hold out I was not taken off from the performance of holy duties no I thought with my self that I am commanded by God to perform holy duties which is the way and means whereby wee may meet with God For hee is ordinarily to bee injoyed no where but in his own ordinances but the Lord took mee off from resting and trusting in Ordinances And as hee made mee to see that without the practise of them hee would not accept of mee so also hee made mee to know that it was not for holy duties for which I was accepted The sins that cleave to my best performances are enough for which the Lord may justly condemn mee if I had no other sins 5 The Lord brought mee to see a Superlative beauty and excellency in the Lord Iesus Christ and my soul was deeply in love with him even with whole Christ in all his Offices and if I know any thing at all of my owne heart I desired Christ as much to bee my King and Prophet to teach and guide mee and subdue mee to himself and rule over mee as to bee my High-Priest to make Attonement by offering up of himself for mee and washing mee in his blood by which I must bee justified 6 The Lord brought mee to see a soul-satisfaction in the Lord Jesus Christ alone and I think I should bee as fully satisfied with Christ alone as my heart can desire If I know my heart it panteth after Christ and Christ alone None but Christ none but Christ. The whole world in comparison or competition with Christ is nothing to mee But in him I see full contentment To see and know my interest in him and to injoy communion with him is that which if the Lord would bestow upon mee I should with Iacob say It is enough and with old Simeon Now let thy servant depart in peace for my eyes have seen thy salvation Now I desire to set down some other Scripture Evidences that I finde upon search and examination of my heart by laying it to the Rule The Word of God My Second Scripture Evidence is taken from Mark 2. 17. Where Christ saith They that are whole have no need of the Physitian but they that are sick and hee came not to call the Righteous but sinners to repentance Now through Gods mercy I can say that I am a sin-sick-sinner the Lord make mee more sick I am not righteous in mine own eyes but a sinner and see my self undone for ever without the righteousness of Christ bee imputed to mee and therefore I hope I am amongst the number of those whom Christ was commissionated by his Father to come to save From Matth. 11. 28 29. I am weary and heavy laden now Christ hath promised to give ease to such And I am willing to take his yoke upon mee and would fain learn of him the lesson of meekness and lowliness and therefore am invited to come unto him I can say with David that my sins are a heavy burden to mee they are too heavy for mee Psal. 38. 4. and I can say that I mourn because I cannot mourn no more for my sins now Christ saith Blessed are they that mourn for they shall bee comforted Mat. 5. 4. From Matth. 5. 3. I think if my heart do not deceive mee I am pòor in spirit now theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven saith Christ. From Matth. 12. 20. I am a bruised reed and smoaking flax and therefore Christ hath promised hee will not break such a reed nor quench the smoak of grace if it bee true grace but hee will increase it more and more as hee saith Untill judgement breake forth into victory And hee came to set at liberty them that are bruised Luke 4. 18. Therefore I hope I am such a one as hee came to binde up and set at liberty Yea and that hee was anointed and sent by his Father to mee and such as I am Isa. 61. 1. From 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation saith Paul That Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners And so say I too it is worthy all acceptation that Christ should come from the bosome of his Father who was infinitely glorious and happy that hee should come into the world to save mee mee a sinner mee the chiefe of sinners mee that if saved I do verily beleeve there is none in heaven nor any that ever shall come thither that hath or will have the cause to magnifie and adore free grace as I shall have And herein doth God commend his love towards mee For if when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled wee shall bee saved by his life Rom. 5. 10. I can say with Paul that I delight in the Law of God after the inward man and I am grieved that I cannot keep it I finde that spiritual war in mee between flesh and spirit which Paul complaineth of and I can say that Paul doth confess over my heart in his confessions Rom. 7. And I can go along with him there from verse 9. to the end of the chapter and from hence I gather that there is some spiritual life in my soul and an indeavour to walk after the spirit and therefore I hope and desire to conclude with him that there shall bee no condemnation to mee but that the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus shall make mee free from the law of sin and death I finde an earnest desire wrought in my soul to bee made like unto Jesus Christ and that it may bee my meat and drink to do and suffer his will as hee would have mee I can say that the Lord hath in some measure put his fear into my heart that I fear to offend him out of love to him and I love to fear him I can say with the Church to Christ Cant. 1. 7. O thou whom my soul loveth and if I know any thing at all of mine own heart Christ is altogether lovely and most desirable to my soul. I think I can truly say with David that I have none in Heaven but thee and there is nothing on earth that I desire besides thee in comparison of thee in competition with thee Though all that is dearest to mee in the world should forsake mee yet if God whom I have chosen for my portion will not forsake mee I have enough It is my desire and endeavour more and more to account all things but loss and dung that I may win Christ. I can with Peter make my appeal to him and say Lord thou who knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee and that it is the desire of my soul to love thee more and to love thee for thy self because thou art holy and good and gracious and the chiefest amongst ten thousand Yea God in Christ alone is worthy to be
are some men that can delight in any thing but in God and his Word and his Ordinances They can delight in the creatures of God but cannot delight in the Ordinances of God They can delight in the gifts of God in riches and health and honours But they cannot delight in the God of these gifts They can delight in books of Philosophy and Humanity but they cannot delight in the word of God Mark the sad condition that these are in It is a certain sign that there is a vail over their eyes and hearts that they are not yet anointed with Christs eye-salve that the God of the world hath blinded their eyes that they cannot see the glorious excellencies of the Law of God It is certain that they are not born anew for if they were new born babes they would desire the sincere milk of the word It is certain that the Law of God is not yet written in their hearts and that the Spirit of God doth not dwell in them It is certain that they have no part nor portion in the word of God that they never tasted the sweetness that is in it and that they have no true love to God nor to his word It is a true saying Qui regem amat legem amat hee that loves a King will love his Law And I may say Qui Deum amat legem Dei amat Hee that loves God will love the Law of God which is nothing else but his Image and his Picture his last Will and Testament his blessed Love-token And therefore if you delight not in the Law of God it is evident you do not delight in the God of this Law And if you delight not in God hee will not delight in you unless it bee to laugh at your destruction as it is Prov. 1. 26. Q. But how shall I know whether I do delight in the Word of God or no Answ. You shall know it by these notes 1 Hee that delights in Gods Law will bee very frequent in meditating and reading of it and very often in speaking of it Thus saith David Psal. 1. 2. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and therein hee will meditate day and night And Psalm 119. 97. Oh how do I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day So also vers 15 16. 23. Hee that takes pleasure in the Law hee will bee often thinking of it as Christ saith Matth. 6. 21. Where the treasure is there the heart will bee also If the word of God bee thy treasure thou wilt meditate on it Cogitatione crebrâ longâ profundâ Thou wilt frequently think of it and when thou beginnest to think of it thou wilt dwell upon the thought of it as a Bee dwells as it were upon the flower to suck out the sweetness that is in it and thou wilt think of it with deep and serious meditations and contemplations thou wilt dive into the unsearchable riches and treasures that are in the Word And as thou wilt meditate on it so thou wilt bee often and unwearisome in reading and perusing of it and discoursing about it A man that delights in hunting is never weary of talking of hunting and hee that delights in the world of speaking about the world and if you did delight in Gods word you would bee very frequent and indefatigable in discoursing of it 2 If you delight in the Word of God you would delight in the Ministers and Ambassadors of the Word lawfully commissionated by Christ For the great work of the Ministry is to expound and apply the Word and therefore if you dis-respect the godly learned lawful Ministry of the Word you take no delight in the Word 3 They that delight in the Word will bee at any cost to bring the Word to their Congregations they will part with thousands of gold and silver rather than with the word He that esteems the Word above thousands will bee willing to part with hundreds for the Words sake Hee will account a famine of the Word more bitter than a famine of bread by how much the soul is better than the body by so much will hee bee more troubled for a soul-famine than a bodily 4 Hee that delights truely in the Law will sincerely labour to obey it and bee mâ—ch grieved when it is disobeyed 1 Hee will sincerely labour to obey it hee will make the Word of God the man of his counsel vers â—4 Thy testimonies are my delight but how doth hee prove that in the following words and my counsellors Hee will make the Word a Lamp to his feet and a light to his paths vers 105. In all his undertakings hee will inquire what God would have him to do and hee will make Gods Word his Compass to sail by and pray with David vers 35. Make mee to go in the path of thy Commandements for therein do I delight 2 Hee will bee much grieved when others transgress the Law of God Thus David vers 53. Horror hath taken hold upon mee because of the wicked that forsake thy Law and vers 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law And therefore you that delight in sin you cannot bee said to delight in the Word and you that are not pained and grieved when others sin you are not amongst the number of those that take pleasure in Gods Law or in whom God takes pleasure Use 2. Let us make it appear that wee are Saints in deed and in truth not only Saints in Mans but in Gods Calender by following the example of holy David set down in the Text. Let us make the Law of God our joyes and our delights Let mee speak to you in the words of the Apostle Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of God dwell richly in you c. not onely with you but in you And in the Words of Christ Ioh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for therein you hope to finde eternal life The Greek word signifieth to search as men do under ground for treasures or to search as men who dive under water for something that is at the bottome Let us with Iob 23. 12. Esteem the ward of God above our necessary food Let us love it above gold yea above fine gold Let it bee dearer to us than thousands of gold and silver sweeter than the hony and the honey-comb You that are Gentlemen remember what Hierom reports of Nepotianus a young Gentleman of Rome Qui longa assidua meditatione scripturarum pectus suum fecerat bibliothecam Christi who by often and assiduous meditation of the Scriptures made his breast the Library of Christ. Remember what is said of King Alphonsus that he read over the Bible fourteen times together with such Commentaries as those times afforded You that are Schollars remember Cranmer and Ridley the former learnt the New Testament by heart in his journey to Rome the latter in Pembrook-hall Walks in Cambridge Remember what is said of Thomas a Kempis
Legacies left them by Christ in his last Will and Testament The Saints are called the Heires of the Promises Heb. 6. 17. And if they would bee filled full of joy in the day of their distresse they must bee frequent in reading these Legacies The Promises are as it were the breasts of God full of the Milk of grace and comfort And it is our duty to bee sucking out by meditation the milke of grace and comfort contained in them That which the Prophet saith of the Church of Christ may as truly bee said of the Promises of Christ. Rejoyce O yee people of God and bee glad all yee that have an interest in the Promises Rejoyce for joy all yee that are mourners in Sion that yee may sacke and bee satisfied with the â—easts of their consolations that yee may milke out and bee delighted with the abundance of joy and comfort contained in them The Promises are the Saints Aqua-vitae as one calls them the Saints Cordials the Saints Planke to swim to Heaven upon the Saints Fiery Chariot to carry them up to Heaven And the great reason why they walke so uncomfortably so disconsolately and so unbeleevingly in the time of their tribulation is because they do not smell of these 〈◊〉 they do not chew these Cordials they do not read over these spiritual Legacies they doe not by serious meditation and consideration sucke out the comfort comprehended in them For as fire will not warme us unlesse wee tarry at it and a Bee cannot sucke out the hoâ—y that is in a flower unless shee abide upon it no more can any Childe of God receive supportation and consolation from the Promises in the houre of temptation unless hee seriously and solemnly ponder and meditate on them There is a double difference between a presumptuous sinner and a poor humble distressed Childe of God 1 A presumptuous sinner studieth nothing but the promising Word Hee sleights the commanding and the threatning Word The Word commands him to keep holy the Sabbath day not to love the world not to lust but hee turnes a deaf ear to it The Word threatneth to wound the hairy scalp of every one that goeth on in his wickednesse but because God is patient and long-suffering therefore hee regards it not But as for the Promising word hee snatcheth at it hee doth not truly lay hold on it but snatcheth at it before it belongs to him and Spider-like sucks the poyson of sin out of it and makes of it a Cradle to rock himself asleep in sinful courses Because God hath promised That whensoever a Sinner turnes from his sins which hee hath committed hee shall surely live and not dye therefore hee delayes and prorogues his turning from sin But now a poor distressed humble Christian fails on the contrary part hee pores upon the commanding and threatning Word but never ponders the promising Word God saith hee commands mee to love him with all my heart and soule to wash my heart from iniquity to love my enemies to cut off my right hand and to plucke out my right eye c. But I cannot performe these commands therefore surely shall never bee saved God saith hee hath threatned to curse every one that continueth not in every thing that is written in his Law to do it and therefore surely I am accursed But hee never studies nor ponders the promising Word for if hee did hee would quickly know three things for his everlasting comfort 1 That there is nothing required by God in his Word as our duty but God hath either promised to bestow it upon us as his gift or the Saints have prayed to God for it as his gift God commands us to love him but hee hath promised to circumcise our hearts to love him c. Deut. 30. 6. God commands us to fear him to turn our selves from our transgressions and to make our selves a new heart and a new spirit But hee hath promised to give us a new heart and a new spirit to put his fear in our hearts that wee shall never depart from him and to turn us from our evill wayes The Saints of God also have prayed unto God for this as the fruit of his free mercy Ier. 31. 18. Lam 5. 21. There is nothing commanded in the Covenant of works but God hath promised in the Covenant of grace in some measure to work it in us for hee hath promised to work all our works in us and to write his Law not one Commandement of it only but the whole Law in our hearts and to put it in our inward parts and to cause us to walk in his wayes 2 That God under the Covenant of grace will for Christs sake accept of less than hee requires in the Covenant of works Hee requires perfection of degrees but hee will accept of perfection of parts hee requires us to live without sin but hee will accept of our sincere endeavours to doe it If there bee a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that hee hath not 2 Cor. 8. 12. 3 That though hee cannot in his owne person perform all that God commands yet Iesus Christ as his Surety and in his stead hath fulfilled the Law for him and that God will accept of Christs perfect as a cover for his imperfect righteousnesse That Christ hath redeemed him from the curse of the Law being made a curse for him That the Threatnings of the Law are Serpents without a sting and that Christ hath taken away the power and force of them Did a broken-hearted and wounded sinner ponder and meditate on these things they would fill him full of joy and comfort Hee would flye from the Covenant of Works to the Covenant of Grace from his owne unrighteousnesse unto the righteousnesse of Christ and from the commanding and threatning word unto the promising word hee would say Lord Thou commandest mee to walke in thy Statutes and to keep thy Lawes This I cannot do of my selfe but thou hast promised to cause me to walke in thy ways and to write thy Law in my heart Lord give me power to doe what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt 2 A presumptuous Sinner is alwayes studying the promising Word to bolster up himself in sin but hee never studies his sins and iniquities to repent for them and from them Hee meditates on the Promises to harden his heart in sin but not at all on his sins to humble himself for them and to turne from them But now on the contrary A poore distressed Christian pores upon his iniquities and corruptions but never mindes himself of the Promises and this makes him live so dejectedly and disconsolately A wicked man studieth his Corruptions too little A distressed Christian too much If hee did study the Promises as much as he doth his corruptions hee would not walk so uncomfortably Wherefore if ever you would
bee sure to cause us to come running to him And how sweet is a text of Scripture to a childe of God in the hour of his distress By all this it appears that God afflicts his children not to hurt them but to help them and that God hath many glorious and gracious ends and aimes in afflicting of them Therefore it is that David saith of himself in the 71. verse of this Psalm It is good for mee that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes Hee never said It is good for mee that I have been in prosperity but hee rather saith the contrary in the 67. verse Before I were afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word Gods people will bless God as much if not more in Heaven for their adversity than for their prosperity Use 1. Let us not pass rash censures upon persons under great afflictions Say not such a woman is a greater sinner than others because more afflicted This was the fault of Iobs friends and God expresseth his anger against them for it Iob 42. 7. My wrath is kindled against thee and thy two friends for you have not spoken the thing that is right c. This was the fault of the Barbarians Act. 28. 4. When they saw the venemous beast hang upon the hand of Paul they said among themselves no doubt this man is a murderer c. But remember they were Barbarians It is a sign of a Barbarian not of a Christian to pass a rash censure upon persons in affliction Think you saith Christ that those eighteen upon whom the Tower in Siloam fell and slew them that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem I tell you nay but except you repent ye shall all likewise perish Luke 13. 4 5. Think you that they which have the stone and gout in extremity that have cancers in their faces and breasts are greater sinners than others I tell you nay c. For my part if I would censure any it should bee such as live wickedly and meet with no affliction These have the black brand of reprobation upon them These are men designed to damnation Ambrose would not tarry a night in the house of a Gentleman that had never in all his life been afflicted for fear as hee said lest some great and sudden judgement should betide it But when I see a godly woman afflicted then I say this is not so much for her sin as for her trial this is not to hurt her but to teach her to know God and to know her selfe to break her heart for sin and from sin to make the world bitter and Christ sweet God hath put her into the fire of affliction to refine her and make her a vessel fit for his use God is striking her with the hammer of affliction that shee may bee squared and made ready to bee laid in the heavenly Ierusalem Use 2. Here is rich comfort to the children of God under the greatest afflictions For the best of Saints are subject to the worst afflictions This is the lot of all Gods children Christ himself not excepted Afflictions indeed considered in their own nature are evil things and so are called Amos 5. 1â— They are part of the curse due to sin the fruit of Gods revenging wrath they are as a biting and stinging Serpent And to a wicked man remaining wicked they are the beginning of Hell Unsanctified afflictions parboil a wicked man for hell and damnation But now to a childe of God they have lost both their name and nature they are not punishments properly but chastisements not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are not satisfactory but castigatory Jesus Christ hath taken away the sting of these Serpents they are not fiery but brazen Serpents they have a healing not a hurting power Christ hath removed the curse and bitterness of them as the wood sweetned the waters of Marah Exod. 15. 25. So Christs Cross hath sweetned the bitterness of Afflictions There are eight comfortable considerations to chear the heart of a childe of God in the day of his distress 1 God never afflicts his people but ut of pure necessity 1 Pet. 1. 6. Though ow for a season if need bee yee are â—â—â—aviness As a most loving Father never corrects his childe but when heâ— is forced to it Hee willingly provides for his childe but punisheth him unwillingly So God freely loadeth with his blessings but hee never chastiseth his children but when forced to it therefore hee saith expresly Lam. 3. 33. Hee doth not afflict willingly Isa. 27. 1. Fury is not in mee It is wee that put Thunderbolts in Gods hand If the Sâ—n did not first draw up the vapours from the earth there would never bee any thundering or lightening God would never thunder from Heaven with his judgements if our sins did not first cry to Heaven for punishment As Christ whipt the sellers of Oxen and Sheep out of the Temple with a whip made in all probability of their own cords So God never scourgeth us but it is with a whip made of our own sins Prov. 5. 22. Rom. 2. 5. Thou treasurest up to thy self c. God hath a double treasure a treasure of mercy and a treasure of wrath his treasure of mercy is alwayes full but his treasure of wrath is empty till wee fill it by our sins And therefore when God punisheth his children hee calls it a strange work and a strange act Isa. 28. 21. It is observed of the Bee that it never stings but when provoked Sure I am that God never afflicts his children but out of pure necessity 2 Not only out of pure necessity but out of true and real love as I have shewed Heb. 12. 6 7 8. Object Do not divine afflictions proceed out of anger Was not God angry with Moses for speaking unadvisedly with his his lips And angry with David for his Adultery and thereupon afflicted both of them Answ. This anger was a Fatherly anger rooted in love It was not ira quae reprobat but ira quae purgat It was not ira hostilis exterminativa but ira paterna medicinalis As it is a great punishment for God sometimes not to punish Isaiah 1. 5. Hos. 4. 14. So it is a great mercy sometimes for God to withdraw his mercy 3 Afflictions are a part of Divine predestination That God which hath elected us to salvation hath also elected us unto afflictions 1 Thes. 1. 3. That no man should bee moved by these afflictions for you your selves know that wee are appointed thereunto The same love with which God elects us and bestoweth Christ and his Spirit upon us with the very same love hee afflicts us 4 They are part of the gracious Covenant which God hath made with his people Psal. 89. 31 32 33. In which words we have three things considerable 1 A supposition of sin If his children forsake my Law c.
For sin is alwayes causa sine qua non the cause without which God would never chastise us and for the most part it is the cause for which 2 Wee have a gracious promise Then I will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes 3 Wee have a merciful qualification Nevertheless my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break c. Afflictions are not only mercies but Covenant-mercies Therefore David saith Psal. 119. 75. and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted mee God would bee unfaithful if hee did not afflict his children 5 Consider that afflictions are part of the Saints blessedness Job 5. 17. Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth c. Behold saith Eliphaz and wee had need behold and consider it for there are few that beleeve it and yet it is most true That afflictions when sanctified when they are not only corrections but instructions then they are evidences that wee are in a blessed condition Eliphaz his saying must bee interpreted by what David saith Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest out of thy Law It is not correction simply but correction joyned with instruction which intitles us to happiness Iob even while hee was upon the dung-hill wonders that God should set his heart so much upon him as to visit him every morning and try him every moment Job 7. 17 18. Iob upon the Dung-hill was happier than Adam in Paradise Adam in Paradise was conquered by the Devil but Iob upon the Dung-hill overcame the Devil Lazarus in his Rags was happier than Dives in his Robes Philpot in his Cole-house than Bonner in his Palace and godly Mr Whitaker upon his bed of pain than a wicked man upon his bed of Down There were many in Christs time who would never have known him or come to him had it not been for their bodily diseases 6 Consider the gracious and merciful ends aims and designes that God hath in afflicting his people what these are ye have heard already 7 The sweet and precious promises which hee hath made to his children in the day of their adversity to comfort them and support them what these are you shall hear afterwards 8 Consider that all afflictions shall work at last for the good of Gods children Rom. 8. 28. Though they are not bonae yet they shall bee in bonum Though they are not good in themselves yet they shall turn to their good God beats his children as wee do our cloaths in the Sun onely to beat â—ut the Moths God puts them into the fiery furnace not to hurt them but onely to untie the bonds of their sins as hee dealâ— with the three children Dan. 3. 25. God will either deliver them out of their afflictions or send them to Heaven by them Wherefore comfort one another with these words Use 3. If the best of Saints are subject in this life unto many great and tedious afflictions then let us Afflictions 1 Expect 2 Prepare for 3 Improve 1 Let us expect Afflictions for Christ hath said expresly Ioh. 16. 33. In the world yee shall have tribulation There is in every childe of God 1 Sufficiens Fundamentum a sufficient Foundation for God to build a house of Correction upon There is sin enough to deserve affliction 2 There is sufficiens Motivum Motives sufficient to prevail with God to chastize them when they sin against him some of these you have heard already let mee adde one more Because hee is more dishonoured by the sins of his own children than by the sins of wicked men As it is a greater discredit to an earthly Father when his own children than when other mens children live wickedly so it is a greater disparagement to our heavenly Father when his own Sons and Daughters than when the Devils children transgress his Law And therefore God will chastize them sooner surer and more than others 1 Sooner Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Iew first and also of the Gentile First the Jew and then the Gentile 2 Surer than others Amoâ— 3. 2. You onely have I known of all the Families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities 3 More than others â—am 4. 6 The punishment of the iniquity of the Daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodome c. Dan. 9. 12. under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Ierusalem 3 There is sufficiens necessitas sufficient necessity to provoke God to afflict them It is needful that the Wheat bee winnowed that so the chaffe may bee separated from it It is needful that the Wind blow upon the Wheat to cleanse it and that Gold bee put into the furnace to purge and purifie it When the Sheep of Christ are divided one from the other in judgement and affections when separated in Doctrine Worship and Discipline It is very needful that God should send afflictions and distresses which may bee as the Shepherds Dog very serviceable and instrumental to unite them together and to gather them into one Sheepfold And therefore let the Saints of God expect afflictions 2 Let us prepare and provide against the day of tribulation Let us provide 1 A stock of graces For sickness is a time to spend grace but not to get grace A Christian in sickness without grace is like a Souldier in war without Armour like a house in stormy weather without a foundation and like the men of the old world when ready to bee drowned without an Ark. Woe bee to that person that hath his graces to get wheâ—â— hee should use them And therefore if wee would bee comforted in the day of tribulation wee must provide aforehand a furniture of graces 1 A true Faith for a painted Faith will avail no more than a painted helmet or a painted ship and not only a True but also a strong Faith A little faith will faint under great afflictions when the winds began to blow fiercely Peters little Faith began to fail Mat. 14. 30. 2 A great measure of patience to inable us to wait quietly and contentedly till God come in with help for many times hee tarrieth till the fourth watch of the night as hee did Matth. 14. 25. And therefore wee have need of patience to keep us from murmuring or repining 3 A great stock of Self-denial humility repentance contempt of the world and heavenly-mindedness Hee that is furnished with grace in an evill hour will bee as safe and secure as Noah was in the Ark in the time of the Deluge or as those were who had sufficiency of corn in the time of the seven years dearth in Aegypt 2 A stock of assurance of Salvation For though a man hath never so much grace yet if hee wants the assurance of it hee