and mercifull Father shall thinke good to lay vpon him Although Israell were hardly intreated of Egypt yet God sayd I will get this people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians so that when ye go ye shal not go emptie Now if the Israelites went not away emptie wheÌ„ they were in fauour with the Egyptians much lesse shall we go away emptie froÌ„ the Lord if we be in fauour with him for séeing he hath of his frée mercie without any desert of ours giuen vs his onely Sonne how shall he not with him saith S. Paule giue vs all things else Hereupon it came that the Martyrs were alwayes so â—ocund and merrie for they were neuer sent away empty from the barre from the prison from the stake nor froÌ„ the fire but still the Lord filled their hearts with ioy and gladnesse and euer sustained their soules with the comfortable assurance of his fauour and so fast as their persecutors condemned them God iustified them so fast as they stript them their God clothed them so fast as they tormented them their God did comfort them wheÌ„â—hey impoâ—erished God enriched when they frowned God smiled when they spoiled the outward man God renewed the inward man when they wounded God healed when they killed God quickened and finally when they reiected them their God receiued them wherby they were not onely assured that he loued them but also were encouraged to beare whatsoeuer came for the assurance of Gods fauour so deare and precious was it vnto them Therefore Salomon saith that louing fauour is aboue gold and siluer if the louing fauor of men be aboue gold siluer how shall we value the louing fauor of God which being lost the whole world and ten thousand worlds cannot redéeme which being obtained is better theÌ„ the whole world And ten thousand worlds with all the deuils in hel can neuer take it from Gods children when they haue once the assurance therof in their hearts sealed vp vnto them by the spirit of adoption I say once againe whereat or at what price shall we value this fauour of our God When Iob was assured of this louing fauour of God in the heate of his affliction he was so far from shrinking or sinking down vnder his burthen that he said like a valiant souldier though he kill me yet will I trust in him As if he should say I loue my life well but I loue Gods fauour better to teach vs y t if we be assured of his louing fauour once we care not what we suffer in this life for it no more then Iob did for he knew that Gods killing would proue a quickning So that all our care and cunning my beloued in the Lord must be to sée the louing fauour of God in all our temptations troubles and afflictions And then as Iehoram said to Ieâ—u when he marched in his furie comest thou peaceably as if he should say if thou comest peaceably march as furiously as thou wilt So let vs say to our God O Lord comest thou fauorably and in loue against vs theÌ„ come as terribly as thou wilt Shoot thy arrowes and spend them all vpon me beate me to powder take all away and in this life do with me what thou wilt so thou doest assure me of thy fauour So we pray in that prayer which is called the Lordes prayer Thy will be done but Lord forgiue vs our sinnes and then doe what thou wilt deliuer vs from euil from the deuill and then tempt vs or bring vs into what battailes it pleaseth thée So reasoneth the Prophet Dauid likewise Happy are they whose oxen are strong to labour happy are they which are frée from forraine inuasion and ciuil dissention which a bound with many outward worldly and generall benefits c. but how if we misse of these outward things why then happy is the people whose God is the Lord. So again in another place he makes the very same reckening Many saith he wil say who wil shew vs any good that is wordly goods but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenaunce vpon vs. c. to teach vs that we must not care what we want so that we may be sure of Gods louing countenaunce in the Gospell of his sonne Iesus Christ. The woman of Chanaan was content to take many repulses at the hands of our Sauiour so that she might be sure of one graunt so let vs be content to take many repulses so that we may be sure of Gods fauour in our repulses The birth of y e child into the world swalloweth vp all y e paines and panges of the mother in forgetfulnesse which went before the birth so saith our Sauiour Christ. So we if after our manifold afflictioÌ„s and sorrowes for Christes his sake we bring forth the assuraunce of Gods fauour here and of eternall life hereafter being dead let forgetfulnesse deuoure and coÌ„sume all the rest And séeing as the Lord in his louing fauour doth thus and thus crosse his children let patience beare it let forgetfulnesse weare it and by this let vs learne to trust in our God another time without fainting or shrinking when troubles come againe The wicked blind world takes another course they cast their eye altogether vpon the crosse and studie how to be eased of that with odd shiftings and many vnlawfull deuises and vngodly practises but because they sée not the louing fauour of God towards them in Christ Iesus they are ready to sinke downe in dispaire of mercy and horrour of conscience like a lumpe of lead in the sea The Lord in one hand hath fire to burne in his other hand water to quench but he holdeth it behind his backe many times that at the first it is not perceiued no not of his deare children but at the last they both sée it and féele the comfort of it and acknowledge the same saying with Dauid By this I know that thou fauorest me c. Therfore as the child is glad when his father smileth vpon him and speakes comfortably vnto him although he beates him so let vs be glad reioyce wheÌ„ our heaueÌ„ly father doth smile vpon vs in giuing vs the assuraunce of his loue although he doth afflict vs. By this I know that thou louest me because mine enemies do not c. Here further we are to coÌ„sider of the prouideÌ„ce and wisedome of God in that he turneth the rage and malice of our enemies tâ— our great good for by this he assureth vs oâ— his fauour which is the greatest good that is Thus you sée that the enemies of Gods childreÌ„ do them good against their will the Lord by his euer watching prouidence so disposing their enterprises and working in thâ— harts of his children for Gods prouidence doth first worke bring to passe good things secoÌ„dly it permitteth euill things to be done but then thirdly it directeth and ordereth aâ— things both good and bad to his
deâ—â—re of reuenge yet all this was giuen him of God it came not to him by nature to teach vs that of our selues we are not able to kéepe our selues but God must and doth vphold vs in our vprightnesse or else we fall as others 〈◊〉 and therefore we must craue this grace of God that he will kéepe vs and defend vs with his holy spirit There hath bene a great controuersie betwéene the Papists and vs euer since the abomination of desolation stoode in the holy place about this point They intending to iustifie them selues with the Lawyer in the Gospell say This haue we done and that can we do affirming that it is in the power of man which is but dust and ashes of himselfe and by him selfe to repent when he will to beléeue when he will to obey God when he will and to vphold them selues in their integritie And to make their matter good they say we haue the grace of God giuen vs to obtaine the grace of God by our own power Where you sée they speake flat contraries if they had grace to sée it for if y e grace of God be giuen vs then we haue it not of our selues if we haue it of our selues then is it not giuen vs of God Againe if we be vpholden by the grace and fauor of God then we vphold not our selues if we haue this power of our selues then not of God Thus they speake contrary to them selues and are deuided in their owne spéeches like the kingdome of Sathan which is deuided in it self that it cannot stand And to speake the truth they speake confusedly they know not what because Babell that is confusion is fallen vpon them as vpoÌ„ those men which would presume by their owne endeuours without God to climbe vp into heauen Now on the other side we hold that we can get nothing but by the helpe of God and we admit no first grace but if the grace of God be in vs it is giuen vs of Gods spirit not gotten of our owne power and this we proue by the word of God God worketh both the wil and the deede saith the Apostle to the Philippians Of our selues we are not able to thinke a good thought saith y e same Apostle to the Corinthians and therefore he demaundeth of all flesh What hast thou that thou hast not receiued as if he should say nothing If therefore thou hast receiued it why doest thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued it Aske S. Iames and he wil tell vs that euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue commeth down from the Father of light As if he should say from whomsoeuer euill doth come yet all goodnes commeth from God Aske Abimelech and he will tell vs that if God had not kept him he had kept Abrahams wife Aske Peters fal and that will tell vs that if we stand by our selues we shall fall although we were as strong as Peter Aske Ieremie and he will tell vs that the heart is deceiptfull wicked aboue all things yea and though it be borne and bred and brought vp with vs and we haue daily familiarity therwith yet we can not know it Therefore if none can know it much lesse can any reforme it He that knoweth it can reforme it and doth reforme it where it is reformed but that is y e Lord which searcheth the heart for so it followeth in the next verse I the Lord search the heart and trie the reines Aske Moses and he will tell vs that the thoughts of mans heart are euill continually as if he should say If they be good at any time that is not of man but of God Moses him selfe being in prayer must haue his hands holdeÌ„ vp by Aaron and Hur if Moses were not able of him selfe to hold vp his hands in prayer much lesse was he able to hold vp his heart in prayer What doth this teach vs but this that if we were as zealous as Moses yet God must hold vs vp or else we faint There are but two things required of euery one The first is to become holy The second is to continue holy to conuert and turne into the wayes of God and to continue in the waies of the Lord now both these are of God and not of our selues Of the first the Prophet Ioell speaketh wheÌ„ he saith Turne thou vs ô Lord and then we shall be turned As if he should say Except the Lord do turne our hearts we shall neuer be turned vnto him for of our selues we cannot How farre how long had S. Paule walked in the way of persecuting the Christians if the Lord had not stayed him by the way When would Saul haue become a Paule if the Lord had not changed his name and altered his nature When would so naturall a persecutor haue become so holy a professor if the Lord had not called him And when he was conuerted who kept him from falling backe againe My grace saith the Lord is sufficient to vphold thee The spirit of the Lord is therfore called by the Prophet Esay the spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell the spirit of courage the spirit of knowledge and the spirit of the feare of the Lord to teach vs that if we haue holy wisedome vnderstanding or counsell or courage or knowledge or the feare of God we haue them of Gods spirit and not of our selues WheÌ„ God gaue Saul a Princely spirit he spake like a king but when his spirit was departed from him he spake like a clowne and not like a king Therefore Salomon prayeth vnto God for a wise and vnderstanding heart to teach vs y t we haue no such thing of our selues but from aboue The very phrase of the Scripture Dauids manner of speaking doth teach vs no lesse Thou vpholdest me saith Dauid yea eueÌ„ me thou vpholdest Now Dauid we know had many singular and excelleÌ„t graces of God and yet God must vphold him that is hold him vp from falling what doth this argue but thus much that we are subiect to falling euen the best of vs Therefore in the 15. of Iohn God is compared to a husbandman and in the 5. of Esay 1. verse in diuers other places of â—cripture his Church is compared to a vine which though it be most fruitfull yet is it most weake and must be purged by y e Lord â—hat it may be fruitfull must be vpholden â—y the Lord or els it will fall to the ground This doctrine hath a double vse for our selues First it serueth for our comfort if we â—e the seuauntes of God for albâ—it we be compassed about with many weaknesses assaulted with infinite temptations on euery side yet the Lord whom we serue doth will vphold vs If at any time he doth let vs fall it is to teach vs that we cannot vphold our selues but that we staÌ„d by him But
because these are cōmon to the hypocrite which is close and craftie in hart aswell as to the faithfull whose hart is vpright before the Lord we are not to rest in these outward things but to search and neuer leaue searching vntill we finde out the inward kisses of Christ Iesus which are most sure testimonies of his loue indéed And those are faith in Christ Iesus repentaunce vnfained for sinne patience in affliction ioy in the holy Ghost and all the other fruites of the sanctifying spirite whereof we may read more in Gal. 5. Euery one cannot shew these but onely he which hath the spirite of sanctification Saul had the spirite that is some gifts of the spirite and yet was reiected but Dauid had the sanctifying spirite and therefore was not reiected of the Lord neither did he reiect y e Lord but by this was sure of Gods fauour to his soule If Dauid had bene a king a conquerer a man of wisedome of pollicie of learning and of riches and in all these vncomparable and had lost his integritie he had lost his marke of Gods loue and might haue followed Saul well inough So if we were rich wise and learned if we were Preachers Bishops Prelates Lordes Earles Dukes and Emperours haue lost our sinceritie our zeale our loue our faith our religiousnesse our godlinesse a good conscience we haue lost our markes too and may follow Saul too wel inough for all our outward pompe and glory On the other side if one haue enemies or be in pouertie disgrace imprisonment out of credite with the world out of liuing c. and kéepeth a sincere heart and a good conscience in all these things he may say and sing too with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace if his time be come They which haue the outward kisses not the inward assurances are like Esaw with his pottage but without his birthright But they which haue lost all but kéepe still their integritie are like Iacob who lost his pottage but found the inheritance and the loue of God for God loued Iacob but hated Esaw Many wil say saith the Prophet who will shew vs any good that is any worldly good but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs and then I shall haue more ioy of heart then they that haue their corne and wine and oyle increased So now a dayes many séeke for Gods loue in the cōmon trash of the world and they run about the world by sea and by land crying Who will shew vs any credit any worship any riches any offices any promotions c. And some of the Ministerie cry Who will shew vs any moe liuings any Deaneries any Bishoprickes any spirituall promotions yea this is the voyce of gaping Courtiers too by report and if they spéed of these such things then they are sure as they thinke that God loueth thē as Achab thought him selfe well if he might obtaine Naboths vineyard but many times it falleth out that as Dinah while she wandred to sée fashions sought to féede her fancy vpon the daughters of a strange countrey she lost her virginitie amongst the sonnes of the country So some men while they séeke to féede fill their gréedie worme of couetousnesse and ambition with diuerse pleasures profits of y e world they loose their sinceritie amongst them and make shipwracke of faith and a good conscience And then they go away out of their houses as Thamar went out of her brother Amnons chamber with her maidens garment of diuerse colours rent because she was enforced to leaue her maydenhead behind her So these worldlings which sometime with Demas followed Paule but nowe with Demas embrace the present world are enforced to go away with their garment of diuerse colours rent and torne for whiles they will venter through the bushes and thorns of worldly cares to get worldly promotion is it not a miracle if they come out with their zeale not quenched their courage not abated their faith not blasted their loue not cooled their knowledge not withered their humilitie not defaced their sinceritie not decreased the whole garment of pietie and Religion not scratched torne and rent in péeces And then a man may say to them as Absalō said to his sister Hath thy brother met with thee so hath not y e world met with them And no maruell for if Sisera looke for any rest or refreshing in Iaels tent he shall surely be made naile fast So if any wil séeke for infallible markes of Gods fauour in Sathans tents and in the worlds tents or in pleasures tents or in profites tents a thousand to one but their sinceritie and godlinesse will be nailefast before they come out againe What wise man will séeke for grapes vpō thornes or figs vpō thistles or for gold amongst old iron or hony out of a spider or heate in the ise So no wise harted Christian wil looke for certain marks of the Lords fauour in such things as may be markes of his wrath as well as of his loue But if these outward and general graces be offred them they take them and if they go from them they go not after them to loose their sinceritie for thē but thus they resolue with them selues O Lord my God I sée that by no outward thing a man can certainly tell whether he be in thy fauor or no but if thou vpholdest me in mine integritie and in the studie of pietie and the true zeale of thy glory c. then I shalbe sure of thy fauour indéede therfore O Lord if want come then kéepe my faith in thy prouidence firme and strong if thou sendest enemies to trie me kéepe my loue sound if thou sendest sickenesse or aduersitie kéepe my patience entire if riches and preferment come kéepe my zeale vnquenchable like Lot who when it was not granted him to abide stil in great Sodome requested that he might go to litle Zoar. And then although they haue nothing else but the inward testimonie of Gods spirit they haue inough for by these inward kisses they are sure of Gods fauour because a good conscience is a continuall feast to y e afflicted makes merrie at home in the house of the inward man when there is nothing but warre and trouble abroad As for me thou vpholdest me in mine integritie This same integritie is like Noahs arke◠wherein he was preserued when others perished being without it it is like the redde thrid which the spies of Ioshua gaue to Rahab it was a charter wherby she claimed her life when the rest were destroyed which had not the like So is this integritie of smal reckning I confesse with the men of this world which thinke that there is no other heauen but earth but as Rahabs thrid was better to her then all her goods and substance when the sword came so this is better to Gods children then
al the world when death â—ome If they haue this within they care not nay they neede not care what can come without If Sathans buffeting come this â—s a helmet of proofe if Sathans darts flye â—ut this is a shield to quench them if flouds â—f crosses come to carrie vs awaye this is â— boate to beare vs vp if all the world cast â—â—ire and filth in our faces we are neuer a â—hit the more deformed but still beautifull â—or all that for the Kings daughter saith Saâ—omon that is the Church of Christ is all â—lorious within In mine integritie What should Dauid â—eane by his integritie that he is without â—â—nne no not so for he saith in another â—lace in sinne he was conceiued and in iniquitie was he borne and in another place he saith that he could not number his sinnes and therefore prayeth vnto God to kéepe him from presumptuous sinnes and to cleÌ„se him from his secret faults therefore that is not his meaning neither can it be his meaning because he speaketh by the spirite of God which in diuers other places doth tell vs that no man is without sinne Who can say my hart is cleane saith one And whosoeuer saith he hath no sinne deceiueth himself and there is no truth in him saith another and therefore that cannot be his meaning and if he should say so we are not to beléeue him in this point But when Dauid speakeâ— of his integritie and vprightnesse or innocencie he meaneth that he is guiltlesse and frée from that which his enemies did most maliciously charge him with all so that it hath alwayes respect or relation vnto somâ— particular matter wherewith he is charged by men or to something that is in coÌ„trouersie betwéene him and his aduersaries As in the 7. Psalme the 3. verse O Lord if I haue done this thing if there be any wickednesse in my handes that is if it be true that I am accused of c. if euer I were guiltie of séeking Sauls hurt with which some did charge me Iudge me O Lord according to my righteousnesse and according to mine integritie that is in me Here in this our text it signifieth two things First that there was no cause in the world why his enemies should triumph against him for the Lord had kept him frée from that which they accused him of SecoÌ„dly it importeth that his hart and affections were still sound and not moued to séeke reuenge vpon them although they had geuen him great and iust occasion so to do If we take it the first way we may very â—well for it is a speciall token of Gods fauour and a notable meanes of comfort wheÌ„ the Lord doth kéepe vs frée from the vniust accusations of the world or when we are not guiltie of those things which y e wicked may at any time charge vpon vs and the doctrine â—s this That the best way to stay vs in time of trouble and to kéepe our patience inuioâ—able is to looke in for a good conscience and sée that we be falsely accused which if we â—inde then all goeth well and we are mery â—t home howsoeuer the world shall say or do â—broad for still I say with Salomon that a good conscience is a continuall feast Oh if it were true thou sayest it would neuer gréeue thée nay then it might iustly gréeue thée if it were true which is reported against thée Wilt thou be gréeued to be blessed then be not vexed and moued out of order when thou are slaundered for blessed are ye when men reuile you and persecute you and speake all manner of euill saying against you falsely for my sake saith our Sauiour Christ. Oh this is a speciall fauour of God when we can without checke of conscience appeale to God in our owne harts and say Thou O Lord knowest my innocencie in this point But thy spirit boyling stil in â— desire of reuenge wil say oh but it is good to teach such a one to vse his toung better another time Indéede in some cases it is good sâ— to do as when a maÌ„s publique Ministery or the Magistrates gouernment is by hiâ— meanes defaced but there is no cause for thée to be so out of quiet or to rage stormâ— as thou doest defend thy good name in a good and Christian sort and be thankefull to thâ— God which hath kept thée frée from that oâ—â—fence that thou mayst say as Dauid said Aâ— for me thou vpholdest me in mine integrity If we take integritie for a sound hart frée from reuenge it ministreth no smal profite and instruction for the king although his enemies had so vexed him and had throwen so many slaunderous reportes and reprochfull speeches against him yea all their trecheries and conspiracies notwithstanding yet he thanketh God for that he did not séeke to reuenge againe but reioyceth that the Lord kept him in the soundnesse vprightnesse of his hart A notable blessing of God and a sure token of his fauour vnto vs whensoeuer we shalbe afflicted or any way molested if we finde our harts sound and our affections to be setled within vs if we can say Lord laye what crosse thou pleasest vpon me let men speake their pleasures of me inuent what â—yes they can let theÌ„ call me by what names they will and iudge me at their pleasure so that thou kéepe my hart sound I care not for if I haue all the goods in the world and not the integritie of my hart I am but in a mad case And therefore O Lord my God if thou wilt néedes raise vp enemies against me yet O Lord grauÌ„t me that my hart may be entire sound and vpright and then raise vp what enemies thou wilt Then I shalbe sure to speake nothing proudly nothing vaynegloriously nothing impatiently nothing vncharitably nothing distrustfully nothing against thy glory for if I should do so alas what should I get by it I were theÌ„ as déepe in sinne as they No Lord I am content to referre the whole matter to thée for although I am falsely charged in this yet it is thy goodnesse and fauour which did vphold me for if thou hadst let me goe after my owne will then I had bene guiltie indéede And although in this I be innocent yet I know my selfe to be guiltie of many things as vile as this which they know not of and that is also of thy mercy and goodnesse towardes me poore wretched creature And as for them thou hast set them a workâ— to try me it is thy doing O Lord though they haue no such purpose neither know they so much yet by thy grace I am so perswaded and if thou didst not kéepe me from falling I should be as wicked as they are If we would but enter into this meditatioâ— with our selues as in the sight of God theâ— should we put vp many things more theÌ„ wâ— do and not vexe one another