embraced and entertained him as God doth all repenting sinners yet his elder brother would not owne him but called him in disdaine This thy sonne not this my brother but this thy sonne as if hee had beene nothing of kinne to him because he was growne into poverty and driven by necessity to make bold with his friends had he come home richly attired or bravely attended or sufficiently monied then no doubt hee should have beene his brother as welcome to him as to his father but because hee was beggerly bare and poore he was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this thy sonne O nimis inimica amicitia saith a father Oh the too friendlesse friendship of this world that want of meanes should cause want of love that a man should be valued not according to that which hee hath but according to that which he hath not I beseech you take it into your consideration whether it be not a hard matter for a man to be well contented that shall see himselfe despised and undervalued and then judge whether a man hath not reason to pray as Agur did Lord let me not come to poverty propter infamiam for the contempt and scorne that poore men are subject to 4 Lastly propter imbecillitatem for the frailty and weakenesse of our corrupted nature which is such that if our meanâ—s begin to faile us our faith in God is ready to faint and faile us too Though God would have us live by faith Heb. 10. 38. yet alas we count that but a poore kinde of living and as long as we can either live by our meanes or live by our friends or live by our wits or live by our shifts as long as we can live any way we will hardly be brought to live that way to live by our faith in Iesus Christ It fares with us for the most part as it did with Hagar Gen. 21. 15. as long as her bread and her bottle held out so long she was reasonably well content we heare no complaint no moane that she made but as soone as ever these were wasted and spent and done presently she falls a crying out she was undone she and her child must die there was no more hope Thus it fares with us as long as our meanes and monies hold we can be indifferently well content God Almighty seldome heares of us but if these be exhausted and gone we are presently out of heart wee thinke there is no way but one with us we and our children must perish there is no other hope unlesse God open our eyes as he did the eyes of Hagar to see the fountaine of his goodnesse that is ever at hand to supply the poores necessities and when we are quieted Beloved it is an easie matter for a man to pray for his daily bread when hee hath it in his cupboard but when our owne provisions faile us then to rely and rest upon the provisions of God that is the triall of a Christians faith It is an easie matter to swim in a warme bath every weakling every impotent body can doe that but he that can hold up his head in a dangerous sea when every wave is ready to absorpe and swallow him up that is the triall of a mans strength and life so it is an easie matter to be content in a plentifull estate where there 's no want no lack of any thing but for a man to be cast as it were into a sea of troubles where so many wants like so many waves come daily beating and breaking in upon him then to hold up his head with content and confidence in God there 's the touchstone of an undissembled faith indeed You that never yet felt any want little doe you know what plunges poore men are driven to in the time of need therefore since God in mercy doth not make you to know their miseries by experience I would have you to know it by fellow-feeling that you may learne of Agur to desire of God not to bring you to poverty propter imbecillitatem for the weakenesse of humane nature that can hardly hold out in the want of earthly meanes Thus you have heard the inconveniences of poverty which is one extreame of this vertue heare now in few words the inconvenience of Riches which is the other extreame both enemies to a mans contentment Give me neither poverty nor riches By Riches doubtlesse Agur meanes such Riches as our Saviour cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mammon of unrighteousnesse Luke 16. 9. Riches ill gotten by unjust unrighteous meanes for otherwise Salomon tels us Prov 10. 22. That the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it intimating that they which grow rich and not by Gods blessing but by such meanes as God hath accursed the Lord doth adde such a deale of sorrow and care and vexation with it that they were as good or better be without it Such riches they were that Abraham rejected at the King of Sodoms hand Gen. 14. 23. when he offered him goods and spoiles enough to have enriched him and all his houshold no saith Abraham I will not take so much as a â—hred or a shooe-latchet because it shall never be said the King of Sodome hath made me rich men shall never say that Abraham was made rich not by Gods blessing but by the King of Sodomes meanes God shall make Abraham rich or I am content still to be poore It is reported of Nevessan a better Lawyer than honest man that he should say He that would not venture his bodie shall never be valiant nor he that will not venture his soule be rich Let them that make no reckoning of their soules venture them at their perill but let all that desire contentment here or heaven hereafter make their prayers to God as Agur did From such kinde of riches good Lord deliver us And great reasons may be given for it 1 Quia onerant because such kind of riches load and clog the soule Heb. 2. 6. Woe be to him that increaseth that which is not his and to him that ladeth himselfe with thicke clay How long Marke what a base terme God gives the wealth of this world he cals it densum lutum thicke clay because it bemires and clogs us too He that increaseth that which is not his but hookes it out of other men by evill meanes he must needs be bemired must needes have a foule conscience an uncleane heart to God ward and he that ladeth himself with thicke clay must needes be clogâ— in his minde must needes go heavily and slowly on to heaven if ever he come there with such a lading And marke how the Prophet addes Vsque quo How long and there makes a stop to shew the indefatigablenesse of covetous men though they have enough to load them they can never have enough to tyre them though he load his house his bags his wits his memory and his conscience yet is he never weary with all
prayes well can never speed ill In any case goe not out of doores without seeking of God how dost thou know what mischiefe may befal thee in the way if God be not with thee to protect thee but if thou hast sought to him he will be a sunne and a shield unto thee Psal 84. a Sunne to direct and guide thee a Shield to defend and save thee from all annoyances that may hurt thee Hee will give his Angels charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes in viis non in praecipitiis in thy wayes wherein thou walkest with God as Enoch did not in thy headlong courses wherein thou runnest without God when thou runnest in the Divels way in the way of wickednesse and vanity thou art out of Gods protection and must never looke to prosper out of Gods wayes and out of Gods protection In all thy journies therfore do as Elkanah did 1 Sam. 1. 19. He rose up early in the morning to return to Ramath but he durst not set forward a foot till he had worshipped before the Lord Moses would not stirre a foot except Gods presence went with him Exod. 33. 15. beare thou that mind hold thou that godly resolution and my life for thine God will make thy way to prosper 3 You that are as Souldiers and men of warre if you be commanded to fight the Lords battels in causa Christi against his and your enemies and as Tertul. speakes cruorem cruore reponere to retaliate bloud with bloud to shed your bloud for Christ that hath shed his bloud for you doe you desire that your warfare should prosper then seeke to God before you set upon your enemies it is God that must cover your heads in the day of battell it is hee that must defend you from the danger of the enemie Beleeve it a man of warre without God is but a naked man though in the mid'st of all his harnesse Exod. 32. 25. it is said that Moses saw the people were naked after their great sinne how naked Non veste sed gratiâ praesidio Dei they were naked not so much for want of cloaths armes as for want of the grace favour and protection of God and no doubt as Ferus observeth Si tunc corruissent hostes if their enemies had then fallen upon them they had most shamefully foiled them Thus it is still let a man be never so well cloathed never so well armed never so well guarded and weaponed if he be stript of Gods protection by sinne hee lies naked and open to all disasters and therefore if ever any of you come upon that service first seeke the Lord and that is the way to prosper 4 You that are great projectors and plotters for your advancement in the world let me onely admonish you in a word that in all your plots you would beginne with the first mover and seeke to God before you set upon the meanes for it is a certaine thing no project can prosper without God when you have wrought a businesse and ripened it and as you thinke brought it to maturity if God be not sought unto he can dash it and blast it in a moment that it shall prove abortive like the untimely fruit of a woman Esay 8. 10. Take counsell together and it shall be brought to nought pronounce a decree and it shall not stand for God is with us No good to be done without God Hannah gives this counsell in her song 1 Sam. 2. 3. Speake no more presumptuously let not arrogancy come forth of your mouth for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him enterprises are established for any man to thinke or say that he is able of himselfe to bring an enterprize to passe hee speakes presumptuously hee takes more upon him than he is able to performe for mortall man hath not the knowledge to looke through a businesse to see all the circumstances of it all the wheeles that must concurre to accomplish it The Lord is onely a God of knowledge by him enterprizes are brought to passe one thing brought to passe by him is better than a thousand brought to passe by our selves without him because his mercy is over all his works that is as one wel expounds it as the warmth of a Hen is over al her egges to cherish and to hatch them so is Gods mercy over all his works to produce them so as shall be most for our good whereas if a man sit brooding over his own projects and think to hatch and produce them of himselfe with out God they wil prove but Cockatrices egges which when they are broken a serpent appeares some mischiefe or other to shame and blame themselves If you desire then that your projects should prosper and your enterprises succeed and come to good effect then seeke to God for councell and direction begge for the secret guidance of his spirit and the secret working of his providence and he shall prosper thy projects and bring thy enterprizes to passe 5 Last of all you that are in debt and distresse for want of meanes and maintenance I shall endeavour to give you counsell from my Text you know that godlinesse and honestie is not alwayes a defence against debt grace and goodnesse may keepe a man from unthriftinesse but it doth not ever keepe a man from povertie so that even the best the holiest the honestest men on earth may be in debt and deepe in arrerages not through any lavishnesse or riot of expence for Religion teacheth a good man to moderate his hands and to spend within the proportion and compasse of his estate but other wayes by the inflicting or ordering hand of God upon him to trie him Many wayes there be to bring a man into debt but there is but one way that I know to bring a man out of debt and that is this that is chalked out here in my text To serve and seeke the Lord. If God be truely served if the Lord be sincerely sought unto let a mans estate be never so poore his debts never so many his dangers never so great God will find a meanes to worke him out as the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. ◠9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation though the godly know not how they should possibly be delivered yet God in his secret wisedome knowes how to deliver them so God knows how to deliver a poore man out of debt though he himselfe know no evasion hath no meanes either in his power or in his view God is never at a stand never at a losse if we know how to pray he knowes how to helpe us What said the man of God to Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. 9. when he forbad him to take the Ephramites into the battell against the Edomites because God was not with them Amaziah asked him what then should become of the hundred talents which hee had given them for their helpe Cannot God said the Prophet give
thee more than this so say I to him that trembles at the inundation of debt upon him cannot God if hee were sought unto give an issue out of this cannot God I say if the stumbling-blocke of thy sinne were taken out of the way by a sound and serious humiliation cannot God give thee even more than that thou owest cannot God doe more for thee than thou art aware of assure thy selfe he can nay assure thy selfe he will Take not my word for it but take the Apostles word Phil. 4. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be nothing carefull so we translate it but the word signifies be not distracted or troubled in minde and what is there in the world what worldly thing I meane that more distracts and troubles an honest-minded man than the thought and consideration of his debts and dangers well but is there no remedie is there no reliefe for one in such a case yes there is one universall remedie for all evils whatsoever and that is humble prayer that is the harbour we must put into in all our ill weather and that is it the Apostle directs unto in the place-forecited be carefull for nothing but in every thing let your request be made knowne unto God in supplication and prayer and giving of thankes and the God of peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall keepe and guard your hearts as Kings are kept and guarded from all annoyances This doe then thou that art perplexed and intangled in a labyrinth of debt that thou canst find no outgate no passage no way to escape down upoÌ„ thy knees to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome speaks unclaspe thy conscience before God lay open thy grievances to him unloade thy cares and wants and feares into the bosome of Iesus Christ and ifany meanes under heaven will ease and helpe thee this will doe it Beleeve it brethren all worldly policies without this are but Arenasine calce sand without lime they wil never hold together when wee have most neede of them but like untempered morter will fall asunder let earnest prayer be joyned with frugalitie skill and industrie and then expect with comfort the end that God will give and this is the way to make a poore man prosper I have but one thing more to move you in before I leave this point and that is this that you whom God hath already prospered and blest and enabled to doe good would be pleased and perswaded to give something out of your plentie to the poore and pious uses according as God hath prospered you it is the Apostles own word 1 Cor. 16. 2. He would have every one lay up in store by him to bestow on the poore and needy according as God hath prospered him for the quantitie God hath left it to every mans conscience onely in generall he is directed 2 Cor. 9. to doe as God hath prospered him we should doe therefore in this case as the Iewes doe in another case who because they know not the precise time when the Sabbath should begin and end they beginne it an houre the sooner and end it an houre the later this they call Additionem de prophano ad sacrum an addition from prophanenesse to holinesse I will not dispute the lawfulnesse of that act in particular but generally in such cases as this it is good for every man to doe rather with the most than with the least Quantiscumque sumptibus constet lucrum est piet at is nomine facere sumptus Whatsoever cost a man is at for pious and charitable uses it shall be a gaine unto himselfe We finde 1 Chron. 22. 14 when David had bestowed all his cost in preparation for the Temple a hundred thousand talents of gold a thousand thousand talents of silver thus he exprest it Ecce in paupertate meâ this saith he I have done according to my poverty as if he had said if I had beene able to doe more I would have done more but this was as much as I could reach to and this I trust God will accept say not then in thy heart if I were rich If I were able I would doe thus and thus but doe as God hath prospered thee if thou canst not doe according to thy minde doe according to thy meanes and that is all that God requires we read Mat 21. when our Saviour came riding to Ierusalem some strewed their garments in the way and some cut downe bowes and branches If thou beest not able to strew thy garments in the way of Christ that is to cloath his poore naked members then cut downe bowes and branches at least speake comfortable words to them plead for them and what thou wantest in substance make up in prayer You know the poore widdowes case in the Gospell that put her two mites into the poore mans box our Saviour Christ affirmed that she gave more than all the rest because shee gave all that shee had which testified as one saith not only her liberality to God but her confidence in God that she did verily beleeve though shee left her selfe nothing she should not lacke whereupon Saint Augustine saith Divites largiuntur securi de divitiis pauper securus de Domino a rich man gives and feares no want because hee knowes he hath enough at home a poore man gives and feares as little because he knowes he hath enough above there is one above will supply his wants Beleeve it brethren he that gives any thing with a true intent to relieve the poore and to maintaine the distressed shall doe himselfe more good than he doth them whom hee releeves and I will prove it out of Deut. 15. 7. 10. If there be amoâ—g you a poore man one of thy brethren within any of thy gates thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand upon thy poore brother but thou shalt surely give him and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto Contrariwise he that is so gripple and so base that he will part with nothing to the poore let him know that in so doing he makes a forfeiture to God of all his goods and God will be a severe exacter of it at his hands when hee comes to judgement We have a president for it in the Gospell of the man that had a talent given him and did not use it as hee ought there came an extent from God first upon the talent Take away his talent from him theÌ„ there came an extent upon his person too Take away the unprofitable servant bind him and cast him into utter darkenesse As S. Peter told Simon Magus Thou and thy money perish together it had beene happie for him if nothing but his money had perished but there comes an extent from God against all Hee and his money must perish together As the Idolater as one said of
Iulian shall burne in hell with that same wood and stone that he adored and made a god of on earth So the Vsurer and money-monger that hath no goodnesse nor compassion in him shall burne in hell with the same silver and gold that he made an idoll of here in this world I will say no more but this Shew mercy to the poore for Christs sake and Christ will shew mercy to you for the poores sake Doe good as God hath prospered you and then you fulfill the law of Christ I have done with the first generall point of my text namely the ground and foundation of true prosperitie that it must be raised and built upon religion and pietie God must be sought unto ere any true prosperitie can be attained unto I will dispatch the other part in a word or two and so conclude And that is the bounds and limitation of true prosperitie how farre it reacheth and how long it lasteth and that is onely during the time that a man serves and seekes the Lord. So long as he sought the Lord so long and no longer God made him to prosper Secondly So long How long that was you may see in the words before my Text Hee sought the Lord in the dayes of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions of God That wise and holy Prophet Zachariah was a happie tutor to the minority of K. Vzziah and was alwayes at hand to counsel and advise him to advertise admonish him in things pertaining to his God and his governement and by his godly doctrine and his holy life to guide and steere him the right way to happinesse now as long as Zechariah lived during all his time he sought the Lord and prospered but assoone as Zechariah was gone and gathered to his fathers it should seeme that Vzziah began to fall away and his prosperitie sunke as fast as his pietie just like the waters of Noah's floud as soone as ever the fountaines and springs began to be stopt presently the waters began to abate so when the spring of grace begins to be stopt up in a mans heart and damd up with wickednesse and sinne it is a venture but his prosperitie will abate and drie away and his later end shall be worse than his beginning Here then as in a mappe we may see and bewayle the miserable downe-fall of many Christian soules who during their minoritie and younger yeares while they live under good Parents good Tutors and good Governors they take good courses and keepe themselves in good order but when ever they come to their owne hand Sine cortice natare to swimme without a corke to saile without a sterne and to live without a guide and without a God they runne many times headlong into such desperate licentious courses that a man that sees them so bad at the last would hardly beleeve they had ever beene good at the first It is a good observation of a late Divine in the dayes of Popery and blindnesse the Divell it seemes walked very familiarly among them hence we have so many stories of hagges and fayries and of children taken out of cradles and others laid in their roomes and those they called changelings since the ight of the Gospell hath shined so cleerely these divels and fayries have not beene seene amongst us but still there are changelings too too many in every place Some the Priests and Iesuites have changed from the true Religion to Popery some the world have changed from good neighbourhood and good hospitalitie to all manner of basenesse and miserie some good-fellowship and the alehouse hath changed from temperance and sobrietie to prophanenesse and luxury too many such changelings there be in the world God of his mercy change them againe and transforme them into a better minde ut mutati mutatum inveniant as S. Bernard speakes that they being changed in affection to God-word may finde God changed in affection to them-ward to speake after the manner of men for if you marke the course of the world observe it where you will you shall never find that such kind of persons do prosper as those other changelings never prospered in body so these never prosper in estate God gives a secret curse unto them that nothing that they have shall prosper with them But they are like a man in a consumption howsoever he may bolster up himselfe for a time with Physicke and Diet-drinkes it will kill him in the end so he that is in a spirituall Atrophy a spirituall consumption that is fallen from God hee may goe on and hold out for a time but it will undoe him in the end Iust according to the saying of the Prophet Ionas Chap. 2. 8. They that follow after lying vanities forsake their owne mercy that is they wilfully deprive themselves of that mercy and prosperite which if they had cleaved and stucke unto God they might have beene as sure of as if it had beene their owne to bestow upon themselves and that was King Vzziahs case For our selves therefore to draw to an end if wee desire to goe on and prosper as wee have begun that there may be no decay no declining no abatement either in our pietie or in our prosperity either in our inward graces or in our outward fortunes let us labour for two things which King Vzziah wanted sincerity and humility First labour for sincerity be the same inwardly to God-ward that you seeme to be outwardly to the world-ward be like the curtaines of the Tabernacle which they say were so wrought that they were on both sides alike so be you alike on both sides in heart to the Lord and in life to the world else there is no hope of continuance for nil fictum est duturnum nothing that is counterfeit will last long counterfeit Pearls Diamonds may glister and sparkle and make a faire shew for a time but their lustre will not last so where there is only an outward forme of godlinesse and not the inward power of it it cannot last long If an apple be rotten at the core though it have a fai e outside it will not continue so long but rottennesse will possesse the outside also for this is the nature of things that are unsound they st ay not there where the rottennesse began but they putrifie and corrupt more and more so those that have rotten hearts to God-ward may carry a faire shew for a time but in the end the curse of God will come upon them and their very name shall rot that is their hypocrisie shall be discovered and their outside made as rotten as their inside Beware therefor of hyrocrisie and labour for sincerity Secondly pray for humility that was another grace that King Vzziah wanted it is said of him Vers 16. of this Chap. That God helped him till he was strong and when hee was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction this was a lamentable thing that a man in prosperity should be
downe into the soule Though we cannot command or forbid the raine to water the earth as Eliah did if we can water and mollifie the earthen hearts of men with the supernaturall raine of heavenly Doctrine and make a dry and barren soule beare fruit to God Is not this as great a wonder as the other Though we cannot cause nor command the thunder as Samuel did to terrifie the people for their sinnes yet God hath his Boanerges his sonnes of thunder still that by ratling from heaven the terrible judgements of God against sinne and sinners are able to make the stoutest and the proudest heart upon earth even tremble and quake and fall downe before the presence of God and is not this as great a miracle as that of Samuel to bring an unhumbled sinner upon his knees and make glad to cry God mercy for his sinnes In a word though wee cannot cast out devils out of mens bodies as the disciples of Christ could doe if we can cast the devill out of mens soules by the powerfull Gospell of Iesus Christ is it not as great a wonder Beleeve it brethren the conversion of a sinner to God and bringing of a soule to heaven is absolutely without comparison the greatest miracle the greatest wonder in the world And these be the miracles wherewith it pleaseth God to grace the Ministers of the Gospel therefore ye observe that the Collect for Ministers runnes thus Almighty God which onely workest great marvels c. When a soule is sicke to the death with a surfeit of sinne is recovered and revived againe by that same healthfull spirit of grace which God together with his Word doth breathe into the soule it is so great a marvell so rare a wonder that the Angels of heaven rejoyce to see it I have held you over-long in the former part of Eliahs prayer which brought the judgment heare now in a word or two the Reversing of the judgement and I have done And he prayed again the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit It well becomes the Prophets of God to be mercifull Good Eliah had not the heart to hold the people too long under a judgement when hee saw hee had done enough to humble them he desires God to reverse the judgement As it is observed of the good Angels in the old and new Testament when they appeared to any either man or woman their method and manner was this Primò terrent deinde laetisicaâ—t they first terrified them and put them into feare then presently comforted them and put them out of feare Thus did Eliah with this people thus did Moses with Pharaoh that good man had not the heart to hold wicked Pharoah alway under a judgement but upon the least entreaty made suit to God to reverse it So dealt the Prophet with Ieroboam 1 Reg. 13. 6. when he had smitten him with a judgment and had him at the advantage that his hand was withered Ieroboam was glad to submit and say Intreate now the face of the Lord thy God and pray for me that my hand may be restored me the man of God had not the heart to deny him but immediatly besought the Lord and the Kings hand was restored and became as it was before When a judgement comes then Prophets are in season Abraham is better than a King in this case Gen. 20. 7. 17. Restore the man his own for he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee and ver 17. Abraham prayed unto God and God healed Abimeleeh c. Goe to my servant Iob saith God to his friends Iob 42. 8. and my servant Iob shall pray for you for him will I accept So Act. 8. 24. When Peter had denounced a curse on Simon Magus he was glad to crouch and cry unto him Oh pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me Thus ye see that judgements and plagues will bring Prophets into request men commonly deale with their Ministers as boyes do by Walnut-trees and other fruit-trees in faire weather throw cudgels at us in foule runne to us for shelter In the dayes of peace and prosperity we are past over as superfluous creatures of whom there is little use and lesse neede but when the wrath of God falls on the naked soule when the conscience is wounded within and body pained without then the Minister is thought on I say no more if you desire their prayers and that God should heare them praying for you in your extremity do not slight them doe not wrong them in prosperity Remember how Ahab and all Israel were glad to be beholden to Eliah to reverse their judgment and you doe not know how soone the case may be your owne therefore as you love your soules love those that have charge of them And he prayed againe c. When I looke into the Story 1 Reg. 18. I can finde no direct prayer that Eliah made for raine But I â—iud there a twofold prayer that he made 1. A virtuall 2. A formall prayer 1. A virtuall prayer not for raine but for their conversion Oh Lord saith Eliah bring backe or bâ—ing home the heart of this people unto thee vers 73. and this includes all other prayers that can be made A prayer for Conversion is a prayer for every thing Ier. 31. 18. When Epâ—ratm prayes for conversion Turne thou me and I shall be turned saith God I will surely have mercy upon him c. Such is the goodnesse of God that he will with-hold no good thing be it raine be it plenty be it any thing that is good for them from them that are converted and brought home by true repentance to him Therefore if thou standest in neede of any temporall mercy pray first for conversion and all other good things shall be super-added and throwne in unto thee or if thou prayest for any child or for any friend to doe him good indeed pray for his conversion and thou prayest for every thing that one prayer is instar omnium insteed of all the rest If hee be in an ill way desire God to bring him backe and for future things take no care 2 A formall prayer when he saw that the people were truely humbled and that their hearts were indeed brought home to God insomuch that they cried out with an ingemmination The Lord he is God the Lord he is God then hee buckles his head betweene his knees to shew the humble prostration of his soule and falls a praying to God for raine After humiliation any prayer comes in season Esay 1. Wash ye make ye cleane put away the evill of your doings c. And now come saith God and we will reason together now let us parle now let us confesse now pray and I will heare you Iud. 10. 17. When the Israelites put away their strange gods and turned themselves to the true God by sincere repentance and reformation the text saith
unrighteous men from having to doe with him and make choise of one that is right-wise and honest to smite and to reprove him for such a one will doe it sine contumeliâ without disgrace 4 Sine adulatione without flattery without abetting or justifying a man in his evill courses For there is as one hath well observed a twofold Iustification 1 A Iustification of a sinner from his sinnes 2 A Iustification of a sinner in his sinnes the first is an act of Gods mercy the second is an act of mans flattery the former is an happy an blessed thing when God is pleased in mercy to justifie and acquit to discharge and free a guilty soule from the bond and punishment of all his sinnes by the merits and by the bloud and by the Spirit of Iesus Christ The latter is a wofull and accursed thing when a man shall speake good of evill and labour to justifie another mans actions though never so vile and foule it is such a Iustification as without Gods infinite mercy will bring a man to everlasting condemnation and yet such servile spirits there be that for their owne advantage will sooth a man up if hee be rich or great in all his wayes and wickednesse Let him sinne what he will they will not checke him project what he will they will not thwart him say what he will they are ready to second him and let him be what he will they applaud and admire him Oh what amiable friends are these these love a man as the Ravens love his eyes or as Dalilah loved Sampson when she hugged and lulled him in her lap and then cut off his locke which was the onely ligament that tied and fastned him to his God so she did what lay in her even to cut him off from God These are they whom the Prophet termes Caementarios diaboli the devils dawbers Ezech. 13. 10. the comparison stands thus when a man dwels in an old ruinous house the Mason comes and plasters and dawbes it over making the Indweller beleeve that all is well that it is a sound and a solid wall and he may dwell safely in it when the house is indeed ready to fal drop down and smother him Such are they that will not sticke to perswade a man that his case is good to God-ward that he hath no cause to be discontented or ill-conceited of himselfe when there is an ulcisci in promptu as the Apostle speaketh when vengeance is in a readinesse to fall downe and seize upon him Another calls them the devils Vphosters in relation to that Ezech. 13 18. if they see a man leane towards a sinne they will sow a pillow under his arme-hole i sooth him up in his inclination that he sleepe securely in it with as little trouble and unrest as possibly may be These be wofull friends God deliver every good man from having such burs hang on his sleeve from having his head broken with these precious balmes as our Translation reads my text For my part saith David give me a true friend that will smite me as for a flatterer that will smooth me I hate and abhor him give me such a friend as is like those sawces which a man commends with teares in his eyes whose reprehension is like some wholsome potion though it make a man sick for the present it wil purge him do him good for the time to come it be these rough hands as one said of Iacobs that bring us savory meate and carry away the blessing when they have done As David blessed Abigail when she met him and staied him from his evill purpose 1 Sam. 25. 32. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that hath sent thee to meete mee this day and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from shedding of bloud A flatterer may please a man at the first but a plaine-dealing friend hath his blessing at the last and such a one did David desire to be smitten by because he knew that he would doe it sine adulatione without flatery Lastly if a righteous man smite though he doe it as I have shewed 1 Sine felle without gall 2 Sine publicatione without notice 3 Sine contumeliae without disgrace 4 Sine adulatione without flattery yet which is the maine of all 5 Non sine Deo not without God If David could say of his enemy that cursed him Let him alone for God hath bidden to curse much more safely maist thou say of thy friend that reproves thee let him alone for God hath bidden him to smite And as the Apostle saith of Ministers that God doth entreat you by us so perswade your selves that God doth reprove you by them Doe not therefore resist do not reject good counsell least thou be found to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an opposer a fighter against God For beleeve it if thou dost not hearken to God when hee reproves thee by thy friend thou shalt one day heare him to thy cost when God will reprove thee by himselfe Give eare and tremble at that same tuba terroris as Saint Austin calls it that trumpet of terrour or that terrible trumpet Psal 50. 21. These things hast thou done and I held my peace whereupon thou thoughtest wickedly that I was such a one as thy selfe that is one that seeth evill done and by silence gives consent and takes pleasure in them that doe it But I will reprove thee saith God and set thine sinnes in order before thine eyes Tremble I say at the voice of this Trumpet Thou that wilt neither reprove thy selfe when thou hast done evill nor suffer others by reproofe to doe thee good assure thy selfe there is one above that will reprove thee when hee comes to judge thee who will so marshall and ranke and set thy sinnes in order before thee that thou shalt not be able to answer him to one of a thousand Therefore as Saint Austin desired of God in another case Domine hic ure hic seca ut in posterum sanes Lord cut me and scorch me here that thou maist heale me and cure me hereafter so let thy prayer to God be to the same effect Lord smite me and reprove me here that I may have nothing to answer for nothing to be questioned for when I goe from hence So much briefly for the second generall part of my Text why David did make choise of a Righteous man to smite him The next is 3 Acceptatio fraternae correptionis the well-taking of brotherly reprehension the text saith It shall be a kindnesse But what will the world say if smiting be a kindnesse a man shall be sure to have enough of it if he will take that so kindly he shall not want for kindnesse as this world goes Such kindnesse as this Ananias could afford Saint Paul Acts 23. 2. Smite him on the mouth saith he when he was speaking how he had lived in all good conscience before God
Apostle Ephe. 1. 6 He hath brought into grace or he hath made us accepted in his beloved sonne Gratiam pro Gratiâ saith Saint Iohn elsewhere Ioh. 1. 16. Wee have received Grace for Grace that is for the grace and favour that Christ hath with God wee also are received into grace and favour with him For otherwise as Elisha told the King of Israel 2. Reg. 3. 14. As the Lord liveth were it not that I regard the presence of Iehosaphat I would not looke toward thee nor see thee so stands our case with God wee are of our selves such vile bodies as the Apostle rightly termes us who shall change our vile bodies I meane sofoule and so full of corruption and lust and sinne so odious and abominable in the holy eyes of God that as the Lord liveth were it not that God doth regard the person the presence and the prayers of Iesus Christ our true Iehosaphat hee would not looke to us nor see us but that as hee saith himselfe This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased There come we into favour and marke that hee doth not say This is my beloved sonne which pleaseth mee well but in whom I am well-pleased which intimates a further matter unto us namely that our blessed Saviour doth not onely please God his father for his owne part but that God in him and for his sake is well-pleased even with them that are in themselves as the Prophet speakes even vessels wherein there is no pleasure Ier. 22. 28. Thou therefore that desirest to get into favour with thy God flatter not thy selfe in thy owne eyes thinke not that God will accept thee for thy owne person or for any other personall qualities or abilities that are in thee but as Iacob shrouded himselfe under the garments of his elder brother and by that meanes gott him the blessing of his father so doe thou shroud thy selfe under the garments of thy elder brother in Heaven I meane as the Apostle speakes Labour to be found of God not having on thy owne righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of Christ by faith Say as Tertullian doth Mihi vendico Christum mihi defendo Iesum claime thou thy part stand thou for thy right in Iesus Christ and as thou art a Protestant so make this protestation before God and the world that thou hopest for grace and mercy not by any merits or deserts of thy owne but meerely by the merits and by the spirit by the death and by the blood of Iesus Christ This is another infallible way for a man to finde the grace and favour of God that wanteth it Appropriare Christum to get an interest into Gods beloved Sonne our deare and precious Saviour 2. Now for the second question Hast thou found the favour of God and faine wouldst keepe it Thou must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the Apostles owne word Gal. 2. 14. Thou must walke with a right foote to God ward or as Iohn Baptist expresseth it in other tearmes thou must Rectas facere semitas tuas Make thy paths straight the meaning is Thou must binde thy selfe to the good behaviour unto God thou must resolve against sinne and evill and set thy selfe constantly carefully sincerely to walke with God so farre forth as frailty shall permit thee so that though there fall out many intercurrent infirmities in the course of thy life for a man may etiam in bono itinere pulverem â—olligere gather dust and soyle even in a good way yet let it be the generall drift and desire of thy soule in nothing willingly to sinne against God but in every thing to please him and to approve thy selfe unto him which if thou dost see what will follow upon it Psal 84. 11. The Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that walke uprightly with him The Scripture saith of Enoch that hee was Raptus a facie malitiae snatcht as it were out of this wicked world as a brand is snatcht out of the fire and saved from burning that is Hee was translated alive from earth into Heaven and never felt nor tasted of death This you will say was an extraordinary favour of God but what might bee the reason of it Moses tells us Gen. 5. 24. it was because Hee walked with God the Apostle commenting upon it Heb. 11. 5. saith it was because He pleased God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word which signifies Hee gave God content or kept Gods favour and good will so then the way to keepe Gods favour and good will is to please God and give him content and the way to doe that is to walke with God as 〈◊〉 did But what doth Moses meane by 〈…〉 God how may that be done Ansâ—â— Generally A man may then be said to walke with God when hee leads his life in such a way as God doth best accept in the way of of godlinesse and honesty in the way of temperance and sobriety in the way of diligence and industry when a man hath minde on God in all his wayes and desires Gods protection and conduct to guide his feete into the way of peace This is in a generall sence and acceptance to walke with God more particularly A man is then said in proper sence to walke with God when hee walkes with none else but God as Isaack did when he sequestred himselfe and went out alone into the fields to meditate and to pray Gen. 40. 69. The word Suach signifieth both then went he out to walke with God And indeed there is no such time for a man to converse with God and as the phrase is in Iob to acquaint himselfe with the Lord as when he is solitary private and alone If any thing grieve a man or lye heavie upon his conscience when he is Alone he may freely disburden his heart into the bosome of God If a man have faulted any way or done amisse for want of good take-heed when he is Alone hee may freely and fully bewaile and bemone and even beshrew and shrive himselfe unto the Lord his God If a man want any good thing that 's requisite and necessary either for the body or the soule when hee is Alone he hath free and full opportunity to beg and to entreat it to win and to obtaine it at the hand of God No such time for a man to reconcile himselfe and to make his owne attonement and his peace with God as when he is Alone In a word then if thou dost desire to keepe the favour of the Lord and to abide in his grace and his good-will doe as Isaack did take one turne with thy God every day thou risest steale away from thy earthly occasions as our Saviour stole away from his earthly Parents to doe the businesse of thy heavenly Father or as the Apostles word 2 Pet. 3. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to retire and repent Let no day passe thee without some commerce and
himselfe to lye languishing so long under his owne hand and seeme to take no notice of their miseies The best answere I can give is that of our Saviour to his Mother Iohn 2. 4. Nondum venit hora My houre is not yet come for you must conceive there are two kindes of houres wee have our houre and God hath his Houre As soone as wee begin to sicken that wee feele but any paine or finde the want of any ease then is our houre to be healed then doe wee cry out as t is fit we should Have mercy upon mee O Lord for I am weake Lord heale me for my bones are vexed Psal 6. 2. But God hath another houre and that you shall finde 2 Chron. 7. 14. When my people humble themselves and pray and seeke my face and turne from their wicked wayes that is when they are bettered and amended by my afflictions Then saith God will I heare in Heaven and have mercy upon them and heale their Land God complaines of that people in many places that their hearts were waxen fat that they would not see with their eyes nor heare with their eares nor understand with their hearts ne convertantur ut sanem Mat. 13. 15. lest they should be converted and I should heale them So that the time of our conversion is Gods healing-time First labour to be converted and then looke to be healed and not before So Acts 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sinnes may bee blotted out and then and never till then looke for a Tempus refrigerij a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. We read Numb 12. 14. When Myriam was strucken with leprosie Moses was importunate with God to heale presently out of hand Heale her now O Lord I beseech thee Heale her now No saith God I will not heale her yet shee shall stay the time that I have determined upon her for if her Father had but spit in her face should she not have beene ashamed and kept in for seven dayes c. So perswade your selves of this that there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an appointed time that God hath set downe with himselfe in heaven when and wherein his mercy shall appeare on earth for our recovery and till that time we must wait as David saith Psal 123. 2. As the eyes of a servant wait on the hand of their masters and the eyes of a mayden on the hand of her mistresse so doe our eyes waite upon the Lord our God untill that he have mercy upon us Marke that same donec misereatur untill hee have mercy that is though God shew thee not mercy this day nor to morrow nor the next day may be not till a long time after yet let not thy heart be dismayed but let thy soule truely wait upon God untill hee shew thee mercy let him shew it when he will In the meane time know thou art under the hands of a wise and gracious God who measures every dram ofsorrow that thou feelest who will not only be about thy bed but will ever make all thy bed in thy sicknesse and will so establish and under-prop thee with his Grace that though thy body lye in paine thy soule shall lye at ease though thy outward man consume and melt away for very heavinesse yet that same Interior cordis homo as Saint Peter speakes the inner man of thy heart shall bee so strengthened with might and armed with patience and guarded with peace that neither paines of death nor the powers of Hell shall ever be able to prevaile against thee In a word if ever it shall please God to cast thee downe upon that same Lectum languoris that bed of languishing which David speakes of Psal 41. 4. for that wee all must make account of though we now lie and laze upon our beds the time may come that wee shall lie and languish on our beds wishing as they did in Deuteronomy when t is morning would God it were evening and when t is evening would God it were morning If ever such a dolefull time should happen to thee I pray God of his mercy looke graciously upon thee and say unto thy bleeding soule as he did once to that forlorne Infant Ezech. 16. 6. Dixi in sanguinibus c. when thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live If God doe but say thou shalt live though thou wert in thy blood though thou wert in thy grave his word shall fetch thee for his Grace if it stand with his glory is sufficient to heale thee 4. The last and chiefest thing whereunto the Grace of God and nothing else but Gods Grace is sufficient is Ad salvandum to save the soule of every one that hath it The Apostle calls it The Grace that bringeth salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 2. 11. for as the wickednesse of man bringeth destruction so the Grace of God bringeth salvation to every soule that entertaines it Saint Paul is direct Ephes 2. 5. By Grace yee are saved whether it be meant of the Grace of God within us which our Saviour compares to Salt Marke 9. 50. Habete salem in vobis c. have Salt in your selves and peace with one another because as salt preserves the flesh so doth Grace preserve the spirit from corruption and rottennesse in sinne or whether it be meant of the Grace of God that is over and above us I meane his favour and loving kindnesse which lightneth upon us from Heaven as we pray in our Liturgie let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust is in thee Take it either way it holds good and true for by the one we are prepared for salvation by the other salvation is prepared for us the Grace of God within us prepares us for salvation the Grace of God over us prepares salvation for us so both wayes t is our happinesse By Grace to bee saved It was Gods mercifull promise Deut. 11. 12. Mine eyes shall be upon this Land from the beginning of the yeare to the end thereof such is Gods goodnesse where hee bestowes his Grace such a care hath God of their soules that his eye is upon them from the beginning of their conversion to the end of their salvation and as his eye is upon them to watch over them so his hand is with them to conâ—uct them in the right way of pleasing God and of saving their own soules Deut. 33. 3. All his Saints are in thy hand as a Father leads his childe so doth God lead his Saints by his Grace and by his good Spirit from all things prejudiciall to all things profitable to his service and their owne salvation To conclude this point because as the Schoolemen say well Ad singulos actus desideratur Gratia a man hath need of Grace to every action that hee takes in hand and that he can doe nothing well without it let us all
without any prayer any ejaculation any good motion to God-ward we little thinke that God is so neere us that hee is about our beds and doth observare excubias watch our watchings and observe our lying downe and our rising up Againe when wee walke in Circuitus walke the Devils round from one sinne to another from one vanity to another from one ill company to another we little thinke that God is about our paths and spieth out all our wayes but whether wee thinke it or no so it is for certaine and therefore to apply it the right way In what place soever we seeke God in bed or up within doore or without in the field or in the road we shall be sure to finde him to our comfort and protection But more especially there is a proper peculiar place appointed for Christians to seeke the Lord in and that is the Church of God the Sanctuary or house of prayer ther 's his dwelling place and thither must wee resort to seeke him We have an expresse law for it Deut 12. 5. In that place which the Lord your God shall chuse to put his name in in that his habitation shall ye seeke unto him Neither was this a law judiciall or ceremoniall that bound the Iew onely for a time but morall and perpetuall that bindes the Christian for ever to seeke the Lord where he is to be found i in his Sanctuary they that refuse to come there may justly be termed as Esau was profane persons as being procul â— fano farre from the Sanctuary and consequently out of Gods protection for they that are thus out of the one are out of the other also As S. Austin notes out of the parable Luke 10. 30. concerning the man that fell among theeves and was wounded and left halfe dead 't is noted of him that hee was going down from Ierusalem to Iericho from the Church I warrant you Ierusalem was the Church of God the holy Citie Iericho was a cursed place branded with an ancient curse since the dayes of Ioshua and thither lay his journey whereupon Saint Austin notes Si non descendisset fortasse in latrones non incidisset had he not been descending and going downeward from God and from his Church peradventure hee had not fallen into the hands of theeves God would have protected him the Lord would have safe guarded and defended him that no such evill should have betided him but because hee was going from the Church to a cursed place and like enough about a naughty businesse therefore God gave him over and he fell into the hands of theeves As many therefore as desire Gods protection and blessing let them resort to the Church to serve and seeke the Lord. You will say it were a good comfort for a man so to doe if he were but sure to prosper ever the better but we see many that frequent the Church duely and daily that yet prosper never the more Answ If it be so then surely t is to be feared that such came not to Church with a true intent to seeke God but either for noâ—â—lty and fashion sake or for company to doe as others doe or for some other sinister respect they doe not make it their errand their aime and the drift of their soules to seeke God if they did God would surely prosper them in one kinde or other you know the place Pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that love thee That love what that love Ierusalem that love the Church of God that love the word of God that love the Ministers of God that love the ordinances of God they shall prosper saith David Psal 122. 6 9. If they doe not prosper outwardly they shall prosper inwardly if they doe not prosper in goods they shall prosper in grace and that is the better prosperitie by farre I say the better and I will make it good out of Heb. 8. 6. Iesus Christ is the mediatour of a better covenant established upon better promises The words at the first sight implie that the covenant of the Gospel is a better covenant than the covenant of the law and againe that the promises of the Gospell are better promises than the promises of the Law Now if you look into the old Testament you shall finde that the promises of the Law were most of them and the maine of them temporall promises promises of outward prosperity that if they kept the commandements and sought the Lord they should dwell in the good land the land that flowed with milke and honey they should have corne and wine and oyle in abundance they should lay up gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the flints of the river Iob 22. 24. these and the like were the promises of the Law Now looke into the New Testament and you shall finde the promises of the Gospell are cleane of another nature most of them spirituall promises promises of the pardon of sinnes the peace of conscience the joy in the Holy Ghost and such like and these saith the Apostle are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 better promises than the other Hence I gather that he that in these dayes seekes the face of God in his Church and is of such a conversation as becommeth the Gospell if he have not temporall prosperity he shall have that that is better for him hee shall have the pardon of his sinnes the favour of his God the comfort of his conscience and the salvation of his soule which are things of greater worth than all the outward happinesse under heaven and will be a secret stay and comfort to the soule when all that the earth affords will not yeeld a man one droppe of true refreshing You know that the Prisoners in the Tower Noblemen and great men and such others they are in worse estate and condition than the poorest Water-bearer in the Citie for why though they have good diet good lodging good attendance fine roomes soft beds curious walâ—es c. yet they are sub ira they are under the wrath and displeasure of the King and looke every day when they shall be called out to arraignment to have sentence passe against them and execution to be done upon them Such is the case of a wicked wealthy man whose sinnes are unpardoned and whose conscience is unpurged and whose soule is unreconciled to God he is in worse estate and condition than the poorest of Gods servants that fare with bread and water for why though hee have great friends great meanes and a great estate yet he is sub ira under the wrath and displeasure of God and where-ever hee goes the blacke clouds of Gods heavy vengeance hang over his head ready upon every provocation to drop downe upon him No marvell then that Salomon saith The righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour Prov. 12. 26. he doth not deny but a righteous man may be poorer than his neighbour yet he saith he is more excellent because his
man and wife onely because God is left out the Lord is not betweene them Therefore the onely way to bring peace and unity into a family is to bring God into the family and the onely way to bring God into a house is to bring him and draw him in by prayer Draw neare to God and God will draw neare to you saith S. Iames. Be not you wanting to God and God will never be wanting to you Alwayes remember the Apostles farewell to the Corinthians 2 Cor 13. 11. Be of one minde live in peace and the God of peace shall be with you Thus doe as God would have you and that is the way to be content 2. Elies case to be crost in ones children Put case thy children be either taken from thee by untimely death in their youth or which is worse live to be ungracious and undutifull to thee in their age these are piercing griefes yet learne to be content in both For the first say that Almighty God who hath Ius vitae necis the power of life and death in his owne hands and can draw out and cut short our lives as it pleaseth him doe cut off thy child in the budding in the blooming of his age when he is Aurorae filius as the Poet speakes a sonne of the morning so that all thy joy thy hope thy comfort seemes to perish and die and be extinguisht in him yet learne to be content for why Consider that if thy child had lived he must have served an apprentiship all the while that he might after have heene free of the heavenly Jerusalem now if God in his mercy will grant it the freedome in the beginning of its yeares and make him a citizen among the Saints shortly after he came into the world is this any cause of discontent and not rather of thanksgiving But who can tell whether such a child be saved or no if I were but sure of that wil some say I should be the better content though I know a good parent will abhorre such a thought of doubtfulnesse yet for the better setling of your minds in that assurance doe but call to minde our Saviours saying Suffer little children to come unto me for unto such belongeth the Kingdome of God it is not only said that they belong to Gods kingdome but that Gods kingdome belongs to them as much as to say if any have a right unto it or may claime a part or portion in it it is such or none in the Originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For of such is the kingdome of God that is Gods kingdome doth consist of little children heaven is replenished and stored with such as they Forasmuch then as there can be no feare nor danger of thy childs salvation with God let this teach thee to be content if God shall take him from thee in the beginning of its dayes But the greatest crosse of all is when children live to be ungracious and undutifull to their parents in their age as Elies were when aged parents shall be forced to complaine as the tree did in the Apologue that it was rent and torne and split asunder with the same wedge that was cut out of its owne bowels this I am perswaded is the greatest griefe that can befall a tender-hearted parent This was the crosse that subdued Egypt all the plagues of God could not make them yeeld till God smote their children and that broke their hearts so 1 Sam. 30. 6. it is said of Davids men that their soules were bitter for their children the miscarriage of a child is gall and worme-wood to a parent it imbitters their very soules If thy case be thus I bewaile and condole it onely let mee perswade thee to be content because the God that made thy childe can mende him Do therefore for him as Noah did for Iaphet Gen. 9. 27. He had given that son of his a great deale of good counsell no doubt and perswaded him to dwell in Gods Church and become a lively member of the same but knowing well to how little purpose all this would be without Gods working upon his heart he falls to prayer God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Shem as if he had said I have advised and done my utmost to perswade thee my sonne but all this is but lost labour unlesse God put to his helping hand now therefore The good Lord perswade thee c. Thus doe thou for thy refractary childe desire God to perswade him to convince him to convert and turne his heart and thou shalt see that nothing shall stand in his way but the worke shall be accomplished If God undertake to bring Peter out of prison no bolts nor barres shall be able to hold him there if the Lord â—ake in hand to leade Israel out of Egypt into the promised â—and sea shall be no sea wildernesse no wildernesse Giants no Giants c. So though thy childe be never so ill minded never so desperately bent if God undertake to mend him and make him good all his ill conditions shall not hinder it therefore let not thy heart sinke nor thy faith faile nor thy hopes languish but still pray still entreat still waite upon God and chats the way to be content 3. Iosephs case to be crost in ones reputation Put case thy good name which Salomon saith is more precious than riches be impeached and taken from thee by slanders and lyes and base imputations of those that wish thee ill for such is the vice and villany of the world that they will traduce and discredit a man whether he deserve it yea or no. David compares such to the Aspe which is a beast ill sighted but quicke of hearing weake but full of poyson so are all detractours ill-sighted to see any thing that 's good in another but quicke of hearing any thing that is bad of him weake they are in judgement and in charity both but full of the poyson of malice and envie The poyson of Alpes is under their lips Psal 140. 3. Iunius translates it venenum pâ—yados the poyson of the spitting serpent they have learned of the old Serpent the Devill to spit their venome in the faces of those that faine would live in peace and dwell securely by them they are indeed a cursed generation Deut. 27. 24. Cursed be he that smites his neighbour in secret that doth secretly and slily underhand traduce him and seeke to worke him out of the good opinion of his neighbours and friends and marke what followes let all the people say Amen God doth not onely curse such a one himselfe but he gives all his people leave to curse him too and cursed be that offence that brings the curse of God and the curse of the people upon such an offender Well if it have beene any of your hard haps to be thus secretly smitten or openly injured in your reputations as some of us I am sure have beene let me as I
have begun entreate you to beare it contentedly whether you deserve it or deserve it not If thou doest deserve it and that by thy scandalous life thou hast throwne this dirt in thy owne face then be content and be sorry for what thou hast done and God shall repay and make up thy good name againe wee have his owne promise for it by his owne Prophet Zeph. 3. 11. In that day thou shalt not be ashamed for all thy doings wherein thou hast transgressed against me the meaning is that in the day of thy repentance God will take from thee not thy sin onely but thy shame too David by his great sinnes had in a manner quite broken his good name insomuch that his enemies began to insult and make songs upon him to disgrace him utterly yet because he was a penitent man God upon his repentance repayred his good name and he dyed saith the text full of riches and Honour first of Chronicles Chap. ult not of riches onely but of honour too all his dishonour was done away and he left a reverend and renowned name behind him when hee had gotten credit with God hee got credit with men too In a word if thou desirest that others should speake well of thee see thou have a care to doe well unto thy selfe Psal 59. 18. Si benefeceris tibi If thou dost well unto thy selfe men will speake good of thee So that it lies in a mans selfe it is in his own hand to make himselfe a good name or a bad one So long as a man doth well to himself i spends his time well serves his God well leades his life well and husbands his estate well so long he shall be sure to be well thought of and well spoken of but if he doe ill to himselfe take an ill course leade an ill life and follow ill company c. if he be then ill-spoken of he must thanke himselfe and he may say to himselfe as the heart of Apollodorus the tyrant seemed to say to him who dreamed one night that he was steade by the Scythians and that his heart cried unto him out of the Caldron 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is I that have brought thee to all this Therefore if thou deservest to be ill-spoken of amend thou thy selfe and God will amend thy name But if thou be ill spoken of and deservest it not though the crosse be great the comfort is the greater for doe but rest contented and God will finde a time to bring thy innocency to light Looke how God doth with secret sinnes to bring them to light that are done in darkenesse so will he doe by secret innocency Iosephs uprightnesse was in secret none saw it or knew it but onely God and himselfe as for his mistresse shee accused him belied and slandered him and was beleeved poore Joseph either pleaded not for himselfe or his plea was not heard nor credited yet God found a time to cleare it and bring it to light so let the world raise what slanders they will looke how hee did with Ioseph so will hee deale with thee for he is a God that changeth not In the meane time doe not take too much to heart the reproches of thy enemies but pray as Austin did plue mihi mitigationes in cor ut patienter tales feram Oh my God showre downe thy gentle appeasings into my heart that I may patiently beare with such men as these Pray I say to God that hee would pacifie thy owne heart and mollifie thy enemies hearts and that 's the way to be Content 4 Mephibosheths case to be crost by perfidious friends and servants I confesse it is a hard case when such as are Viri pacis and Viri panis as the Prophet speakes that eate of a mans bread and professe friendship and love and service to a man when they shall go about to undermine him and worke him out of favour and out of his fortunes too yet the world is full of such Zibaes that care not how they collogue nor whom they slander for their owne private advantage If they see a man to be a cripple as it were that he cannot go to speake for himselfe nor come in place to answer for himselfe and to tell his owne tale he shall be sure to have his tale told for him by some that he little dreamt of that will do him a displeasure and he shall never know who hurt him Thus did Ziba deale with Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 19. 30. yet see how patiently how contentedly that good man put it up when David spake of dividing the land with Ziba Let him take all saith Mephibosheth seeing my Lord the King is come home in peace Here is the voyce of one that is a true servant to his God and a true subject to his King such a man is really content that the devils pioners I meane undermining flatterers should take all they can get and get all they can take either by Hophnies Fleshhooke 1 Sam. 2. or by those Nets and Dragges that the Prophet speakes of Hab. 1. 15. let them hooke hale and drag together the Devill and all as some I thinke will doe A contented man had rather with Mephibosheth loose all part with all and be stript of all he hath so he may but have leave to enjoy the favour of his God the safety of his Soveraigne and the peace of his owne conscience to himselfe Well if it be thy hard hap to be thus abused and undermined by a trecherous Ziba that beares thee faire in hand and secretly endeavours to worke thee out of all yet learne of Mephibosheth to be content though thou goest by the worse and desire of God as David did to stand thy friend in such a case sponde pro servo tâ—o in bonum Answer for thy servant in the thing that is good Psal 119. 122. as if he had said Lord thou hearest and seest how unjustly I am calumniated and evill spoken of in many places where I am not nor may not come to answer for my selfe therefore Lord doe thou answer for me or stirre up some good body to pleade my cause and speake in my behalfe Subarrha servumtuum so some translate it be surety for thy servant if they will not beleeve mee nor give credit to my words when I speake in my owne defence be thou O Lord a surety for me passe thy word for my truth and sincerity for thou knowest my cause is good Be surety for thy servant in the thing that is good Thus doe see thy cause be good thy conscience cleare thy heart unguilty of the great offence and then commend thy case to God let God alone to answer for thee And that is the way to be Content 5 The Cripples case Ioh. 5. to be crost in ones preferment as he was that lay 38. yeares at the poole of Bethesda waiting for a good houre and still one or other stept in before him and intercepted him of his
cure and put him by from all his possibilities and hopes And this is the great Cordolium the very heart-ake and greevance of many a worthy man many a worthy Scholler that hath lyen a long time at the poole of the Church and Court hoping at length to climbe up that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle calls it 1 Tim. 3. 13. that good step or stay to honour and preferment that others have done and still one or other steps in before him intercepts him of his hopes and casts him downe as low as ever his expectations raised him up If this be any of your cases I shall give you no other counsell then I desire of God to take my selfe and that 's this to learne of that Cripple to be content for a time to tarry Gods leasure to attend still at the poole I meane at the ordinances of God and you shall see at length that if Angels cannot helpe you Christ him selfe will come and doe a cure upon you and rather worke a miracle than your faith should be disappointed or your hope should make von ashamed In the meane time you must know that there is a speciall dispensation of God in his dealings with some of his servants Num. 12. 7. My servant Moses is not so saith God he is faithfull in all my house unto him will I speake mouth to mouth Here was a speciall favour that God would shew to Moses which hee would not shew to every one that was faithfull in his house You see Matth. 17. when Christ was tansfigured upon the mount hee took but three of his Disciples with him and left the rest hehind who yet were as neare and deare and as good Disciples as they Afterwards Matth. 27. when Christ arose from death it is said that many of the Saints arose to attend him Many Saints not all others that had beene as holy and as sanctified men as they stayed still in their graves and their bodies lay in the dust expecting glory Thus doth God still deale with his servants some he raiseth up to wealth and honour and preferment othersome hee depresseth and holdeth downe with poverty want and neede who yet no doubt are as true and faithfull servants to God as they that are advanced Salomon tells us Eccles. 9. 11. The race is not to the swift nor the battell to the strong nor riches to men of understanding nor favour to men of knowledge his meaning is that men of greatest abilities men of greatest sufficiencies are oft times kept low when others that are but Gregarij ordinis to our thinking are advanced and lifted up This is to learne us to be content with our estates because they are of Gods assignement and designation Content I say not onely by constraint but willingly as the Apostle speakes in another case for you know there is a twofold contentment voluntary and involuntary The Involuntary is when a man is content with his estate against his will because he cannot helpe it As Simeon of Cyrene Matth. 27. 32. submitted himselfe to beare the crosse of Christ because hee was Angariatus compelled and forced to it as the Text sheweth this is a thankelesse and fruitlesse contentment virtus nolentium nulla est God takes no pleasure in forced patience patience perforce hath small thankes with God But it is the voluntary contentment which proceeds ab intrinseco from an inward working of grace from that same free sperit that David speakes of Psal 51. when a man doth voluntarily freely and of his owne accord endeavour to worke himselfe to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to an inward selfe-sufficiencie whether his estate please him or no as they did Ier. 42. 6. Whether it be good or whether it be evill we will obey the voyce of the Lord c. Not onely when Gods Will and ours sute together but when there is an utter disagreement betwixt them then to be content without constraint is thanke worthy with God You see by experience A man that comes to an Inne if hee can get a better lodging and better attendance he will if he cannot yet he will be content with it for why Hee considers it is but for a night and hee is gone thus wee come into the world as it were into an Inne which is a place of passage no place of abode if we can get a better estate or a better condition use it in Gods name if not yet learne to be content for why it is but for a night for a short space and you are gone And so I come to the last case of all and that is 6. Hezekiahs case to be crost in ones departure to be called to die at such a time when a man desires most to live when God shall shorten a mans dayes in his journey as David speaketh and take a man away in the midst of his age in the minority of his children in the unsetlednesse of his estate this of all the rest may seeme the heaviest crosse yet learne of Hezechiah to be content to live as long as God will spare thee and when God will have thee be content to dye When a loving mother sendeth forth her childe to nurse and the nurse hath kept it long enough if the mother thinke good to take home her owne child againe hath the nurse any cause to grudge or complaine how much lesse cause have wee to shew any token of ungodlinesse and discontent that God should take home our departing soules the worke of his owne hands the plant of his owne grafting who tenders it more than a mother doth her child and will keepe it better and safer for us than wee can keepe it for our selves It is said of David Act. 13. 35. When hee had served his time by the will of God then he fell asleepe and was gathered to his fathers Every one hath his time set him to serve God in this world some a longer some a shorter time as it pleaseth God to predetermine and set it downe now when a man hath served his time as David did and done that he came for into the wotld I meane when hee hath repented of his sinnes reformed his wayes provided for his familie and made heaven and salvation sure to his owne soule if then it shall please God to send forth that same Angâ—lum mortis as the Hebrewes speake the Angel of death to call him home and fetch him into his fathers kingdome what just cause hath such a one to take Iobs wives counsell in the best sence and even to blesse God and die It is a lamentable case when a man must die whether he will or no when God comes to pull away a mans soule as Iob speakes Iob 27. 10. What hope hath the hypocrite when God comes to pull away his soule Iust as you see when a great fish is taken with an Angle the man pulls and the fish pulls and the man pulls again and by force of Armes twitcheth it
well-doing if they have once done a good worke they thinke they have a supersedeas for doing good any more But God loves constancy in well-doing 〈…〉 see 2. Reg. 13. 18 19. how the man of God was wroth with the King of Israel because when he bade him smite upon the ground he smote but thrice and stayed sayth he thou shouldest have smitten five or sixe times then shouldest thou have smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it whereas now thou shalt smite it but thrice So when a man shall doe two or three good deedes and then stay his hand this is not enough to please God then is God pleased when wee proceede and goe on and keepe a constant setled course of weldoing when wee make it as our meat and drinke to doe the will of our heavenly father so that as a healthfull man if hee eate or drinke the lesse one day hee â—ates and drinkes the more another day so should wee if wee serve God the lesse one day serve him the more another day if wee doe the lesse good one day doe the more the next day as an Archer if he shoote amisse one time he will try to mend it the next time so if we have done amisse one day strive to amend it the next day and so continually endeavour to redeâ—me our times because our dayes be few and evill Doubtlesse it is for this cause that God hath layd such a charge upon us to affirme these things constantly that they might be alwaies fresh in your remembrance and alway constant in our practise You know what is said in the Gospel Blessed is that servant whom his master when he commeth shall finde so doing that is when death or judgement shall come upon a man like a theefe in the night unexpectedly and unawares blessed of God is that man that is found at his prayers or taken in his calling or any waies taken in the act of well-doing but woe to that man or woman that is taken as it were napping in the midst of his sinnes as Balthashar was taken in the midst of his cups Nebushadnezzar in the midst of his pride the old world in the midst of their fleshline to speake the best of it that may be it is much to bee feared that God meanes no good to that parties soule I will close up 〈…〉 with that sweete and comfortable Collect Lord let thy speciall grace now and ever more prevent and follow us and make us continually to be given to all good workes through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen But that is not all I take it 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies rather to affirme strongly ex tote valde as we say to presse it home withall the strength and might we have though you neglect and slight good workes in your practise wee must not slight nor neglect them in our preaching but set them on as the Bee doth her sting with the greatest force and efficacie that possibly we can put to it I know there is as great difference betweene preachers as betwixt an infant and a Gyant drawing the same bow and yet if a Gyant shoote an arrow against a stone wall it pierceth not but reboundeth backe againe with the greater violence so the most happie the most able preacher that lives may shoot as unprofitably I meane preach as unsuccessefully as a weaker teacher if hee meete with people that have stones in their hearts I meane that are untractable and unpliable to any goodnesse unlesse God doe by them as he promised by his prophet Ezech. 11. I will take away your stony hearts and give you a heart of flesh non â—arnale sed carnâ—um not a fleshly heart but a fleshy hears that is a heart that shall bee as tender as your flesh that the least blow will bee seene upon it and the least pricke of a pin draw blood of it when God hath made this way then shall they feele that the word of God is virga virtutis a rod of strength and power even in the hand of the weakest minister wee see by experience let a little child take a staffe in his hand and strike a man therewith it never troubles him he never complaines of the blow but let a strong man take this child by the hand and strike with the same staffe he that feeles the blow though he see not the party that strooke him can easily conjecture that this was more then a child could doe there was the strength of some man in it In like manner when wee take the word of God into our hands as Gehazi tooke the staffe of Elisha alâ—â— we lay it on but weakely we doe but Verberaâ—◠〈…〉 beate the ayre or beate your eares that is all that we of our selves can doe but if at any time you feele a blow that lights upon your hearts if you feele a word that toucheth you to the soule beleeve it that stroke came from the hand of God All that we can doe is but as Iohn Baptist speaketh Mat. 3. to lay the Axe to the râ—ote of the tree now if a man take an Axe and onely lay it to the roote of a tree it will be long enough ere the tree be cut downe for it is the strength of the arme and the fetching of the blow it is that that wounds it it is that that fells it downe and for that cause I suppose the preaching of the word is called the Arme of God Esa â—3 1. it is not the hand of a preacher but it is the â—rme of God that wounds a sinners heart and makes him fall downe at the foote of God the weakenesse is from us but the strength is all from God who yet hath commanded us not to abate any thing of our owne paines nor to preach his word in any negligent manner but to affirmâ— and confirme it with all the strength and might that our witt and learning will afford 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith my text These things I will that thou affirme strongly And so from the skirts as it were I come to the body of my text where you have an abridgement of the law and the Gospel the Gospel is doctrina credendorum the law is doctrina agendorum the one teacheth us what wee ought to beleeve the other teacheth what wee ought to doe for the comfort and discharge of our owne soules in the sight of God Here both are knit together Beleeving and doing Law and Gospel Faith and good workes doe in our text as they should doe in our lives even meete and kisse each other Intimating unto us what Gods good pleasure is in this behalfe namely That as many as are of a right faith as many as have beleeved in God should be also of aright conversation should be carefull to maintaine good workes 1. For matter of faith I suppose that of all men living we Protestants are in the right the Faith that we professe and hold is doubtlesse such as is able
in a good action That that saved Shimeyes life 2. Sam. 19. 20. was that he was the first of all the house of Ioseph that came to meete the King so was 〈…〉 that came to our Saviours 〈◊〉 and you know in the poole of Bethesda Iohn 5. he that stept in first was cured of whatsoever disease he had and none but he that stept in first In worldly matters men are forward enough they neede neither clocke nor bell to awaken them neither spur nor switch to drive them on if there be but a good lease to be taken a good bargaine to be bought a good preferment to be gotten every one strives who shall step in first but if it be a matter that concernes the serving of God or the doing of good as our Saviour said of the Scribes Pharises Mat. 21. 31. they care not though the very Publicanes harlots go into Heaven before them thus backward men are when they shold be forward forward when they should be backward If it be in a matter of fashion or a matter of faction every one desires to be the Antesignanus the Ring leader the first and fore-most in it but if it be a matter of piety or charity I pray let who will goe before it may be at their leasure they will follow after It is good I confesse to be a follower of good men Heb. 13. 8. Whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation Daubtlesse there bee some that follow the paths of Christ and to use the words of Salviaâ—us patentiâ—ra faciunt Dâ—mini vestigia they make the foot-steps of our Saviour more plaine and easie by the example of their vertue and by the evidence of their bounty it is good for any man to bee a follower of such But where such are not for they are rara aves happie is he that can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as my text speaketh that can be a president of good workes that can shine as a light in a darke place and goe before others in well-doing that others may follow and bee led by him to the kingdome of Christ and of God 3. This I suppose to bee the Genuine signification of the word but we will take it also in that sence that our translation renders it namely to maintaine good workes and that offers us this consideration that he that beleeves in God must be carefull not only to do good works for the present but so to order his affaires and husband his estate that hee may enable himselfe to maintaine good workes and to continue and hold out in well-doing for the time to come Most men when they are prest to workes of mercy thinke it enough to say I am not able I have not wherewithall But why are ye not able how comes it that you have not wherwithall If God hath disabled you by his owne immediate hand that you haâ—e not water enough to drive your owne mill as wee say not meanes enough to maintaine your owne family the excuse is just and good but if a man have disabled himselfe by his owne improvidence unthriftinesse and waâ—â—fulnes and have crumbled away his meanes by drinking and dicing c. and so have made himselfe unable to doe any good worke it is both a shame and a sin too But what remedy how should such a man doe to enableÌ„ himselfe to maintaine good workes Ans 2. wayes 1. By industry and diligence in his casling so the Apostle adviseth tâ—tidâ—m vâ—rbiâ— Eph. 4. 28. Let him that stole steals no more but let him labour with his hands the thing that is good that he may have wherewithall not only to supply himselfe but to give to him that needeth He then that would doe bona opera good workes must bee bonus operarius a good workeman i. not deale in dishonest trades nor use unlawful means to get his maintenance but labour with his hands the thing that is good for then shal he be in a way to receive a blessing from God you know the place Psal 128. 1. Blessed art thou that fearest God and walkest in his way for of thy labour thou shalt eate oh well is thee and happy shalt thou be Solomon saith in one place the blessing of God maketh rich in another The diligent hand maketh rich to shew how God blesseth the diligent and industrious and enableth them to every good worke Iud. 19. ye reade but of one good man in all Gibeah that had any inclination any disposition to doe a good worke to harbour a poore Levite and that man was a labourer that came home from his worke in the evening all the rest were quaffing reveling and that one man ended his labour i◠〈…〉 the other ended their play in a brutish act of villany industrious spirits are commonly best disposed to goodnes wheras those that give themselves to loose idle courses are fit for nothing but sinne Solomon describing a vertuous woman Pro. 3â— saith in the first place shee stretcheth out her hands to the spindlâ— i. to her worke and in the next place she stretcheth out her hands to the poore i. to charity the one enabled her to maintaine the other So a father speaking of Abrahams hospitality in entertaining the Angels Gen. 28. observes that there was nullus â—iger in domâ— sapientis not a slothfull body in all his house but all busie and well employed Here was a family like to maintaine good workes and hospitality This is one way to enable a man for well-doing the next is 2. By Frugality and thriftinesse in his expences the proverbe is true Bonus condus facit bonum promum c. a good layer up makes a good layer out and a good sparer makes a good spender we have a famous example in Ioseph who by his thriftines and frugality saved the lives of his father and all his family Our blessed Saviour a quo virtutem possiâ— discere virtus of whom vertue it selfe may learne vertue amongst other divine lessons hath taught us this of Frugality by his owne example so to dispose that plenty which Gods goodnes hath bestowed upon us that nothing bee lost Iohn 6. 12. Gather up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Christ the very fragments and oâ—â—alls that nothing be lost Now if he that could do wonders and miraculously multiply meate and drinke at his pleasure would be so saving and frugall how thrifty and sparing ought we to be that have nothing of our own not so much as our daily bread but what his mercy affords us out of his hidden treasure I know there is parsimony enough in the world but it is to a wrong end Some there be that spare and save they know not why nor for whom like him Eccles 4. 8. that is alone by himselfe and hath wife nor child yet there is no end of his gathering neither doth he so much as say or thinke saith Solomon quare defraudo animam meam why doe I defraud my owne
soule such a one is a very felon to himselfe and a very theefe to his owne soule Ier. 17. 17. as a Partridge â—itteth on egges and hatcheth them not so hee that getteth riches and not by right meanes nor to a right end shall leave them in the midst of his dayes at his end shall be a foole that is all he gets by his miserablenes he leaves al his goods behind him carries nothing with him but his sins so coram domino vacuus apparet appeareth before the Lord empty I meane of grace good works how can such a one hope to be welcome to God Others spare like him Luke 12. that they may say to their soules in future times Eate drinke take thy case c. such men God commonly disappoints when they thinke to take their pleasures God sends some evill Angel to take away their soules and then â—ujus c. whose shall those things bee that thou hast layd up Others spare pretending to have to keepe them when they are sicke that is not amisse yet many times God punisheth them in that they shall spend their meanes upon Phisitians as the woman with the bloody-issue did and be never the better Others spare to leave enough to their children that is good but if that be all see Iob 20. 10. â—lij â—ius placabâ—nt â—â—ndicos his children shall flatter the poore for bread i. an other shall possesse his meanes and his children come to poverty The onely true and right end of thrift and frugality should be to maintaine good workes and hospitality when a man spares from himselfe that he may have to give to him that needeth according to that of our Saviour Luke 11. 41. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after our owne necessities are served then give almes of those things that are within saith Christ that is within our power or within the compasse of our abilities so Pro. 5. 15. first drinke the water of thy owne ciâ—â—erâ—e that is provide for thee and thine and then let thy fountaines flow forth first for our owne use then for the use of others For though Charity begin at home it must not end at home but impâ—rt it selâ—â— to the good of others And these b◠〈…〉 â—â—intayne good workes One thing onely remaines and that is the reason why they are to be maintained as David answered his brother 1. Sam. 17. 29. when hee questioned him why hee left the sheepe and came into the campe Iâ— there not a cause saith hee so say I If you desire to know why good workes must bee maintained Is there not a cause specified in the text These things are good and profitable unto men I could shew you divers other good causes and considerations for the maintenance of good workes I will but name them and conclude 1. Propter placentiaâ— Dei for the pacifying pleasing of God Heb. 13. 16. To doe good and to distribute for get â—oâ— for with such sarifices God is well pleased if we that so oft and so many waies displease anger God by doing ill will not some times and some wales endeavour to please him againe by doing good how can God take it well at our hands 2. Propter 〈◊〉 fidei for the evidence and manifestation of our faith as it is said Acts 14. 17. that God left not himselfe without witnesse in that hee did good c. his own good workes are his own witnes to testifie and prove the providence of his goodnesse to the sonnes of men so were our Saviours Opera 〈…〉 me my owne workes testifie of me that I came out from God so must wee have good workes to testifie the truth and goodnesse of our faith though as Saint Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 5. 10. Hee that beleeveth in the sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe that inward testimony is sufficient for a manâ— owne satisfaction but not for the conviction of others therefore saith Saint Iames shew me thy faith by thy workes thou maist shew it to God in another kind but to mee thou must shew it by good workes For ubi opera non apparent extra fidem non 〈…〉 esse intrâ— saith a father where I see not good works without I will never 〈…〉 any 〈◊〉 within 3. Propter 〈◊〉 adversary our adversaries the Dapists they upbraid us as Peninnah did Haâ—â—ah with our unfruitfulnesse they crake that all our Churches all our Hospitalls and Colleâ—ges are theirs and albeit enough is said and done to breake the teeth of their slanders yet if it be possible let us as Saint Peter adviseth 1. Pet. 2. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 muzzle them quite stop their mouthes and put them to silence by doing more good for so is the will of God saith he that with well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 4. Propter indigentiam mundi the poore we have alway with us wherefore but that as the Israelites in the wildernesse did helpe one another in gathering of Manna whence it came to passe that he that gathered much had nothing over and he that gathered little had no lacke so saith the Apostle â— Cor. â— should it be among Christians one mans wealth should supply anothers want that God may have glory from both as I said before 5. Prâ—ptâ—r consequentiam commodi from the profit and benefit â—â—â—ing from good workes which is the reason added in my text These things are good and profitable unto men The heathen man could say Ad utïlitatem omnes rapimur neque aliter ullo modo possimus All men living run hedlong after profit neither can they possibly doe otherwise now if ye will beleeve the Holy Ghost there cannot bee a more profitable thing then well-doing both for this life and the life to come not that I care for a gift saith the Apostle Phil. 4. 17. but I desire fruit that will further your account Every good worke that a godly man doth is put upon his score it stands upon his account so that when God and hee shall come to reckon at the last day hee shall have nothing to answer for but all his evill workes shall be forgiven him and for the good workes that he hath done shall he heare that heavenly voyce from the mouth of Iesus Christ Come thou blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for thee c. To which kingdome God of his mercy bring us for Christ Iesus sake to whome with the Father and the holy spirit bee given and ascribed all honour and glory be done and performed all service and duty from henceforth for â—ver more Amen FJNJS A SVMMER SERMON VPON ELIAHS PRAYER Preached in the Cathedrall Church of St. Pauls in LONDON on the last Sonday of Trinity Terme in the after noone being a time of 〈…〉 and drought By John Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex Printed at London by Thomas Cotes for Thomas Alchorn and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the
unawares as the Apostle speakes Gal. 6. 1. besides the purpose of his heart and against the intention and desire of his soule that mans sinnes are sinnes of infirmitie which by the mercy of God shall never be laid to his charge Contrarily when a man shall hang in â—quilibrio in an even ballance as it were betwixt wickednesse and goodnesse and shal be equally disposed to sinne or not to sinne as occasion shall offer it selfe or which is worse shall doe like him Psal 36. 4. shall set and settle himselfe in a way that is not good resolving with himselfe that this sinne â—its my turne and pleaseth my humour and I will not part with it or which is worst of all when a man shall draw iniquity with cords of vanity as the Prophet spaketh as if the devill were backward and sinne would not come fast enough upon him of its owne accord shall fish and angle for it and hunt after ill company and draw himselfe and others into sinne as Fish and Fowles are drawn into a net to their ruine and destruction this mans sinnes are farre beyond the sinne of infirmity for they are sinnes of iniquity and sinnes of obstinacie and such as will cost him many a sigh many a groane many a teare before ever he shall attaine to this comfortable perswasion that there is compassion with God and salvation with Christ for his soule 2. A sinne of infirmity is knowne by the consequents of it or that which followes after it it leaves such a sting behind it in the soule that a man can never be at quiet in his owne conscience till he hath made his peace with God by a sound and serious humiliation and reconciled himselfe againe to Iesus Christ Yea it never leaves a man till it hath brought him to that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Indignation which the Apostle speakes of 2 Cor. 7. 11. that a man shall even fret and vexe and fall out with himselfe for offending and provoking so good so gracious a God It will make a man upbraid himselfe for a very beast and a foole as David did Psal 73. So ignorant was I and so foolish even as a beast before thee And it is a sure rule that of Saint Augustin peccata non nocent si non placent if a mans sinnes doe not please â—im they will never hurt him Whereas on the contrary when a man can carry away his sinnes as lightly as Sampson carried the gates of Azzâ— that they are no burthen to his 〈…〉 e or if they doe beginne to trouble him shall doe as Saul did betake himselfe to musicke and sport and merry company to drive it away as if one sinne could drive out another and not rather drive it farther in beleeve it this mans sinnes are no sinnes of infirmitie but they are sinnes of an higher nature and such as will cost a man deare ere hee can be acquitted of them in the sight of God And this I dare confidently affirme that there is no man that sinnes of infirmity but he iâ— afterward the better for his sinne it makes him the more jealous of himselfe the more watchfull over his wayes the more carefull to serve and please God than ever hee had beene in former times Whereupon saith Saint Austin upon those words of the Apostle Rom. 8. Omnia cooperantur c. All things worke together for good to them that love God Etiam peccata Domine Even our very sinnes O Lord for by sinne we have experience of our infirmitie our infirmity brings us downe to humility humility brings us home to God and in God every man hath his quietus est a happy discharge from all his sinnes This being done one thing onely remaines and that is this A man that hath sinned of infirmity will labour to bring forth that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Iohn Baptist speakes of Mat. 3. 8. the worthy fruits of repentance for you most know that repentance is one thing and the fruit of repentance is another it is not enough to repent and be sorry for what a man hath done so did Iudas so did Ahab but he must honestly and unfainedly endeavour to bring forth the fruit of repentance and that is the reformation and alteration of his life and conversation in the sight of God and men If it he thus with thee take comfort in Gods name from this comfortable Doctrine that thou art no other then Eliah was a man subject to passion It followes Eliah was a man subject to passions yet hee prayed Hence wee may learne never to be so dejected at the view of our frailties and imperfections as to forbeare our resorting to God in prayer For no man living hath so much neede to pray to God as a man subject to passions It was one part of Salomons request to God 2 Chron. 6. 29. When any one shall perceive and feele his owne sore his owne griefe and the plague of his owne heart as he termeth a mans owne corruption what shall he doe Shall hee despaire shall he be driven backe from God as Iordan was driven backe at the persence of the Arke no let him this doe let him downe upon his knees to God and spread forth his hands to heaven and the Lord which dwelleth in heaven will heare him and when he heares have mercy It was an amazed and unadvised prayer that of Simon to our Saviour Luke 5. 8. when he cried out Lord goe from me for I am a sinfull man as if a Patient should say to the Phisitian depart from me for I am sicke The sicker a man is the more neede he hath of the Phisitians presence and the sinfuller he is the more neede to draw neere to his Saviour as a man that shivers of an Ague creepes nearer and nearer to the fire You know our Saviours gracious call Come unto me all yâ— that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you Now as Saint Bernard saith every Christian is Animal onerifâ—rum a burden-bearing creature not a Christian upon earth but hath some crosse or other to clogge him some corruption or other to burthen him at times and lies heavy upon his heart what then is to be done Shall he lie downe like Issachar and couch betweene his burthen Shall he be disheartened and discouraged from resorting and approaching to God God forbid let him in Gods name come to Iesus Christ that calls him with teares in his eyes with true griefe and Godly sorrow in his heart with humble confessions and prayers in his mouth and he hath promised in verbo servatoris in the word of a Saviour that hee will release and ease him of it One thing I must tell thee by the way when thou prayest to Christ for ease thou must promise him obedience and service as the Israelites did to Rhehoboam 1 Reg. 12. Ease us of our burthen and we will be thy servants for ever Thus doe and then let thy burthen be never so
of piety to God but when the poore and hungry come to them as Christ came to that Figtree hoping to pull some fruite of charity and mercy from them there is nothing to be found but leaves good words perhaps and that is all beleeve it such men are nigh unto cursing and it is Gods infinite mercie if hee doe not blast their estate as Christ did the Fig-tree that it shall never prosper to them nor theirs The other wonder of Christ that did any hurt was that Mat. Chapter eight The drowning of the Swine and yet that was the devils doing Christ onely gave way to these evill spirits which seeke the destruction of man and beast to carry them headlong into the 〈◊〉 as they would carry us too but that God above who stiles himselfe The preserver of men is pleased in mercy to keepe out of their clutches and this was symbolicall too to let us understand how God hates all those that are of a swinish disposition that is all drunken sots that like swine have neither wit nor grace to moderate themselves in the use of Gods creatures and all lazie beasts that mind nothing but their bellies as you know a Swine is one of the laziest creatures that a man can keepe it doth him no worke nor service at all or lastly All hoggish worldlings and miserable muck-wormes of the earth that never doe good till they come to die let all such tremble and feare and call to God for mercy least in his just judgement hee deliver their soules into the hands of those hellish Fiends to carry them headlong as they did the swine into the lake that burneth with fire and brimestone for evermore there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth These are the two severest wonders that ever our Saviour did or suffered to be done as for all the rest looke into the Stories of the Gospel which are the Acts and Monuments of Iesus Christ you shall finde to be all gracious all beneficiall all healing and saving wonders Never any man came to him for sight that went away blind never any came to him for hearing that went away deafe never any came to him for health that went away sicke In a word you shall never finde that ever any man or woman came to our Saviour for any help or mercy that ever went away confounded or disappointed of their hopes Now beloved Christ is the same Iesus still that then he was Coelum non animum as we say though he have changed his place he hath not changed his nature but is still as favourable as indulgent to mankind as ever he was if we doe but as truly seeke unto him for our soules health as they did for their bodies So you see the nature of these wonders is altered from that they were in Eliahs times the severity of the Law suites not with the lenity of the Gospel and we must now imitate our Saviour in works of mercy not follow Eliah in prayers for judgment We see Luk 9. 54. When the disciples fingers itched to be revenged on the Samaritans for their base discourtesie in not entertaining our Saviour Master said they wilt thou that we command fire from heaven and consume them as Eliah did We have a president for it it is a booke case Eliah did so let us doe the like these men deserve it as bad or worse than they with whom Eliah had to doe No saith our Saviour the case is altered ye know not of what spirit ye are the spirit of the Law required severity the spirit of the Gospel requires meekenesse and mercy Farre is it from the good Spirit of Christ and of God to stirre up any mans heart to private revenge not an Eagle but a Dove was the shape wherein that holy and healthfull Spirit made choise to appeare Let us therefore all that are called Christians follow no other president but our Saviour Christs whose onely lesson that ever he set us to learne of him was 〈…〉 and meeke and so doing we shall finde Requiâ—m animabus 〈…〉 owne soules The third and last reason that may warrant Eliah in praying for a judgement was 3. Necessitas rei the necessity of the thing it self that holy Prophet had spent his strength in vaine Sermon upon Sermon warning upon warning threatning upon threatning and when he saw that nothing would worke them to goodnesse then he prayes for a judgement not in a vindictive way to be revenged upon them but as a desperate remedy knowing that that or nothing would bring them to good as it is said 2 Chron. ult God sent his Prophets rising early and sending them and used all gentle meanes to reclaime them till there was no remedy then he sent destruction In this sence if a man have a child or a friend or any one that he wisheth well to his soule if he be growen to that passe so hardned in sinne that no perswasions no warnings no threatnings will worke upon him I am perswaded it were neither uncharitable nor unpleasing to God if a man should pray Lord smite him correct him lay some medicinall some healing punishment upon him that he may see the errour of his wayes and may returne and repent and so be saved Vpon these and the like grounds I suppose Eliah might with a safe conscience pray for a judgement but then the next question is Why hee should make choise to pray for this kinde of judgement of drought and dearth for want of raine rather than any other I will tell you what I think the reasons may be 1. Because it was an uncontrouleable a convincing judgement if Eliah should have brought any earthly or visible judgement as Sword or Pestilence c. they would have imputed it presently to some secondary meanes and causes now this was a heavenly an invisible judgement the stoppage of the cloudes the detaining of Raine and the burning and scorching of the 〈…〉 judgement from heaven and 〈…〉 needes confesse to be Digitus the 〈…〉 God not Aliqnid humani no handy worke of any mortall man For this was the fallacy which the Scribes and Pharises put upon our Saviour Mat. 16. 1. When they had seene all the miracles and wonders of Christ how hee cured the sicke c. they conceited that these things might be done by slight of hand by art Magicke by Beelzebub or by Conjuration c but say they Shew us asigne from Heaven and then we will beleeve They knew that a Magician or a devill might doe much upon earth but he could doe nothing in heaven therefore say they shew us a signe from Heaven and we will beleeve So here to prevent all misconceites Elias prayed and procures a judgement from heaven and that a convincing a cutting judgement for you must know that the people at that time left off to worship the true God and fell to worship Baall the Sunne the Moone and all the Hoast of Heaven trusting no doubt that these gods of
His soule was grieved for the misery of Israel thus the onely way to ease our owne soules of griefe or to be rid of any grievous judgement is to Grieve the soule of God that is to humble our selves before him to pray and seeke his face and to turne from our wicked wayes and God will be even grieved himselfe that ever punished plagued and put us to griefe and he will returne as he saith and have mercy on us and will doe us good after he hath done us hurt Here then in a word is the ready way to prevaile with God either for raine or for faire weather or for any temporall blessing whatsoever to doe as Eliah did buckle our very heads betweene our knees I meane prostrate our selves before the face of God in the humblest in the lowliest in the most dejected manner that we can device and if any meanes under heaven will fetch downe mercy from heaven that will doe it Eliah prayed againe and the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit Now to God the Father God the Sunne God the Holy Ghost be ascribed and given all honour and glory be done and performed all service and duty from this time forth for evermore Amen FJNJS A VVINTER SERMON Preached in the Cathedrall Church of St. Pauls in LONDON upon Shrove Sonday last 1634. in the afternoone being a time of extraordinary snow and floods By John Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex Printed at London by Thomas Cotes for Thomas Alchorn and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Greene-dragon 1635. Perlegi has tres Conciones in quibus nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus Contrarium Tho Weekes R. P. Episcopo Lond. Ã Sacris TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL my truly Honored friend Master Alexander Thistlethwayte Esquyer to whom I owe even my owne selfe Right Worshipfull I Remember how Noahs Dove after some longer stay then was expected returned at length unto the Arke from whence shee was sent with a branch of Olive in her mouth Your worthy Family was the Arke out of which J was sent into these farther parts of Essex and thus long have J beene abroad ere J could finde out an Olive-branch fit to present you with at my returne such as it is I beseech you take it in good part and let it finde as the Authour hath done favour and acceptance at your hands And the God of peace lengthen your tranquilitie and continue to preserve your house and family that it may ever remaine as an Happie Arke wherein both you and yours may successively bee saved Thus prayes Your poore servant and suppliant IOHN GORE A WINTER SERMON Psal 147. vers 16 17 18. He giveth snow like wooll he scattereth the hoary frost like ashes He casteth foorth his Ice like morsells who is able to abide his cold He sendeth out his word and melteth them He bloweth with his wind and the waters flow THE last time I was in this place I preached you a Summer-Sermon out of Eliahs prayer Iames 5. 17. it being then a time of extraordinarie heate and drought I am now come up through Gods mercifull preservation to preach you a Winter-Sermon such as the extremity of the weather and the misery of the waies hath even enforced me to fall upon besides my purpose and intention that so by a kinde of spirituall Antiperistasis your soules may receive some warmth within whiles your bodies are encompassed with so much cold without for this end I have made choise of such a text as will teach us to make good use of all manner of winter weather whether it be snow or frost or Ice or floods or what ever else it be there is still some good use to be made of it if men had but grace to apply their mindes and hearts unto it Which that you may the better doe be pleased to obserue with me foure generall points which may bee reduced to foure severall heads and be thus expressed 1. The providence of God or the care that God hath to cloath and keepe warme the very earth as it were with a Garment of wooll dat nivem sicut lanam He giveth snow like wooll 2. The diligence of God if I may so terme it that in the cold and bitter evenings when we are close and warme by the fire or when wee are at rest and warme in our beds then is our God abroad at worke sprinkling and scattering the hoary or the ashy frost for the health and welfare both of man and beast spargit pruinam sicut cinerem he scattereth or sprinkleth the hoary frost like ashes 3. The severity of God whereby hee returneth men the same measure which they themselves have mete unto others because for the most part mens morsels are like Ice that is they come hardly and coldly and cruelly from them to the poore and hungry therefore God comes home to them in their owne kinde and payes them as it were with their owne coyne and gives them Ice like morsells to be both a remembrance a revenge of their miserable Inhospitalitie proijcit glaciem suam sicut buccellas He casteth forth his Ice like mosells 4. Lastly see the goodnesse and the tender mercy of God that when God seeth the weather is growne to that extremity that people are not able to abide his cold then he hath compassion upon mens infirmities and as it followeth in the text emittit verbum liquefacit c. Hee sendeth out his word and melteth them he bloweth with his winde the waters flow These bee the severall parts and branches of my text of each whereof I will endeavour to speake as briefly and as effectually as God and his good spirit shall enable mee And first of the providence of God in cloathing the very earth Dat nivem sicut lanam He giveth snow like woll 1. The first thing I observe from hence is this that the snow doth not onely come by the course of the planets or by the coldnesse of the Climate or by the vertue of any secondary meanes and causes but it is Donum Dei the gift of God The same God that gave us these soules is he that gives us these snowes to bee a covering and a garment to the naked earth farre bee it from us therefore to murmure or repine or thinke our selves agreeved with God for sending us such snowie weather to hinder our husbandry to pinch our cattell and to spend our stover c. but let us learne of David to give God the glory of all his gifts and sit downe and say as Elie did 1. Sam. 3. 18. It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good for whatsoever seemeth good to him cannot but be good how ever it seemes to us Consider I beseech you wherefore is it that the snow and haile and storme and tempest are bidden and commanded to praise God Psal 148. 8. and thinke with your selves
Let the Righteous smite it shall be a kindenesse c. In which words there are three generall parts to be observed which may be reduced to three heads and be thus exprest 1. Desiderium sanae conscientiae the desire of a sound and a good conscience that which is most distastefull to a bad conscience is most desirable to a good one viz. To be smitten and to be reproved percutiat et increpet Let him smite me let him reprove me 2. Electio sidelis amici the choyse of a faithfull friend of a fitting person to doe this office A man wold be loath that every Iack or every base fellow should curbe and snib and smite him for his errours but a Righteous man or if you please to take the word so a right wise-man one that is able to give a man counsell and honest to keepe a mans counsell let such a one smite in Gods name let him reprove and spare not percutiat me Iustus et increpet Let the Righteous smite me and let him reproove me though it be as the originall hath it Malleo percutiat Let him smite me as it were with a Mallet now Malleus incutit et excutit a Mallet serves both to drive in and to drive out so his meaning is if it be good counsell let him drive it in if it be a bad custome let him drive it out let him not forbeare me in either but smite home in both 3. Acceptatio fraternae correptionis the acceptation or well-taking of brotherly reprehension David did professe in the behalfe of all penitent and humble sinners that he would be so farre from taking it as a discourtesy or esteeming it as a disreputation to be told of his faults by such a man after such a manner that saith he it shall be Misericordia it shall be a kindnesse unto me yea a mercy yea more then that it shall be Oleum Capitis as it is in the Hebrew a principall a soveraigne an excellent oyle that shall not breake my head of these in their order first of the first part which is 1. Desiderium sanae conscientiae the desire of a good conscience that is to be smitten to be reproved A sound heart is like a sound hand that can abide not only rubbing chafing but smiting and striking too if occasion serve and yet neyther suffer nor offer any harme whereas if a man have a thorne in his hand or a bille or an vlcerous sore the least touch at unawares provokes him to impatience and makes him fret at him that meant him no unkindnesse So fares it with a man that hath a thorne in his heart or an vlcer in his Soule I meane some secret sinne or other that he loveth and is loath to part with though he be not smitten upon purpose if he be but touched upon the by as David saith in another case Tange montes et fumig abunt Touch the Mountaines and they shall smoke so the least touch upon his predominant his Mountaine-sinne makes him fret and fume and smoke like the vapours in the clouds that never leave working when once they are enraged till they have vented themselves into a clap of thunder malice will finde a vent if it be but stirred with a touch When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sinne He is as a moth fretting a garment saith our translation Psal 39. 11. He that undertakes a carnall man with rebukes to chasten him for sinne shall finde him play the Moth presently he will be fretting secretly though hee make no shew of it openly as wee say of a Moth Tinea damnum facit non sonitum A moth doth mischiefe and makes no noyse I say Rebuke him and you shall finde him a very moth if he cannot finde a hole in that mans coate that shall offer to reproove him t is a venture but he will fret one that is he will either raise some imputation of scandall upon him or bring some action at law against him one way or other he wil be revenged upon him for it It s death to an ill-minded man to be smitten for his faults But then come to a man of an honest heart and an humble minde one that is truely conscious to his owne defects and such a one will be so farre from taking it in ill part or in indignation to bee touched for his transgressions that he will rather entreate any good man or any good Minister as the man of God entreated his neighbour 1 Reg. 20. 35. Smite me I pray thee in the name of the Lord If thou knowest any thing that is amisse in mee or seest mee doe any thing that may be displeasing to God or prejudiciall to my calling to my credit or to my conscience to God-ward doe not favour me doe not forbeare me but deale truely and effectually with me and smite mee I pray thee in the name of the Lord. And such was Davids disposition in my Text though he were a prince and a man after Gods owne heart yet was he so farre from delighting to heare himselfe flattered for his vertues that he did rather even desire and long to feele himselfe smitten for his vices percutiat et increpet let him smite me and reprove me A man would thinke that David had smiting enough if that were good he should desire no more Almighty God had smitten him as he saith himselfe with such a sore disease that there was no rest in his bones noe breath in his body by reason of his sinne Besides that his enemies had smitten him on every side They came about me like Bees saith he animasque in vulnere ponunt they smote him and stung him though it were to their own undoing though they left their very lives and soules in their stings Beyond all these Davids owne heart had smitten him more then once when hee numbred the people His heart smote him saith the Text. 2 Sam. 24. 10. To teach us how our hearts should smite us when we consider the number of our sins So when be had but cut Sauls coat his heart smote him againe as much perhaps as it would have done some other if he had cut Sauls throat I say if smiting be good surely David had enough of it and yet you see there was an unicum deest one thing wanting to all those smitings He that knew the state and temper of his owne soule did sensibly finde in himselfe that if he were but smitten againe in another kind if the Righteous would but smite him too it might be a meanes to doe him as much yea much more good than all the rest had done But stay and let us reason the case why should David desire to be smitten once more having been so much and so often smitten before I will tell you what I thinke his reason might be 1 Vt videat that he might see his errors We have a saying that standers by see more than Gamesters so another man may see
grace at the Court we meane he is in great favour there And it is a phrase no lesse usuall in scripture Gen. 6. 8. Noah found grace in the sight of God i. e. hee found favour in his sight and God Almighty saith of Moses Exod. â—3 12. Invenistâ— gratiam coram me Thou hast found grace in my sight i. d. favour and good acceptance And so the Angel greets the blessed Virgin Luke 1. 28. feare not Mary Invenisti gratiam Thou hast found grace i. e. thou art highly favoured of the Lord. So that the grace of God and the favour of God are as Ioseph said of Pharaohs dreams both one and the same Now the thing that I muse upon is this that the grace and favour of God is thus often if not alwayes exprest in the Bible sub termino inveniendiâ— under the name and terme of finding It is not barely said of Noah and Moses and the Virgin Mary fuerunt they were in grace and favour with God but Invenerunt they found it this phrase doth certainely seeme to imply as Oleaster well observes that the grace and favour of God is sometimes found as a poore man findes a treasure or a bag of gold non industriâ sed casu not by any industry or paines taking for it but meerely by casualty and Gods providence in it As when Iosephs brethren found their money in their sackes mouthes it inriched them and it ravished them too with wonder and admiration Gen. 42. 28. in like manner when a poore disconsolate wretch shall without all desert and beyond all expectation finde a sensible experiment of Gods favourable goodnesse towards him how can hee chuse but even blesse himselfe and say Lord what am I that such a favour should be cast upon me In a word as Iacob answered his aged father when hee questioned him about the matter of his venison Gen. 27. 20. How is it that thou hast found it so quickly my sonne saith he Because the Lord thy God brought it to my hand In like sort if any shall seeme to question the matter how it comes to passe that some one man findeth favour and riseth to preferment so easily and so quickly over that some others doe which to our thinking deserves it better In promtu ratio the Lord their God brings it to their hand when God brings a blessing to hand the labour is not long to finde it But that by the way I shall here take occasion to resolve you of two questions which doe offer themselves to your consideration the first is this when a man wants the grace and favour of God how shall he doe to finde it the second is like unto it when a man hath found Gods grace and favour at his need how shall he doe to keepe it that hee doe not forfeit it nor loose it againe I will answer you for both in a word Dost thou want the grace of God and fayne wouldest finde it Thou must doe two things for it First thou must depreciari teipsum it is Tertullians word thou must disparage and disgrace thou must humble and abase thy selfe before the face of God for if that bee true which our Saviour saith John 10. 35. non potest solvi scriptura The scripture cannot bee broken then no man living can finde Grace with God but he that is truely humble for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Let one example serve for all and it is a seasonable one for this time that of the blessed Virgin of whom wee spake before the Angel told her as you have heard that shee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 highly or extraordinarily in favour with God for indeede she had such grace as never mortall woman had the like with God to bee made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God and to beare him in her body who in his body bare away the sinnes of all the world to give her owne Saviour sucke it was a favour beyond expression well but whence came this to passe that the Virgin Mary found this favour with God rather then any other virgin in Israel no doubt as our Saviour said in another case many widowes were in Israel in the dayes of Elizeus but to none was the Prophet sent save onely to the widow of Sareptah so many virgins were in Israel in the dayes of the virgin Mary yet to none was the Angel sent but to her onely And why to her and not to them shee that knew it best gives the reason herselfe in her Magnificat which we daily read My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour for why Respexit humilitatem saith shee Hee hath regarded the lowlinesse of his hand maiden It was not then for her lovelinesse but it was for her lowlinesse not for her hansomenesse but for her humblenesse that she found such grace and favour with God above her fellow virgins Other Virgins there might bee that were as chast as she as beautifull as shee and farre more wealthy and gay then she was but no Virgin in Israel nor in all the world was so humble nor so lowly as she was and this was the onely materia struendae misericordiae if I may so speake the matter that Gods mercy had to worke upon that that onely was the foundation and ground worke of all the grace and favour that she found with God In like manner if thou dost desire to bee partaker of the same mercy to finde favour with God as shee did thou must also be partaker of the same humility thou must bee humble and lowly as shee was doe as Benhadads servants did to Ahab 1. Reg. 20. 31. We have heard say they that the Kings of Israel are merciful kings let us goe then and put sackcloth upon our loynes and ropes upon our heads and so humble our selves before him peradventure wee shall finde favour with him that we shall not die but live so thou hast heard that the God of Israel is a mercifull God stand not then upon termes of ease or state if thou lovest thy selfe but goe and humble thy selfe unto him prostrate thy selfe before him pray and seeke his face in the lowliest the dejectedst the devotest manner that possibly thou canst expresse both with thy body and with thy soule and beleeve it for a truth if any thing under heaven bring thee into favour with the God of Heaven that will doe it deprectari teipsum to disparage thy selfe Secondly thou must Appropriare Christum thou must appropriate Christ unto thy selfe thou must shrowd thy selfe under thy Saviours wings thou must sue to God under his protection and patronage and as the Herodians Acts 12. made friendship with Blastus the Kings Chamberlaine to helpe them into favour with Herod so must thou make friendship with Iesus Christ for it is hee and onely he that can helpe thee into grace and favour with thy God Gratificavit nos in dilecto saith the
conference with thy God and beleeve it if there bee any meanes in the world to fasten and rivet the favour of God unto thy soule that will doe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walke aright with God I have done with the first generall part of my text concerning the meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or what is meant by the Grace here spoken of Come we now to the second and that is the Author and Owner of this Grace exprest in the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God claimes it at his owne peculiar and calls it by a terme of propriety My Grace to shew that none hath to doe with the dispensing of that but himselfe alone Now if you marke the course of Scripture you shall observe that there is not any thing which belongs to man but in one place or other God claimes it for his owne Though he hath given the earth to the Children of men yet hath he not alienated it from himselfe but that still The Earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof whatsoever fulnesse the earth affords us whether it be Fields full of Corne Folds full of Sheepe Orchards full of Fruit Tables full of Meate c. all these fulnesses are the Lords who openeth his hand and filleth all things living with pleâ—teousnesse And not onely the earth in generall and the fulnesse thereof but the very Cattell and Beasts of the earth are all the Lords too Psal 50. 10. All the Beasts of the Forrest are mine saith God and so are the Cattell upon a thousand Hills The Beasts of the Forrest we know are ferae naturae of a wild unruly nature they know no Master acknowledge no owner are in subjection to no keeper yet because the Lord takes care of them gives them their being and provides them their food therefore doth he justly claime them for his owne and saith All the Beasts of the Forrest ar e mine and so are all the Cattell upon a thousand hills whether they be sheepe or goates Neate or Fowle there 's no man living hath any right unto them upon earth but he holds it in capite and hath his right from the God of Heaven Not onely so but the very Corne in our Barnes the Wine in our Cellers the Wooll upon our Sheepes backes the Lord claimes for his owne as yee may see Hos 2. 8 9. For God bestowes his blessings as the Sunne doth his beames in such a manner as that they depend still upon himselfe after he hath bestowed them Nay to come neerer yet the very money that is in our purses or coffers whether we keepe it close to hatch a purchase or put it out as the Lyon puts out his claw to rend and gripe the poore needy borrower wheresoever God findes it he claimes it for his owne Hag. 2. 8. The Silver and the Gold is mine and as little conscience as men make of their gaines they must one day be accountable to the Lord How they got it how they used it and how they wasted it All this is to let us understand to whom wee are beholden for our Lands for our goods and for whatsoever else we inherit or injoy in this world even to the Father of lights as Iames termeth him Iam. 1. 17 from whom both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both gifts and goods and all descend unto us therefore as in the sacrifices of old whosoever had the flesh God had the fat so whosoever hath the goods of this world let God have the glory for his they are and from him we have and hold them But there is one thing in my text for which wee are more beholding to God then for all the rest and that is for His Grace other things though they come originally from God yet they come mediately by the meanes of other instruments by Parents or friends or Benefactors but Grace is a thing that comes solely and onely immediatly from God as there was no corne to be had in Egypt but from the hand of Ioseph so no grace to bee had on earth but from the hand of God He is the God of all Grace as Saint Peter truly stileth him there is no grace whatsoever that is wanting in man but there is a gracious supply to be had in God which made David as it were in a rapture to cry out and say Oh tast and see how gracious the Lord is Psal 34. 8. First tast and then see because as a man can never truely tell the sweetnesse of honey till he have tasted it first so can hee never truely see nor perceive nor understand how gracious a God the God of Heaven is till he have first had a tast of Gods grace and an experience of Gods favour in himselfe and for his owne soul Tast then and see how gracious the Lord is Gracious in his Throne for it is the Throne of Grace Heb. 4. 16. gracious in his spirit for it is The spirit of Grace Zach. 12. 10. Gracious in his Word for it is the Word of Grace Acts 20. 30. and above all gracious in himselfe for Hee is the God of Grace yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The God of all Grace 1. Pet. 5. 10. And therefore dost thou desire wisedome Hee is the God of that Grace dost thou want patience hee is the God of that too dost thou stand in neede of Faith or Hope or Charity he is the God of all these Oh what a gracicious God doe we serve and what gracelesse beasts we are if wee serve him not seeing hee hath grace sufficient for all his servants My Grace saith God is sufficient for thee In a word then for asmuch as all Grace is of God that He and none but He hath the disposall and the dispensation of it to whom hee pleaseth take I beseech you into your consideration these briefe advertisements following 1. Nâ— deficias doe not faile of it It is the Apostles owne caveat Heb. 12. 15. Looke diligently least any man faile of the Grace of God God for his part is so gracious that he denyes his grace to none but offers it and I may say gives it to every one that will but aske and accept it as the Scripture saith of Araunah 2. Sam. 24. 23. when hee offered King David his oxen for a sacrifice and his threshing instruments for wood to burne them the text saith All these things did Araunah as a King give unto the King whereas we know he did not give them because David would not accept of them but his will was to have given them and that the holy Ghost accompts as a gift and so recordeth it In like sort God offers his grace in the Word and Sacraments his will is graciously and freely to bestow it if sinfull men were but like minded to receive it and to make themselves capable of so great a mercy by desiring it It was Gods owne proposition to his owne sonne Psal 2.
desire of God as it is in the Collect That his speciall Grace may ever more prevent and follow us first that God would prevent us with his Grace to put into our hearts good motions good thoughts and good desires and secondly that it may follow us too as the water of the Rocke followed the Campe of the Israelites to the Land of Promise 1 Cor. 10. 4. so that Gods Grace may follow accompany and goe along with us in this world and never leave us never forsake us till it hath brought us to the end of our Faith which is the salvation of our soules according to that Psal 109. ult Dominus ad dextram c. the Lord is at the right hand of the poore to save him from all them that would condemne his soule where note that he doth not say the Lord is at their left hand which is as I may terme it the lazy hand to save men in their negligent and idle courses But hee is at their right hand which is the working hand to save all them that worke for their salvation and carefully use the meanes to save themselves which thing if thou make a conscience to doe though thy sinnes and thy enemies should conspire to condemne thee Thy God and his Grace will be sufficient to save thee And so at length I am come aboard the last and long-desired part of my text which containes the application of all in particular which hath beene spoken and delivered in generall drawne out of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Grace is sufficient for thee so that as it is said of our Saviour Mat. 21. 45. that his doctrine was so punctuall and clapt so close to the consciences of his Auditors that the Pharises knew he meant them so by that time I have done with my text neither will I bee long in doing it I trust you shall perceive that Gods meaning was to you when hee spake to Saint Paul and told him that His Grace is sufficient for him Briefly than see what Paul was and say what thou art if your case bee the same your comfort is the same for God is no accepter of persons his Grace is as sufficient for the one as for the other 1. Saint Paul was Homo in Christo he was a man in Christ as you may see by the second verse of this chapter I knew a man in Christ that was taken up into the third heaven Art thou such a one I meane art thou regenerate and become a new creature for he that is in Christ is a new creature 2. Cor. 5. 17 dost thou daily renew thy repentance and renew thy obedience and renew thy duty and devotion to God and is it a griefe to thy soule that so much of the old leaven thy old corruption remaines still in thy heart Then take this holy Scripture to thy comfort and assure thy selfe though thy conscience disquiet thee Gods Grace will be sufficient for thee contrarily if thou beest an old weather beaten sinner an old rusty drunkard swearer and that standest at a stay and gatherest sinne like an old tree that stands and gathers mosse I must say unto thee as Peter said to Symon Magus Act. 8. thou hast neyther part nor portion in this priviledge thou art not a man in Christ and consequently canst claime no interest in the grace and favour of God 2. Saint Paul was Homo in Cruce a man upon the crosse Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ and elswhere Colos 1. 24. I fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh whereupon saith a father quid deest passioni Christi nisi uâ— nos similâ—a patiamur what is or what can be wanting to the sufferings of Christ but that as he tooke up his crosse so we take up ours and follow him for vae portantibus crucem non sequentibus Christum woe to them that are crucified not with Christ that bare the crosse and follow not Christ but turne from him cleane another way It is well knowne that afflictions go under the name of crosses now a crosse was a peece of wood for a malefectour to die on there was no other use of a crosse but that Affliction therefore is called a crosse because it should have the nature and power of a Crosse that is it should be a meanes to crucifie and mortifie all carnall lusts and affections in us that the more we are afflicted the more we should dye to sin and the lesse life and power should our corruptions have in us Thus it was with Saint Paul is it so with thee dost thou wish and desire the death of thy sinnes dost thou make this use of thy afflictions even to die daily as the Apostle speakes dost thou every day drive one naile into the body of sinne I meane one sigh or grone to God against it dost thou labour to draw blood of thy soule as they drew blood of thy Saviour I meane the teares of true repentance and is it a death to thy heart that thou canst not die unto sinne and live unto God as thou shouldest and oughtest to doe Then looke no further for Harts-ease but to the words of my text and assure thy selfe what ever Crosses be upon thee Gods Grace in Gods good time shall bee sufficient to ease thee Contrariewise if thou beest one that dost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Setphen speaketh Acts. 7. â—1 one that dost fall crosse and contrary to all but to thy sinnes and art indeede a very crosse to God himselfe and to his good Spirit by thy perverse ungodly courses I must say unto thee as the Prophet Esay saith Esay 3. 6. Woe bee unto thy soule for thou hast rewarded evill unto thy selfe thou forsakest thy owne mercy and deprivest thy selfe of the comfort of Gods grace in the time of neede 3. Saint Paul was Homo in negotiis a laborious man a man full of imployments 1. Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more then all my fellow Apostles saith hee yet not I but the grace of God which was with mee there 's an honest acknowledgement by whom he profited and elsewhere hee tells the Corinthians 2. Cor. 11. 9. When I was with you and wanted non obtorpui I was not chargeable nor burthensome to any man The learned observe that word hath his weight from Torpedo which signifieth a Cramp-fish a fish they say that hath such a benumming quality that the cold of it will strike from the hook to the lyne from the line to the goad from the goad to the arme from the arme to the body of the fisher and so benum him take away al use and feeling of his limmes His meaning is that he was none of those idle drones that by their lazinesse and lewdnesse doe even chill and benumme and dead the charity of well-disposed people but as he laboured in preaching so hee wrought in his calling too and put himselfe to any paines
until that day This kindnes the Officers could afford our Saviour Iohn 18. when he had thus spoken one of the Officers which stood by smote Iesus on the face with the palme of his hand This kindnesse Zedechâ—ah could afford Michaiah 1 Reg. 22 He went neere and smote him on the checke Doubtlesse if one in anger had smitten Ahabs or the High-priests dogge in that place and in that presence he should have smarted for it but this they thought was kindnesse good enough for them that durst doe no other but take it So that as Absalom said to Hushai when to his thinking he had shewed him a plot how to undermine his father David 2 Sam. 16. 17. Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend saith he so if this if smiting and baffling and backbiting be a friendly kindnesse a man shall have kindnesse and friendship enough as this world goes he shall never neede to begge for it he shall have it without asking but if he looke for any other friendship or kindnesse hee may chance to goe without it and fall short of his expectation such friends as Tacitus speakes of quibus deerat inimicus ab amicis sunt oppressi they that had no enemy to oppresse and abuse them were abused and oppressed by their friends such as these the world is full of and such kindnesse as Iul an shewed the poore Christians that would smite them on the one cheeke to see whether they would turne the other shall be offered a man whether hee will or no I say he that will take smiting kindly shall have kindnesse good store But that is not the meaning of my text The Originall is percutiat me in misericordia let him smite me in mercy or in compassion to my soule that would doe ill or worse if it were not smitten and well doth deserve to be accounted a kindnesse in many respects I will but touch them and passe them over 1 It is a kindnesse Reducere errantem if it be but a sheepe that is lost and gone astray he that will reduce it and bring it home to the Shepheard and to the fold it is a kindnesse you will say Now all we like sheepe have gone astray saith the Prophet and we acknowledge it daily to God in our publike confession We have erred and straied from thy wayes like lost sheepe Now the sheepe as the Philosopher saith is pecus erraticum a kinde of cattle that is given more to wandring and straying than any other whatsoever and besides that such is the simplicity and the foolishnesse of a sheepe that being once lost and gone astray it hath not the wit nor understanding of it selfe ever to returne and come home againe as a dogge or a spaniell will doe but wanders further and further unlesse some good body or other doe chance to seeke it up and find it and bring it home even such are we too apt to goe astray from God and to lose our selves in a labyrinth of sinne but have not the wit nor the grace of our selves ever to returne to the Shepheard and Bishop of our soules except some good body or other be a meanes under God to reduce to reclaime and bring us home to Christ Now hee that shall see his friend thus gone astray and shall by wholesome admonitions and friendly reprehensions endeavour to reduce him and bring him backe to God Is not this a kindnesse 2 It is a kindnesse Sanare aegrotum to recover on that is sicke and make one sound that is in a consumption such is a man farre gone in sinne as the Apostle saith of the Cretians Tit. 1. 12. they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evill beasts slow bellies alwayes liers a man would thinke it a vaine thing to meddle with such as were so farre gone in a spirituall consumption so sicke to the death with a surfeit of sinne yet saith the Apostle doe not dispaire of their cure but rebuke them sharply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cuttingly that they may be sound in the faith A rotten Cretian by sharpe reproofe may be made a sound Christian Thus when a man is corrupt in his conscience and rotten in his communication as the Apostle calls filthy discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rotten coÌ„munication Eph. 4. 29. I say when a mans soule is almost consumed and dead and rotten to God-ward he that by wholesome advice and heavenly physicke can recover such a one and make him sound in his heart and in his faith to God Is not this a kindnesse 3 It is a kindnesse Suscitare lethargum when a man is in a lethargy where sleepe may be his death or if a man should sleepe on the top of a mast where every nod may endanger his life hee that shall awake such a one before any harme befall him it is a kindnesse even that And such is the case of all impenitent sinners Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee life Beleeve it security is as dangerous a sleepe to the soule as lethargy is to the body now when a man shal lie in wickednes as a carrion lies in rottennesse and shall sleepe away his salvation though his damnation sleepeth not He that shall awake such a one by stirring reprehensions least if he were let alone he might sleepe as Sisera did which God forbid who slept but never waked againe Is not this a kindnesse 4 It is a kindnesse Ligare insanum to bind a mad man to chaine up one that is bereft of his sences and wits who if they were at liberty might endanger himselfe and others now Salomon tels us Eccles 7. that the heart of man is full of evill and madnes is in his heart while he liveth see how Bedlam-like some men are in their fury and passion sweare and curse and even worry their God and Saviour when they are provoked by man they right their spleene upon God Yea if their words were the same indeed that they are said to be in effect if they were but swords and arrowes and rasors indeed that would peirce and wound the body as they wound and peirce the soule nothing should satisfie them but the lives and bloud and death of those that have offended them such mischievous such murthering words doe they spit like venom out of their hellish mouthes now then he that can over awe such a one with grave and sober reprehensions that can over-come and over-power and over-rule him with good language and good perswasions Ne quid loquare durius as God said to Laban Gen. 31. 24. and smite him so as that he dares not smite againe but cry God and his neighbour mercy for what he hath spoken and done amisse Is not this a kindnesse 5 Lastly it is a kindnesse Liberare perditum to save a lost man that is in imminent danger of drowning and death if he have not speedy helpe it was Moses case when he was in the river had it not been for