vocis Christi verbi divini Musc Plus uni cum verbum animos coroborat quam eximium miraculum Musc but one VVord from Christ settles them Are we in troubles of Conscience labouring under the apprehensions of Gods wrath for sin It 's but One Word speaking and thy soul shall be comforted It 's but one word from Christ Thy sins be forgiven thee And Conscience is at peace all troubles are gone Are we in Desertions Doth Christ withdraw himself from us It is but one word from Christ It is I and the soul is again h Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia eum quietum aspicere quiescere est Bern. revived As it was with Mary in the losse of his Bodily presence She wept and would not be comforted Nay though Angels did labour to comfort her yet they could not It is not all the Angels of heaven that are able to confort a drooping soul Christ but speakes a word to her Mary And her heart leaps Rabboni My Lord So is it with a soul that hath lost the spirituall presence of Christ It is not all the comforts in heaven and earth can comfort the soul in the absence of Christ what is Gold in the absence of God! What is the creature in the absence of the Creator All the world is but like a Feast without an Appetite a Paradice without a Tree of Life Nothing can fill up Christs room in the soul The Presence of no comfort can make up the absence of Christ yet one word from Christ one smile from heaven And the soul is revived Speak but the word and thy servant shall be whole saith the man in the Gospel So Speak but the word and this dead heart shall be raised this dejected heart shall be comforted this broken heart shall be bound up this sad heart shall be cheered c. Are we in outward troubles and Calamities why it is the Word of Christ that doth stay us that doth cheare us that doth support us that doth comfort us Psal 94.19 In the multitude of my perplexed thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul Certainly the comforts from his Word Yea saith he I had perished in mine affliction but that thy Word did support mee Psal 119.50.92 The Word is full of Counsell full of Comfort full of Support full of Help to a soul in all his Troubles Therefore hath God left us a Word that it might be as a School to instruct us a Star or Sun to guide us a Rock to support us a Cordiall to comfort us a Tower to secure us and Armory to defend us in the evill day The Word is as full of comfort as the times are full of terror the dayes are full of trouble but the Promise is full of comfort And it never speakes more comfort to the Saints then when the times speak most trouble Vse Let this then direct us whither to flie for comfort now in these times of Trouble Even to the Word of Christ Enquire what VVord of comfort Christ speaks now to his Church in this day of Trouble and listen to it live upon it It is our fault that the Noyse of our Troubles and feares doe hinder us from hearing what Christ saith in his VVord to comfort us It is said of the children of Israel Exod 6.9 that when Moses came to speak Deliverance and Comfort to them and told them that God sent him to that purpose to deliver them yet saith the Text The children of Israel hearkened not to Moses for Anguish of Spirit and for cruell Bondage So it is with us Our Feares and our Troubles and Vnbeleevings carnall reasonings cry so loud in our eares that wee cannot hear the Comfort that God doth now speak to us out of his Word Object But you will say Did Christ speak to us as hee did to his Disciples heere then we might be comforted in our troubles Ans Christ doth speak to us as he did to them VVhat did he say to them but he saith to us also now All we read was but this Be of good cheere It is I Be not afraid He did not say He would save them Hee would helpe them nor that hee would preserve their ship cease the storme deliver them out of Trouble and Danger onely hee saith Bee of good cheere It is I I that am your Saviour your Lord your Master I that sent you out All the rest was the work of their Faith Their Faith made out the rest even their Confidence in him Now I say This and more then this doth Christ say to us now in our Trouble How many words of Christ have wee for this Bee of good cheer Joh 14.1 Luk. 12.32 Isay 41.13 Isay 43.5 Let not your hearts be troubled Fear not little flock Fear not thou worme Jacob I. I that am your God your Saviour your Deliverer in times of Trouble your Rock Refuge Shield It is I whose cause you undertake whose glory is concern'd And therefore we may reason out the rest as well as they and where is now our Faith That man is deafe that heares not Christ say thus much now And doth Christ say this where then is our Faith to rest upon him oh that this word might beget faith and this Faith might again strengthen it self in this Word Object But you will say Had wee a perticular Word of Christ that God would now deliver England wee could then finde a Bottom of Comfort though our conditions lay farre lower then they are But wee want that Therefore are we oppressed with feares Ans You have as much Word for the deliverance of the Church now as the Disciples had for the Preservation of the Ship Yet they beleeved the one resting only upon the Nature of a Saviour without a word and why should we doubt of the other though we had no word There may be a Resting upon Gods Name for a mercy Though you have never a Promise for it Isa 50.10 Hee that walketh in darknesse and sees no light no light of any Promise to tell him how things shall be Yet let him trust upon the Name of the LORD and stay himself upon his GOD. There is Trust without Promise He that Rests upon the Name of the Lord that is his Mercy Goodnesse Truth Love Rests upon that which is the spring of all the Promises the ground and foundation whereon the Promise stands and that into which all the Promises are resolved viz. The Name of God Psal 62.8 The Prophet exhorts to trust in God And upon what Ground He alleageth no Particular Promise but tells you of Gods Generall Nature Ver. 11. God hath spoken that Power belongs unto God And Ver. 12. And unto thee belongeth Mercy And thereupon hee trusteth God was Powerfull and able to Deliver And God was Mercifull and ready to help and thereupon he trusted And have not we as much for a Ground of our Faith as This You read Psal 33.18.19 The Eye of the Lord is
necessities above man k Faelix culpa quae talem meruit redemptorem Bern. And as Bernard saith of sinne I may better say of our necessities happy necessities that occasions the reliefe of such a God who takes occasion not only by trouble to helpe us but by the inlarging of our trouble to inlarge our deliverance If greatnesse of sinne might be used as an argument for mercy 25 Psalme 11. Pardon my iniquities for they are great much more greatnesse of trouble But we come to the second particular wherein their danger is expressed as yet this is the least The second is in these words Tossed with waves l Vita nostra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 91 Pslm 10. Christianus Crucianus A perfect Embleme of the Church of God A ship upon a troublesome sea tossed with waves m Vt Mare sic mundus semper fervet Chem. Ut Discipuli sic Christiani habent sua turbida Lucida intervalla 2 Cor. 7.5 The world is fitly compared to the Sea for the most part stormy n though sometimes it is more quiet and calme as the Apostles for some hours sailed on a calm sea yet alas these are but respits some Lucida intervalla o Interdum breves induciae piis conceduntur sicut Apostol hic ad pauculas horas tuto mari navigant sed brevis temporis seculitatem mox ingentes adversitates excipiunt Chem. Some few hours breathings their constant sayling is on a troublesome sea tossed with waves Tossed with waves Their condition set downe in briefe here is more largely set downe in the 107 Psalme 26. verse When he raiseth stormy winds and lifteth up the waves they mount up to heaven they goe down againe to the depth their soule is melted because of trouble they reele too and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits end here is the comment upon these words tossed with waves But yet the p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word here is a word of large expression some read it q Syrus interp vexata cruciata Arab agitata respondet Hebraeo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vexed and afflicted with waves r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 huc illue raptatum metaphora ab â—is sumpta a quibus per tormenta aliquid extorquetur qua etiam ratione Gailice tempestas maris tormente dicitur Beza Annot. in loc some racked and tormented with waves s some as we render it tossed with waves It is a word used for the most exquisite torments and paines t 12 Revel 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sometime for the throwes and pangs in travaile u Hee aeas delivered up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the torments inflicted on the wicked servant w 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 16 Luke 23. 14 Rev. 10.20 Rev. 10. Nay for the torments of hell and hell it selfe All which sets out the greatnesse of the trouble danger they were in which speaks thus much to us Doctr. That there is not so much evill in the greatest trouble and affliction as there is good in the least tryall and exercise of our graces The Disciples underwent a great deale of trouble upon the sea but had all this been a greater evill then the exercise of their graces a good Christ would never have fuffered the one for the other We wonder sometime that God should bring his people such as hee loves into straits and difficulties But you see God may do it for the exercise of your graces the least exercise of which will weigh downe all your trouble 1 Pet. 1.7 If God did not exercise our graces we should suffer them to rust and grace is then most lovely when it is most in motion and exercise God suffers us often to be tossed because wee doe not tosse our selves he suffers others to ransack and rifle us because wee doe not rifle our own hearts he suffers Sathan to winnow us because we neglect to sift our selves Therefore doth God exercise us with variety of difficulties that we might exercise our selves Againe it sayes thus much to us 2. Doct. God doth sometimes put his people to a lesser trouble for their grearer good The Phisitian makes his Patient a little sick for his greater healh The Chirurgeon puts us to a little paine for a greater ease God takes liberty with the outward man to doe good to the inward man 1 Cor. 11.22 You are chastised of the Lord that you might not be condemned with the world That you might not love the world he suffers the world to hate you that you might be crucified to the world he suffers you to bee crucified in the world therefore doe you meet with many afflictions in the world that you might not be condemned with the world As there is a curse hid in the best things to wicked men a curse in their health their gold silver c. so there is a blessing hid in the worst things to Gods people a blessing in poverty sicknesse death it selfe 25 Psalme 16 32 Jer. 40. Hee hath said All his wayes are wayes of mercy and hee will never depart from us from doing us good As God makes one evill the punishment of another to wicked men so hee makes one evill the cure of another to his owne people The Physitian orders poysons to usefull purposes So God those things which are evil in themselves to the good of his owne people The Leprosie on Naamans body was was an occasion of the cure of his Leprous soule if his body had not beene Leprous his soule had not been washed How many that can say I had not been so rich in grace if I had not been so poor in gold I had not been so sound in soul if I had not been so infirme in body If I had not lost so much of the Creature I had not got so much of Christ Use And this should teach us a lesson of patience under all Gods exercises it is but the putting of thee to a little paine for thy greater ease a little trouble for thy greater comfort a little sorrow for thy greater joy All Gods sad passages of providence to you x In medelam non in ruinam in salutem non in mortem Aug. Unde plangis castigatio non damnatio c. Nihil in faelicius faelicitate peccantum qua paenalis nutritur impunitas Aug. they are for medicine not for ruine they are for health not for death Happy that sicknesse which occasions health that sorrow which bringeth joy those crosses that end in comforts c. for our light afflictions which are but for a moment we have an eternall weight of glory Thus is there an expedite in all Gods sad passages of providence to his owne people as he said to his Disciples It is expedient for yet that I goe away It was strange that the best of Creatures should stand between man and the best of comforts So it did there the humanity of
brought into straights but he doth heighten their straights and raise up their difficulties higher and higher before he do deliver them It is plaine here and also in the stories of Israels troubles in Egypt their troubles were great before u Quo proprior est salui eo magis pericula crescere sinaet Chem. but they were heightned before God delivered them Insomuch as they looked upon the beginnings of their deliverance as bad as the worst of their sufferings and were rather content to be in their former slavery then to indure the paines of a deliverance But yet though they were higher they were not at the height till they came to the Red Sea when a sea before them not to be passed an inraged enemy behinde them not to be resisted mountaines on each side them that they could not tell what to doe whither to betake themselves which was the rise of their deliverance a Quando ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perventum est tum Christus salvator adest Chem. God useth to take a rise of deliverance from the lowest step of his peoples sufferings Read but the stories of David of the Jewes in re-building the Temple and you shall see the truth of this that God doth heighten the troubles of his people before he do deliver them And this God doth Reas 1. To heighten our graces your faith not your feare your hope not your discouragements b In veris Christianis crescit amor fidei quantum ipsa pericula crescunt Chem. As difficulties do arise so should the faith of Gods people rise too As it was with Noahs ark the waters rose higher and higher and still as the waters arose the Ark arose the waters never arose above the Arke y Non cogitan lum quantum sit periculum in quo agimque aut quid vireÌ„s nostrae possint sed quid is cui fidemus potest Cartw. So should it be with a Christians faith as troubles arise so our trust should arise no difficulties should arise above our faith if God have weakned the arme of flesh we should strengthen the arme of faith if he have shortned us in the reliefe of creatures we should strengthen our selves in our relyance and rest upon God It is our sin we are too high in successes and too low in losses we are too big when things go well and too little when things goe ill and it must needs be so men that are proud in successes will be as base in losses This is the nature of faith it makes us nothing in our selves when things go well and it makes us all in God when things go ill Nothing should pose our faith but what poseth God if there be any thing too great for God to doe then there might be something too big for us to beleeve but so long as there is nothing above his power and love to doe for his people why should there be any thing above our faith to beleeve God will doe for them It is better to dye over-hoping then over-fearing though we had no incouragements from below yet we have enough from above We have incouragements 1 From Gods name a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nomen magnum gloriosum appropriatum existentiam oâ—nibus promissis suis adhibens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fortis pronom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficiens hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus omnipotens sufficiens ad omnia praestanda in se a se sufficientiam abundantiam omni modum habens Sufficiens absque alicujus ope Ad opem conferendum ad suos protegendum ad promissa servanda explendos defectus omuium every name of GOD speaks incouragement 2 We have incouragements from Gods Attributes his Power Wisdome Mercy Justice c. Every thing in God speakes incouragement to faith because every thing in God is for the good of his people 3 We have incouragements from his covenant his promises to us where can you look and not finde something to speak incouragement to you 4 You have incouragement from the experience of Gods dealings with others of his people nay from the experience of his dealing towards our selves Enough enough to hold up our hearts Though there be weaknesse below yet there is strength above though a famine on Earth yet there is no dearth in Heaven as the Nobleman thought Infinite power and infinite love cannot be posed It is a kinde of limiting Gods power and taking away the Almighty not to rest upon God in the greatest of difficulties He is not only the God of the Vallies but of the Hils also He is not only able to helpe in the lesser but in the greatest difficulties You can never swell a difficulty above the power of God you can never be so low * Deut. 33 2â— but everlasting armes are able to relieve you You read in Zach. 8.6 God had promised them deliverance but it was almost above their faith to beleeve it they thought it almost impossible that ever those dead bones should live But saith God Because this is marvellous in your eyes is it marvellous to me oh house of Israel things wonderfull to you are familiar to me things marvellous to you are yet easie to me My thoughts are not as your thoughts God would not that any difficulty should rise above our faith this were to raise a difficulty above God himselfe he would have our faith rise as the trouble riseth And therefore he doth heighten our troubles that he might highten our faith which indeed if it once worke and bottome on God there is no difficulty can rise above it c. Reas 2. God doth heighten our difficulties before hee doth deliver us to heighten our duties hee heightens our troubles to heighten our prayers a Quo profundiores angustiae eo profundiora suspiria Mol. in 130. Psal The greater our straights the greater should be our inlargements the greater our difficulties the more earnest and fervent should be our prayers Difficulties doe mightily quicken the soule to duties God saith so Hosea 5.1 In the time of their affliction then they will seek me early me diligently Then will the soule wrestle with God by the strength of faith of Christ of promises c. Jacobs prayer in his great straight is called a wrestling with God See the stories of David of Hezekiah of the Church in Hesters time Jehosophat c. they were in great straits and their prayers were wrestling prayers Difficulties are to grace as the bellowes to the fire to intend it and make it burn more vehemently then will the foule pray more fervently with more extension and intention of spirit and will joyn teares with prayers humiliation with supplication as you see in Hesters time Nehemiah Ezra And now doth the soule gather up arguments from God from his prâ—nises attributes from the miseries of the Church c. and
thus he doth to wicked men he is as a ghost to them in his Ordinances they cannot away with him they flye from them and cannot endure the faithfull dispensation of them hee is a ghost to them in his Lawes and therefore they cry depart from us wee will have none of his wayes i Evangelium Christimundo semper spectrum fuit sed inculpa sunt nocturnae tenebrae Musc He is a ghost to them in his worship they cannot brook with and endure the simple single plainenesse of his government c. There are three times Christ appears as a ghost to his owne People 1. In time of humiliation for sinne when he writes bitter things against us and makes us to possesse the iniquities of our youth as Job complaines k Adversarium tuum in sinu gestis tamen amicum Cypr. Now the soule is filled with the sad apprehension of his displeasure and looks upon God as a severe Judge his bench set a Jury impannelled evidence cleare and his sword drawne ready to doe execution on a sinfull soule It was the speech of one who was in this condition his conscience opened and his sinnes set in order before him and his soule bleeding under the sad apprehensions of a wrathfull displeased God he said that he never looked up towards Heaven but he thought hee saw every Cloud lined with thunder and ready to doe execution on him for sinne It would be endlesse to tell you the ghostly apprehensions that poor soules have had of God and of all his dealings even the best of his mercies to them in this condition Conscience now arming all the faculties against it selfe l Faelix conscientia in qua luctamen hujusmodi c. Bern in vig. nat dom Ser. This is the day of Jacobs trouble but God will deliver them out of it Therefore doth he wound thee that hee might heale thee kill thee that hee might cure thee m Et si timet a judice sperat a salvtaore Bern. 29 Ierem. 11. Cast thee downe that he might raise thee up terrifie thee that hee might comfort thee in his due time It is sweetly expressed by Christ It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones should perish n Ludit suavissime cum nos putamus omnia esse perditissima Luther in loc I know the thoughts I thinke to thee they are thoughts of peace thoughts of good and not of evill to give thee at the last an unexpected end answerable to thy expectations nay an end above all thy expectations Assure thy selfe God will make thy comforts proportionable to thy conflicts thy joyes to thy troubles thy raising up to thy casting downe The same proportion that Gods spirit doth observe in the Law in humbling of thee believe and wayt for the same proportion in raising and comforting of thee God is skilfull at all diseases he heals all our infirmities 103. Psalme 3. But he is most soveraigne at the binding up a broken heart He hath fitted Christ for this work It is his charge 67. Esay the Spirit of the Lord is upon me Isay 61.1 because the Lord hath anointed me to preach glad tydings to the meek to bind up the broken hearted A second time when he appears as a Ghost to the Saints and that is in times of temptation In temptation saith Luther we look upon God otherwise then in trueth he is we doe not think him to be God In tentationibus singimus Deum alium quam revera est putamus Deum tunc non esse Deum sed phantasma hoc est horribile spectrum quod nos velit devorare Luth. in loc but a Ghost one who will destroy us slay us The Devill doth now suggest false notions of God to you he presents you with false Ideas erroneous apprehensions of GOD sutable to the darknesse of the condition and the blacknesse of the temper the soule is now in None know the * Non promotus sed expertus Doctor est Luth. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 2.24 profunditates Satanae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 machinationes 2. Cor. 3.2.14 methods p Non promotus sed expertus Doctor est Luth. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 2.24 profunditates Satanae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 machinationes 2. Cor. 3.2.14 the depths of Sathan but those who have been in depths those know the wiles of this prince of darknes the methods machinations devices of undoing souls A third time when he appears as a Ghost to his own people and that is in times of desertion when God hath withdrawn himself and seems to be an enemy to the soul fighting against it with all his terrours as Job complaines And Heman at large 88. Psal 7.15.16 Verses Psal 77.3 Nay thus David looked upon him in the 77. Psal where you read him in a deserted condition and professing in the 3. Verse that when he remembred God he was troubled A strange Expression the thought of whom did erst-while fill his heart with a confluence of comfort far above all created Comforts that now thoughts of God should be a terrour a trouble to him And why was he now troubled at the remembrance of God but because he had false apprehensions q Deum inspectum transformant tunc timent Musc in loc he had erroneous conceits of God now either Sathan doth present him falsly to him as he doth in these conditions he represents God in a terrible manner to the soul or else he looked upon him with a disturbed eye Sathan hath disturbed the eye he hath raised up corruption and that cannot look upon him but be disturbed As those who have the Jaundisse all they look upon is yellow Or if the Organ whereby we should see God be not disturbed yet the medium whereby he is represented is a false medium and that presents things like to it self as if a man look through a red glasse all he beholds is red And therefore it is well said of Luther on this place r Quando in Augustiis sumus non est Credendum nostris cogitationibus de Deo Luth. in loc when we are in troubles we are not to give credit to our owne thoughts and apprehensions of God we are not to look upon God as our disturbed imaginations doe represent him but as he is represented in his Word We see Reason doth correct sense if we put a straight stick into the Water sence will give it to be crooked the eye doth represent it crooked but now reason corrects it and concluds it straight and if reason correct sense why should not Faith correct Reason It will be your wisedome in these conditions when sense and reason give in false apprehensions of God To shut the eyes of sense and look upon God only by Faith not to think on God as you for the present see him and apprehend
apprehensions Which were two fold 1 Ad intra They were troubled 2 Ad extra They cryed out for feare We begin with the first The effect of this apprehension in themselves They were troubled But this was farre from Christs end he came to helpe them and not to terrifie them to relieve them not to disquiet them how came it to pass that they were troubled Certainly they were not affraid of deliverance that was that which they desired but they were terrified at the manner of Christs comming to deliver them Doct. Christ may come to helpe his people in such a way as yet the very means of helpe may be a terror to them I say Christ may come in such a way to deliver his people as yet the appearance of Christ may be a terror to them It is the speech of one upon this y Adest Christus ut eos juvet tâ—men ipsi horrent venientem Christ is comming here to helpe them and yet they feare his approach Thus it was with the children of Israel in Egypt Moses came to helpe them and yet they were afraid of his comming they saw things went worse with them then before and therefore they desired him to be gone and let them alone they would rather continue in their former bondage then indure the pains of a deliverance Exod. 5.21 God delivered Paul and Silas out of prison but it was by an earthquake a terrible way So God doth sometimes come to deliver his Church but yet by earthquakes by land-quakes by great commotions as is prophesied Rev. 11.13 and thought to be now in fulfilling This is a terrible way though a way of deliverance We reade in Ioel 2.21 Fear not O land bee glad and rejoyce for the Lord will doe great things for you It was a time of joy in respect of the deliverance God purposed to work for them but yet a time of feare in respect of the manner and way which God might take to deliver them You have an excellent Scripture for this Psal 65.5 By terrtble things in righteousnesse wilt thou answer us oh God of our salvation who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth The Saints had been praying and here they had some answer in their spirits an assured confidence that God would answer them yea and answer them in righteousnesse but yet by terrible things By terrible things in righteousnesse wilt thou answer us O God of our salvation If you looke into the word you shall finde the wayes of Gods deliverance of his Churches have yet for the most part beene terrible wayes Israel was delivered from their bondage in Egypt but yet the way was terrible the enemies pursued them they were to passe through the sea for their deliverance Daniel was delivered out of the hands of his enemies but the way was terrible he must be given into the pawes of hungry Lions to be delivered from the hands of cruell men The Three Children were delivered but the way was terrible by fire from fire Jonah was delivered but the way was terrible by a Whale which swallowed him up his devourer is his deliverer When Christ shall come to deliver his Church at the end of all things you read how terrible the way is Luke 21.25 c. There shall be signes in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the Starres and upon the Earth distresse of Nations the Sea and waters roaring mens hearts failing them for feare and for looking after the things that shall come upon the Earth for the powers of heaven shall be shaken A very terrible way yet the way of deliverance as followes And when you see these things to come to passe then lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh Here was deliverance you see to the godly but yet the way of deliverance was a terrible way So that you see the Doctrine is plaine Christ may come to helpe his people in such a way that the very meanes of helpe may be a terror to them Vse I shall make the application which one doth upon this place a Non despondeamus animum tametsi quae nobis auxilio fore promittitur quandoque speciem quandam interitus afferant c. Cartw. in loc Let us not be discouraged or too much cast downe though those things which are used for our deliverance may carry the face of destruction with them Who will reject a Potion because it is bitter an Antidote because there is poyson in it As Physitians can order poysonous and distructive ingredients to physicall and usefull purposes so God can make those things which in themselves are evill for the good of his people The man-childe of deliverance is not brought forth without pangs ill humours long in growing are not removed without paine Sometimes the fiering of the prison hath been a deliverance of the prisoner A blow with a sword hath broken an Impostume in the head Those things which in themselves seeme hurtfull and distructive God is able to use them as helpefull and turne them to our comfort And therefore wee are not to bee too much cast downe God would have us to see deliverance even through destruction and comfort through confusion God doth often put his people to suck honey out of the Rock and oile out of the flinty Rock Dout. 32.13 Gloria habitat in rupibus Ciem Alex. Glory dwels in the Rocks and deliverance in difficulties And therefore let not your spirits sinke under the sad appearance of things But yet we have great cause to be humbled though you are not to be cast down to desperation yet are wee to be cast downe to humiliation that God must take such sad wayes to do us good that God should work us good by such terrible means wee have cause to bee humbled Had it not beene for our sinnes the deliverance of his Church might have been brought about in a more comfortable way reformation might have been setled in a peaceable way without blood But our sins have caused God to lay the foundation of Englands future good in Englands present misery And therefore we have cause to be humbled for it this day We hope God is travelling in the greatest of his strength to deliver his poore bleeding and languishing Church But the way is terrible to flesh and blood For this let us be humbled But yet though the meanes of salvation and deliverance be so terrible let us take heed that salvation it selfe become not a terror to us though the physick be terrible let health be desirable though the way God takes to reforme us be terrible yet let not reformation it selfe become a terror to us And so much for that doctrine and for this time The end of the fourth Sermon I Shall not carry you back to to the review of what I have spoken Vnto all that I have said Give me leave to adde this more It calls in for as good a share of our paines and of your
expected end an end answerable to thy expectation What a strange thing was this His wayes were warre yet his thoughts were peace his proceedings were evill yet his purposes were good I have shewed you at large that Gods outward proceedings of providence towards his people are oftentimes contrary to the Inward purposes of his Heart to them Let us not then reason much lesse conclude according to Gods outward appearance to his people Suffer not your selves to be reason'd out of your Faith and confidence by any outward proceding toward you When you see Evill in works see good in the Word when Death in the outward proceeding of God toward you see Life in the Inward purposes of his heart to you If you put a straight stick into the water sense renders it crooked but reason tells you is is straight As Reason prevailes against Sense So let Faith prevail against Sense and Reason and let Faith conclude God for you when yet Sense and Reason tells you hee is against you This is the life of Faith Vse 2. Doth God Increase our Troubles when yet he intends to Remove our Troubles Then this should incourage us to Lift up our heads under the greatest pressures Si graves breves When they are the Sharpest then they are the shortest In all the Stories of the Church when Deliverance was neerest then was Persecution the hottest The Devill is said to come down with great wrath because his time is but short The shorter his Time The greater his wrath Here then take a rise for Faith from the lowest Condition you are in When the Morning is darkest Then comes the Day when Trouble is Greatest Then is Deliverance the Neerest You know who hath turned the saddest and sorest Perplexities that ever the world shall see into a Doctrine of Comfort and Consolation to his Church and People And upon this ground Because Then is their Redemption neerest when their troubles are highest Luke 21.25 26 c. Luke 21.25 There shall be signes in the Sun the Moon and upon earth distresse of Nations with perplexity the Sea and waters roaring mens hearts failing them for feare the Powers of heaven shall be shaken And when these things begin to come to passe Then lift up your heads For your Redemption Draweth Nigh See how neer the day of Redemption is to the day of destruction Christ takes heere a Rise of Comfort from the lowest Condition that can be My Brethren You see it is Gods way to increase our troubles when he comes to remove them Let us not be Too much troubled at our Troubles I must confesse wee have sad and gloomy Dayes and yet we fear they are not at the Darkest The floods of ungodlinesse are risen high and we feare they are not yet at the highest But remember this still God doth Increase our Troubles when he comes to Remove our Troubles The greatest Darknesse is before the Morning watch It is the speech of one upon my Text k Quod autem Dominus suos magis terruit priusquam liberaret monemur Cum adversitas summa fuerit tum proximam adesse solutem That the Lord did more terrifie his Disciples before he would deliver them wee are admonished That when Adversity is greatest then deliverance is neerest l Sic consuevit dominus vehementiores labores mittere veluti indices vicinae liberationis Beza Another God is used to send greater Troubles as the Harbengers of approaching deliverance m Tunc magis acuit dolores quando salus jam stat in foribus graviora certamina pericula sunt certissima nuntia liberationis quo citius sinienda sunt mala eo magis ingravescunt c. Another Great troubles doe ever usher in great Deliverances It is our hope that as God hath increased our Troubles so he will make all our Troubles subservient to our Deliverances Deliverance is the Birth of Mercy As never was there birth without Pangs So Deliverance without Opposition and Trouble Satan opposeth wicked men oppose But as Throws and Pangs are subservient to the Birth so will God make our Present Troubles to Deliverance The sharpest pangs and throws of the Church have ever been the immediate fore-runners of some Childe of Promise As it was in the Waters of Bethesda The waters were troubled before they healed The trouble of the water was subservient to the Cure in them so that Opposition and trouble which doth arise in the time and expectations of our healing will God turne to our further healing what the Apostle saith of his Bonds I may say of all the troubles that arise the things that have happened to me Phil. 1.12 have fallen out to the furtherance of the Gospel his Prison was the Gospels liberty his bonds the Gospels inlargement his abasements the Gospels advancement So here all our troubles are subservient to the fuller deliverance were you either well read in the Book of Providence or in the book of Scriptures either in the word or works of God you would finde that the increase of your troubles would be a rise of hope in stead of a ground of feare of comfort in stead of discouragement It is Gods usuall way in the deliverance of his Church and People n Auget certamina quando liberabit Chrys Faestinente laetitia acuitur dolor Baez to heighten their difficulties and troubles before he doth deliver them It hath been so as I have shewed you in many examples And when indeed did God doe any notable things for his Church in the world But there hath been great tumults and commotions Look upon the Stories of Scripture And doe you think it will not be so Is not the Devill as bad wicked men as malicious as ever they were and certainly what power and policy can doe to interrupt God in his wayes of mercy to his Church shall be done o Gaudeo quod Cristus Dominus est alioqui desperassem Micon in jepist ad Calvin insomuch that we may say with him If Christ did not reigne we should quickly come to ruine There are some great Promises which God hath made and will performe now at the end of all things But none of these shall be accomplished without great difficulties He hath said that Antichrist shall downe * Rev. 11.13 But wee must look for earthquakes before Such noting he hath in the Kingdoms of the earth in States and Nations as nothing but an earthquake will loosen him and throw him down Revel 16.17 18. Esay 11. Esay 62. See the commotions foretold Revel 17.18 He hath promised to make his Church glorious in the world And these Promises He that is faithfull and true will performe But when God doth this you must look for Commotions Joel 3.16 looke for shakings You read Dan. 12.1 Dan. 12.1 And at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince that standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of
feare brings on us it doth not only blind our eyes that we cannot see the Cause of God and when we see it make us shie to acknowledge it nay prevail with a man to bawk and decline it But it will make us deny and forsake the cause of God too and here might be examples enough many there are who have forsaken Christ denyed his truth truth professed truth preached truth in some measure contended for and all for feare of men You know the sad stories of Peter Spira of Cranmer It is an easie matter to make him who is under the power of sinfull feares any thing to preserve himselfe from danger and any thing to recover himselfe out There are foure sorts of men who will never hold to any cause 1. Ignorant persons we must know and prove before we can hold fast the Apostle bids us Prove all things and then hold fast to that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 That which was never proved is easily deserted 2. Unsound hearted persons It is an easie matter to make him any thing who inded is nothing men that are carried in away onely by a byasse and not by a principle it is an easie matter if you either unbyass or counter-byass them to make them move as fast the other way l Qualitates Symbolicae facilime transmutuntur we say Symbolicall Elements do quickly slide one into another A Hypocrite and an Apostate are so neer that it 's easie to make him an Apostate who was before an Hypocrite hypocrisie is that vertually which Apostacy is actually there is Apostacy in causis in hypocrisie and there is hypocrisie in effectis in Apostasie and as times vary looke for more discoveries 3. 1 Tim. 6.10 Wordly minded men The love of Money will cause men to erre from the Faith as the Apostle saith When men are lovers of themselves more then lovers of God when they are lovers of honour more then lovers of God m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.3 4. lovers of pleasure of profit more then n Non amat te Domine qui aliquid amat praeter qui non propter amat Ang. lovers of God there need no great baits it will be a matter of no great difficulty to draw them from God Such men will if occasion serve raise themselves upon the ruines of others make themselves great by making others little such men they are for any service that may advance their corrupt desires It is said of Demas that he forsook Christ and imbraced this present world he forsook the faith of Christ and for gaine he became an Idoll Priest at Thessalonica as Dorotheus reports of him So easie it is to take them from God whose hearts are once taken with the world There is no cause can be sure of those whom honour or money can buy out Such men are onely this way till they can mend their wages and then they are gone it 's easie to intice him who is led away by his own lusts 4. Fearfull hearted persons Fearfull men will be unfaithfull men It 's all one to trust a coward and a traytor he that is one will quickly be made the other where there is ground to suspect any mans feare there is no ground to trust his faith his feare will make him unfaithfull o Terribilior cervorum excercitus Leone duce quam Leonum Agmen ducente cervo Plutar. Apoth and infeeble the hearts of them who follow him such dangerous snares then you see will base feares bring upon men and therefore far unworthy those who are Christians Use Oh let us learne to banish these sinfull sinking feares as unworthy men much more unworthy Christians It is a wonder to read and peruse that daring courage that the very Heathens have had I might here give you innumerable examples of their courage and valour all which might be a shame to us what though our troubles be great our God is great what can over-swell either his power or his love there is nothing can be too big for God and why should any thing be too big for faith upon whom it depends for shame let faith work more and sense lesse heare the reasonings of faith as well as the reasonings of sense when you see no help below cast your eyes upwards as Iehosaphat did 2 Cor. 20.12 We know not what to doe but our eyes are up to thee what though there be a famine on earth there is no dearth in heaven as the noble man thought what though there be weaknesse below there is strength above Well then shut your eyes to things below and open your eyes to God above Converse lesse with Sence and Reason and converse with faith and the promise Look upward more when a man hath been looking downward from the top of some high place his eyes grow dim the head growes weak But when he lookes upward he recovers himself again So it is with us while we look onely downward our spirits fail we are at the end of our faith and hope but lift your eyes upward look upon God and the promise and your spirits shall be incouraged What though the waves rise The storm be great Yet you have a Skilfull Pilot a safe Bottome a strong God who is able to allay all storms to hush all windes or to make all commotions serve to bring you to Harbour which is gods usuall way p Ita Solet Deus cum suis agere ut prius eos inmortem mergat atque omnem spem liberationis quantum humano consilio prospici potest adimat praecidat deindè vero gloriosè liberat ut apareat non humana industria aut prudentia sed Solius Dei potentia hanc salutem partem essc Moler Psal 68.20 Gods delights CHRIST I am JESUS whom thou persecutest v Haec formula loquendi ego sum duplicem habet effectum unum plenum consolationis apud credentes alterum plènum terroris apud in credulos Chem. The same words were spoken to the Iews and they Fell down backward as if they had been strucken with a Thunderbolt Iohn 18.5 The same words are spoken to the Goats Matth. 25.44 But though these words be Full of Terrour to the wicked and unbeleevers yet are they full of Comfort to Gods people The same words were spoken to Moses when he went to deliver Israel out of Egypt w 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ehjeh hath sent me to you I Am hath sent me Exod. 3.14 x Haebraei testantur hoc verbum trium temporum differencias inse continere preteriti prepresentis futuri fui sum ero lege Chem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A word of all Tenses Past Present and to Come Rev. 1.4 Peace from him that Is and that Was and that Is-to-Come It is a word CHRIST frequently used I am the bread of lise Iohn 6.35 And it could not choose but be a great deal of Comfort to them It is I. I