the Church of God to persecution imprisonment losse of goods libertie and lives of Gods children without God his good pleasure and purpose Oh as I have from the letter reproved the Atheisme of those men who in stormes and tempests on the Sea or Land doe not looke up to the seat of Majestie and give him the glory thereof who doth rule and governe that huge and vast Element So let me reprove the Atheisme of those who when stormes and tempests are raised in the world or against the Church of God do not looke up to the ruling and over-ruling hand of Iehovah but cry out upon chance or fortune or gaze too much upon the meanes Oh if this had not hapned or that had not beene whereas all is but under God for the executing of his good pleasure and purpose Did not the Lord stir up Hadad the Edomite to be an adversarie to Salomon and stir up another adversarie also Rezon the sonne of Eliadah and Ieroboam also not only to lift up his hand against the King and trouble him in his peace but also in the daies of his sonne to rent away ten Tribes from his house and perpetually to divide the Kingdoms of Iudah and Israel Doth not God say he hath created the destroyer to destroy Esay 54. 16. Good Lord how plaine and plentifull are the Scriptures in this point if I would inlarge my selfe Oh that men would therefore looke to the hand that smiteth search out the causes of such tempests beare with patience his hand and seeke unto him for a calme I beseech you learne this lesson That all the enemies of Gods Church they are Gods souldiers he hath levied them and giveth them pay they fight under his banner and hee hath sent them to destroy though themselves doe not know so much Oh but why will God suffer such havocke and destruction to be made of his people I answer because through long peace plenty and prosperity they are become unthankfull loath the heavenly Manna earthly-minded proud covetous rebellious against Gods word and ordinance and will obey it no further than it doth like themselves prophaning his Sabbaths growing senselesse and obdurate at his corrections of famine pestilence sicknesse despising the warnings of his servants and in stead of repenting and turning to God and meeting him with the intreatie of peace falling foule upon his messengers mocking and abusing them These are the sinnes which he hath threatned to punish these were the sinnes oh these were the sinnes of Gods people in France Palatinate and other places of Germany whereby the Lord of Hosts being provoked to anger hath mustered his Armies and sent his Souldiers to destroy and avenge his quarrell Oh therefore that they had grace to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God to turne to the Lord in fasting weeping and mourning to rent their hearts for their sinnes and become more cheerefull in their obedience to the Gospell and zealous in the profession of it Oh then would the Lord soone humble their enemies and turne his hand against those that hate them and either cause their rage utterly to cease as hee did sundry times in Iudah when the people so sought his face or if in his justice he did harden their hearts to pursue as the Egyptians did the Israelites into the heart of the Sea they should not need to feare but even stand still and see the salvation of God in the perpetuall confusion of such cruell and bloud-thirstie enemies Oh England God calleth to thee to be warned by the example of thy neighbours friends allies and brethren to meet the Lord by repentance and whilst he doth shake the rod at thee to shake off that sluggish and carelesse profession of the Gospell to scoure off the rust of those sinnes which so long peace plenty and prosperity have bred to cause thy love to spring againe afresh to the Gospell and more sincerely to practise the duties of pietie and godlinesse being fruitfull in all good works If thou doest so the Lord of Hosts will cashier and discharge his Armies put an hooke in their nosthrils and a bit in their iawes as hee did against that proud Sennacherib Or else they shall plot and fight without him yea take our parts against them and arme the winds waters against them as sometimes he hath done to his everlasting praise But if England will not be reclaimed and reformed but still refuse and be rebellious hating to be reformed adding drunkennesse to thirst making a mocke of Gods Iudgements when they are threatned the Lord will turne thy calme into a storme and to trust in any earthly thing were but to make vanitie our refuge There is no wisdome counsell nor strength against the Lord It is the Lord that raiseth tempests and if he be disposed to raise one it shall rise indeed he hath wayes and meanes which we see not David was as confident as wee can be that his mountaine was so strong that it could not be moved but it was moved and shaken indeed Cannot he that hangeth the earth on nothing shake a mountaine He doth weigh them in scales Remember this doctrine Yea let every one that is inwardly troubled and afflicted in soule know that howsoever God may therein use Sathan and permit him to vex and disquiet or else the melancholike evill disposition of our bodies yet such spirituall afflictions are from God They neither come by chance or fortune nor properly from Sathan or our selves but God Almightie laieth such troubles upon our soules for exercise of our Faith Patience Meeknesse and he will not suffer us to be tempted above that we shall be able to beare but will give issue with the temptation and in good time cause a calme And therefore still let us provoke our soules to wait upon God and to be of good comfort in him So much for the qualitie Now as this tempest was raised suddenly as a whirle-winde or gust vpon the Sea so for quantitie it was a great one It is worthy to be observed that when our Saviour wrought any miracle the Euangelists are directed to describe the greatnesse of the evill by such circumstances as declare that the evill was by naturall helpe and meanes utterly incurable As a man full of leprosie came to Christ and he did but touch him and cure him A woman had beene diseased with an issue of blood twelue yeeres and had spent her living on Physitians neither could be healed by any came behinde him and did but touch the hem of his garment and immediatly her issue of blood stanched A man that was borne blinde having his eyes anointed with clay was made to see Lazarus who had beene dead foure daies and was said to stinke by the voice of Christ was raised to life The like may be observed in many others So here that the glorie of
they were they did subsist in the person of the Word So were there at once two great unions admirably singular and singularly admirable viz. 1. Manhood and Godhead 2. Motherhood and Maidenhood But because the wombe is a darke shop wherein every man is marvellously and fearefully made much more was Christ the Virgins wombe being called the shop of miracles Neither did it want mysterie that the Holy Ghost is said to overshadow her We will also beleeve with our hearts what we cannot fully comprehend with our mindes much lesse expresse with our tongues We will also religiously marvell at this and say What manner of man is this that was even conceived by the Holy Ghost and proceed to that was more visible and patulous viz. His birth S. Iohn saith He saw a great wonder in heaven a woman clothed with the Sunne and the Moone under her feet and upon her head a crowne of twelve starres and shee was with childe and cried travelling in birth He may well call it a wonder a great wonder it is the wonder of wonders and comprehendeth many wonders What! the inhabiter of eternitie subject to time and after certaine moneths in the wombe as this day borne into the world The everlasting Father a young childe The Word an Infant which cannot speake Wisdome it selfe not know good from evill He that beareth up all things by his omnipotencie borne in the armes of a woman He that is invisible in his owne nature whom no man ever saw nor can see now to be seene of any in our nature even of the country Shepherds He that hath heaven for his throne and the earth his footstoole borne in the stable of a common Inne and laid in a cratch He that filleth heaven and earth too finde no roome in an Inne He that hath girt the sea sand himselfe wrapped in swadling clothes Hee that openeth his hands and feedeth every living creature doth he sucke the breasts He that is Davids Lord is he become Davids sonne He that was before Abraham is he so long after him in the flesh and descended from his loines He that is the Lord of all is he become a servant unto all Whereas man in the nonage of the world was made after the Image of God now in the dotage of it will God be made after the similitude of sinfull man He that made woman of Adams rib will he now be made of a woman and shall his mother be a Virgin Well said God when he prophesied that the Lord will create a new thing in the earth a woman shall compasse a man He may well call it a new thing for there was never such a thing before nor since and he may well call it a Creation Yea some Divines hold the worke of Incarnation when God was made like man to be greater than the worke of Creation when man was made like God I am sure the greatest miracles that every eye saw may be seene of the spirituall man in the birth of Christ The Sunne in the Firmament hath beene seene to stand to be retrograde and goe backe divers degrees to be eclipsed or darkned at a plenilune and these were great miracles But in the birth of Christ thou shalt see the Sunne of righteousnesse come downe from heaven and the most glorious Sonne of God emptie himselfe and descend from the bosome of his Father into the wombe of a Virgin Moses saw the viriditie of a bush burning with fire preserved and in Christs birth we may see the virginitie of a mother preserved Esay 7. 14. Aarons dry rod did blossome and beare fruit and in the birth of Christ we may see the withered stock of Iesse flourish and beare fruit Manna fell out of the clouds Christ came from the bosome of his Father Elijah was taken up into heaven but a greater than he came now downe from heaven The consideration whereof made that learned and devout Father to breake out into admiration O Lord I doe not admire the stature of the world the stabilitie of the earth waxing and waning of the Moone perpetuall motion of the Sunne but I wonder to see God in the wombe the omnipotent in the cradle `` These things doe astonish me and make me say with Abacuck I have considered thy works and was afraid With whom let us marvell and say with these Disciples What manner of man is this who as this day was borne of a pure Virgin Surely this is a new and strange thing indeed which Iehovah himselfe hath created and it is marvellous in our eyes Oh rejoyce in this day which the Lord hath made yea rejoyce in this day wherein the Lord was made Rejoyce great grandfather Adam for as this day thy wife Evah hath brought forth the promised seed which shall bruise the serpents head Rejoyce grandfather Abraham This is the day thou so longedst to see Now is thy seed borne in which all nations of the earth shall be blessed Rejoyce father David this day thy Lord is become thy sonne which shall sit upon thy throne Rejoyce all yee Prophets for God hath fulfilled what he hath spoken by your mouthes Rejoyce yee men for the Sonne of God is now made man Rejoyce yee women for a woman is become the mother of God and all generations shall call her blessed Rejoyce yee Virgins for a Virgin hath conceived and borne a sonne Rejoyce yee children for the Sonne of God is become a childe Rejoyce yee that sit in darknesse for the day spring from on high hath visited yea the Sunne of righteousnesse is risen unto you Rejoyce yee that hunger for the bread of life is come from heaven Rejoyce yee that mourne for the consolation of Israel is come Rejoyce yee that are sicke in your soules the Physitian is come Rejoyce yee sinners for a Saviour is borne Let all that feare the Lord rejoyce and sing Glory be to God on high And so much for his birth He hath many most glorious high honourable titles given him as Iesus Christ Son of the most high Lord of glory Emanuel Wonderfull Counseller Mighty God everlasting Father Prince of peace Angel of Covenāt Redeemer Way Truth Life Resurrection Peace First last First begottē of the dead First fruits of them that sleepe Prince of the Kings of the earth Bright morning starre Amen Faithfull and true witnesse The beginning of the Creation of God Prince of Life The true Light Good Shepherd Vine Doore Lambe of God Only begotten Sonne of the Father Image of the invisible God second Adam Sonne of Man The true God Great God Mighty God The only God God over all King Everlasting Priest
will goe to their Master Yea let Ionah be cast into the Sea and be swallowed of a Whale and then he will cry to the Lord A strange thing saith one that he that slept in the ship should be awake in the Whales belly and he that fled from God on dry land should flie to God in the bottome of the sea Oh when men have all things according to their hearts desire they seeke not the Lord. Prosperitie dulleth devotion in the best as David found by experience In my prosperitie I said I shall never be moved but thou hiddest thy face and I was troubled then I cried to the Lord and made supplication to my God Oh to correct this dulnesse and negligence it is that God many times taketh away good things from his people and sendeth many evils both generall to the Church and Common-wealth as famine pestilence sword and particular on our families and persons as sicknesse ache paine death of friends losses and crosses and all because as we say God would be better acquainted with us and see us at his Court for in miserie he knoweth he shall heare of us but else let us alone and we let him alone So much in stead of much more be said from the letter and historie Now let us proceed to the mysterie You have heard that this storme so endangering this ship doth represent persecutions and troubles which in this world doe infest the people of God As then the disciples in this dangerous tempest went to Christ and by prayer to him procured a calme so when the Church of God is persecuted and in danger all the disciples of Christ must goe to him by prayer for it So doth David injoyne Pray for the peace of Ierusalem Luther calleth prayers the Christians Canons and surely being well charged with faith and repentance and fired with zeale and fervencie of spirit they shoot farre and pierce deepe yea it pierceth heaven and overcommeth enemies on earth As then Kings and Princes when enemies approach prepare their weapons armour swords and speares When Christians heare of warres and rumours of wars they must prepare themselves to prayer muster their petitions and set them in battell array as David saith Psal 5. 3. and not trust too much in earthly meanes as David saith Some trust in horses and some in chariots but we will trust in the name of the Lord And againe An horse is counted but a vaine thing to save a man neither is any mighty man delivered by his much strength and I will not trust in my bowe it is not my sword that can save me but in God we boast all the day long The horse is prepared for the day of battell but salvation is from the Lord By all which and many other places of Scripture which might be alledged to this purpose the use of meanes is not condemned but that they be not trusted in but be seconded with true and faithfull prayer David neglected not the meanes yet purposely penned a forme of prayer for the people to use when he went forth to battell The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thee send thee helpe from his Sanctuary and strengthen thee out of Sion Moses neglected not the meanes when he sent forth Ioshuah with his Armies to fight with Amalek but himselfe went up to the top of the mountaine to pray and did more there with his prayer than all they with sword and speare For when he held up his hands Israel prevailed when he let them fall Amalek prevailed King Asa neglected not the means when there came up an huge Armie of Ethiopians even ten hundred thousands and three hundred Chariots He went out against them and set the battell in array and Asa cried to the Lord and the Lord heard his prayer and discomfited them Yea the greatest and most glorious deliverances and victories that ever the Church received from enemies were meerely obtained by prayer without a blow given Moses and the children of Israel crying to the Lord in their distresse at the Red Sea God hardned Pharaohs heart to pursue them into the Red Sea where he and all his hosts were drowned Gedeon with three hundred men only with trumpets and lamps in pitchers but sounding their trumpets breaking their pitchers and crying The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon not only the huge Armie of the Midianites ran and cried and fled but every mans sword was against his fellow and they slew one another When Samariah was in exceeding distresse by siege the Lord made the hoast of the Syrians to heare a noise of a great hoast in the feare whereof they arose and fled in the twilight and left their tents and horses and all the Campe as it was and fled for their lives When Ierusalem was besieged at the prayers of Esay and Ezekiah an Angell was sent who destroyed in one night an hundred fourescore and five thousand in the campe of the Assirians When such a great Armie came up against Iehoshaphat he commanded fasting and prayer and his forme of praier is recorded whereby they obtained that their enemies destroyed one another Oh the same God liveth still and is now as able and willing to helpe his people as ever but his people neglect him goe not unto him but trust in their owne meanes want the spirit of supplication like Ionah they are on sleepe in this great storme either pray not at all or very coldly Where is that disciple that feelingly and fervently zealously and faithfully publikely and privately at the least thrice a day with Daniel is on knee for Ierusalem helping devotion with abstinence and fasting that so they may cry mightily and wrestle strongly resolving as Iacob never to let the Lord goe and with the woman of Canaan to take no nay or deniall but they will awake him he shall never be rid of them Alas how are these things out of use Where is watching fasting striving in prayer How little are many moved being out of the storme and present danger themselves whether others doe sinke or swim but give themselves to riot and luxurie to feasting and playing Wherefore God hath sent me to you againe as this Scripture commeth not to my hand by chance so neither this passage wherewith to renue in his name the charge I have often already given There is a great storme and if ever you desire to see a calme away with his disciples here to Christ What meane yee oh sleepers arise and call on him and plie him with your continuall prayers he looketh for more earnestnesse than he hath yet found Oh pray pray pray for the peace of Ierusalem Resolve with David One thing I have desired of the Lord and that will I seeke after that the Lord will awake and have mercy on Sion
the lesse he seemeth to heare or regard the more doe they cry and never give over till they awaken him This doth the Prophet require Yee that make mention of the Lord keepe not silence and give him not rest till he establish and make Ierusalem a praise in the earth Christ biddeth vs aske seeke knocke Yea and commendeth such as offered violence to the kingdome of God and tooke it by force Where he speaketh not of any corporall or naturall but of a spirituall force and the strength of the soule specially consisteth in two things as the hands therof First in Faith which laieth hold on all the promised mercies and goodnesse of God and will not part with them or let goe as Iob professed Though the Lord should kill mee yet will I trust in him The second is fervent Praier which as it were striveth with God breaketh open the doore of heavenly treasures and enricheth it selfe with what it wanteth So the Apostle requireth the Romanes to continue instant in prayer Yea that they would strive together with him in prayers to God for him Thus did Iacob he wrestled with God and would not let goe his hold till the Lord blessed him though he received a blow which lamed him yet hee would have a blessing though it cost him a limbe he wept and made supplication and by his strength had power with God Moses so encountered God with his praiers that Hee intreated him to let him alone And the woman of Syrophaenicia would take no nay but in the end overcame and received both commendation and reward Oh woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Dixeris nisi accepero non recedam prorsus accipies Chrysost If we make application whatsoever our owne estate be yet the Church of God standeth in need of our best praiers our brethren in France and Germanie are vnder the firie triall how calme soever our Sea be there is a great storme in theirs and the ship even covered with waves and Christ fast on sleepe Oh that he would arise as David praied Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered let them also that hate him flie before him as smoake is driven away c Yea oh that he would but awake yea lift up his eye-lids and but looke at his enemies as sometimes he looked vpon the hoast of the Egyptians thorow the fierie and cloudie pillar and then all the hoast of the Egyptians was troubled But alas no marvell that the Lord sleepeth and as it were void of sense and care suffer all to goe to wrecke and ruine seeing we doe not awaken him with our praiers the most pray not at all others though saying often the Lords praier or some other yet know not what they aske and the best pray negligently and coldly if they come neere to God with lips yet the heart is farre off Their praiers are but the labour of lips without fervencie of spirit earnest intention and contention of the soule our bodies in Church our mindes at home Gods Altar is without fire prayers without heat tongue and heart are strangers the one knoweth not what the other is doing Whereas he would have his blessings as it were wrung out of his hands by spirituall violence a sluggish and drowsie praier getteth nothing it is no better than babbling Oh would you be glad to see a calme Goe to Christ by praier pray pray pray for the peace of Ierusalem Many cannot otherwise helpe the Church but none so poore that cannot this way as I have lately shewed and be bold suiters God delighteth in an holy instancie and importunitie hee hath taught it by the example of a man comming to borrow bread of his friend at midnight and by the parable of the wicked Iudge being overcome by the importunitie of the poore widow yea sometimes the Lord maketh as though he did not heare and doth purposely deferre to helpe because he would set an edge on our desire and provoke us to pray more instantly and fervently So he suspended the Syrophaenicians suit as it were to hold her long in his companie his eares being more delighted to heare her redoubled obsecrations than the sweetest instrument of Musicke it tried faith won a soule occasioned a miracle Wherefore the Apostle requiteth so often not onely that we pray but that wee pray continually and that wee be instant and labour in them and that wee watch in them Iâ— ever wee will awaken Christ by praier wee must watch in them our selves a sluggish praier doth but â—ull him on sleepe And herein many come justly to be taxed and reproved for either they pray of custome and fashion without any sense or no sooner have kneeled down lifted up hands and eyes to heaven but forthwith if they go so far as if they were asleep or in an heavy slumber they have forgotten before whom they have presented themselves and what is the thing they have in hand or if for a while they hold out well yet by and by they will suffer Satan to carrie away their mindes and set them on other things The Disciples did not so here and dost thou thinke to awaken God when thou callest on him with yawning halfe asleepe halfe waking Or dost thou thinke to obtain any good blessing at Gods hands by a cold sluggish and drowsie praier No no as the praâ—er of faithfull fervencie is an excellent service to God both exceeding pleasing and available to bring downe many blessings from the Lord c. So an idle perfunctorie praier is exceeding displeasing and taking of his name in vaine and only mightie to pull downe curses Oh pray then but take â—eâ—d how you pray be fervent in praier and put up your supplications with sobs sighs grones teares and all earnest intention of soule and bodie Double treble yea multiply your praiers and supplications for your selves and for his people vncâ—ssanâ—ly importune him and as Moses Nehemiah and Daniel urge his mercies compassions promises glorie blasphemie of enemies c. Oh this is the way to awake him but cold suters prove cold speeders And because though the spirit be willing yet the flesh is weake even Moses his hands grew wearie as hee had Aaron and Hur to helpe to stay them up so quicken thy spirit by fasting and meditation and therein consider both how happy thou art if God heare and grant thee thy blessing thou desirest and how exceeding miserable and wretched thou art if he deny thee It is a true Proverb That life is sweet and no marvell for it is the greatest blessing unto man and whereon all earthly blessings have so farre their dependance as it ceasing all they also cease to be the Disciples considering their life and all earthly happinesse was now at stake if the storme
Doctor Reconciliation for the sinnes of the world Mediator Advocate Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification Redemption Our Master Prophet Servant of God Our hope Our brother Bread of life Rock Stone cut out of the mountaines without hands End of the Law Spouse and Head of the Church Chiefe corner stone Righteous branch Seed of Abraham Sonne of David King of glory Lord of all the Righteous one Hope of glory Heire of all things Iudge of quicke and dead The Priest after the order of Melchizedech The consolation of Israel Who doth not marvell at these things and say What manner of man is this to whom so many glorious and honourable titles are given When he was but a childe of twelue yeares of age and lost in Ierusalem after three dayes his Parents found him in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors hearing them and asking them questions and all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers and his Parents were amazed And when ye heare the story will ye not marvell and say What manner of childe is this that disputed so learnedly with the Doctors When he was baptised of his servant in Iordan the heavens were opened God the Father pronounced This is that my welbeloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased and the Holy Ghost descended in the likenesse of a Dove and rested upon him And doe you not marvell what manner of man he is at whose Baptisme such strange things hapned When Peter in the name of himselfe and the rest of the Apostles did make that excellent confession of faith which Christ so commended he said Thou art the Christ or that Christ Christ is a Greeke word and answereth to the Hebrew Messiah as is expounded in the Gospell Wee have found the Messiah which is by interpretation the Christ And both doe signifie in English Anointed and yet S. Peter at another time spake more fully Thou art the Christ or anointed of God Three sorts of persons were Legally anointed with Materiall oile viz. Kings as Saul Priests as Aaron and Prophets as Elisha and these were Christs of God for that he did set them apart and furnish them with gifts for those functions whereof that externall anointing was the Symbole which God acknowledged Touch not mine anointed and whereof David made conscience though Saul was a wicked man and he was much tempted thereunto when opportunitie was offered yet he repelled the temptation saying to Abishai Who can stretch his hand against the Lords anointed and bee guiltlesse Yea his heart did smite him for comming so neere him as to cut off the lap of his garment But never any one before or since The Christ or That Christ but the blessed Sonne of the Virgin who onely received all fulnesse of grace and in whom onely all those offices did meet and concurre They have doubled in divers who were his types as David was both a King and a Prophet Melchizedeck a King and Priest and Samuel a Priest and Prophet but all three never but in him alone and therefore worthily stiled That Christ or Anointed of God That King and Prince of all the Kings of the earth to whose Scepter Lore and Law all must stoope in obedience and all shall bee destroyed that will not have him to reigne over them That great Prophet to whose doctrine all must hearken That High Priest who onely and once for all hath offered the propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of the Elect. Doe you heare these things and doe you not marvell and say What manner of man is this who onely dischargeth such great offices Againe whilest hee was here on earth he tooke three of his beloved disciples and led them up to the top of Mount Thabor and there was transfigured before them his face did shine as the Sunne his raiment was white as the light and as snow so as no Fuller on earth can white them and there appeared Moses and Elias talking with him and there was also a bright cloud and there was heard the voyce of God the Father giving to his Sonne honour and glory from that excellent glory saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him With which voice and sight the disciples that heard and saw and specially S. Peter was so ravished that he forgot himselfe and the redemption of the Elect by the death of Christ at Ierusalem and desired no other heaven but to abide there though without a Tent Oh marvell you also and say What manner of man is this Againe whilest he was here on earth what excellent doctrine did hee preach and deliver pronouncing the poore in spirit the meeke such as mourne and hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and suffer persecution for righteousnes sake Blessed requiring every disciple of his to deny himselfe take up the crosse and follow him to love our enemies blesse them that curse us overcome evill with good If we be smitten on one cheeke to turne the other yet promising great reward in heaven calling all to him that travell and are heavie laden promising he will not cast away any that come unto him that hee will not breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax that whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life yea he is passed from death to life and shall not come into iudgement that he knoweth his sheepe and will give unto them everlasting life that of all those his Father hath given him he will not lose one but raise him up at the last day that such as for his sake forsake father mother brother sister goods houses or lands shall in this world receive an hundred fold more and in the world to come everlasting life that such as now follow him in the regeneration shall sit upon thrones that such as for his sake hunger and thirst shall sit at his Table and eat and drinke with him in his kingdome such doctrine for matter and manner of deliverie as the Church truly said Hony and milke were under his tongue and his lips were full of grace Yea all the Synagogue wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth A woman could not containe her selfe when shee heard him but pronounced Blessed is the wombe that bare thee Luke 11. 27. His very enemies were astonished and said Never man spake like him And the rude multitude marvelled and questioned amongst themselves What thing is this What new doctrine is this and whence hath this man this wisdome Is not this the Carpenters sonne from whence then hath this man all these things And will not you also when yee reade in the Gospell marvell and say What manner of man is this that hath preached such new true holy humble heavenly charitable and comfortable
the sea wrought and was troublous the ship like to be broken so as the mariners were afraid and cried to their gods and cast forth their wares into the sea but the sea would not be calme till Ionah was cast into it A like we have in the New Testament in Pauls dangerous voyage towards Rome there rising so great a tempest that all hope to be saved was taken away and though they cast out the very tacklings and all yet upon boards broken peeces of the ship all came safe to land The letters of which storie afford many excellent and usefull instructions and specially to sea-men yea and to be laid up for future use of us all for howsoeuer we have beene borne and lived long upon the land yet it may be we have beene or we know not how we may be endangered and tossed upon sea before we die But specially the mysterie doth greatly concerne us all for preparation whereunto be pleased to note that there are many histories in the word which either are Allegoricall in signification or may be Allegorically compared and resembled we haue good warrant from the Scriptures for it It is a plaine storie that Abraham had two sons the one by a free-woman Sarai the other by a bond-maid Hagar yet the Apostle saith these things are an Allegorie and signifie the two Testaments or Covenants of Works and Grace Noahs Arke wherein eight persons were saved a true storie yet S. Peter maketh it a figure of Baptisme wherby we are saved The children of Israels passing thorow the red sea a true storie yet the Apostle maketh that also a figure of Baptisme The children of Israel did drinke of the water out of a rocke a true storie yet the Apostle saith that rocke was Christ God fed them with Manna from heaven a true storie yet Christ saith I am that bread of life which came downe from heaven Solomons mariage with Pharaohs daughter a true storie yet representeth vnto vs Christ his espousing of the Churches of the Gentiles Many such there might be produced of which nature this present storie is as all that I have seene commenting on the same doe unanimously affirme And therefore reserving the truth of the storie by sea here we may understand this world so it is compared by S. Iohn Before the throne there was a sea of glasse like Crystall like a sea for as it is sometimes calme so doth it many times rage is in wonderfull motion agitation full of rocks syrtes sands by allusion whereunto the Apostle speaketh of some tossed to and fro carried about with winds of doctrine yea and speaketh of some that haue made shipwracke but a sea of glasse for no glasse so brittle subiect to cracks as this world but a sea of Crystall too Sathan is the prince of darknesse and his children are children of darknesse and their works are works of darknesse such subtill and politick plots and projects against the Church as no eye can see or discerne them but as a mans eye will easily discerne the least spot yea or mote in Crystall so and a thousand times more clearely doth God see and discerne euen the secretest thoughts of mens hearts all things being naked and open before his eies with whom we haue to doe and the eyes of Christ being like a flame of fire carrying light which way soeuer it pleaseth him to look And as the Arke of Noah so this ship into which Christ and dis disciples entred may represent vnto vs the Church militant wherein Christ and all the faithfull do passe towards the haven of happinesse and in most resemblances is wonderfull fit as hereafter more fully Thirdly this great tempest upon the sea endangering the ship doth liuely represent the great troubles and persecutions which the Deuill and bloudie Tyrants raise in the world against the true Church of Christ threatning in mans iudgement the utter ruine destruction thereof whereof David thus speaketh in one metaphor The sorrowes of death compassed me the flouds of ungodly men make me afraid and againe If the Lord had not been on our side when men rose up against us the waters had overwhelmed us the streame had gone over our soule Then the proud waters had gone over our soule And the Lord thus threatneth I will bring upon them the waters of the river even the King of Assyria And David thus prayed Save me O God for the waters are come into my soule I am come into deepe waters where the flouds over-flow me Fourthly Christ his being on sleepe in this storme when the ship was in such danger doth represent Christ his seeming to neglect his Church in her persecutions and to leave his people in their enemies hands about which they thus expostulate Why doest thou absent thy selfe in this needfull time of trouble we crie and thou hearest not O God how long shall the Adversarie doe this dishonour how long shall the enemie blaspheme thy name for euer why withdrawest thou thine hand eve thy right hand plucke it out of thy bosome arise O God plead thine own cause Arise O Lord to save me c. And againe more plainly in the metaphor of my text Arise O God in thine anger lift up thy selfe because of the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the iudgement that thou hast cōmanded c. And again Awake why sleepest thou O God arise cast us not off for ever wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and oppression The like in other places whereof more hereafter The Disciples comming unto Christ and as it were with out-cries awakening him doth shadow out the prayers of the faithfull who in the distresses of the Church doe day and night call and crie to him to awake arise and defend his Church whereof I have even now alledged some examples out of the Psalmes Christ his arising and rebuking winds and seas and causing a great calme doth represent Gods entring into judgement with the enemies of his Church apparently rebuking them with sudden death or some great and visible judgement whereupon great peace commeth to Gods Church and people So that I know no Story which may be allegorized by greater authority frō the Scriptures than this And as by authoritie of the Scriptures so of the learned Fathers witnesse that short metaphrase of Tertullian lib. de Baptismo cap. 12. a very learned and one of the ancientest Fathers for there were but Iustin Martyr and Irenaeus before him Clemens Alexandrinus was his synchronos or coetaneus viz. within two hundred yeares after Christ so rarely qualified humanis divinis disciplinis that both Ierom and Lactantius commend him and Cyprian usually called for his works thus Da magistrum Sixtus Senens Navicula Ecclesia est quae
sleeve and they depend on his mouth what to beleeve and doe and receive his decrees with greater reverence pietie and devotion than that of Christ himselfe it being most true in them that Christ imputed to the Pharisies they made the Commandement of God of none effect through their traditions yea teach for doctrine the commandements of men and do glory to be called Papists acknowledging the Pope to be their Nauclerus or Pilot we leave that to the Franciscans Dominicans Benedictines Iesuits and many other sorts which some of the best writers of our Adversaries well know as Orladius Salmeron D. Carr. pag. 158 Iansenius that have verbatim transcribed whole leaves and Pighius reading Calvin upon Iustification by Faith with a purpose to confute him was converted by him as Tapperus in his 2. Tom. 8. Artic. confesseth who sometimes was his fellow-pupill under Adrian the sixt What need I tell you what wonderfull testimonie Thuanus D. Stapleton and Panygirolla have given him though Doctor Carrier a seduced malecontent doe spight him a man not worthy to light his candle when he went to his studie More precisely observing the rules of their order and following the prescripts of their Founders than they doe of Christ As for Master Calvin and Luther whom they doe so extremely hate for that they have given an incurable wound to Popery we know they were learned men and singular instruments of Gods glory such as lived and died godly notwithstanding that lying Cochlaeus and Bolsecus most wickedly slandered them and Bellarmine in his Oration prefixed to his 4. Tome would make the world beleeve hee and his followers are the wickedest men in the world but we neither follow them no nor Saint Paul himselfe further than they followed Christ and so farre we have good warrant for Saint Paul biddeth Be followers of me and looke on them which walke so as you have us for an example And againe Be yee followers of me even as I am of Christ He nor they never required more to him nor them we never yeelded more we doe not make Master Calvin our Nauclerus Let men be never so learned and holy yet in this life wee know but in part are sanctified but in part never any so deare to God but have had their errors and blemishes none ever wrote so faire but blurred his copie only Christ is the perfect copie for doctrine and conversation and him only wee teach and perswade you to follow Oh follow follow him And thus that I have directed you in what societie to ship your selves and shewed you what men are Now be pleased that I encourage al such as are godly minded to this following of Christ whereunto I exhort them Which I shal the better doe if I remove such lets and hinderances which the Devill the world and their owne corrupt reason doe cast in their way to hinder them First me thinketh I heare some complaine Alas Christ is so perfect and absolute an example I cannot come neere him so faire a copie I am cleane out of heart to write or once to take pen in hand I answer that in following Christ requireth qualitie but not equalitie a similitude but not proportion a perfection indeed as Christ saith You shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect but a perfection of parts not of degrees what we doe let vs doe it in truth and sinceritie be loving humble diligent zealous without hypocrisie and the Lord will accept according to that which wee have so there be an holy and honest endevour with godly sorrow that wee come so farre short and with Peter that we follow so farre off and heartie and continuall prayer with the Church Draw Lord and wee will runne after thee Hee knoweth what pase wee are able to make better than ourselves he will beare with our limping and halting and accept of the will for the deed Wherefore so there be truth and sinceritie in the inner parts let vs not be out of heart with our weaknesse but follow after though we creepe with the Snaile What dulnesse did David finde in himselfe when he said My soule cleaveth to the dust oh quicken me And I shall runne the waies of thy Commandements when thou hast enlarged mine heart How did our holy Mother Church finde her soule and affections fettered and shackled with worldly cares carnall pleasures vaine delights when shee prayed Christ to draw her with his Word Spirit Mercies Corrections Therefore streng then the weake hands and comfort the â—eebleknees Whosoever followeth with an holy endevour shall be sure to obtaine A good Scribe will beare with his scholar if against his will and purpose he make a blot or deformed letter and if he eye his copie and have a care and desire to imitate he will guide his hand but no man on earth hath that loving regard to his scholar that Christ hath to the weaknesse of all such as follow him Oh but hereby I shall expose my selfe to many euils checkes mockes taunts disgraces it may be persecution to the losse of goods libertie life Indeed it is true it many times fareth better here with those that follow the Devill world flesh that protesse any doctrine follow the Pope and Mahomet and live never so prophanely than it doth with the holy servants of Christ professing the Gospell in sinceritie and striving to live accordingly wherein Christ and his Apostles have dealt faithfully deceiving none with vain hopes he said his Kingdome is not of this world and telling him that with an earthly mind offered his service Master I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest The Foxes have holes and birds of the aire have nests but the Sonne of Man hath not whereon to rest his head And called Zebedees sonnes from the crowne to the crosse Are yee able to drinke of the cup and be baptised with the Baptisme I must be baptised with Whosoever will be my disciple must take vp his crosse daily and follow me Yea He that doth not forsake father and mother wife children house and lands for my sake and the Gospels cannot be my disciple And therefore would have all men to sit down and cast their account what it will cost them because to set hand to Gods plough and looke backe maketh a man utterly vnfit for Gods Kingdome And it were better never to have knowne the waies of godlinesse than afterwards to depart from the holy Commandements given unto them Oh no marvell that so many are so loth to goe from home and so hard a taske to get them aboord But see oh see the happie reward of all followers in the end Behold saith Peter in the name of all the Apostles yea of all disciples wheÌ„ ever living that for action or affection can truly say with him we have forsaken all and followed thee what shal we
So much be said of this verse in generall Now let us view the words more particularly Wherein not tying my selfe to tread precisely in the steps of the former Analysis though perhaps more Logicall and exact for more plainnesse of teaching I observe in this verse these foure things viz. First who procured this calme the Disciples Secondly of whom did they procure it of Christ They came to him Thirdly the effect of their comming to him They awoke him Lastly how did they awaken him by prayer the forme which they used being here expressed Lord save us we perish Of which in order for their Sense Doctrines and Uses And his disciples The word hath beene sufficiently opened from the first verse of this storie his disciples followed him I will not now rehearse any thing was there said but come to raise the Doctrines from this place His disciples Here first we learne whose praiers are so powerfull with God for themselves and others not the prayers of strangers forreiners and enemies but of disciples friends and favourites that follow him The Lord heareth the prayers of the righteous and his eares are open to their cries u He is nigh to such as call on him faithfully He will fulfill the desires of such as feare him he will heare their cry and will save them Psal 145. 18. It is the prayer of a righteous man is so availeable Iam. 5. 16. If any man be a worshipper of God and doe his will him God heareth Wherefore in the great calamitie and distresse of the Church the Prophet calleth to the meeke of the earth to seeke the Lord It was Abraham the friend of God that prevailed so much with his prayer for the Sodomites It was his faithfull servant Moses would not let him alone but stood up in the breach and turned away Gods anger that he could not destroy the people as he said It was zealous Phinehas that prayed and so the plague ceased It was religious Ioshuah who said that he and his house would serve the Lord Iosh 24. 25. that by his prayer commanded the Sunne and Moone to stand in the Firmament It was fervent Elijah whose tongue was the bridle of heaven * opening and shutting it by his prayer It was holy Samuel who by his prayer in time of wheat-harvest obtained such a strange thunder and raine It was the Church by prayers obtained an Angell to be sent who brake off Peters chaines made the Iron gate to open of it owne accord and delivered Peter out of Prison c. But God heareth not sinners though such doe multiply their prayers he will not heare though such seeke him early they shall not finde him he will stand aloofe and laugh at their calamitie as their prayers turne to be sinne unto them so are they abhominable unto God And no marvell For how shall any call on him in whom they have not beleeved No matter therefore whether the wicked pray or no yea all their fasting praying and crying not worth a straw But oh yee meeke yee true disciples yee that have your hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and bodies washed with pure water yee that have cleane hands and a pure heart yee are Gods favourites pray for a calme yee are the chariots and horsemen of Israel stand in the gap day and night keepe not silence and give the Lord no rest till he have mercy on Sion Secondly observe that it is in the plurall not disciple but disciples not one or two but as farre as may be gathered even all of them And great reason For as the penitent theefe said to his fellow they were all in the same condemnation If the ship had sunke into the waves they had all perished Lord save us we perish It is otherwise in many of Gods Iudgements upon the Land as pestilence famine sword Some are more subject to the evill and misery of some of these than the other The poore are most pinched with famine many rich men make great gaine thereof but the sword doth chiefly feed on the rich It is the rich mans wealth maketh him a prey to the poore hungry ravenous souldier The rich in other Countries are punished with sword the poore in our Country with famine and want But ye rich men know that this is Gods judgement for your sinnes as well as the sinnes of the poore and if not to the same yet without repentance yee are subject to greater condemnation God hath in store such Judgements as may more neerely touch you Wherefore put your necks under Gods yoke goe to Christ by prayer for the poore have compassion on them beyond your power be liberall unto them eat no pleasant bread your selves abstaine from feasting that you may be better able to feed the hungry and such as are forced to fast Observe lastly that the Disciples not Peter Iames and Iohn though counted pillars and in many things preferred before the rest yet all goe to Christ to further the common good and to helpe by prayers to procure the common salvation The godly poore man is sometimes out of heart to goe to Christ and pray and the rich man despiseth his prayer as Solomon saith The poore mans wisdome is despised but know that with Christ there is no respect of persons Hee hath taught the poorest man that beleeveth in him as boldly to call God his Father as the rich Yea for their incouragement David hath said God forgetteth not the cry of the poore he doth not abhorre nor despise the low estate of the poore nor hide his face from him but when he crieth unto him he heareth he will deliver the needy when he crieth the poore and him that hath no helper Let them then with good comfort pray and let not rich men despise but rather by their mercifull dealing towards them provoke them to blesse them and pray for them for David saith The man is blessed that considereth the poore and needy the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble Therefore make you friends of the mammon of unrighteousnesse saith Christ to rich men If they be Disciples intreat them to goe to Christ for you Yea though you have never so great a measure of Knowledge Faith Zeale and Godlinesse your selves yet may you reape benefit by the poorest and meanest in the houshold of faith Yea S. Paul himselfe did often very instantly crave the prayers of all those to whom he did write whether great or small poore or rich and hoped to finde much good from such prayers So much for the first part viz. the persons procuring this calme his Disciples Now secondly to whom goe they where doe they secke it To him That is to Christ their Lord and Master
The Heathenish Mariners in Ionahs storme did cry every man to his god In nothing were the Gentiles more sottish than in this the multitude of gods and goddesses and ascribing particular tutelar gods to particular places Babylon had Belus Egypt Isis Athens had Minerva and Ephesus Diana the Caldeans had Baal Sidonians Ashteroth Ammonites Moloch or Milcom Moabites Chamos Syrians Rimmon and the Philistims Dagon Yea the Elements had their severall gods to rule over them As the Heaven had Iupiter the Aire Iuno the Sea Neptune and Hell Pluto The times of the Yeere had also their gods As Maia and Flora of the Spring Ceres of Autumne Pan was the god of Shepherds Aeolus of Winds Apollo of Fruit Bacchus of Wine Smiths had Vulcan Physitians Aesculapius Souldiers Mars yea and Harlots had Venus Yea for every purpose and occasion yea every sicknesse or disease they had a god to call upon Alas to what purpose should I fully discover the madnesse of the Papists who in this if it were possible outgoe the Gentiles having for every Country Place Calling Creature Disease some Saint or other to call upon Our Disciples are better taught Poperie was not then hatched nor this point of Invocation knowne in the Church for 300 yeeres after for it was 300 yeeres after Christ that the Fathers used this Argument against the Arrians Christ is invocated therefore Christ is God they doe not in this storme call upon Aeolus or Neptune Saint Nicholas or Christopher no nor Noah Moses Ionah or any other who had beene in danger of Seas and waters before but they come to Christ the true and only Lord of Sea and Land and all Whose example let us follow To pray to any other than the true God hath no commandement commendation promise nor warrantable example in all the Scriptures of God To pray to dead Saints is a dishonour to the living God and as great offence to make a new as to denie the true God God hath commanded Call on me in the day of thy trouble Christ hath taught us to pray Our Father which art in heaven David renounced all other Whom have I in heaven but thee Who are Peter or Paul Samuel or Moyses Gabriel or Michael or the Virgin Mary her-selfe though more excellent than they all yet who are any or all of these that we should give them divine honour of Adoration Invocation or Intercession Nay howsoever the Papists doe plead it as a matter of honour and say in denying this we dishonour the Saints it is not so we give to the blessed mother of God and all the glorified members of Iesus Christ all honour bounded with modestie and sobrietie and never any learned Protestant did with tongue or pen out of Pulpit or Presse once touch the hem of their garments to deprive them of the least reverence which the word of Truth hath taught us to give and specially consisteth in thankfull commemoration and carefull imitation of their renowmed vertues but to pray unto them in our wants and necessities is to give them such honour as is due unto God And if Olympias the Mother of Alexander the Great wrote to her sonne when he stiled himselfe the sonne of Iupiter not to doe it for feare of procuring the envie and displeasure of Iuno I dare say it is a matter not only displeasing to God but to the Angels and Saints themselves Did an Angell here on earth refuse that Iohn should bow the knee of his bodie to him and charge him See thou doe it not I am but thy fellow-servant worship God and will they be contented now that the knees of mens hearts be bowed and prayers powred out unto them No no if it were possible for them to heare such unlawfull prayers of men they would with both hands as we say put them from them and labour to purge themselves Not unto us Lord not unto us but to thy Name be such honour ascribed Shall prayer which one of their best Writers saith doth comprehend the whole worship of Religion and Piety shall this be given to creatures Oh keepe your soules unspotted of such a sinne when yee pray pray as the Disciples here by their examples have taught you pray unto God who only is able and willing to heare and helpe you Thirdly what doe they being come to Christ doe they sit leane or lie downe and dispose themselves to sleep with him No but as in the storme the Ship-master awakened Ionah so in this storme the disciples awakened Christ or as the word signifieth they raised him up Yea the word in many places is used where mention is made of the resurrection as Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up and Many bodies of Saints which slept arose and If Christ be risen from the dead how say some among you there is no resurrection of the dead In which and many other places and specially in that Chapter to the Corinthians the word of my Text is used and not improperly for what is deep fast and sound sleep but the image and brother of death Now Christ was in a fast or dead sleep as we have heard and therefore the Disciples are said to raise him as it were from the dead For the letter it is probable that they awakened him very turbulently and irreverently for their feare was great and faith small Their words as we shall heare bewrayed a great deale of passion and as death is of all fearefuls the most fearefull to nature so doth it dispense with ceremonies and complements and take away all respect of persons What are the clamours vociferations and cursitations of men in perill of drowning We need not inquire of Seneca Virgil Ovid and other Heathen for the Psalmist witnesseth saying They are even at their wits end and cry to the Lord in their trouble and in Ionahs storme the Mariners being afraid cried every one to his god and cast out their wares Howsoever then at other times the Disciples carried themselves in words deeds and gesture humbly dutifully courteously yet feare of death now made them forget themselves and offer violence with tongue and hand they cried with their tongues and at least jogged him with their hands never ceasing till they had awakened and raised him But I leave the letter The word being fully opened in mysterie affordeth us two singular and usefull instructions and specially for these times the former from the Disciples awakening the latter from the Master awakened in them importunitie in him opportunitie They awaken him suddenly hee awakeneth seasonably they awaken him violently hee awakeneth voluntarily For the first From this Example of the Apostles wee learne to be importunate with God in our praiers and never give over till we do awaken him and that he doe heare arise and helpe us Christ is fast on sleepe the disciples come unto him and
cease they shall arive at the haven where they would be and enjoy many comforts but if the ship sinke they drowne and then farewell life and all earthly good this maketh them come to Christ and in this needfull time so importunately awaken him Secondly observe in Christ awakened opportunitie in helping though he slept soundly and long yet he awakeneth in good time to rebuke winds seas though he suffer great danger to be threatned and his disciples are exceedingly afraid yet he suffereth no hurt to be done in good time he awaketh and all is well Which teacheth us that howsoever it pleaseth God many times to turne the deafe eare to the prayers of his children and to delay and deferre to helpe them and let things come into desperate extremitie for the triall and exercise of their faith hope patience and godlinesse and that his blessings when they doe come may be the more welcome and thankfully received and he the more honoured and his glory seene yet he never failed nor will faile in his good time to awake heare and helpe He was on sleepe when his people were in such distresse at the Red-sea banke that they thought on nothing but graves and where to be buried but hee was awake when hee looked on the hoast of the Egyptians out of the fiery and cloudy pillar when the waters returned and drowned them all there was not one of them leâ—t and then his people praised God on the drie land He was asleepe when Samaria was besieged and there was so great a famine that an Asâ—es head was sold for fourescore peeces of silver but he was awake when he strucke the Syrians with feare and made them flie and crie and leave such plentie in their campe that a measure of fine flower was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel then said the Lepers This is a day of good tidings and doe we hold our peace God was asleepe when Ierusalem was besieged and Rabshekah so railed on the living God and those that trusted in him but he was awake when he sent an Angell who iâ— one night destroyed an hundred fourescore and five thousand of them He was on sleepe when there came such a multitude against Iehoshaphat and Iudah that he confessed We have no â—â—â—â—t against this great companie neither know we what to doe But he was awake when they destroyed one another and Gods people in the valley of Berachah blessed God saying Praise yee the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever He was asleepe when Haman obtained a Decree that all the Iewes should be destroyed oh then was Shusâ—an in perplexitie but he was awake when by meanes of Queene Hester that Decree was made void Haman and his sons hanged many of the people of the Land became Iews and they celebrated daies of feasting and joy Oh then let Gods people in all their distresses so plie God with their prayers as yet with patience to wait his good leasure for deliverance all times and seasons are in his hands and hee knoweth best when to helpe only be assured hee will not oversleepe himselfe but awake as one out of sleep and as a Gyant refreshed with wine he will smite his enemies in the hinder parts and put them to a perpetuall shame Psal 78. 65. Never any trusted and waited on him and were ashamed O Lord say his people wee have waited for thee in the way of thy judgements And marke the issue Loe this is our God wee have waited for him and hee hath saved us Oh then wait wait on God Even as the eyes of servants and hand-maids wait upon the hands of their masters and mistresses so in all distresses let us wait upon God till he have mercie upon us For blessed are all they that wait for him And here give me leave to reprove a common fault amongst men who take upon them to prescribe the Lord when he shall helpe and if they be not heard by and by and their hastie desires be not satisfied they grow impatient of delay and say with the King of Israels messenger What should I wait for the Lord any longer If he will sleepe let him sleepe If they have prayed once or twice and be not heard they fling away in a chaâ—e make shipwrack of patience forfeit their confidence in God rely upon other meanes yea seeke to the Devil and his instruments Yea even Gods owne children do sometimes grow impatient and doe wonderfully bewray their infirmitie in this kinde not only murmuring inwardly in their soules if they lye long under some great affliction and have powred out their suits unto God for ease comfort and deliverance but also speaking unadvisedly with their lips Alas I have many times called on God and made mine humble suit unto him for comfort but I finde none the Lord seemeth to hide his face from mee to turne the deafe eare What would you have me to doe I am cleane out of heart weary of praying I feare me the Lord is angrie with me Oh let us labour to strengthen our selves against this weaknesse in patience possesse our soules The vision is for an appointed time though it tary wait for it it will surely come and will not tary Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarie Heb. 10. 37. Iacob wrestled long and was almost out of breath yea received a blow whereon hee halted all the daies of his life yet at last received a blessing The woman of Canaan received many a checke yet at last obtained her desire and â—rought a miracle by the force of her prayer saying to the eares and mouth of her Redeemer Ephata be yee opened so they were and he said Oh woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt The storme holdeth on that they are in exceeding perill and like all to be lost and perish but at last and in good time Christ awaketh I say then with David Wait on the Lord and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord So I proceed to the last part in the procuring of this calme viz. their prayer in these words expressed Lord save us we perish In the history of Ionah we reade that in the storme the sea by no meanes could be calmed or the Mariners safe till Ionah was cast into the sea Howsoever Ionah was a figure of Christ in his buriall yet not in his drowning As Saint Paul said of the ship-men seeking under a colour to escape Except these abide in the ship yee cannot be saved so I say Except Christ abide in the ship they cannot be saved Those Kings Princes and Governours who upon the storme goe about to cast Christ and his Golpell and those that professe it over-boord take the only course to â—uine their state Thâ—se Disciples were
wiser than so they lay not hold on Christ to cast him into the sea but seeke to awaken him by prayer Lord save us we perish Whensoever any storme ariseth in Church Common-wealth or soule they are safest that cleave fastest to Christ for he is the Saviour of all and specially of them that beleeve Now let us in the first place compare the three Euangelists who doe record this story wherein three things offer themselves to be observed First the forme and manner of phrase is varied Our Euangelist expresseth it in the forme of an humble prayer Lord save us we perish but S. Marke layeth it downe in manner of an angrie and pettish expostulation Master carest thou not that wee perish The same also that David used Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his mercy cleane gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore Hath hee forgotten to be gracious and wil he shut up his louing kindnesses in displeasure Yea and all the people of God Vp Lord why sleepest thou awake and be not absent from us for ever And againe Why withdrawest thou thine hand why pluckest thou not thy right hand out of thy bosome O Lord how great is the weaknesse of Gods people How great their boldnesse that being but wormes and dust and ashes they dare so speake to the eternall Maiestie even quarrell with him that is able to destroy both body and soule David acknowledged it was his infirmitie It was these disciples infirmity it became them well to pray but very unseemely yeâ— and dangerous to expostulare and contest with Christ Let us strive to follow them in that which is good and leave them in that which is evill Secondly whereas our Euangelist hath it but single Lord save us Saint Luke expresseth it with a double appellation or with ingemination of the title Master Master which intendeth their earnestnesse and fervencie in prayer Thirdly they doe greatly vary the title which they give him yea the three Euangelists doe use three severall titles which though the Latine and our English expresse not are very significant and emphaticall in their originall proprieties S. Markes title is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in English signifieth a Teacher of letters manners or any Art in relation whereunto they were called disciples scholars or learners A reverend title which they often gave him and he assumed Yee call me Master and say well for so I am and presseth the use of it the disciple is not aboue his Master Saint Lukes title is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth in English a Defender a present Helper such as in times of warre are sworne brethren to live and die together commiles succenturiatus and in times of peace Guardians of infants Shepherds have the same title who are defenders of their flockes and Aristotle calleth Magistrates so who are to defend their subjects from wrongs or hurts A sweet title this is for how safe are they whose defender the Lord is The title in the Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth power or might Answerable to that glorious Tetragrammaton Iehovah which the Septuagint constantly translate thorowout the old Testament in this word an essentiall title and in the Hebrew not given to any but the true God and this in the Greeke is the most common title Christ had and by him acknowledged Yee call mee Lord and yee say well for so I am The titles well considered afford two waightie Arguments or Reasons why they pray to him and he is to heare and helpe them In that he is their Teacher and Defender sheweth his willingnesse for will such an one suffer his Scholars and Pupils to perish In that he is Lord and Iehovah he is able to deliver them So they pray unto him with Confidence because he is their loving Master and Defender And with Reverence because he is their Lord and God In that he is their Master they pray in love in that he is their Lord they pray in feare Hee being their Master they are not timidi over-fearefull He being their Lord they are not tumidi over-bold but pray with love and reverence as David counselleth they rejoyce with trembling So much for the Observations inlightning the Text and arising from comparing of the Euangelists Now for our more orderly proceeding note in this their prayer two parts viz. First a Petition Lord save us Secondly a Reason taken from their great jeoperdie we perish q. d. Lord save us for we are in danger now to be drowned Of the Petition first generally and then particularly The words are cleare and plaine for their sense Only by the way note in one word that to save in a strict sense is properly to deliver from the guilt and punishment of our sinnes as the Apostle saich There is no other name wherby to be saved this is the Reason why Christ was called Iesus or Saviour because he saveth his people from their sinnes But in a larger sense it signifieth to preserve from some bodily hurt and this appertaineth to Christ also in which respect hee is called the Saviour of all men that is in regard of this present life as Saint Ambrose expoundeth it For in him we live move and have our being without whose good pleasure not an haire can fall from our heads yea He saveth both man and beast Or as our last Translators more fully expresse the sense Hee preserveth both man and beast and that is the sense of this place Lord save us Lord preserve us from these raging waves which threaten imminent death unto us So much be said for opening the sense of thâ—â— their Petition Hence first in generall we learne that affliction distresse and perplexitie is the best school-master or mistresse of prayer Which thing the Prophet teacheth from his owne experience Lord introuble have they visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them like as a woman with childe that draweth neare the time of her deliverie is in paine and crieth out in her pangs so have we beene in thy sight O Lord And another Prophet saith In time of trouble they will say Arise and save us Yea God himselfe hath said In their afflictions they will seeke me early Wherefore David prayeth for his enemies good in this forme Fill their faces with shame that they may seeke thy name O Lord Let Moses see the people of God in great danger and then he will crie to the Lord Let Annah be barren and Peninnah checke her and pro voke her and then shee will weepe and powre out even her soule in prayer Let God turne away his face from David and he will get unto his Lord right humbly Yea if hee come into the deepes hee will crie unto
God Let Ionah be cast into the sea and devoured of a Whale and he will pray out of the fishes belly and crie by reason of his affliction Let the woman of Canaans daughter be grievously vexed with a Devill and shee will pray to Christ yea follow after him and take no deniall Let there arise a storme that the Disciples are all like to be drowned and then you shall heare their prayers Lord save us c. Let Pharaoh be plagued and if he cannot pray himselfe he will intreat Moses and Aaron to doe it for him And surely amongst others this is one singular benefit of affliction that it provoketh prayer than which there is nothing more pleasing to God or profitable to our selves yea this is not the least benefit from the great troubles which have befallen the Church and people of God that God hath received many a sigh sob groane teare and prayer which else he had not knowne Well if Affliction be the Mistresse of Prayer surely never were Gods people more taught to pray than in these daies such warres and rumours of warres troubles distresses perplexities on everie side Oh pray for the peace of Ierusalem But alas herein we are generally too cold and negligent how are publike humiliations and solemne assemblies in fasting weeping mourning and confessing of sinnes laid aside and as it were worne out of date How justly may God complaine of us as sometimes he did of his owne people I called to fasting weeping mourning baldnesse and girding with sack-cloth But behold joy and glad nesse slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eat and drinke for to morrow we shall die Or who in private is so affected with the calamities of their brethren as feelingly and fervently to pray for them in the words of my Text Lord save them No no in stead of fasting and praying we feast and play we wanton and riot it still we thinke our selves out of danger in sure harbour and are therefore senslesse of the miseries of our brethren few as they ought doe pray for them a sinne which once God threatned This is revealed in mine eares surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till yee die saith the Lord God of hoasts Oh arise and call upon God in this troublesome time that we perish not Secondly hence we may learne how powerfull even a short prayer is with God so it be fervent yea therfore short praiers commonly most powerfull because commonly most fervent The counsell of Salomon is Let thy words be few The counsell of Iesus the son of Swach iâ— Make not much babbling when thou prayest Yeâ— Iesus â—he Son of God and wiser than Salomon biddeth When we pray to use no vaine repetitions In all which long prayers are not simply forbidden discommended or disgraced so they be with fervenâ—â— of spirit and without opinion of being heard for much babbling sake A great part of the day at a publike fast was spent in prayers and confession of sins And though our Saviour Christ many times were very briefe yet he spent whole nights in prayer And a large Chapter is but one of his prayers therefore most sweet and powerfull are the long prayers of Gods people when time place and occasion serve but because even Moses his hands grew heavie and though the spirit be never so wiling the flesh is weake and quickly dulled and distracted and no prayer is further heard or pleasing to God than it is fervent therefore the Scripture prayers which have most prevailed with God are most short and but as holy ejaculations Moses cried but spake never a word Annah powred out her soule and wept sore but spake not The prayer of the Leper was Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane The prayer of the blind men O Lord Sonne of David have mercy on us The prayer of Christ for himselfe Father if thou wilt let this cup passe from me and againe the same words and for his enemies Father forgive them they know not what they doe The prayer of the Publican God be mercifull to mee a sinner The prayer of the father of the sicke childe Lord helpe mine unbeleefe The prayer of the penitent theefe Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome The prayer of Saint Stephen for his persecutors Lord lay not this sinne to their charge The prayer of the Disciples here because the time was short death at hand place inconvenient and distractions many they beg all in a few words and couch a great deale of devotion in a little roome Lord save us we perish All which I observe for the speciall comfort of such as mourne in their soules because of their want in this kinde and are much assaulted with this temptation that they cannot pray and therefore cannot be Gods children because they have not Gods spirit Indeed the Spirit of God is called the spirit of supplication and it is an excellent gift of the Spirit and much to be desired whereby a man or woman when times places and occasions serve are able to lay open their wants and in Scripture phrase to expresse their desires but yet the Apostle saith The Spirit doth helpe our infirmities with sighes and grones which cannot be expressed yea if thou canst say no more but as thou hast heard Lord save us Lord have mercy Lord remember Lord helpe mine unbeleefe If faithfully and fervently these are most powerfull prayers with God yet strive to increase in this grace for God may accept at the beginning what he will not afterwards be content withall yea whosoever useth this gift aright shall doubtlesse finde a gracious increase therein And so much be said of the petition in generall now let us view it more particularly It is short and in most languages that I know hath but three words I say in most for such is the elegancie of the Hebrew Language affixing the Pronounes that in it here are but two yet in Greeke Latine and English three Which three words containe so many vertues in this and in all godly composed prayers The first noteth the partie to whom all prayers are to be made Lord. The second the blessing they crave salvation The third communitie and love us Lord save us For the first they pray to the Lord not to the Lady to change the Gender is Popish wickednesse A Reverend Bishop hath truly observed that it is a sufficient challenge to all the Papists that in so many prayers of both ancient and righteous Patriarcks Prophets Iudges Kings registred in the Booke of God and in an hundred and fiftie Psalmes an hundred whereof at least are prayers and supplications and in all the devout requests that the Apostles of Christ and other his disciples sent into Heaven if they take the
were with Christ for the temporall good of their bodies Lord Lord save us How much more earnest should we be with him for the eternall good of our soules and importunately to beg those excellent gifts of Knowledge Faith Repentance Remission of sinnes Sense of Gods love Patience in adversitie Lowlinesse in prosperitie Peace of conscience Ioy in the Holy Ghost as Christ hath counselled First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and as the Apostle counselleth Set your affections on and seeke those things which are above Was Christ well pleased with his Disciples that craved the saving of their bodies and is he not much more pleased we should call and cry unto him for the salvation of our soules seeing hence he hath his glorious name whereat every knee must bowe and is able perfectly to save such as come unto him But herein our great dulnesse and negligence commeth justly to be taxed We are very sensible of our bodily and senslesse altogether of our spirituali wants if wee be naked and cold wee are pinched with it and all our care is for fewell and apparell if we be hungry how greedy wee are for food In this time of Famine how the hungry poore runne from doore to doore pitifully and importunatly begging bread Whose heart doth not earne to see the ghastly countenances of poore prisoners in their chaines and thorow their grates craving releefe How doe such as have money plie the market for corne and if they have it not in one runne to another and strive who shall be first served How did the leprous blinde and diseased flocke to Christ for cure And if in these dayes there were a man knowne to cure all diseases how would they seeke to him by Sea and Land yea sell House and Land to get helpe And if the life be in danger by fire or water then what crying is there Lord save us But alas our soules are ready to starve and we doe not hunger are naked and we care not for garments sicke and diseased and we seeke not to the Physitian yea we are in danger every moment to sinke into the pit of perdition and for ever to be lost in hell and destruction and yet we cry not to Christ for helpe Lord save us And the reason hereof is because we doe not know our selves to be lost and ready to perish but with those of Laodicea say we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and know not that we are wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. That which caused the Disciples here to cry so earnestly to Christ to be saved was the sense of miserie they saw if he presently helped not there was no way but one with them they were drowned every mothers childe they must all presently perish certainly none can earnestly seeke and crave salvation that doe not feele themselves to be most miserable sinners under the wrath of God utterly lost in themselves looke every moment to be swallowed up of death hell and condemnation Christ came to seeke and save that which is lost and was sent only to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel came not to call the righteous but sinners to repent i. such as in their owne sense and feeling are miserable and lost sinners When Peter began to sinke he cried Lord save me and immediatly Iesus stretched out his hand and caught him When the ship was covered with waves then the Disciples cry Lord save us and he rebuked the winds Oh it is not possible for any to be earnest with Christ for salvation till with Peter their soules begin to sinke into Hell and the poore cockboat of their Consciences is even covered with the waves of Gods displeasure One deepe calleth on another Ps 42. 6. the deep of misery to the deep of mercy De profundis clamavi Ps 130. 1. Alas thousands of Protestants who professe Christ to be their Saviour yet never tasted now sweet the Lord is nor ever were earnest with him for salvation because they were never thorowly touched with the sense of their spirituall misery to say with David I have gone astray like a sheepe that is lost and from my youth up thy terrors I have suffered with a troubled minde Thou hast vexed me with all thy stormes and all thy waters are gone over me c. And never till then can any affectionately pray with David O Lord say to my soule I am thy salvation And with the Disciples here Lord Iesu save me Many doe wonderfully brag and boast that Christ is their Saviour shed his precious bloud for them if at that instant they should die they were sure to be saved and to goe to heaven to him I would aske such a question or rather desire them to demand it of their owne soules Didst thou ever see thy wofull misery and the wretched estate wherein thou art by reason of sinne Didst thou ever see what great need thou hadst of Gods favour and of the bloud of Christ Have thy sinnes ever mustred themselves against thee which hath made thine heart to tremble with feare Yea hast thou even bin at the brinke of hell and with sighs and teares intreated mercy and salvation They answer and I suppose truly No God be thanked they were never so troubled or disquieted but have ever had merrie and peaceable hearts and have beene ever assured of Gods love neither would they for all the world doubt of it they have heard Ministers preach much of distresses and perplexities of the soule but they know not what they meane Alas poore soules how are these deceived How are they carried away with a strange presumption What a dangerous lethargie spirituall are they sicke of Even of all men most to be pittied Oh know the high way to grace is to know our soules to be emptie of grace the high way to be saved is to know our selves in our selves to be lost and damned never shall any have the benefit of one drop of the bloud of Christ that as for life and death have not begged it Oh see then what a blessing of God it is to be faithfully told and reproved for sins and to see our damnable estate in the looking-glasse of the Law that so seeing our selves to be utterly lost and undone we may cry day and night vnto God with the Disciples here Lord Iesus save us So much for the blessing desired the third last word followeth for whom they desire salvation Vs. It is not said that Peter came and praied for himselfe Lord save me and Iames for himselfe Lord save me and Iohn for himselfe Lord save mee c. as if they cared not though all the rest were drowned if they themselves escaped but they pray in common each one being as desirous of his fellowes safeguard
crueltie compared with the compassion of God God himselfe hath said Can a woman forget her sucking childe that shee should not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Our Saviour therefore useth an argument from the lesser to the greater saying If yee that are evill give good gifts to your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that aske him The Lord professed of himselfe that his bowels were troubled for Ephraim his deare sonne and pleasant childe Yea that his heart was even turned within him and his repentings did roule together As if he had begotten mercy he is called the father of it Yea as if there were no end thereof he is called The Father of mercies Yea whereas he is called the God of many things as of Patience Comfort Hope Peace c But Father and in plurall of none but this as if he were nothing but mercy Christ had compassion on the multitude when he knew they were but hungry He had compassion when he saw them bring their sicke unto him and will he not have compassion when life is in danger Oh right deare and precious in his sight is the death of his Saints Hee wept when his friend Lazarus was dead and will he not prevent it in his disciples Yes assuredly if it be for his glory and their good they doe well therefore to goe to Christ but it is enough to tell him what is their danger and misery Lord save us we perish Is then the Church of God in danger through cruell rage of bloudy persecutors so as it cannot in likelihood subsist goe to Christ and pray for his people Lord save us we perish Art thou thy selfe in danger through hunger thirst by water fire sword pestilence c. Goe to Christ and say Lord save me I perish So did David I will cry unto God most high and he shall send from heaven and save me from such as would swallow me â—p Psal 57. 2. Yea and go to him with great comfort and confidence for he hath beene made like unto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest yea hath beene touched with the feeling of our infirmities therefore let us goe bolaly to the throne of Grace and specially in danger of death Let us with his Disciples here goe to him who hath himselfe both suffered and feared it and hath in nothing more declared his goodnesse and greatnesse love and power than in delivering his servants from it when their lives have beene for his glory as his people from rage of enemies and Red sea Moses from the water Ionah out of the Whales belly the three Children out of the fiery furnace Daniel out of the Lions den yea Paul out of the mouth of the Lion Oh the dangers that every where by sea and land at home and abroad by day and night we are continually subject unto and wherein we had long since perished if he had not mercifully by his good providence and powerful protection of his good Angels preserved us To him let us ever commend our selves Lord save us that we perish not But I heare some object against this Vse and say Doe not Gods people complaine For thy sake are we killed all the day long and as sheepe appointed for the slaughter Doe they not complaine that the enemies prevailed and gave the bodies and flesh of his servants to be meat to the beasts of the field and fowles of the heaven and shed their bloud like water And againe They breake in peeces thy people and afflict thine heritage they slay the widow and stranger and murther the fatherlesse The ungodly even for his owne hearts lust doth persecute the poore Never might such complaints be more justly made than in these daies wherefore it seemeth that Christ doth not care though his people doe perish but as the carelesse shepherd said That which perisheth let it perish Zach. 11. 9. I answer that sometimes God suffereth great havocke to be made of his Church and people for their sinnes and giveth the dearely beloved of his soule into the hands of their enemies Ierem. 12. 7. nor will heare his best servants for them Ezech. 14. 20. but casteth them off to sword pestilence captivitie Ier. 15. 2. And then the enemie groweth proud and blasphemeth Who is the Lord that he should deliver Ierusalem out of mine hands And there is no helpe for them in God and then even Davids feet had wel-nigh slipt And the Prophet Habakkuk is wonderfully offended and expostulateth with God Oh God why doest thou hold thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he Yea then such as are not sound at heart fall away and say It is in vaine to serve God what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hoasts I say to all such enemies Vnderstand ye bruitish among the people He that planted the eare shall he not heare he that formed the eye shall hee not see He heareth the sighes and groanes and seeth the misery of his people and when he hath sufficiently scourged his people and accomplished his great worke upon Sion and Ierusalem he will burne the rod and Ashur shall pay for it as he hath threatned I was wroth with my people and gave them into thine hand but thou didst shew them no mercy upon the Ancients hast thou very heavily laid the yoke Oh the persecuting enemies have an heavie day comming And I say to all such as feare God Stand still and see the salvation of God Never any father corrected his childe with more unwillingnesse than God doth afflict his people his bowels yearne He putteth all their teares in his bottell And as he will preserve them they shall never everlastingly perish so either their bodies shall not perish but be preserved from sword of enemie or if he give them for a prey he will fill them with patience comfort and joy and receive them to eternall happinesse so as they shall praise him and for ever confesse Thou hast tried us as silver thou broughtest us into the net thou layedst affliction upon our loynes thou hast caused men to ride over our heads we went thorow fire and water but thou hast brought us into a wealthy place Rest assured Most precious in the sight of God is the death of his Saints They may confidently pray they may not perish for he hath numbred their very haires Matth. 10. 30. He keepeth their very bones so as not one can be broken much lesse any one shal die but as it is for Gods glory and their good Our second
and all that know not God doe behold it and thus to looke upon it is fearefull It is true that many Heathen men have seemed very valorous and have contemned it but it was rather rashnesse and desperate madnesse than true valour or courage The Prince of Philosophers himselfe hath said not only that Death is fearefull but of all evils the fearefullest What need we their testimonies when the Scripture it selfe is so cleare Iob calleth it The King of Terrors And the Apostle saith Without Christ all men through feare of death are subject to bondage Oh it is the enemie of Nature separater of soule and bodie most loving twinnes depriver of all earthly comforts which so sarre depend on life as it ceasing they also cease to be David saith When men die they must leave their wealth and honour to others God asked the foole Whose shall these things be And Abraham gave Dives begging but a drop of water a cold answer Sonne remember thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things Wherefore it is impossible for any man utterly ignorant of Christ and only seeing Death thorow the glasse of Nature but he must needs feare and either die sullenly or desperately The second glasse wherein death is seene I may with reverence to Gods providence call the glasse of Fortune as the goods of this world are called the goods of Fortune and in this glasse death appeareth more fearefull than in the former Circumstances doe greatly increase the feare of death as if a man be young healthy lustie and in strength of nature bloud runnes fresh in the veines and marrow in the bones Quanto natura fortior tanto dolor acerbior The sweeter the conjunction the more bitter the separation Also if a man be in high place of honour or great hope of preferment If a man be rich and have all things at his hearts desire how fearefull are such to die Oh death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liveth at râ—st in his possessions to the man that hath nothing to vex him that hath prosper it iâ— in all things Oh death how bitter is thy remembrance to him that with Peter thinketh it is good to be here that hath much to leave and little to hope for Againe a violent death more fearefull than that which is naturall and according to the meanes of violence and instruments of execution fearefull to die by the hands of man more fearefull to die by the mouths of wilde beasts but of all most fearfull to die by raging fire waters Which thing an Heathen Poet hath excellently expressed I feare not death but drowning a miserable kinde of death Againe to die suddenly and specially when God sheweth some token of anger doth wonderfully increase the feare of it This made such a cry thorowout all Egypt when at midnight their first-borne were slaine I doe not judge such as die suddenly and extraordinarily by water or land The wise man hath taught us not to judge of any mans estate before God by outward things God knoweth whose case it may be I am sure it hath beene the case of such as the holy Scriptures assure to have beene godly as Eli Ionathan Iosiah Sampson The Apostle saith Nothing can separate the Saints from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus not death not manner of death Sudden death to Gods children is but like the translation of Henoch and Elias which was in a moment yet let me say againe though we judge charitably of such yet to be suddenly and unlooked for surprized of death with any note of divine anger is both fearefull to the parties themselves and others For though we know we must die and ought alwaies to be ready yet who so prepared especially in times of health and prosperitie but hath many things to set in order And seeing all dependeth upon the last act the whole life being but as a levelling and drawing death as the discharge of the arrow our mother Church hath godly taught us to pray if it be his blessed will to deliver us from sudden death and to give us time of repentance and preparation with understanding memory hearing and speech to the last breath Did not Lot know that his wife should die Yes but to him and all that shall heare the storie it is fearefull that shee was suddenly turned into a pillar of salt Aaron well knew that his sonnes must die but to see two of them Nadab and Abihu consumed at once by fire from heaven it did strangely astonish him Iob knew so much too but to heare that all his children were suddenly destroyed with the downefall of their eldest brothers house wherein they were feasting made him rise and rent his clothes Yea and David knew so much and comforted himselfe after the death of another saying I shall goe to it but it shall not come to me But when he heard of the sudden death of his sonne Absolon it made his heart even turne and ouer-turne within him he never so bitterly lamented any thing as that Oh my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne Come we to our disciples They see death in the glasse of Nature and it is fearefull they see it in the glasse of their Fortune they are now in middle age strong and lustie in great hope of preferment by their Master and striving for supremacie and who shall sit on his right hand and who on his left in his kingdome death commeth upon them suddenly robbeth them of all they now are or hoped to be they have not leisure to set themselves or houses in order nor bid wife and friends farewell not leisure to swallow their spettle nor say their praiers but shortly and abruptly for life they are like to die by waters and become meat for the fishes and that by such a sudden and raging storme as if heaven meant to destroy them so as now their feare is much increased and they cry out Lord save us we perish The third is the glasse of the Law which representeth death as the wage and punishment of sin the demonstration of Gods displeasure and the gate of hell when all the curses and maledictions of God come fully and for ever to be powred out Oh in this death appeareth most fearefull and like that dreadfull and terrible strong beast which Daniel saw in his Vision which had great Iron teeth and ten hornes and devoured and brake in peeces and stamped the rest under feet Good Lord how greatly are the wicked and all guilty sinners affrighted at this sight of death Saul being a wicked man having a guilty conscience no sooner saw death at hand through this glasse but he fell straight-way all along upon the earth was exceedingly afraid and there was
neighbour either we flatter him and say All is wel or never rebuke saying Why doest thou so or else with scorne contemne despise and reject him never considering our selves that we also may be tempted But marke how meekely mildly and lovingly he reproveth them not one word of any sharpnes rigour or asperitie no nor so much as affirme This is your great sinne to be fearefull but as God asked Ionah a question about his anger Dost thou well to be angry So he only asketh them a question about their feare Why are yee fearefull intimating their feare was excessive and causelesse and so the reproofe tended rather to comfort and encourage them q. d. Be not so afraid you have no cause of such feare Oh it is the gentle reproofe the milde and loving objurgation and crimination which pierceth deepe The Lords servant must be gentle towards all This is the reproofe that David so much desired Let the righteous smite me friendly and reprove me And the Apostle biddeth us restore such an one as is overtaken in a fault with the spirit of meekenesse But for want of love it commeth to passe we reprove not at all or with such fiercenesse gall and bitternesse as tendeth not to restore but harden sinners Oh let us from this Example learne to be gentle and meeke towards poore and weake sinners and if any be too fearefull because themselves or the people of God are in any great danger let us labour to comfort them to strengthen the weake hands and comfort the feeble knees Speake to the heart of Ierusalem Feare not thou worme Iacob though thou be but a worme And againe Feare not ye men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer So much for generall observations Now more particularly consider what was it he reproved Fearefulnesse not simply feare for that is ingraffed in our nature neither did Christ goe about to rob them of their affections that they should no more feare danger than the mast of the ship yea Christ himselfe had our affections and namely this of feare but our Saviour reproveth the excesse of it called fearefulnesse The word in the Originall is of harsh signification both amongst prophane Authors as miserable weake and wicked and in the Scriptures for such as shall die the second death such a feare as God hath not given his children the Spirit of a feare which maketh men miserable weake and feeble in minde wicked in practise to use any meanes to escape the evill they feare the high way to hell and that timiditie which the wise Heathen have opposed to the vertue of Fortitude and therefore reproved Why are yee fearefull Wherefore this reprehension must teach us both by divine and humane praier and all worldly wise meanes to bridle and restraine our passions that they exceed not measure nor we be transported with the violence of them to say or doe that which is evill but to remember the Apostolike caution Be angrie but sinne not be merry but sinne not be sory but sinne not be afraid but sinne not If you give way unto it it is a most painfull passion yea as Saint Iohn saith Such feare hath torment and maketh men bondslaves Heb. 2. 15. Christ had passions but blamelesse because his nature was most holy and pure And therefore as a glasse of snow-water though never so much shaken yet abideth cleare and pure but the glasse of muddie water though whilest it standeth still the mud sinder to the bottome and the top is cleare yet no sooner is shaken but the mud ariseth and all is defiled So howsoever in times of peace health and prosperitie our passions be moderate and calme and seeme cleare yet no sooner are troubled but they grow muddie yea defile our selves and all that come neare the raging sea did not more cast up mire and dirt than their troubled affections spirituall defilements for which cause Christ here reproved them Why are yee fearefull The second particular observation is What was the object of this feare Was it God or his judgements No they did feare a temporall not the eternall death water but not fire sea but not hell drowning but not burning a creature not the Creator they may truly say with David The terrors of death are fallen upon us fearefulnesse and trembling are come upon us and horror hath overwhelmed us Which our Saviour reproveth Why are yee fearefull And he teacheth us that Gods people should not immoderatly feare no not any manner of death A lesson which it behoveth us in these daies specially to take out for as the Apostle said If the word spoken by Angels was sted fast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recoÌ„pence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation So if these Disciples having heard and seene but a little and being now in such great perill yet are reproved for immoderate feare how much more shall wee be reproved to whom the Gospell of Christ hath beene so clearely revealed who have seene so many workes of Gods goodnesse mercy power as the Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Christ into heaven Here is therefore a good lesson for us to labour that we be not immoderately afraid of death I say not not afraid of death at all for the best of Gods servants mentioned in holy Scripture as Moses David Iob Eliah Ezekiah and the rest have been I may say of them all as the Apostle saith of Eliah they were subject to this passion as wel as we Therefore he doth not say Why are yee afraid but fearefull yea as if the word were not sufficient to expresse the measure of their coÌ„sternation which yet is very significant as you have heard hee addeth thereunto an Adverb of affirmation So qâ—d Why are yee so exceedingly fearefull so fearefull beyond bounds and measure This being that he reproved in them and is reproveable in all his disciples viz. immoderate and excessiue feare of death Let us now see by what meanes Gods children may moderate the feare of death in them wherein I doe specially commend unto you these foure things viz. 1. A good cause 2. An honest life 3. A strong faith 4. Godly meditation on the good of Death First a great meanes to suppresse immoderate feare of death is to die if not for yet in a good cause Blessed is that servant whom his Master shall finde well doing Matth. 24. 46. It is a true saying It is not the punishment but the cause maketh a Martyr Christ hath not absolutely pronounced all blessed that suffer persecution but all such as suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake This was the joy of the Saints in old time that they could truly say Lord for thy sake are wee killed This caused the holy Martyrs of Christ in
this Land in the daies of Queene Mary so cheerefully to receive sentence of death so joyfully to sing in their prisons darke and loathsome dungeons so comfortably embrace faggots kisse stakes clap hands in flaming fire because all this was for a good cause even for Christ the Gospell and a good conscience sake and the holy Ghost hath pronounced Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord This made them rejoyce in death with joy unspeakable and glorious This was Iosephs comfort in prison that he was falsly accused And Daniels that he was cast to the Lions for the matter of his God Therefore Saint Peters charge is Let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a theefe or as an evill doer or as a busie-bodie in other mens matters but if any suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalfe But how great is the horror of malefactors No doubt but it pierced Ahabs soule more than the arrow did his bodie that this was the just judgement of God upon him for his sinne How fearefull was death to all such whose carcasses God overthrew in the wildernesse and destroyed them with fiery Serpents and other fearefull meanes Who knoweth the unconceiveable dread and horror which wicked men have in their soules in their prisons death-beds or executions when their owne consciences tell them This miserie is come upon me for murther theft adultery riot and such like wicked courses I doe not deny but such malefactors may die sullenly or desperately Others may be deceived and thinke they die in a good cause when they doe not So the ancient Donatists and Arrians and in our times the Priests and Iesuits thinke they die for Religion and the true Catholike cause and deserve to be Canonized for Saints whereas they suffer deserved punishment for their rebellion and sedition yea they would in death be accounted Martyrs before they have led the life of a Christian yet being thus abused and deceived by Satan and God in his justice giving them over into a reprobate sense they may even astonish men to behold their seeming patience joy and Christian resolution but yet this standeth firme that no man suffering or dying for an evill cause and his minde be rightly informed can die with comfort and peace but with exceeding dread and horror such an one must needs be exceedingly fearefull to die Yea this that I have said must also be understood with exception of Repentance Many men justly suffer pressures and miseries tortures and torments for their sinnes and evill deeds yet upon true repentance finde peace and comfort in life and death Moses died in the wildernesse and might not enter into the promised Land because hee did not sanctifie God at the waters of Strife but repenting he died with comfort Iosiah fighting rashly and without warrant from God was wounded to death but repenting of his folly he died with comfort and was gathered to his Fathers in peace The theefe on the Crosse died justly for his sinnes but repenting he died with comport and went to Paradise Our Prodigall suffered hunger and misery justly for his riotous and luxurious dilapidating and wasting his goods but repenting he found comfort Many a man commeth to great misery poverty sicknesse ache imprisonment banishment death for his disordered life yet truly repenting findeth peace and comfort But these cases excepted no man that is rightly informed in his minde and continueth impenitent can but be exceedingly afraid to die wherefore every one that would moderate the feare of death must be sure to live and die in a good cause The second meanes for moderation of the feare of death is to live an holy and sanctified life The Apostle compareth death to some fierce and truculent beast or serpent which killeth all men that grapple with it with a poysonfull sting and telleth us the sting of death is sinne As a man then would not feare but with great boldnesse encounter that Serpent when he knoweth the sting is gone so may we boldly and comfortably die when we know the sting thereof is gone Oh it is the guilt of sinne maketh men so fearefull to die But great is the peace they have that love thy Law Mark the upright behold the just the end of that man is peace The righteous are bold as Lions Oh such as here live in the feare of God making conscience of their waies eschewing evil Walking in the Spirit Mortifying the flesh with affections and lusts having their conversation in heaven And ever beholding the face of God thorow the perspective of holinesse Setting their minds on those things which are above Being passed from death to life and alreadie entred into the first degree of glorification sanctification being glorification inchoate and glorification sanctification consummate What comfort joy boldnesse have such in sicknesse and death How comfortable to the living to visit such and to heare and see their cheerefulnesse patience prayers praises benedictions valedictions if infirmitie of flesh and bloud or strength of disease doe not hinder on the other side such as walke in their life time after the flesh drinke up iniquitie like water and are continually strengthening and adding poison to the sting of death How are they distracted with feare if they see that beast but gape upon them or hisse at them How comfortlesse to visit such see their impatience observe their worldly mindednesse and heare their words of discontent discomfort and distrust if God have not laid on them the spirit of slumber Therefore let him that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie And whosoever would with comfort and boldnesse looke for death or Christ to judgement Let him deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live righteously godly and soberly in this present world The third meanes of moderation is by a lively and stedfast faith This is our victory even faith How can that man be immoderately afraid to die who doth in his heart stedfastly beleeve that Christ died for him and hath conquered Satan death and hell for him disarmed the strong man Satan deprived Death of its sting that it cannot hurt that the nature of it is changed an end of all evill the beginning of all true good It is not possible with the cleare eye of Faith to behold death in the Crystall-glasse of the Gospell and to be immoderatly afraid of it Here then was the Disciples want they had a good cause they followed their Master into the ship they lived honestly Iudas excepted but their faith was weake and therefore their feare so strong Why are yee so fearefull O yee of little faith Wherefore let all such as desire to moderate the feare of death pray for increase of Faith Oh see what an inestimable Pearle Iewel Faith is in
that it doth not onely justine us before God and appropriate unto us all the happinesse of heaven through Christ but is of so great use in this life both in the times of health and prosperity as time and occasion serve bringing forth most worthy fruits in regard of God and our neighbours and specially in our adversities and troubles David confessed hee had perished in his troubles if it had not beene for his Faith And the Apostle saith Through Faith the Saints of old stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword were tortured and accepted not deliverance Heb. 11. 33. It is Faith that breedeth Patience and begetteth godly comfort and courage hee that beleeveth doth not make haste that is whereas the vnbeleeving comming into any distresse any danger or perplexitie are distracted with care and feare and make haste running and rushing into all manner of evill and indirect meanes for releefe and deliverance as Saul who for want of Faith made too much haste to offer sacrifice and consult with a Witch Such as truly beleeve will not doe so Though earth remove and hills be hurled into the midst of the sea If God send famine he is not so fearefull for he knoweth God feedeth the Birds of the aire and the young Ravens when they call And whosoever feare him shall want nothing that is good If God send pestilence he is not so fearfull for he knoweth it is Gods arrow to hit whom he will and that if his life be more for Gods glory than his death A thousand shall fall on one hand and ten thousand on the other yet it shall not come nigh him If sword come he wil not be so fearfull Though he were compassed with ten thousands of enemies round about for he knoweth the wicked is but Gods sword that an haire cannot fall from his head but according to the good will and pleasure of his heavenly Father If sicknesse and death come he is not so fearefull For he knoweth though he die yet shall he live oh of what singular use is faith in all our troubles But I heare some as discomforted with this discourse say I thanke God my conscience doth approve my cause and walking to be honest humane frailties excepted yet I finde my selfe often very ill disposed and fearefull to die which maketh me doubt I have not faith I answer Our Saviour doth not say Because his Disciples were so fearefull therefore they had no faith but their faith was little Immoderate feare argueth imbecillitie but concludeth not a nullitie of faith And for thy comfort know this that even the best of Gods children are subject to such feares as David The feare of death is fallen upon me Psal 55. 4. But though it exceed measure for a time their faith will keepe them from despaire and in good time recover them as David said I will not feare to goe thorow the valley of death c. Psalm 23. 4. Oh pray then for the increase of faith Whereunto lastly may be added godly meditation on such great blessings as death beheld in the looking-glasse of the Gospell doth bring to every true beleever as that the Body is presently brought into a better condition than ever it had in this life for by death it is both made insensible and by that meanes freed from all the calamities of this life and ceaseth to be an Active and Passive instrument of sinne the Soule passeth to life rest and glory perfectly seeing and knowing God without intermission keeping an eternall Sabbath and without cessation or wearisomnesse keeping turnes with the Angels praising Gods name for ever and ever in fulnesse enjoying whatsoever may cause love and admiration or procure joy and contentation even an universall collection of all joyes blessings and comforts beyond all we have heard seene or can possibly thinke In regard whereof Solomon hath pronounced The day of death to bee better than the day of birth And the Apostle desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all And so much for the literall doctrine Gods people must not immoderately feare any manner of death and how that is obtained Our second doctrine is from the mysterie the ship representing the Church and the storme persecution Our Saviour reproving the disciples for their immoderate feare in this storme doth â—each vs That Gods people should not immoderately feare though the Church be in never so great danger distresse or perplexitie What greater evill threatned to the Church than by the Assyrian Monarch Insomuch that God caused the Prophet to call his sonne Maher-shalalhash-baz or make speed to the spoile yet even then the Prophet bade the people not be afraid nor say a confederacie a confederacie but sanctifie the Lord of hoasts and let him be your feare and let him be your dread and hee shall be for a sanctuary c not forbidding a moderate feare and use of godly meanes but immoderate feare and for their securitie making such leagues with Idolaters and Gods professed enemies as was forbidden Oh great is the storme now and the poore ship of the Church in mans eye in great perill but bee not so fearefull but rest on God The Church is in danger beset with enemies both powerfull and politike for crueltie and mischiefe matchlesse who have confederated and threaten her ruine True but hath not Christ said Hee will be with his Church to the end of the world nay more That the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it The ship is covered with waves but shall not be drowned the Church is persecuted but shall not bee destroied God will in his good time rebuke winds and seas and send a comfortable calme Mardochay beleeved comfort and deliverance would come and it did come and he that doth not beleeve as he did may worthily bee rebuked in the words of my Text Why are yee so fearefull O yee of little faith And so much be said of the first thing Christ reproved in his disciples viz. The excesse of feare The second followeth which is the defect of faith in these words O yee of little Faith Which reproofe is laid downe in way of admiration q. d. Oh that your â—aith should be so little and weake hauing heard and seene what you have done Out of which â—ater commeth meat and out of this strong commeth sweetnesse that I may use Sampsons Riddle yea out of this reproofe doe flow comforts abundantly to all godly minded ones who mourne in their soules because they are subject to the same reproofe having but a little â—aith For the further comfort then of all poore weake and feeble beleevers suffer me with your patience fully to open this point And marke his words he saith not O yee of no faith for they all beleeved in him
discerne a great disparitie betwixt themselves and others in regard of the graces of infusion knowledge patience zeale wisdome yet if their faith be true though never so weake or small they are equall to the best in the greatest blessings of justification and adoption This that I have said is not for encouragement of the wicked who turne the grace of God into wantonnesse resting contented in the least measure and presume of justification thereby for even thereby it appeareth that their faith is not true because it doth not grow but this is spoken for the comfort of all such as doe carefully use the means and even hunger and thirst after the growth and increase of faith but are fearefull and even out of heart with themselves because they doe discerne their faith to be so little and weake Secondly the least true faith shall never fully nor finally be lost this is Gods promise I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall never depart from me all the daies of their life And Christ hath promised He that commeth to me shall never hunger and he that beleeveth in me shall never thirst Christ praied for Peter that his faith should not faile And so hath he prayed for all those that beleeve in him and promised that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against them And Saint Iohn faith Hee that is borne of God doth not commit sinne neither can he because hee is borne of God and his seed remaineth in him Hence it is that he that once truly beleeveth is said to have eternall life To be passed from death to life To be raised and seated in heavenly places Yea to be alreadie glorified From which and many such places of Scriptures which might be alledged we doe infallibly conclude and it is the doctrine of the Church of England and of Orthodox Divines even the conclusion of the whole late Reverend Synode at Dort against Papists Arminians and whosoever Heretiques that deny it That a true faith once had is never fully nor finally lost I doe not deny but all the graces of the Spirit are like to fire if it be not nourished with fewel but have water cast upon it a great fire may be exceedingly slaked and great brands come to some few embers or sparkes So faith through neglect of meanes and falling into some great sinne the Spirit of God may be grieved the power vertue and efficacie of faith may be greatly cooled and abated and the sense of saving grace lost A true beleever may fall into a spirituall sownd but cannot die he may demurre with himselfe whether he be living or dead yea may pronounce himselfe dead but as the Apostle pronounced of Eutichus after his fall life is in him his faith is as a sparke of fire under an heape of ashes and as sap in the root of the tree in Winter time It was Peters case whose fall did wound but not kill weaken but not utterly destroy his faith upon his Masters looking upon him and hearing the Cock crow his faith revived He went out and wept bitterly for his sinne Yea true faith is so farre from being utterly lost that by the use of good meanes it doth out-grow the Mustard-seed yea out-grow Ionahs Gourd Nichodemus who was once so weake in the faith that he came to Iesus by night for feare of the Iewes yet his faith so grew that when Christ was crucified and all the Disciples fled hee went in boldly and begged the bodie of Iesus embalmed and honourably buried it Peter so weake in faith that at the voice of a silly Damsell hee denied his Master yet his faith so grew that he boldly reproved the Princes to their faces for murthering the Lord of life Thomas his faith was so weake that he openly professed hee would not beleeve that his Master was risen from death unlesse he did see the print of the nailes and put his hand into his side but it did so grow when Christ appeared againe and bade him see and feele that he said in a strong faith Thou art my Lord and my God Yea it is many times seene in daies of persecution and of great trials that such as in peace and prosperitie have shewed a strong faith and great zeale abundance of graces have in adversity beene humbled with great feare and bewrayed great weaknesse of faith Whereas such as in times of peace have shewed small knowledge little faith and weake zeale yet in time of persecution in the strength of knowledge â—aith and zeale they have stood out against the enemies and have sealed the truth of God with their dearest bloud wherein is fulfilled that of the blessed Virgin in her Song Hee putteth downe the mightie from their seats and exalteth the humble and meeke he filleth the hungrie with good things and the rich he sendeth emptie away And all this is that such as are strong and have greatest measure of graces may not be proud and presumptuous but carry a low saile thinke basely of themselves and worke out their salvation with feare and trembling praying God not to tempt them above that which they shall be able And secondly that such as are but weake in faith may not be too much disheartened and dejected seeing the Lord is able to make them strong Yea that we thinke charitably and walke lovingly towards even the weakest they that are strong beare the infirmities of the weake Rom 15. 1. For if triall came the Lord knoweth whose saith would be strong But be of good comfort oh yee weake and tender ones for if your faith be true though never so weake it shall never be fully nor finally lost yea if God have any great service for you he will furnish you accordingly his power shall appeare in your weaknesse and your bruised reed shall become as strong as the Oake in Bashan so as no storme or tempest shall be able to overthrow it Yea here let us with wise eyes behold and with thankfull hearts give glory unto God who as in the firmament one starre differeth from another in his Church furnisheth his Saints with diversitie of gifts giving to some a great measure of knowledge faith zeale to others but a little of them that such as have greatest measure may be provoked to thankfulnesse and employ their gifts to the comfort of others and the weake may have cause both of humilitie and industrie striving to overtake such as goe before them but none have cause to envie or despise another though through Satans malice and our weaknesse it too often so fall out The third and last deduction for the comfort of weake beleevers is that God heareth and accepteth the prayers of the weakest beleevers and graciously helpeth them It was prophesied of Christ hee should not break the bruised reed nor quench the
are to be considered viz. A preparation then hee arose Secondly the reprehension it selfe hee rebuked the winds and seas Then he arose That is when by reprehension he had decreased the feare and increased the faith of his disciples and so prepared and fitted them to the fruitfull sight of this ensuing Miracle then hee arose Which teacheth vs That God is many times hindred from doing great works by the indisposition of his people Christ could as soone as ever he awaked have start up and rebuked the winds and seas but his disciples were in extreme passion which as the wise heathen man hath truly said destroieth judgement and understanding As the eye which is exceedingly troubled with humours and theumes cannot abide to looke on the Sunne no more can a passionate and troubled minde behold with content and comfort the great and glorious sworkes of God If then wee thinke it long ere God helpe us or his people let us not murmure and have thoughts of Belial concerning God and as though he had cast off all care and loving affection complaine That hee had forgotten to be mercifull and would for ever shut up his loving kindnesse in displeasure c But let us looke into our selves and know that something is amisse in us wee want Faith Repentance or Patience which when the Lord hath cured then he will arise and helpe us He arose Or arising To arise properly doth signifie such a gesture or motion of the body which hath sate or beene laied whereby it doth prepare and addresse it selfe to some other posirure disposition or actiō as standing walking running c. So Peter said to the Creeple that was laid at the Beautifull Gate of the Temple to aske almes of them that entred into the Temple In the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walke So here it is taken properly For at the least Christ had laied downe his head on a pillow and reposed himselfe but now he arose I leave the letter To arise in Scriptures is often used for preparation to some businesse doth not intend any bodily sitting or lying before as God called Arise Ionah and goe to Ninivie And to Ieremy Trusse up thy loines arise and speake unto them And to Ezechiel Sonne of man stand upon thy feet All which intend no more but goe about that businesse I have appointed you unto By figurative Translation of that which is proper unto man to God he is many times in Scriptures said To sleepe and wake Lie downe and rise up Where by rising is meant nothing else but Gods preparing of himselfe to declare visibly his Mercy or Iustice Love or Anger Greatnesse or Goodnesse in the punishing of his enemies or saving of his people The Lord thus promiseth his helpe for the oppression of the poore and deepe sighing of the needie Now will I arise and set him in safetie from him that puffeth at him And elsewhere with many moe words to this purpose Now will I arise saith the Lord now will I be exalted now will I lift up my selfe Seeing then God is pleased thus to speake of himselfe and in such a Metaphoricall phrase to promise his helpe his Church and people are bold in the same phrase to crave his helpe as Arise Lord and let thine enemies be scattered arise O God and judge the earth Arise Lord and save us So much for the sense Here for instruction we learne That howsoever Christ may seeme to sleepe long and then Satan and his instruments are busie and by God great but just permission bring the Church of God in generall and many Gods faithfull servants in particular into great extremitie and distresse yet in that needfull and best time when it shall bee most for his glorie and his peoples good hee will not faile to awake arise and helpe them This is it which David so plainly teacheth in the Psalmes saying He for sooke the Tabernacle of Shiloh he delivered his strength into captivitie and his beautie into the enemies hands Hee gave his people over to the sword and was wroth with his inheritance fire consumed their young men and their maidens were not given to mariage their Priests fell by the sword and there were no widowes to make lamentation Oh what havocke enemies make of Gods Church and people when God maketh as though he were on sleep and regarded not But marke what followeth when things were brought to this desperate extremitie then the Lord awaked as one out of sleepe and like a giant refreshed with wine he smote his enemies on the hinder parts and put them to a perpetuall shame The Lord seemed to sleep long when his Church and people sojourned in Egypt foure hundred yeeres Oh then their enemies oppressed them laid an iron yoke on their necks made them to tread in mire and clay gather stubble where they could finde it and every day felt the lash of the whip being not able to do what was commanded Yea then they tooke crafty counsell how to destroy them by the drowning of all their male children But at the last the Lord awaked and rose up to help them met with Moses at Horeb and told him I have seene I have seene the affliction of my people and then he brought out his people with ioy and his chosen with gladnesse and sent plague upon plague on their enemies till he utterly destroyed them in the Red Sea The Lord seemed to sleepe long when wicked Haman obtained a decrce that all the Iewes should be destroyed The Decree is written sealed published and day for execution appointed but he was awakened and raised up with the prayers and teares of his people and then the King could not sleepe readeth in the Chronicle of Mordocaies fidelitie bethinketh how to honour and reward him maketh Haman himselfe the instrument therein Hester is promoted Mordocat honoured Haman and his sonnes hanged the Decree disanulled the people of the Land slaine by thousands and the Iewes have dayes of feasting and ioy for their deliverance The like might be shewed in many other Examples The doctrine is most true That howsoever God may seeme for a time to sleepe and wholly to neglect the estate of his people and then they fall into great extremities yet ever in his good time he hath and will awake arise and helpe them Oh let Gods people trust in him and awaken and raise him up by Fasting and Prayer and sound Repentance Yet know that he is not easily awakened and raised When God for the sinnes of his people doth returne to his place and as it were betaketh himselfe to his chamber and couch it is no easie thing to a waken him It may cost many a heavy sigh many a bitter teare much smiting of thigh and knocking of breast It will cost deare
our God we will set up our banners some put their trust in chariots and some in horses but wee will remember the name of the Lord our God Secondly God enableth poore weake base abject and contemptible meanes for the bringing of great and mightie things to passe When Gideon came at the first with a great armie to fight against the Midianites the Lord said unto him This people that are with thee are too many for me to deliver the Midianites into their hands lest Israel take to himselfe glory over me and say mine hand hath brought me salvation But when all were brought to 300. naked men and without armes only having trumpets pitchers and lamps By these saith God will I save you and deliver the Midianites into thine hands and he did so Vpon this groud Ionathan perswaded his Armour-bearer even them two to set upon a whole Garrison of the Philistims There is no let to Iehovah but that hee may save by many or by few That of the Prophet is most memorable The Lord is his name that strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong that distresse it selfe should be able to scale a Fort And the Prophet Ieremie biddeth the Iews not to deceive themselves because they had a little prevailed against the Chaldeans for if there were none left but wounded men and thrust thorow yet should they rise every man in his tent and burne the City with fire Most commonly if cause be good victory goeth with weakest side Thirdly for the full manifestation of the glory of his omnipotencie God many times worketh greatest things without meanes so as in the effecting thereof nothing can be looked on but God In the beginning God gave light before he made Sunne and made plants and herbes to grow before there was any raine in the wildernesse fed his people with bread and flesh from heaven in times of warre if God doe but rise his enemies are scattered yea if he doe but looke upon their hoasts they are discomfited In the confidence whereof King Asa seeing himselfe oppressed with a multitude of enemies even above a thousand thousands of Ethiopians comming up against him he prayed to the Lord Lord it is nothing to thee to helpe with many or no power If he had said with many or few great or small power it would have beene plaine but to say with many or no power bewrayed an excellent measure of faith that if God did but rebuke all such enemies it was enough The Prophet giveth this glory to God that hee createth peace He is a good Carpenter that having crooked and rough timber put into his hands can with axe and plane make it straight and smooth but the Creator can worke having no matter at all to work upon creating light out of darknesse peace out of warre a great calme out of a great storme only by a word of his mouth hee rebuked the winds and sea For further manifestation of Gods glory and our consolation seeing the Scriptures speake expresly of Gods rebuking of Kings Princes Spearemen and persecutors of his Church and people let us search the Scriptures that wee may finde out Gods manner herein How doth God rebuke Kings who are as boisterous and mightie winds causing great tempests of persecutions in the Sea of this world that when God doth it wee may give him the glory of it And that God doth two waies viz. Either inwardly or outwardly Inwardly by working upon their hearts or outwardly by working upon their bodies and estates As God hath the hearts of all men in his hands so specially of Kings and Princes and doth extraordinarily worke upon them either by inclining them to peace as we see in the example of Esau who threatning to kill his brother Iacob and Iacob exceedingly feared to heare that he came out with foure hundred men against him whose heart was so inclined to his brother that when they met he was so far from killing or offering the least wrong unto him in word or deed that he embraced him fell on his necke and kissed him see see how inwardly God rebuked that boisterous wind and there was a great calme or else he inwardly doth terrifie them so as they shall not dare to doe the evill which they would and intended Thus God rebuked Abimelech King of Gerar in a dreame by night Thou art but a dead man for the woman which thou hast taken for shee is a mans wife whereupon he returned to Abraham his wife and there was a great calme So Laban pursued Iacob and his wives and children blustering and stirring up a great tempest but God rebuked him saying Take heed that thou speake not to Iacob either good or bad whereupon followed a great calme So the Kings of Canaan intending to destroy the Israel of God were rebuked with the report that came unto them what God had done for them Drying up the Red-sea and destroying the two Kings of the Amorites Og and Sehon whereupon their hearts did melt and there was no courage in them they grew very calme Yea Kings assembling with their armies purposely to besiege Ierusalem At the very sight of it they marvelled and were troubled and hasted away feare tooke hold on them and paine as on a woman in travell Thus when they will not otherwise be inclined to peace God doth cut off the spirit of Princes and is terrible to the Kings of the earth Or else God doth rebuke them outwardly and that either in their persons or powers in their persons either by sicknesse or death By sicknesse or diseases Thus God plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sara Abrahams wiâ—e whereupon he restored her to her husband and there was a great calme Or by death and that is either naturall or violent Naturall thus wicked and Idolatrous Ahaz slept with his fathers and then goaly King Hezekiah reigned in his stead who was an hiding place from the wind a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place and as the shadow of a great rocke in a wearie land Violent death is either caused by themselves or others By themselves thus Saul killed himselfe and then there was a great calme Or by others thus that wicked King Amon being slaine by his servants godly Iosiah succeeded him in whose daies the Church had a blessed calme And thus in all ages by the miserable and wretched ends of cruell and bloudie persecutors God hath given peace to his Church Or if God spare their persons he doth often rebuke them in their powers and that chiefly three wayes viz. By diversion dissipation and destruction By diversion thus when David was in greatest danger of Saul for they had even compassed him round to take him there came a messenger and brought tidings to Saul the Philistims had
was made the greater was the truth and glory of his Resurrection yea such as were set to watch did publish it Matth. 28. 11. So the greater is the power and the more violent the assaults which enemies make against the Church of Christ the greater is Gods glory in their deliverance which the people confesse in the Psalmes If the Lord had not beene on our side now may Israel say if the Lord had not beene on our side when men rose up against us they had even swallowed us up quicke when they were so wrathfully displeased at us the waters had overwhelmed us the deepe waters of the proud had even gone over our soule But praised be the Lord who hath not given us for a prey to their teeth Our soule is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are delivered The greater the danger of Gods people at the Red-sea the greater their deliverance the greater the evill by Iesuits intended against the Protestants in France the more glorious their peace the greater mischiefe intended by the Gunpowder treason and the nearer to execution the more marvellous our deliverance in all which cases the Church is taught to praise God and say The Lord hath done marvellous things with his owne right hand and with his holy arme hath he gotten himselfe the victory Oh trust in God be the storme and threatned hurt to the Church never so great for all shall worke for good There is no wisdome counsell or strength against the Lord But he will turne the rage of man to his praise When all that see and heare shall marvell and say with reverend awe Who is this What manner of man is this The Greeke word is very emphaticall and of greater signification than another which is thus translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qualis For though this be often used in the New Testament yet ever translated what which one place only excepted Neither are they derived from the same root for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pavimentum as if it were written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cujas as if they had fully expressed the word thus What Countrey-man is this Which question bewrayeth their ignorance tendeth to the begetting of knowledge and is an effect of their admiration which may thus be described according to the rules of Philosophie Admiration is a painfull suspension of the minde proceeding from the knowledge of some great effects whereof the causes are unknowne I call it a painfull suspension because all men naturally desire knowledge and the more generously minded any are the more painfull it is for them to be ignorant Some say that Aristotle the Prince touchstone of Philosophers was so grieved that hee could not finde out the cause of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea that he died on it yea some say that he cast himselfe into the Sea saying Seeing I cannot comprehend thee thou shalt comprehend me but the other seemeth more probable Now admiration proceeding from ignorance of causes doth wonderfully provoke to the studie of causes that so they may be eased of that sorrow paine and griefe whereupon admiration is said to be the soule and life of Philosophie And Pythagoras being demanded what was the end of Philosophie answered To marvell at nothing intending that herein a learned Philosopher knowing the causes of things did not marvell whereas an ignorant rustick doth marvell at his owne shadow As in Philosophie so much more in Divinitie ignorance is a painfull thing to the godly disposed and therefore the more they admire the word and workes of God the more they enquire and search into the causes thereof as the Disciples here marvelling said one to another What manner of man is this Whose question intendeth three things viz. First That Christ is true man having a true soule and bodie in regard of their substance and their essentiall properties as in the soule will understanding in body true dimensions as length bredth thicknesse yea taking also the generall and blamelesse weaknesses and infirmities of both as ignorance of some things feare sorrow wearisomenesse hunger thirst sleepe ache paine sicknesse such as accompany the generall nature of man and are not repugnant to the perfection of science and grace as was more largely shewed from his being on sleepe This is it was anciently promised The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head And In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed And afterwards prophesied A Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne A Childe is borne a Son is given A woman shall compasse a man Which promises and prophesies have bin most truly fulfilled as this day doth witnesse to the Christian Churches For the fulnesse of time being come God sent his Sonne made of a woman The word was made flesh Iohn 1. 14. Oh what a sweet comfort is this to us miserable sinners that our blessed Saviour and Redeemer is not a stranger to our nature but tooke upon him the forme of a servant did partake with his in flesh and bloud became that prophesied Shiloh wrapped in the Tunicle skinne or Secundine our kinsman as Iob calleth him If the Baptist did so spring for joy in his mothers wombe when Mary the Mother of Christ saluted his Mother and if the Angels did so rejoyce and sing at the birth of Christ what cause have we to rejoyce and sing yea our very soules to spring for joy that wee doe celebrate this Festivitie in commemoration of our Saviours birth Yea that our comfort may be full he hath not only taken upon him our nature but our infirmities also that he might become a mercifull and compassionate High Priest So as we may boldly goe to the Throne of grace and be assured we shall finde mercie and grace to helpe in time of need The second thing avouched by the proprietie of the word in this question as you have heard in opening the sense of it is That this true man is a stranger they aske whence he is whereunto Christ returneth a perfect answer Hee descended from heaven Saint Paul saith He is the Lord from heaven Not that he brought his humanitie from heaven which passed thorow the Virgins wombe as water thorow a conduit as divers Heretiques have dreamed for he was made of a woman and had the materials of his body from the blessed Virgin but he had not his beginning here on earth as men have but God came downe from heaven and was manifested in the flesh and as he came so here he lived but as a stranger not having where to be
the hemme of Christs garment and shall not we much more from this holy Sacrament of his owne ordinance and institution Oh let me eat and it sufficeth Dispute thou of the manner I will beleeve But these outward signes and Elements being consecrated by the word and prayer are of most wonderfull spirituall use and efficacie to every beleeving and worthy receiver which to expresse and that they may not be basely esteemed of as common and ordinary things the Scriptures doe commonly ennoble as others so this Sacrament with giving to the signe the name it selfe of the grace signified This is my bodie And This is my bloud of the New Testament And the Apostle saith The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the bodie of Christ And the cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The Ancient Fathers also have exceedingly magnified this Sacrament As that Christ dieth againe in this mysterie the Priest holdeth Christ betwixt his hands the bread over which thankes is given is the bodie of the Lord Which figurative speeches are warrantable by the Word And they gave hyperbolical and excessive praise to this Sacrament in most thankful and godly minds to stirre up godly care and devotion in the Receivers but did not fore-see how thereby they occasioned many hereticall Conclusions and Idolatrous adoration whereof wee having lamentable experience it behoveth us warily to use their phrases not thinking it sufficient that from Scriptures and Fathers such phrases may be used for truth but cautelously and with exposition lest we harden the wilfull Heretike or scandalize the weake beleever For as we must take heed that we make them not idle signes wee must also take heed wee make them not Idoll signes they are but signes still and though grace be conueyed by them yet it may be separated from them so as all that receive the grace of Sacraments doe not receive grace by the Sacraments Though they be holy honorable glorious vessels for the conveyance of Christ and all his blessings and graces yet they are not physicall vessels and instruments as a nutritive power and vertue is in bread and drinke or tied to them by inevitable necessitie as if God were tied to give Christ and eternall life to all such as doe the work and receive the outward Element They are only morall instruments and vessels to the fruitfull use whereof is required something also in the Receiver For as the Word profiteth not them in whom it is not mixed by faith no more doth this Sacrament profit such as receive it not by faith yea many do eat and drinke unworthily to their owne condemnation but God is tied by covenant and promise to convey and exhibite the invisible grace to all that doe faithfully duely and devoutly receive the visible and holy Sacrament Oh then prepare your selves to the receiving of this holy Sacrament prepare not the teeth and belly but the heart for it is not the food for teeth but minde and let Faith worke When you see but the least graine of mustard-seed cast into the ground though there it seeme to rot yet you beleeve it will become a great tree for birds to build in If you see a cunning work-man take though a rugged and crooked tree in hand you beleeve he will doe some exquisite and curious worke Will you thus rely on Art and Nature and not rely on God the Author of both You will not beleeve how your soules can be fed and nourished by bread and wine unlesse he acquaint you with his waies and lay open the secret of his skill before you Where God doth speake such things as are for height and sublimitie of matter or promise such graces by such meanes as for secrecie of performance we are not able to reach unto it behoveth Gods children to submit themselves in the simplicitie of faith and not curiously dispute which commonly chilleth the warmth of zeale and devotion and so distracteth the minds of men that they know not what to beleeve Examine your selves therefore whether yee be in the faith Examine your selves whether you have unfainedly repented of your sinnes which appeareth by a perfect hatred and detestation of them and all of the meanes and occasions leading unto them with a resolute purpose of minde for ever to avoid them to become obedient unto God The people of God were commanded to eat the Passeover with bitter herbes which word I finde elsewhere used to expresse the bitter sorrow of heart and verily hee shall never worthily eat of our Passeover Christ in the Sacrament whose soule is not filled with bitter sorrow for his sinnes for which Christ Jesus suffered the torments of death and shed his precious bloud whereof that Sacrament putteth him in remembrance What is it but even a despising of the bloud of Christ and the accounting of it as an unholy thing for a man to receive having a purpose to continue in his sinne and at the most but hanging downe his head like a bulrush for a day Wherefore purge your hearts yee sinners and cleanse your hands Wash them in innocencie and then come to his Table As the Pharesies would not eat before they had washed eat not before thy conscience be purged from dead workes to serve the living God Examine your selves whether yee be in love and charitie and whether where offenses have beene given there bee a free forgivenesse and all good meanes of reconciliation used that so it may be indeed as it is called a Communion whereby all the members being knit together in the bond of love may partake in one Sacrament and have a sweet fellowship one with another and with Christ their Head This Sacrament must be eaten with the unleavened bread of sinceritie and charitie 1 Cor. 5. 8. If by examination you finde your selves thus in some measure but truly prepared then Wisdome calleth to you as to her guests Come eat of my bread and drinke of my wine and also sendeth forth her servants calling and inviting All things are readie come to the Supper and beware of idle excuses left thou also heare the same doome denounced against thee Not one of those that were bid shall taste of my Supper Oh come come whilst you may these if ever any are the happie daies of the Sonne of Man wherein Christ in his Word truly preached and Sacraments sincerely administred is even crucified in our sight Oh happie daies when wee may so safely feast together at Gods Table and our owne but let us feare lest Christ beholding our negligence and offended with our frivolous excuses say as sometimes he did to his owne people for the like faults The daies come in which you shall desire to see one of the daies of the Sonne of Man