〈◊〉 is that which is made with the ashes of our sinneâ— to 〈◊〉 and scoâ—â—â— our foules That soule which before wâ—◠〈…〉 or hell with wickednesse and 〈◊〉 of darkenesse being rinsed by repentance and renued by the Spirit of Iesus Christ becomes as cleane and white aâ— pure and unspotted in thâ— eyes of God as the driven Snow is in ouâ—s Take away 〈◊〉 iniquity saith David and thâ—◠〈◊〉 finde 〈◊〉 when God hath taken away a manâ— iniquity his sinnes are no more to be found than if they had never beene 〈◊〉 Esayâ— 16. Waâ—â— ye make ye cleane put away the evill of your doings from before my eyes c. What then Why then saith God ver 18. Though your sinnes be 〈◊〉 scarlet they shal be as white as Snow though they be red like crimson they shal be as Wooll You know that crimson and scarlet iâ— so deepe a dye that all the Art under heaven cannot alter it or take it out yet the Lord can make of a Slarlet-sinner a milke-white-Saint God can take out the deepest dies of sinne though they be sinnes in graine and the soule shall become as the Snow or Wooll that was never dipt oâ— stained Therefore when thou goâ—â—â— or lookest abroad in the Winter time and seest the Snow lie white as Wooll upon the ground then reflect upon thy selfe and say O that my soule were of this colour Oh that all the blacknesse and darkenesse the deformity and uglinesse of my sinnes were done away and that my soule were restored to that Candor and whitenesse and bright sincerity that this Snow doth represent Beloved It is not the outward brightnesse and beauty of the countenance and complexion that God regards where there is cor nigrum a blacke base heart within but it is that same decor ab intus that inward intrinsecall comelinesse that David speakes of Psal 45. 14. that makes the King of heaven take pleasure in our beauty Let neither man nor woman therefore boast or be proud of their white Out-side but rather labour and pray for a white In-side that they may be as Moses was said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 7. 20. faire to God for so the Originall hath it wee translate it Hee was exceeding faire but the Greeke signifies Hee was faire to God and when all is done that is the true beauty that commends us to God when the other beauty is withered and wrinkled and cleane gone then doth this Iâ—veâ—escere grow younger and better with age Whensoever therefore God sends a Snow doe not thou like a bruite beast onely trample upon it and tread it under foote but make some benefite of it to thy soule and say within thy selfe This is the colour oâ— my Saviour Revela Chapter 1. verse 14. The Saints in heaven are all of this colour as white as this very Snow in grace and glory Revelaâ— Chapter 7. verse 14. Lord make my soule of the same colour too that I may no longer resemble the devill in being blacke with sinne and iniquity but may resemble the Saints and Angels in being white with innocency and integrity Consider I beseech you why is it said 1 Corinthians 15. That flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdome of God The meaning cannot be that the substance of flesh and bloud cannot inherit Gods Kingdome for then what should become of all the Saints and servants of God whose soules are gone beforehand into heaven while their bodies liâ— in the must expecting glory but the meaning truely is that the corruption of flesh and bloud cannot come within that Kingdome that is flesh and bloud as it is corrupted and defiled as it is blacked and besmeared and stained with sinne and Satan so it shall never come within the Kingdome of Iesus Christ and of God our heavenly Father but when flesh and bloud shal be washed and cleansed and sanctified by the grace and by the Spirit and by the bloud of Iesus Christ and become as white as Snow then is it come to the right colour then and not till then is flesh and bloud fit for Gods Kingdomâ— and for the blessed society of the Saints in light So much for the first reason why God is said to give Snow like Wooll for the purity and whitenesse of it 2 Propter 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of it for though the Snow â—e â—â—ld and â—â—illing to 〈◊〉 it is warme and comfortable to the earth like a garment of Wooll upon the backe of it to preserve and cherish the kindely fruites of the earth that in due time through Gods mercy 〈◊〉 â—ay enjoy 〈◊〉 Reason therfore with thy self if God so cloath the 〈◊〉 which is but scabellum Dei the 〈…〉 God the lowest and basest part of his creation Will â—e not much 〈◊〉 cloath thee O man that art Image Dâ—i the Image of God that carriest the stampe of God upon thy soule as the coine beareth the stampe of the King upon the side surely he that taketh care for Oxen will much more take care for Christians Hee that feedeth the young Ravens that call upon him will surely feede young Infants that call upon him Hee that Cloatheth the grasse of the field which doth him no service will certainely provide cloathing for us if we doe him any service as we ought to doe Remember how God provided for the Israelites when they were in the wildernesse where there was no new apparell to be bought God so provided that the old apparell which they had did neither weare out nor waxe too little for them but their cloathes grew as their bodies grew and their shooes grew as their feeâ—e grew and the one wâ—â— as lasting and as durable as the other Take no care therefore saith our Saviour meaning no distrustfull care what ye shall eate or drinke or what cloathes ye shall have to cover you Why for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have neede of these things Alas may some say this is but small comfort to tell a poore man be of good comfort for God knoweth thy wants or to tel a sicke man be of good comfort for God knoweth thy diseases or to tell a man that is undone be of good comfort for God knoweth thy losses c. I say this that God knoweth all things were but a feeble Cordiall if so be that the knowledge of God were not as it is accompanied and attended with the helpefulnesse and the goodnesse of God that wheresoever God knowes there is a want he takes a speedie course to relieve and supply it according to that 2 Chron. 16. 6. Oculi domini discurrunt c. the eyes of the Lord runne to and fro throughout the whole earth not harely to see and take notice of what iâ— wanting or amisse but to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them whose hearts are perfect towards him Doubt not therefore but stedfastly beleeve he that is so carefull to cloathe the earth will have a greater care to cloath thee
CERTAINE SERMONS PREACHED upon severall occasions viz. The Way to Prosper The Way to be Content The Way to Well-doing A Summer Sermon A Winter Sermon Vnknowne Kindnesse The Poore mans Hope By John Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in ESSEX Printed at London by T. Cotes for Thomas Alchorne 〈◊〉 the Greene Dragon in Pauls Church yard 1636. The vvay to prosper A SERMON PREACHED AT St. PAVLS CROSSE ON Sunday the 27. day of May being Trinity SVNDAY By IOHN GORE Rector of VVenden-lofts in ESSEX The third Edition LONDON Printed by Thomas Cotes for Thomas Alchorn and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Greene-Dragon Anno Dom. 1636. REcensui hunc Librum cui Titulus est A Sermon preached at S. Pauls Crosse on Trinity Sunday und cum Epistola nuncupatoria ad dignissimum virum Iohannem Mede Militem c. qui quidem liber continet septem folia in quibus nihil reperio bonis moribus aut sanae doctrinae contrarium quo minus cum utilitate imprimatur modo intra tres menses proximè sequentes typis mandetur Guilielmus Bray Episcopo Londinensi Capellanus domesticus Ex aedibus Fulhamiensibus Iunii 6. 1632. To the Right VVorshipfull Sr IOHN MEDE KNIGHT High-Sheriffe for the County of ESSEX My bountifull and uncorrupted Patron Right Worshipfull MY Talent is little but my love is great were J able to expresse it in a greater measure or in an higher nature you should be sure to finde it but J must say with that Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. All that poore Ministers have to requite their friends withall is Bookes and Prayers Accept therefore I beseech you this weake Sermon not worth the name of a Booke as a pledge of my humble thankefulnesse and for my prayers to God on the behalfe of your selfe your good Lady and your loving Children and Family they shall be never wanting from Your poore devoted Chaplain IOHN GORE A SERMON Preached at S. Pauls-Crosse on Trinity Sunday 1632. 2 CHRON. 26. 5. So long as hee sought the Lord God made him to prosper THese words containe the prosperous and succesfull e-estate of King Vzziah during all the time that he served and sought the Lord but as soone as ever hee fell foule with his God hee fell downe from his happinesse and his prosperity went away with his pietie just as you see your comets and Meteors that hang in the ayre so long as they keep aloft in the firmament of heaven they glister shin and make a glorious celestial lustre in the eyes of all beholders but if once they decline from that pitch and fall downe to the earth as many times they doe they vanish and dis-appeare and come to nothing Such is the case betwixt a man and his God as long as a man holds in good termes with God and hath his conversation in heaven and sets his affections upon things above so long God will cast his favour upon him and he shall shine as a light in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation but if once he decline from that pitch and fall downe from a godly conversation into any earthly base ungodly disposition t is a venture but his prosperity will vanish away and his latter end prove worse than his beginning Here then is a worthy president for all that doe desire to prosper as I suppose t is every mans desire so to doe as one said Beatus vult homo esse etiam non sic vivendo ut possit esse Every man would be blessed though he take a course to be cursed every man would goe to heaven though he run the way that leads directly to hell so every man would prosper though hee take a course to perish but if a man doth desire true prosperity that God indeed should prosper him and give a blessing to all that belongs unto him let him take the course that Vzziah sometime did let him seeke the Lord and God will make him to prosper So long as he sought the Lord God made him to prosper In which words are two generall things to be observed 1. The ground and foundation of true prosperity 2. The bounds and limitation of it First the ground and foundation of true prosperity and that is this It must be built and raised upon Religion and Pietie God must be sought unto ere true prosperity can be attain'd to He sought the Lord and God made him to prosper Secondly the bounds and limitation of prosperity how farre it reacheth and how long it lasteth and that is onely during the time that he serves and seeks the Lord So long as he sought the Lord so long and no longer God made him to prosper In the first observe two particulars Mans dutie and Gods mercy First mans duty to seeke God Secondly Gods mercy to prosper them that seeke him Now because the whole hope of our prosperitie and Gods successe depends onely upon our piety in seeking of God I will therefore branch it out into foure circumstances which like the foure Rivers of Eden shall I trust water this Garden-plot of God and make your soules prosper the better 1. What it is to seeke God 2. How and in what manner we must seeke him 3. When or what time 4. Where or in what place we must seeke him I meane so as that wee may prosper by seeking him for that is the basis the ground-worke of my whole Sermon and shall by Gods assistance be intermingled and interwoven into every point First what it is to seeke God so as a man may prosper by seeking him To seeke God is nothing else but to seeke to please God to seeke to get into favour with God to seeke to get Gods good-will as the Sidonians did with Herod Act. 12. 20. when they heard that Herod was displeased with them and intended to make warre upon them they made friendship with Blastus the Kings Chamberlaine and sought by all meanes possible to get into favour with him againe and why Because said they our lands are nourished by the lands of the King This is our case our lands our lives and all that wee have are nourished and sustained by the King of heaven and therefore when wee know that he is displeased with us as justly hee may for as David saith Wee provoke him every day then let us doe as they did as they made friendship with Blastus so let us make friendship with Iesus Christ and desire him to helpe us into Gods favour And this is that we call the seeking of God Now this phraise of seeking God implies that we are at a losse in this behalfe and indeed so we are we have all of us lost the favour of God by our sinnes and except wee seeke to regaine and recover it by our prayers and repentance wee must never look to prosper Not prosper may some say Why who prosper more many times than they that have least care and make least
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 facit exoriri no doubt there is many a one in the world that is such a Lueifuga a hater of light and lover of darkenesse whose deeds are so evill that the very Sunne in the heavens is even loth to cast his beames and shine upon him and there is many a plot of ground that is purchased and possessed by so wicked an owner that the very clouds of heaven are loth and unwilling to drop their fatnesse upon it but that God as it were makes them doe it Hence we see that God hath the disposing of all these temporall blessings if the Lord undertake to make a man all the world shall not marre him we may see it in Moses Exod. 7. 1. Pharaoh did what hee could to marre Moses and to expose him to ruine and obscuritie in his very infancie but God that undertooke to make him never left him nor gave him over till hee had made him a god to Pharaoh not a god whom Pharoah should worship but whom he should feare and stand in awe of a god to execute judgements and bring plagues upon him and to remove the same againe Hannah saith in her song 1 Sam. 2. 7. The Lord maketh poore and maketh rich it were as easie to God to make all rich as to make any poore againe it were all one with God to make all poore as to make any rich for he hath the making of both but in his providence and wisedome he hath made some of both sorts that the one might helpe themselves to heaven by supplying and relieving the necessities of the other And therefore for our owne parts if we have any making any promotion or prosperitie above our fellowes we must confesse with David That it is God that hath made us and not we our selves it is God that hath made us Men when hee might have made us Beasts it is God that hath made us Christians when he might have made us Infidels it is God that hath made us rich when he might have made us poore in a word it is God that hath made us to prosper when hee might have made us to perish Hee sought the Lord and God made him to prosper But that is not all the maine thing that I observe from hence is the benefit that ariseth to us by seeking of God namely that it turnes to our owne advantage our owne profit God hath onely the glorie but the gaine is wholly ours for it is a meanes to make us prosper as David speaking of the commandements Psal 19. saith that in keeping of them there is great reward no man shall be a loser by keeping of Gods commandements but a gainer and a great gainer too for in keeeping of them there is great reward if we be not rewarded on earth our reward shall be the greater in heaven In coelis reposita est major compensatio saith Calvin the greatest reward is reserved in the heavens Thus saith the Lord that teacheth thee to profit Esa 48. 17. Oh that thou haddest hearkened to my commandements then had thy prosperity beene as a floud and thy righteousnesse as the waves of the sea thy prosperity should have beene so large and plentifull that as a floud it should have run over the bankes and the reward of thy righteousnesse as the waves of the sea that is one reward should follow upon the necke of another as one wave followes upon the necke of another so Deut. 5. 29. Oh that there were a heart in this people to love me and feare me as they have said then should it goe well with them and their children after them not that I might be a gainer and you lose but that you and your children might reape the bene fit So that as our Saviour saith of the Sabbath that it was made for man not onely for Gods service but for mans profit so it is true of every Commandement it was made for mans that is for mans good and benefit therefore you have it so often repeated in Deuteronomy These are the Commandements that I have given thee for thy wealth and for thy good It is a pretty observation of Cajetan upon that saying of God to Moses Exo. 34. 1. Hew thee two Tables Dola tibi non mihi ego enim non indigio tua dolatione Hew to thy selfe not for me for I neede none of thy hewing nor yet any of thy tables it is for thy owne and thy peoples good that I bid thee hew them so it is for our good that God bids us seeke him God hath onely the glory of it but the benefit is our own for it is a meanes to make us prosper Therefore if we love our selves and desire to doe our selves good let us seeke the Lord. I know that naturally wee all love our selves too much but spiritually wee all love our selves too little for he that lives in sinne he doth not love himselfe for he goeth the way to undoe himselfe both here and ever 2 Chro. 24. 20. Why transgresse ye the Commandements of the Lord that ye cannot prosper We use to say of one that is of a good nature but an evill husband He is no mans foe but his owne and it is true of every one that lives in any knowne sinne not grieving for it nor striving against it not making conscience to reforme it he is his owne foe indeede for he doth not onely anger God but he hinders himselfe that hee cannot prosper Why transgresse yee the commandements of God that ye cannot prosper The like speech you have in Ezek. 18. Why will you die O house of Israel God doth not say Why will you sin O house of Israel but why will ye die O house of Israel as presupposing they might wel know if they wil needs sin they must needs die for death is the wages of sin and followes it as the shadow followes the bodie The Lord speaks it with indignation Why will ye die as wondring they should love themselves no better but even to seeke their own death by rushing into sinne as a horse rusheth into the battell that 's the expression that God useth Ier. 8. 7. They rush into sin as a horse rusheth into the battell And why as a horse rusheth into the battell and not as a man rusheth into the battell I will tell you what I thinke the reason is The horse when he rusheth into the battell doth not know that those whom he rusheth on be his enemies that they will hurt wound and kill him but he rusheth on them without feare or wit and rusheth upon his owne death so foolish men doe not know at least will not know This they willingly know not as Saint Peter speakes that sinne is such an enemie to them that it doth hurt kill and damne them thereupon they rush upon sinne without feare and so runne upon their owne destruction Therefore it is a good meditation of Saint Austin upon that prayer of David Deliver me O Lord
man and wife onely because God is left out the Lord is not betweene them Therefore the onely way to bring peace and unity into a family is to bring God into the family and the onely way to bring God into a house is to bring him and draw him in by prayer Draw neare to God and God will draw neare to you saith S. Iames. Be not you wanting to God and God will never be wanting to you Alwayes remember the Apostles farewell to the Corinthians 2 Cor 13. 11. Be of one minde live in peace and the God of peace shall be with you Thus doe as God would have you and that is the way to be content 2. Elies case to be crost in ones children Put case thy children be either taken from thee by untimely death in their youth or which is worse live to be ungracious and undutifull to thee in their age these are piercing griefes yet learne to be content in both For the first say that Almighty God who hath Ius vitae necis the power of life and death in his owne hands and can draw out and cut short our lives as it pleaseth him doe cut off thy child in the budding in the blooming of his age when he is Aurorae filius as the Poet speakes a sonne of the morning so that all thy joy thy hope thy comfort seemes to perish and die and be extinguisht in him yet learne to be content for why Consider that if thy child had lived he must have served an apprentiship all the while that he might after have heene free of the heavenly Jerusalem now if God in his mercy will grant it the freedome in the beginning of its yeares and make him a citizen among the Saints shortly after he came into the world is this any cause of discontent and not rather of thanksgiving But who can tell whether such a child be saved or no if I were but sure of that wil some say I should be the better content though I know a good parent will abhorre such a thought of doubtfulnesse yet for the better setling of your minds in that assurance doe but call to minde our Saviours saying Suffer little children to come unto me for unto such belongeth the Kingdome of God it is not only said that they belong to Gods kingdome but that Gods kingdome belongs to them as much as to say if any have a right unto it or may claime a part or portion in it it is such or none in the Originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For of such is the kingdome of God that is Gods kingdome doth consist of little children heaven is replenished and stored with such as they Forasmuch then as there can be no feare nor danger of thy childs salvation with God let this teach thee to be content if God shall take him from thee in the beginning of its dayes But the greatest crosse of all is when children live to be ungracious and undutifull to their parents in their age as Elies were when aged parents shall be forced to complaine as the tree did in the Apologue that it was rent and torne and split asunder with the same wedge that was cut out of its owne bowels this I am perswaded is the greatest griefe that can befall a tender-hearted parent This was the crosse that subdued Egypt all the plagues of God could not make them yeeld till God smote their children and that broke their hearts so 1 Sam. 30. 6. it is said of Davids men that their soules were bitter for their children the miscarriage of a child is gall and worme-wood to a parent it imbitters their very soules If thy case be thus I bewaile and condole it onely let mee perswade thee to be content because the God that made thy childe can mende him Do therefore for him as Noah did for Iaphet Gen. 9. 27. He had given that son of his a great deale of good counsell no doubt and perswaded him to dwell in Gods Church and become a lively member of the same but knowing well to how little purpose all this would be without Gods working upon his heart he falls to prayer God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Shem as if he had said I have advised and done my utmost to perswade thee my sonne but all this is but lost labour unlesse God put to his helping hand now therefore The good Lord perswade thee c. Thus doe thou for thy refractary childe desire God to perswade him to convince him to convert and turne his heart and thou shalt see that nothing shall stand in his way but the worke shall be accomplished If God undertake to bring Peter out of prison no bolts nor barres shall be able to hold him there if the Lord â—ake in hand to leade Israel out of Egypt into the promised â—and sea shall be no sea wildernesse no wildernesse Giants no Giants c. So though thy childe be never so ill minded never so desperately bent if God undertake to mend him and make him good all his ill conditions shall not hinder it therefore let not thy heart sinke nor thy faith faile nor thy hopes languish but still pray still entreat still waite upon God and chats the way to be content 3. Iosephs case to be crost in ones reputation Put case thy good name which Salomon saith is more precious than riches be impeached and taken from thee by slanders and lyes and base imputations of those that wish thee ill for such is the vice and villany of the world that they will traduce and discredit a man whether he deserve it yea or no. David compares such to the Aspe which is a beast ill sighted but quicke of hearing weake but full of poyson so are all detractours ill-sighted to see any thing that 's good in another but quicke of hearing any thing that is bad of him weake they are in judgement and in charity both but full of the poyson of malice and envie The poyson of Alpes is under their lips Psal 140. 3. Iunius translates it venenum pâ—yados the poyson of the spitting serpent they have learned of the old Serpent the Devill to spit their venome in the faces of those that faine would live in peace and dwell securely by them they are indeed a cursed generation Deut. 27. 24. Cursed be he that smites his neighbour in secret that doth secretly and slily underhand traduce him and seeke to worke him out of the good opinion of his neighbours and friends and marke what followes let all the people say Amen God doth not onely curse such a one himselfe but he gives all his people leave to curse him too and cursed be that offence that brings the curse of God and the curse of the people upon such an offender Well if it have beene any of your hard haps to be thus secretly smitten or openly injured in your reputations as some of us I am sure have beene let me as I
of piety to God but when the poore and hungry come to them as Christ came to that Figtree hoping to pull some fruite of charity and mercy from them there is nothing to be found but leaves good words perhaps and that is all beleeve it such men are nigh unto cursing and it is Gods infinite mercie if hee doe not blast their estate as Christ did the Fig-tree that it shall never prosper to them nor theirs The other wonder of Christ that did any hurt was that Mat. Chapter eight The drowning of the Swine and yet that was the devils doing Christ onely gave way to these evill spirits which seeke the destruction of man and beast to carry them headlong into the 〈◊〉 as they would carry us too but that God above who stiles himselfe The preserver of men is pleased in mercy to keepe out of their clutches and this was symbolicall too to let us understand how God hates all those that are of a swinish disposition that is all drunken sots that like swine have neither wit nor grace to moderate themselves in the use of Gods creatures and all lazie beasts that mind nothing but their bellies as you know a Swine is one of the laziest creatures that a man can keepe it doth him no worke nor service at all or lastly All hoggish worldlings and miserable muck-wormes of the earth that never doe good till they come to die let all such tremble and feare and call to God for mercy least in his just judgement hee deliver their soules into the hands of those hellish Fiends to carry them headlong as they did the swine into the lake that burneth with fire and brimestone for evermore there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth These are the two severest wonders that ever our Saviour did or suffered to be done as for all the rest looke into the Stories of the Gospel which are the Acts and Monuments of Iesus Christ you shall finde to be all gracious all beneficiall all healing and saving wonders Never any man came to him for sight that went away blind never any came to him for hearing that went away deafe never any came to him for health that went away sicke In a word you shall never finde that ever any man or woman came to our Saviour for any help or mercy that ever went away confounded or disappointed of their hopes Now beloved Christ is the same Iesus still that then he was Coelum non animum as we say though he have changed his place he hath not changed his nature but is still as favourable as indulgent to mankind as ever he was if we doe but as truly seeke unto him for our soules health as they did for their bodies So you see the nature of these wonders is altered from that they were in Eliahs times the severity of the Law suites not with the lenity of the Gospel and we must now imitate our Saviour in works of mercy not follow Eliah in prayers for judgment We see Luk 9. 54. When the disciples fingers itched to be revenged on the Samaritans for their base discourtesie in not entertaining our Saviour Master said they wilt thou that we command fire from heaven and consume them as Eliah did We have a president for it it is a booke case Eliah did so let us doe the like these men deserve it as bad or worse than they with whom Eliah had to doe No saith our Saviour the case is altered ye know not of what spirit ye are the spirit of the Law required severity the spirit of the Gospel requires meekenesse and mercy Farre is it from the good Spirit of Christ and of God to stirre up any mans heart to private revenge not an Eagle but a Dove was the shape wherein that holy and healthfull Spirit made choise to appeare Let us therefore all that are called Christians follow no other president but our Saviour Christs whose onely lesson that ever he set us to learne of him was 〈…〉 and meeke and so doing we shall finde Requiâ—m animabus 〈…〉 owne soules The third and last reason that may warrant Eliah in praying for a judgement was 3. Necessitas rei the necessity of the thing it self that holy Prophet had spent his strength in vaine Sermon upon Sermon warning upon warning threatning upon threatning and when he saw that nothing would worke them to goodnesse then he prayes for a judgement not in a vindictive way to be revenged upon them but as a desperate remedy knowing that that or nothing would bring them to good as it is said 2 Chron. ult God sent his Prophets rising early and sending them and used all gentle meanes to reclaime them till there was no remedy then he sent destruction In this sence if a man have a child or a friend or any one that he wisheth well to his soule if he be growen to that passe so hardned in sinne that no perswasions no warnings no threatnings will worke upon him I am perswaded it were neither uncharitable nor unpleasing to God if a man should pray Lord smite him correct him lay some medicinall some healing punishment upon him that he may see the errour of his wayes and may returne and repent and so be saved Vpon these and the like grounds I suppose Eliah might with a safe conscience pray for a judgement but then the next question is Why hee should make choise to pray for this kinde of judgement of drought and dearth for want of raine rather than any other I will tell you what I think the reasons may be 1. Because it was an uncontrouleable a convincing judgement if Eliah should have brought any earthly or visible judgement as Sword or Pestilence c. they would have imputed it presently to some secondary meanes and causes now this was a heavenly an invisible judgement the stoppage of the cloudes the detaining of Raine and the burning and scorching of the 〈…〉 judgement from heaven and 〈…〉 needes confesse to be Digitus the 〈…〉 God not Aliqnid humani no handy worke of any mortall man For this was the fallacy which the Scribes and Pharises put upon our Saviour Mat. 16. 1. When they had seene all the miracles and wonders of Christ how hee cured the sicke c. they conceited that these things might be done by slight of hand by art Magicke by Beelzebub or by Conjuration c but say they Shew us asigne from Heaven and then we will beleeve They knew that a Magician or a devill might doe much upon earth but he could doe nothing in heaven therefore say they shew us a signe from Heaven and we will beleeve So here to prevent all misconceites Elias prayed and procures a judgement from heaven and that a convincing a cutting judgement for you must know that the people at that time left off to worship the true God and fell to worship Baall the Sunne the Moone and all the Hoast of Heaven trusting no doubt that these gods of
theirs would by their influence so moysten and fatten the earth that they should not need to be beholding to God for any rayne now quoth Eliah here is a judgement to try your gods withall goe to the gods that ye have served let them helpe now or never if they can doe any thing they can send a showre of rayne if not why doe ye serve them I say it was a convincing judgement Eliah did it on purpose to let them see the vilenesse of their Idolatry what base what impotent what unworthy gods they served that could not helpe their clyents to a drop of raine In like manner whatsoever a man makes his god besides the true one I meane puts his trust in for helpe in time of neede shall at length so deceive him and so befoole him that he shall be forced to confesse as these people did in the end The Lord he is God The Lord he is God 2. Because it was a just and a fitting punishment this people were guilty of spirituall barrennesse and God plagued them with temporall barrennesse No Nation under heaven was so husbanded and manured of God so watered with the dewes of heaven I meane with the meanes of grace and salvation as they were and yet none more unfruitful in every good work Now therefore Eliah fits them with a judgement sutable and agreeable to their sinne hee prayes to God that it might not raine that so their lands might be answerable to their lives and their soyles become as barren as their soules Thus it pleaseth God many times to pay men in their owne coyne to come home to them in their owne kinde and to fit his punishments according to their sinnes That as they that sinne in their goods by misgetting miskeeping and mispending them are many times punished in their goods by losses and crosses by fire by water c. And as they that sinne in their children by misloving or misnurturing them are oft times punished in their children as David was in Absolom and Adonijah so they that sinne in their lands it is just with God to punish them in their lands Salomon tells us Prov. 21. 4. that the plowing of a wicked man is sinne That is strange the husbandry and tillage of the ground is generally held to be one of the most honest the most innocent the most harmelesse callings in the world and so it is of it selfe and yet we see when a wicked man takes the plow in hand when a man goes to his plow with an ill minde and an ill conscience his very plowing addes to his sinnes And it is just with God that that land which is plowed sinfully should thrive accordingly and become as bad and as barren as the owner A fruitfull land doth God make barren for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein 3. Because it was a sensible and a palpable judgement As God Almighty told Cain Gen. 4. 7. that he should be cursed from the earth The Lord knew that Caine cared not to be cursed from heaven and to be banished from the presence of God and branded for a Reprobate but to be cursed from the earth to be cursed in earthly things he being a tiller of the earth that would goe nearest to his heart of any judgement Even such is the disposition of every man of the earth as David termes earthly-minded men they doe not value nor care to be cursed from heaven to be excommunicated out of the favour of God and out of the blessed company of all faithfull people which censure of excomunication if it be rightly carried with a Clave non errante as the Schoolemen speake when there is no errour committed in the use of the Keyes is one of the greatest punishments under heaven But carnall men are not sensible of this and therefore God will punish them in that wherein they are sensible in their wives and children in their corne and cattell c. in such things as are neerest and dearest to them as when David slung his stone at Goliah if he had strucke him upon any part of his harnesse he had never felt the blow but striking him as he did in the forehead which was naked and tender that sunke him presently so it is with carnall men for spirituall judgements they are harnessed their hearts are hardned their consciences are seared they have as the Apostle speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a horny hoofe as it were growne over their hearts that makes them insensible of any spirituall blow that can light upon them Therefore Almighty God knowing in what part they lie naked in what kinde they are tenderly affected namely in their affection to earthly things strikes them there plagues them in that and that â—inkes them like Nabal whose heart died within him like a stone As we see in Exodus how Pharaoh and the Egyptians hardned their heart and out stood all the plagues of Egypt till God plagued them in their children and that broke their hearts So beleeve it they that care not for spirituall punishments for the losse of Gods favour the losse of heaven the losse and perill of their owne soules God will finde a time to punish them in that which they do and shal care for in their corne in their substance in that which is neerest and â—earest â—o thâ— As he did these Israelites here because they were not sensible of the want of grace God punisht them with that would make them sensible with the want of raine that when they had plowed sowne their land and bestowed all their care and cost all should be in vaine for want of moisture to refresh the earth These or the like reasons I suppose might move Eliah to pray and procure this kinde of judgement By the way if any man desire to know the reason why God is not thus marvelous in the Ministers of the Gospel as he was in Eliah and those other Prophets of the Law why we that are his Evangelicall Prophets cannot doe such wonders in our dayes as they did in theirs Answ though that same donum miraculorum the gift of Miracles be ceased in the Church now that the Gospel hath taken roote as Husbandmen when they transplant a tree at first they set props and staies to shore it up but after it hath taken roote they plucke away the stayes and let it grow by the ordinary influence of the heavens I say though the gift of working wonders be ceased yet miracles and wonders in an another kind never cease but are wrought daily by the Preachers of the Gospel For you must know that the micles under the Gospel are of a differing nature from the miraracles under the Law those were â—cularia miracula as I may fitly call them eye-miracles that were visible and outwardly apparent to be seene but these are Auricularia miracula Eare-miracles secret and invisible wrought in the heart by the Word and Spirit of God entring in at the eare and going
how or which way those senceles inanimate things can performe that honour to their maker unles it bee by the Ejaculations and expressions of the heart and tongue of man which is the onely Lyra animata the living harpe of God to sound forth his prayses and set forth his glory for all his gifts and benefits Alasse those livelesse creatures cannot doe it of themselves but they must doe it by us or rather indeede it is we that are commanded to doe it for them Wherefore else hath God given to man the use of the tongue with language and words to expresse himselfe which hee hath denied to all other creatures besides but onely that Man should bee as it were The mouth of all his other creatures to praise and glorifie God in their sted and in their behalfe If any of us shall thinke much to do so little for our God let us take heede that God doe not doe by us as hee threatned to doe by those Priests Mal. 2. 2. Even to curse our very blessings and to make those things which are blessings in themselves to bee little better then crosses and curses unto us For God can give us blessings with such a tang that the fruition shall differ little from the want as he did to the Israelites when he gave them quailes so God gives many a man children with so little grace that they would have accounted it even a blessing to be barren so God gives many a man wealth with so little comfort that it had beene better for their soules if they had begged their bread so God can give us snow and raine with so little favour that neither we nor the earth shall receive any comfort or refreshment by it Therefore as we desire to doe our selves good and to have and to hold the good will of our heavenly father that he should prosper and blesse his blessings to us then let us in no case withhold from God the Honour due unto his name but returne him some glory for all his gifts for what man will goe into a cold bed to warme it but he lookes for warmth from it againe what man will give his friend a ring but he hopes that he will weare it for his sake or give him a booke but he hopes he will reade it for his sake or give him any token of love but that he hopes he will accept it and keepe it for his sake and shall we thinke that God doth not looke for as much as this at our hands when hee give us snow and frosts c. beleeve it hee doth and therefore if thou hast beene defective this way let me be thy monitour to doe as Pharaohs Butler did Gen. 41. 9. to call to minde thy fault this day and to remember that it is thy part and duty to blesse God for all his blessings as well for those which thou enjoyest in common with others as good ayre good weather c. as for those that thou hast in peculiar and proper to thy selfe hath God given thee health blesse him for it hath he given thee wealth blesse him for it hath hee given thee children and friends and peaceable dayes blesse him for all these but hath hee given thee his good word to instruct thee Hath he given thee his good Spirit to comfort thee Hath hee given thee his good grace to preserve and keepe thy soule Oh blesse him for this above all for hee hath given thee with it that which I pray God of his mercy to give us all Health and salvation in Iesus Christ So much for my first Observation that the very Snow amongst other things is Donum Dei the gift of God He giveth Snow 2. Further more Iob tels us that the Snow is Nuntius Dei the messenger or the servant of God Iobâ—7 â—7 6. He saith to the Snow be thou on the earth and immediatly upon the least watch-word of God there it falls and lies Thus you shall observe that all the creatures and all the Workes of God both in heaven and earth doe in their wayes and in their kindes shew themselves obedient and dutifull to their Maker except onely man and the devill if God speake to the Windes though unruly creatures they obey him if to the Seas to the Whales to the Lyons c. they obey him if God doe but call for a dearth as the Prophet told the Shunammite 2 Reg. 8. 1. or a famine or for any other judgement they come at the first call and flie upon the world to plague it for sinne you cannot name any creature except man but is ready at the least becke of God to fulfill his Word Ah what wretched creatures are we that can find none in all the world to comply with but the devill that can find no other patterne for our disobedience no other partner in our rebellious courses but we must fetch a president from hell and from the bottomlesse pit Is it not strange that whereas Divines observe that God was never called Lord in Scripture till he had created man as you may see in the first of Genesis where it is said that God created the heaven and earth and God said let there be light c. only God without any other attribute till he had made man and then the text calls him the Lord God at every word to intimate that God hath a speciall Lordship and Dominion over man and looks for more speciall duty and service from man than from all his other creatures I say then Is it not strange that no one creature of Gods making doth so much dishonour and disobey the Lord as wicked wretched man whom the Lord purposely made to honour and obey and doe him service Look to all the other creatures and David tells you they no fooner receive the least word of command from God but presently they fulfill it Psal 148. 8. Praise the Lord ye Dragons and all deepes fire and haâ—e snow and vapour fulfilling his Word There be a number of us that are aâ—t enough to heare Gods Word they have Aures biâ—ulas hungry and thirsty eares for that purpose or rather as the Apostle calls it pruritum aurium they have a kinde of itch in their eares which like a Tetter the more it is rub'd the farther it spreads which makes them unsatiable in â—earing the word of the Lord but where shall you finde a man or woman that â—ath any care or makes any conscience to fulfill the Word of God as those creatures doe There be those that will goe a mile or two to heare a Sermon but where shall you finde one that will goe out of his owne doore to doe a Sermon I meane to doe as God would have him that is to repent of his sinnes to reforme his life to follow his calling with a good conscience and to walke with his God with an honest heart which is the principall and the maine of Christianity You know that Hearing is but a
of that have ventured confidently on the Ice upon the Thames till it hath broken under them and they have perished irrecoverably so have many made a great shew in the world have beene in great dealings and beene confident of their fortunes till the Ice hath broken their credits have crackt and they sunke on a sudden See 2 Reg. 1. How securely Ahaziah walked on his wonted pavement fearing no danger nor distrusting any ill event and all on a sudden the floore that he walkes upon or some grate that was in the floore brakes under him and hee got such a fall that he never could recover it till his death It is not good therfore for any man to be too confident of his own estate vainely saying with Iob Chap. 29. 18. I shall die in my nest or with David Psa 30. 6. I shall never be moved but rather as the Apostle adviseth Let him that thinketh he standeth take heede least he fall For those that stand fastest upon earth have but slippery footing it is but a kinde of Ice take heede of breaking And yet there is another kinde of Ice which he that can breake or have it 〈◊〉 is a happy man and that is the Ice of sinne I meane the hardnesse of heart for looke how Ice hardens the water so doth sinne harden the heart and make it insensible of any danger and untractable to any goodnesse As long as the frost holds the Ice and the water are all one till the thaw comes and then it breakes into these buccellas these morsels that my text speakes of so as long as a man is frozen in the dregs of sinne and accustomed to aâ— evill course of life so long his sinnes and he are all one all the perswasions in the world cannot part them till God be pleased to send downe that same Gratiam mollificativam as Divines call it that same mollifying and melting grace that his heart begins to thaw and his sinnes and hee begin to part then doth he cast out those buccellas peccati those morsels of sinne by daily confession and contrition to God which before lay and wounded his conscience that he could never be at peace And this is that which the Scripture calls the breaking of the heart it is just like the breaking of Ice when the heart is dissolved with griefe and Godly sorrow and his sinnes begin to breake away by repentance and reformation of life then doth the Spirit of God which Zachary calls the Spirit of Grace and supplication doe as in the first creation Iâ—cubare super aquas sit and brood as it were upon these waters to hatch new graces to create a new heart and make him a new creature in Christ Iesus I might observe further how reverently how religiously the Prophet David speakes of the Ice and cold that he calls the Ice ejus Glacies Gods Ice and the cold ejus fâ—igus his cold to shew that God hath a hand in all ill-weather and that we ought not to blame the creatures but to remember their Creatour who for our sinnes justly is displeased But I hasten to the last part of my Text and that is 4. The compassion and tender mercy of God that God hath not the heart to hold his people long under a judgement but as in the tenth of Iudges when the people were throughly humbled his soule was grived for the misery of Israel and hee sent a remedy out of 〈◊〉 and as Davids heart after some space of time began to yearne after Absalan whom for his rebellion he had justly banished and hee must needes recall him home So when we relent God relents when we begin to bâ—e grieved for our sins then doth God begin to be grieved for our punishments when our hearts are melted within God melts the earth without as it followeth in the text Hitt Emi verbum lique facit c. He sendeth out his word and melteth them Hee bloweth with his winde and the waters stonâ— He sendeth out his word that is his command for so the ten Commandements are called Decem verba the ten words of God And hee bloweth with his winde in the originall it is flabir spiritus his spirit shall blow for the spirit of God and winde and breath of God are all one Now marke from the connexion of these two How the word of God and the spirit of God goe evermore together Hee sendeth out his word and bloweth with his spirit Iust as in the body of a man the veynes and the Arteryes goe ever together the veynes â—ary the blood and the Arteryes carry the spirits for every veyne in the body there is an Artery goes along with it So wheresoever there is a veyne of truth I meane where the word of God is faithfully preached there is vehiculum spiritus an Artery for the spirit of God to accompany and goe along with it to mollifie and intenerate that same nervum ferreum which the Prophet speakes of that Ironsinâ—w of unbeliefe and to make the word effectuall for the melting and thawing of the frozon hearts of sinners Now if you looke backe upon this kindly Thaw that God hath sent us after so long and lamentable a time of Snow and Ice and cold you shall see in it a lively resemblance of the inward and spirituall thaw and melting of a hardned heart that hath beene frozen a long time in the dregges of sinne and beene utterly uncapable of any grade untill such time as God doth send out his Word and melteth him and bloweth upon his soule with that same truely so called ventus favonius that favourable winde of his holy Spirit that makes the waters of repenting teares fall downe from his eyes I will but name the particulars and so conclude 1. The Thaw is alwayes accompanied with a change of weather the skie which before was faire and cleare and bright doth then grow cloudy and sad and darke with foggie mists and vapours that a man hath no pleasure to be abroad in it And thus it is with a repenting soule when God sends this Spirituall thaw a man shall finde a change of weather in his heart his joy will be changed into sorrow his mirth into melancholy his songs and merry tunes into sighes and sobbes and hee shall sensibly perceive the foggy vapours of his sinnes arise out of his heart into his head and come trickling downe in teares at his eyes It is said in the Psalmes that therefore the wicked feare not God because they have no changes but still continue in one estate of prosperity and pride and so think to passe a deliciys ad delicias from the joyes of earth to the joyes of heaven but that will not be if ever God intend to save their soules he will finde a time to send a thaw into their hearts and then let them tell me if they doe not finde a change of weather in their consciences 2. If it chance to thaw and then freeze againe
8. postulaa me c. desire of mee and I will give thee the heathen for thy inheritance c. If hee that was sole heyre of Heaven and earth haeres ex toto asse as the Romans used to stile them could no otherwise come by his inheritance but by way of petition to desire it afore he had it much more so is it with us where no desire it looke for no gift no prayer no grace We see in Esay God makes a gracious promise to his people that he would put away all their sinnes take them all into his favour as though they had never sinned but marke the condition for all these things I will be sought unto saith God So though God offer his grace to men hee will not force it upon them against their wills hee will have them sue for it hee will have them desire it or they may thanke themselves if they goe to hell without it and God may justly complaine of them as David did of Naball 1. Sam. 25. 21. All is in vaine that I have done for these men Seeing then there is no backwardnesse in God to make deniall of his grace but hee is willing to bestow it upon all that are desirous to imbrace it oh be not wanting to thy owne mercy ne deficias doe not faile of it 2. Seeing that grace is the Lords nè superbias be not proud of it doe not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Iames his word is cap. 3. 5. doe not magnifically lift up thy selfe aboue thy brethren whose graces are not so eminent as thine but rather as the eares of corne and the bowes of trees the more they are laden with fruit the lower they hang to the earth so the more God hath laden thee with his graces and favours be thou so much the more lowly in thy owne eyes and thinke not scorne to doe as thy God doe who though his Glory bee above the heavens saith David Psal 113. â— yet hee doth Abase himselfe to behold the things that are in the earth and as the more direct the Sunne is over us the shorter and lesser is the shadow so the more that Gods grace is over thee and in thee the lesser let the shadow of pride bee seene to come from thee for consider saith the Apostle what hast thou that thou hast uot received or what is that thou canst properly call thine owne but mendacium peccatum lying and sinne as our Saviour said of the devill Iohn 8. when hee speaketh a lye hee speaketh de suo of his owne God never put that into him so for thy sinnes thou must thanke thy selfe or rather indeede beshrewe and blame thy selfe for they are thy owne but if thou hast any grace or any vertue in thee thanke God for that for it is not thine it is the Lords seeing then thou art but a Tributary to God and hast nothing that good is but what thou art beholding and must be countable to the Lord for it nè superbias be not proud of it 3. Seeing Grace is the Lord to bestow on whom he pleaseth nè invideas doe not envie it let not thine eye be evill because God is good nor thinke the worse of another man because God is better to him then unto thee for Gods grace is his owne he may give it to whom he will When God shall take of his grace and of his good spirit as Samuel said to Saul shall give it to a neighbour of thine that is better then thou what cause hast thou to be envious at this and not rather to humble thy selfe and thinke that as Daniel told the king cap. 5. 27. God hath weighed thee in a ballance and found thee minus habens wanting to God and to thy selfe and therefore hath justly with holden his favour from thee and given it to one that will use it better for his glory and for the Churches good farre be it from any child of God to Cherish in his brest the spawne of that old serpent the divell for envy is no better as the learned have well observed there is so neere a resemblance betwixt an envious man and the divell that in the booke of God the one is taken for the other so the divell is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an envious man Mat. 13. 28. an envious man is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a devil Iohn 6. 70. How farre better would it become us in this respect to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Angels of heaven who now at Christmas time when they saw that our Saviour would in no wise take their nature which was far better then ours but tooke our nature upon him which was farre worse then theirs and which was most of all and would have gone most against our stomackes commanded them to worship it Heb. 1. 6. they were so farre from envying or taking offence at this as that elder brother did in the Gospel when the yonger was received to grace after his riotous course that even then they sung an Anthem for the joy of our happinesse and even to this day Saint Peter tells us 1. Pet. 1. 12. they doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stoope downe as it were in duty and love to honour the mistery of Christs incarnation and to admire the grace and favour of God to mankind In a word then seeing that the Honouring of Gods grace wheresoever it lights is a quality so Angelicall and the contrary so diabolicall let it bee thy practise evermore to reverence him that hath it to judge thy selfe unworthy of it seeke it in Gods name and get to bee partaker in it but in any case ne invideas doe not envie it 4. Seeing that grace proceedes from so holy a fountaine as is the Lord ne Abutaris doe not abuse it doe not vitiate nor staine it with sinne as Lot entreated the men of Sodome Gen. 19. 8. that they would not abuse the Angels of God seeing they were come to shelter themselves under the shadow of his râ—ofe so let me entreate you all in the name of Christ that you would not abuse the graces of God seeing they are come from heaven to take shelter and harbour in your brests and bosomes The Apostle speakes of some Iud. 4. that turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and that 's a woefull kinde of Alchymie as one saith singularly well would we not esteeme that man prodigally foolish and mad that would spend all his time all his substance and all his industry to finde out a perverse Philosophers stone that should turne all the gold it touched into lead and drosse even such are they that pervert the grace of God and turne it into wantonnesse into lasciviousnes into all manner of scurrility and deboistnesse and never lin till they have made a poyson of an Antidote and baned themselves with that which would have beene their blisse lucerna dei in spiritu hominis saith Salomon Pro. 20. 27. The
conscience to serve and seeke the Lord they that live altogether by usury and oppression by bribery and extortion by fraud and ill dealing that have not God in all their thoughts who prosper more than they I answer to that and I hope I shall make it appeare that a man that seekes not God may thrive in the world grow rich and gather goods and yet not prosper neither Wealth is one thing prosperity another A man never truely prospers till hee come to have Gaius his prosperity whereof you shall read in the third Epistle of S. Iohn vers 2. I wish above all things that thou maist prosper even as thy soule prospereth When a mans soule doth prosper in grace goodnesse inwardly together as his estate doth prosper in wealth substance outwardly that none but that is true prosperitie Againe many times it falls out so and a man in himselfe shall finde it so that his soule prospers best when his estate prospers worst Many a man is like the Pine tree of which they write that if the barke be peeled off it will last a long time else it rots so God sees that many a man if hee had his barke upon him if he had the wealth of the world about him it would rot him and make him worse therefore God is faine to barke him and peele him to keepe him naked and bare and poore that his soule may prosper the better Saint Augustine gives two reasons why it pleaseth God to withhold outward prosperity from them that inwardly prosper and to denie outward blessings to them whom he hath inwardly blest with grace first lest wicked people should thinke ob has colendum Deum that Gods servants did serve him onely for these things as the Devill accused Iob chap. 1. 10. Hast thou not considered my servant Iob saith God how upright he walkes and how carefully he serves me I cannot blame him quoth Satan that hee serves thee hee doth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his owne neede to serve his owne turne for thou makest such an hedge about him and so fencest him in with thine invincible protection that none of all his enemies can make the least gap to breake in upon him doe but put forth thy hand saith the Devill manum laesivam he meanes thy punishing thy vindictive revenging hand and touch him with that as the Spider toucheth the Bee touch him to torment him and thou shalt see Iob will turne another leafe and in stead of blessing thee will curse thee to thy face Yea dost thou thinke so saith God doe thou take him to doe I le give thee leave punish him afflict him doe any thing to him spare but his life and thou shalt see Iob will serve me no lesse than hee did before and so it fell out And the same mind doe all Gods faithfull servants beare prosper or not prosper thrive or not thrive rewarded or not rewarded all is one to them they will and are resolved to serve and seeke the Lord. Secondly Lest Gods servants should beare a mercinary minde and serve him onely to make a gaine of his service and so alwayes be looking and lingering after temporall favours this would turne patientiam in avaritiam Christian patience into carnall covetousnesse and make men carnally minded in their spirituall affaires that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speakes an affection of dishonour and would discover a kinde of basenesse in Gods servants to seeke him onely for their owne ends therefore God sees it best in some cases to restraine prosperity from them that seeke him and that alto consilio upon deepe advice and great reason as you see First to convince the world of their misopinion of Gods servants Secondly to rectifie the affection of them that serve him that they may learne not to linger after that which God in his wisedome sees good to hold them short of But for the prosperity of wicked and ungodly men to returne to that of such as seeke not the Lord but rather mingle their wealth with wickednesse and mixe their prosperity with blasphemy that set their mouth against heaven and say as 't is in Iob chap. 21. 15. Who is the Almighty that wee should serve him and what profit should we have if wee pray unto him Such men as these the more outwardly happy they are the more undoubtedly miserable that which wee count the felicitie and the happinesse of such men is indeed their ruine and their bane to thrive well by evill courses You know what God did to Hophni and Phineas that were as wicked wretches as the earth could beare God let them alone let them goe on and prosper and domineere over the poore people sent them no Crosse nor disease nor judgement to interrupt them but let them take their swinge in the very height of their rebellions Why would God suffer such flagitious villaines to have their will without controule God himselfe is pleased to give an account of it 1 Sam. 2. 25. Because saith the text he would destroy them this is the event and issue of a wicked mans prosperity I have seene the wicked in great prosperity saith David Psal 37. 35. flourishing like a greene bay tree Why like a greene bay tree rather than like a greene oke-tree or greene apple-tree I will tell you what I think the reason is The bay-tree you know is green all the winter long when oke-trees and apple-trees and all other farre more profitable and fruitfull trees do wither decay and shed their leaves stand naked and bare and looke as if they were rotten dead then doth the bay-tree flourish and looks as fresh and as green as it were in the midst of the spring when other trees decay that flourisheth So fares it with wicked men in such Winter-times of the world as we had the last yeare times of dearth and scarcity times of want and penury when many a poore Christian is faine to fast and fare hard and goe with many hungry meale to bed then doe you usurers oppressors corn mongers and such others those mercatores humanarum calamitatum as Nazianzen calls them those that make merchandise of poore mens miseries then doe they prosper then doe they thrive then doe they flourish like greene bay-trees when others decay then doe they flourish then is their spring their flourishing time They flourish like greene bay trees Well but what followes in the next verse After a while saith David I sought him but he could not be found as if he had said I sought on earth in his mansion in his dwelling-place thence hee was gone there he was not to be found afterward I sought him in heaven to see if I could finde him there among the Saints and blessed soules above there hee was not to be found Where was he then Verily he was gone downe as is said of Iudas Act. 1. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gone downe to his owne place gone downe to
our petitions to the divine Majestie and is never weary of it come when we will he is at leasure to heare us It is a prety observation that S. Augustine makes out of the parable proposed by our Saviour Luke 11. where he that knockt at midnight to borrow bread of his neighbour found all the whole family asleepe onely the master of the house was awake and he answered and opened and gave him that he craved though it was at an unseasonable time Nullus de janitoribus respondit none of all the porters none of all the servants none of all the children made him any answer they were all asleepe onely the master was awake and heard him when hee called Iust so it fares with us when wee knocke and call at the doore of heaven for any mercie none of all the Prophets nor Apostles none of all the blessed Saints departed make us any answer alas they heare us not they sleepe in peace and are at rest from their labours onely God Almightie who is the Master and Maker of that blessed familie hee and onely hee doth heare and answer at what time soever we cry unto him Hee that keepeth Israel neither slumbreth nor sleepeth call when we will God is alway awake to heare and helpe No time unseasonable to seeke God Secondly but more particularly for one that desires to prosper there is a choise time and season to seeke the Lord above all the rest and that is early in the morning 'T is a pretty conjecture that the Hebrewes make upon that saying of the Angel to Iacob Gen. 32. 26. Let mee goe for the morning appeareth I take it the true reason was because Iacob should not be too curious in looking and gazing upon that humane shape wherein this great Angel Christ appeared for he it was that wrastled with Iacob but their conceit is that the Angell which wrastled with Iacob all night desired to depart when the morning appeared because hee was now to goe to the rest of the blessed company and quire of Angels to sing their morning-hymne unto God 'T is but a conjecture but we may apply it thus We all hope to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Angels in heaven let us be like them on earth too and how ever we are imployed at other times when the morning appeares let us hasten to God and aske him blessing every morning as our children doe us and no doubt but God will blesse us the better all the day after Iob 8. 5 6. If thou wilt seeke unto God betimes and make thy supplication to the Almighty surely now he will awake for thee and make thy habitation prosperous I make no doubt but a many of you are early risers that are up before the morning watch I say before the morning-watch i before the day-starre or the Sunne appeare and 't is possible for a man to be early up and never the neere but hee that riseth early to pray and seeke the Lord shall be sure not to lose his labour for he shall prosper the better all the day If thou wilt seeke the Lord c. Yea but there 's a place of Scripture that seemes to crosse and contradict it Prov. 1. 28. They shall seeke me early but they shall not finde me Is the Scripture contrary to it selfe Doth God say in one place If ye seeke me early ye shall finde me and in another place Though you seeke me early you shall not finde me How shall we know which to beleeve which to build upon I answer There 's a two-fold early Gods early and mans early Gods early is to seeke him in the first place Ante omnia adoremus Deum was the old rule before we eate or drinke before we worke or play before we doe any thing doe that first first seeke the kingdome of God and that 's Gods early Mans early is at the beginning of trouble the beginning of sicknesse the beginning of sorrow and then the wickedst wretch upon earth will seeke the Lord but then perhaps he shall not finde him hee that will not seeke him in peace shall hardly finde him in trouble hee that will not seeke him in health shall not easily find him in sicknesse yea though he seeke him early at the very first at the very beginning of it as Ioab fled to the Altar in his perplexity but it saved not his life because he never came at it in his prosperity to offer upon it So that you see if wee take mans early to seeke God we may chance to misse him but if wee take Gods early we shall be sure to finde him You then that desire to prosper remember Gods early the first thing you do in the morning let it be seeke God never thinke your selves drest till that be done let thy soules have a morning draught as wel as thy body I mean a morning prayer to fence it against the infectious ayre of the world Salomon gives the reason Prov. 27. 1. For who can tell what a day may bring forth 'T is a Metaphor taken from a wombe when a woman is in travell who can tell what shee will bring forth till shee be delivered may be a sonne may be a daughter may be a monster so when the wombe of the morning is in travell who can tell what a day may bring forth may be albus may be ater dies may be a white a happy a comfortable day may be a blacke a dismall a dolefull day wee doe not know what a day may bring forth whether judgement or mercy whether good or bad events therefore to prevent the worst 't is good to make sure worke for our owne safetie namely to seeke the Lord in the morning and then come what will come all shall be for the best God will turne it all to good Omnia cooperantur c. Rom. 8. All things worke together for good to them that love God He then that would be prosperous and speed well let him be religious and pray well for he that prayes well can never speed amisse and therefore if you see one that followes his calling and is not followed with Gods blessing it may justly be suspected that such a one restraineth prayer from Almighty God as Eliphaz told Iob in another case Iob 15. 4. Now 't is just with God to restraine prosperity from them that restraine their prayers from him 't is just with God to withhold his blessing from those that have not the care nor the grace to aske it So much for the time and order of our seeking of the Lord. Fourthly where or in what place wee must seeke God Generally wee are to seeke him every where for God is omni-present in all places to be found of them that seeke him faithfully as David saith Psalme 139. 3. Thou art about my bed and about my paths and spiest out all my wayes We little thinke when wee lie downe in our beds as a dogge lies downe in a kennell
excellency is intrinsecall omnis decor ab intus the others is but outward and adventitious Now he that shall count himselfe more excellent than his neighbour because hee excels him in outward things in wealth and worldly goods it is but as one well compares it as if a mud-wall that the Sunne shines upon should boast it selfe against a wall of marble that stands in the shadow What saith a Father An ideo Angelus pauper quia non habet jumenta Shall wee count an Angell to be poore because he hath not heards and flockes and droves of cattell as worldly misers have No their riches are in another kinde So shall we count a Christian poore and base because hee wants the wealth of the world No they are rich in another kinde what he wants outwardly he hath it inwardly what he wants in meanes he hath in grace though he be not rich in the purse hee is rich in the faith though he have not silver and gold hee hath that which is better than either hee hath the precious Pearle of Gods grace which is of more value to inrich the soule than all the gold and silver in the world The Gospell you know compares grace to Pearls now Pearls are of no value to dunghill-Cocks but to them that know the worth of them they are the onely riches in the world and the rather because First they are durable riches no fire can consume them no moth can eat them no rust take hold of them Secondly they are portable riches a man that hath a thousand pound in Pearls may carry them all about him and never clog him which he could not doe if his wealth lay in other things So here to one that hath no grace to a godlesse gracelesse man the Pearls of Gods grace is of no value but to one that knows how to prize it it exceeds all worldly wealth as farre as gold exceeds dirt and Pearls exceede pebbles and the rather because first it is durable it will never decay nor be utterly lost Secondly it is portable it will accompany a man wheresoever hee goes hee shall carry it with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the friend of his bosome the companion of his studie and a continuall comforter in all adversitie yea when death it selfe comes to divest and strip him of all other riches no death can strip him of that it is a grace that shall never leave him till it bring him to glory Mistake me not I beseech you I doe not speake this to any mans prejudice as if riches and Religion as if goods and grace were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incompatible and could not consist nor stand together but as our Saviour said to the woman Luke 11. 27. when she cried out Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the paps that gave thee sucke our Saviour denied not that for that was true also and undeniable but answered her by a corrective comparison yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it so it is a great blessing of God to have the wealth of the world and to prosper outwardly but it is as greater blessing to have the grace of the Spirit and to prosper inwardly In regard whereof David having prayed for many temporall blessings in the behalfe of his people Psal 144. 12. 13 14. that their sonnes might be tall and hardy and their daughters faire their oxen strong to labour their sheepe fertile and fruitfull that there might be no commotion nor complaining in their streets at length windeth up all with this Epiphonema or Conclusion Blessed be the people that are in such a case but on the necke of it hee comes in with an Epanorthoma or Correction of his former speech eating in and revoking his words as if he had spoken otherwise than well yea rather saith he Blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God as if he had said that indeed is a blessing in some kind but it is nothing to this blessednesse for that is but externall this is internall that is but temporall this eternall He then that desires to prosper whether in grace or in goods or in both let him thus do frequent the house of God seek the face of God reverence the ministerie of the word yeeld thy selfe to be wrought upon by the powerfull Gospell of Iesus Christ and this if any thing will make thee to prosper 2 Thus you have heard the first point handled with the severall circumstances of it touching mans duty To seeke God the next is Gods mercy To prosper them that seeke him God made him to prosper God is the Authour of all prosperitie as David speaks of promotion it comes neither froÌ„ the East nor from the West from the North nor from the South but it comes from God so doth this It is observeable that when Isaac blessed Iacob Gen. 27. 28. thus he said God give thee of the dew of heaven and the fatnes of the earth and plenty of corne and wine after when he came to blesse Esau he gives him in a maner the verie same blessing Vers 39. Behold thy dwelling shall be the fatnesse of the earth and the dew of heaven from above but no mention is made of God in Esau's blessing as was in Iacobs Doubtlesse this was a presage that Iacobs posterity all true â—sraelites should depend upon God for those temporall blessings and acknowledge themselves beholding to God for their outward prosperity and so should not Esau's race I meane the men of this world of whom David saith Psal 17. 14. They have their bellies filled with hid treasure for it is absconditum it is hid to them who it is that feeds and filleth their bellies namely God they know him not neither doe they acknowledge his gifts but wee know him and are bound in dutie and conscience to acknowledge that we have nothing but what wee have received no food to nourish us nor meanes to maintaine us nor hopes nor helpes to preferre and prosper us but what must come from God Non nobis Domine non nobis not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy name give the praise marke the ingemination the Prophet teacheth us to pray twice against our owne praise we are so apt to praise our selves so ready to glory in our owne prosperity but let me advise you you that finde that the world doth favour you and prosperity begins to come upon you whom should you thanke for it not thanke your selves but thanke your God it is he that makes you to prosper Observe againe that it is not barely said God prospered him but God made him to prosper as it were in despight of all those that sought and wish'd his undoing As it is said in another case Mat. 5. 45. God makes the Sunne to shine upon the good and upon the bad he makes the raine to fall upon the just and the unjust it is not said hee suffers it but hee makes it
thee more than this so say I to him that trembles at the inundation of debt upon him cannot God if hee were sought unto give an issue out of this cannot God I say if the stumbling-blocke of thy sinne were taken out of the way by a sound and serious humiliation cannot God give thee even more than that thou owest cannot God doe more for thee than thou art aware of assure thy selfe he can nay assure thy selfe he will Take not my word for it but take the Apostles word Phil. 4. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be nothing carefull so we translate it but the word signifies be not distracted or troubled in minde and what is there in the world what worldly thing I meane that more distracts and troubles an honest-minded man than the thought and consideration of his debts and dangers well but is there no remedie is there no reliefe for one in such a case yes there is one universall remedie for all evils whatsoever and that is humble prayer that is the harbour we must put into in all our ill weather and that is it the Apostle directs unto in the place-forecited be carefull for nothing but in every thing let your request be made knowne unto God in supplication and prayer and giving of thankes and the God of peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall keepe and guard your hearts as Kings are kept and guarded from all annoyances This doe then thou that art perplexed and intangled in a labyrinth of debt that thou canst find no outgate no passage no way to escape down upoÌ„ thy knees to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome speaks unclaspe thy conscience before God lay open thy grievances to him unloade thy cares and wants and feares into the bosome of Iesus Christ and ifany meanes under heaven will ease and helpe thee this will doe it Beleeve it brethren all worldly policies without this are but Arenasine calce sand without lime they wil never hold together when wee have most neede of them but like untempered morter will fall asunder let earnest prayer be joyned with frugalitie skill and industrie and then expect with comfort the end that God will give and this is the way to make a poore man prosper I have but one thing more to move you in before I leave this point and that is this that you whom God hath already prospered and blest and enabled to doe good would be pleased and perswaded to give something out of your plentie to the poore and pious uses according as God hath prospered you it is the Apostles own word 1 Cor. 16. 2. He would have every one lay up in store by him to bestow on the poore and needy according as God hath prospered him for the quantitie God hath left it to every mans conscience onely in generall he is directed 2 Cor. 9. to doe as God hath prospered him we should doe therefore in this case as the Iewes doe in another case who because they know not the precise time when the Sabbath should begin and end they beginne it an houre the sooner and end it an houre the later this they call Additionem de prophano ad sacrum an addition from prophanenesse to holinesse I will not dispute the lawfulnesse of that act in particular but generally in such cases as this it is good for every man to doe rather with the most than with the least Quantiscumque sumptibus constet lucrum est piet at is nomine facere sumptus Whatsoever cost a man is at for pious and charitable uses it shall be a gaine unto himselfe We finde 1 Chron. 22. 14 when David had bestowed all his cost in preparation for the Temple a hundred thousand talents of gold a thousand thousand talents of silver thus he exprest it Ecce in paupertate meâ this saith he I have done according to my poverty as if he had said if I had beene able to doe more I would have done more but this was as much as I could reach to and this I trust God will accept say not then in thy heart if I were rich If I were able I would doe thus and thus but doe as God hath prospered thee if thou canst not doe according to thy minde doe according to thy meanes and that is all that God requires we read Mat 21. when our Saviour came riding to Ierusalem some strewed their garments in the way and some cut downe bowes and branches If thou beest not able to strew thy garments in the way of Christ that is to cloath his poore naked members then cut downe bowes and branches at least speake comfortable words to them plead for them and what thou wantest in substance make up in prayer You know the poore widdowes case in the Gospell that put her two mites into the poore mans box our Saviour Christ affirmed that she gave more than all the rest because shee gave all that shee had which testified as one saith not only her liberality to God but her confidence in God that she did verily beleeve though shee left her selfe nothing she should not lacke whereupon Saint Augustine saith Divites largiuntur securi de divitiis pauper securus de Domino a rich man gives and feares no want because hee knowes he hath enough at home a poore man gives and feares as little because he knowes he hath enough above there is one above will supply his wants Beleeve it brethren he that gives any thing with a true intent to relieve the poore and to maintaine the distressed shall doe himselfe more good than he doth them whom hee releeves and I will prove it out of Deut. 15. 7. 10. If there be amoâ—g you a poore man one of thy brethren within any of thy gates thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand upon thy poore brother but thou shalt surely give him and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto Contrariwise he that is so gripple and so base that he will part with nothing to the poore let him know that in so doing he makes a forfeiture to God of all his goods and God will be a severe exacter of it at his hands when hee comes to judgement We have a president for it in the Gospell of the man that had a talent given him and did not use it as hee ought there came an extent from God first upon the talent Take away his talent from him theÌ„ there came an extent upon his person too Take away the unprofitable servant bind him and cast him into utter darkenesse As S. Peter told Simon Magus Thou and thy money perish together it had beene happie for him if nothing but his money had perished but there comes an extent from God against all Hee and his money must perish together As the Idolater as one said of
as they are healthfull and sound and aile nothing their onely care is to give themselves content by hunting and hawking by dicing and carding by drinking and drabbing c. sico sic juvat vivere to some mens thinking no such contenting life in the world as theirs till these men fall into the hands of God as sooner or later they shall surely fall and God doth begin to nip them and bruse and crush them in his hands with sicknesse of body or sorrowes of soule alas all their Content is vanisht and gone and they become like Naomi in Bethlem neither pleasing to themselves nor others These contentments are worme-eaten like Ionas Gourd that will faile a man when hee stands most in need of them and these kind of men are farre from that Content which my Text speaketh of But there are another sort of Christians and they are subacti or Ablactati mortified subdued or weaned Christians such as David was Psal 131. 2. I have behaved my selfe like a child that is weaned yea my soule is as a weaned child A childe that sucks his whole delight is to be nibling at the brest nothing quiets nothing contents him but that but let him once be throughly weaned and then though you shew him never so goodly a brest abounding with never so luscious milke and flatter him never so much you shall not get him to take it nor to touch it for then his content lies in another kind it is somthing els must quiet him and not that So it is with a mortified and an unmortified Christian nothing contents the one but the brest of the world nothing lesse than that contents the other When the soule of a Christian is once weaned and taken off from the follies and vanities of this life that he begins to savour and set his mind upon the things that concerne a better life he shall feele his disposition aloâ—â— within him and shall find a more sensible content in enjoying his God than any worldling upon earth either doth or can finde in enjoying his goods as David affirmes Psa 4. 8. Dedisti â—â—titiam c. Thou hast put more gladnesse in my heart than in the time that their corne and wine and oyle increased The meaning is he tooke more delight and more content in the Law and favour of God in the worship and service of God in conversing and walking with God more I say by farre than the men of this world could take in their joyfullest times of all when their corne and wine and oyle encreased And this is the medulla the pith and marrow of that Christian contentation which is begun upon earth and never ends in heaven This is such a happinesse that none can attaine unto but onely they that are Cribrati Christiani as Tertullian termes them sifted Christians they that have beene winnowed and fanned and sifted as it were by Gods afflictions by the devils temptations and by the worlds unkindnesses they that have beene tossed and tumbled and beaten in the world and have found by their owne experience that there is no content to be had in any estate but onely from God and that there is no estate but God may be had in if a man will himselfe these are they that have learned with S. Paul in whatsoever state they are therewith to be content And so I come more nearely to the first principall part of my Text wherein are three remarkable points to be observed 1 Sngularitas personae the singularity and propriety of the person noted in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have learned 2 Specificatio temporis the specification or intimation of the time when hee learned it noted in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth not say I will learne tobe content but I have learned I have done it already 3. Specialitas reâ— the specialty or excellency of the thing it selfe which S. Paul had learned and attained and that was to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe-sufficient and what that meaneth you shall heare by and by 1. Singularitas personae I have learned Some may happily conceit that S. Paul speakes but this of his owne particular that he for his part had learned to be Content not that it is the common condition of every privat Christian to be thus qualified thus contented Answ It is true as S. Paul was an Apostle and you know hee was a great Apostle Apostolus per Antonomasian called by the name of The Apostle in all our quotations of him I say as he was an Apostle he had his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his peculiar gifts and graces proper to himselfe not attaineable nor imitable by us but that he speakes here he speakes it as a Christian as a Convert as a contented man and that a grace that 's common to every true beleever The Scripture speakes of a Common faith Tit. 1. 4. because it is common to all the faithfull and so likewise of a Common salvation Iude 3. because it is common to all that shall be saved which yet every Christian must labour to make proper to himselfe so may this be called a Commmon contentment because it is such as every common Christian must apply to himselfe and is bound in conscience to learne and practise for his owne particular for the comfort and discharge of his owne soule in the sight of God It is worth your observation that of David Psal 40. 6. where he saith of himselfe In the volume of thy booke it is written of me that I should do thy will O my God I am content to do it now let a man reade over the whole volume of Gods booke he shall not find that t is written of David that he by name should doe the will of God more than another man Why then doth David affirme this of himselfe I le tell you what I thinke the reason may be David found in the volume of Gods booke that it was thus written of men of his ranke and quality of Kings Prophets c. that they should have a speciall care to do the will of God and to be exemplary in their lives to others and this doth David appropriate and apply to himselfe in particular as if it had beene thus written of him and none else but him In like manner when you reade in the volume of this booke that it is thus written of S. Paul that he had learned to be Content you must know that it is your case as well as his and that you for your parts have as good cause and as great reason as ever David had to apply this writing to your selves and say for your owne particular It is written of me that I should be content O my God J am content to be so It was good counsell that Eliphaz gave to Iob 5. 27. Heare this and know it for thy good so we translate it but in Hebrew it is dang-lecha know it for thy selfe It is not enough for a man to
than so is he that is a servant of sinne My brethren saith S. Iames he not many masters Iam. 3. 1. every man naturally hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many masters in himselfe every temptation every sinne every lust is a wicked mans master pride comes and that masters him then comes anger and that masters him then comes covetousnesse or worldlinesse or filthy uncleannesse all these get the mastery of him and keepe them in subjection that he is not himself O quam multos dominos habet qui unum not habet Oh how many masters and Lords hath that man that hath not thee O God for his Lord and master the very devill himselfe is his master yea more than that he is his God therefore he is called the god of this world 2 Cor. 4. 4. And why the god of this world mee thinkes that should be too high too happy too honourable a title for so base a fiend doubtlesse the reason is this because as God at the beginning did but speake the Word and it was done Gen. 1. so if the devill doth but speake the word as it were but give the least hint of any sinne that hee would have committed and done presently they doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeke opportunity to bring it to passe at such a becke are wicked men to the mortall enemy of their soules Can any man say or doth any man thinke that these men are themselves or that they can enjoy true contentment Alas no for their case is just as the Israelites was in Aegypt who when they had wrought hard in the brick-killns all day were well whipt and beaten for their labours at night or as Sampson among the Philistims who after he had laboured and ground like a horse in the mill all day was put into the prison house at night And what content could either of these take in their worke or in their wages Thus will Sathan serve them that serve him after they have wrought hard in the workes of darkenesse the whole day of their lives when the night of death comes without great mercy on Gods part and great repentance on their owne part they shall be sure to be cast into the prison of hell and there whipt and tormented everlastingly for their paines And if there be any content in such worke or in such wages judge ye By this you perceive there is more belongs to selfe-sufficiency than perhaps you are aware of there may be self-love self-will or self-pleasing or self-conceit where there is no true grace nor feare of God but there wil be no self-sufficiencie no solid contentment till a man be delivered from Nabals drunkennesse from Nebuchadnezzars madnesse and from Satans villinage and so be truly converted and come to himselfe for there must be a conversion before there can be any contentation never looke to be contented till first thou be converted and come home to God and to thy selfe for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe before sufficient Hence then I observe foure corollaries or singular circumstances touching the nature and quality of this selfe-sufficiencie that it is 1. Res seria a serious thing as Seneca said of true joy mihi creds res severa est verum gaudium so may I say of true contentment it is not a light and frothy but a grave and weighty thing he that would be truely contented must sit downe and consider seriously with himselfe in what tearmes hee stands with God for such as a mans conscience is to God-ward such is his contentment to himselfe-ward There is no peace to the wicked saith my God Esay 57. 21. a wicked man can have no comfort nor content Why For hee is like the troubled sea whose waters cast up mire and dirt saith the Prophet in the same place and why like the troubleth sea and not like the troubled aire for the same wind troubles both The reason is because when the aire is troubled if the wind doe but cease it is presently calmed so is the heart of a godly man when his troubles are over his heart is presently at rest but a wicked mans heart is like the sea which when the winds are layed and there is no outward thing to trouble it it still workes and foames and troubles it selfe with its owne motion so though a wicked man have nothing outwardly to trouble him yet his owne unquiet heart troubles it selfe and will not suffer him to be at peace Take this for a Maxime that a wicked man can never be a contented man Try thy selfe therefore whether thou be filius pacis a sonne of peace or filius irae a child of wrath looke well into thy selfe to see how the case stands betwixt thy soule and thy God if upon inquiry thou findest that God and thee are friends then goe thy way as Solomon saith Eccles 9. 7. Eate thy bread with joy and drinke thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy workes if otherwise thou be one that livest at variance with God then change thy note and say Droope O my soule hang downe thy head and heart be in bitternesse of spirit Inhaere poenitentiae usque ad finem vitae Amb. repent and mourne to the very death never suffer one chearefull thought in thy heart one cheerefull looke in thy face one chearefull word in thy mouth till thou hast reconciled thy selfe to God and make thy peace with heaven never seeke to give thy selfe content till first thou hast given thy God content for all the sinnes wherewith thou hast grieved and discontented him Let no man therefore be mistaken in the matter of contentment to thinke that it is a wanton and a lascivious thing he that truely learnes it shall find that it is Res seria a weighty and a serious thing 2. It is Res sacra a holy thing therefore the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. 6. joynes Godlinesse and contentment together to shew that none can be a contented man but hee that is a godly man A stranger saith Salomon doth not intermeddle with this joy Prov. 14. 10. he that is a stranger to God and a stranger to godlinesse hath nothing to doe with true contentednesse In which respect the Apostle saith that God giveth to the godly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things richly to enjoy 1 Tim. 6. 17. It is one thing to use a thing another to enjoy it a wicked man may use the creatures and the ordinances and bessings of God but he cannot be said to enjoy them for that imports a sweete and sanctified use of them which is the gift of God only to them that are godly and it is certaine no man in the world takes so much content in his meates and drinkes and lawfull recreations as a godly man doth for he enjoyes God in all these Contrarily The joy of the wicked saith Salomon elsewhere hath a snare in it i a secret guiltinesse of sinne that strangles all
their mirth so that even in laughter their hearts are heavie It followes then that as that was the best wine that was of Christs making Iohn 2. when he turned the water into wine so that is the best content that is of Gods making when he turnes our carnall joy into a spirituall joy and mingleth heavenly content with earthly Let no man therefore have a misopinion of contentment as if it were a sensuall or carnall thing for he that truely understands it shall find that it is Res sacra a sacred and holy thing 3. It is Res pretiosa a precions thing not onely as t is said 1 Sam. 3. 1. That the word of God was precious in those dayes that is rare unusuall and seldome heard of for so is contentment too it is a rare thing to finde a contented man but it is Rarum and Charum too not onely precious for the rarity and strangnesse of it but for the worth and excellency of it as the bloud of Christ is called precious bloud for the worth and excellency of it above all other bloud for one drop of it was able to redeemē a world in this sence is true content a precious thing it s indeed the onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only heaven upon earth that this world affords without which a man is even dead while he liveth and many times through griefe and discontent is even ready as Iob speakes to chuse strangling and death rather than life Iob. 7. 15. Let a mans house be never so well situated never so well furnisht and fairely built if he have no content in it it is but as the Citty of refuge was sayd to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prison without fetters though it be not a place of durance t is a place of bondage to him Let a mans wife be never so vertuous if he have no content in her she is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a snake in his bosome a continuall heart-sore and vexation to him though a man have many children and meanes enough to leave them if he have no content in them they will be to him as Jacoh sayd of Simeon and Levi a meanes to bring downe his hoary head with griefe and sorrow to the grave Let a mans table be never so richly deckt as David speakes if he have no content in it it is but with him as it was with the Israelites when God gave them Quailes to eate but sent cleannesse withall into their soules All your Cupboards of plate without contentment are but as Moab was said to be Olla lotionis no better than washpots or as the prophet expresseth it They are vessels wherein there is no pleasure In a word there is no earthly blessing within doore or without that is of any price or worth or value to a man except it have contentment joyned with it Therefore judge ye whether it be not Res pretiosa a rare and precious thing If thou separate the precious from the vile thou shalt bee as my mouth saith God Ier. 15. 19. there is a vile a base contentment that consists in sensuality and beastly lusts when men like Swine lye and wallow in the myre of their owne sinnes but ther 's another contentment when a man like Enoch can walke with his God and enjoy the comfort of a good conscience to himselfe and this is that which I terme pretious 4. Lastly t is Res petenda a thing to be prayed for For this shall every one that is godly make his prayer unto thee saith David Psal 32. 6. for other things the prayers of the godly differ and very exceeding much one prayes for faith another for patience another for wisedome c. according as every one knowes the state of his own soule the necessities of his own life but this is such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a universall good thing that every one that is godly wil be sure to pray for though they differ in other things in this they all agree all their prayers jumpe and meete in this center there is not a godly man upon earth but he doth heartily desire of God that if God will not give him meanes to live richly nor health to live soundly yet that he would give him grace to live contētedly Super hoc for this shal every one that is godly make his prayers unto thee It is indeed a grace that comes immediatly from God as the Apostle implyeth in the next verse to my text having said here he had learned to be content hee useth another expression there and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am Divinely taught or I am taught of God to be content it is not mans teaching then but Gods teaching his inward effectuall working that must learne a man the Art of contentation Non lectio sed unctio as S. Bernard speakes t is not all the reading in the world that can bring a man to it but t is that same Annointing which the Scripture speakes of 1 Iohn 2. 27. that must supple and soften a mans heart and make him pliable to any condition A man must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inwardly taught and wrought of God before he can come to the true understanding and application of it to himselfe It is true that all other blessings besides this doe come from God but not so immediatly as this grace doth if a man want money friends may supply him if he want counsell the Lawyers may helpe him if he stand in need of physicke there be those that can doe him ease but if he want a heart to sive comfortably and grace to live contentedly it is God alone that can furnish him therewith Hes is the God of all Grace as S. Peter cals him 1 Pet. 5. he hath the treasury the monopoly of it in his owne hands want you wisedome want you faith want you contentment c. to him you must repaire It is Hee that giveth his beloved sleepe as David speaketh He that would sleepe quietly and awake contentedly must be a suter to God Contentment will not come alone t is Res petenda a thing to be prayed for and happy are we that we may have it for praying And here I cannot but commend unto you the prayer of Agur for this very thing Prov. 30. 8. that holy man knew that if the world afforded any perfect contentment it was in a middle estate equally distant from penury and from excesse he knew it was a hard matter for a man that is either very poore or very rich to live contentedly therefore he desired of God to give him neither poverty nor riches but to feede him with food convenient for him That God would grant him such an indifferent such a midling estate that he might neither be so poore as to be despised nor so rich as to be envied but onely so happy as to be contented this was the summe and substance of his prayer Give mee leave I
out of the water thus it fares with an hypocrite saith Iob when he is taken as it were with the Angle of God I meane with some mortall sicknesse that God begins to pull at his soule and twitch it out of his body whether he will or no then quaenam spes where is the hope of the Hypocrite alas his hope is gone The like expression you have Luke 12. 20. God Almighty saith to the rich man Thou foole this night they shall fetch away thy soule as if he had said I know thou art loath to part with thy soule loath to forgoe it but that shall not serve thy turne there will come those that will take it by force and fetch it from thee whether thou wilt or no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall never aske thee leave but shall wrest and wring it I am thee into such a place such a company such a condition as I am afraid to mention I have not now time as the Greekes say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beate this Oake for any more Acornes nor to sift my text for any more observations onely in a word If you desire to die contentedly let your care and endeavour be to live conscionably then let death come when it will it shall be no otherwise than a mid-wife aâ— Naz. speakes to deliver you and helpe you out of the paines of earth into the joyes of heaven then when you die you shall live when you goe from men you shall goe to God when your eyes are closed on earth they shall be opened againe in heaven Thus according to my weake ability I have done with my text and shewed you the way to be content God of his mercy give a blessing unto it for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be given and ascribed all honour and glory be done and performed all service and duty this day and for ever Amen FINIS THE Way to Well-doing OR A SERMON OF FAITH AND GOOD WORKES Preached in the Chappell of Buntingford in the County of Hartford at the beginning of their publike Lecture By John Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex Printed at London by Thomas Cotes for Thomas Alchorn and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Greene-dragon 1635. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Master John Mountford Doctor of Divinity and one of the Residentiaries of Saint Pauls my most worthy friend and Benefactour Right Worshipfull I Remember a Motto of your owne which was this Lunae radijs non maturescâ—t Botrus That the beames of the Moone are too weake and too invalid to ripen a tender grape and bring it to maturitie unlesse the sun also adde his heate and cast his vitall beames upon it How well this sutes with men of my ranke that are Inferioris subsellij sacerdotes J shall not neede to tell you Alas what are all a poore mans labours in the ministry but as the Beames of the Moone some light they may give in a darke place but to ripen any worke for the publike good or to gaine any credit or estimation in the world they are farre too weake and unsufficient unlesse some man of worth that is instar solis in stead of the Suune to so poore a starre will be pleased out of his owne goodnesse to cast some beames J meane some favour and friendly countenance upon him Vouchsafe me therefore your gracious aspect upon my weake endeavours and the God of Heaven preserve your life that you may continue like Eliakim Esay 22. 23. As a fastened naile in a sure place still to doe good workes in Gods Church on earth till you be received up into glory with his Church in heaven Thus prayes Your poore unworthy Servant IOHN GORE THE WAY TO Well-doing Titus 3. 8. This is a faithfull saying and these things I will that thou affirme constantly that they which have beleeved in God might be carefull to maintaine good workes these things are good and profitable unto men NOT to trouble you with any preface it being not Taâ—ti not worth the while may it please you to observe in the Text three generall parts which may be reduced to three Heads and bee thus expressed 1. The Preachers direction 2. The peoples duty 3. Every ones desire As thus This is a faithfull saying and these things I will thou affirme constantly there is the preachers direction 2. As many as have beleeved in God must bee carefull to maintaine good workes there is the peoples duty 3. These things are good and profitable unto men there is every ones desire for that which every man desires that which every man aymes and drives at in his calling and in his course of life is to doe those things that may redound to their profit and their good and therein my text complyes with every mans desire assuring them that these things are not onely good and pleasing to God but good and profitable also unto men God hath onely the glory of our well-doing the profit and the good is all our owne In the first generall part observe two particulars 1. A commendation of the text this is a faithfull saying 2. A command to the Teacher these things I will that thou affirme constantly 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a faithfull saying I suppose you beleeve there is not a saying in all the booke of God but it is a true and a faithfull one all proceeding from the mouth of him that is a true and faithfull God a God that cannot lie nor alter the thing that is gone out of his lips yet some sayings in Gods booke are by way of Eminence or of excellence called by the name of faithfull sayings it pleaseth the Holy Ghost himselfe to set that note of dignity upon them either because God would have us in a speciall manner to build our faith and our affiance upon them as if he should say whatever other saiyngs of scripture ye doubt of never make any doubt of these for they are faithfull sayings you may pawne your lives and soules upon the truth and certainetie of them or rather as I take it they are termed faithfull sayings because they are such as doe more neerely concerne the faithfull then any others being purposely directed and intended Omnibus Christi fidelibus to all Christs faithfull people wheresoever for as Saint Paul said of Timothy Phil. 2. 20. I know no man like minded who will naturally care for such matters as these Tell a carnall or a worldly man of faith and good workes surdo canis you doe but as it were tell a tale to a deafe man he minds not what you say if you will talke to such a one you must tell him of the prizes of corne the practise of husbandry the rising and falling of the markets or perhaps some forraine or Domesticall newes then he understands you you speake to him then in his owne Idiome in his owne language but tell
Signe of the Greene-dragon 1635. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Mr. VVILLIAM BIRD Doctor of the Civill Law my most worthy Friend and Benefactor RIGHT WORSHIP WHen J consider the manifold favours and courtesies that J have found at your hands J am ready to say unto my selfe as Ruth said once to Boaz Ruth 2. 10. Quare inveni gratiam Why have J found grace in your eyes that you should take knowledge of me seeing J am a stranger For mine owne part J can impute it to nothing but unto Gods goodnesse and your owne worthinesse And my onely ambition is to make you this acknowledgement 〈◊〉 the world may for though J 〈◊〉 pâ—â—re 〈…〉 Nâ—◠〈◊〉 Ioaâ—â—isâ—t â—isâ—t to David 〈…〉 Sam. 24 3. so wish J to you The 〈◊〉 God 〈◊〉 â—â—tâ— your â—â—tate how much soever it be an hundred fold and that your eyes may see it and your heart may rejoyce in it all the dayes of your life Thus prayes Your poore unworthy 〈◊〉 IOHN GORE A SVMMER SERMON IAMES 5. 17 18. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not raine and it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeares and sixe moneths And he prayed againe and the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit THe sum and drift of this Text is to set forth the efficacie or rather omnipotencie of earnest and fervent Prayer There be two graces of God in man that may iustly be termed Omnipotent or Almighty graces God himselfe being pleased to shew his Almighty power and goodnes in them and they are Faith and Prayer 1. For the first Mat. 15. 28. O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt What a large unlimited Grant and Patent was this for a poore sinner to aske what she would and have promise of acceptance Mark 9. 23. to him that beleeveth all things are possible Looke what a beleever cannot doe himselfe God himselfe will doe it for him and yet it shal be accounted as his act and deed Phil. 4. 1â— I can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Not meaning that he could do all things in generall and at large as to walke on the waters or flie in the aire c. but all things that belonged to his calling all things that concerned his Ministery and all things that pertained to the right way of pleasing God and of saving his owne soule He could pray well Preach well live well he could want and he could abound he could conforme and apply himselfe to all estates whatsoever All this he could doe not by any power or abilitie of his owne but by the strengthning grace and faith and vertue of Iesus Christ I can doe all things through Christ that strengthneth me As on the contrary Our Saviour saith of himselfe Marke 6. 5. that he could do nothing worth speaking of in his own Country 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or mighty wâ—rkâ— no worke of wonder in respect of what he could have done onely because of their unbeliefe and marke that it is not said Hee would doe no such workes there but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He could not doe them not that Christ was unable for want of power but he saw it was unavaileable through their lacke of faith For the power of God and the faith of men are like the spirits and the sinewes in the body the one moves and stirres and workes within the other if there be no faith in us there can be no expectation of any power or any helpe from God 2 The other omnipotent grace is Prâ—yâ—r and that you may be assured it is so marke but that expression Exod. â—â— 10. Let me alone saith God to Moses that I may confâ—â—â—â— them and I will make of thee a great Nation What a word was this to come from the mouth of Almighty God to bid a poore weake creature let him alone it shewes that Moses by his prayer did even as it were â—ver-power the Lord that the Lord had not the power to revenge himselfe on that provoking people as long as Moses interceded for them Such a powerfull man with God was Eliah here in my Text His mouth as a Father saith was Franum Coeli the very bridle of heaven he could even rule the heavens with his prayers as a man rules a horse with a bridle Now least you should thinke he did thus prevaile with God rather by the priviledge of his person then by the vertue of his prayers The Apostle tells us for that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee was a man subject to the sâ—mâ— passions that we are and yet his prayer tooke such good effect Eliah was a man subject c. In my Text there are two generall points to be considered 1. The condition and quality of Eliahs person He was a man subject â—o like passions as we are 2. The condition and quality of his prayer that like a two-edged sword it cut both wayes and prevailed in both kindes both to bring a judgement and to bring a blessing upon the people His first prayer like a burning fever entred into the bowels of the earth and scorcht and dried up the Rivers and Lakes and Springs and leâ—â— no moisture in them and so brought a judgement of drought and dearth upon the land His second prayer went up into the clouds above and fetcht an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a heaven-dropping dew a happy and a heavenly raine that moystned and fatned and refreshed the earth againe He prayed againe and the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit 1 The coâ—â—ition and quality of Eliahs person what manner of man Eliah was My text saith hee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man subject to the same passions to the same frailties and infirmities that we are Hence you may observe that no profession of holinesse no practise of piety no degree of grace and sanctification in this life can exempt or free or priviledge a man from common passions and infirmities Eliah was a man of God a mortified and a sanctified man and one of the greatest favorites in the Court of heaven and yet a man subject to passions What shall I neede to multiply examples to prove this point when we know the Apostle affirmeth even of our Saviour himselfe That he was in all things like unto us sinne excepted set but sinne aside whereof his blessed person was uncapeable for as no rust can take hold of burning and â—â—aming iron no more could any â—â—me or corruption take hold of his pure and precious soule set but that aside and our Saviour Christ was as Eliah is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man subject to the very same 〈…〉 and passionâ— of anger and feare and sorrow and sadnesse that we are and happy was it for us that so hee was for by this meanes he became as the Apostle saith Heb. 2. 17. Amercifull High-Preist one
if thou belongest to heaven Lastly from hence they that are rich in this world may learne in a contrary sence to that of Lucifer to be similes altissimo like to the most high God I meane in goodnesse and tender-mercie we use to say dives quasi divus to intimate that a rich man should be to the poore as Moses was to Aaron in some fence a God Exod. 4. to succour and defend them in the time of need so then look how God above doth in the Summer time refresh the bowels of the earth with raine and in the Winter time keepe warme the backe of it with Snow so should they Philemon-like refresh the bowels of the poore that are pinched with hunger and Dorcas-like provide some cloathing for the backes of the poore that are not able to cloath themselves It is recorded of Iob to his eternall happinesse and honour that the loynes of the poore did blesse him being warmed with the fleece of his flocke Oh what a blessed thing it is to have the blessing of the poore and the blessing of God into the bargaine and all for the offalls of a mans estate Such a man shal be blessed in his name blessed in his person blessed in his posterity God will blesse a charitable minded man men will blesse him heaven will blesse him earth will blesse him all that ever have beene comforted or cloathed by him will blesse him too their backes will blesse him their bellies will blesse him their soules will blesse him his house shal be filled with blessings as a cruell mans house is filled with curses Therefore as David said of the men of Iabez when newes was brought him that they had buried the bones of Saul 2 Sam. 2. 5. Blessed be ye of the Lord the Lord recompence you this mercy So may I say of a mercifull minded man blessed be such a man of the Lord the Lord will surely recompence him mercy for mercy kindnesse for kindnesse and whatsoever cost he hath bestowed upon earth he shall finde it a hundred fold with God in heaven This lesson men of wealth and ability may learne of the very Snow or rather of the God that sends it not to lay all upon their owne backes Salâ—â—s sylvas as hee said groves and grounds and all to decke up themselves but lay something out upon the backes of Christs naked members that they may heare that comfortable doome at the last day Come yee blessed of my Father for I was naked and ye cloathed c. I had a conceit as I come by the way that the Snow did carry in it a lively resemblance of the state of this world in sundry passages I will but name them and leave them to your consideration 1. As the earth lies warme under the Snow and feeles not the bitter blasts of winde and frost which other poore creatures shrinke and smart for so fares it with the rich men of this world that lie warme with their wealth about them and have no feeling nor compassion of the cold and hunger the miseries and necessities of their poorer brethren So Dives being warme within had no feeling of poore Lazarus without now Dives signifies a rich man and Lazarus in the Originall signifies one qui auxilio destitutus est One that stands in neede of helpe and the intent of the Parable is to shew that the rich are commonly as destitute of pitty as the poore are destitute of helpe the one hath little or no feeling of the other sufferings 2. You may observe how the Snow goes by drifts the Wind fetcheth it off from one place to fill up another many a piece of ground is made naked and bare to fill up some ditch or pile up against some hedge and there it lies to keep those places warme that were warme before Even so doth the wealth of this world goe by drifts the winde of adversitie fetcheth it off from one man to fill up the unsatiable ditch of another man and many a mans meanes like the Snow is blowne cleane away from him and his posterity into the hands of Vsurers and rich Oppressoins to keepe them warme that were warme already to increase their wealth that had too much before just as Naboâ—hs Vineyard was blowne away from him and from his children into the territorie and demaines of wicked 〈◊〉 3. Looke how they boyes and other youths toyle themselves in the cold to make a Snow-ball that shall licke up the other Snow and laâ—â— when that is gone so doth many a covetous man toile himselfe in the world and licke up his poore neighbours with hard bargaines and cruell dealings and all this to rowle up himselfe a private wealth which when he hath done is but like a Snow-ball it may last for a time but vix gaudet tertiâ—â— heres it is a venture but some unthriftie Heire will waste it and melt it away as fast and as ill as ever his father got it 4. The Snow blindes a mans eyes that when he comes into a darke roome he can scarce discerne any thing Thus are many a mans eyes dazled with the vanities and vices of the world that when hee should come to looke inward into the darke corners of his heart to see how the case stands betwixt God and his soule like the blinded Sodomites he gropes at noone-day and cannot finde the doore of Gods mercy to enter at Salomon saith that gifts blinde the eyes of the wise In the Originall it is Pickim such as have their eyes open the meaning is that corruption and briberie so dazleth many a wise man that though his eyes be open to the world-ward to hell-ward they are blinde to God-ward and to heaven-ward and cannot see into the things that belong to the right way of pleasing of God and saving their owne soules 5. As many a dunghil and many a dirty slough is hid under a drift of Snow that a man can neither see it nor suspect it so is many a base minde many a false heart hid under a faire outside that will make profession and promises of favour and friendship to a man in prosperity but let him be cast or driven upon them in adversitie he shall finde them like a rotten quagmire under a heape of Snow a meanes rather to sinke him than to save or succour him at such a time 6. Lastly as Leontius said once to his sonnes pointing with his finger to his gray-haires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. when this Snow melts there will be a floud so let all old weather-beaten sinners pueri centuÌ„ annoruÌ„ as the Prophet speaks Esa 65. 20. that are aged in time and sin but children in grace and knowledge that have feathered their nests in this world and have nothing to take to in the world to come let them beware as he said least a floud of fire brimstone in the infernal lake do follow upoÌ„ the melting of their snowyheads upon the dissolution of their
David did observe this priviledge that they were never forsaken and they were the righteous onely I never saw 〈◊〉 righteous forsaken 3. The continuance and succession of Gods favour and mercy that it doth not rest onely upon the righteous themselves but extendeth and eâ—la geth it selfe to their posterity and their seed nor their seed begging their bread Of thâ—se in their order and first of the time how long David had observed Gods dealing with the righteous namely from hi youth to his age â— I have beenâ— young Here first you may take into your consideration the holy minority of the Prophet David that in his young time he began to enter into religious thoughts and meditations touching Gods proceedings with his servants That time which other young folkes waste and melt away in folly and vanitie or in the pleasures of sinne that did he dispend and employ in a more serious and more sacred manner in devotions and divine contemplations of the manifold wisedome and workes of God To be a patterne and a president to all young â—olkeâ— that should come after him to begin betimes 〈◊〉 God and follow goodnesse Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth saith Salomon Eccles 12. 1. before evill dayes come Old dayes are evill dayes in respect of young dayes â—t be the young that be the good dayes if young folkes had but grace to make good use of them It was Gods Ordinance Levit. â— 14. that in their Meate-offerings of first fruits they should offer greene eares of corne or corne beaten out of greene eares To intimate unto us that God loves wee should dedicate and consecrate our greene and tender yeares to his service and not put it off as too many doe to the very Autumne and fall of their lives It is witten in the Gospel that when Christ heard a yong man say He had kept the Commandements from his youth thâ— Text faith He began to 〈…〉 to shew how God loves these timely beginnings of grace and goodnes Yea I dare say it that God makes more account of a little goodnesse in a young body â—hâ—n of a great deale more in one that is of greater age as you read 1 Reg. 14. 13. When 〈◊〉 childe was sicke the Prophet sent him word from God that he only of Ieroboams house 〈…〉 goe to the grave in peace because in him was found some good thing toward the Lord. There could not be much goodnesse in him being but a child and bred in Idolatry yet because there was some goodnesse ye see how God tooke liking to him and shewed his acceptance by that extraordinary favour towards him Let this be an encouragement to all young persons that are as the Poet speakes Aurorae filij sons of the morning that have day and life before them to learn of David and Ieroboams son to begin betimes to set forward to heaven and make choise of Christ to be their Guardian in their youth so shall they be sure never to come to want nor beggery in their age It was the honour and the happines of Andronicus and Iunia as we read Rom. 16. 7. that they were in Christ before Paul and it is the happiest priviledge and priority in the world to be the first in Christ and in the Covenant of grace for he that is the formost in Christianity upon earth shall be sure to have preferment according to his time both in grace and glory in the heavens Be ambitious therefore ye young men of this high honour and preferment get into Christ as soone as possibly you can for if you linger like Lot in Sodome and stay till you have gotten an habite and an haunt in wickednesse you would noâ— beleeve how hard a matter you shall finde it then to dispose your mindes and frame your lives to goodnesse Stampe Garlicke in a new morter and it will smell of it ever after let the devill get possession of a child he will hardly be removed when he comes to riper yeares as we have an example Marke 9. 20. There was an evil spirit had gotten such hold of a yong mans body that the Disciples with all their power and prayers could not cast him out whereupon our Saviour perceiving with what extremity he came forth with what wallowing and foaming and renting of the possessed He demanded how long that had happened unto him answer was made of a child if Satan get but handsell in child-hood he will plead prescription in age Therefore let all parents take heed they doe not deale with their children as those wicked ones did 2 Reg. 17. who offered their children to Molock first they carried them round about the fire and that was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wheeling about their death and destruction secondly they caused their children to passe through the fire this was called Lustratio a purging by sacrifice thirdly they put them into the belly of Molock which was an hollow Image of brasse and burnt them quicke this was Vivi-comburium burning alive Too many such gracesâ—sse parents there are in the world who first initiate their children to the devill when they correct them 〈◊〉 this is as it were to carry them about the fire of hell secondly when by their evill example they teach them villany as the young 〈…〉 of the old Lyon to catch the prey 〈◊〉 9 this is as â—t were to make them passe through the â—â—â—e they not onely teach them evill by their evill example but applaud and allow them in their wickednesse and as the Apostles word is Rom. 1. 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take delight and pleasure in their lewdnesse that is to put them as it were into the armes into the belly of the devill This is a wofull training up of children God forgive and amend all them that use it and God give all such children grace to doe as Salomon adviseth the young man Prov. 2. 16. â—urto se eripere to steale themselves â—ut of the hands and bands of sinne and Satan and to bind themselves Apprentices to God in their youth so shall they be sure to be potected and preserved and provided for in their age I bave beene young saith David and now am old c. Now am old You have heard the beginning of Davids pietie now marke his proceeding and continuance in well-doing he was no changeling you see neither in Religion nor in affection to God-ward but held on in a constant setled course of godly-mindednesse Iâ—a ut cano placerâ—t quod Juveni complaceâ—aâ— as one said so that that goodnesse which pleased him in his youth pleased him no lesse in his elder yeares yong and old he was still the same still bent and set his heart to serve and to observe the Lord. It was the commendation given to Mnason Act. 21. 16. that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an old disciple and it is the greatest honour that can be given to man or woman to be truely stiled as he was
the Righteous here spoken of and they are mercifull lenders that lend according to our Saviours counsell looking for nothing againe that is for nothing but their owne againe no advantage no gaine no use or their lending but they lend in meere compassion and mercie to releive their poore brethren in their need and necessitie He is ever mercifull and lendeth and marke what followeth His seede is blessed That which worldly-minded men thinke and imagine to be the onely meanes to make their children poore and miserable I meane liberalitie and sending to the poore that the Holy Ghost saith is the onely meanes to make them rich and blessed and is so farre from empoverishing and impairing their estates upon earth that it is the onely way to draw downe Gods blessing out of heaven upon them As the Prophet Ieremy told Iahojakin Ier. 22. 15. So long as thy father did helpe the oppressed and shew kindenesse to the poore and needy did he not prosper was it not well with him so that as Chrysostome saith We may not thinke that God made rich men onely for the profit of the poore but God made the poore as well for the profit of the rich Make yee friends saith our Saviour of the unrighteous Mammon as if rich men should one day finde that the poore were their best friends when they come to be received into everlasting habitations By these and the like examples and instances you may easily conceive who they be that are counted Righteous in Gods acceptation Therefore as Elisha spread himselfe upon the Shunamites child 2 Reg. 4. 34. and applied his mouth to the childs mouth his hands to the childs hands and his body to the childs body till the child began to neeze and to revive so you shall doe well to apply your selves to these patternes and presidents to see what correspondence and agreement there is betwixt 〈◊〉 lives and theirs and if your disposition be the same with 〈…〉 your acceptation shall be the same as theirs was and if you be partakers of the same righteousnesse you shall also be partakers of the same happinesse as it followeth in the text you shall never be deserted nor forsaken of God I never saw the righteous forsaken c. As for the unrighteous and ungracious that first forsake God no marvell if God in Iustice forsake them againe according to that anciently received rule Deus nunquam deserit hominem nisi prius ab homine deseratur God never forsakes any man till that man doe first forsake his God But for the righteous that cleave close unto the Lord and hold them fast by God as David speaketh and will not if they can possibly let go their holdfast beleeve it God will be a steadfast friend to them and will never faile them nor forsake them neither in life nor in death but while they live he will be with them and when they day they shall â—e with him 1 In life the righteous are never quite forsaken nor left utterly destitute of food provision and such other comforts which God in his wisedome seeth to be most expedient for them Thus saith the Lord Esay 65. 13. Behold my servants shall eate but you that is the wicked Idolaters for to them he speaketh you shall be hungry my servants shall drinke but you shall be thirsty my servants shall rejoyce but you shall be ashamed so that what ever be tide the wicked when the dayes of evill come God will take order for the righteous his servants shall be sure to be provided for In the dayes of famine they shall have enough Psa 37. 19. that is enough to content them though not enough to enrich them and if their own meanes chance to faile them at home God will provide them meanes and friends abroad as he told Elias 1 Reg. 17. when he was in great distresse at the river Besor and had neither meate nor drinke to sustaine him The Word of the Lord came unto him saying Arise get thee to Sareptah which is in Sidon and tarry there for behold I have commanded a widdow woman to sustaine thee there Elias knew not the widdow neither did the widdow know him but God who knew them both had given her a secret charge and commandement that shee should sustaine his Prophet and so she did Thus will God 〈…〉 than his owne shall want give secret charges to those we 〈◊〉 not aware of to sustaine and supply us at our need as in Pauls case Act. 17. when the ship was broken in peices which they thought should have carried them to land the Lord cast them and conveighed them safe to shore upon such boards and plankes as they did not nor durst not expect so when those helpes faile us which wee most relied upon God will so provide that somewhat else shall come in and bring us helpe which we never thought nor dreamt of Let the consideration of this teach us to take out that Lesson of the Apostle Heb. 13. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousnesse and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee If God have said it we may sweare it and pawne our lives and soules upon it that if wee live according to his will hee will never leave us nor forsake us while there is breath and life within us 2 As they are ever sustained in life so they are never forsaken in death but in their last extremity when their life is in extremis labris God is alwayes present with them either to relieve or to receive their soules 〈…〉 Iust man saith David and 〈◊〉 the upright for whatsoever 〈◊〉 beginning be yet the end of that maâ— is peace And againe Follow after righteousnesse and doe the thing 〈…〉 for that shall bring a man peace at the last It was promised as a blessing to good Jasiah 2 Reg. 22. ult that he should be gathered to the grave in peace and yet we finde in the story that Iosiah died in warre How then was this promise made good I answer thus though he died in warre outwardly yet he died in peace inwardly his conscience was at peace with God and his soule was pacisied and discharged from the trouble of all his sinnes so that whatsoever his death was yet hee died in peace And such is the happinesse of all the righteous some die by fevers some by the sword some by the fire yet all through Gods mercy die in peace Therefore saith Balaam Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like unto his for though it be decreed in heaven that the Righteous must die as wel as the unrighteous yet there is as great a difference betwixt the manner of their dying as betwixt the passage of the Egyptians and the Israelites through the same red sea which was Alijs sâ—pulâ—hrum alijs vehiculum a sepulcher and a grave to the one to drowne them in perdition and
in mercy to all that call upon him will be a Father to thy children a Guardian to thy orphans and while thou art above with God in glory God will be beneath with them in mercy that they shall never feele such want nor fall to beggery It is a blessing promised to the poore Psal 107. 41. That God will make them families like a flocke of sheepe which implyes that they shall thrive with a little maintenance even as sheepe grow fat and gather flesh and fleeces though the plaines and leas they feed on be but bare and short I know that generally all parents have a naturall desire that their children should prosper and doe well when they themselves be dead and gone Oh that Ishmael might live in thy sight saith Abraham to God Oh that thou wouldst be pleased to take him into thy favour and mercy that he may never cast off thee nor waste his meanes and so come to want and beggery Now if thou wouldst be upon a sure ground for thy childrens welfare labour to become a righteous man thy selfe and to bring thy children to righteousnesse too and then there is no feare but all shall be as well as thy heart can wish for it is not wealth and money but it is honesty and piety that must keepe a mans seed from want and beggery it is not rents and revenewes without but it is Righteousnesse and Religion within that entailes Gods blessing to thy childe and keepes the begger from the doore This then is the onely comfort that though parents shall not know how their children â—are when themselves are dead and gone For Abraham our father is ignorant of us and Israel knowes us not Isa 62. 16. 〈◊〉 the father of the faithfull above knowes not his own children till they come into his bosome nor how the world goes with them and Iob 14. 24. His sons come to honor and he knowes it not and they are brought low but he perceiveth it not of them I say though the Righteous shall not know what becomes of their children after that themselves are gathered to their fathers in peace yet here 's the comfort and the assurance that they have in God that if they have brought them up in the feare and nurture of the Lord and see them towardly and well-disposed to goodnesse they may comfortably depart without feare of their miscariage for as God hath bin a Father to them so he will be to their children and though they leave them behind on earth they shall finde them againe in heaven At which blessed center God of his mercy grant we may all one day meet where we shall never be divided any more but shall live together and love together in eternall solace in eternall felicity world without end Amen FINIS THE ORACLE OF GOD. A SERMON appointed for the Crosse and preached in the Cathedrall Church of St. Paul in London on the 20. day of December being the Sunday before Christmasse Anno Dom. 1635. By Iohn Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex LONDON Printed by Thomas Cotes for Thomas Alchorne and are to be sold at his shop in S. Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Greene-Dragon 1636. Perlegi hanc concionem cui titulus Gods Oracle in quâ nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium Tho. Weekes R. P. Epi. Lond. Cap. Domest TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE CHRISTOPHER CLETHEROVV Lord Major of the honorable City of London whose dignity and prosperity God long continue WHat it pleased your Honour to desire may it please you also to accept a poore mans Sermon J have no other plea nor other hopes nor meanes to finde Grace in your eyes seeing J am a stranger but onely for that Grace's sake which is the Theame and subject the pith and marrow of my text Jn a word therefore As Iacob prayed heartily for his sonnes when they went to present themselves before Ioseph Gen. 43. 14. God Almighty give you mercy in the sight of the man such iâ— my hearty prayer to Almighty God God Almighty give mee mercy in your sight and you in his sight Oratum est Your Honours poore servant and suppliant IOHN GORE THE ORACLE OF GOD. 2 COR. 12. 9. My Grace is sufficient for thee IT is well knowne that this Sunday and some of the rest that are gone before are commonly called in our Liturgie by the name of Advent-sundayes as you would say in plaine English Comming Sundayes And wote you why because therein wee doe thankefully celebrate and solemnize the blessed time and memory of our Saviours comming to us in the flesh and his arrivall from heaven in this vale of misery If any man desire a reason why we celebrate the comming of our Saviour in so solemne so sacred and so settled a maner being gone and past 1600. yeares agoe Saint Iohn hath given me an answere to my hand Because grace and truth came by Iesus Christ Iohn 1. 17. When Iesus Christ came from the bosome of his Father he came not empty-handed nor unprovided but brought Truth and Grace into the world with him Truth to direct us to heaven and Grace to deliver us from hell and that 's a Congiary that deserves commemoration to the worlds end If any man shall yet further inquire what is this Grace to us or what are wee the better for the Grace that hee brought For that my text will resolve you and make it evidently appeare unto you that Christ is no niggard of his Grace neither doth he keepe it to himselfe as Nabal did his victuals but doth graciously impart it and mercifully bestow it so much upon every one as he seeth in his wisedome to be enough and sufficient for him My Grace is sufficient for thee And let that suffice for the occasion and choyce of my text that it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not altogether unsutable and impertinent to the time Come we now to the text it selfe which is nothing else but The Oracle of God or Gods owne immediate voyce not disdaining to utter it selfe from Heaven for the comfort and satisfaction of his poore distressed Suppliant here on earth For thus stood the case Our Apostle at this time was punished with two strange and strong afflictions the one internall the other externall the one he termeth the Thorne in the flesh the other the Messenger of Satan that buffeted him By that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thorne or splinter in the flesh I suppose hee did meane his owne concupiscence his owne corruption and lust which is as painefull and vexatious to a tender soule as a thorne in the hand or a splinter under the nayle is irkesome and grievous to the tender flesh By that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the messenger or the angell of Satan must needs bee understood the Devills temptation for before that wicked one come himselfe he sends his Messenger or his Angell before him to make way for his entertainement and as Elisha said
Apostle Ephe. 1. 6 He hath brought into grace or he hath made us accepted in his beloved sonne Gratiam pro Gratiâ saith Saint Iohn elsewhere Ioh. 1. 16. Wee have received Grace for Grace that is for the grace and favour that Christ hath with God wee also are received into grace and favour with him For otherwise as Elisha told the King of Israel 2. Reg. 3. 14. As the Lord liveth were it not that I regard the presence of Iehosaphat I would not looke toward thee nor see thee so stands our case with God wee are of our selves such vile bodies as the Apostle rightly termes us who shall change our vile bodies I meane sofoule and so full of corruption and lust and sinne so odious and abominable in the holy eyes of God that as the Lord liveth were it not that God doth regard the person the presence and the prayers of Iesus Christ our true Iehosaphat hee would not looke to us nor see us but that as hee saith himselfe This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased There come we into favour and marke that hee doth not say This is my beloved sonne which pleaseth mee well but in whom I am well-pleased which intimates a further matter unto us namely that our blessed Saviour doth not onely please God his father for his owne part but that God in him and for his sake is well-pleased even with them that are in themselves as the Prophet speakes even vessels wherein there is no pleasure Ier. 22. 28. Thou therefore that desirest to get into favour with thy God flatter not thy selfe in thy owne eyes thinke not that God will accept thee for thy owne person or for any other personall qualities or abilities that are in thee but as Iacob shrouded himselfe under the garments of his elder brother and by that meanes gott him the blessing of his father so doe thou shroud thy selfe under the garments of thy elder brother in Heaven I meane as the Apostle speakes Labour to be found of God not having on thy owne righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of Christ by faith Say as Tertullian doth Mihi vendico Christum mihi defendo Iesum claime thou thy part stand thou for thy right in Iesus Christ and as thou art a Protestant so make this protestation before God and the world that thou hopest for grace and mercy not by any merits or deserts of thy owne but meerely by the merits and by the spirit by the death and by the blood of Iesus Christ This is another infallible way for a man to finde the grace and favour of God that wanteth it Appropriare Christum to get an interest into Gods beloved Sonne our deare and precious Saviour 2. Now for the second question Hast thou found the favour of God and faine wouldst keepe it Thou must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the Apostles owne word Gal. 2. 14. Thou must walke with a right foote to God ward or as Iohn Baptist expresseth it in other tearmes thou must Rectas facere semitas tuas Make thy paths straight the meaning is Thou must binde thy selfe to the good behaviour unto God thou must resolve against sinne and evill and set thy selfe constantly carefully sincerely to walke with God so farre forth as frailty shall permit thee so that though there fall out many intercurrent infirmities in the course of thy life for a man may etiam in bono itinere pulverem â—olligere gather dust and soyle even in a good way yet let it be the generall drift and desire of thy soule in nothing willingly to sinne against God but in every thing to please him and to approve thy selfe unto him which if thou dost see what will follow upon it Psal 84. 11. The Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that walke uprightly with him The Scripture saith of Enoch that hee was Raptus a facie malitiae snatcht as it were out of this wicked world as a brand is snatcht out of the fire and saved from burning that is Hee was translated alive from earth into Heaven and never felt nor tasted of death This you will say was an extraordinary favour of God but what might bee the reason of it Moses tells us Gen. 5. 24. it was because Hee walked with God the Apostle commenting upon it Heb. 11. 5. saith it was because He pleased God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word which signifies Hee gave God content or kept Gods favour and good will so then the way to keepe Gods favour and good will is to please God and give him content and the way to doe that is to walke with God as 〈◊〉 did But what doth Moses meane by 〈…〉 God how may that be done Ansâ—â— Generally A man may then be said to walke with God when hee leads his life in such a way as God doth best accept in the way of of godlinesse and honesty in the way of temperance and sobriety in the way of diligence and industry when a man hath minde on God in all his wayes and desires Gods protection and conduct to guide his feete into the way of peace This is in a generall sence and acceptance to walke with God more particularly A man is then said in proper sence to walke with God when hee walkes with none else but God as Isaack did when he sequestred himselfe and went out alone into the fields to meditate and to pray Gen. 40. 69. The word Suach signifieth both then went he out to walke with God And indeed there is no such time for a man to converse with God and as the phrase is in Iob to acquaint himselfe with the Lord as when he is solitary private and alone If any thing grieve a man or lye heavie upon his conscience when he is Alone he may freely disburden his heart into the bosome of God If a man have faulted any way or done amisse for want of good take-heed when he is Alone hee may freely and fully bewaile and bemone and even beshrew and shrive himselfe unto the Lord his God If a man want any good thing that 's requisite and necessary either for the body or the soule when hee is Alone he hath free and full opportunity to beg and to entreat it to win and to obtaine it at the hand of God No such time for a man to reconcile himselfe and to make his owne attonement and his peace with God as when he is Alone In a word then if thou dost desire to keepe the favour of the Lord and to abide in his grace and his good-will doe as Isaack did take one turne with thy God every day thou risest steale away from thy earthly occasions as our Saviour stole away from his earthly Parents to doe the businesse of thy heavenly Father or as the Apostles word 2 Pet. 3. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to retire and repent Let no day passe thee without some commerce and
conference with thy God and beleeve it if there bee any meanes in the world to fasten and rivet the favour of God unto thy soule that will doe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walke aright with God I have done with the first generall part of my text concerning the meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or what is meant by the Grace here spoken of Come we now to the second and that is the Author and Owner of this Grace exprest in the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God claimes it at his owne peculiar and calls it by a terme of propriety My Grace to shew that none hath to doe with the dispensing of that but himselfe alone Now if you marke the course of Scripture you shall observe that there is not any thing which belongs to man but in one place or other God claimes it for his owne Though he hath given the earth to the Children of men yet hath he not alienated it from himselfe but that still The Earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof whatsoever fulnesse the earth affords us whether it be Fields full of Corne Folds full of Sheepe Orchards full of Fruit Tables full of Meate c. all these fulnesses are the Lords who openeth his hand and filleth all things living with pleâ—teousnesse And not onely the earth in generall and the fulnesse thereof but the very Cattell and Beasts of the earth are all the Lords too Psal 50. 10. All the Beasts of the Forrest are mine saith God and so are the Cattell upon a thousand Hills The Beasts of the Forrest we know are ferae naturae of a wild unruly nature they know no Master acknowledge no owner are in subjection to no keeper yet because the Lord takes care of them gives them their being and provides them their food therefore doth he justly claime them for his owne and saith All the Beasts of the Forrest ar e mine and so are all the Cattell upon a thousand hills whether they be sheepe or goates Neate or Fowle there 's no man living hath any right unto them upon earth but he holds it in capite and hath his right from the God of Heaven Not onely so but the very Corne in our Barnes the Wine in our Cellers the Wooll upon our Sheepes backes the Lord claimes for his owne as yee may see Hos 2. 8 9. For God bestowes his blessings as the Sunne doth his beames in such a manner as that they depend still upon himselfe after he hath bestowed them Nay to come neerer yet the very money that is in our purses or coffers whether we keepe it close to hatch a purchase or put it out as the Lyon puts out his claw to rend and gripe the poore needy borrower wheresoever God findes it he claimes it for his owne Hag. 2. 8. The Silver and the Gold is mine and as little conscience as men make of their gaines they must one day be accountable to the Lord How they got it how they used it and how they wasted it All this is to let us understand to whom wee are beholden for our Lands for our goods and for whatsoever else we inherit or injoy in this world even to the Father of lights as Iames termeth him Iam. 1. 17 from whom both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both gifts and goods and all descend unto us therefore as in the sacrifices of old whosoever had the flesh God had the fat so whosoever hath the goods of this world let God have the glory for his they are and from him we have and hold them But there is one thing in my text for which wee are more beholding to God then for all the rest and that is for His Grace other things though they come originally from God yet they come mediately by the meanes of other instruments by Parents or friends or Benefactors but Grace is a thing that comes solely and onely immediatly from God as there was no corne to be had in Egypt but from the hand of Ioseph so no grace to bee had on earth but from the hand of God He is the God of all Grace as Saint Peter truly stileth him there is no grace whatsoever that is wanting in man but there is a gracious supply to be had in God which made David as it were in a rapture to cry out and say Oh tast and see how gracious the Lord is Psal 34. 8. First tast and then see because as a man can never truely tell the sweetnesse of honey till he have tasted it first so can hee never truely see nor perceive nor understand how gracious a God the God of Heaven is till he have first had a tast of Gods grace and an experience of Gods favour in himselfe and for his owne soul Tast then and see how gracious the Lord is Gracious in his Throne for it is the Throne of Grace Heb. 4. 16. gracious in his spirit for it is The spirit of Grace Zach. 12. 10. Gracious in his Word for it is the Word of Grace Acts 20. 30. and above all gracious in himselfe for Hee is the God of Grace yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The God of all Grace 1. Pet. 5. 10. And therefore dost thou desire wisedome Hee is the God of that Grace dost thou want patience hee is the God of that too dost thou stand in neede of Faith or Hope or Charity he is the God of all these Oh what a gracicious God doe we serve and what gracelesse beasts we are if wee serve him not seeing hee hath grace sufficient for all his servants My Grace saith God is sufficient for thee In a word then for asmuch as all Grace is of God that He and none but He hath the disposall and the dispensation of it to whom hee pleaseth take I beseech you into your consideration these briefe advertisements following 1. Nâ— deficias doe not faile of it It is the Apostles owne caveat Heb. 12. 15. Looke diligently least any man faile of the Grace of God God for his part is so gracious that he denyes his grace to none but offers it and I may say gives it to every one that will but aske and accept it as the Scripture saith of Araunah 2. Sam. 24. 23. when hee offered King David his oxen for a sacrifice and his threshing instruments for wood to burne them the text saith All these things did Araunah as a King give unto the King whereas we know he did not give them because David would not accept of them but his will was to have given them and that the holy Ghost accompts as a gift and so recordeth it In like sort God offers his grace in the Word and Sacraments his will is graciously and freely to bestow it if sinfull men were but like minded to receive it and to make themselves capable of so great a mercy by desiring it It was Gods owne proposition to his owne sonne Psal 2.
am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes there 's a gratious promise but marke the condition in the next immediate words put me in remembrance saith God and I will doe it and not otherwise for though God remember all our sinnes and can tell them better than our owne soules yet he doth not remember them to our comfort but rather to our confusion unlesse we tell him and put him in remembrance of them so that the onely way to put our sinnes out of Gods remembrance is to put them into his remembrance the onely way to make God forget them is daily and hourely to declare them and put him in minde of them If therefore thou canst not be so good as thou wouldst be not ashamed be not afraid to tell God how evill thou art tell him how ungodly how unthankefull how unprofitable a servant thou hast beene unto him and desire God to mend thee and make thee such a one as he would have thee And as Ioseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and begged the body of Iesus so goe thou to God and begge the Spirit of Iesus even that spirit of Grace and Supplication which the Prophet speakes of Zach. 12. 10. which will come downe from heaven and bring into thy soule first Supplications to prepare thee secondly Grace to assure thee of the free and full forgivenesse of all thy sinnes And then let thy sinnes bee what they will be sinnes of death sinnes of blood sinnes of hell if thou canst finde in thy heart to pray God will finde in his heart to pardon for his Grace is sufficient to doe it That 's the first 2. The second thing whereto the sufficiency of Gods Grace doth belong is Adconsolandum to comfort those sad and heavy hearts that can no other way bee comforted I should have fainted saith David Psal 27. 13. for all my worldly comforts but that I steadfastly beleeved to see the Lords good grace in the land of living that is to see it before he dyed therefore we reade 1. Sam. 30. 6. when he was in great distresse had neither house nor home to shelter him neither wife nor child nor friend be any to comfort to him but his owne very souldiers began to takle of stoning him Then saith the text David comforted himselfe in the Lord his God Heare this thou poore disconsolate man that art as thy Saviour was said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sad round about thou that lookest into thy purse and there is no comfort money is gone that lookest into thy cubbord and there is no comfort provision is gone that lookest into thy barne and store-house and there 's no comfort corne and wares are gone that lookest in thy heart and ther 's no comfort cheerefulnesse and joy is gone Then looke up to God and there is comfort to bee had if there bee any water it is in the sea if there bee any light it is in the sunne if there be any comfort it is in God Therefore the Apostle justly calleth him The God of all consolation 2. Cor. 1. because when all other comforts faile theres's comfort to bee found in God For beleeve this for a truth there is no mans case no mans estate no mans soule is desperate to God but when they are at the lowest ebbe at the rest stay at the most forlorne hope then doth God speake peace unto their soules then doth hee draw out those same vbera consolationes those breasts or dugges of consolation which the Prophet speakes of Esay 66. 11. and drops downe that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sincere milke of heavenly comfort to revive the spirit of the humble and to give life to them that are of a contrite heart The Hebrewes observe that one and the same word nakam signifieth first to repent and then to comfort and it may bee well applyed to this purpose that true comfort belongs to none but such are truly penitent So our Saviour tells us that the holy Ghost whom he calles the comforter when he commeth the first thing he will doe is to convince the world of sinne that is first put men quite out of comfort in themselves then put them into comfort by their Saviour In a word then forasmuch as comfort cannot be had without repentance nor repentance bee endured without comfort nor either of these bee attained without God it remaines that as the daughter of Caleb besought her earthly father Iud. 1. so we beseech our heavenly Father to give us the springs above as well as the springs beneath I meane that Irriguum superius the spring of grace comfort from above as well as that Irriguum inserius the spring of sorrow and repentance from beneath and then let our discomforts and discontents be what they will wee shall have grace sufficient from God to countervaile them al and as Philip said to our Saviour Iohn 14. 8. Lord shew us the father and it sufficeth us so though our sinnes confound us and our consciences condemne us Lord shew u◠thy favour as t is sufficient for us 3. The third is Ad sanandum His Grace is sufficient to cure and heale us of all those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those bodily ailements and infirmities which God for sinne doth inflict upon us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from those scourges and roddes as the holy Ghost termeth sore diseases Luc. 7. 21. for indeed they are the very rods which God useth to chasten and correct us for our follies I say there is no rod so sharpe no disease so sore but Gods Grace is sufficient to heale it and to take it off I am Ropeca saith God Exod. 15. penult I am thy Physitian or I am the Lord that healeth thee and if God be the Phisitian his Grace is the Physicke for whosoever be the instrument of our health God is the Authour his Grace is it that doth the cure Therefore in common speech when any outward malady doth befall us whereof we know no second cause wee use to say and we say well that it came by the Grace of God now if thou beleevest that it came by Gods Grace beleeve this also that by the same Grace it shall in Gods good time be remedied and removed and done away for as S. Iames saith in another case God giveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 4. 6. He giveth more grace and sheweth more favour to heale those that are sicke and broken in heart than to breake their hearts with sickenesse that were well and whole both are from the same Grace but the one more especially the other But then the maine point for satisfaction will be this seeing it is in the power of Gods Grace to cure all infirmities and that in a moment with a word-speaking as the Centurion said Speake but the word and my servant shall be whole Why will God suffer so many of his owne Patients that have no Physitian but
himselfe to lye languishing so long under his owne hand and seeme to take no notice of their miseies The best answere I can give is that of our Saviour to his Mother Iohn 2. 4. Nondum venit hora My houre is not yet come for you must conceive there are two kindes of houres wee have our houre and God hath his Houre As soone as wee begin to sicken that wee feele but any paine or finde the want of any ease then is our houre to be healed then doe wee cry out as t is fit we should Have mercy upon mee O Lord for I am weake Lord heale me for my bones are vexed Psal 6. 2. But God hath another houre and that you shall finde 2 Chron. 7. 14. When my people humble themselves and pray and seeke my face and turne from their wicked wayes that is when they are bettered and amended by my afflictions Then saith God will I heare in Heaven and have mercy upon them and heale their Land God complaines of that people in many places that their hearts were waxen fat that they would not see with their eyes nor heare with their eares nor understand with their hearts ne convertantur ut sanem Mat. 13. 15. lest they should be converted and I should heale them So that the time of our conversion is Gods healing-time First labour to be converted and then looke to be healed and not before So Acts 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sinnes may bee blotted out and then and never till then looke for a Tempus refrigerij a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. We read Numb 12. 14. When Myriam was strucken with leprosie Moses was importunate with God to heale presently out of hand Heale her now O Lord I beseech thee Heale her now No saith God I will not heale her yet shee shall stay the time that I have determined upon her for if her Father had but spit in her face should she not have beene ashamed and kept in for seven dayes c. So perswade your selves of this that there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an appointed time that God hath set downe with himselfe in heaven when and wherein his mercy shall appeare on earth for our recovery and till that time we must wait as David saith Psal 123. 2. As the eyes of a servant wait on the hand of their masters and the eyes of a mayden on the hand of her mistresse so doe our eyes waite upon the Lord our God untill that he have mercy upon us Marke that same donec misereatur untill hee have mercy that is though God shew thee not mercy this day nor to morrow nor the next day may be not till a long time after yet let not thy heart be dismayed but let thy soule truely wait upon God untill hee shew thee mercy let him shew it when he will In the meane time know thou art under the hands of a wise and gracious God who measures every dram ofsorrow that thou feelest who will not only be about thy bed but will ever make all thy bed in thy sicknesse and will so establish and under-prop thee with his Grace that though thy body lye in paine thy soule shall lye at ease though thy outward man consume and melt away for very heavinesse yet that same Interior cordis homo as Saint Peter speakes the inner man of thy heart shall bee so strengthened with might and armed with patience and guarded with peace that neither paines of death nor the powers of Hell shall ever be able to prevaile against thee In a word if ever it shall please God to cast thee downe upon that same Lectum languoris that bed of languishing which David speakes of Psal 41. 4. for that wee all must make account of though we now lie and laze upon our beds the time may come that wee shall lie and languish on our beds wishing as they did in Deuteronomy when t is morning would God it were evening and when t is evening would God it were morning If ever such a dolefull time should happen to thee I pray God of his mercy looke graciously upon thee and say unto thy bleeding soule as he did once to that forlorne Infant Ezech. 16. 6. Dixi in sanguinibus c. when thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live If God doe but say thou shalt live though thou wert in thy blood though thou wert in thy grave his word shall fetch thee for his Grace if it stand with his glory is sufficient to heale thee 4. The last and chiefest thing whereunto the Grace of God and nothing else but Gods Grace is sufficient is Ad salvandum to save the soule of every one that hath it The Apostle calls it The Grace that bringeth salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 2. 11. for as the wickednesse of man bringeth destruction so the Grace of God bringeth salvation to every soule that entertaines it Saint Paul is direct Ephes 2. 5. By Grace yee are saved whether it be meant of the Grace of God within us which our Saviour compares to Salt Marke 9. 50. Habete salem in vobis c. have Salt in your selves and peace with one another because as salt preserves the flesh so doth Grace preserve the spirit from corruption and rottennesse in sinne or whether it be meant of the Grace of God that is over and above us I meane his favour and loving kindnesse which lightneth upon us from Heaven as we pray in our Liturgie let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust is in thee Take it either way it holds good and true for by the one we are prepared for salvation by the other salvation is prepared for us the Grace of God within us prepares us for salvation the Grace of God over us prepares salvation for us so both wayes t is our happinesse By Grace to bee saved It was Gods mercifull promise Deut. 11. 12. Mine eyes shall be upon this Land from the beginning of the yeare to the end thereof such is Gods goodnesse where hee bestowes his Grace such a care hath God of their soules that his eye is upon them from the beginning of their conversion to the end of their salvation and as his eye is upon them to watch over them so his hand is with them to conâ—uct them in the right way of pleasing God and of saving their own soules Deut. 33. 3. All his Saints are in thy hand as a Father leads his childe so doth God lead his Saints by his Grace and by his good Spirit from all things prejudiciall to all things profitable to his service and their owne salvation To conclude this point because as the Schoolemen say well Ad singulos actus desideratur Gratia a man hath need of Grace to every action that hee takes in hand and that he can doe nothing well without it let us all
〈◊〉 then bee chargeable or burthensome to any friend or stranger and by this meanes it came to passe that what he wanted at home he found it abroad and Gods grace that was with him did ever supply him with that which was enough and sufficient for him Is it so with thee Thou that art a poore man art thou also an industrious and a painefull man that as Iacob got the blessing in the garment of Esau which signifieth Working so dost thou worke and take paines to get the blessing of thy God dost thou labour with thy hands the thing that is good that thou mayest rather bee charitable then chargeable to him that needeth and will not thy honest labour maintaine thee nor suffice the charge that daily lies upon thee Take comfort by this Text that now is taught thee and let not thy wants nor thy necessities dismay thee for there is a God above that hath sufficient for thee contrarily if thou beest one that live in pleasure as Saint Paul saith of that widow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she was dead even while she lived one that spendest thy time in this world no otherwise then that Leviathan doth in the sea onely by taking thy pastime therein or like those lyllies that our Saviour speakes that neither labour nor spain but onely make a faire shew as long as it will hold Then as Iehu said to Ioram What peace so may I say to thee What grace or what favour canst thou looke for at the hands of God 4. Saint Paul was Homo in aerumnis a man full of cares I doe not meane of carnall or worldly cares or such as Martha's were for the things of this life for these he had cast upon God and had learned in whatsoever estate he was therewith to be Content but I meane of spirituall divine religious cares for the health and welfare of the soule such as he commends in the Corinthians 2 Cor. 7. 11. as being the first fruits of Grace and godly sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What carefulnesse it hath wrought in you how much it wrought in them I know not but sure I am it wrought in him a marvellous and a manifold care and that of the better kinde first an immediate care for himselfe and his owne soule least after he had preached unto others himselfe should be a cast-away 1 Cor. 9. 27. secondly a charitable and that a Catholicke and universall care for all Churches Christian soules under the cope of heaven 2 Cor. 11. 28. Non aliter in ecclesias quantumvis remotas affectus quam si illas humeris gestaret as Beza said of Calvin hee was no lesse tenderly affected for those Churches that were remote and far-off than if he had borne them upon his owne shoulders and carried them as nurses doe their babes in his owne bosome But his third and most especiall care was for the soules and saving health of his little children as he calls them Gal. 4. 20. Of whom he traveiled in birth till Christ was formed in them His care was greater for them than either for himselfe or any others and he gives his reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for saith he I stand in doubt of you Good Parents the more they love their children the more they stand in doubt of them least they should fall to any defection or decline to any corruption or come to any disaster when they themselves are dead and gone This made Saint Paul in such perplexity for them and yet were they but his spirituall children what care then may we thinke would he have taken for them if they had beene his naturall children too then might he justly have used that word and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am in doubt of you for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke signifieth both dubius and pauper doubtfull and poore for none have so much reason to be doubtfull of their childrens welfare as they that are poorest and have least to leave them They may justly feare as the woman of Tekoah said to David 2. Sam. 14. 7. least their coales should bee quenched for so shee calles her child her coale for as coales either warme or burne as they are used so doe children either comfort or crosse their parents as they prove now when a poore man shall dye and leave his coales I meane his Orphans behind him such is the world that where you shall light of one good body that will bee a meanes to cherish and maintaine and keepe them alive there be twenty to that one so unchristianly and uncharitably minded that they care not how they use them yea though they quench and crush and put them cleane out And hence come those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those perplexities and doubtfull cares of tender-hearted parents for their children Hast thou therefore many little ones and little to leave them and doth thy heart even yearne with care and feare to fore-thinke what shall betide them when thou by death art taken from them I will give thee the same counsell that I desire of God to take my selfe and that 's this Cognovisti Gratiam Dei saith our Apostle Colos 1. 6. Thou knowest the Grace of God thou knowest that to bee a sure stay when all other props and stayes are done away That Anchor will hold when all other tackling breakes Make tryall of that Doe by thy Children as Saint Paul did by his brethren Acts 20. 32. Commend them to God and to the word of his Grace Lay them downe at the feet of Iesus Christ as they in the Primitive Church laid downe their money at the feet of the Apostles desire God to bee their Father Christ to be their Guardian the Holy Ghost to bee their Guide and when thou hast don◠so then as David saith Psal 116. 7. Revertere ad requiem Returne unto thy rest O my soule then settle and assure and resolve thy selfe that Heaven shall want mercy and earth meanes before any of those that are under Gods protection and patronage shall want maintenance Never bee in doubt what shall become of them knowing that His Grace is sufficient for them I might adde hereunto many particulars as that Saint Paul was homo in vinculis a man in bonds but the grace of God unloosed them all that he was Homo in necessitatibus a man in wants but the Grace of God supplyed them all that he was Homo in periculis a man in many perills and dangers but by the Grace of God he escaped them all that he was Homo in tentationibus a man mightily troubled with temptations but by the Grace of God he overcame them al All these I purposely overslip which perhaps might comply with many a mans condition and conduce to his comfort but there is one behind that is of greater value than all the rest that S. Paul was as I pray God of his mercy make me and thee and every Christian soule to be 5. Homo in Caelestibus a man of an Heavenly disposition though his bodily abode was upon earth yet his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his soules commerce and conversation was in heaven Phil. 3. 20. no marvell then that being so much acquainted with God as hee was and so conversant in heaven which is Gremium Gratiae the lap and bosome of Grace if as t is said of Saint Iohn that leaning in the bosome of Christ he thence suckt out his heavenly knowledge so S. Paul being so intimate and so entire with God who is the God of all Grace whatever else hee wanted could not possibly want Grace sufficient for him In a word then Is it so with thee though in a farre inferiour degree Art thou as every good Christian is and ought to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Citizen of heaven dost thou account that thy home and this but the place of thy pilgrimage for a time and as our Saviour set his face to goe to Ierusalem Luke 9. 51. dost thou set thy face to goe to heaven doth thy heart stand heaven-ward art thou bound for that coast as Paul went bound in the spirit to Ierusalem Acts 20. I meane dost thou set thy affections upon things above upon God and his Grace and not on things below upon the world and her goods which drowne mens soules in perdition Art thou one of that same Generis Aquilini of that Eagle kinde whereof our Saviour speakes Mat. 24. where the body is thither will the Eagles resort the body of thy Saviour thou knowest is in heaven and doth thy soule resort often thither dost thou wish as Macarius did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thy soule might goe up into heaven with thy prayers and there abide for ever with God Then what Nathan said to David in a case of conviction I dare apply to thee in a case of comfort Thou art the man whom God delighteth to favour and therefore as the Patriachs are sayd Heb. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even to kisse and embrace the promises of Christ so doe thou even claspe and hugge this promise of Grace to thy selfe and let neither thy wants nor thy weaknesses dismay thee for both in life and death thou shalt finde Gods Grace to be sufficient for thee which God of his mercy grant unto us all c. Amen FINIS