vngratious impe yet he is my child my child saith Dauid I cannot but loue him and indeed he ouerloues him which I doe not commend but onely obserue to note the strength of parents loue if it bee naturall a loue indeede as strong as death as hot as fire like that which Salomon speakes of in another case which cannot bee put out with water nor bought out with siluer and can it be otherwise when parents bee religious sith God and nature both command grace and nature both enforce loue though not fondnes you that be parents saue me the proofe of this point and do but heare why I note it First do kind and godly parents so loue their children that you may sooner finde too much carnall then too little naturall affection in them then shall they neuer make it good to their owne or others soules that there is any goodnesse in them who beare no affection to their owne children Those parents that haue no naturall affection can they be spiritually affected Doth that spirit which makes vs louing to all lodge in the vnnaturall brest Can they loue Gods children that beare no loue to their owne bowels Can they loue their enemies can they call God Father that are tyrants to their owne children their owne flesh No no it argues grosse sinnes and a fierce conscience when men be so fierce and violent against mankinde I might say I must say themselues What parents not to feele their children when they crie Father not to finde their bowels mooued when they thinke of a childe what not of a religious childe Why then blush ye Dragons and be ye ashamed O Beares and Tigres that your Lords should be so beastlike say I nay so diuellish for what creatures but Diuels hate their seed Nay could Diuels haue naturall seed would they hate their owne trow yee But why spend we words on them who haue the curse vnder seale as Paul shewes Rom. 1.5 Secondly heere is somewhat for children also Is the affection of godly parents such that they cannot chuse but loue their children and out of their loue grieue at their vnkindnesse weepe for their impietie mourne for their sorrowes and take to heart their follie why then the children of such parents must take to heart their former stubbornnesse and for the time to come forbeare those practises that might be matter of griefe to their parents How canst thou refresh thy selfe with that which is a sword in the heart of thy dearest friends how canst thou thinke to escape the hand of God when thou wilt feed vpon the bloud of thine owne parents and make them as weary of the light as Dauid now is Is it not sufficient that already they haue cared and sighed and groaned and wept for thee but still thou wilt kill their soules with griefe What if thou canst shake it off Can a father shake out his heart Doth their loue nothing mooue thee nor their care northeir paines nor their teares nothing O that Absalom had seene or heard his fathers complaints he thought that now because he loued not his father his father could not loue him but that is thy errour cursed viper The father loues when the child hates and then can Dauid say most feelingly Handle the young man Absalom well when Absalom could say if shame did not stop his mouth Handle the old Carle Dauid roughly at my request yea then can Dauid die for Absalom when Absalom had as leese die as see Dauid liue Had Absalom knowne this would not he thinke you haue relented would not his rockie heart haue yeelded What could hee haue said if Dauid had said but this vnto him O Absalom O Absalom did I call thee Absalom for this Is this to be a childe Doest thou also thinke my griefes too few Was it not enough to be crossed in my familiars in my father in law in my owne brethren in my wife but my owne children must adde vnto my griefe Must Absalom that I loued so well Is it not sufficient that thou hast robbed mee of my children and brought mee almost to the graue but now thou wilt haue my crowne and my bloud Did I spare thee for this Was I a meanes of thy life and wilt thou be of my death Would I die to doe thee good and wilt thou die vulesse thou maist hurt me what thou my son Is not Dauid thy father Maacah thy mother dost not know vs c. canst thou forget vs hast thou been a father thy self yet risest vp against thy father what I say could Absalō haue said to such a salutatiō but he is not so happy to heare his father therefore he proceeds till vengeance will not suffer him to liue but hangs him vp against the sunne And let all disobedient and rebellious children take warning by this one thus hanged vp in gibbets and know that if the kindnes of their parents cannot breake their hearts and worke them to remorse the hand of God will bee vpon them and pursue them till the rauens of the vallies haue pickt out their eies and the flames of hell haue scized vpon their soules Last of all heere 's a word both of instruction and consolation for all sorts both parents and children high and low Is the loue of an earthly father if godly so great doth he take so much to hart the vnkindnesses of his children is he so sensible of their griefes so wounded with their sorrowes What then is the affection of our heauenly father towards vs how tenderly doth he take disobedience at our hands and therefore how great should our mourning be for our great and many contempts how ought wee to powre forth our soules in teares and to lament with a great lamention like that of the Egyptians for Iacob that of the Israelites for Iosiah that of a father for his first his onely sonne how deere should the name of our God be vnto vs how tenderly should wee take those contempts and indignities that are cast vpon him who is so feeling of euery sorrow that befals vs O Lord that we had an heart to weepe ouer Christ and that the rebukes of God did fall on vs ô that our owne sinnes could cause such teares as other mens did wring from Dauid O that the word would smite our hearts and cause water to gush out of these rockes ô that we stood affected to God as Mephibosheth to Dauid he mourned he fasted he wept in this distresse of Dauid we laugh we feast we do not we cannot weepe though we our selues haue risen against our soueraigne and holpen to dethrone him Ah brethren shall Dauid mourne for others sins in his Psalmes shall not wee for our owne Shall Dauids good subiects take to heart his afflictions shall not wee rebellion against our king shall Dauids seruants bee ready to smite him thorow that shall raile vpon him and shall 〈◊〉 our hearts arise when the name of our God
and then they raise those tempests which they cannot lay they do but bait they do not worrie our corruptions so they make vs chafe Thus in Elihues iudgement at least the cause why Iob did so beslir him and lay about him was because God had not dealt in extremity with him Thus Ionab who was tamed when he should be drowned was a little too lusty for a goard And surely brethren if our crosses were sometimes more I do not thinke but our firs would be fewer our outward carriage at least better Three ierkes sometimes make the child yeeld when one would make him dance and stamp Lastly crosses sometimes steale vpon vs before wee haue armed our selues and then it is a world to see how wee go downe the winde Dauid can say somewhat to this also he was fitted for crosses when the child borne in adultery died his heart was sofrned he had reason to expect its death sith he was told no lesse but here hee lookes for no such matter he giues in charge that the yong man Absalom an old traitor though his boy should be lookt vnto hee will not suffer himselfe to thinke that Absalom must die he will not be humbled for his fondnes past because hee did not meane to amend it and therefore this lies vpon him more heauy than sand he cannot beare it as he bore the other and thus we must leaue the point as we found it at first and tell our iudgements that one crosse foiles vs yea laics vs on our backe when another perhaps a stronger cannot stirre vs because the Lord sets on one more then another because we are lesse sound in one place then another because we are lesse mastered by one crosse then another because we are lesse prepared for one then another Now the point is prooued let vs not suffer it to passe without some vse though we be the briefer Learne hence at least a double point of wisdome the first respects our brethren them we must not too lightly censure for their weaknesse and tendernesse in some crosses though light sith that cannot be light which God will make heaute sith that may be light to one which is as a mountaine to another sith those our brethren may manfully beare farre sorer crosses then our selues though humbled in some particular sith briefly that which is heauy now may anon be light to them and that which now is as a thing of naught to vs may anon be somewhat if God shall set it on soft then my brethren let vs not be too eager vpon Dauid it may be we haue buried no Absalom as yet at least dying in such a sort it may be we would haue busled more then Dauid did Had Shimei so greeted vs or Saul so pursued vs like enough Dauid would haue beene at patience before vs in twenty other crosses and so may our brethren too euen those we most censure and therefore haue some patience and mercy toward the afflicted account not cuerie one proud and carnall and froward that is foiled when we stand The second lesson our selues must take forth and make it our owne and it lookes two waies as if it were on both sides the lease First if wee haue in some measure quitted our selues well in some one or few afflictions we must not presently triumph and grow secure as if the day were ours wee may now giue them the fall and by and by bee tript downe our selues if we looke not to our feet Dauid is before vs herein he fought more battles then twenty of vs and that with great courage and good successe yet is not Dauid able to stand against this crosse his Absalom his Absalom could not be forgotten And what though wee haue buried a friend It may be we know not what it is to burie a father a childe a wife a husband If Amnon bee dead we cannot tell what an Absalom may worke when his death shall be vntimely Say pouertie be no great burden to vs it may be paine and sicknesse will make vs roare if these blow ouer a cloud vpon our names may happilie trouble our patience if wee can bee patient when other mens faults are serued into vs and laid in our dish yet it may bee wee shall not claw it off so well if our kinsfolkes seruants parents children yoke-fellowes shall breake forth and vnmuzle the wicked against vs. O then let not him bragge that puts on harnesse as hee that puts it off let no man be secure but euer stand vpon his gard still readie to receiue and to award these blowes that fall vpon him like haile and shot and so if he doe then on the other side let him not cast away his buckler because hee was wrought a rap but looke better to his hand another time What though Dauid bee now downe hee may rise againe for all this and prooue himselfe old Dauid still though he be a little eclipsed yet may he shine forth afresh and make many an holy praier and Psalme after this and though he now flie yet may he fight and triumph againe ere hee die and so maiest thou too though for the present deiected That Peter that was once afraid of a wenches face will not after feare the threats of any aduersarie and hee who is sometimes base in a trifle may after play the man in greatest trials Say not then if I cannot beare the losse of a childe of a friend of a little wealth a little ease a little sleepe alas what shall become of me if it should come to fire and faggot How shall I part part I must with my dearest pledges and neerest friends and with all my goods Yes man heare me in one thing that I shall say Ionah may with more patience part with his life at one time then with a root at another and that God that can make light crosses heauy and shadowes of crosses looke like mountaines can if he call thee to them hee will make heauy crosses light and mountaines shadowes And thus briefly for that point Beare me companiethorow one point more and I will trouble you no further and will be briefe in that For whom doth Dauid thus mourne What is he whose death is thus lamented Heare him O my sonne my sonne Which sonne O Absalom Absalom Absalom is then the man And heerea strange matter is offered to those that know not the heart of a father The sonne practiseth against his fathers house robs him of his children abuseth him in his wiues seeketh to spoile him both of life and liuing and the father what doth he he weepes for him hee mournes ouer him hee would die for him thus doth Dauid In whom see what a kinde and godly fathers affection is to his childe No vndutifulnesse no practise on the childes part no not death itselfe can diuide betweene him and his child What though Absalom can forget Dauid yet Dauid cannot forget him what though hee be a very
is smitten 〈◊〉 when our father is railed vpon nay shall Dauid 〈…〉 out my son my son for a wretch that would haue kâ—â—â— hâ—â—â— and shall not we mourne ouer Gods son whom wâ—â—â—â—â— mine yes brethren we must mourne if we will be comforted 〈◊〉 make Gods case ours if he shall make ours his which 〈…〉 then behold what comfort is here offered for 〈◊〉 is there such affection in an earthly father what then may we expect at Gods hand who is an heauenly father whose loue as farre exceedeth ours as the heauens are aboue the earth can Dauid I lead you no further loue Absaloms such a child because a child can his heart came after him can he be pacified toward him at Ioabs request when he hath slaine his sonne and is it not possible that GOD should be frieÌ„ds with v8 at Christs request though we haue slaine our selues and the Lord of life Can Dauid loue Absalom when he hath defiled his concubines when he seeks his kingdome his life can he then die for him when Absalom would be his death can hee doe all this though his sonne doth not submit doth not repent doth not craue pardon but is vp in armes against him and will not God whose loue is infinite for Christs sake forgiue his children when they come vnto him coÌ„fesse their fault be sorry for it and desire amendment O my brethren do not we wrong God exceedingly when wee will not yeeld him as kind as Dauid say thou hast beene as bad as euer Absalom was vnholy vncleane vnnaturall would not Dauid be friends with Absalom if he had confessed his fault and shall we doubt of God O but Dauid was fond God is iust yea but the question is whether Dauid hath more fond loue than God hath true loue say it were his fault here is the point is there so much badnes in Dauid as there is goodnes in God nay I put it vpon thy selfe whatcan thy child doe but thou canss pardon the trespasse against thee so now he will behon 〈◊〉 wherefore then for conconclusion this I say what soeuer thy sinnes be never 〈◊〉 downe discouraged despairein thy selfe but ever hope the best of God so long 〈◊〉 itself his meanes thou hearest that he is a mâ—â—â—s ust 〈◊〉 do now as Benbadad did to Ahab humbl◠〈…〉 confessethy sinnes bewaile them 〈◊〉 off 〈…〉 of them and endeauour new obedie 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 hadst as many sins vpon thee 〈…〉 the sea shore and those 〈◊〉 great 〈…〉 shoul◠〈◊〉 find mercy and be pardoned 〈◊〉 sin 〈…〉 ere find God onely insinite Thus in a more generall maner we haue run thorow the chiefe maâ—ters of this text Now it shall sulfice to name onely the particulars or rather some few of them such as are these following In that 〈◊〉 this stirre it for Absalom 〈◊〉 delight we see that the more Gods children serther hearts on an outward thing the more they shall bee crossed in it Let David please him solse too much in Absalom and Dauid shall smart for is this his greatest ioy shall prooue his greast cnosse Againe if Gods people can bee content that their children should crosse God God will bee content â—â—t their children shall he crosses to them If David will be so tidde that his child must not bee chid nor shent God will bee so good as to give him his payment for it Againe if Rulere wil giue life when God calles for death they shall help ether themselues him to sorrow and their friends so spared to shall if Dauid will be so nice alas prety ducke who can find in his heart to execute yea or to correct such a sweet baby and so let him goe God will finde a time to pay Dauid and to reach Absalom for it Againe in Dauid we see that in the best when crosses come the flesh will play its part and lay about its while Dauid must run himselfe out of hiâ—â—h before anâ— can stand on 〈◊〉 ground c. FINIS 1. Sam. 10. 10. 11. Vide Vatabl. ad locum Polyd. Virgil. Adag 374. Doct. 1. Read his life in the bookes of Samuel Read his story from the 28 of Gen. to the 46. Chap. Pro. 24.16 Psal 34.19 Reason 1. Psal 30. 2. Kings 20. Vse 1. Mat. 7.14 Act. 12. Doct. 2. Iob 3. Ionah 4.1 Chapter 4. Reasons 7. Vse 1. Rules 1. 1. Sam. 30.6 Chap. 4.6 Act. 27. Act. 27. 1. Sam. 30.4 Doct. 3. Read 1. Sam. 25. 2. Sam. 16. 2. Sam. 12. c. 2. Sam. 15.26 c. Iob 1. vlr verse See chap. 13 3.16.21 23.3.4.5 c. Reason 1. Iob 35. penult 2. Sam. 12. Vse 1. 1. Pet. 2.13 Doct. 4. Cant. 8. Vsc 1. 5 verse Zach 12 Psalm 119 156 2 Sam 10 As Leuir 24 11 1. King 20
are the waies to sermons thus strawed with crosses what shall be found in the waies of whoredome of blood of drunkennesse c. Was Dauid for murther and adulterie once committed thus entertained what will thy end be who still liuest in the ordinarie practise of such like sinnes yea answere this if thou canst are Gods owne people who haue the spirit of God to pray in them Christ and all the Saints on earth to pray for them who iudge themselues daily who walke constātly with God are they thus handled in case they do at any time breake forth then tell me what thy doome is like to be who neuer praiest neuer repentest neuer striuest against sinne but hast sold thy selfe to do wickedly Go on then with thy tale Gods children are afflicted and greatly afflicted too I will grant you all but wote you what if Gods children whom hee loues next vnto himselfe in Christ cannot be exempted from crosses bitter crosses notwithstanding all their repentance all their teares all their praiers but their soules shall grone and hearts ake because they be so stubborne and performe holie dueties no more no better I report me to thee whether thou dost not think that Gods iustice will one day haue thy blood thy life thy soule for all thine abominations which thou dost not repent for but laughest at which thou dost not pray against that they may be pardoned but fretrest that they should be disgraced and which thou art so farre from leauing that thou couldest drinke his blood that reprooues them in thee And if so then either make vse of the faithfuls troubles and quickly iudge thy selfe or else take euery disgrace euery disease euery affliction that befalles them to bee a pledge of that euerlasting shame and those euerlasting torments woes plagues curses that shall seize vpon thee for euermore I know thy plea before thou speake but alas it will not hold Christ thou wilt say will salue all he died for sinners and what needs all this And did he so could not Christ when he stood in our roome and sustained the person of a sinner though in himselfe sinlesse could not he though he were the heire and first borne escape vntill his blood was shed and flesh rent and soule poured forth as an offering then either make it good that thou art in Christ and become a new creature or else take thy leaue of all hope and comfort nothing remaines but a fearefull expectation of iudgement and that is thy vse A third we thus inferre but briefly Is this the estate of the most godly and best beloued in this life then as this must teach vs to thinke neuer the worse of our selues or others for outward crosses which like haile and snow do light vpon the best gardens as well as on the wilde wast and like blustering winds will spare no more Princes children then the poorest beggers sith thus we cannot conclude vnlesse we will either challenge Gods loue or the best Christians truth euen Dauids Pauls c. so must it cause vs to looke vpward to waite for our redemption and to sigh for heauen where we shall bee free from all these miseries When we are from home amongst our friends our hearts are still homewards though our cōpany be good our welcome kind our entertainement of the best fare lodging all better then any wee shall finde at home yet home is homely say we and away we goe entreaty will not fetch vs againe Now if we can be content to change for the worse because the one is our home for a few daies how much should we desire heauen the onely true mansion where wee are sure to change all for the better where our estate shall be bettered and our company and our bodies and our soules how ought wee to reach after this and to thirst for it If Dauid panted after the suburbs the Church on earth what should our affection be towards the Citie it selfe If Moses preferred the Saints troubles before the treasures of Egypt what treasures on earth shold keepe our desires from the glorious estate of Christ in heauen and if the Queene of Sheba was content to goe from home and from much of her wealth that so she might be acquainted with Salomon why should not wee desire home that we might grow acquainted with Iesus Christ and see him face to face especially sith in this iourney wee shall part with nothing but what we may well spare sinne and corruption how thankfull ought we to be for Gods mercie that whereas our fathers liued some fiue hundred some six hundred some more yeares and serued a long apprentiship the Lord gratiously hath shortned our lease cals vs from this trouble some sea into the hauen by that time they were well entered This is a matter that should somewhat refresh vs in this our iourney and worke those to patience who cry at the mention of heauen how long truth it is to speake one word to them the earth is tedious to such as haue beene in heauen they do not like to bee pilgrimes here when once they are enrolled Citizens there but sith wee shall hereafter bee alwaies receiuing wages why should we not be pleased to do a little worke and sith our God hath cut off so many of our sorrowfull daies why should not wee with cheerefulnesse bestow these few vpon him I know no affliction is for the present ioious all are tedious but if wee will but looke forward and fasten our eies vpon that crowne and kingdome that shall so shortlie come into our hands and backward and see our desert what others haue felt how we fare and lie and go euery day better then Christ here did the most of vs our crosses will not seeme so strange as Gods mercies patience towards vs wonderfull As for that crosse of crosses sinne and corruption whereof you would be so gladly eased alas how should I comfort you against that I cannot blame you nor maruell at it if you be willing to be any where much more in heauen so you may be rid of sinne that indeed is a bad neighbour which will put a man to Rebeccaes complaint I am wearie of my life but yet my brethren sith we do but drink as we brewed nay sith the Lord mingled this wormwood with so many sweetes and much allayed the strength therof sith these our corruptions haue receiued their mortall wounds and are now breathing out their last breath sith the Lord will so suddenly dispatch them in comparison of former times that long we shall not dwell together sith he sees some vse of this poison turneth that to good a common good which in it selfe is hurtfull sith further he hath giuen vs some graces as he hath left in vs for our exercise some corruptions sith lastly grace hereafter shall onely come in question and our debts shall be set vpon anothers score and for the present he puts a difference betwixt vs