good work as souldiers that stand in their files ready to fall on upon the word given Saint Augustine is for Emamus occasiones S. Augustine let us buy opportunities of doing good I wish we could apprehend those opportunities that offer themselves and do as it were with a smiling face invite us to the embracing of them But alas many and many of those either we at all take no notice of or at least do not regard but let them slip by without making any use of them So prone is out nature to evil and so averse to good that in the former like gun-powder the least spark taketh in us but in the later like green wood much blowing will not make us burn We flee unto evil but we are scarce haled to that which is good Alacriùs illi ad mortem quà m nos ad vitam evil ones run more chearfully to death then we to life and goodness What is there in the ways of evil that chears us like that in the ways of piety or is there the like reward of well and evil doing Oh what tears are sufficient for this inequality of our carriage Let us with trembling think of it Consider this all ye that forget God We will not when he would and he will not when we would It followeth And every mans hand against him that is to oppose him We may see then Observ 4. Contentious persons as they are troublesom so hateful unto all men That the troublesome man is hateful to all men Had not Cain reason to think that all men would hate him and that every man that met him would kill him when he had so sinned against Nature and Religion And well might Lamech think that people would distaste him when he was so full of rage that he cared not for killing a man in his fury And how hateful think you that Nimrod that mighty hunter was unto men Joshua censured Achan and it enraged the people against him in that he had troubled them And if Elijah had been a troubler of Israel no doubt all the people would have been against him And when the Priests would enflame the mindes of the people against Jeremiah they make them believe that he troubleth the nation and weakneth the hands of the people that he seeks nothing but to put causless fears and jealousies into their heads and himself complaineth that he was a man of contention And so Amos suffereth as a man that troubleth the publike peace and that the land was not able to endure his words And we see how they incense the people against Saint Paul Acts 16.20 This man doth exceedingly trouble our City So at Thessalonica Acts. 17.6 These men have turned the world upside down and are come hither also As who should say Take heed of these men bend your selves against them and cast them out speedily for they be Incendiaries and they raise tumults wheresoever they come and therefore they are not to be endured unless we mean to be enwrapped in the same miseries that others have been For the Use of this Application First this may answer that complaint that some men and women make in the world I am not beloved say they I cannot have the good will of my neighbours they are strange unto me they will hold no conversation with me Why you are not peaceful you are disturbant to your neighbours you are inimicitious to those that offer you none injury you are medling with things that belong not unto you you are carrying tales between others and you are siding with those that be naught If so wonder not that you are hated it is the just judgement of God upon you that men should be afraid of you and shun your society Secondly it may teach men how to gain love and to be well respected in the world let them be affable and courteous let them do good offices as they have occasion let them studie to be quiet as the Apostle saith let them not willingly offer injury nor let them take exceptions at any thing they suffer let them be innocent as doves This peaceableness conduceth much to make that which Saint Peter calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fair conversation The Sichemites can give this motive for the dwelling of the sons of Jacob amongst them Gen. 34. Gen. 34.21 because they were peaceable men Innocency and harmlesness and quietness though they be contemned by proud and stirring humours as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a flatness of spirit yet certainly they are no cyphers in Christian Arithmetick Solomon maketh it the property of a fool to be medling but a meek and quiet spirit is of God So then now who would not rather chuse to be a fool to the world and wise to God then wise to the world and a fool to God A peaceable man will get love a contentious man will get hatred and be a burden to the place where he liveth Now he is a fool indeed that had not rather be beloved then hated and that both by God and man Preached Ian. 12. 1641. THE SEVENTEENTH SERMON GEN. 16.12 13. And he shall dwel in the presence of all his Brethren Vers 13. And she called the Name of the Lord c. THis clause is diversly interpreted Some understand it thus for all he shall be so savage and fierce a man and his hand against every man yet even amongst his enemies he shall have some friends and other some that will affect him and commend him Observ 1. None so desperately wicked but ever found Abettours And it is true there were never any so desperately wicked but they found some to favour them and applaud them David speaketh of those that bless the covetous whom God abhorreth there were those men among the Iews that spoke well of Tobiah their common enemy and reported his good deeds Nehe. 6.10 Suetonius Epiphanius S. Augustin Nehemiah 6. The Persians honoured Nero that was the hatred of God and man and as Suetonius reports though all men thought him unworthy of common burial yet they sent some yearly with flowers and odours to adorn his Sepulchre And both Epiphanius and Saint Austin tels us of a certain brood of Hereticks called Caiani that honoured Cain affirming that he was a worthy man conceived by some powerfull nature That therefore shewed it self mightyin him The same Hereticks also honoured Corah Dathan and Abiram as men of courage and resolution yea they adored Iudas the traytor being perswaded that some divine operation and propheticallinstinct did direct that by his delivering his master to the Iewes all men might be delivered from the divell And did not Sixtus Quintus in the conclave of Cardinals make a Panegyrick in the commendation of that Iacobin Application that killed Henry the third of France Adams eating of the forbidden fruit hath put the judgment of his posterity out of taste insomuch that they often think well and speak well and are affected
that Cadesh-Barnea that we often read of and was one of the stations of the children of Israel when they were Ambulans Respublica Salvianus as Salvian calleth them a travelling Common-wealth and Bered we finde no where but in this place the Chaldee calleth it Chagra Now this description of the place some think to be a needless circumstance but let them take heed for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil To say there is any idle word in holy writ saith Basil is no less then blasphemy Certainly Moses the pen-man of this story did purposely and advisedly mention it as he doth often in the like kinde such a place is thus and thus scituated and as thou goest to such a place Here was a famous occurrent and a new Name was given to the Well and therefore it was fit it should be described where it was that when people should pass by that way they might take knowledg of it Isaac meditated or prayed about this place Gen. 24. Gen. 24.62 c. 25.11 yea he dwelt by this Well after the death of his Father Gen. 25. No doubt but many in after times made use of this place and it was the fault of the children of Israel that neer to this place they murmured for water Numb 20. not remembring hoc loco that in this place God had succoured Hagar in her affliction So then Moses doth in this description posteriorum negotium agere act the business of posterity as it was said of one of old He doth that which may be for the benefit of posterity Remarkeable mercies should be recorded and treasured up unto posterity Observ 3. Remarkable mercies are to be treasured up to al posterity and that with circumstances of place and time and person that posterity may be stirred up to thankfulness and expectation of the like mercy from God Jacob taketh one of the stones that he had laid his head upon and pitched it up for a pillar and called the name of the place Bethel and it retained that name Gen. 28. the pot of Manna must be kept Gen. 28. Exod. 16. to instruct posterity and Joshua set up 12 stones in the midst of Iordan and they are to this day saith the text Iosh 4.9 Josh 4.9 and at the 20. vers other 12 stones that they brought out of Iordan were erected in Gilgall that all ages after might take knowledg of the great work of God in dividing Iordan for his people Verse 20. the deliverance from Amaleck God would have Moses write Exod. 17.14 This shall be written for the generations to come and the people that shall be born shall praise the Lord Psal 102. The parents were commanded of God Psal 102.18 to teach their children what the passeover did signifie and other things that they might teach their children and so from age to age the memory of Gods mercy might be continued that the father to the children might make known Gods truth as Hezekiah speaketh Isai 38. And for the Use of it Isai 38.19 I wish this may be taken up into our practice Application God hath magnified his mercy to this land of ours in great deliverances and we have seen them with our eyes we should tell our children of these things and charge them to teach their children that in all succession of time God may be glorified and his people encouraged to serve that God that hath wrought such wonders for us that great deliverance in 88. but 54. years agoe it is almost buried one great occasion is the want of an anniversary That other as great deliverance from the gun-powder treason hath an anniversary yet it is but little thought of in this short time some of the popish side have had the bold front to say there was no such thing what will they be ready to say one hundred years hence nay some of our own I speak it with grief stick not to mince the matter and partly to excuse the actors and wish it were forgotten and so wonderfully extenuate the great mercy of God doth it not behove us then to take care as Moses did that posterity may know it let our children be informed of it in their confabulations that they may tell their children and they theirs that so in all succeeding ages they may be thankfull for the mercy may abhor such rebellion that bringeth forth such sower grapes and may love that truth which God did so miraculously defend and protect but you will say this is enough out of a circumstance Now we come to the next Verse which telleth us First how Hagar brought forth her son Ishmael Secondly how the name was given by Abraham For the former I have told you that this her bringing forth in Abrahams family necessarily supposeth 1. that she returneth thither 2. that she was received there She returned thither for that was it that the Angel gave her in charge Return to thy mistress and humble thy self under her hand No doubt she did both she came a penitent and reformed woman no more insolent against Sarah nor giving occasion of offence Where we may note Observ 4. Happie that Affliction which ends in Reformations Prov. 20.30 What a happie thing it is when after Affliction followeth Reformation Surely it is that which God intendeth God intendeth to open their ears whom he afflicteth unto discipline and that they should depart from inquity Job 36.10 And so Prov. 20. The blueness of the wound serveth to purge out evil And Isai 27.9 By this that is by afflictions formerly spoken of shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit the taking away sin Jer. 9.7 I will melt them and try them how shall I do for the daughter of my people I have tried other means I will now afflict her if by this means I may reclaim her I will go to my place till they acknowledge their offence Hos 5.10 Hos 5. in their affliction they will seek me early We see what Gods intention is in afflicting and this end he hath attained in divers that have been afflicted Psal 119.67 as we see in David Psa 119. he saith Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word And vers 79. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes The like we see in Manasseh who was recalled by his affliction 2 Chron. 33. So it was with Paul who being unhorsed and smitten with blindness three days and in that time exercised with spiritual terrours Acts 16. he returned no more unto folly And so the Jaylor Acts 16. And the Prodigals penury brought him home to his fathers house and made him ever after an obedient son Now for the Use of this Application It meeteth with those against whom the hand of the Lord is gone out and hath been heavie upon them and yet when the affliction hath been removed they have not been
by Jehoshaphat and so did Peter by those he preached unto It is true that people are to be told of their sin and not to be spared for the affliction that is upon them nay that is the fittest time to use reproof and if they have some sense of their fault yet they are to be reproved that they may be brought to a greater measure of humiliation but yet it must be done in love a man must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set in joynt the part that is dislocated with an easie hand without bitterness and foul terms in the spirit of meekness that they may see their shame is not intended but their amendment Nihil tam spiritualem medicum probat quà m alieni morbi tractatio S. Augustine saith Saint Augustine Nothing so proves a man a spiritual physitian as the gentle curing of anothers maladie If a man be not his arts-master he may prove corrosor in stead of correptor a consumer in lieu of a chastiser and he may make a new wound in stead of healing the old or else make the old worse And for the Use of it Application Too many such there be in the world who having no pity of the afflictions that people lie under nor yet of that sense that they have of their fault flie out in such terms even Shimei's language Thou murderer Thou man of blood Thou son of Belial They are so sharp that they set the soul further off from God that they should draw neerer to him It was the gross fault of Jobs friends that they had no regard to the heavie load that was upon him nor yet to the acknowledgement of his righteous dealing but rated him as one that had been an hypocrite all his days and that he was justly made exemplary We must not do as the sons of Jacob did by the Sichemites fall upon them when they are sore and slay them right out but like the good Samaritan they must finding the man wounded pour in wine and oil and help to cure him Certainly the severest Reprehension must be ministred in love and affection But to come to the Questions which are two Whence comest thou Whither goest thou But first we must know Observ 5. Ingenuous acknowledgement often preventeth still mitigateth punishment that the Angel moveth not the one or the other as being ignorant of either Non ignorando quarit sed ut responsionem eliciat to draw from her an ingenuous answer and confession And this course hath been often used God himself saith to Adam Where art thou It is not so much interrogatio as increpatio not so much an interrogation as an objurgation saith Saint Ambrose S. Ambrose a reproof of him He seemeth to be ignorant that he may bring him to an acknowledgement of his sin Where art thou was not so much saith that Father In quo loco in what place as In quo statu in what condition Quo te perduxerunt peccata whither have thy sins led thee Quod Deus fugis quem ante querebas that now thou fleest God whom thou didst seek before And so he dealt with Cain he asketh him Where is Abel thy brother Ignorantiam simulat ut confessionem ut geat saith the Father he dissembleth his knowledge that he might bring him to confession So Elisha questioneth Gehazi Whence he came not but that he knew where he had been and what he had done but he would have had from him an acknowledgement of his fact and the foulness of it 2 Kings 5. 2 Kings 5. So Peter questions with Ananias and Sapphira whether they sold the land for so much not that he knew it not but that he would have it from their own mouth that they had done it and offended in doing of it and so their acknowledgement might have prevented their punishment The Use that I will make of it is but this That seeing God knoweth perfectly what we have done Application we should be free and full in the confession of our faults for hereby we acknowledge God to be omniscient And therefore when Joshua would have Achan confess fully he saith unto him Josh 7. Josh 7.20 My son's give glory unto God and namely the glory of his omniscience Thou seest already that the depth of his knowledge is greater then the depth of thy deceitful heart confess thy sin therefore unto God even the whole circumstance of the matter A malefactor would not conceal any thing from the Judge if he were certain the Judge knew all 2. Hereby a man sheweth his dislike of his own evil and that he favours it not while he doth not conceal it but reveal and discover it fully 3. Hereby a man disposeth himself to the pardon and remission of his fault for if we confess it is just with God to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1.19 1 Joh. 1. But on the other side Solomon saith Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sin shall not prosper And we shall see that Job disclaims the covering of his transgressions as Adam Job 31.33 and hiding his iniquity in his bosom Job 31. The Lazar to stir compassion in those that pass by layeth out his sores to the full So should men confess their sin and make it as sinful as may be Annescis quid sit contrahere peccatum ubi speras remedium saith Saint Ambrose S. Ambrose Dost thou not know what it is to contract sin where thou dost hope a remedy 4. Lastly it is but a fruitless thing for a man that hath to deal with an All-seeing God to seek to hide his sin for he knows it and can set all a mans sins in order before him Or to tell them in gross as Nebuchad-nezzar told his dream I dreamed so to say I have sinned is vain for he perfectly understandeth each particular But I shall have occasion to speak more of this upon the last clause The Questions But now for the first Question Whence comest thou It is not barely an enquiry from whence she came but withal a secret intimation of the happiness she had deprived her self of by coming from the place where she was as if he had said unto her What folly was in thee to leave Abrahams family Wert thou not there beloved of Abraham though thy Mistress were a little sharp his affection was able to make a compensation and through his mediation thou mightst have been preserved from all ill usage for after-times Hast thou not left the comfort of thy soul For thou wert in that family which was the Church of God and where thou didst enjoy the Ordinances of God which did serve to build thee up unto salvation Thou hast even as Cain banished thy self from the face of God for there he is where his Worship is truely exercised Again Art thou not come from the society of godly persons which is a special contentment to a good soul And further Though thou
by any miscarriages to lose or forfeit them Psal 85.8 Psal 85. God will speak to his people and to his Saints with this intention that they shall return no more unto folly The Use of this is First to us that be the Ministers and you that are the people To us Application in the speaking comforts and to you in the receiving of them We must not comfort before we see you humbled for your sins God giveth his Ministers the tongue of the learned to minister a word in due season but to whom to him that is weary Isai 50. We must Isai 50.4 like the good Samaritan pour in first wine and then oil we must purge by Potion and then comfort by Cordial we must use first verbera the stripes of the Law and then draw out uhera the brests of the Gospel I know that people are greedy of comforts and like the sons of Zebedee they would have a grant of sitting on the right hand and left in Christs Kingdom before ever they have drank of the cup that he did drink of or have been baptized with his baptism they send for the Minister and desire him to give it them but discover not any measure of humiliation upon which to ground this comfort Now if we should satisfie them in this we should be unfaithful to our Master and bad stewards of that allowance which he giveth us to dispense yea it may be we might be guilty of giving childrens bread unto dogs And as we should be unfaithful to God so we should be helpless to men we should do them no good with comforts being not disposed for them by humiliation nay we should do them much harm for the great Master of Physick telleth us that Hippocrates in an impure body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omne nutritivum est nocivum that which nourisheth hurteth There must be first an evacuation of humours where there is Plethory and then nourishing things do well As we must be therefore careful in our way to give every one the portion of meat in due season so do not you require comforts of us till you come to a sight of your sins and have true remorse in your souls for them A second Use may be this even to abate the joy of some people in the world who brag of those comforts that they have in themselves and perswasion that they have of their good condition and yet cannot say that they have been truely and sensibly cast down for their sins I may say Their rejoycing is not good as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 5. 1 Cor. 5. in another case They may suspect such a building as hath no better a foundation They may justly fear that their comfort is not of God because they have it not according to Gods order and method For on whom hath he ever bestowed the spirit of adoption who have not first had the spirit of bondage What spirit hath ever God raised that he hath not first in some measure cast down I say In some measure for I know the same measure of humiliation is not required of all As there may be in the soul false fears Satan hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek Father calls them S. Chrysostom his vizards to terrifie people withal and to make them fear when there is no just cause of fear so there may be false joys and people may triumph in some comforts that yet are not the joy of the Spirit Remember we it every of us True joy in the Christian soul riseth out of sorrow for sin And that is the truest consolation that we finde in our selves after true humiliation A Second thing is this Here is a promise of a great blessing to this woman but mark how it is inferred even upon the direction that the Angell had given her in the former vers If she shall return and humble her self under the hand of her mistress acknowledging her fault Observ 2. Gods promises run alwaies with condition of obedience the defect whereof Nulleth his obligation Deut. 8.29 and carrying her self fittingly for after time then she may expect the accomplishment of that blessing which the Angell here foretelleth The promises of the blessings of God run with a condition of our obedience If thou dost well shall thou not be accepted saith God to Cain Gen. 4.7 Acceptation there is a full word it includeth the blessings both of this life and that which is to come but there is also a condition of doing well So Deut. 8.29 Oh that there were such an heart in this people to fear me and keep all my commandements alwayes that it might be well with them and with their seed for ever God engageth himself to be good unto them and to their seed but there is a condition of obeying him and keeping his commandements c. 28. and this Moses fully layeth forth in Deut. 28. Where he mentioneth a world of blessings but withall mentioneth the condition of enjoyment of them even the keeping and observing of Gods commandements David giveth none encouragement to Solomon to receive Gods blessing 1 Chron. 28. but upon condition of his obedience Psal 122.12 1 Chron. 28. And it was none other then God himself had told him as he relates it Psal 122.12 If thy children shall keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them thus and thus it shall be unto them Psal 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and a shield he will give grace and glory no good thing will he withhold here is good measure pressed down heaped up and running over but for whom is all this or what is the condition You shall finde it in the next words Isai 1.19 Those that walk uprightly upright walking is the condition of these blessings Isaiah 1.19 If you be willing and obedient you shall eate the good things of the land Where see that those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that concern this life as the Apostle calleth them 1 Cor. 6.3 are promised with a condition and for the blessings of the life to come They run with a condition also as we may gather from that speech of our Lord Mat. 19.17 Mat. 19. to the young man who desired to know what he should do to obtain eternal life for he made account he must do some thing for it Christ tells him If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandements God hath made a promise of blessings both here and hereafter but to what Saint Paul will tell us 1 Tim. 4. Godliness hath the promise both of this and that life which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee the crown of life saith our Lord unto the Church Revel 2.10 The promise is upon condition of practice For the Use of it It meets first with a great many in the world who are urging God with the performance of his promise yea
of God The world was a back-friend to the poor man that lay at the pool of Bethesda eight and thirty yeers together and all that time could not finde a man to help him into the pool hominem non habeo saith he Joh. 5. John 5. I have not found a man and therefore Deum habes saith one thou hast a God to help thee Christ instantly saith unto him Arise take up thy bed and walk Our Lord telleth his disciples Joh. 16. And 16.32 Matth. 26.56 You shall leave me alone Indeed it proved so Matth. 26. All the disciples forsook him and fled Yet I am not alone saith he for the Father is with me Saint Paul saith 2 Tim. 4.16 at his first answering no man stood with him but all men forsook him notwithstanding saith he the Lord stood with me and strengthened me When men forsake God will help Indeed he suffereth sometimes men to come to that pass that they are utterly destitute before he cometh to help both for the manifestation of his own goodness and the increase of our thankfulness And therefore for the Use of it Application First Let our care be to keep in with God and to endear our selves to his protection by a godly conversation for if we be in with him in all our troubles and perplexities when men shall fall off as leaves in Autumn or be like the brakes in the Summer that Job speaketh of we may roul our selves upon God who will make amends for the worlds defect But if we be not è servis of his family at least of good correspondence with him we shall be utterly lost for our friends will turn adversaries and they will be encouraged to do us mischief as Davids enemies said his God hath forsaken him let us persecute him and take him for there is none to deliver him And they could reproach him and say where is now thy God I say again let us keep in with God and then if there be any water it is in the Ocean if there be any light it is in the Sun if there be any comfort it is in God Secondly when we finde upon the worlds deserting us that God hath taken care of us let us be truly thankful and the more thankfull because he came in at a dead lift as we say when David was sensible of Gods drawing him out of a pit wherein he must necessarily in the judgment of flesh and blood have perished there is a new song in his mouth Psal 40.3 even of praise unto his God Psal 40.3 And when the man at the pool was sensible that in the want of mans help God helped him the next news we here of him is that he is in the temple Iohn 5.14 Iohn 5. And what ingenuous person is there in the world that hath not found his heart inflamed and an edg set upon his thankfulness when he can say as Hagar here thou God seest me the world afforded no help but thou my God doest help me Another ground of her thankfulness here insinuated is this that having heard all those comforts that the Angell had given her in this her affliction Observ 2. True Christian gratitude looketh through the meanes and instruments up to the main Agent through all second causes to the first Augustine Gen. 32.10 yet she looketh up higher then the Angell even to God himself and acknowledgeth him to be the fountain of all that consolation It is a speciall part of thankfulness in benefits received to look through the meanes and instruments and second causes unto God and ultimately to resolve all into him that is Bonum omnis boni the good of every good besides Fons boni lucidus saith Saint Austin the cleer fountain of all good Iacobs estate was much improved he looketh further then his own industry Gen. 32.10 Lord saith he I am less then the least of thy mercies for with my staffe came I over this Iordan and now I have gotten two bands And Gen. 33. For his children he looketh further then the strength of his own body Gen. 33.5 vers 5. These be the children which God hath gratiously given thy servant And so Ioseph for his honour and great estate that he got in Egypt he looks further then his own wit and understanding and the favour of his Prince as appeareth by the name he giveth his younger Son Ephraim God saith he hath caused me to be fruitfull in the land of mine affliction Gen. 41. Deborah though she saw what Iael had done against Sisera ch 41.52 yet she looketh higher and praiseth the Lord for the avenging of Israel Iudges 5. Iudg. 5.2 1 Sam. 17.37 When David telleth Saul how he slew the Lyon and the Bear he doth not look upon his own courage but he ascribeth it unto God 1 Sam. 17. God delivered me out of the mouth of the Lyon and the paw of the Bear and in other victories which he got he doth not boast of his own prowess though he had the heart of a Lyon and was a man both of valour and skil but he thanked God for them Psal 144. Psal 144.1 Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight Hezekiah being freed from his dangerous sickness which was mali moris as they say and most probably thought to be the plague though he had applyed the lump of figgs which the Prophet had prescribed yet he pitcheth not upon this as the main cause but celebrateth the power and goodness of God as knowing him to be the Author of his recovery Isaiah 38. Isai 38. The man that was cured in the beautiful gate of the Temple by Peter and Iohn looketh further then them and therefore it is said that he went into the temple walking and leaping and praising God Acts 3. Acts 3.8 He looked further then the instrument even to the prime efficient we shall see Paul directing the Corinthians for what benefit soever they had received by the ministery of him or of Apollos to look further then them even unto God 1 Cor. 2.5 Who is Paul or who is Apollos 1 Cor. 2.5 6. but Ministers by whom you have believed even as the Lord gave to every man I have planted Apollos watered but God gave the increase and for those comforts which himself received by what mediate hand soever he had them whether Ananias or any other He looketh up as high as God 2 Cor. 1. Blessed be God 2 Cor. 1.3 even the father of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of mercy and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation even the wiser heathens in their deliverances by Sea and Land would look up as high as God whatsoever the instruments were Hence the temples of their Deities were so full of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their offerings and we reade of some of their Altars inscribed Iovi liberatori unto Iupiter
amended nay many times much worse then before as if like Antonine in the fable they had gotten strength by their fall Such an one was Pharaoh who when the judgement was taken away was more obdurate then before Such was Ahaz for you may well think that if he did inter flagella peccare Gregory 2 Chro. 28 22. Isai 5.1 as Gregory speaketh sin between the stripes and so he did 2 Chron. 28. he would be worse after he was released Why should you be smitten any more saith the Lord Isai 5. ye will revolt more and more Yea even those that have made large promises and protestations in the time of affliction what kinde of men they would be if God would reprieve them Optimi dum infirmi as Ferus saith soundest in minde when unsound in body penitent while pinched But when the storm hath been over they have cast all their vows behinde their back and renewed their unsanctified olâ—â—â— with more eagerness and greediness then formerly the Dose hath irritated not purged out the humour Just like those Israelites Psal 70.34 Psal 70. when God slew them seemed to return but they did but flatter with their lips for they did flee out again fearfully And is not this a fearful thing that Affliction which God intends for cure should do no good Jerem. 4.11 like that winde Jer. 4. from the wilderness which shall neither fan nor cleanse Nay that a plaister should be laid on and the son should be so rebellious S. Augustine that as Augustine saith not onely non profit sed ob sit it should not onely not heal but hurt Oh let all such take heed of that heavie doom Ezek. 24. Ezek. 24.13 Because I have purged thee that is have offered to do it and used means to do it and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee None affliction hereafter shall do thee any good thou shalt go on to make up the measure of thine iniquity till thou comest unto the place of torment to be paid for all together In the second place Let it be an Admonition to us all Micah 6.9 Use 2 to hear the rod and who hath appointed it Every affliction hath a voice yea it saith to us as Ebud to Eglon I have a message to thee from God Judg. 3. God calleth upon us to repent and amend Judges 3.20 and therefore let us now seriously endeavour reformation and make it good which God intends in our affliction that it may bring forth the quiet fruit of righteousness Heb. 12. Blessed be those fetters Heb. 12.11 that make Manasseh a better man blessed be that whale of affliction which conveyeth Jonah on dry land reformed blessed be that poverty that driveth home the Prodigal blessed be that Bethesda out of which a man cometh healed blessed be that file that cleanseth us from our rust that fire that purgeth us from dross that clay and spittle that openeth our eyes to see our errours and reform them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Chrysostom Chrysost in loc What a fruitful gain is to be made of our well-improved-afflictions And therefore remember we our pangs and remember we our prayers and our vows and pay them unto God The fruit of affliction is seen in the after-course and he hath profited by it that is such as he hath promised to be and certainly God and man will love that man whom affliction hath made a better man Secondly we may conclude also that she was received again by Sarah upon her humiliation and submission and all former errours forgotten This pious and charitable disposition hath been found in Gods people Observ 5. Forgiving dispositions are badges of Gods people As we see in Joseph toward his brethren they sought unto him for mercy and that he would forgive their unnaturalness and he did it And so in Moses how easily did he pardon his brother sister and intercede to God for her and the people that often murmured at him So David forgave his son Absalon and Saul that persecuted him and Shimei that cursed him when he sought unto him So Samuel though the people reviled him yet he pardoneth them and prayeth for them yea thinketh he should sin if he did it not So Daniel passed by the wrong the Wise-men did him and is a means to save their lives Thus Saint Stephen freely forgave his persecutors without any submission of them and in the midst of that shower of stones prayeth for them And so did Saint Paul by the Jews and our blessed Lord by his persecutors And I doubt not but Philemon did what Paul required him in regard of Onesimus And thus divers of the Worthies did of former times The blessed Martyrs have freely forgiven those that have wronged them That which hath wrought them to this hath been First the consideration of the common frailty of nature how apt people are to offend and do wrong Secondly the meditation of their own frailty that they may be so tempted that they may be injurious to others and what they would have done to themselves in the like case they are willing to do to others Thirdly the observation of Gods dealing with others who doth forgive iniquity Exod. 34. transgression and sin as he is described Exod. 34. even foul sins crimson scarlet-iniquities upon humiliation Davids adultery and Murder Manassehs Necromancie Peters denial of his Master Pauls persecution of the Church Lastly the consideration of Gods dealing with themselves how mercifully he hath received them upon their repentance and humiliation and they must be followers of God as dear children Now for the Use of this Application First it meets with those to whom this is durus sermo an hard saying What forgive an injury No retain wrath and revenge the injury to the full What upon submission and craving pardon to put up this That were to be poor-spirited How many are there even fathers to their children masters to their servants one man to another whom nothing will satisfie no mediation of friends no prayers or tears or acknowledgements appease Nay they suffer not onely the sun of the day to go down upon their wrath and many suns but even the sun of their life sets in this black cloud Yea so malicious they be that they think their children unworthy to inherite their possessions unless they will be heirs of their malice and to prosecute a revengeful course set on foot by them as the father of Hannibal took an oath of him bound at the Altar that he should never have peace with Rome Do these people at any time remember that it was one of those fearful sins that God gave up the Heathen unto in his just judgement to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.30 that is implacable Do they 2. think of the condition of their begging forgiveness of God and how they