that the Lord will look on my affliction and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day 1 David came to Bahurim in his flight from Absalom we may seriously observe to what afflictions and streights the Saints of God may be brought they may be brought to flee for their lives this was Davids case and this is the lot and portion of all the faithfull to endure affliction in one kinde or other Abraham the Father of the faithfull had his peculiar afflictions his great fears and his unparalel'd tryals Gen. 20.11 22. Isaac had his continual griefe of minde in the marriage of one of his Sons and of his being deprived of the other for 20. yeares together Gen. 26.35.36.27 See what afflictions Jacob had persecuted by his own Brother and driven from his Fathers house into a strange Land there he suffered many an injury and indignity from his Unkle with sorrowes he sustained from and in his children Surely if we would seriously read the whole story of his life we shall finde his troubles come tumbling one on the others back Like the waves of the Sea commonly the ending of one was but the beginning of another Moses whom God so dearly loved and entertain'd into the necrest familiarity talking with him face to face was notwithstanding exercised with grievous afflictions not to speak of his hardships and streights which he sustained before he could understand it being in danger of death every hour for 3. months space To omit many things what an affliction had he in carrying such an untoward people 40. yeares together in the wildernesse and what wordly comfort had he to cheer him in suffering all these afflictions but the remembrance of the Land of promise the fruition whereof he long expected But at last he is cut off from this hope and heareth Gods definitive sentence passe upon him that he must ascend Mount Nebo and dye there Deut. 32.50 And thus Job though he were the justest man that lived upon the Earth by the Lords own testimony yet did he endure manifold and grievous afflictions as we may read in the History of his life the spoyling of his goods the slaughter of his servants the untimely death of ten children all at once the outward torment of botches and boyles and the inward terrors of an afflicted minde the scornes of the wicked the strange behaviour of his Wife the unkinde usage and hard censures of his friends that in these respects he was thought to be the fittest man to be propounded by the holy Ghost as a pattern of patience James 5.11 And thus did all the Apostles suffer afflictions yea and cruel deaths except St. John Here with a Catalogue St. Paul makes of his sufferings 2 Cor. 11.44 unto which outward vexation of body and inward cares and distractions of minde we may add his spiritual afflictions as the fight between the flesh and spirit and the buffitings of Satan which were incomparably greater then all the rest for whereas out of the strength of his faith and patience he rejoyced yea even boasted himselfe in his other afflictions by these he is much humbled and cast down in the fight of his corruptions and forced to crye out in perplexity of spirit oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Now the causes which doth move the Lord to lay upon his children those great afflictions is because of sin Sin then is the meritorious cause why the Lord punisheth a place or Person Judgments never come down from God till provocations first go up from man and this the Church plainly affiâ—meth Lam. 3.39 man suffereth for his sin and this the Lord tels Israel Jer. 30.14 15. I have stricken thee with the wound of an enemy and with a sharp chastisement for the multitude of thine iniquities because thy Sons were increased why cryest thou for thine affliction thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquities I have done those things unto thee Object But doth God alwayes correct for sin are there not other ends which move the Lord to lay crosses upon his own children Ans It s very true God doth by afflictions as well make tryall of his graces in us as chastize us for our sins and that besides our transgressions there are in Gods secret counsels other causes of our crosses and calamities but seeing the Lord hath in his word denounced these miseries and afflictions against us as punishments and chastisements for our iniquities and doth not reveale unto us when he tryeth us and when he correcteth us Therefore leaving Gods secrets unto himselfe we are not to look unto his hidden counsels but to his revealed will and according thereunto we are alwayes to make this use of our afflictions that when we are judged we are chastned of the Lord and justly corrected and punished for our sins and thus the Saints in all ages have done still have they insisted on their sins which have primarily been the cause of their sorrowes So David complained Psal 38.3 there is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones by reason of my sins And thus the Prophet Isaiah chap. 64.5 cryeth out in his prayer for the people behold thou art angry for we have sinned Yea Job himselfe who was chiefly afflicted for the try all of his graces though he desires to defend his innocency against his three friends to maintain the integrity of his heart from their false aspertions yet having to deal with God he acknowledgeth and sayes I have finned what shall I do unto thee oh thou preserver of men and why doest thou not parden and take away mine iniquity Job 7.20 Again 't is good to make a holy use of every affliction Is there an insufficiency and impotency in creatures that they cannot help us or infidelity and treachery whereby they will not afford unto us that help which we expect from them we may very well conclude we rested too much on those earthen propts and when contempt and scorn waite upon our heeles pride and loftinesse was our Gentleman Usher before and so of the rest God is one that will do nothing wherein his word shall not justifie his deed what befalls us from him must needes be just though we conceive not our desert because he smothers our offences his justice is in no way detected and surely if we would seriously take notice of it we may oft times read our fin in our punishment for God usually retaliates and dealeth with men according to the manner and way of their wickednesse the sin and suffering oft meet in some remarkable circumstance Now as afflictions are punishments for sins past so are they preventions against sin in time to come Phisitâ—ans when they purge their Patients aime most at the cause of the disease for when that is taken away the effects will follow thus doth God with his own dearest children he purges them so
to honour him and after he had ushered him over Jordan in the presence of all he fell downe before him and said unto the King vers 19. Let not my Lord impute iniquity unto me neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversly the day that my Lord the King went out of Jerusalem that the King should take it to his heart for thy servant doth know that I have sinned therefore I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to goe downe to meet my Lord the King c. Now were there not here a parcell of fine words co 〈◊〉 Tavil or any expect or require more then conâ—ition confession begging of pardon in the greatest humility this 〈◊〉 passe with David and ought so with us but it will not so with God he knew the person and what were his pretences that the next occasion might make him do the like again And indeed there is no tryall of an enemy in prosperity but when we are in an exigence in distress then you shall see he commonly shews himself and tells what a one he is 'T was unlikely Shimei would ever have proved a worthy friend he was so base a for For as one saith he that can be a worthy enemy will reconcil'd be a worth yer friend But to give a blow to a man that is already reeling to insult over adversity to whip a flai'd back is the greatest cruelty Besides take notice that when Shimei came Ziba comes with him this according to the proverb birds of a fether flock together Traitorous backbiters and slanderers goe together and truly we may joynâ— the tale-hearer with the tale-bearer they are so neer of kin there is but this difference betweene them that whereas the one hath the devill in his tongue the other hath him in his ear David puts them together Psal 15.3 Those that shall inherit Gods holy hill doth not backbite with his tongue nor doth evill to his neighbour not taketh up a reproach against him Ob. But may it stand with Gods justice to punish the afflictors of his children when they but execute his will did not Nathan foretell the troubles would befall David from out of his own house and did not Shimei serve him but right had not he caused the enemies of God to blaspheme his name was it not just his owne name should be rent for such dishonour Answ Very just indeed in regard of God but not so in respect of man this will not serve for their excuse nor any way at all extenuate their faultinesse for how ever they did doe the secret will of God which no creature in heaven or earth is able to withstand yet this makes nothing for them seeing his hidden will was never propounded as a rule unto which they should conform their actions Gods revealed will was to be their guide where they could find no warrant or command for what they did As one sayes There is a vast difference betwixt the instrument of Gods providence and the ministers of his ordinance the one fulfils his purposes the other his commands When Jehu destroyed the posterity of Abab he sinned not in the fact for besides the prediction of the Prophet he had his speciall commission from God for which he had his reward 2 Kings 10.30 But when Zimri slew Elah there was indeed the like prediction but no commissions therefore hath he a fearfull punishment 1 Kings 16.18 Thus we see if we doe what God prescribes we are accepted with him though perhaps in the issue we crosse his secret determinations But if we violate his precepts though we fulfill his secret appointment we are obnoxious to the wrath of God Well then from all which have been said let Shimei's example be a Caveat for ever how any one abuses a Saint of God Shimei payes dearely for it though Davids piety can pardon him upon his humiliation God will not let him scape so he 'l avenge Davids quarrel and Solomon shall reckon with him for his former dealings he shall fall into a new fin of disobedience against the King and now he is paid for all himselfe is made the judge that the sentence of death is most just Thus we see it 's bad medling with any of Gods children especially when they are under the correcting hand of God a father will not take it well that another shall come and lash that childe he is correcting no more will God heare what he saith Isay 47.6 I was wroth with my people I have polluted mine inheritance and given them into thine hand thou didst shew them no mercy upon the ancient hast thou heavily laid the yoak vers 11. therefore shall evill come upon thee thou shalt not know from whence it riseth and mischiefe shall fall upon thee thou shalt not be able to put it off and desolation shall come upon thee suddainly which thou shalt not know So Zachariah 1.15 Saith the Lord I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease for I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction every soule that misuses a childe of God must be sure to pay for it either by teares or torment Oh! Tremble all you which make so little account of injuring or persecuting a Saint that have caused them to shed either red or white teares surely their teares are as well bottled up as their blood and both are precious with God and both doe cry though not with an equall voyce yet loud enough to be heard Can you feare to soile or demollish the palace of a Prince or Peere and can you presume once to endeavour to ruinate or contaminate the lords owne temple founded and built upon Jesus Christ can you be affraid to harme or hurt the sheepe servants children brethren consorts or members of mortall Princes whose breath is in their nostrels and must returne to their dust and dare you adventure to defame and perplex the sheep servants children brethren spouse and members of the Lord Jesus can you doe any thing out of the all-seing eye of God or Gods deputy conscience and though that may not alwayes speake yet it ever writes 't is a shrowd remembrancer and will tell all yea the very least aggravateing circumstance If Ishmael will be mocking the son of the promise he shall be rejected for a persecutor Gal. 4.29 And shall be turned out of his fathers house for ever Remember seriously and sadly the little children of Bethel that did perhaps but as they were taught when they call'd the Prophet Elisha bould head Alas their years might something have excused them and yet behold a fearfull example of Gods severest judgements for the smallest abuse of a Prophet two she bears shall have a command to tear in pieces two and forty of them 2 Kings 2 24. Take heed therefore how your tongue smite a childe of God or traduce their innocency how you move it in the least motion against them doe not invent
to him no doubt to hear of the slaughter of 85. of the Lords Priests occasioned by his comming to Nob and all the Citty put to the edge of the sword 1 Sum. 22.17 18. Again into what distress was he and his company driven to when he was forst to become an eloquent begger and that to such a Churl as Nabal that in stead of an Almes or a good answer he term'd him no better then a Runnagate 1 Sam. 25.10 How many times was he in jeopardy of his life what hard shifts was he driven too he fained himselfe mad before Achish King of Gath. 1 Sam. 21.13 being in great feare there But never was he more neer it then when his own people and companions spake of stoning him his griefe was so great for the burning of his Citty Ziklag and the carrying away his Wives and Friends that he wept so much he could weep no more and yet in stead of comforting him they cause him to be deeply distressed when they spake of stoning him 1 Sam. 30.6 Now these were his sufferings before he was crowned King all which were but as a Praeludium to his after sorrowes his first may be termed as it were forraigne the latter domestical The first more on the body the latter more on the Spirit and both againe had a sufficient share What saddest disasters befell himselfe and family into what a notion of sorrows had he plung'd himselfe into by his committing adultery and hiding it with murder what a heavy doome did he bring upon his house what perplexity upon his Spirit and though God had pardoned him upon his true repentance yet the Sword did never depart from his house What a cutting Corasive was it to him when his beloved wife Michal shall scornfully jeere him and that in the service of God what griping griefes did even tare his tender heart in sunder to hear that his Daughter Tamar shall be abused and that by her own Brother 2 Sam. 13.14 and that afterward this incestious Son shall be slain by his Brother Absalom and at that time too when he was in his Cups that Absalom shall requite his Fathers pardon and indulgence with the worst ingratitude the greatest rebellion was ever heard off which we may read at large in 2 Sam. 15.16 17 18. That another of his darlings Adonijah will be so bould to step into his Fathers Throne and say hee 'l be King before his Father hath surrendred it up to nature And doubtlesse all those sorrowes were not to be compared to the sadnesse of his soule for sin which we may abundantly read in many of his mournfull Psalmes there he casts up the accounts of his sorrowes when and where and how they were inflicted his being slighted and forsaken by his friends abused and scorned by his enemies was not the least of his miseries yet for as much as sin became so heavy a burden to him he bore all the better for where sin is felt heavy there sorrowes will seem light he was conscious he had deserv'd that and worse and this made him in a sweet submission to kisse the rod which this Shimei whipt him withall suffer him God hath bidden him David being a man after Gods own heart knew the order of Gods proceedings so well that he must smart soundly for his sins of adultery and murder that God would be just in making good what he had threatned and not a sillable of it fall to the ground and therefore he meekneth his spirit to a quiet and humble submission to bear the anger of the Lord because he had finned against him and therefore he professeth Psal 39.9 that he was dumb and opened not his mouth because the Lord had done it In the 2 Sam. 12.10 Nathan from the Lord fearfully threatens a heavy judgement upon David for his sins Thus saith the Lord because thou hast despised me and done thus and thus the sword shall never depart from thy house but I will raise up evill against thee out of thine own house and I will take thy Wives and give them to thy neighbour and he shall lye with them for thou didst it secretly but I will do this thing before all Israel and this Sun Now God goes roundly to work with David himselfe now every word must be fulfilled David had dealt treacherously with Vriah David shall be dealt withall in as treacherous a manner by his subject his bosome friend yea by his beloved Son He abused his neighbours wife he shall have the same measure redoubled into his own bosome He had caused the enemies of God to blaspheame his name he shall have his own name so spit upon that he shall become a scorn and a by-word to his enemies a stranger to his friends and a song to the very drunkards In these nine verses we may observe these four particulars 1 David's coming to Bahurim 2 Shimei's meeting and abusing David aggravated by four remarkable circumstancies 1 By his railing at David saying come out come out thou bloody man and thou man of Beliall charging him with all the blood of the house of Saul vers 7. 2 His cursing him all along as he went v. 5. 13. 3 By his throwing stones and casting dust at him 4 He pretends a sufficient warrant for what he did and would make him believe God had now found him out and would reckon with him vers 8. The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul in whose stead thou hast reigned and the Lord hath delivered thy Kingdome into the hand of Absalom thy Son and behold thou art taken to thy mischiefe because thou art a bloody man 3 Here is Abishai's perswading David to avenge himselfe vers 9. Why should this dead Dog curse my Lord the King let me goe I pray thee and take off his head 4 We have David's humility under Shimei's inhumanity exprest in five circumstances 1 His indignation at the thoughts of revenge vers 10. what have I to do with you ye Sons of Zeruiah as if he should have said I will have nothing to do with those that cannot bear an injury 2 His looking off the stone to God that threw it vers 10 11. The Lord hath bidden him 3 His patient submitting under the hand of God vers 10. So let him curse because the Lord hath said curse David who shall then say wherefore hast thou done so 4 His justifying of God in his way of proceeding vers 11. Behold my Son which came forth of my bowels seeketh my life how much more may this Benjamite do it as if he should have said if it be good enough for me that my sin hath procured my Son to become a Rebell and Traytor to me his Father and lay my life in the dâ—st it is no wonder if a stranger take this advantage and trample upon me too seeing me so low 5 His comforting himselfe with hopes of being benefited by this affliction vers 12. It may be
upon us no more then is necssary Phisitians will not minister a strong potion where a lenitive is enough nor put one dram too much in his prescription much less will the Lord nay we our selves if one medicine do not cure us we seek another Thus dealeth God when afflictions are growne ordinary and usuall they move the lesse because they be familiar therefore God is pleased to alter and change his medicines that they might work the more kindely He proportions out the measure of afflictions according to the scantest measure of our necessity for the magnifying of his owne glory by our sanctification in this life and our salvation in the life to come Alas the Lord doth not take any delight in our smart or maketh any hast to inflict his chastisements but with patience and long-suffering he expecteth our repentance that he may have mercy upon us and doth not take his rod of correction into his hand till he be pressed with the weight of our sins He doth not punish us willingly as one that taketh delight in our smart and torment but performeth it as an action which is rather fit for us to suffer than for him to do Let us conclude therefore That if we have great or tedious afflictions lying upon us either we have great faults or great stomacks we many times deale with God as children do with their parents while they are under the rod promise amendement but no sooner released but presently we are as bad as ever And therefore though God may ease us to try us sometimes yet when he lengthens our afflictions he will take our word no more but will make a through work and till he see us throughly humbled and amended and know that our conversion and repentance be constant and without danger of fleeting he will not burn the rod. But as the Gold-Smith lets his Gold melt in the Furnace till it be throughly purified and purged from its drosse which when he perceives it according to his minde will by no meanes suffer it to stay there any longer because it would but wast and loose of his weight So doth the Lord suffer us to remaine in the Furnace of affliction till we be purged from our drosse of sin by renewing our faith and repentance but no sooner are we according to his purpose purified but he pulleth us out and will not suffer us to wast and consume our selves with sorrow and heavinesse and therefore let us patiently indure the triall seeing God who putteth us into the Furnace knoweth the best time when to take us out And by this we may conclude that our afflictions are limitted both in regard of their weight and measure God hath said to our sorrowes as to the proud waves of the Sea hither shall you come and no farther all the Angels in Heaven shall not be able to abate them nor all the men on earth or devils in hell to add one scruple to them And whiles God unto his children measureth judgement according to their strength he rendreth judgement to the wicked according to the measure of their sinnes 5 Another consideration is that our afflictions are not the punishments of a Righteous Judg but the chastisements of a Gracious Father And this the Apostle perswades Heb. 12.6 7 8. My Son despise not thou the chastning of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth c. God indeed is displeased not with the person for his hatred to the sin but with the sin for the love of the person he is not angry in justice because we have sinned so much as in mercy that we may sin no more and therefore we may sometimes lie under anger but never under wrath it was the Lord Jesus Christ that suffered the wrath of God and satisfied divine justice he bore the punishments which were due unto sins and discharged our debt by offering up himselfe unto his Father as a sufficient sacrifice and paying a price of infinite value and merit for our redemption 6 God hath preordained those to be like Christ in his sufferings who shall be like him in glory we must be content to drink with Christ in his bitter Cup before we shall be exalted to sit with him in his Kingdome and this the Apostle Peter affirmeth 1 Pet. 2.21 for Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps If we will feast with Christ in Heaven we must be content to fast with him on earth If there we would keep an everlasting Sabbath with him in his Kingdome we must labour and travell whilst those working dayes last That was a sweet speech of Bernard thou oh Lord Jesus saith he art to me both an example and reward of suffering and both do strongly provoke and vehemently inflame me thou teachest my hands to fight by the example of thy fortitude and after victory thou Crownest my head with the presence of thy Majesty Oh! if thou beest so good to those that seeke and run after thee what wilt thou be to those who finde and possesse thee If the Prince of our salvation was consecrated by afflictions why should we expect a priviledge above him It is not suitable and fit that an afflicted head should have a pampered body and members It becometh not the servant to live in idlenesse and pleasure when as the master wearieth himselfe with paines and labours how can we be called his disciples if we are not content to walke in his steps for as the Apostle saith Phil. 3.10 11. If we will know him and the virtue of his resurrection we must first have fellowship with him in his afflictions and be made conformable unto his death if by any means we may attaine unto the resurrection of the dead Ah! if we would often meditate of those afflictions the Lord Jesus Christ did suffer and that to bring us to heaven we would not pore upon our own so much as we doe would we but thinke when we suffer poverty and are pinched with worldly wants what the Lord of heaven and earth sustained he was destitute of earthly comforts and had not a house to lay his head When we are injuriously traduced and injustly slandered and abused let us call to minde the Lambe of God who was without spot or blemish most innocent and full of all goodnesse even he was called a wine-Bibber a friend to publicans and sinners an imposter and one that did all his miracles by the helpe of the devill When we are ill requited by those of whom we have better deserved forsaken by our friends in the time of our need and betraied by those who stand obliged unto us by many benefits and to whom we have committed the very secrets of our soules Oh let us thinke our deare Lord was worse used before us for those he came to save sought his destruction his disciples forsake him and flee away
a garison of holy reasons against the assaults of strong passions We may hope for the best but feare the worst and prepare to beare whatsoever God shall please to lay on us In this world of changes we cannot resolve upon alteration the minde is out of frame we cannot say this or that trouble shall not befall Yet we may in the strength of God say nothing that doth befall shall make me do that which is unbeseeming a Christian Where the spirit of God hath taken up his firme abode in the soule it will little set by any outward change he will little estâ—eme to be accounted little in the eies of others when he is so little in his owne Let us therefore walke in such a heavenly disdaine amidst the scornes of an insulting generation That the world may know we can live above every condition and that all our afflictions are far beneath our hopes And let it be our joy to beare contentedly the unjust aspersions of malicious censure Who was there ever among the Saints that was not slandered though our accusers may be believed a while Yet let our actions out-weigh their words and the disgrace at last will rest with the intender of the ill that stone that injury casts ever in the end lights on its own head 2 David lookes off from Shimei to God that set him a worke Suffer him God hath bidden him Let him curse because the Lord hath said curse David Let this teach us that Gods hand hath a speciall stroke in all our afflictions is there any evill in the City saith God and I have not done it Amos. 3.6 Heare what Joseph says to his brethren I am Joseph your brother whom yee sold But God sent me hither Gen. 45.5 And thus did Joh from the Sabâ—eans and Caldâ—eans which had robbed him and slaine his Servants to God The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken and blessed be his name Joh. 1.21 And indeed the President and patterne of all humility lookt neither at Hered nor the Jewes or Pilate but to his father shall I not drinke of the cup that my father hath given me And this was it which made David so sweetly silent Psal 39 9. I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because the Lord did it To flye upon instruments as the maine cause of our crosses is to declare our selves voyde of reason So the dog bites the stone which would never have hit him if it had not been thrown It was a sweet meditation a holy man of God hath set down for his own support and ours He strikes me that made me that moderates the world Why struggle I with him why with my selfe am I a foole or a rebell A foole if I am ignorant whence my afflictions come a rebell if I know and be impatient And therefore when ought falls out contrary to our expectation let us not run to second causes but say God hath purposed it as it is fallen out He will make use of what instrument he pleaseth It is enough and his will be done though ours be crossed So promiscuous and inconstant is the administration of things here below that they seeme to run upon wheeles so doth Ezechiel phrase it Chap. 1. But these wheeles have eyes From which Metaphoricall and Metonymicall expression we may see that there is something in their events shewing the reason of their turnings which we see not Yea and those wheeles move as the beasts stir them To teach us that there is nothing done on earth but by the Lord in his instruments the wheeles move as they are guided by those Angells move as they are guided by the spirit And thus all is from the Lord. And least the saith of any be overthrowne from the change of things The Lord tels us that the wheeles are one within another and so are the winges of the Angells There is an agreeablenesse between them and thus is it in the changes of a thousand yeares Now to looke upon Gods providence in some particular only as upon a wheele or two and not upon all as once as they are one within another this deceiveth us When we looke upon honest Joseph in his disgracefull imprisonment onely On innocent David in his scorne and contempt in the Court and under the reproach of cursing Shemei on just Naboth condemned to death by false witnesses and accordingly stoned who say we shall rise againe to shew his innocencie on Paul held the worst man of his time on the Church as in the daies of Queene Hester but if we looke upon all these passages all at once we shall see that they have eics that they have Angells and these a spirit to guide them On these wheeles is Joseph brought by the sale of his brethren to Pharaâ—'s Steward by the false accusation of his Mistris he is cast into prison By the interpretation of the prisoners dreams he is brought to Pharaoh's knowledge and so to greatnesse in his Court. Thus whil'st David sits still Doth the Lord vex Saul by the Philistins and ends his dayes And first setleth David in the Kingdome of Juda then Ish bosbeth falling out with Abner about a word forsakes him Ish-hosheth shall be slain by two wicked men And thus is David fairly brought to the Crowne even by those wheeles Thus in the dayes of Queene Hester when the Church was upon the point of destruction that the King could not sleep that night That he should call for the booke of the Chronicles before another And that in this booke that place which contained Mordeccyes revealing the treason against the King should revoke his decree and so the Church injoy deliverance this plainly proves that in all those various and strange administrations of accidents that doe befall us that God not onely made but wisely disposes of all Surely these wheeles have eyes and a spirit to guide them And therefore in all our wrongs and injuries let us looke up to the first mover and discharge the meanes 'T is true the instruments may be unjust nay cruell in their wronges but the cause is just from him that did inflict them wicked men are rods in the hand of God and at them must looke never but as they are in the hand of an Almighty power wherewith when he hath sufficiently corrected us he will cast them into the fire Gen. 28.12 Jacob wondring at the descent and ascent of Angells on the ladder in the vision looketh up to the top and there sees God sending them with their errands so one Angell smites us and another delivers us but if we look up we should see God in both 3 As David acknowledgeth God to be the principle cause of his afflictions so he quietly and patiently submitteth himselfe to bear them A patient submission unto Gods will and a faithfull exercise under his visiting hand is an unfallible demonstration that we are children and not bastards Saith David the Lord hath said curse David who then shall say wherefore
hast thou done so And thus elsewhere he patiently submitteth himselfe to be afflicted at his good pleasure 2 Scm. 15.26 But if saith he he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies So good old Elie when he heard from Samuell what a fearefull worke God would doe to his house quietly he humbleth himselfs saying it is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him best 1 Sam. 3.18 Thus likewise Job once have I spoken yea twise but I will proceed no further I will lay my hand upon my mouth and abhor my selfe repenting in dust and ashes Lo Hezechiah sweetly submits when he looketh up to God what shall I say For he hath said it to me and he hath done it Isa 38.13 It is the safest way when Gods hand is on our back to lay our hand on our mouthes and do as Aaron did at the fearefull death of his sons when he heares Moses to tell him that God would be sanctified in those that did draw neere unto him He held his peace Lev. 10.3 Thus those Saints in the 21. Acts. 14 Conclude their arguments with words of submission concerning Paules journey to Jerusalem the will of the Lord be done Now as all events whatsoever are by and according to the will of God so to this will of God must we sweetly submit in all crosse accidents whatsoever we either feele or feare This have the Saints in all ages done when they saw once the the mind of God they quietly yeil ded So Mauritius the Roman Emperour when after the butchering of his loving wife and tender children before his face at the command of the Tirant Phocas he was to act his owne part in that mournfull tragedy in his flesh at first like a grudging Israelite began to repine and draw back but after some passionate panges he humbly submits with these words just art thou O Lord and just are thy judgements And this is patience indeed when we are content without murmuring or repining to resigne our selves into Gods hands to be dealt withall even as it shall seeme good to him both for the time and measure of our affliction We must not only not sink under them but not shrink from them Stay in them till he that laid them on shall please to take them off 1 If we would seriously consider who this is that afflicts us Why it is the Lord who is infinite in glory power and Majesty who having created us of nothing may dispose also of us according to his pleasure for why should the clay murmur against the potter dust and ashes against the glorious King of heaven and earth Who measureth the earth with his span and poyseth it as in a ballance who upholdeth all things by his word and ruleth them at his good pleasure In him we live move and have our being so that if he sustaine us we continue but if he blow upon us we are presently gone and returne again unto our dust 2 As God is infinite in majesty and power so is he just in his judgements his wayes are past finding out Hath he corrected us sharply surely 't was no more then we deserved hath he taken away our dearest friends by death why he took away nothing but what he gave he never gave any thing absolutely and for ever but only to use for a time till he againe did call for it and therefore seeing the Lord hath taken nothing but his owne let us not say we have lost it but only restored it to the right owner 3 Let us beare patiently whatsover comes from God because he is goodnesse it selfe from whom there can come no evill It is he that ruleth the world and ordereth all things for the best taking care of every particular person neither doth nor hath any evill in him God is the fountaine from whence all goodnesle flowes if he be good to all he is abundantly good to his owne if he be so sweet to those that seeke him how beyond expression will he be to those that finde him Now who may better chastize us then he that created us who more right to correct and nurture us then he who feedeth and nurseth us We see the most savage beasts which will not indure the looke of a stranger will take stripes from their owner who feedeth and tendeth them and shall we more brutish then they snarle and repine when the Lord who not only giveth us food but also maketh it nourishment doth chastize us for our good The Lord is our King and Soveraigne unto whom we are to yeild absolute obedience and therefore if earthly Princes doe punish their subjects and judge them insolent if they repine and rebellious if they resist not enduring expostulation or to have their actions called to account nay though they be unjust How then shall we be acquitted when being corrected by God we impatiently murmure and by using unlawfull meanes to free our selves as much as in us lieth resist him in his most righteous judgements which are all disposed for our good if we submit our selves unto them Seeing by ruling us thus on earth he fitteth us to raigne with him in heaven Ah! Therefore let us not looke to the interiour causes by which our crosses are immediately imposed but unto the Lord our God who is the cheife and supreame cause of all our afflictions Let us not looke to instruments and aggravate our sorrowes by circumstances as looking upon our afflictions with an impotent impatience because our enemies are malicious proude and insolent in the carriage of the matter but to God which aymeth at nothing but our good Thus saith Christ to Pilate thou couldest have no power except it were given the from above Thus likewise doe we make our burdens in supportable when we too much looke upon the treachery neglect or unkinde dealing of some friends of whom we have deserved well and therefore least of all suspected to have received from them such hard measure Alas if our thoughts mount no higher then those broken reeds we may sit down and die of discontent And therefore 't was sweetly said of a holy and experimentall Divine lately that unlesse we learne to suffer from the hands of Saints as well as from ungodly persons we must never looks to live a merry day So say I unlesse we can beare the fallings off the falsehood and treachery of a beloved friend we shall never come to possesse pure patience indeed And thus many times when ought befalleth us through our owne default negligence or want of providence we adde unto it the weight of many criminations and oftentimes false accusations against our selves as though it were not heavy enough in it selâ—e to presse us downe unlesse we added thereunto the loade of bitter invectives against our owne negligence and of sharpe censures for our owne faultinesse as being the cause which hath brought upon us those crosses and calamities
hath wrought the worke of our redemption we may at the same time mourne in the fight of our sins because we have difhonoured by them a gracious father and yet rejoyce in that our sorrow assureth us that they are forgiven us and we received into Gods favour We may mourne in the sence of our pain and smart but rejoyce in it as it is a figne of our adoption when God correcteth us as his children that we might not be condemned with the world So that we may spend our dayes in a joyfull mourning or a mournfull joy And thus by sence of paine the Lord maketh the flesh to mourne that it may be mortified restrained from sin for feare of punishment and by this spirituall joy apprehended by faith our good God refresheth the spirituall parâ— that it may not faint and yield when the flesh tempteth it to murmuring and dispaire Ah! Iâ— is the sweâ—nâ— oâ— God's love that allayeth the sowâ—nesse of all our afflictions This made David to say Psal 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts which are within me thy comforts delight my soule Labour we then for patience under all our pressures it will lighten all our crosses and lesson our paines Patience in afflictions as a father saith will make us Martyrs without either fire or sword And therefore misery it selfe cannot make us miserable Let us then rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great will be our reward in heaven And let the consideration of this sweeten the bitternesse of our cup that according to the weight of our afflictions here shall be the weight of our glory hereafter Who would not then be content to drinke of Christs viniger and gall in this world so he migh drinke that new wine with him in his heavenly kingdome Oh. But how shall we obtaine this patience and a Cheerfull bearing up the head under all our pressures Answ We must know that patience is no naturall faculty or inherent quality which is borne and bred with us for naturally we are peevish and impatient if we are â—ever so 〈◊〉 crossed of our wills murmuâ— and repining against Divine providence and therefore this flower is not to be found in the barren desert of corrupted nature where it never grew neither is patience attained by the help of naturall reason and Philosophy whiâ— propoundeth unto us only shadowes of comforts that have a seeming shew a far off but vanish away when we seeke to catch them These props which uphold patience are guilded over but with humane Wit Art and Eloquence which seem to be of some strength so long as our patience is unburthened but when once patience is pressed with the least weight of afflictions then they faile and breake bewraying their weaknesse and insufficiency together with the folly of those who invented them and of us who trusted in them Alas The Philosophers for the most part were ignorant of the chiefe causes of all afflictions not ascribing them unto God and his most wise and just providence but unto fate and destany chance and fortune never looking unto the chiefe deserving cause which is sin but imagined that all crosses hapned by the guidance of blinde fortune which put no difference betweene the good and bad just and unjust and so accordingly did they apply false remedies which were as loathsome as the disease which they sought to cure Epictetus was one of the wisest of all the Philosophers and yet what cold counsell doth he give as namely that we must beare patiently that which we cannot avoid whereas that alone is enough to make a man break out into all impatiency when he shall consider that his miseries which are presently intollerable are also inevitable for the time to come that we doe beare those burthens which are common to many and that we have innumerable companions in our griefes that all mankind are subject to manifold miseries and afflictions and therefore we must not take it ill if we be not exempted from the common lot but in the mean time theyâ—make no mention of Gods providence disposing of all our afflictions and turning them to our good they do not shew that they are proportioned to the measure of our strength so as they shall never overwhelme us nor that they are the chastisements of a gracious Father and the fruits of his love again they put us in no hope and assurance that God is present with us in all our troubles and in his good time will deliver us out of all our afflictions and therefore we are not to trust to those who are but miserable comforters at the best Now if we will be sure to have true patience in our afflictions indeed we must seek for it where it is to be found and that is from the Father of lights from whom every good and perfect gift doth come now God hath promised that what ever we ask according to his will beleeving we shall obtain since therefore we have a promise let us go to God by prayer and in a humble boldnesse put him in mind of that word call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee and thou shalt glorifie me and truly we never glorifie God more then when we seek deliverance from God and patiently expect it from him alone God doth many times as tender Mothers doe with their children that stray away from them which cause them to be frightned that they may return and cast themselves into their armes for protection so doth our good God cause these bugbeares of afflictions to meet and terrifie us when we have run away from him and suffereth us to be deprived of all other helps and comforts that we may with fulnesse of affiance rest wholly on him Ah! if we would consider that so ready is the Lord to hearken unto the suites of those that pray unto him that when he seeth this disposition in them he promiseth that before they call he will answer and while they speak he will hear Isai 65.24 and again Psal 91.15 he shall call upon me and I will hear him I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and glorifie him so in Psal 145.19 he vvill fulfill the desire of them that feare him he also vvill hear their cry and vvill save them And indeed there can never be a stronger prop to uphold our patience then fervency in prayer saith the Apostle James chap. 1.5 if any of you lack wisedome namely that wisedome specially which inableth us to beare the crosse with comfort and patience let him ask of God which giveth to all men liberally and reproacheth no man and it shall be given him Oh! how it easeth us of our griefer and lighteneth our hearts of the burden of our afflictions when as we lay open our grievances before God and pour out all our complaints into his bosome now if it be an ease to our afflicted minde if we may communicate our griefesto a deare friend that at least we may be
strong our God is and therefore will the Lord suffer us to fall that seeing how filthy we haue made our selves by our owne pollutions we may be the more wary and circumspect for the time to come The burnt childe dreads the fire and those that have layen once at hell gates will for ever be carefull how they come there again Thus are Gods children by the renewing of their sins made to renue their sorrowes and more strictly to examine their repentance past and present and if there be any dust or dirt of pride or impatiency in us this shaking of us will make it appeare and discover it selfe so that sometimes one sin shall be made as a meanes to purge out another not by any virtue it hath in it selfe but as God makes use of it as an instrument to drive us home to him as Mariners in storme to their port 4 Our wants they worke for our good likewise Alas such is our nature we love no longer to waite in humility then we have hope of benefit the young prodigall no sooner receives his portion but he departs to rassle it in another Country willingly we would attend no longer then God is giving having received we would be out of his fight to spend and this makes the Lord so scant in his blessings God will have us many times to know the worth but of his left handed blessings in their want that we might know what value to put on the next we shall receive and how to be thankfull for them Now we come to rellish every mercy indeed now a bit of browne bread is sweet which in our fullnesse would not down And now are we kept by this our meanenesse in a continuall dependance on Gods al-sufficiency for mercies and blessings till we have them that on our spirituall trassique for his glory he may furnish us with greater store O how doth this make us pitty poore hunger-starved soules now our bowels which before were hardned are melted towards them in pitty and compassion our hearts are made more tender which may be would have never beene if we had not wanted our selves Let us not therefore measure things by the present sweetnesse but by the future profit Wants will worke for good in the end and truly those mercies that come to us out of great difficulties and seeme to be raised out of contraries are the sweetest mercies indeed Let us never say at any time we are in a hard condition unlesse we have a hard heart and cannot pray What though we are at a very low ebb in regard of outward comfort yet the high springs of our joy and consolations are not lost but swallowed up in the Ocean of Gods love where they are reserved for us to an appointed time And though we be not the subject of comfort yet our comfort is alwayes sure in the object of faith and 't is hid for us even then when 't is hid from us Indeed they are the best natures whom mercies and blessings winn but they are more which this rod of wants sends home Sometimes a Phisitian lets blood not that the man is sicke but that he may not be so God takes from us sometimes our wealth least we should grow proud sometimes our dearest relations and children least we should idolize them Sometimes our good name least we should grow insolent sometimes our health liberty c. Least we turn the grace of our God into wantonnesse so that what ever befalls us is from our God and for our good There is nothing so high that is above Gods providence nothing so low that is beneath it nothing so large but is bounded by it nothing so confused but God can order it nothing so bad but he can draw good out of it nothing so wisely plotted but God can disappoint it Nothing so simple and unpolitiquely carried but he can give a prevailing issue unto it and make it necessary in regard of the event And therefore this cannot but bring strong security to our poore distressed soules to know that in all variety of changes and crosse providences God and our God hath such a disposing hand whatsoever befalls us all shall serve to bring Gods electing love and our glorification together let us check our drooping soules in the words of David Psal 42. why art thou so sad O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me trust in God for I shall yet praise him he is the health of my countenance and my God And then let us sweetly conclude that God will very shortly turne our depths of sorrow into seas of comfort our bitter â—eares into spirituall triumphs our former heaviness into heavenly joy our oppression and wrongs into a Crowne of glory our innocency which now is obscured by the rotten rags of prejudice which fame that common liar cast upon her shall then appeare beautifull and shine as cleere as the light Our sadned hearts shall be filled with those unmixed pleasures which no man shall take from us our troubled consciences shall have that perfect peace which passeth all understanding and which our utmost conceite cannot possibly comprehend We have seene how David comforted himselfe with hopes of being benefitted by this his affliction and we have seen the end of the Lord 't is true he was now in one of the greatest afflictions that ever befell a man a father or a King persecuted by his owne bosome friends by his beloved son more then 20000 of his own subjects up in armes against him outward troubles inward conflicts incompassed him on every side so that there was but a step between him and death yet by theey of faith and strength of God looks beyond all eyed him which is invisible It was a thick cloud God had wrapt himselfe in at that time none but a Saint could have concluded a faire end from such a lou'e beginning yet Davids hope shall not shame him his confidence will not leave him till the full accomplishment of his faith the scaene shall be changed his rebellious Son shall have his desert his trustless counsellor Achitophel shall pay himselfe for his treachery and shall save the hangman a labour he 'l supply the place of an executioner his guilty conscience shall be his witnesse and God will be his judge Now shall David be brought home againe with greater honour then ever all the tribes of Israel shall sharply contend who shall be the first that shall come and conduct him Shimei that a little before had so abused him shall be as forward as any nay to be formost of many to wellcome the King backe againe He needs no accusers or judge his owne mouth shall condemne him and his heart shall bid his tongue beg pardon for his desperate presumption Take notice of his humble carriage now 2 Sam. 19.16 17 c. first he hasted to come downe with the men of Juda to meet the King and he brings a thousand men with him of his owne tribe
intangling snares â—o inveagle their charitable and too credulous simplicity doe not surmise hatch or harbour the least finister conceipt against their upright conversations doe not so much as cast a malicious glance or coy or contemptuous look upon their persons remember their maker is their husband and will not suffer the least indignity to be offered them without a punishment What if they are black in regard of their sufferings and afflictions outwardly or in regard of their often frailties and infirmities inwardly vet are they amiable and lovely in respect of their practice of piety and obedience to Gods Lawes outwardly and of Christs righteousnesse and sanctification begun inwardly What if they are deformed in their owne eyes and vile in the eies of man yet are they lovely in the eies of the bridegroome Christ Cant. 1.7 And the bridegroomes friends Cant. 5.9 17. What if they cannot be gracious with all yet they are with some and though they may be cast out of fellowship in the world yet have they fellowship with the father and with his son Jesus Christ 1 Job 1.3 Oh! Therefore let it be the brand of a most prophane wretch and one of Satans brood to be belching out reproaches against their innocent neighbours who rather then they will want matter they will most basely and unworthily snatch it from the invenomed tongue of a tale-bearer nay rather then fail forge it out of a suspicious selfe-guiltinesse in their own prophane fancies and suck it as they say out of their own fingers And indeed wicked mens censures of Gods children are many times not onely groundlesse causles and false but also predigiously absur'd and utterly impossible without any shew or shaddow at all of likelihood So the Jewes confidently censured the Lord Jesus that he had a Devill in whom dwelt the fulnesse of the God-head bodily Col. 2 9. Tertullus judged the Apostle Paul a pestilent follow that was the most precious man upon the earth Act. 24.5 Eliab was accounted by Ahab to be a troubler of Israel who was in truth the very Chariots and horsemen of the same 2 Kings 13.14 The Princes of Israel suggested to King Zedechiah that Jeremy was a traytor to the state from which he was so far that he desired his head to be turned into waters and his eies into springs of teares that he might weepe day and night for the desolations of it Jer. 38.4 And let it ever be the property of vaine glorious Pharisees to raise their reputations upon the imaginary ruines of good mens innocencies and by fathering upon them such inforced sinister senses and wrested crooked constructions which an ingenious impartiall expositor could never possible extract It is the easiest thing of a thousand for a Malicious minde to soile the glory of the bravest and most beautifull actions with ill and wrong interpretations Beware of fastning a false crime upon an innocent the very Casuists school men do deservedly vilify it with a brand of hainousness far above thest as they may very well both for a greater breach of love preciousness of object uncomprehensibleness of loss difficulty of restitution concurrence of many sins and consequence of much ill take heed of adding to the truth or detracting from it or intermixing false adulterate glosses or some impertinent parenthesis of your owne and so in very malice will give good people in their absence their due and deserved attributions with many outward plausible speeches but ever after at the close premising some formall counterfeit protestation and Pharisaicall preface as I am very sorry to heare it I would it were otherwise indeed the man or woman is of very good parts extraordinary gifts but he is proude of them I believe him to be a Godly person but he hath one or two foule faults which I would not willingly name thereby implying more then is exprest Oh! This is not to speake out of any love to the party but out of an envious perverse dunghill humour they do desire to brand those whom they will not love or whom they have injured and cannot make satisfaction with one notorious brand or another Oh! doe not for seare of a curse charge upon a Saint with so much credulity and confidence those things they never did never knew never thought upon do not report true things maliciously and upon purpose to bring them into hatred and dil-estimation so Doeg dealt with David and it cost the lives of 85 of the Lords Priests And you which take upon you the name of professors and would be accounted of more then ordinary because perhaps you are in society with such a Church or in credit with such a Minister and eminent in prayer in repetition of Sermons excellent in knowledge and discourse Alas you may do all this and yet goe to hell Take not liberty to your selves to insult unmercifull either over the damnable estate of those who are without oh dive not or once be prying into Gods booke of predestination it is too high for mortalls being Gods prerogative Royall or uncharitably blaze abroad the infirmities and failings of the Saints which you ought to conceale Doe not be fierce and fiery against your fellow Christians if you differ from them in some indifferent things if God have given you more knowledge then others blesse God and walk the more humbly and give that allowance to others which you would they should give to you Remember that undeniable truth James 1.26 If any man among you seeme to be religious and bridleth not his tongue he deceiveth his own heart his religion is in vaine certainly those professors who give their tongues so much liberty prove too often either utterly unsound or not so throughly humbled those that are so quick to spy a more in their brothers eye have commonly a a beam in their own and those who are prying into other mens carriages perusing other mens lives have hardly any leasure to look into their owne rotten hearts and meer carnall courses How often may we hear an imperious Pharisee mangle and marter a Saints good name for some lesser bewailed infirmity who never yet learned to mourn for or mortify any one of those many gross corruptions and secret villanies which reigne too manifestly in themselves O! all you therefore that are not onely professors but practisers not in shew onely but in substance Saints of God elect and precious doe not Oh! doe not you learn or become accessary to this hellish vice of censuring be very carefull and tender what conceits you entertaine and what censure you passe upon others You are bound by the laws of divine love to conceive and speake the best of every one untill his words ordinary carriage and open prophanesse cleerly convince the contrary you are to interpret all things in the better part so far as they may stand with a good conscience without prejudice to the truth or impeachment of Gods glory you ought to be so far from apprehension of
imaginary matter or violent wresting of mens words actions and be haviour to the worst sence that if matters be but probable poized with equall circumstances and with even weight of reasons interpretable both wayes you are ever to suffer your conceits and censures to be carried the more charitable way and be so far from censuring others without ground truth or proofe which is the ordinary practise now that you should never speak the ill you too certainly know by your brethren but with fearefullness as it were and with some kind of inforcement Would we not say he were mad that did wound and teare his owne members much more is he that will give a lash at a member of Christ Let cursed Chams uncover and sport themselves in the nakednesse of a fallen Saint let railing Rabshakehs be ever belching and breathing out reproaches against Gods precious ones Let dogged Doegs thirsting after and delighting in the overthrow of innocency discover the errours of Gods anointed ones with Satanical aggravations Let covetous Zibaes by presents and false suggestions dispoil the honest and harmlesse of reputation and favour Let base and unworthy Shimei's insult over misery casting dirt and stones on them whom God is whipping But doe not you which are misticall members of Christs body wound one another for feare you wound the sides of Christ And indeed the Sword of a brother cuts deeper then an enemies and proves many times the most deadly blow But above all take heed of wounding or grieving the father lesse and widdowes who lye most open to injuries and wrong who have few or none on earth to plead their cause yet they have a God who hath stil'd himselfe to be a father of the fatherlesse and a judge of widdowes causes and this sings David is God in his holy habitation Psal 68.5 In how many places in sacred scripture hath God commanded to plead so them to relieve them much lesse to abuse them read and tremble at that fearefull place Exod 22.22 23 24. Ye shall not afflict any widdow or fatherlesse childe If thou afflict them in any wise marke that and they cry at all unto me I will surely hear their cry And my wrath shall wax hot and I will kill you with the sword and your wives shall be widdowes and your children fatherlesse Doe not say this is old Testament for 't is a morall Law inacted in the high court of heaven never to be repeal'd till time shall be no more Oh! That Saints would walke more warily now in this frozen age they are too many of them tainted with this sin and it is to be lamented even with tears of blood what shall Saints fill up the measure of iniquity Mat. 24.12 because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold How miserably are we devided not more in judgement then affection if God have given one a more cleerer light then another let him not despise him but rather blesse God and help him that sincerely seeks the right way to heaven That once glorious Church of the Jews walkt through many types and shadowes at the best it was but by moone light or star light but when the Son of righteousnesse arose all those stars of lesser light did vanish and give place Now though our Sun be up yet is he not exalted to his Meridian till that glorious City of God new Jerusalem come down from heaven when all mists and foggs of erâ—our and heresy shall be scattered when all darke places shall be made light and cleare and prophesies shall be accomplished But if we live not to see this beautifull Church let us content our selves in being members of Christs misticall body and we may finde the way to our home without stumbling if we please And may goe to heaven without treading upon one the others heels Study not new lights and opinions to be singular or follow any man how eminent so ever no longer then they follow Christ lamentable it is to see how men drive on a faction and indeed religion is become little else truth is even lost in questions about her 'T is wisedome to prove all things but hold fast that which is good be like the honorable men of Berea search the scriptures whether those things be so or no stand in the way and ask for the good old way Examine how the Saints formerly lived let the sacred word of God be our rule and the practise of the most eminent Saints our example Oh! Let us not content our selves with a bare outside shew of holynesse or delude our selves as one very excellently sayes Alas our religion doth not consist in outward shewes profession much talking in holding strickt points defending new opinions in externall formes of religious exercises set-tasks of hearing reading conference and the like in some solemne outward extraordinary abstinences and forbearances censuring others c. But in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost in meeknesse tender heartednesse love patience humility contentednesse mortification of sin moderation of passion holy guidance of the tongue in workes of mercy justice and truth in fidelity and painfulnesse in our callings conscionable conversing with men well knowing how we stand related reverencing superiours loving our equalls courteous to our inferiours sweerly forgiving our enemies an open-hearted reall fruitfull affectionatenesse and bounty to all Gods children in heavenly-mindednesse self-deniall the life of faith in disesteem of earthly things contempt of the world resolute hatred of sin in approving our hearts in Gods presence a sweet communion with him and longing for the comming of the Lord Jesus It is not sufficient that we be talkers unlesse we be walkers if any man be in Christ he is a new creature nor new in one part onely but in all otherwise we are monsters If there be a new heart certainly there will be a new habit Lightnesse in attire ever shew a vaine minde and will never sute with a grave heart so a loose unadvised frivolous talkativenesse argue at best but a frothy braine Let us not therefore ingrosse all the talk in unmannerly interruptions as too many doe and is sometimes incident to new converts or counterfeits neither in the other extreame to be so reserved and curious as to say no more then may breed an applause and admiration of that worth which may be is not so much in us This is as fearfull a fault though not altogether as filthy as the other A sober humble well advised speech as one sayes is a token of grace And let us be very circumspect of our company and companions 'T is a thing to be much lamented to see how many precious hours and opportunities are lost with idle frivolous discourse which benefits none how doe many range about in their discourse from field to Towne from Towne to houses from houses to particular things medling with others businesses which doth not belong to them of their diet clothes fashions of them their family children servants estates whence they had it and how long t will last then next they will be raking into the dunghill puddles of the true or seeming miscariages of their neighbours good or ill Tossing and tumbling them from tongue to tongue as sharpe as swords renting and tearing the good names of those that are better then themselves fathering upon them that which they never thought of turning by their cunning art a hear-say may be their supposition into a peremptory proposition that it was so and then to mount it upon the wings of flying and lying fame to passe swiftly and securely without stop or controlement When this perhaps is done then they ramble in their serious communications into their fields and houses telling many large and deep discourses of the longitude and latitude of their lands the number of their sheep and the severall conditions of their horses what great businesse they have finished or intended And then for want of better matter they 'l tell of the pretty lispings of their children what they did and what they said and all to no purpose but to maintaine a great deale of prittle prattle with much such tedious stuffe enough to tire a judicious and Solid Saintâ— who departs the company either grieved or corrupted or both but if some should pen the discourse that is at some meetings many times and after they are in a serious moode to read it to them with all their Antick gestures and behaviours I believe some would be ashamed and not to have so much patience as to heare what somtime they spake therefore 't is wisdome to premeditate and not be too hasty in our speech and after to use reviewes what we said or did one unadvised word may ruine us either in our estates or lives Oh! Consider seriously such communications doe not yeeld the least glance or glimmering of sound delight or comfort when we are going to our bed or fall into any affliction or temptation or come to lye downe in our beds of death and though formerly we have beene overtaken so as to talk or heare such fruitlesse and frivolous matters yet let us hence forth resolve in the strength of God never to stay long in that company wherein we can neither teach or learne Never medling with others marters but such as concerne our selves or those with whom we doe conferre Let us principally aime at Gods glory our owne soules benefit and the good of others by communicating sweetest experiences of Gods deare and precious dealings to our poore soules in their extremities which may be a support and stay for their present and our future comfort in whatsoever condition FINIS