earth for them Doe they want Pearles and Iewels The rivers and streames shall afford them Are they heavy-hearted The Vine shall glad them with wine Have they cause of mirth and feasting Oile shall make their faces to shine Are waters cast out of the Dragons mouth The earth shall swallow them up Doe winds and waves roare and threaten to drowne If Christ doe but bid be still they are calme and obey him A point of Doctrine which one of the Ancient Fathers hath abundantly confirmed and illustrated by positive and exemplarie Scriptures if I would inlarge it Oh let us thankfully admire and extoll the mercy and goodnesse of God who is so bountifull in the donation of good condonation of the evill of guilt and preservation from the evill of punishment that hath saved us from so many and so great evils of bodie soule estate by water and land and hath given us all good things abundantly to enioy pertaining to life and godlinesse sendeth us daily manifold comforts from Heaven Aire Earth Sea Sunne Moone Starres Light Birds Beasts Fishes Fruits Herbes And if he have so liberally provided for us in the wildernesse what inestimable good things are provided for us in our owne Countrie If so great things in the prison what in the Palace If such a calme in this world what in heaven If such varietie of comfort in this vale of teares and in Christ his absence what at the mariage-feast Oh when your tables are richly furnished with varietie of good things from aire earth sea praise him whom winds and sea obey and let your harts be lifted up to meditate on those future and inestimable good things prepared in heaven for them that love him Our Doctrine from the Mystery is That all creatures at Christ his command are readie to serve his Church and people though never so contrarie to their nature If the Lord rebuke the winds will not blow nor waters flow nor fire burne nor hungrie Lions devoure nor Sunne move If all things were not thus at command it were impossible for the poore Church of Christ to subsist on earth to endure such cruell conspiracies and bloudie persecutions of mightie Tyrants for his poore little flocke to dwell in the midst of so many ravening Wolves for this little Cock-boat to ride out such grievous stormes and tempests but our God who was then in the ship and rebuked winds and sea and they obeyed he is now in heaven and doth whatsoever he will and he hath promised to be with his to the ends of the world and that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against them And therefore if in times of trouble and distresse when it pleaseth Christ to scourge and fanne his Church we be too weake in faith and too strong in feare and bewray pusillanimity and cowardize let us with David ingenuously confesse This is our infirmitie not regarding the Scriptures nor the power of God Let us be ashamed of it and learne more stedfastly to trust in the Lord as David counselleth Let the house of Israel trust in the Lord hee is their helper and defender O house of Aaron trust in the Lord he is their helper and defender yee that feare the Lord trust in the Lord he is their helper and defender he will blesse the house of Israel he will blesse the house of Aaron hee will blesse them that feare the Lord both small and great Yea let this Doctrine be remembred and it will wonderfully comfort and strengthen our faith in the resurrection For as winds and sea obeyed Christ now at the last day earth and sea shall heare and obey the voice of Christ yeeld up al the dead which they have received Marvell not at this for the houre is comming in the which all that are in the graves shall heare the voice of Christ and shall come forth Whereof he hath given us assurance in the raising of Lazarus Rulers daughter and widowes sonne only with his word Lazarus come forth Damsell arise Young-man arise This was of old most lively represented to the Prophet in vision hee was caried by the Spirit of the Lord and set downe in the middest of a valley which was full of dead mens bones and very drie and he was commanded to prophesie upon those bones which he did saying Oh yee drie bones heare yee the word of the Lord and immediatly there was a noise and behold a shaking and the bones came together bone to his bone and sinewes and flesh and skinne came upon them and covered them This as one of the Ancient Fathers saith was a most lively picture of the Resurrection of the dead which shall at the end of the world be effected by the omnipotent voice of the Sonne of Man Yea scarce any of the Fathers have written of the Resurrection but have made singular use of that Vision If at any time then our faith shall stagger at that Article which as a Divine saith is so farre above though not contrary to naturall Reason let us strengthen our faith with that excellent Vision Yea this was also represented to Saint Iohn in vision The sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell gave up the dead which were in them No matter then where we die by sea or land or where we bee buried in earth or water these are all but Gods Gaolors and shall faithfully bring forth all such as have beene committed unto them at that generall Assises If thy faith stagger let it rest upon the omnipotent power of Christ and for ever remember what you have heard from this storie Christ rebuked the winds and the sea and they obeyed him And therefore say I will lay me downe and take my rest for the Lord sustaineth mee I know my Redeemer liveth and I shall rise againe Our second lesson from mysterie is That the maine and principall end of all Gods word and workes is that from consideration thereof man may be provoked to admire and set forth the praise and glory of Christ What manner of man is this that hath done such things The Lord hath made all things for himselfe saith the Wise-man And the perpetuall exercise of the glorified Saints in heaven is day and night to praise Christ for the great worke of Redemption Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us unto God by thy bloud out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and made us Kings and Priests unto God Here then is an infallible touch-stone whereby to trie all Doctrines and I would to God with charitie and sobrietie all the matters in question betwixt the Papists and us were with meekenesse brought to this touch-stone Those Doctrines are ever soundest which doe give glory to Christ and provoke men to admire praise him What manner of man is he But whatsoever
true flesh and bloud such an one as hath had experience of Satans temptations of povertie hunger thirst wearisomenesse slander buffetting cruell paine death distresse c. How comfortable I say againe that we call on one that had himselfe experience of these things If a man be sicke of any disease he is much comsorted that his Physitian hath beene sicke of the very same for he assureth himselfe he will both have the more care and compassion on him and knoweth best how to goe about the cure Nay more wee call on such an one as is not only willing and able to heare and helpe but hath an unconceiveable simpathie and fellow-feeling of all the miseries of his children he is even pinched as much with their povertie want and distresse as themselves Patient Iob in all his misery felt nothing which Christ felt not with him neither did Lazarus suffer any thing wherein Christ did not partake with him So long as the mysticall Union holdeth which by no means can be dissolved Christ the head must needs suffer with the members of his bodie He that toucheth the faithfull toucheth the apple of his eye And he called to Saul from heaven Saul Saul why persecutest thou me He thought he had but to do with the poore abject despised people of Damascus such as had no man on earth of any sort once to speake for them but were esteemed as the off-scouring of the world and whom he thought he might have bound and imprisoned and have killed and slaine without controulement yea have done God service and purchased much favour and preferment But behold beyond his expectation there is a glorious Lord calleth unto him out of heaven whose voice was of such power and Majestie that it cast him upon the ground and he would know the Reason why he persecuted him Oh that men and women had grace to know beleeve and consider that all the reproaches slanders and hurts done to his people how simple soever in the world are done to Christ and though he sleepe for a while and seeme utterly to neglect them yet will he at the day of Iudgement set all before them and account all the good or evill done to the poore Saints as done to himselfe and will accordingly reward or punish them In the mean time let al the people of God reioice that their Saviour doth but sleepe that they have such an high Priest as hath had experience of their infirmities and therefore cannot but have compassion on them And thus much bespoken of the Letter As a man that is on sleepe heareth no cries nor complaints regardeth not the wrongs and injuries done to him or his but is altogether senselesse of such evill as being awake he would not endure but either restraine or revenge so when God maketh as though he heard not the prayers and complaints of his people suffereth his enemies to reproach and blaspheme his name and at their lust to make havocke of his Church and to destroy Religion his Temples and houses where he was wont to be worshipped then the Scriptures speake of God after the manner of men that he is asleepe The sleep of Christ then in this storme doth lively represent Gods seeming to neglect his Church in their great troubles and letting the enemie even doe what he lust Which patience or sleeping hath severall effects in the godly and the wicked first it causeth the godly exceedingly to mourne and complaine yea through Satans malice and their weaknesse to feare and much adoe to keepe from despaire So the people of God being extreamely afflicted and brought to great miserie under the persecution of Antiochus doe thus complaine Oh Lord thou goest not forth with our armies thou makest us turne our backes upon our enemies they that hate us spoile our goods thou hast given us like sheepe appointed for meat and scattered us amongst the Heathen thou sellest thy people for nought and takest no mony for them thou makest us a scorne and derision a by-word a reproach and shaking of heads And then they pray in this forme Awake why sleepest thou O Lord arise and cast us not off for ever wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and our oppression And David thus for himselfe Arise O Lord in thine anger lift up thy selfe because of the rage of mine enemies awake for me to judgement which thou hast commanded oh let the wickednesse of the wicked come to an end but guide thou the just Psal 7. 6. Yea as Christ his sleepe did most trouble the Disciples they had never been so fearefull in the storme nor so earnestly called upon him if he had been awake so there is nothing so troubleth Gods people in their generall and particular distresses as that God seemeth not to regard them this oh this hath more disquieted them than any thing else and caused most bitter complaints and expostulations as Why standest thou so farre off and hidest thy selfe in this time of affliction when the wicked in his pride doth persecute the poore And againe How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever how long wilt thou hide thy face from me how long shall I take counsell in my soule and be so sore vexed how long shall mine enemie be exalted over me And againe Will the Lord absent himselfe for ever is his mercy cleane gone and will he shut up his loving kindnesse in displeasure By which in stead of many places which might be alledged for this purpose it is most evident that Gods children have never such conflicts and such wrestling betwixt the flesh and spirit as when either the Church of God or themselves are in distresse and God seemeth not to regard them but to have cast off all care of them oh this breedeth complaints and roaring indeed And as it begetteth great feare and perturbation yea almost despaire and deniall of Gods providence as David said of himselfe My feet were almost gone my steps had well-nigh slipt I was so grieved at the foolish and to see the wicked in prosperity So doth it wonderfully encourage the enemies of Gods people and make them proud and insolent Then say they Come let us make havocke of them altogether and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance let us take to our selves the houses of God in possession And say God hath for saken them persecute them and take them there is none to deliver them Downe with Ierusalem downe with it even to the ground Oh how evill and wicked men bestirre themselves when they perceive Christ to be asleepe then the sea rageth indeed Oh great is the storme which is now upon the sea and no small trouble it is to such as are awake to see men and women every where asleepe in securitie specially to see those so fast asleepe
as of his owne which sheweth that they praied in love Which as the Apostle saith seeketh not her owne things and without which in preaching and praying Wee are but as a sounding brasse and tinkling Cymball That which our Saviour intended in that forme of praier which he hath prescribed teaching us to pray in the Plurall Give us this day our daily bread forgive us our trespasses lead not us into temptation but deliver us from evill I doubt not but in particular cases we may make particular suit unto God for our selves As Iacob in his iourney vowed If God will be with mee and will keepe me in this way and will give mee bread to eat and raiment to put on And David Save me ô God for the waters are even entred into my soule And Peter when he was sinking into the sea cried Lord save mee Yea Christ himselfe praied Lord let this cup passe from mee But these were particular cases but in common cases we must have common hearts yea though our case be particular yet there may be others in our condition which we know not and therefore we are so to pray for our selves as yet explicitely or implicitely we crave the like blessings to all such as are in the like want with us Here then commeth a common fault worthy to be reproved for it marreth all such praiers as The wilde goord marred all the messe of pottage viz. We are strait laced full of love but it is self-love we wholly love our selves seeke our owne good what meaneth else that common wicked Proverb Every man for himselfe and God for us all Or if they bee ashamed to professe thus much with mouth yet they are not ashamed to wish it in their hearts yea they wish evill to others so any good may thence redound to theÌ„selves How many wish a famine if they have any corne to sell Yea how few but doe greatly reioyce to heare of pestilence sword shipwracke sedition or any manner of evill to befall their neighbours or brethren so they reape advantage from it Which sheweth that in their hearts they doe onely desire their owne particular good and as we say care not who hunger so their bellies be filled who goe naked so they be clothed who be poore and vndone so they grow rich who lie without doore so they lodge warme who dy so they live who sink or swim so they come safe to shore So few pray as lovingly and heartily for others as themselves as our Example teacheth us to doe Lord save us So much for the petition We perish Extreme passion commonly causeth either silence or that which is next unto it imperfect and defective speech whereunto God alluding saith I have sworne in my wrath if they shall enter into my rest The Disciples being in great feare speake imperfectly we perish the causall coÌ„junction is wanting it is in effect q. d. otherwise or else wee perish The originall word is of hard and harsh signification in best signification it is to die as it is expedient for us that one die for the people yea to die by some miserable meanes as with hunger I perish with hunger it is commonly translated to destroy as he will truly destroy those husbandmen Let us not tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents yea it signifieth the destruction of hell They shall be punished with everlasting destruction In which respect Iudas is called The sonne of destruction and the Angell of the bottomlesse pit is called in Hebrew Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon i. a Destroyer Here it is meant of the losing perishing or destroying of the bodie by waters which we call drowning or choking in the waters So much for the sense Hence first we learne That it is an effectuall motive of mercy in praier to declare unto God our misery How often doth David to this purpose in his praiers lay open his miseries before God as Save me ô God for the waters are come in even unto my soule I sinke in the deepe mire where is no standing I am come into deepe waters where the flouds over flow me I am wearie of crying my throat is dry mine eyes faile while I wait upon my God And againe Thou hast cast off and abhorred thou hast beene wroth with thine anointed thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant and hast cast his crowne to the ground thou hast broken downe all his hedges and brought his strong holds to ruine all that passe by spoile him and he is a reproach to his neighbours thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries and made his enemies to reioyce thou hast turned the edge of his sword and giuest him not victory in battell To this purpose also doth he declare the misery of Gods Church O God the Heathen are come into thine inheritance thine holy Temple have they defiled and made Ierusalem an heape of stones the dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat to the fowles of the heaven and the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the earth their bloud have they shed like water round about Ierusalem and there was no man to bury them Yea thus lamentably doe all Gods people complaine Thou goest not forth with our armies thou makest us to turne our backes upon the enemy they that hate us spoile our goods thou hast given us like sheepe appointed for the slaughter thou sellest thy people for nought takest no mony for them thou makest us a reproach derision by-word and shaking of the head c. The Reason of this doctrine is because God is a most mercifull God and it is the nature of mercy to be exceedingly moved with misery Misericordia Yea his mercy is called a tender mercy or bowels of mercy Great is the compassion of a brother as we see in Ioseph a godly man when he saw his brother Beniamin he made haste and â—ought where to weepe For saith the Text his bowels did yearne upon his brother Greater the compassion of a father towards his sonne as we have lately had an example when the father saw his hungry naked leane though a prodigall sonne yet he could not containe himselfe But ran and met him and fell on his necks and kissed him and commanded his servants with all speed to feed and cloath and decke him But greatest of all is the compassion of a mother towards her childe How the woman of Canaan plied Christ with praier for her daughter and would receive no answer but her cure Yea and Salomon in his wisdome discerned which was the true mother of the childe hereby for when she heard the sentence pronounced that it should be divided her bowels yearned on her sonne But the compassion of a brother father or mother is
also the blinde Heathen groped after acknowledging the worke though ignorant of the Worker The waters of Egypt had experience of his power when Moses lifting up the rod of God upon them all their rivers and streames and ponds and pooles became bloud The waters of the Red Sea also felt his power when Moses lifting up the rod of God they were divided whereof David saith He rebuked the red sea and it was dried up The river of Iordan felt his power when no sooner the Priests that bare the Arke of God came to touch it but though it was at such a time of the yeere when Iordan did overflow it banks the waters which came from above stood upon an heape the others failed and were cut off so as the people passed on dry land right over against Iericho Whereof the Prophet demanded a reason in this glorying manner What meant yee rowling and roaring streams of Iordans floud to recoile backwardly And now the Sea of Galile acknowledgeth his soveraigntie when being rebuked there was a great calme Yea that we may further extend and inlarge his dominion know that he hath all power and authoritie in Heaven Earth Seas and Hell it selfe For himselfe hath said I have the keyes of death and of hell and All power and authoritie is given me in heaven and earth And the Apostle saith Every knee must bowe unto him both of things in heaven earth and under the earth and every tongue must confesse that Iesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father As he here rebuked the winds and sea so he rebuked his Disciples who would have had fire to come from heaven and consume their enemies Yea he straitly charged his Disciples not to make him knowne He rebuked diseases also he stood over Simon Peters wives mother having a great Fever and he rebuked the fever and it left her Yea often he rebuked Devils sometimes to hold their peace and sometimes straitly charged them not to make him knowne and sometime to come out of such as they possessed which they did so as all the people were amazed With authoritie and power he commandeth the uncleane spirits and they come out Yea an whole Legion of Devils fell downe prostrate before Christ and acknowledged his power over them beseeching him not to torment them nor send them out into the deepe but suffer them to enter into the herd of Swine Wherefore Michael striving with the Devill about the body of Moses durst not bring against him any railing accusation but said The Lord rebuke thee Thus Heaven and Earth and Sea Men Diseases yea Devils and all Creatures must heare and tremble when this most high and soveraigne Lord commandeth as we shall further heare from the effect of this rebuke There was a great calme In the meane time for the use of that which we have alreadie heard what a sweet comfort and encouragement may this be to all the true disciples of Christ that where ever they become they are within the dominion and jurisdiction of Christ Whither can I flie saith David from thy presence Psal 139. 7. Of all sorts of offenders God hath no fugitives to punish Indeed Ionah fled from the land but God met him in a storme upon the sea and surely in his dominion neither wind water fire raine haile snow sicknesse disease ache paine nor Devill can hurt or vexe them but according to his good pleasure â—or they are all but his servants And if he say to one goe hee goeth to another come and he commeth Let then the world hate us the Devill like a roaring Lion seeke to devoure us yea if it were possible for heaven earth hell and all creatures to conspire our destruction yet can they doe nothing against us but what he will and when hee rebuketh all shall be calme and still And thus much for the Letter And rebuked the winds and the sea For the Mystery hereby is signified that God in his good time will still the rage and fury of persecutors against his Church To which purpose the Prophet hath an excellent saying Woe to the multitude of many people which make a noise like the noise of the seas and to the rushing of Nations that make a rushing like the rushing of mightie waters the Nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters but God shall rebuke them and they shall flie farre off and be like the rowling thing or thistle-downe before the whirlewind Oh see how easie a thing with God to still all the enemies of his Church be they never so mightie or malicious As he needed not Moses Rod nor Eliahs Cloake nor Xerxes his Fetters to still the Sea only he spake the word rebuked the winds and seae and there was a great calme so saith the Prophet If the Lord doe but rebuke the Nations they flie farre off like thistle-downe from the face of a whirlewind For the Illustration of which point be pleased to observe That for the procuring a peaceable calme unto his Church God sometimes disableth great meanes enableth small meanes yea sometimes worketh without meanes For the first because the Lord is jealous of his owne glory and man is foolish and prone to rob him of it both by trusting in great meanes and sacrificing to his owne net arrogating the praise and glory of the action Therefore doth God seldom doe any great thing by great and eminent meanes but pronounce a woe to such as trust in them as Woe to them that goe downe into Aegypt for helpe and leane upon horses which trust in chariots because they be many and in horsemen because they be multiplied but looke not to the holy one of Israel nor seeke after Iehovah When Israel upon just occasion and approved of God went to fight against Benjamin though the men of Israel were foure hundred thousand and the men of Benjamin but six and twentie thousand and odde yet the men of Israel received two foiles and lost fortie thousand til in the end they went up to the house of the Lord and there fasted and wept and learned not to trust in the multitude of an hoast but in the Lord of hoasts and then they prevailed Wherefore David from his owne experience saith godly A King is not saved by the multitude of an hoast neither is any mightie man delivered by his much strength an horse is counted but a vaine thing to save a man After whom Salomon his sonne a worthy graft of so Noble a stocke heire of his Fathers Vertues as well as of his Crowne led by the same Spirit saith in like sort The horse is prepared against the day of battell but salvation is from Ichovah And therefore let all Gods people looke unto the Mountaine from whence commeth their helpe in the needfull time of trouble and say in the name of
was made the greater was the truth and glory of his Resurrection yea such as were set to watch did publish it Matth. 28. 11. So the greater is the power and the more violent the assaults which enemies make against the Church of Christ the greater is Gods glory in their deliverance which the people confesse in the Psalmes If the Lord had not beene on our side now may Israel say if the Lord had not beene on our side when men rose up against us they had even swallowed us up quicke when they were so wrathfully displeased at us the waters had overwhelmed us the deepe waters of the proud had even gone over our soule But praised be the Lord who hath not given us for a prey to their teeth Our soule is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are delivered The greater the danger of Gods people at the Red-sea the greater their deliverance the greater the evill by Iesuits intended against the Protestants in France the more glorious their peace the greater mischiefe intended by the Gunpowder treason and the nearer to execution the more marvellous our deliverance in all which cases the Church is taught to praise God and say The Lord hath done marvellous things with his owne right hand and with his holy arme hath he gotten himselfe the victory Oh trust in God be the storme and threatned hurt to the Church never so great for all shall worke for good There is no wisdome counsell or strength against the Lord But he will turne the rage of man to his praise When all that see and heare shall marvell and say with reverend awe Who is this What manner of man is this The Greeke word is very emphaticall and of greater signification than another which is thus translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qualis For though this be often used in the New Testament yet ever translated what which one place only excepted Neither are they derived from the same root for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pavimentum as if it were written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cujas as if they had fully expressed the word thus What Countrey-man is this Which question bewrayeth their ignorance tendeth to the begetting of knowledge and is an effect of their admiration which may thus be described according to the rules of Philosophie Admiration is a painfull suspension of the minde proceeding from the knowledge of some great effects whereof the causes are unknowne I call it a painfull suspension because all men naturally desire knowledge and the more generously minded any are the more painfull it is for them to be ignorant Some say that Aristotle the Prince touchstone of Philosophers was so grieved that hee could not finde out the cause of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea that he died on it yea some say that he cast himselfe into the Sea saying Seeing I cannot comprehend thee thou shalt comprehend me but the other seemeth more probable Now admiration proceeding from ignorance of causes doth wonderfully provoke to the studie of causes that so they may be eased of that sorrow paine and griefe whereupon admiration is said to be the soule and life of Philosophie And Pythagoras being demanded what was the end of Philosophie answered To marvell at nothing intending that herein a learned Philosopher knowing the causes of things did not marvell whereas an ignorant rustick doth marvell at his owne shadow As in Philosophie so much more in Divinitie ignorance is a painfull thing to the godly disposed and therefore the more they admire the word and workes of God the more they enquire and search into the causes thereof as the Disciples here marvelling said one to another What manner of man is this Whose question intendeth three things viz. First That Christ is true man having a true soule and bodie in regard of their substance and their essentiall properties as in the soule will understanding in body true dimensions as length bredth thicknesse yea taking also the generall and blamelesse weaknesses and infirmities of both as ignorance of some things feare sorrow wearisomenesse hunger thirst sleepe ache paine sicknesse such as accompany the generall nature of man and are not repugnant to the perfection of science and grace as was more largely shewed from his being on sleepe This is it was anciently promised The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head And In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed And afterwards prophesied A Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne A Childe is borne a Son is given A woman shall compasse a man Which promises and prophesies have bin most truly fulfilled as this day doth witnesse to the Christian Churches For the fulnesse of time being come God sent his Sonne made of a woman The word was made flesh Iohn 1. 14. Oh what a sweet comfort is this to us miserable sinners that our blessed Saviour and Redeemer is not a stranger to our nature but tooke upon him the forme of a servant did partake with his in flesh and bloud became that prophesied Shiloh wrapped in the Tunicle skinne or Secundine our kinsman as Iob calleth him If the Baptist did so spring for joy in his mothers wombe when Mary the Mother of Christ saluted his Mother and if the Angels did so rejoyce and sing at the birth of Christ what cause have we to rejoyce and sing yea our very soules to spring for joy that wee doe celebrate this Festivitie in commemoration of our Saviours birth Yea that our comfort may be full he hath not only taken upon him our nature but our infirmities also that he might become a mercifull and compassionate High Priest So as we may boldly goe to the Throne of grace and be assured we shall finde mercie and grace to helpe in time of need The second thing avouched by the proprietie of the word in this question as you have heard in opening the sense of it is That this true man is a stranger they aske whence he is whereunto Christ returneth a perfect answer Hee descended from heaven Saint Paul saith He is the Lord from heaven Not that he brought his humanitie from heaven which passed thorow the Virgins wombe as water thorow a conduit as divers Heretiques have dreamed for he was made of a woman and had the materials of his body from the blessed Virgin but he had not his beginning here on earth as men have but God came downe from heaven and was manifested in the flesh and as he came so here he lived but as a stranger not having where to be
Howsoever they may shew faire weather without they have grievous stormes and tempests within though sometimes and on some occasions their consciences do rage more horribly that at others Shall I make this cleare by a few Examples When God had summoned arraigned examined convicted and sentenced Cain for the murther of his brother oh behold a tempest My punishment is greater than I can beare thou hâ—st driven me out this day from the face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid and I shall be a fugitive and vagabond in the earth and it shall come to passe that every one that findeth me shall kill me When Sathan in the habit of Samuel had told Saul that the morrow after he and his sonnes should die and the Host of Israel should be delivered into the hand of the Philistims oh behold a storme He fell along on the earth and was sore afraid and there was no strength in him When Belshazzar in the midst of his feast saw the palme of an hand write on the plaister of the wall oh behold a storme His countenance was changed and his thoughts so troubled him that the ioints of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against another When Iudas had betrayed his Master and saw he was condemned oh behold a great tempest yea as ever did arise in the soule of a wretched man and as Mariners in a great tempest as in the stories of Ionah and Paul wee may perceive sticke not to runne up and downe and cast out goods and tacklings so he ranne into the Temple and cast out his sinnes by confession and threw his money in the Temple and all to calme his tempestuous soule but it would not be and being perswaded that death would ease him he desired to die yea he cared not what death so hee did die and rather than not die he would die a dogs death and be his owne executioner hee went and hanged himselfe Cardinall Crescentius the Popes Vicegerent at the Councell of Trent and a notable enemie to true Religion and the professors thereof on a time writing long letters to Rome full of all devilish policie and plotting all manner of mischiefe against the Protestants and the cause of Religion had a strong conceit that the Devill in the likenesse of a huge dog walked in his chamber and couched under his table which raised such a fearefull tempest in his soule that neither Physicians nor friends could calme but he died in a most comfortlesse manner Oh Tyrants and learned men abusing their power and policie may raise up strange tempests in other mens bodies goods and estate but withall they raise up such stormes and tempests in their owne soules as are intolerable incurable according to that of Salomon The spirit of a man will beare out his infirmities i. if a mans conscience be quiet and comfortable in God he will beare with patience and cheerefulnesse manifold paines and diseases tortures and torments in his bodie and all outward crosses as we have most memorable examples in many holy and glorious Martyrs but a wounded spirit who can beare A spirit or conscience full of horror and anguish through guilt of sinne and apprehension of divine indignation who can beare that It is the Hell on Earth as you have seene in the former examples and many moe such might be produced curelesse and remediiesse for nothing can calme them but Christ who rebuketh winds and seas and him they have not without whom all other meanes doe faile There is no sicknesse but Physicke hath some medicine for it no sore but Chirurgerie hath a salve for it no restraint so great but freedome and inlargement may be procured by friends or money no disgrace so great but time will eat it out no plague so hot but a man may flie from it but as there is no strappado racke wheele or most exquisite torment comparable to this so no helpe for it I meane in the wicked that flie from God no physicke can purge no cordiall can comfort no corasive can eat it out no lenative asswage it Friendship intreatie gifts may deliver a man out of prison and captivitie but who can unlocke the prison doores of a guilty conscience or knock off the bolts of horrour and distresse of minde Men may flie from plague but cannot from this because he ever carrieth it in him he may flie from field to citie from citie to his owne house from house to chamber from chamber to closet from closet to his bed but where-ever he becommeth the Hellish Hags and Infernall Furies of evill conscience doe vex and torment him Though their Assistants were an Armie of millions of men their friends the great Princes of the world their dominions as large as the Sunne shineth on their meat Manna their apparell as costly as Aarons embrodered coat their palaces as stately as Nabuchadnezzars their musicke like that at the setting up of Nabuchadonozars Idol yet nothing can calme this tempest but when they die they are cast into Hell where they shall be tormented for ever Oh labour then for the peace quietnesse and calmenesse of your conscience the greatest jewell in the world a continuall feast and brasen wall against all oppositions Oh beware of sinne the cause of stormes and tempests yea as Salomon saith If sinners entice thee consent not be not deceived Thou shalt heare them insult against this exhortation and say Tush I have thus and so sinned and yet have I as chearefull light and merrie an heart as any man in the world I eat and drinke and sleepe as well as ever I did I am not troubled with melancholike thoughts and passions I never had experience of such stormes and tempests as they speake of Indeed great is the securitie of some men whose consciences are seared as with a glowing iron and who are given over to a reprobate sense to sin with greedinesse long custome in sinne having taken away the sense of sinne but conscience though it sleepe it cannot die it may hold peace but it cannot forget this is Gods truth The wicked have no true peace and first or last tribulation and anguish shall seaze upon them where sinne is there will be a tempest which whensoever it riseth they shall never see end yea eternitie it selfe shall not over-live it it shall live when they die and make them live that faine would die that so they may die eternally in which endlesse tempest I leave the wicked I come now to speake to the comfort of Gods children who have experience of great and grievous stormes and tempests in their soules and consciences and what only wayes are to be used for the calming of them Observe then that as Christ being entred into the Sea there arose a great tempest so into what soule soever Christ entreth by Faith to inhabit there will first or last arise a tempest which will
the Church of God to persecution imprisonment losse of goods libertie and lives of Gods children without God his good pleasure and purpose Oh as I have from the letter reproved the Atheisme of those men who in stormes and tempests on the Sea or Land doe not looke up to the seat of Majestie and give him the glory thereof who doth rule and governe that huge and vast Element So let me reprove the Atheisme of those who when stormes and tempests are raised in the world or against the Church of God do not looke up to the ruling and over-ruling hand of Iehovah but cry out upon chance or fortune or gaze too much upon the meanes Oh if this had not hapned or that had not beene whereas all is but under God for the executing of his good pleasure and purpose Did not the Lord stir up Hadad the Edomite to be an adversarie to Salomon and stir up another adversarie also Rezon the sonne of Eliadah and Ieroboam also not only to lift up his hand against the King and trouble him in his peace but also in the daies of his sonne to rent away ten Tribes from his house and perpetually to divide the Kingdoms of Iudah and Israel Doth not God say he hath created the destroyer to destroy Esay 54. 16. Good Lord how plaine and plentifull are the Scriptures in this point if I would inlarge my selfe Oh that men would therefore looke to the hand that smiteth search out the causes of such tempests beare with patience his hand and seeke unto him for a calme I beseech you learne this lesson That all the enemies of Gods Church they are Gods souldiers he hath levied them and giveth them pay they fight under his banner and hee hath sent them to destroy though themselves doe not know so much Oh but why will God suffer such havocke and destruction to be made of his people I answer because through long peace plenty and prosperity they are become unthankfull loath the heavenly Manna earthly-minded proud covetous rebellious against Gods word and ordinance and will obey it no further than it doth like themselves prophaning his Sabbaths growing senselesse and obdurate at his corrections of famine pestilence sicknesse despising the warnings of his servants and in stead of repenting and turning to God and meeting him with the intreatie of peace falling foule upon his messengers mocking and abusing them These are the sinnes which he hath threatned to punish these were the sinnes oh these were the sinnes of Gods people in France Palatinate and other places of Germany whereby the Lord of Hosts being provoked to anger hath mustered his Armies and sent his Souldiers to destroy and avenge his quarrell Oh therefore that they had grace to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God to turne to the Lord in fasting weeping and mourning to rent their hearts for their sinnes and become more cheerefull in their obedience to the Gospell and zealous in the profession of it Oh then would the Lord soone humble their enemies and turne his hand against those that hate them and either cause their rage utterly to cease as hee did sundry times in Iudah when the people so sought his face or if in his justice he did harden their hearts to pursue as the Egyptians did the Israelites into the heart of the Sea they should not need to feare but even stand still and see the salvation of God in the perpetuall confusion of such cruell and bloud-thirstie enemies Oh England God calleth to thee to be warned by the example of thy neighbours friends allies and brethren to meet the Lord by repentance and whilst he doth shake the rod at thee to shake off that sluggish and carelesse profession of the Gospell to scoure off the rust of those sinnes which so long peace plenty and prosperity have bred to cause thy love to spring againe afresh to the Gospell and more sincerely to practise the duties of pietie and godlinesse being fruitfull in all good works If thou doest so the Lord of Hosts will cashier and discharge his Armies put an hooke in their nosthrils and a bit in their iawes as hee did against that proud Sennacherib Or else they shall plot and fight without him yea take our parts against them and arme the winds waters against them as sometimes he hath done to his everlasting praise But if England will not be reclaimed and reformed but still refuse and be rebellious hating to be reformed adding drunkennesse to thirst making a mocke of Gods Iudgements when they are threatned the Lord will turne thy calme into a storme and to trust in any earthly thing were but to make vanitie our refuge There is no wisdome counsell nor strength against the Lord It is the Lord that raiseth tempests and if he be disposed to raise one it shall rise indeed he hath wayes and meanes which we see not David was as confident as wee can be that his mountaine was so strong that it could not be moved but it was moved and shaken indeed Cannot he that hangeth the earth on nothing shake a mountaine He doth weigh them in scales Remember this doctrine Yea let every one that is inwardly troubled and afflicted in soule know that howsoever God may therein use Sathan and permit him to vex and disquiet or else the melancholike evill disposition of our bodies yet such spirituall afflictions are from God They neither come by chance or fortune nor properly from Sathan or our selves but God Almightie laieth such troubles upon our soules for exercise of our Faith Patience Meeknesse and he will not suffer us to be tempted above that we shall be able to beare but will give issue with the temptation and in good time cause a calme And therefore still let us provoke our soules to wait upon God and to be of good comfort in him So much for the qualitie Now as this tempest was raised suddenly as a whirle-winde or gust vpon the Sea so for quantitie it was a great one It is worthy to be observed that when our Saviour wrought any miracle the Euangelists are directed to describe the greatnesse of the evill by such circumstances as declare that the evill was by naturall helpe and meanes utterly incurable As a man full of leprosie came to Christ and he did but touch him and cure him A woman had beene diseased with an issue of blood twelue yeeres and had spent her living on Physitians neither could be healed by any came behinde him and did but touch the hem of his garment and immediatly her issue of blood stanched A man that was borne blinde having his eyes anointed with clay was made to see Lazarus who had beene dead foure daies and was said to stinke by the voice of Christ was raised to life The like may be observed in many others So here that the glorie of
the lesse he seemeth to heare or regard the more doe they cry and never give over till they awaken him This doth the Prophet require Yee that make mention of the Lord keepe not silence and give him not rest till he establish and make Ierusalem a praise in the earth Christ biddeth vs aske seeke knocke Yea and commendeth such as offered violence to the kingdome of God and tooke it by force Where he speaketh not of any corporall or naturall but of a spirituall force and the strength of the soule specially consisteth in two things as the hands therof First in Faith which laieth hold on all the promised mercies and goodnesse of God and will not part with them or let goe as Iob professed Though the Lord should kill mee yet will I trust in him The second is fervent Praier which as it were striveth with God breaketh open the doore of heavenly treasures and enricheth it selfe with what it wanteth So the Apostle requireth the Romanes to continue instant in prayer Yea that they would strive together with him in prayers to God for him Thus did Iacob he wrestled with God and would not let goe his hold till the Lord blessed him though he received a blow which lamed him yet hee would have a blessing though it cost him a limbe he wept and made supplication and by his strength had power with God Moses so encountered God with his praiers that Hee intreated him to let him alone And the woman of Syrophaenicia would take no nay but in the end overcame and received both commendation and reward Oh woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Dixeris nisi accepero non recedam prorsus accipies Chrysost If we make application whatsoever our owne estate be yet the Church of God standeth in need of our best praiers our brethren in France and Germanie are vnder the firie triall how calme soever our Sea be there is a great storme in theirs and the ship even covered with waves and Christ fast on sleepe Oh that he would arise as David praied Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered let them also that hate him flie before him as smoake is driven away c Yea oh that he would but awake yea lift up his eye-lids and but looke at his enemies as sometimes he looked vpon the hoast of the Egyptians thorow the fierie and cloudie pillar and then all the hoast of the Egyptians was troubled But alas no marvell that the Lord sleepeth and as it were void of sense and care suffer all to goe to wrecke and ruine seeing we doe not awaken him with our praiers the most pray not at all others though saying often the Lords praier or some other yet know not what they aske and the best pray negligently and coldly if they come neere to God with lips yet the heart is farre off Their praiers are but the labour of lips without fervencie of spirit earnest intention and contention of the soule our bodies in Church our mindes at home Gods Altar is without fire prayers without heat tongue and heart are strangers the one knoweth not what the other is doing Whereas he would have his blessings as it were wrung out of his hands by spirituall violence a sluggish and drowsie praier getteth nothing it is no better than babbling Oh would you be glad to see a calme Goe to Christ by praier pray pray pray for the peace of Ierusalem Many cannot otherwise helpe the Church but none so poore that cannot this way as I have lately shewed and be bold suiters God delighteth in an holy instancie and importunitie hee hath taught it by the example of a man comming to borrow bread of his friend at midnight and by the parable of the wicked Iudge being overcome by the importunitie of the poore widow yea sometimes the Lord maketh as though he did not heare and doth purposely deferre to helpe because he would set an edge on our desire and provoke us to pray more instantly and fervently So he suspended the Syrophaenicians suit as it were to hold her long in his companie his eares being more delighted to heare her redoubled obsecrations than the sweetest instrument of Musicke it tried faith won a soule occasioned a miracle Wherefore the Apostle requiteth so often not onely that we pray but that wee pray continually and that wee be instant and labour in them and that wee watch in them Iâ— ever wee will awaken Christ by praier wee must watch in them our selves a sluggish praier doth but â—ull him on sleepe And herein many come justly to be taxed and reproved for either they pray of custome and fashion without any sense or no sooner have kneeled down lifted up hands and eyes to heaven but forthwith if they go so far as if they were asleep or in an heavy slumber they have forgotten before whom they have presented themselves and what is the thing they have in hand or if for a while they hold out well yet by and by they will suffer Satan to carrie away their mindes and set them on other things The Disciples did not so here and dost thou thinke to awaken God when thou callest on him with yawning halfe asleepe halfe waking Or dost thou thinke to obtain any good blessing at Gods hands by a cold sluggish and drowsie praier No no as the praâ—er of faithfull fervencie is an excellent service to God both exceeding pleasing and available to bring downe many blessings from the Lord c. So an idle perfunctorie praier is exceeding displeasing and taking of his name in vaine and only mightie to pull downe curses Oh pray then but take â—eâ—d how you pray be fervent in praier and put up your supplications with sobs sighs grones teares and all earnest intention of soule and bodie Double treble yea multiply your praiers and supplications for your selves and for his people vncâ—ssanâ—ly importune him and as Moses Nehemiah and Daniel urge his mercies compassions promises glorie blasphemie of enemies c. Oh this is the way to awake him but cold suters prove cold speeders And because though the spirit be willing yet the flesh is weake even Moses his hands grew wearie as hee had Aaron and Hur to helpe to stay them up so quicken thy spirit by fasting and meditation and therein consider both how happy thou art if God heare and grant thee thy blessing thou desirest and how exceeding miserable and wretched thou art if he deny thee It is a true Proverb That life is sweet and no marvell for it is the greatest blessing unto man and whereon all earthly blessings have so farre their dependance as it ceasing all they also cease to be the Disciples considering their life and all earthly happinesse was now at stake if the storme