fierce wrath overwhelmâ— them it stays not long after hiâ— departure The Lord said before I can do nothing till thou come hitheâ— that is out of Sodom into Zoaâ— Why could the Lord do nothing while Lot was there Because 1. Either Lot with his prayers bound the Lords hands as it were that he should not smite 2. Or because the Lord will not destroy the righteous with the wicked Justice indeed crys against sinners Tumble them down into the Sea of thy wrath Mercy then stands up and saith nay Aut Serva aut fepata but rather save them for the righteous sakes or at least free them from the vengeance let not the Wheat be burnt with Chaff The like is manifest iâ— Josiah he is like Wheat among Tares The Lord purposes to burn the sinful Tares with a judgment but he first plucks up the Wheat from that evil to come I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be gather-into thy Grave in peace 2 Kings 22.20 and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place Josiah goes and Judgment comes When the Leaves fall fast off the Trees then we say Winter is at hand so when we see not Leaves only but the fruitfullest branches even righteous men cut off from the Tree of this life we may judge there is some Wiâ—ter-weather of Judgements aboâ— to fall on the World Reason We may take Solomons reasoâ— Righteousness exalts a nation Prov. 14.34 bâ— sin is a reproach to any people If thâ— Righteous and righteousness coâ—tinue in it it is likely to flourisâ— but if nothing but sin and sinneâ— be left wrath is not far off 〈◊〉 cannot prosper Weeds are fence about in a Garden for the Herâ— sake and wicked men may than God for the holy men that liâ— among them for they are bettâ— unto them than the Roman Tutelâ— Gods wrath is held off for the sakes they build Walls abouâ— the place where they dwell wiâ— their Prayers and Righteouness Q. It may be demanded Câ— there no wrath seize on a natioâ— or place or people while tâ— righteous are alive and remaâ— among them A. Yes But not upon tâ— righteous in that nation it is nâ— wrath to them and if it do fall upon the people or place First it is a long time deferred and kept off it comes not till after Gods long patience even for their sakes 2. When it comes it comes not so sore the cup of Gods fury is cast in a lesser mould and he puts in fewer dreggs gathers less Gall and Wormwood to imbitter it for their sakes 3. It continued the shorter for their sakes God sounds a reâ—â— at the sooner to the Hosts of his wrath for their prayers Esay 62.9 7. that are continually sounding in his Ears They will not let him alone untill he let the land alone and pull back his wrath Neither doth the death of the Righteous foretel Judgments but besides that look at their usage in the world and it will prove the best Almanack to prognosticate it fair or foul weather that is likely to come on the Church or Common-wealth Look we into the Skie of the Righteous it is an infallible Astronomy if their Skie be fair if the righteous and holy be advanced and honoured with high places either in Church or Weal-publick it is a sign of fair Weather God means a blessing to that land for they will maintain truth and equity that they shall like streams run in the streets when God means to bless a people he sets up such even Aegypt shall not want a blessing whilest Joseph is the Governour See Iere. 22.3 4. 2 Chron. 9.1 On the contrary if the Skie be lowring if good men be the dispised Branches of the Land if they that fear God be not set up and honoured but wicked Heads and Governours not fearing God get all the power into their hands foul-weather cannot be far off the Lord has a purpose to punish that people When aâ— King arose that knew not Joseph and he was not in favour in the Egyptian Court as before then the Egyptian Sun declined towards setting and not long ofter wrath fell on them and rooted them out in sore plagues and drowning in the Red Sea King Solomon has long since observed it who had the best insight into matters of kingdoms Pro. 22.2 When the Righteous are in Authority the people rejoyce God smiles upon that Land But when the wicked bear rule the people mourn some Judgment lies at the door The Application of this and the last conclusion shall be joyned together Doct. 5 The secure wicked world is little or nothing moved with the removal of the Godly None considers none lay it to heart and says to himself Sure these are taken away from some evil to come Our consideration is never so much to seek as in matters 'twixt God and us In a private loss of a dear friend we can mourn and take on and lay it to heart but in a publick dammage where Gods Church is cast into danger there we fear not at all take no care for it When we see one great stone after another fall out of the Wall we consider it and say This Wall will not stand long The righteous the best and strongest stones of ouâ— wall Esay 26.11 are dayly falling and dropping into the Grave and yet no man regards it sensual security still makes the land drunk It is the Lords complaint that we have no eyes his Judgments are far out of our sight Lord when thy hand is lifted up Jer. 5.4 they will not see Surely these are poor and foolish peole for they know not the way of the Lord nor the judgement of their God It is the plague of the world that they shall have Eyes and see not and hearts which consider not the things of God Has the World neither Eyes nor Heart yes but none for God These things are hid from their eyes and far from their Hearts Their Eyes and their Hearts are but for their coveteousness and for to purvey for these earthly things Jer. â—2 17 The Reasons among many may be judged these Reas 1 There is an evil disease of deep-sleep and security lies upon the World Am. 6.3 Esay 28.15 whereby they mind nothing of this nature and are prone to put far from them the evil day making covenants with death 2. Act. 17.21 There is the Athenians disease of curiosity which makes us inquire after novelties and the Lords dealings are altogether neglected not thought upon The Lord in Judgment suffers it 1 The. 5.4 that evils may overtake the wicked before ever they thought on them The righteoâ—s are not regarded in their lives Job 12.4 and therefore are dispised and little consideration had of them in their deaths So far are the ungodly from thinking they are taken away from evil to come that they lay it another
the reason in us is that to the Hebrews Heb. 12.11 all chastisement for the time is sharp and uncooâ—h some affliction is grievoâ—◠〈…〉 present to mankind◠〈…〉 â—mong some Priests 〈…〉 Baal thâ—◠〈…〉 â—e lancing of 〈…〉 foolish â—â—â—rs of the Romans Baal 〈◊〉 dâ—â—ght foâ— penance to lash and whip their own skins few or else none but they shrink at the Cross Or we may fetch the Reason Reason 2 from the common appetite and desire of the unreasonable Creatures the withered hand of meer sense leads the poorest Creature to seek for its own ease and quiet the simple Bird would have speedy deliverance from the Cage Use Take we heed that we do not so dote upon speedy help that for it we venture the loss of Gods love and the breach of his Commandments Never so affect speedy release unless it may come in at the right door Do we suffer hard things do we cry how long O where is he that shall deliver me yet take we heed that Gods wisdom be not thrust out of the Chair and carnal Policie put in the room of it There are such unlawful shifts and shifters that when they have waited a while and help comes not they bid farewel to dependance on God and as it were resolve we will tarry no longer come brains plod for release now Policie and arm of fleshly helps play thy part now carnal shifts invent a means of safety I do confess we may thus get a deliverance but it 's a deliverance with a vengeance when there is neither Gods Hand and Seal at it nor our faith in it it proceeds from an incredulous impatient heart to say when help is deferr'd with that impious King Why should I wait for the Lord any longer 2 King 6.33 If we love help and release let us cleave only to God that Rock of help and look for it only at his hand It comes soon enough and in a good time what time soever it come if it come from him Use 2 2. Let them that are in distress learn not only to call upon God but to call waiting and to tarry the Lords leisure lest we make too much speed God may love thee though he do not presently deliver thee and thou must learn to trust in God though with Simon of Cyrene thou travel a long way with an heavy Cross upon thy neck He that believeth maketh not haste for in too much haste we we may come to stumble in Gods service As the Prophet confesses his hastiness made him stumble being long afflicted Psal 116.11 He said in his haste all men were lyars that thought there were hopes of deliverance When we in passion cry out God has forgotten me do's not our patience stumble our confidence doth it not here cath a fall and cannot keep his feet Beware lest Satan give thee a reed instead of a staff and cause thee in thy weakness to think God is weak and I am now past remedy or his truth is weak he will not keep promise to deliver me Oftentimes Satan raises in the minds of Gods afflicted ones an hard conceit of God that he loves them not that he cares not for them and all is by dashing them upon this Rock because he delays and doth not speedily help them It is a point of precious wisdom to learn with Paul and Silas to sing in the stocks to be a Scholar in Jobs form praising God even upon the dunghil patiently expecting deliverance though it come with a slow foot Quod non verisimile scribit Joan Gerar. 1 Vossius de Orig. Idololat lib. 3. cap. 44. The Jews Hebrew Language 't is thought by some shall be used in Heaven but their words in the desart are the very Language of Hell to murmure grumble and repine at the Lords doings if the Salve be not as ready as the sore and meat as ready as their appetite This same speedy deliverance is good but to trust and depend upon the Lord in his Word of Truth when help lingers and is long a coming this is far better Gladly would I with good Jonathan shoot some Arrows 1 Sam. 20 55 36. to let David in his trouble know what to do and how to collect that we may have the Lords love and the Lords Rod both together and a long time to scourge us without ease and speedy help and thus I shoot them in these considerations it may be some instead of Jonathans Boy will gather them and take them up 1. Consider that the Lords reasons are for thy good though he do not speedily deliver thee now the Lord means to try what is in thee thou madest good shews in the day of prosperity and ease now he has brought thee to the proof to see if thou madest not false flourishes and gave the view of Clouds without any water in them Jude ver 12. He has brought thee into the field to see how thou canst clasp hold of him and wrastle with faith and patience There were fair promises as great as Peters in thy mouth he has brought thee into the High Priests Hall to try what is in thy heart 2 Chron. 32.31 thus he tried Hezekiah God loved Joseph though in the stocks yet he made not that haste he desired to help him he suffered the Butler to forget him this was harsh that both God and man should seem to fail him yet was it for his profit and proof all this while was the Lord a trying him in his affiance patient dependance and then he must be delivered and the Prince looses him and sets him free Psal 105.28 19 20. when the time of Gods Word is come and when the Word has tried him our time of deliverance is come when time of trial ends Thus is it with thee look to thy self the Lord is trying thee play thy part of confidence and hope in God well in thy troubles then for one blessing thou expectest thou shalt have two God will both release thee and praise thee Art thou not yet helpt why suffer a while longer thou art not yet tried the Lord knows well enough the way he takes with thee and when thou art tried Job 23.10 thou shalt not only come forth but thou shalt come forth as gold that is tried in the fire fitter by the fire to make a vessel of honour 2. Consider the great benefit that the Lord would bestow on us by deferring help the Lord by this means teaches thee an Art beyond all the seven liberal Sciences the Art of prayer In prayer we have special familiarity with God but prayer in deep affliction comes nearer him than at any other time and is more welcome to him We should never learn to beg right and soundly but by begging often and frequently Often visits breed stronger and dearer acquaintance 'twixt friends I will willingly be acquainted with troubles to get acquaintance with the Lord and his Court of mercy When we are
him he is sometimes joyed with a sense of Gods love by and by in sorrow through some growing afflictions his months are sometimes watry as April sometimes mirthful as May and yet by all these varieties his field of sanctification becomes more fruitful All the months of Jobs years were not alike Job 29.2 O that I were saith he as in the months past What were those seasons lightsome days prosperous favourable Gods Candle burnt over my head all went with a sweet stream But now he possesses months of grief and darkness he goes mourning without the Sun Job 30. yet we know all these wrought for his good the glory of his patience the excellencie of his affiance the worthiness of his hope when the blind eye of man could espie nothing but what appeared hopeless These changes of joy sorrow are not because the Lord is changed for he is immutable and changes not but they signes of our changeableness When God bestows good things on us and his favour is towards us we are ready to change this into occasion of pride and security thereupon the Lord strips us of our consolations and sends some Messenger of Satan to buffet us lest we should be puft up or because we are puft up 2 Cor. 12â— 1. Lest we should for prevention And is not this for oâ—r good when the poyson is taken out 〈◊〉 our hands which we are ready tâ— drink 2. Because we already are foâ— our humiliation and is not this foâ— our good also that like Tenant we might acknowledge of whom we hold In a short time yoâ— shall see David both up and down Psal 30.6 by the Lords hand so setting him in prosperity up by his own security Ver. 7. I shall never be moved Presently he is down down by the Lords hiding his face as a pricking of this windy Bladder that his proud confidenec may fall and down in own sad apprehensions then I was troubled and saw how quickly the Lord can abase our highest thoughts and turn away his face from us We do not always finde God writing pleasant Epistles to his Children he sometimes writes bitter things Reason It must be thus to make good the difference 'twixt Earth and Heaven Earth is a place of change and variation in Heaven all things always continue alike The Sun if it rise with us in its very rising it is passing from us to the West In Heaven the glorious light rides always in the East there is no declination nor setting the Lord is an everlasting light Here all things are full of Transitions joy sits but while then sorrow takes the room Eccl. 1 4. One generation passeth and another cometh In our way to Heaven we must look for change of ways many turnings only at our journies end we finde a good and always remaining good estate durable and immutable When once we come in presence of that face of glory there is no Cloud can ever be interposed 'twixt us and it to hide it from us Earth would be too like Heaven if our good things did fasten their foot with us and we should know no change Reason 2 This sorts with the nature of man who cannot well coniinue and endure in any stayed estate to use it aright He cannot keep within his measure If he be full he will burst like a bottle unleâ—â— God give him some vent If 〈◊〉 be empty he will burst with impatience unless God put som meal into the barrel Mans hanâ— is paralytick cannot hold the ballance even one of the Scales goe too low by too much sorrow oâ— is lifted up by too much presumptuous and secure joys 2 Cor. 2. We cannot well grieve but over-grieve and when we joy we are subject to be over joyed Only we have a wise God that knows our temper and whereof we are made and so disposes of us that we shall sometimes have matter oâ— patience in our afflictions other times matter of praise and thanks in a condition more easie and prosperous Surely I think these two excellent vertues would scarcely be found were it not for the vicissitude and changes of sweet and bitter For where would God get his due thanks if he did not sometimes manifest his face and favour to his Children and what use had we for patience Heb. 10.36 if God suffered us not sometimes to wait for his countenance to shine on our persons and his accptance of our prayers and grant of our desires Here is now some work for that Grace Use Doth God work our good by such contrary means This should teach us to weigh Gods work with his own weights and to look into his dealings with us with better eyes than those of humane wisdom The wisdom of men is but foolishness with God it cannot give a true censure of his actions If God work not by visible and probable means and instruments such as man would imagine the fittest we then conclude our vain expectance of a good end from such strange proceedings We if we had seen Christ put clay and spittle in a mans eyes should be ready to shoot our bolts of folly and to think what fault has the man committed thus to have his eyes put out Alas weak wisdom Consider the workman it is Christ who can bring light out of darkness heal with wounding fetch water out of flints and beget good to be brought out of the womb of evil That God who made waters stand like a wall who quickned the dead and barren womb of Sarah that God who made a Maiden a Mother Was not the Virgin Mary meter anandros parthenos brephotrophos Joan. Euchaitens in Jambic Gen. 1.11 16. who raised the Prince of righteousness glory out of a Manger who made the earth bring forth fruit before there was a Sun to shine upon it that God I say who works by contrary means and without means why should we distrust him working by unlikely means He turns away his face from thee it is for thy good to strengthen thy faith in waiting and praying to bring thee to loath and distaste worldly comforts when thou findest so little health and help in them and to raise thy affections to run the faster him When we think God is so angry with us Psal 39. as no better end can be expected than that his sore strokes should consumes us and make an end of us then has the Lord worthy ends intended working for his own glory and his Childrens fuller consolation thereby for it is the priviledge of his Divine Power to effect matters far above all that we can either ask or think or conceive with the most quick eye of humane wisdom Ephes 3. What if we be cast into the dungeon with Joseph cannot God bring him through this room and make it the high way to seat him a Compeer with Pharaoh though cast out with Moses into the Bullrush-boat it may be God sees this the ready way
of the faithful which in the death of their bodies are gathered to the blessed number of the righteous Heb. 12.23 glorified in Heavens gathered to the rest of the spirits of Just men made perfect This taking away or gathering may be considered doubly as a gathering out or a gathering in This is selectio potius quam collectio First A gathering out which is when there is a mixture of things good and bad together when we pick out one sort from the other it is a gathering or selecting collection As when the Net catches all kind of fishes the good are pickt out and the bad cast away Sometimes they are thus gathered when danger is likely to seize on al together then that which is good gathered out that the danger may not fall on it Thus the righteous are mixt in this world with ungodly men and the Lord picks his Children from among the rest he is preparing plagues for the world and before hand he takes care for his by gathering them out of the danger so that phrase imports from the evil to come 2. A gathering in Both these gatherings in the Parable of the Draw-net Mat. 13.47 48. which is after the picking out to lay that which is good in a better place by themselves Thus the Righteous separated from the world by death are gathered like the good fishes into a vessel by themselves into one blessed society and unmixt company into heavenly glory where no wicked men shall enter among them any more And of this gathering is this Colliguntur they are thus taken away None considering Before none laying it to heart for so they are both taken one for another Consider your ways Hag. 1.5 in Haggai in the Original is set your heart on your ways A facie mali From the evil to come From the face or presence of evil From the evil of sin lest if he should live any longer he might be infected with the sins of wicked men But the truest is from the evil of punishment Wis 4.11 wherewith God means to plague the wicked world that they may not smart with the sinners When God has a quarrel with the earths Inhabitants he takes his Children from among them that he may be revenged upon those who have provokt him Thus the meaning of the words appearing the Prophet seems to speak to his people and in them to us after this manner O how great and graceless is our security Sum and Sense of words Which careless and sinful security is plain in the verse foregoing Esa 56.12 with what hasty feet do all men run to their pleasures How blinde are we that cannot see the Land falling under the hand of the Lords severe Judgment Do we not daily see the Lord fetching away by death his dearest and holiest Servants Surely therein he would signifie to us that his intentions are to bring punishments upon us he taking his own out of the way that they may not see nor feel the vengeance which the world has deserved and shall undergo Yet where is there a man that thinks of this or lays it to heart or takes notice what the Lord is about to do when he takes the righteous from among us From the words like clay thus tempered and prepared we may make up these five Vessels 5 Conclusions or Doctrines or extract these evident Conclusions First that Righteous and holy men are also merciful men Secondly Gods most Righteous Servants must die as well as others Thirdly The Souls of the Saints in their deaths are gathered to the Lord and by the Lord into blessedness Fourthly When the Righteous go from among us some Judgment is to be feared is coming towards us Fifthly The secure wicked world is little mov'd with the removal of the Godly None considers it none lays it to heart How easily these rise we need not fly to Reasons to demonstrate it Righteous men are merciful men 1 Doct. Our Saviour hath enjoyned it them and they lay up his sayings in their hearts Luke 6.39 Be ye merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful These have received mercy of the Lord and are thereby transformed into such a merciful and pitiful nature as his is If we should ask fire why it burns It must be answered It is the nature of fire Why doth the Sun shine It is the nature of the Sun to do so How is it the Godly man is so merciful It is the nature of him I mean the new nature that is ingrafted in Christ to be like affected to the misery of othors as he has found Christ to him These may truly say We cannot but do it the love of God constrains us to it 2 Cor. 5 14. There are no Graces poured by God into a good mans heart as water into a Tub or Pond which keeps all to it self and lets the ground be dry about it but every gracious man is a Spring a Fountain that sends forth streams to water the eatth and feeds the rivulets that flow from it When we once come to Christ the great Spring he makes us little Springs to others Zac. 13.1 Joh. 4.14 The waters that I give saith Christ shall be in him that receives it a Well springing up to everlasting life yea might some say it springs up for himself yes and for others also for out of his belly shall these waters flow to the benefit of others The woman of Samaria had no sooner drunk of this water of Christs receiving her to mercy Joh. 7.38 but it burst and flowed out of her belly in pity she laboured the salvation of her Neighbours crying earnestly on them Come and see a man c. Come and taste of that mercy which I have tasted of in Christ Joh. 4. the Prophet David has the very words of this conclusihn the Righteous is merciful and liberal that is he shews his mercy by his liberality Elsewhere he sings the Marriage song of these two in God Psal 37.21 Mercy and truth are met together and as sweet is Righteousness and Mercy Piety and Pity conjoyn'd in a Christian A sweet pair and lovely couple of young Pigeons not the offering of the poor but this Offering to the poor which the Lord loves better than a fat Bullock laid on his Altar With such sacrifices of mercy for he loves mercy better than sacrifice is God well pleased Hos 6.6 Heb. 13.16 This mercy is an holy affection of the heart sympathizing with them that are in misery and a liberal and holy action of the hand helping and refreshing those in misery Piteous affection that is the root actions of liberal distribution and relief that is the fruit which like the fruit of the Vine Judg. 9.13 chears both God and man Misery which is the object of Mercy is corporal or spiritual 1. Mercy looks at them both to the bodies sickness nakedness poverty beggery there mercy will
fain to pray again again it teaches us to seek out several Arguments and motives to move God some from his power he is able to help us some from his truth Psal 77.8 9 Lord what is become of thy true promise is thy Covenant come to an end for evermore some from his love and mercy Hast thou forgotten to be gracious Art thou that God of whom they sing His mercy endureth for ever and hast thou no mercy to hear and help me Thus like a scruple in our estates which makes us seek all the Court Rolls do our longing affections lead us to God with earnest and urgent prayers and seek out the wisest and movingst Arguments to put life into our Prayers O the excellent learning of afflictions which teach us to search out all Gods Promises to lay to our own hearts and before his eyes by faithful prayer There is a great deal of difference betwixt a prayer in ease Coloss 4.12 Agonizein en tais proseuchais and that in adversity especially spiritual troubles there is more Art and Arms more wisdom more life and feeling in the one than in the other it is one thing to pray another thing to strive in prayer III. Consider that the longest trouble is but short in several respects 1. In respect of the time of our sinning Thou sufferest but a week thou hast lived in sin many weeks and months or thy grief lasts a year hast thou not provoked God many a year Job 11.6 We love indeed long faults and short rods we should never be free from scourges if the Lord continued striking so long as we continue sinning God exacts less than our iniquities deserve 2. In respect of God it is long to us it is short to him with him a thousand years are but as one day we seem to suffer a thousand hours this unto him is but as one minute 2 Pet. 3.8 It is not our sentence but Gods Judgment that must stand for giving estimation to any thing He calls our sufferâ—â—gs but a To ' nun sufferings of this present time 3. In respect of tha◠〈◊〉 aâ—d enâ—less eas◠〈…〉 boâ—â— sucâ—â—eds 〈…〉 â—â—ese sorrow â—â—d sufferings 〈◊〉 now criest make haste to help me hear me speedily how long shall I be vexed in my Soul thou wilt one day say O happy heavy afflictions for a night which have brought such joy in the morning Blessed temptations which though grievous and tedious in the end have brought me to glory and peace without end Who will be afraid of suffering a little while with Christ here that he may be a partner of everlasting glory with him hereafter Jacobs hard seven years service he counted but short compared with that sweet society he should have with his wife at the end We suffer an hour we shall reign for ever Compare a moment and eternity together we shall weep but a short time we shall have a long time of joy for it The Lord would have us consider how he will make amends for our sufferings Esa 54.7 It is but for a small moment that I have forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee In 〈◊〉 little wrath I hid my self from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer It is good being scourged an hour to have the Rod cast away for ever O how well should we endure the sorest afflictions if we did but consider that they are light and momentany yet work unto us an exceeding surpassing weight of glory 4. Consider 1 Cor. 4. thou hast a safe way by resignation of thy self in to the Lords hands Non corrigat aeger Medica menta sua Austin Psal 146. Cast thy self upon him he brought thee in trust him with it he will in good time bring thee out Conclude with thy self if release do not yet come it must and will chme for God is faithful who hath promised Submit to his hands and handling being sick do not correct and find fault with thy Physick the Physitian knows best what and when any thing is fittest for us when these corrasives have eaten out sins foul matter then the Cordials of Gods Spirit of Peace shall refresh thy Soul Paterete curari ita sananduses Aug. We would have no tart nor bitter Medicine when God knows it may be Sugar would mar our Physick Impatient man would have the Plaister pulled off the sore too soon before the wound be either drawn or closed Give the Lord leave to do his pleasure he continues thy grief because hasty Physick might do thee hurt If the Lord heals us slowly say to thy self Be contented O my Soul it is for thy good that he may do it soundly 5. Consider that when one eye sails thou must get another when the eye of sense is shut up open the eye of faith and thou shall see wonders Look up and wait upon God with that eye and then thou shalt sweeten darkness with the hope of light peep under the black leaves of sorrow and see a goodly fruit of joy budding forth which shall appear in time Exercise faith to see him that is invisible and that secret arm which all this while supports thee O! if thou couldest well look upon that eye thou shouldest see there is one at Gods right hand who cannot forget thee yea in thy troubles he is at thy right hand Psal 16. stopping and breaking the strength of temptations blowes so as thou shalt not greatly be moved yea he carries thee in his arms Psal 22.14 Psa 34.20 so that not one of thy bones shall be broken though they may be astonisht a while ond out of joynt And if the Lord take care and count of thy bones and hairs surely his care is more for thy Soul it shall never miscarry only learn thou a Lesson over and beyond the leaf of sense and present feeling to see something in nothing to believe that the Bush shall not be hurt though the fire be in it to hope for a sweet kernel within the hardest shell and to see the Son of Man walking with thee in the midst of thy furnace Look as well upward to the Crown Revel 2.17 on which is writ Vincenti dabitur To him that overcomes as to the bottom of thy deep Cross with an holy indifferencie resolve to indure the Lords good pleasure Say unto him this trouble O Lord is grievous O haste to deliver me yet O Lord my will shall wait as a servant upon thine I will suffer any thing only sanctifie thou my sufferings and strengthen me to bear them 6. Lastly consider and often ruminate upon the Saints carriage and words in the like extremities if thou be wearied running with footmen how wouldst thou ever have kept with the Horses if thou be so discouraged in shallow foords what wouldst thou have done if thou hadst swimmed with them in the swellings of Jordan
give warnings of it If love and favour sweeten the disposition of the Soul then a pleased look a chearful eye a gladsome contented countenance will declare the good pleasure and acceptation of the mind According to those variations of Gods face do the Saints vary their prayers one while praying the Lord to shew them his face and the light of his countenance to shine upon them that is to shew them his divine favour and fatherly good pleasure otherwhiles praying him to turn away his face that is his angry countenance and face of displeasure Reas Reason why the life of the faithful lies in Gods loving face is because it is the very life and happiness of the Saints in Heaven For those even in Heaven in the presence of all good things and want of all evils had but a miserable happiness if either God were not present with them or being present if they did not always behold his blessed face of â—ove and favour If this be the â—ife of Heaven much more must â—he comfort of it quicken the â—aints upon earth Use Here will be a fair trial of the â—incerity of a good Christian â—eart hereby may be known 2 Corintâ— 8.8 To â—nesion tes ' agapes the sincereness and genuineness of our love wheâ—her our service and obedience be grounded upon a right love to God or no. How are we affected to the Lord do we lay up all our treasure in his love and loving countenance can we content and â—uiet our hearts with this that God is well pleased with us in the midst of our calamities Canst thou say in the midst of ease riches friends honour and the fullest streams of wordly contentment Alas foolish vanities one glance of Gods face the perswasion of Gods favour do I delight in more than all you yea I had rather be the basest footstool of the world with Gods love than a glorious Monarch with a graceless Soul Wicked men always love Gods hand better than his face the gifts better than the giver Give them the worlds marrow and fatness let their Corn and Wine and Oyl increase let them walk in Sunshine of earthly prosperity and they never finde a want of inward assurance of Gods love in the Soul they want eyes to see the want of spiritual life and want Grace to long after Gods countenance to shine upon their Souls in sanctification and true peace The worlds voice is who will shew us any good that is gifts of Gods hand but the Godlies voice is Psal 4. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us If thou canst make it all thy care to keep the assurance of Gods love and all thy joy to rejoyce in his face when thou hast it and make it all thy grief that nothing can comfort thee when thou wantest it all thy labor for to regain it doubtless thy love to God is sincere and true you are reconciled ones for one friend cannot brook the absence of another Use 2 What esteem will this teach us to give to the life of a wicked man doth he live who wants the Spirit of life the face of Gods favour which is better than life No his life is a spiritual death he may live in the eyes of men but he is a dead stinking Carrion in the eyes of God Dead nay that is not enough he is thrice dead and pluckt up by the roots Jude ver 12. For first he is dead in sin next he is more miserably dead because Gods face is turned away from him he loves him not delights not in him and which is worse than death this wretched Soul perceives it not and is not grieved for it O man pray for an Heavenly light that thy eyes may be opened to see thy misery Thou art merry and jolly for all things fall out to thy wish Thou growest from weak to strong from young to old this is but the life of trees and plants Thou walkest eatest drinkest sleepest well this is but the sensual life of birds and beasts Thou buildest talkest reasonest this is but the life of men even Heathens and strangers to Christ thus thy life passes but alas among all these thou wantest the life of Grace the loving countenance of God in Christ the assurance of salvation by faith in him Thou yet wantest the seeds and principles of a true Christian life and therefore art a poor dead wretch before God and canst not but perish if thou seekest not for better comforts and a better life than these even that Christ may be thy life and visit thy dead Soul with his quickning Spirit Colos 3.4 and set his face of favour upon thee for his own chosen One. This is the misery of a senseless sensual Soul Ahab like to grieve for no wants but only of earthly things If the Children of the most High so hardly come to Heaven with faintings of spirit and approachings to the very grave and pit in seeking Gods face what shall become of them then that count Gods face not worth looking after sure against such the Lord hath set his face of wrath and displeasure for ever Use 3 This will discover the common spring whence these troubled waters arise which so often almost drown the godly Their anguish flows from a mistaking and misinterpretation of this face of favour Facìes hominis est speculum cordis Bernard ad sorot de modo bene viv cap. 65. Whensoever they fall into any temptations they pass an hard sentence against themselves that God has turned awy his face from them and is angry with them because their anguish continues and he doth not presently deliver them When Gods face is towards thee why dost thou deny it the Sun shines though there be a Cloud 'twixt it and me and even now Gods face shines upon thee though Satan hath placed some foggy vapours and clouds of distrust and temptations 'twixt thy Souls eye and it It is no difficulty to prove that we complain of Gods hiding his face when it is not hid from us The best parts of a mans face for comfort is the eye and the ear the one to see and look kindly on us the other to hear us willingly Dost thou though sore afflicted trust in God and wait on him are thy eyes to him then I am sure his eyes are upon thee his eye of pity of love of tender compassion he will not withdraw his eyes from the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayer What wouldst thou have more than an open ear and piteous eye what dost thou in this thy trouble thou callest on God by prayer thou mortifiest every known sin thou labourest to finde God in every promise who guides thee to do this not the tempter for this is the way to break in pieces all his Temptations not thy self for thou knowest not aright what course to take it is because Gods eye is upon thee for his eye guides thee to
make a Christian a Dorcas to clothe and relieve to visit and refresh 2. To the Souls misery as ignorance of God impenitencie living in sin c. there mercy will be a counsellor to counsel them for God an instructor a reprover a builder pitying those blind Souls Briefly all misery is the object of mercy upon every occasion it has like Christ an open side to shew the bowels of compassion Use This will be of Use as if it were a Book with two leaves to let two several sorts of men read legibly in it their condition and estate thereby to learn what it is 1. If Righteous men be merciful men then here is a note to try our Righteousness by here in this Leaf mayest thou read thine estate towards God in thy piteous compassion towards man Art thou pitiful-hearted to any in necessity dost thou love to stretch forth thy hand reach out bounty to the poor Members of Christ Heb. 13.2 canst thou fee Christ in a stranger then art thou no stranger to Christ There are many notes of Righteousness the Lady and Queen of all is Faith yet Faith is dead if she want breath the breath of Faith is Love and Love is dead if it shew not Mercy How can any have a surer characteristick signe of his sins pardon than this that in injuries he can feelingly say I will pardon for Christ has pardoned me in poverty he can say I will help this miserable wretch for the Lord might have made me far more miserable Yea when he meets with these objects of pity The oppressor the only Cannibal by whom the poor and needy are crushed Amos 4.12 their skin pull'd from flesh and flesh from bones Mic. 3.22 chopt in pieces as flesh for the pot Mic. 3.3 eaten like a loaf of bread Psal 14.4 they are swallowed down like meat Amos 8.4 and quite devoured Hab. 1.13 he can say in himself Lo Christ has cast this man in my way to try my bounty and compassion I will not lose this opportunity If upon all occasions thou art ready to distribute to the necessity of Gods poor Children doubtless thou art one of Gods Children for he begets Sons like himself piteous and compassionate 2. If the Righteous be merciful then let us turn to the other leaf Look here churlish Nabal unmerciful Christian covetous Iron-bowel'd oppressor let me say as Christ What is writ in the Law how readest thou What is writ in this leaf this mayest thou read to the shame of thy face and terror of thine heart that such unmerciful men are unrighteous yea godless wretches Are there not some whom the Lord has filled with earths good things and yet the Box of Spikenard that those in necessity might smell the odour of Mercies Oyntment The Godly man puts his earthly trust in his hand Esa 3.15 it never comes in his heart the ungodly covetous put it in their hearts it never comes in their hands to distribute and can there be any room for Christ or his Grace in such earthly hearts where earthly metal takes up all the place Be not deceived you that have abundance and riot in that abundance never pitying nor rembring the afflictions of Joseph you that by oppression and hard dealing as Satans grindstones Oppessores Molaras Satanae do grind the faces of the poor shut your ears and hands at the cry of the needy and worse than Bethlemites will not help Christ in his Members to Stable-room you running in this course are strangers to righteousness Pro. 12.10 and enemies to mercy Doubtless such never tasted of Christ nor love Christ for who loves the Head which hates the Members If the righteous man be merciful to his beast then surely such are unrighteous and very beasts who will not shew mercy to man Learn of me saith Christ what will he teach pity compassion meekness love If we will not learn this of Jesus we may seek out another Master unmerciful men may go to School to Judas and profit under him he will of all men most unmerciful yet read unto them a Lecture of mercy might not this have been sold and given to the poor Joh. 12.5 sorry that the Oyntment was not better spent the lesson was good though his meaning was naught Little and slender are the hopes for Heaven who go on in the path of covetous mercilesness If unmerciful men ever come in Heaven then unrighteous men may come there also and then where will the truth of Gods Word appear Rom. 1. â—â— which threatens those who cast away all piteous affection anâ— consider not the cause of the pooâ— and needy Such may perswadâ— themselves with presumptuouâ— hopes that for all this they havâ— claim but sure they build 〈◊〉 goodly house which forget to laâ— the foundation Saint Paul hath herein given us the way to make sure hold and hopes of eternaâ— life 2 Tâ—m 6.18 19. by being rich in good works and ready to distribute this lays a sure foundation for time to come Mercy in one word marks us for God unmercifulness for Satan and is the cognizance of an unrighteous man Mic. 6.8 to do justly and love mercy and walk humbly with God must be found in him that belongs to God 2. Use Where might exhortation be better bestowed and largelier urged then in stirring up all men to let their light shine before men in works of mercy Col. 3.12 O that we would all put on these bowels of mercy â—and tender-heartedness clothes that wax not old which will keep us warm with a comfortable heat in the coldest day 〈◊〉 distress in life death and judgâ—ent The only way to be rich 〈◊〉 to be trading with the poor in â—cts of mercy and pity We take â—reat care to lay up our wealth â—ase it is never so safely laid up â—s when it is thus laid out in cloâ—hing the naked back and filling â—he empty belly and mainâ—aining the right cause of the Faâ—herless and Orphans So many â—s have been refreshed by our â—ounty are made our Intercessors â—n earth and are bountiful in â—heir prayers to us and for us that when we pray we have all their prayers joyned with an holy importunity overcoming God to grant our requests 2 Tim. 1.16 Happy was O ever nesiphorus that he lookt mercifully upon Paul in his Chain for he got Pauls prevailing prayer that for mercy to him the Lord would have mercy likewise on him at the last day Especially Learn we to pity sinners blind naked and beggarly Souls Save such ungodly wretches with fear Dubio procul flamma ignis five Gehennae intelligitur Phil. Pareus in Epist Jud. tom Jude vers 22 â—3 whâ— fear with fear lest thou suffâ— them to perish in their sins aâ— pull them out of the fire evâ— out of the fire of Hell towarâ— which every sin unrepented oâ— carries a man of such have coâ—passion by correcting them fâ— their evil course and
blessed ones Do we envy their happiness would we have them break off their blessed company for ours and have their Souls re-inspired into these Clay-Tabernacles and then to live again below in these smoaky Houses of sin and vanity No let us set a period to our plaints and say Blessed be God who hath delivered these our Friends from all mundane miseries and gathered them so near unto himself 2 Sam. 12 23. We shall go to them but they shall not come to us as David said of his dead Child 2. To the person dying Death indeed seems terrible but shall we fear it as that which destroys all our joy What is there else that we need fear if we fear God Doth thy Conscience witness within thee that all thy indeavours have bin to honour the Lord in thy life never start then for fear of death all the harm he will do thee is a gathering of thy Soul unto the Lord and to the society of the blessed Socrateâ— could fly to this to sweeten his poysoning Cup of death to which he was condemned saying Count ye it not an high matter to have conference in another life with Orpheus Musaeus Homer Hesiod Xenophon O how shall I swimm in abundant pleasures when I shall meet with Palamedes and Ajax and other fasly condemned Truly saith he I would willingly often go out of this life if it might be to find these men my Companions Lo Christian blush before the Heathen who could warm himself with these poor Chipps and this cold comfort How far sweeter will be the Heavenly inhabitants when thou shalt see Adam Abel Abraham that glorious Friend of God and Father of the faithful Moses and Elias those pickt out by Christ to conferr with at his Transfigurations There shalt thou see David and Samuel Paul who hath filled the world with sweetness by his honied leaves Paulus John the darling of Christ yea that Jewel of women Mary the blessed Mother of Christ and Christ himself the Lord of Glory with all the faithful Saints that ever the world had yea all our dead Friends departed in the faith of Christ Would he go often to see such blind Heathens whose Heaven it is to be suspected is Hell and shall we be afraid once to be transported into such a glorious Clew of Heavens Citizens Go out therefore undaunted O my Soul fear not death thou goest to God thou art gathered to Christ to Angels to Saints glorified to the society of the Spirits of just men made perfect Shall the Souls of righteous c. Use 4 Learn we farther from it these things 1. It will teach us what becomes of the wicked in their deaths they also are gathered together among themselves as the Godly among themselves to make a bundle of life so are these Tares bound up in the bundle of death to feed eternal fire Hear O drossy Hearts you sons of Abaddon have a great mercy that you live mixt with Saints whose examples might be made unto you at occasion of blessedness but from their lives you will not learn holiness you shall not be always together hereafter you shall be seperated and go Goats with Goats The righteous when they die go to Heaven Gen. 30.25 and the blessed Canaan that is their own place as the earthly Canaan was called Jacob and so wicked men when they die they go the Kingdom of perdition that is their own place as Judas when he perished They have a place of their own Act. 1.25 where no righteous man shall come among them they have wrought for it and they shall have it the place of darkness and horrour Which made the Prophet cry out O Lord Ps 26.9 gather not my Soul with sinners nor my life with bloody men O what mirth and joy is here upon earth Drunkards made songs of me Psal 69.12 when a knott of lewd and licentious livers that hate Christ and laugh at his Word do meet together and he is the happiest counted of this unhappy Crue that can coyn some scurrilous and base jest upon a Christian that walks after Pauls rule circumspectly strictly Eph. 5.15 or as they call it precisely yet these blind wretches in their death shall wish to be the Dogs that might but lick the Crumbs which fall from the Table of these Children of the most High whom they have despised and reviled O sinner learn betimes the way of the righteous Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. If thou diest unreconciled to God thou shalt not have part with the righteous thou shalt be gathered among thy miserable Companions as the faithful are gathered into Abrahams bosome so shalt thou be gathered into Judases bosome the Patriarch of them that perish with Cain Perditorum Patriarcha Saul Demas Herod Julian c. And all that wicked crue which hated Christ 2. Seeing the Righteous shall be gathered together hereafter let it exhort us to love their companions in Heaven seek out the Godly man affect his society talk with him walk with him for he walks with God As he that rubbs his hands on Musk or Civit shall savour of it so by thy society with the righteous Cant. 5.5 thou shalt get a savour of good things his conference will quicken up thy Graces his zeal provoke thee his hands drop myrrhe upon thee 3. Hate all wicked associates partners in sins shall be partners in sins scourge As thou desirest not to be gathered with the wicked men and their black Angels hereafter so hate thou to be gathered into their counsel and company here When the Righteous go from among us some Judgment is to be feared is coming towards us It is to be suspected that some great evil is ready to fall on that people out of whom God selects them When mercy gathers the godly some judgement is like to come and scatter the ungodly God in this may be compared to a careful Husband whose House beginning to burn here he snatches his Plate there he gathers up his Jewels conveys away his Trunks of Linnen and Goods oâ— most worth as for baggageâ— wood-vessels and other cheap anâ— baser Furniture he lets that burâ— because he has saved that he loveâ— the best Thus doth God wheâ— a sinful nation is kindling hiâ— wrath against it in some judgmenâ— the Lord before it begin or in thâ— beginning takes and snatcheâ— away here an holy man and therâ— an holy woman he gathers uâ— these his Jewels and choiceâ— Plate to lay them out of thâ— reach of the fire that only thâ— wicked may perish in those flameâ— their own sins have kindled Seâ— it in Lot so long as he is in Sodoâ— their Table is not spread for Godâ— hot banket of fire and Brimstoneâ— but assoon as the Lord has goâ— him out Gen. 19.22 Non posse se dixit quod sine dubio porerat per potentiam non poterat per justitiam Aug. cont Gaud. l. r. cap. 30.