pleasure to become the sheepe of Christ of Abraham an Idolater he can make the Father of the faithfull of bloudie and barbarous Manasses he can make an humble Conuert and of a persecuting Saul he can make a painfull preaching Paul and of a lewd gracelesse Theefe an holy confessour Let none therefore be discouraged because of the lewdnesse of the person seeing the Lord is able and many times doth call home of the sinfullest of men And last of all this may serue to admonish euery man in the feare of God Heb. 13.22 To suffer the word of exhortation and to labour to keepe vnder all repining thought and euill disposition that is in their hearts which bewray themselues neuer more then when they are admonished or reproued for sinne and doubtlesse Sathan himselfe bloweth the coales knowing that it is an excellent meanes to recouer a sinner out of his power O how hardly is a reproofe digested by a naturall man that hath not the worke of grace in him It is found often true which Solomon saith Reproue a scorner and he will hate thee A sharp reproofe is more hardly digested then the bitterest pill men would not be disturbed in their sinfull courses But if the Lord loue thee he will send thee one faithfull friend or other to reproue thee And surely it is a fearefull thing and a signe that God hath cast off such a soul his care and that hee intends to glorifie himselfe in the destruction of such a one that is suffered to go on in sinne without controllment Let the righteous smite mee friendly
make him to dread those sins that bring such a taile of sorrow with them in the end Sixthly by our acknowledgement of sinne we cleare the Lords iustice and iustisie his Maiestie in punishing vs for the same Thus Dauid is led vnto this duty to make an hearty confession of his sinnes Psal 51.4 That thou saith he maist be iustified in thy sayings and true when thou iudgest Nehe. 1.7 Dan. 9.5 Ezra 9.6 This is cleare likewise in those excellent prayers of Nehemiah Daniel Ezra c. And last of all by recounting duely our sinnes and making due acknowledgement of the same our hearts are the better fitted for prayer and for all holy duties publicke and priuate this makes vs earnest and affectionate in the suites we put vp to God for neuer is a poore sinner more earnest in his requests for mercy then when hee is most sensible of his owne miserie and in the sence thereof hath beene led to an heartie acknowledgement of the same This makes men importunate suters Dan. 9.19 Ezra 9.6 Nehe. 1.11 Mat. 15. such as will haue no nay as it appeares in Daniel Ezra Dauid the Cananitish woman and the like This serues first of all to reproue diuers abuses about the performance of this duty of confession of sinnes Vse 1 amongst which the corruption crept into the Church of Rome is not the least vrging that their Auricular confession of sinnes in the eares of the Priest and that vpon paine of damnation Radford his Directory pag. 114. for these are their own words Euery one vnder the paine of damnation is bound to confesse to a lawfull Priest his sinne A doctrine that hath not one Scripture in all the booke of God vrging the necessitie of such a confession Nay contrarily to many a one many a time did our Sauiour giue absolution of sinne where there was no particular confession thereof made vnto him as that man in the Gospell that was sicke of the palsie vpon Christs sight of his faith he pronounced thus Mat. 9.2 Sonne thy sinnes be forgiuen thee And so to penitent Mary testifying her repentance for sinne by her abundant teares Ioh. 7. our Sauiour pronounced Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee But this is a subtile net which our Aduersaries like cunning Fishers of men haue framed to catch mens goods to inrich themselues to discouer mens secrets euen in the Councels of Princes and for the Priest to know where to haue one for his turne But doth not Saint Iames say Obiect Iam. 5.18 Confesse your faults one to another This is the Scripture I confesse that is principally vrged by our Aduersaries Answ to warrant their doctrine of Auricular confession But by this Scripture the Priest is bound as straightly to shriue himselfe to the penitent as the penitent to the Priest for S. Iames requires it as a mutuall duty Indeed that there is a lawfull and commendable duty to bee performed amongst Christians in confessing of their faults one to another was neuer denyed by vs it is that wee often call vpon and prouoke men vnto But yet in these two cases especially First Cases of priuate confession in priuate and personall iniuries and wrongs done one to another it is requisite that wee should come and confesse our faults one to another and to seeke forgiuenesse and to labour a reconciliation Secondly in case of trouble of conscience to the end wee may not sink vnder the burthen thereof or any way giue aduantage vnto Sathan to haue the greater power ouer vs it is an excellent thing to disburthen our soules by confession of our particular sinnes vnto some godly Minister or some faithfull Christian that is knowne to be a man of wisedome and conscience able to minister comfort in these cases it is a most commendable dutie But we hold it not as a matter of absolute necessitie to confesse vnto men as the Church of Rome doth neither do we tye this duty to the Priests eare but hold that it may bee performed also to a faithfull Christian albeit but a priuate man who is able to minister a word of comfort and to beare anothers burthen in loue Secondly this shewes how farre such men are from true repentance that are strangers vnto this dutie of Confession Faine they would haue God to pardon their sinnes but they yet neuer framed any Inditement against themselues faine they would escape the iudgement of God but they cannot endure to iudge themselues And of these there are foure sorts First such as are ignorant of their owne estates and of their owne miserie by reason of sinne these men rest with this generall acknowledgement of sinne We are all sinners And God forgiue vs there is none without sinne But yet they neuer came truly to see any one sinne how sinne hath made them guilty of Gods wrath and vengeance and without repentance makes them liable vnto euerlasting damnation this knowledge of sinne whilest they are ignorant of there can bee no true ioy nor heartie acknowledgement of sinne and so no hope of pardon It is the knowledge of the Word we know that brings men to the sight of their sinnes to an hearty acknowledgement of the same to God and teacheth them how to pray for the pardon of the same which whilest men remaine ignorant of it is impossible to performe these duties aright Secondly such as hide their sinnes and conceale them yea if they be told of them will outface them like Gehezi 2 Reg. 5.25 Acts 5.3 who being questioned of his Master Thy Seruant went no whither saith he and this was the behauiour of Ananias and Saphira who rather then they would glorifie God by confessing their fault sinned yet more and more by lying vnto the holy Ghost We haue too many of such amongst vs that vnlesse you bee able to testifie vpon proofe will hardly be brought to confesse any thing wherein the policy of Sathan doth notably appeare to take away shame where it should be in the committing of sinne and to put it where it should not be in the confession of the same Whereas a true confessor will bee his owne greatest enemie racking his sinne to the vtmost pin that God may haue the glory and the sinner his deserued shame Thirdly those that Pharisaically stand vpon their owne righteousnesse and haue got a whorish forehead to defend their sins this is that corruption wee haue drawne from our first Parents How did Adam post off the matter to his Wife when the Lord expostulated the matter with him Gen. 3.12.13 The woman saith he whom thou gauest me she gaue me of the fruit and I did eate And the woman she laid the blame vpon the Serpent and thus sinne is poasted off from one to another Thus is it now no sinne can be so vile but men are ready to plead for it and therein hold a buckler ouer Sathans head for feare he should receiue a blow Drunkennesse say they is
and shew that wee are children of such a Father by our long sufferance towards our brethren that iniure vs. There is no one thing that doth more manifestly declare the image of God to be renewed within vs then this propensenesse and ready disposition to forgiue the iniuries of our brethren How carnestly doth the Apostle perswade vnto this duty when he saith Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued bowels of mercy kindenesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse long-suffering forbearing one another c. And to this end Christ propoundeth that parable in the Gospell of the King taking account of his seruants and therein shewes the mercifull dealing of him that had ten thousand talents forgiuen him yet would take his fellow by the throate for tenne talents and therein will teach vs that if we would haue pardon at Gods hand for the greater wee must forgiue the lesser whereas such as wil not forgiue the iniuries of others this shewes that they are stamped with the very image of Sathan who was malitious and a murtherer from the beginning and indeed there shall be iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth not mercy Shalt be with me Text. Here wee haue the promise it selfe Promise it selfe which is to be with Christ in his glorious kingdome That in as much as by faith he was able to discerne Christs Deity in this base and low degree of his humiliation and by a liuely faith did rest on him alone for life and saluation Christ will not suffer his faith to faile nor himselfe to bee disappointed of the end thereof but grants him his hearts desire Verily thou shalt be with me The Instruction is That they that in miserie seeke vnto God Doct. i. They that in misery wait vpon God shall not misse of comfort in the end and rest on him shall bee sure of comfort in the end There is no labour lost in seeking and seruing of him but howsoeuer their present miseries are great yet as Mordecai said to Hester Deliuerance will come Let thy heart be in the feare of the Lord continually saith Solomon for surely there is an end Pro. 23.17 and thy hope shall not bee cut off Psal 37.37 So Dauid Marke the vpright man and behold the iust the latter end of that man shall bee peace Pro. 11.7 Whereas the hope of the wicked shall perish And as Iob saith Iob 17.8 What hope hath the hypocrite when God shall take away his soule Meaning indeed hee hath no hope And againe There is no peace to the wicked Isa 48.21 saith my God So that the condition of Gods people euen in their deepest aduersities and miseries is farre better then the condition of the wicked in their chiefest prosperitie For the one is sure that the end of his life will end his misery and finish his sorrow and enter his possession of euerlasting felicitie Whereas the candle of the wicked at last shall be put out and their fleeting pleasures which they haue had for a time heere shall bring at last an eternall weight of torment as our Sauiour saith Woe to you that laugh Luk. 6. for you shall waile and weepe Would we haue some examples for the further clearing of this truth How many miseries did the Israelites go vnder and that for the space of foure hundred and thirtie yeares yet at last the Lord gaue them rest in the promised Canaan How long was Dauid persecuted before he came to the kingdome and after yet at last the Lord gaue him rest Againe how sore were his inward feares and terrours by reason of sinne yet at the last filled with comfort How dealt the Lord with Iob both in respect of his outward man and temporall estate of a great Prince the Lord brought him to the dunghill And for his soule doth hee not often complaine that God Had set him as a But to shoote at And that the Arrowes of the Almighty had drunke vp his spirits yet at last dyed peaceably And there is reason for it First Reas 1 the Lords owne promise Call vpon mee in the time of thy trouble Psal 50.15 and I will heare thee and deliuer thee Which promise of his the Lord hath euer made good from time to time putting an end at last vnto the miseries of his seruants and giuing them rest and in this regard there is nothing in all the world more sure and certaine then the good successe of the hope of Christians it neuer misseth of that it aymeth at for their hope which is the Anchor of the soule hath faith for the ground of it Rom. 5.5 whereupon it fasteneth it selfe And further Gods truth and faithfulnesse to assure them of the truth thereof Secondly it is God that inclineth the heart to seeke him and causeth the soule so to hunger and thirst after him All which are cleare demonstrations that the Lord hath a purpose to giue them comfort at last Vpon this verie ground Dauid concludeth the helpe and deliuerance of Gods people in distresse Psal 10.17 Lord saith he thou hearest the desire of the poore thou preparest their heart and thine eare inclineth thereunto Thirdly God delaying to helpe his seruants by and by in time of miserie and distresse doth prouoke them to pray so much the more earnestly and frequently vnto him drawing away the heart from the world and causing the soule to haue the more secret communion with the Almightie and so must needs bring comfort in the end Seeing then that those that seeke vnto God Vse 1 and wait vpon him shall haue comfort in the end as we see in this poore Penitent here This may serue then in the first place to stay the godly in the time of their sorest trials not to despaire not to murmure repine and complaine as if their case were desperate For in due time they shall reape if they faint not What though for a time they beare the burthen and the heate of the day when the Euening commeth they shall not misse of their reward and then they shall see and acknowledge with the Apostle Luk. 21.18 That these light and momentany afflictions which are but for a season shall bring with them an eternall recompence of reward In the meane time let vs possesse our soules in patience tarrie the Lords leasure and waite vpon him our labour shall not bee in vaine in the Lord. After all the boysterous stormes in this life wrestlings against sinne Sathan and our owne corruptions and against malitious and wickâ—d men Deliuerance will come and the godly shall find it most true in the end that they that waite vpon him shall not bee ashamed Secondly it may serue to admonish vs that we take heed that we do not preuent the Lord and forestall that comfortable issue we might haue of our miseries and afflictions either by not seeking of him when miserie is vpon vs or by vnlawfull wayes and means to seeke to come out