1.33 Vse 5 5. For instruction vnto the afflicted to be distributed as the former diuided the whole into fiue parts that the same may partitè peecemeale as it were and so the more easily be taken and laid vp First that they remember their misery the worm wood and the gall that their soules haue the same still in remembrance and be humbled thereby for therein is the hope k Iam. 3.20 21. Secondly that suffering according to the will of God they commit their way and the keeping of their soules in well doing vnto God as to a faithfull Creator l 1. Pet. 4 vlt. 1 Pet. 4. vlt. Able he is to keepe that which is committed vnto him Faithfull he is and will not suffer the faithfull to bee tempted aboue that they are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that they may be able to beare it m â— Cor. 10.13 Thirdly that they pray Let a man afflicted pray n Iam. 5.13 pray continually o Col 4.5 continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiuing giuing thanks for the grace present by which Satan is resisted and the burthen sustained praying also with all prayer and supplication in the spirit that the burthen on them may bee taken of them prayer the meanes to remoue it for he who heareth prayer hath giuen his word that inuocated in the time of trouble he will deliuer them that call vpâ—n his name Psal 50.15 * Ideo prenuntur iusti vt clameâ— clamanies exaud antur â—â—uditi glorificent Deum Aug. in loc Fâ—urthly that by paâ—ience they possesse their soules p Luk. 21.19 and as the Thessalonians cause other to glory for their patience and faith in all their persecutions and tribulations q 2 Thes 1.4 This the victorie of the Saints r Reu. 13.10.14.12 the issue of tribulation Å¿ Rom. 5.3 the effect of the word t Reu. 3.10 this the dawning of light on the sprenting of that seed which is sowen for the righteous In Psal 97.11 Light i. peace and prosperity the fruit of righteousnesse is sowen for the righteous in the dayes of euill sitting in darknes * Micah 7.8 A phrase from the plough Good seed sowen in fallowes broken vp lieth for a time couered in the ground and sprouteth not suddenly but in its season In their sufferings it is so with the seruants of God Their hearts furrowed with the culter of the Crosse the word of patience cast vpon it by the hand of faith the harrow of godly sorrow drawen ouer and ouer it in the conuulsions thereof In his time the Lord commeth and raineth on them righteousnes wherin vnto themselues they had sowed u Hos 10.12 and tempestiue peace the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse x Heb. 12.11 is in full sheaues brought in a time accepted home into their barnes their barnes are filled yea their hearts with food and gladnesse by their hard and tedious labours indured therefore counted happie they that indure Behold saith the Apostle we count them happie that indure y Iam. 5.11 Of the patience of Iob that happie man no man is ignorant nor so blinde but may see in him the end of the Lord that hee is verie pitifull and of tender mercie They that wait on him renew their strength mount vp with wings as Eagles run and are not wearie walke and are nor faint z Esa 40.31 for as they on him so waiteth he on them that he may be gratious vnto them and will be exalted a Esa 30.18 that he may haue mercy vpon them O how blessed are all they that wait for him b Psal 2.12 Psal 34.2 Pâ—â— 16.20 Iâ—r 77. Fâ—fthly that they sâ—tisfie themselues as with the likenesse of God when they awake c Psal 17.15 so with his presence while they sleepe or walke rather thorow the valley of the shadow of death their eyes withholden with the present pressures that they cannot sleepe Sufficient to the day is the euill thereof d Mat. 6. vlt. sufficient to the euill dayes the presence of El Schaddai God all-sufficient who but hee in heauen e Psal 73.25 and in earth besides him what to be desired In him all liue and moue and haue their being f Act 17.28 the Author he and finisher of faith g Heb. 12 2â— All and in all that haue faith in him In Heauen what need shall be of the Sun or of the Moone h Isa 60 11.19 or of candle or of victuall or of vesture or of lands or of liuings Not any for the Lord will be All All in Heauen and in earth All things Therefore suffering need what need of any thing more than of God to sit in the minde and to frame the same to the present state or to dwell in the heart and to fill the same with food and gladnes The minde on him and hee in the minde the heart on him and he in the heart what want of the creatures or of other gifts Is not all want supplyed with his fulnesse What wanted Moses Elocution What answer from God had he but this i Exod. 4.11 12. Who hath made mans mouth I will be with thy mouth Would God be a mouth vnto him or a tongue in his mouth In effect he would and fully be as good yea better for vse and more effectuall of all other things wanting to the afflicted the like may bee said Who made them Orphans want their parents who made their parents He that made their parents will be vnto them in stead of parents Parents want their children who made their children He that made their children will be vnto them in stead of children widdowes want their husbands who made their husbands Hee that made their husbands wâ—ll bee with them in stead of husbands widdowers want their wiues who made their wiues Hee that made their wiues will bee with them in stead of wiues brethren want their sisters who made their sisters Hee that made their sisters will be vnto them in stead of sisters sisters want their brethren who made their brethren He that made their brethren will be with them in stead of brethren the poore afflicted persecuted want their houses lands meanes liuelihood who made all and gaue all vnto all He that made all and gaue them all will be vnto them instead of all Varieties of comforts in the varietie of the creatures Parents afford one kâ—nde of solace children another husbands another wiues another brethren another sisters another lands and such like meanes another but the Lord he is God of all consolation not any without him in any thing but with him is comfort in euery thing And hee with his afflâ—cted what 's the euill on them or against them He with them in exile what 's their exile He with them in prison what 's 〈◊〉 imprisonment he with them in disgrace what 's their disgrace He with
incorporated Psal 40.8 Psal 51.6 desired in the inward parts and hidden in the hidden part 5. bound fast and closed about the impe of the word inserted it is consepted and strengthened yea as an orchard or vineyard with wals and hedges fenced and fortified with holy cares and godly iealousies lest wilde and harmefull beasts breake it off or bite it off or come nigh it to hurt it How many caueats hath the Apostle in his Epistles to this purpose Deceiue not your selues Be not deceiued r 1 Cor. 6.9 Gal. 6.7 Let no man deceiue you with vaine words Å¿ Ephes 5.6 Let no man beguile you with inticing words Let no man spoile you through Philosophie and vaine deceit after the tradition of men or after the rudiments of the world t 2 Coloss 2. â— Besides the beasts of Ephesus u 1 Cor. 15.32 and the grieuous wolues x Act. 20.29 what care tooke he to detect and defeat to preuent and preuince * Prauincire Gal. 2.5 propugning the truth oppugning the aduersaries not giuing to them place by subiection no not for an houre that the Gospell stablished might continue for euer Let the same minde be in you which was also in him The word ingraffed hedge yee about fence and keepe safe from malignant persons euill cogitations cares riches the pleasures of this life vnbeleefe Apostasie and such like The enuious man will if he can make a breach vpon it and bring in these destroyers Therefore take yee heed yea let him that thinketh he standeth z 1 Cor. 1â— 11 12 take heed lest he fall or bee surprized in an houre that hee knoweth not Finally fruit is expected to bee had vnto holinesse and the end euerlasting life a Rom. 6.22 Summer and winter the plant the same fat in old age and flourishing as the Palme tree not blasted with the winds of other vaine doctrines not nipped with the frosts of hearts hardnesse or natures remissenesse not beaten downe by the messengers of Satan buffeting the branches nor withered so much as in one leafe with the extremities of the times but as those that be planted b Psal 92.13 in the house of the Lord the c 1 Cor. 3. â— increase giuen of God fruitfull in old age and comfortfull in affliction Let a man therefore examine himselfe and brethren proue your selues whether yee haue or no the comforting word which is the ingraffed word The heart vncleane incision not made for insition no siâ—ns immitted nor closed about with louing affection no sensure about it nor any fruit appearing it is not ingraffed nor affordeth it refreshment to the soule that is wearie But the heart cleane through the word which is spoken incision made the impe setled and closed on euery side with embracements of loue fenced and fruitfull it is ingraffed and THE WORD which is comfort in affliction Remaineth what is expected De ratione consolandi how and in what manner the poore afflicted are comforted by the word In Isay 30.21 it is said Thine eare shall heare a word behinde thee saying This is the way c. d Emphaticè verbum audiendi ponitur Deum hic padagoge comparat quâ— pueret sibi ante occulas statuit c. Marloâ—â—t in loc As pupils from behinde them heare the voice of their Schoolemaster or Tutor teaching and admonishing them so the seruants of the Lord his heauenly-voice and in their affliction they are by the word mixed with faith incordiated hid in the heart inscribed and ingraffed informed and comforted as here followeth 1 By the word through faith they vnderstand That afflictions are effects of Gods decree which is sealed and remaineth sure as e Psal 125.1 Mount Sion not to be remoued fals a sparrow to the ground f Mat. 10.29 or an haire from the head without him The sufferings of the Saints are fore-ordained as themselues foreknowne g Rom. 8.29 Thus when I remember I powre out in mee my soule thus * Psal 42.4 Hath God decreed to me and appointed mee to beare the euill vpon me I will without any reluctation beare it the stiffe-necked striue with the yoke to their hurt it is good to yeeld in youth h Lam. 3.27 in the first houre in the last all must Dâ—th Shimei curse mee The Lord hath bidden him i 2 Sam. 16.10 Doth Saul persecute me Vexed he is with an euill spirit sent from the Lord k 1 Sam. 19 9. Doe other men vnreasonable and wicked insedable and absurd insest oppose plot against me thrust sore at me that I might fall and fal into the pit which they haue digged for me l Gal. 3.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are as Paul of the Galatians mad men distracted in their minds they know not what they doe what m Io. 8.44 doe they but the lusts of the deuill What are they but his agents and instruments yet permitted all of my Lord my God to humble me to proue me n Deut. 8.2 to know what is in me whether I wil trust in him cleaue to him or * Tentatio probatio in non perditionis it is a tentation of probation not of destruction Doth sicknesse afflict me it is the seruant of the Lord comming and going as the Centurions o Mat. 8.8 9. according to his word Doth any pressure or other disaster ingrauate or grieue me nothing happeneth or is done nor shall happen or bee done vnto me but what the hand of God and his counsell hath before determined to be done p Act. 4. â—â— Therefore being vile in mine owne eyes and base in mine owne sight q 2 Sam. â— 22 I say as he that went vp barefoot by the ascent of Mount Oliuert r 2 Sam. 15 2â— Behold here I am let the Lord doe to me as seemeth good vnto him Surely hee will not cast off for euer but though hee cause griefe Å¿ Lam. 3 32 yet will he haue compassion and This is my comfort in my affliction 2 By the word through faith they vnderstand That afflictions are arguments of the adoption of sonnes vnto God t Heb. 12.6 euery sonne whom hee receiueth flagellat hee scourgeth yet not in his anger but with iudgement to teach them his iudgements Impunity a note of bastardy yea saith the spirit u Verse 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sonnes Bastards may escape that increpation correction discipline nurture which sons must suffer many vile seruants haue much more liberty and mony in their purse than many dears children The naturall sonne a bodâ—e prepared him had his eares bored and opened as other mens Isay 50.6 x Isa 50.6 A man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefes y Isa 53.3 tempted himselfe z Heb. 2. vlt. buffeted and smitten yet not rebellious neither turned hee away
when of things that cannot indeed bee separated the one is vnderstood and omitted the other ver grat light and heat cannot bee separated in the fire yet the light may he considered not the heat or the heat and not the light So charity and good works are not negatiuely separated but priuatiuely made as effects consequents not concurring causes of iustification Sembably my Beloued although we cannot really separate betweene your sinnes and your persons yet negatiuely we say that we intend not your persons but priuatiuely in our mindes we consider your sinnes bearing the image of Satan at which wee strike I say at the image of the Deuill and Satan not at your persons made as we our selues after the similitude of God O that yee would beleeue this and when your sinnes are smitten on the face with the rod of the mouth u Isa 11.4 or with that sharpe two edged sword which goeth out of the mouth of the Lord x Reu. 1.16 ye would reason with your selues or commune with your owne heart and be still or speake on this wise one vnto another in the faithfull assemblies This Preacher speakes with authority aboue himselfe it s the very word of God which hee preacheth the word which he preacheth is quicke and powerfull y Heb. 4.12 pierceth and diuideth things asunder in vs discerneth the thoughts and intents of our hearts pulleth downe strong holds z 2 Cor. 1â— 4 5. casteth downe imaginations and euery high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God apprehendeth our sins grappleth with them euinceth them conuinceth vs 2 Tim. 2.15 dealeth as a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly diuiding the word of truth applying it according to the rule thereof Are wee not our selues or many of vs husbandmen what doe we our selues in our profession doe wee cast our seed into vncleane places or amongst bryars thorns and stones rubbish no we first clense and manure our ground sowe afterwards our seed and haue long patience for the precious fruit besides in our orchards when we plant or graffe doe we suffer to grow the fiens of the crab-tree No we cut them off and cleanse the stocke What then doth the spirituall husbandman more in his spheare than we in ours before he will sowe the holy seed or let in the heauenly plant hee laboureth with great difficulty to prepare the ground where he would sowe and purge the stocke on which he would ingraffe the word Must hee therefore be blamed or slouenly would we haue him to doe his worke or negligently or vnfaithfully Absit God forâ—id This in our owne seruants is not tolerated much lesse it to bee in the seruants of the Lord * Ier. 8.11 To cry peace peace when there is no peace is to heale hurts slightly * false Prophets will doe it but otherwise the man that is sent from God Consider what I say and God giue you vnderstanding The word to be ingraffed the stock is to bee cleansed The stocke cleansed incision for insition is made a diuision made betweene the soule and the spirit a Heb. 4.12 Nomen aâ—timae saepe idem valet quod spiritus sed cum simul iunguntur prius comprehendit sub se affectus omnes c. Caluin in lic Allegoria quadam hyperocha â—dumbrare vâ—luit Apostolus diuinisermonis vim efficaciâ—m c. Bâ—llinger naturall things and spirituall things reason and the light which is the life of men the affections and the intellectuall facultie This diuision Experience reacheth tacitè and conuerts best know how it is How were the first pricked in their hearts and diuided in themselues nâ—t knowing what to doe b Act. 2.37 after the incision made before before the immission of the heauenly plant nor doth any man The word which saueth the soule of whom receiued without much affliction by the internall diuision after the infition Such it is I thinke as the groanings of the Spirit making intercession according to the will of God it cannot be vttered the Thessalonians receiued the word with much affliction but what kind of afflâ—ction or how grieuous it was he saith not Therefore whensoeuer incision is made your heart smitten and smiting you being smitten by the word attend still or diuided in you selues all the faculties slit and clouen the affections your reason visited with the day-spring from on high your vnderstanding illightened your soule fainting your spirit panting a conflâ—ct begunne and a striuing within you as in Rebeccahs wombe betweene Esau and Iacob Nature and Grace Bee not dismaied for this must be and is where the word is about to bee ingraffed to the sauing of the soule 3. Incâ—sion for insition made the sien of holy science is infited and set in the word let in that heauenly plant by heauenly Art into the vnderstanding The sense giuen thereof and the reading vnderstood Therefore hearing the word of the kingdome apply your heart to wisdome and your minde to vnderstand the wondrous things d Psal 119.18 the mysteries which were kept secret since the world began e Rom. 16.15 yea pray alwayes with all manner of prayer and supplication in the spirit that it may bee giuen vnto you to know the mysterie of God f Coloss 2 2. 1 Tim. 3.16 and of godlinesse that seeing yee may see that hearing yee may heare and vnderstand h Mat. 13.16 Dauid prayed how often Gâ—ue me vnderstanding make me to vnderstand An vnderstanding heart Salomons hearts desire i Reg. 3.9 and Pauls that the Churches might abound more and more k Phil. 1.8 9. in all knowledge and in all iudgement in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding This by the Word The word read or heard and not vnderstood profiteth not but by reading and hearing and prayer made to God entrance is made into the vnderstanding heauenly light let in and worldly darknesse out l Psal 119 130 The entrance of the word giueth light it giueth vnderstanding to the simple 4. The sien insited is bound fast and closed about with all louing affections stirred vp vnto it yea shut vp and riuetted in the heart to dwell richly therein in all wisdom not left loose for graffes so let fall out anon or be blowen out Therefore loue yee the incitiue word lest ye lose it vnawares embrace it with all complacencie of affection so shall no storme stirre it nor force amoue it it is not enough to receiue the word except ye receiue the loue of the word Shall not some be damned because they receiued not the loue of the truth m 2 Thes 2.10 O how I loue thy laws n Psal 119.97 saith Dauid it is my meditation all the day yea day and night the exercise of the blessed man it is inclosed within him it is in his heart and loued with his heart the heart as soone to be lost as the word ingraffed therein and