he withdrawes the pleasure of the flesh gives delight to the soule crossing us in our wils that he may advance our benefit The Man sicke of a burning feaver cries to his Physitian for drinke he pities him but does not satisfie him he gives him proper physicke but not drinke A man is sick of a Plurisie the Physitian lets him blood he is content with it the arme shall smart to ease the heart The covetous man hath a plurisie of riches God lets him blood by poverty let him be patient it is a course to save his soule But we are so sensuall that no reason can prevaile Wee are sorry to lose the proper cause of our sorrow we are like whiâ—ing Children that will not stay untill their milke be cold but must have it though they be scalded with it Yea it fares with many as with the mother of Nero let them be damd so they may be dubd But our heavenly Father will doe us good though we desire the contrary Wherefore if he scourge us any way so we bleed not or till we bleed so we faint not or till we even faint so we perish not let us be comforted for if the Lord prune his Vine he meanes not to root it up if he minister physicke to our soules it is because hee would not have us dye in our sinnes all is for salvation What if Nâ—ah were pent up in the Arke so long as he was safe in it what if it were his prison so long as it was his Fort also against the waters I might illustrate the point and make it plaine by sundry and divers comparisons We know one naile drives out another one heat another one cold another yea out of admirable experience I can witnesse it that for most constitutions there is not such a remedy for a Cold in the head or extreame tendernesse as a frequent bathing it especially the temples in cold water I can justly say I am twenty yeares the younger for it Yea one sorrow drives out another one passion another one rumour is expelled by another and though for the most part contraries are cured by contraries yet not seldome will Physitians stop a Lask with a Purge they will bleed a Patient in the Arme. to stop a worse bleeding at Nose Againe in some Patients they will procure a gentle Ague that they may cure him of a more dangerous disease Even so deales God with us he often punisheth the worser part of man saith Saint Hierome That is the body state or name that the better part to wit the soule may be saved in the day of judgement Neither are chastisements any whit lesse necessary for the soule than medicines are for the body many a man had been undonâ— by prosperity if they had not been undone by adversity they had perished in their soules if they had not perished in their bodyes estates or good names It is probable Naamans soule had never been cleansed if his body had not beene leaprous but his leaprous flesh brought him to a white and cleane spirit and though affliction be hard of digestion to the naturall man yet the sheepe of Christ know that to feed upon this salt March is the onely preservative against the Rot the experienced Christian knowes that it is good for the soule that the body is sometime sick and therefore to have his inward man cured hee is content his outward man should bee diseased and cares not so the sinnes of his soule may be lessened though the soares of his flesh be increased It is better saith Saint Hierome to have a sick stomack than a grieved mind Yea hee desires with Saint Austin that God will send him any plague rather than the plague of the heart And why is it not so with thee I hope thou desirest thy soules safety above all and thou knowest the stomack that is purged must be content to part with some good nourishment that it may deliver it selfe of more evill humours Of what kinde soever thy sufferings bee it is doubtlesse the fittest for thy soules recovery or else God the onely wise Physitian would not appoint it Now who would not be willing to bleed when by that meanes an inveterate sicknesse may be prevented Yea it is a happy blood-letting which saves the life which makes Saint Austin say unto God Let my body be crucified or burnt or doe with it what thou wilt so thou save my soule And another let me swimme a River of boyling brimstone to live eternally â—appy rather than dwell in a Paradise of pleasure to bee damned after death CHAP. XI That it makes them humble 8. EIghtly that â—e may have an humble conceit of our selves and wholly depend upon God We received the sentence of death in our selves saith the Apostle because we should not trust in our selves but in God who raiseth us up from the dead 2 Cor. 1. 9. When Babes are afraid they cast themselves into the armes and bosome of their mother A Hen leading her Chickens into the Sunne they fall a playing with the dust she may clock them to her long enough they will not come But when they see the Kite then they come without calling And so it fares with Gods Children till affliction come The Prodigall never thought of his Father till hee wanted huskes the Peroniâ— never made out to Christ till all her money was gone The Widow that is left alone trusteth in God saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 5. 5. who while she had an husbaâ—d leaned too much upon him The poore man depends not upon the reliefe of others untill hee â—inds nothing at home Till our meanes is spent wee are apt to trust in uncertaine riches but after in the name of the Lord Zeph. 3. 12. Asa bore himselfe bold upon his forces as being five hundred and fourescore thousand strong till hee was overmatcht with an Army of a thousand thousand Ethiopians this made him cry helpe us O Lord our God for we rest on thee 2 Chron. 14. God crosseth many times our likelyest projects and makes the sinâ—ws of the Arme of flesh to crack that being unbottomed of the creature wee may trust in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy 1 Tim. 6. 17. The people of Layish because they wanted nothing would have businesse with no man Judg. 18. 7. Where is no want is much wantonnesse and to be rich in temporals hastens poverty in spirituals The Moone is never eclipsed but in the full but the fuller she is still the more remote from the Sunne I thought in my prosperity saith David I shall never be moved But thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Then turned I unto thee c. Psal. 30. 6 7 8. It is high time to humble them that doe not find themselves to stand in need of God When a stubborne Delinquent being committed was no whit mollified with his durance but grew more perverse than he was before one of the Senators said to
hath chosen us If a Convert comes home the Angels welcome him with Songs the Devils follow him with uproare and fury his old acquaintance with scornes and obloquie for they thinke it quarrell enough that we will no longer runne with them to the same excesse of riot 1 Peter 4. 4. That we will no longer continue miserable with them they envy to see themselves casheired as persons infected with the plague will scoffe at such of their acquaintance as refuse to consort with them as they have done formerly It is not enough for them to be bad themselves except they raile at and persecute the good He that hath no grace himselfe is vexed to see it in another godly men are thornes in wicked mens eyes as Job was in the Devils because they are good or because they are deerly beloved of God If a mans person and wayes please God the World wil be displeased with both If God be a mans friend that will be his enemy If they exercise their malice it is where he shewes mercy and indeed he refuseth to be an Abel whom the malice of Caine doth not exercise as Gregory speaks for it is an everlasting rule of the Apostles He that is borne after the flesh will persecute him that is borne after the Spirit Gal. 4. 29. not because he is evill but because he is so much better than himselfe 1 John 3. 12. Because his life is not like other mens his wayes are of another fashion Wisd. 2. 15. I have also shewed the Originall continuance properties causes ends and what will be the issue of this enmity and therein made it plaine that as for the present they suite like the Harpe and the Harrow agree like two poysons in one stomack the one being ever sick of the other so to reconcile them together were to reconcile Fire and Water the Wolfe and the Lambe the Winds and the Sea together yea that once to expect it were an effâ—ct of frenzie not of hope It remaines in the last place that I declare the Reasons why God permits his dearest children so to be afflicted Reasons why The godly are so patient in their sufferings With other Grounds of comfort and Uses and first of the first The Reasons why God suffers the same are chiefly sixteene all tending to his glory and their spirituall and everlasting good benefit and advantage for the malignity of envie if it be well answered is made the evill cause of a good effect to us God and our soules are made gainers by anothers sin The Reasons and Ends which tend to Gods glory are three 1 It makes for the glory of his Power 2 It makes for the glory of his Wisedome 3 It makes much for his glory when those graces which he hath bestowed upon his children doe the more shine through imployment 1. It maketh for the glory of his Power Moses having declared in what manner the Lord permitted Pharaoh to oppresse the children of Israel more and more still hardning his heart shewes the reason of it in these words That I may multiply my miracles and wonders in the Land of Aegypt That I may lay my hand upon Pharaoh and bring out mine Armies even my people by great judgements that my power may bee knowne and that I may declare my Name throughout all the World Exod. 7. 3 4. 9. 16. When that multitude of Amonites and Moabites came to war against Jehâ—saphat and the Children of Israel intending to cast them out of the Lords inheritance and utterly destroy them to the dishonour of God the Lord by delivering them from that sore affliction gained to himselfe such honour and glory That as the Text saith the feare of God was upon all the Kingdomes of the Earth when they heard that the Lord had fought so against the enemies of Israel 2 Chron. 20. 29. The judgement was upon some the feare came upon all it was but a few mens lesse but it was all mens warning 1 Cor. 10. 11. When the Lord brought againe the Captivity of Sion saith the Psalmist Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them Psal. 126. 1. 2. God provides on purpose mighty adversaries for his Church that their humiliation may be the greater in sustaining and his glory may be greater in deliverance yea though there be Legious of devils and every one stronger than many Legions of men and more malicious than strong yet Christs little Flocâ— lives and prospers and makes not this exceedingly for our Makers for our Gardians glory Gods power is best made known in our weakens 2 Cor. 12. 9. And our deliverance is so much the more wondered at by how much the lesse it was expected Impossibilities are the best advancers of Gods glory who not seldome hangs the greatest weights upon the smallest wâ—ars as he doth those bottles of He â—ven being of infinite weight and magnitude in the â—of 〈…〉 where no man can make a feather hang and the massie substance of the whole Earth and Sea upon nothing Job 26. 7. 8. Yea the whole frame of the He â—vens have no other Columns or Supporters to leane upon then his mighty and powerfull word Gen. 1. 6 7 8. For what we leâ—st beleeve can be done we most admire being done the lesser the meanes and the greater the opposition the more is the glory of him who by little meanes doth overcome a great opposition yea it is greater glory to God to turne evils into good by over-mastering them then wholly to take them away Now if thy very enemies thus honour thee how should thy friends bought with thy precious blood glorifie thee But the sweetest of honey lieth in the bottome I passe therefore from the first to the second Reason CHAP. II. That it makes for the glory of his Wisedome 2. SEcondly it maketh for the glory of his marvellons and singular wisâ—dome when he turneth the malice of his enemies to the advantage of his Church I would saith Paul yee understood brethren that the things which have come unto me are turned rather to the furthering of the Gospell So that my bonds in Christ are famous throughout all the ' judgement-Hall and in all other places Insomuch that many of the brethren in the Lord are imboldned through my bonds and dare more frankly speake the word Phil. 1. 12 13 14. The Apostles imprisonment was not the Gospels restraint but inlargement In all other cases a gentle resistance heightens the desire of the seeker in this the strength of opposition meeting with as strong a faith hath the same effect Againe how admirably did the Lord turne the malice of Josephs brethren when they sold him into Aegypt And that devillish plot of Hamm against Mordecay and his people to the good of his Church in generall and of Joseph and Mordecay in particular Gen. 45. 8. 11. Hester 9. 1 2 3. Their plots to overthrow Joseph and Mordecay wereturned by a Divine Providence to the onely
unto us as the Star which led unto Christ and thy benefits like the Pillar which brought to the Land of Promise and thy Crosse like the Messenger that compelled guests unto the Banquet Give us O Lord to consider that although sinne in the beginning seeme never so sweet unto us yet in the end it will prove the bane and ruine both of body and soule and so assist us with thy grace that we may willingly part with our right eyes of pleasure and our right hands of profit rather then sin against thee and wrong our owne consciences considering that it would be an hard bargain for us to win the whole world and lose our owne soules Blesse preserve and keepe us from all the temptations of Satan the world and our wicked hearts from pride that Lucifer-like sinne which is the fore-runner of destruction considering that thou resistest the proud and givest grace to the humble from covetousnesse which is the root of all evill being taught out of thy Word that the love of money hath caused many to fall into divers temptations and snares which drown them in perdition and destruction from cruelty that infernall evill of which thou hast said that there shall be judgement mercilesse to him that sheweth not mercy â—â—om hypocrisie that sinne with two faces whose reward is double damnation and the rather because wickednesse doth most rankle the heart when it is kept in and dissembled and for that in all the Scriptures wee reade not of an hypocrites repentance from whoredome which is a sinne against a mâ—ns owne body and the most inexcusable considering the remedy which thou hast appointed against it for the punishment whereof the Law ordained death and the Gospell excludeth from the Kingdome of Heaven from prophanaâ—ion of thy Day considering thou hast said that whosoever sanctifieth it not shall bee cut off from thy people and diddest command that he should be stoned to death who onely gathered a few sticks on that day from swearing which is the language of Hell considering that because of oaths the Land doth mourne and thou hast threatned that thy curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer from drunkennesse that monster with many heads and worse then beast-like sinne which in thy Word hath many fearefull woes denounced against it and the rather for that it is a sin like the pit of Hell out of which there is small hope of redemption Finally O Lord give us strength to resist temptation patience to endure affliction and constancy to persevere unto the end in thy truth that so having passed our pilgrimage here according to thy will we may be at rest with thee hereafter both in the night of death when our bodies shall sleepe in the grave and in the day of our resurrection when they shall awake to iudgement and both bodies and soules enjoy everlasting blisse Be favourable to thy people every where look downe in much compassion upon thy Militant Church and every severall member thereof blesse it in all places with peace and truth hedge it about with thy providence defend it from the mischievous designes and attempts of thine and her malitious enemies let thy Gospell goe on and conquer maugre all opposition that Religion and uprightnesse of heart may bee highly set by with all and all prophanenesse may bee trod under foot More particularly be mercifull to this sinfull Land thy Servant our dread Soveraigne his Honourable Counsell the Civill Magistrates the painfull Ministers the two Vniversities those people that sit yet in darkenesse all the afflicted members of thy Sonne Lord comfort the comfortlesse strengthen the weak binde up the broken hearted make the bed of the sicke be a father to the fatherlesse and an husband to the widdow cloath the naked feed the hungry visit the prisoners releive the oppressed sanctifie unto them all their afflictions and turne all things to the best to them that feare thee Prosper the Armies that fight thy battles and shew a difference betweene thy servants and thine enemies as thou didst betweene the Israelites and the Aegyptians that the one may be confirmed and the other reclaymed These and all other good things which for our blindnesse we cannot aske vouchsafe to give us thine unworthy servants not for our sakes but for thy mercies sake and for thy Sonne our Saviour Jesus Christs sake in whom thou art well pleased and in whom thou wast fully satisfied upon the Crosse for our sinnes who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth ever one God world without end Let thy mighty hand and out-stretched arme O Lord be still our defence thy mercy and loving kindnesse in Jesus Christ thy deare Sonne our salvation thy true and holy Word our instruction thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort consolation illumination and sanctification now and for ever Amen Babes that are inexpert in the Word of righteousnesse use milke But strong meate belongeth to them that are of full age Heb. 5. 13 14. THE STATE OF A CHRISTIAN lively set forth by an Allegorie of a Shippe under Sayle MY body is the Hull the Keele my backe my Neâ—ke the Stem the Sides are my Ribbeâ— the â—e 〈…〉 es my bones my flesh the plankes Grâ—stles and ligaments are the 〈◊〉 and â—nâ—e-â—imâ—â—rs Arterâ—es veynes and sinewes the severall se 〈◊〉 of the Ship my bloâ—d is the ballast my heart the principall Hold my stomack the Co 〈…〉 e my Liver the Cisterne my Bowels the Sinke my Lungs the Bellowes my Teeth the Chopping-knives except you divide them and then they are the 32 pâ—ints of the Sea-card both agreeing in number Coâ—coction is the Caldron and hunger the Salt or Saw 〈…〉 my belly is the lower Decke my Kidnyes Close Caâ—â—ins or recepâ—acles my thighes are long Galleries for the grace of the Ship my armes and hands the Canâ—ookes my Midriffâ— is a large Partition or Bulk-head within the circumference of my head is placed the Steeridge roome and chiefe Cabbâ—ns with the Round house where the Master lyeth and these for the more safety and decency are inclosed with a double fence the one Dur 〈…〉 ter something hard and thicke the other Pi 〈…〉 mater very thinne and soft which serveth instead of hangings The cares are two doores or Seuttles fitly placed for â—ntertainment the two Eyes are Casements to let in light under them is my mouth the Stowidge or Stewards roome my lippes are Hatches for receit of goods my two Nostrils serve as Gratings to let in ayre at the one end stands my chin which is the Beakehead my forehead is the upper decke all which being trimmed with my fat instead of pitch and haire instead of Oâ—kham are coloured with my skinne The fore-decke is humility the stearne charity active obedience the sayles which being hoysed up with the severall Yards Halliers and Bowlings of holy precepts and good purposes are let downe againe by ficklenesse faintings and inconstancy Reason is my Rudder experience the Helme