Iudas excepted but yee of little faith The widow of Zarephath had not a Cake but an handfull of Meale in a barrell and a little Oile in a Cruse That they followed him into the ship and feared no danger that in this extreme danger they come to Christ calling him Lord Lord and pray him to save them proveth that they had some faith but that they are so fearefull and awaken him so turbulently as if they were in greater securitie if he were awake or he lesse able to helpe them being on sleepe than awake this was poore and little faith and our Saviour reproveth it with admiration O yee of little faith Not of little courage or valour for these and all other vertues grow from faith as the Apostle saith Some through faith have stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire of weake have beene made strong waxed valiant in fight and have turned to flight armies of Aliens No vertue so usefull in dangers as faith the Apostie calleth it our shield and another faith In all dangers and distresses wee are to encounter withall in this world it is our victorie wherefore he wondreth they have so little of it And as another Euangelist expresseth it How is it that yee have no faith that is How is it that yee have no better or greater measure of faith Or as S. Luke vet in another phrase and forme Where is your faith Or as the Greeke Article intendeth Where is that your faith that measure and degree of faith which you have shewed to be in mee All which tend to one purpose viz. to declare the weaknesse feeblenesse and modicitie of faith in this their great danger when the strength of their faith should specially have supported them But some may object and say That after this time the Apostles are said to have no faith therefore they ahd no faith now So after his resurrection it is said Christ appeared to the eleven as they sate at meat and upbraided them with their unbeleefe And to Thomas hee said Be not faithlesse but beleeving I answer That infidelitie incredulitie or unbeleefe is twofold viz. absolute and comparative Absolute unbeleefe is when the heart is void of every even the least jot grain of true faith and beleefe as where the Apostle demandeth What part hath he that beleeveth with an Infidell Comparative infidelitie is in relation not with any true but with a strong measure of faith And thus a weake or little faith a faith which in the houre of temptation is assaulted with doubtfulnesse is comparatively called faithlesnesse and unbeleefe such was their faith now and after Christs resurrection for a time And now if we make Application Surely if it bewrayed a small measure of saith for them to be so fearefull when Christ was in humilitie weaknesse and infirmitie on sleepe and before they had seene many most glorious miracles which after this time hee wrought for confirmation of their faith and before they saw his glory in his resurrection from the dead and his ascension into heaven and the sending of the holy Ghost upon them according to his promise How much lesse is our faith yea how may wee justly thinke we have no faith but are most worthy to be reproved for our infidelitie if in any danger wee exceed in feare having seene all his miracles resurrection and ascension c. in the glasse of the Gospell Was their faith little because he being on sleepe they did exceedingly feare danger And shall not our faith appeare to be farre lesse if wee so exceedingly feare seeing we know he now sitteth at the right hand of God having received all power and authority in heaven and earth and never slumbreth nor sleepeth Oh then meditate on the promises performances and power of God the merit of Christ mercy of God his goodnesse and greatnesse who both will and can turne all to the best that in greatest perplexitie and distresse that can or may befall your selves or any Gods people you may have the commendation given to Abraham that contrary to hope he beleeved under hope and may avoid this reproofe Why are ye fearefull O ye of little faith Here first we may learne what great spirituall combats and conflicts Gods children in this world are subject unto Our life is a warfare on earth as a well-tried and expert Warriour keeping the termes of his owne Art called it and the Apostle a wise and valiant Captaine in Gods hoast doth not only furnish every Christian souldier from top to toe with compleat harnesse but also describeth their enemies We wrestle not with flesh and bloud but against principalities and powers against worldly governours the princes of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses which are in high places You see what enemies we have and how exceedingly furnished with strength in their hands and malice in their hearts having all gainfull advantages both from nature they spirits and we flesh and from place they being above we below and far beneath them In which combat of our soules faith is our principall armour both of offence and defence and therefore the Apostle biddeth us Resist Satan being stedfast in the faith to take the shield of faith and to fight the good fight of faith Oh it is our faith whereby we stand and get victory Wherefore there is nothing so much assaulted as our faith yea and many times is so exceedingly battered and shaken and brought to so low an ebb that even the best of Gods children have thought they have had no faith and at least in the exceeding weaknesse thereof have made bitter complaints My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and will the Lord absent himselfe for ever and will he shew no more favor Is his mercy cleane gone for ever Doth his promise faile for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious Doth he shut up his mercies in his displeasure Lord how long wilt thou hide thy selfe for ever and shall thy wrath burne like fire And Oh wretched man that I am Loe these these indeed are the grievous conflicts and foiles which even the chosen Captaines of the Lords Armies have received and if such Lions themselves have roared for the disquretnesse of their hearts what have silly Lambes experience of in their soules No marvell though they sigh and mourne and complaine and be brought very low as if they had no faith at all but their hearts were full of unbeleefe doubtings feares Oh let such know to their comfort that the very best of Gods children have had and have and shall have experience hereof and shall grone under the burthen of the remainders of corruption and lament the sinfull infirmities which cleave unto them and cry out of feare doubting and unbeleefe yea know because Regeneration is imperfect
desire for God heareth no prayer that is not made in faith And againe He will fulfil the desire of them that feare him Christ hath pronounced Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse And againe To him that is athirst I will give to drinke of the well of life freely Hereunto I subscribe as unto the undoubted truth of God and Tenet of our Church which hath taught us thus to pray O God mercifull Father that despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart nor the desire of such as be sorrowfull Whereupon I inferre this comfort for the refreshing of any wearied soule Doest thou see thy sins many great and grievous whereby thou knowest thou hast offended God and standest guilty and liable to all his curses and punishments in this life and the life to come Though in strength of faith thou canst not say Christ hath redeemed me from the curse of the Law Christ hath by his obedience reconciled me unto God and all my sinnes are forgiven only thou hopest thy sins are pardonable and thou desirest unfainedly that God would pardon them and be reconciled c. Be of good comfort here is the bud and seed of faith and in Gods acceptation true faith and thou shalt have thy desire And for confirmation hereof marke these two things First the true desire of Grace as Faith and Repentance is a sanctified desire a sanctified affectiō Now where the Spirit of God once beginneth to sanctifie he doth sanctifie throughout the minde memory and will as well as affections and he that is sanctified doth beleeve and is iustified Secondly this holy desire is a plaine evidence and fruit of the Spirit which stirreth up fighes and grones These desires cannot proceed from the flesh For that which is from the flesh is flesh and being from the Spirit it is an infallible argument that Christ dwelleth in us as Saint Iohn saith Hereby we know that Christ dwelleth in us even by his Spirit which he hath given us And doth Christ dwell in us Then surely we have faith For he dwelleth in the heart by faith Oh then be of good comfort humbled soule these holy motions and desires may assure thee thou art truly sanctified thou hast the Spirit of God thou hast a true faith though very little weake and feeble But me thinketh upon the delivery of this doctrine I see both the Wicked to lift up head set up bristles saying Nay if good desires will serve the turne we are well and shall be saved for I am sure we have enow of them and the Godly yet still to be of a deject countenance saying Alas what wicked man is there in the world but hath sometimes good desires I answer It is true that God sometimes bestoweth common gifts on the Reprobate and so in the judgement of man they goe often farre in the way of salvation but never any Reprobate ever had or shall have the least measure of justifying and saving faith that is only of Gods Elect and of such as are ordained to salvation And therefore all the fleshly desires of the Reprobate may be discerned from this true spirituall desire of the Elect. First by the continuance of it for the desires of the Reprobate are but like a flash of lightning sudden motions arising from hearing of the Word or some heavie judgement of God that lieth on them as Herod heard Iohn Baptist gladly and did many things and had doubtlesse many good motions but all like the mornings dew if he be pleased with the dancing of a wanton Damsell he will cut off the Baptists head When the plague is on Pharaoh hee will send for Moses and Aaron and crie Pray pray but no sooner the plague removed but he is worse than before But the true desire abideth and increaseth as the light unto a perfect day Againe true faith is of an active and operative nature according to the measure of it it will work He that hath the true desire of peace and reconciliation with God by the merits of Christ it will make him use the meanes whereby the same is procured he that doth truly desire forgivenesse of sins and Gods favour will hate his sinnes and whatsoever he knoweth doth offend God The wicked cannot doe so Herod reverenced Iohn and heard him gladly but his heart was still set on Herodias and boiled in filthy incestuous lust Balaam would fain die the death of the righteous but careth not for their lives nor will use the meanes whereby such a blessed death is procured but his heart is still set upon the wages of ungodlinesse If then thou hast but the fore-named desire but thou feelest it powerfull within thee to worke more and more an hatred of thy sinnes and of all the meanes and occasions thereof and to use carefully the meanes which God hath appointed for the increase of faith and holinesse assuredly thou hast received the good seed of faith into thy heart and thou hast the bud which will in good time blossome knit and beare Thus that I have declared the least measure of saving faith let me for their further comfort that have it deduce a few most sweet conclusions The first is this The least and weakest true faith doth as perfectly justifie as the greatest and strongest The poore weake beleeving man that prayed Christ to helpe his unbeleefe was as perfectly justified as Abraham that was so strong in faith that he staggered not The Reason hereof is because faith doth not justifie in respect of it selfe as it is a gift or action or vertue inherent in us for then as it is more or lesse stronger or weaker so should we be more or lesse justified but faith doth justifie as it is the instrument whereby we apprehend and receive the object The object or matter of our justice is Christ and Christ is not received more or lesse according to the measure or degree of faith but Christ is either wholly received or refused and he that hath whole Christ hath his righteousnesse which is so perfect being the righteousnesse of God as cannot receive any augmentation or increase So that justification consisteth not in the strength and quantity but in the truth and quality of our faith God hath a touchstone to trie our faith 1 Pet. 1. 7. but not weights to weigh with regardeth the goodnesse not greatnesse heartinesse but not heavinesse The dimme and weake sighted were as well cured by beholding of the brazen Serpent as the cleare and strong the old poore sicke weake and palsie trembling hand may receive a precious pearle or a peece of gold as well as the young steddie and strong Oh what a comfort may this be to such as mourne and are grieved for the weaknesse of their faith that howsoever God may make a great difference and they may
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
number of cast Pieces but Christ is not there nor his Disciples if Inquisition can finde them out they must over board They will suffer Iewes Atheists and all sort of wicked livers but not Christs disciples This shall suffer wracke And therefore we call to all Passengers therein Come out from amongst them And for this purpose I alledge the Testimonie of one of their owne whom I doe not name for honour being such a wretched and faithlesse Hypocrite and Renegade but because such as are Popishly affected it may be will regard his saying thus therfore hath he painted in paper the Romish Church It is a good Vessell well built not rotten nor fallen in peeces but indeed the Pilot who sitteth at the sterne hath throwne aside the ordinarie Compasse and left the vse of the approved Sea Map and out of his owne capricious conceit devised a new Card and contrived a new found Compasse of his owne whose Needle hath no aspect towards the Pole or touch at all of the Load-stone sutable hereunto he hath out of his owne head framed certaine Cardinal winds which serve only for his Card and propounding only one Port his owne greatnesse and temporall pompe hath in his devised Compasse quartered out his owne counterfet winds which must blow for that haven but he ring-leads them all to wracke And will you heare what testimonie he hath given of the Reformed Churches ship in the same Sermon The Reformed Churches saith he have cast out that strange intruding Pilot and yeelded up their ship to be governed by their owne true Steeres-man such as God himselfe hath ordained and so using the infallible Card of the holy Scriptures and the true Compasse quartered out into the foure ancient Cardinall winds of the foure first Generall Councels and seconded with the under winds of the Holy Fathers they make an happy Voyage and without wandring arrive at the appointed Haven of Salvation If he had beleeved this with his heart which in the name of God he preached with his mouth he had beene an happy man but dealing falsly with God God hath justly discovered him Let them take him we renounce him as an hypocrite and nullifidian and regard not what he hath said or written I will only produce the Testimonie of a Pope viz. Pius the fifth who offred to Q. Elizabeth to approve as good the whole publike service and forme of Religion in our Church with Sacraments and Bible and that hee would change nothing so her Majestie would receive it from him as Pope and Vicar of Christ which because shee refused to doe he presently excommunicated her Let Popishly affected note that how well pleased the Pope would be with all so hee might have the government For this are we such Heretikes I will ioyne issue with a man of greater worth dignitie and esteeme amongst them than Spalato was or now will be viz. Bellarmine himselfe who taketh upon him by certaine infallible notes to the number of foure to declare which is the true ship or Church wherein Christ his disciples are It would aske a great time to examine them all it hath been worthily done by famous learned men already I will only select one or twaine and first be it knowne vnto you that whereas there are only two infallible marks notes of a true visible church viz. the sincere preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments these are none of Bellarmines notes he doth with all his learning oppose them as no true notes I must therefore ioyne in some others of his owne coyning granting such to be as indeed are not that yet it may appeare even those doe more concerne our Church than theirs which though it might be made good in examination of them all yet I will only chuse two because I will not confound the memories of the weake and such two as are most visible that so the common people may see which is the true Church indeed The former of these but the eighth in Bellarmines number is holines of doctrine he addeth there is no sect of Pagans Philosophers Iewes Turks or Heretikes but teach errors but the Church of Rome teacheth no errour no turpitude nothing contrary to reason and therefore that is the only true Church I would to God Bellarmine meant as he saith that by this note of holy doctrine it might be without partialitie tryed which is the true Church for the Scriptures containing the most holy doctrine it would follow that what Church doth preach and professe that doctrine purely by this note must needs be the true Church of God But I doe wonder that Bellarmine should dare to offer such a note whereas they teach for doctrine their owne Traditions Ceremonies give authoritie to the Pope to dispense with the Law of God yea robbe Christ of all his offices as might be shewed by induction of particulars give men liberty to finne by their Auricular Confession Indulgences and Pardons and easie deliverance out of Purgatory Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth that the mariage of Ministers is the worst sort of Fornication That it is better to maintaine a Concubine than a Wife That alloweth swearing and blaspheming so as Saupanlinus but for reproving a man for swearing was suspected to be a Lutheran and thereupon examined condemned and burned Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth no more than a very Reprobate may beleeve and practise Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth killing and poysoning of Kings and Princes Is that an holy Religion which doth canonize for Saints Thomas Becket Garnet and such like notorious Rebels That teacheth lying equivocation mentall reservation breaking of oathes Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth the breach of all the morall Commandements In a word the Romish doctrine is a most prophane carnall and obscene doctrine and most pleasing to carnall wicked and unregenerate men a maine cause why it hath so many professors all the holinesse of it is but in Apish and mimicall gestures bowing of knee lifting vp of eyes and hands abstaining from some meats weeping knocking crossing whipping which are prescribed So that as a worthy Diuine amongst us hath truly said a great part of Popery is very Magicke and nothing else but a politike Atheisme being Divines without Scripture Religious but without Faith in the name of the Lord putting to death such as die for the name of the Lord. To conclude seeing the doctrine of Popery is a renuing and reviving of all ancient Heresies a doctrine of liberty and all licentious living teaching and allowing most filthy positions and practises the Romish Church is not the true Church of God or ship wherein Christ and his disciples passe because they have not holy doctrine The second but tenth note in Bellarmines account and number is Sanctitie and bolinesse of life the very naming of which note would make any man of grace and modestie
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
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
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