So much be said of this verse in generall Now let us view the words more particularly Wherein not tying my selfe to tread precisely in the steps of the former Analysis though perhaps more Logicall and exact for more plainnesse of teaching I observe in this verse these foure things viz. First who procured this calme the Disciples Secondly of whom did they procure it of Christ They came to him Thirdly the effect of their comming to him They awoke him Lastly how did they awaken him by prayer the forme which they used being here expressed Lord save us we perish Of which in order for their Sense Doctrines and Uses And his disciples The word hath beene sufficiently opened from the first verse of this storie his disciples followed him I will not now rehearse any thing was there said but come to raise the Doctrines from this place His disciples Here first we learne whose praiers are so powerfull with God for themselves and others not the prayers of strangers forreiners and enemies but of disciples friends and favourites that follow him The Lord heareth the prayers of the righteous and his eares are open to their cries u He is nigh to such as call on him faithfully He will fulfill the desires of such as feare him he will heare their cry and will save them Psal 145. 18. It is the prayer of a righteous man is so availeable Iam. 5. 16. If any man be a worshipper of God and doe his will him God heareth Wherefore in the great calamitie and distresse of the Church the Prophet calleth to the meeke of the earth to seeke the Lord It was Abraham the friend of God that prevailed so much with his prayer for the Sodomites It was his faithfull servant Moses would not let him alone but stood up in the breach and turned away Gods anger that he could not destroy the people as he said It was zealous Phinehas that prayed and so the plague ceased It was religious Ioshuah who said that he and his house would serve the Lord Iosh 24. 25. that by his prayer commanded the Sunne and Moone to stand in the Firmament It was fervent Elijah whose tongue was the bridle of heaven * opening and shutting it by his prayer It was holy Samuel who by his prayer in time of wheat-harvest obtained such a strange thunder and raine It was the Church by prayers obtained an Angell to be sent who brake off Peters chaines made the Iron gate to open of it owne accord and delivered Peter out of Prison c. But God heareth not sinners though such doe multiply their prayers he will not heare though such seeke him early they shall not finde him he will stand aloofe and laugh at their calamitie as their prayers turne to be sinne unto them so are they abhominable unto God And no marvell For how shall any call on him in whom they have not beleeved No matter therefore whether the wicked pray or no yea all their fasting praying and crying not worth a straw But oh yee meeke yee true disciples yee that have your hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and bodies washed with pure water yee that have cleane hands and a pure heart yee are Gods favourites pray for a calme yee are the chariots and horsemen of Israel stand in the gap day and night keepe not silence and give the Lord no rest till he have mercy on Sion Secondly observe that it is in the plurall not disciple but disciples not one or two but as farre as may be gathered even all of them And great reason For as the penitent theefe said to his fellow they were all in the same condemnation If the ship had sunke into the waves they had all perished Lord save us we perish It is otherwise in many of Gods Iudgements upon the Land as pestilence famine sword Some are more subject to the evill and misery of some of these than the other The poore are most pinched with famine many rich men make great gaine thereof but the sword doth chiefly feed on the rich It is the rich mans wealth maketh him a prey to the poore hungry ravenous souldier The rich in other Countries are punished with sword the poore in our Country with famine and want But ye rich men know that this is Gods judgement for your sinnes as well as the sinnes of the poore and if not to the same yet without repentance yee are subject to greater condemnation God hath in store such Judgements as may more neerely touch you Wherefore put your necks under Gods yoke goe to Christ by prayer for the poore have compassion on them beyond your power be liberall unto them eat no pleasant bread your selves abstaine from feasting that you may be better able to feed the hungry and such as are forced to fast Observe lastly that the Disciples not Peter Iames and Iohn though counted pillars and in many things preferred before the rest yet all goe to Christ to further the common good and to helpe by prayers to procure the common salvation The godly poore man is sometimes out of heart to goe to Christ and pray and the rich man despiseth his prayer as Solomon saith The poore mans wisdome is despised but know that with Christ there is no respect of persons Hee hath taught the poorest man that beleeveth in him as boldly to call God his Father as the rich Yea for their incouragement David hath said God forgetteth not the cry of the poore he doth not abhorre nor despise the low estate of the poore nor hide his face from him but when he crieth unto him he heareth he will deliver the needy when he crieth the poore and him that hath no helper Let them then with good comfort pray and let not rich men despise but rather by their mercifull dealing towards them provoke them to blesse them and pray for them for David saith The man is blessed that considereth the poore and needy the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble Therefore make you friends of the mammon of unrighteousnesse saith Christ to rich men If they be Disciples intreat them to goe to Christ for you Yea though you have never so great a measure of Knowledge Faith Zeale and Godlinesse your selves yet may you reape benefit by the poorest and meanest in the houshold of faith Yea S. Paul himselfe did often very instantly crave the prayers of all those to whom he did write whether great or small poore or rich and hoped to finde much good from such prayers So much for the first part viz. the persons procuring this calme his Disciples Now secondly to whom goe they where doe they secke it To him That is to Christ their Lord and Master
were with Christ for the temporall good of their bodies Lord Lord save us How much more earnest should we be with him for the eternall good of our soules and importunately to beg those excellent gifts of Knowledge Faith Repentance Remission of sinnes Sense of Gods love Patience in adversitie Lowlinesse in prosperitie Peace of conscience Ioy in the Holy Ghost as Christ hath counselled First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and as the Apostle counselleth Set your affections on and seeke those things which are above Was Christ well pleased with his Disciples that craved the saving of their bodies and is he not much more pleased we should call and cry unto him for the salvation of our soules seeing hence he hath his glorious name whereat every knee must bowe and is able perfectly to save such as come unto him But herein our great dulnesse and negligence commeth justly to be taxed We are very sensible of our bodily and senslesse altogether of our spirituali wants if wee be naked and cold wee are pinched with it and all our care is for fewell and apparell if we be hungry how greedy wee are for food In this time of Famine how the hungry poore runne from doore to doore pitifully and importunatly begging bread Whose heart doth not earne to see the ghastly countenances of poore prisoners in their chaines and thorow their grates craving releefe How doe such as have money plie the market for corne and if they have it not in one runne to another and strive who shall be first served How did the leprous blinde and diseased flocke to Christ for cure And if in these dayes there were a man knowne to cure all diseases how would they seeke to him by Sea and Land yea sell House and Land to get helpe And if the life be in danger by fire or water then what crying is there Lord save us But alas our soules are ready to starve and we doe not hunger are naked and we care not for garments sicke and diseased and we seeke not to the Physitian yea we are in danger every moment to sinke into the pit of perdition and for ever to be lost in hell and destruction and yet we cry not to Christ for helpe Lord save us And the reason hereof is because we doe not know our selves to be lost and ready to perish but with those of Laodicea say we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and know not that we are wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. That which caused the Disciples here to cry so earnestly to Christ to be saved was the sense of miserie they saw if he presently helped not there was no way but one with them they were drowned every mothers childe they must all presently perish certainly none can earnestly seeke and crave salvation that doe not feele themselves to be most miserable sinners under the wrath of God utterly lost in themselves looke every moment to be swallowed up of death hell and condemnation Christ came to seeke and save that which is lost and was sent only to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel came not to call the righteous but sinners to repent i. such as in their owne sense and feeling are miserable and lost sinners When Peter began to sinke he cried Lord save me and immediatly Iesus stretched out his hand and caught him When the ship was covered with waves then the Disciples cry Lord save us and he rebuked the winds Oh it is not possible for any to be earnest with Christ for salvation till with Peter their soules begin to sinke into Hell and the poore cockboat of their Consciences is even covered with the waves of Gods displeasure One deepe calleth on another Ps 42. 6. the deep of misery to the deep of mercy De profundis clamavi Ps 130. 1. Alas thousands of Protestants who professe Christ to be their Saviour yet never tasted now sweet the Lord is nor ever were earnest with him for salvation because they were never thorowly touched with the sense of their spirituall misery to say with David I have gone astray like a sheepe that is lost and from my youth up thy terrors I have suffered with a troubled minde Thou hast vexed me with all thy stormes and all thy waters are gone over me c. And never till then can any affectionately pray with David O Lord say to my soule I am thy salvation And with the Disciples here Lord Iesu save me Many doe wonderfully brag and boast that Christ is their Saviour shed his precious bloud for them if at that instant they should die they were sure to be saved and to goe to heaven to him I would aske such a question or rather desire them to demand it of their owne soules Didst thou ever see thy wofull misery and the wretched estate wherein thou art by reason of sinne Didst thou ever see what great need thou hadst of Gods favour and of the bloud of Christ Have thy sinnes ever mustred themselves against thee which hath made thine heart to tremble with feare Yea hast thou even bin at the brinke of hell and with sighs and teares intreated mercy and salvation They answer and I suppose truly No God be thanked they were never so troubled or disquieted but have ever had merrie and peaceable hearts and have beene ever assured of Gods love neither would they for all the world doubt of it they have heard Ministers preach much of distresses and perplexities of the soule but they know not what they meane Alas poore soules how are these deceived How are they carried away with a strange presumption What a dangerous lethargie spirituall are they sicke of Even of all men most to be pittied Oh know the high way to grace is to know our soules to be emptie of grace the high way to be saved is to know our selves in our selves to be lost and damned never shall any have the benefit of one drop of the bloud of Christ that as for life and death have not begged it Oh see then what a blessing of God it is to be faithfully told and reproved for sins and to see our damnable estate in the looking-glasse of the Law that so seeing our selves to be utterly lost and undone we may cry day and night vnto God with the Disciples here Lord Iesus save us So much for the blessing desired the third last word followeth for whom they desire salvation Vs. It is not said that Peter came and praied for himselfe Lord save me and Iames for himselfe Lord save me and Iohn for himselfe Lord save mee c. as if they cared not though all the rest were drowned if they themselves escaped but they pray in common each one being as desirous of his fellowes safeguard
gladnesse there was not one feeble person and Egypt was glad Psal 105. 37. The Church had a great storme for 70 yeeres in Babylon when they sate by the rivers of Babylon and wept to remember Sion Psal 137. 1. but in the end a great calme when they had leave to returne then were their mouthes filled with laughter and their tongues with ioy Ps 126. 1. The Church had a great storme in the daies of Ahashuerosh when Haman had procured they should all be destroied then was fasting and mourning but in the end a great calme when Haman and his sonnes were hanged and the Iewes had Purim Great persecution in the daies of the Apostles but in the end God gave the Churches rest throughout Iudea Samaria and Galilee and the word of God increased and the number of disciples multiplied in Ierusalem exceedingly The Ecclesiasticall story witnesseth that howsoever God hath sometimes yea for a long time exercised his Church and people with hot cruell and bloudy persecutions yet in the end rebuking persecutors by death or otherwise as you have heard he hath given his Church peace and turned the tempest into a great calme For the outward estates of particular persons we have gracious promises I will not faile nor forsake thee Which though particularly and personally made to Ioshuah yet the Apostle teacheth every man how to make it his owne by the application of faith Call on me in the day of thy trouble and I will heare and deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me David saith Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth out of all Psal 34. 19. And the Apostle saith God is faithfull who will not suffer his to be tempted above that they are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that they may be able to beare it And Christ promised to turne his disciples sorrow into ioy which in all ages he hath most graciously performed to his servants yea commonly in this life As Ioseph endured a great tempest when his brethren sold him his impudent mistresse falsly accused him his master cast him in prison he endured hunger and cold and the iron even entred into his soule but there came a great calme when the King sent and delivered him the Prince of the people let him goe free made him ruler of his house yea set him over all the land of Egypt and every one cried Abrech before him Great was the tempest that godly Mordochai endured when proud Haman so despised and intended mischiefe against him having set up gallowes to hang him thereon but there came a great calme when the King commanded Haman to put on him royall apparell which the King useth to weare to set him on the horse the King used to ride on and set the crowne roiall upon his head and proclaime before him Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King will honour Great was the tempest that David endured in that long time that Saul persecuted him and by all meanes sought to take away his life hunting him as a partridge upon the mountaines that he confesseth the flouds of ungodlinesse made him afraid and he said in his infirmitie I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul but there came a great calme when Saul being slaine David was anointed King and died full of daies riches and honour Iob endured a great tempest when hee lost all his goods children and health but there came a great calme when all was restored double unto him againe Many a man hath endured a great tempest of povertie sicknesse ache imprisonment disgrace and God hath sent a great calme of wealth health ease liberty honour Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men What great and grievous conflicts have the learned Bishops and Fathers in their times had with Heretikes Athanasius and Hilarie with Arrius Basil with Eunomius Tertullian with Hermogenes Origen with Celsus Augustine with Faustus Pelagius Petilian Cyprian with Novatus yet painfully rowing with the Oares of Gods word these Doctors overcame all those boisterous and contrary winds and waves and used it as a proverbe After weeping commeth laughter and after banishment commeth Paradise After a tempest a calme Great also are the Internall tempests whereof Gods children have experience in their soules mindes and consciences but God hath promised most gracious calmes For a moment in mine anger have I turned away but with everlasting compassion have I imbraced thee Heavinesse may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Yea the meeke shall be refreshed with abundance of peace Psalm 37. 11. And these promises God hath in all ages most graciously performed David had a great tempest in soule when hee complained That all Gods waves had gone over him and hee had beene vexed with all his stormes Yea he had suffered from his youth up the terrours of God with a troubled mind But there was a great calme when he said Now returne to thy rest O my soule the Lord hath well rewarded thee and againe Thou hast delivered my soule from death mine eyes from teares and my feet from falling awaked at midnight to sing praises and called for his Lute and Harpe to awake Iob had a great tempest in his soule when hee complained God did write bitter things against him made him possesse the sinnes of his youth and Gods terrours came in battell ray against him but he had a great calme when hee k 〈…〉 Redeemer lived and would trust in God though he killed him and God gave him double all that he had There was as great a tempest in Ionahs soule as in the sea when he said I am cast out of thy sight and his soule fainted within him but hee had a great calme when the fish vomited out Ionah on the drie land and hee paid his vowes and sacrificed unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving Oh many and great are the trials of Gods children in this kinde till the Lord rebuke Satan fearefulnesse distrust heavinesse c. and then sweet are the mercies and comforts wherwith the Lord refresheth their soules Oh then Art thou full of heavinesse mourning and sorrow in thy soule which maketh thee as a Pellican Owle in desart and Sparrow on house top alone thou minglest thy drinke with teares thy conscience doth rage in sight of sinne and sense of divine anger say as David did Oh my soule why art thou cast downe and why art thou so disquieted within mee still trust in God the storme will over and God will send a gracious calme But
was made the greater was the truth and glory of his Resurrection yea such as were set to watch did publish it Matth. 28. 11. So the greater is the power and the more violent the assaults which enemies make against the Church of Christ the greater is Gods glory in their deliverance which the people confesse in the Psalmes If the Lord had not beene on our side now may Israel say if the Lord had not beene on our side when men rose up against us they had even swallowed us up quicke when they were so wrathfully displeased at us the waters had overwhelmed us the deepe waters of the proud had even gone over our soule But praised be the Lord who hath not given us for a prey to their teeth Our soule is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are delivered The greater the danger of Gods people at the Red-sea the greater their deliverance the greater the evill by Iesuits intended against the Protestants in France the more glorious their peace the greater mischiefe intended by the Gunpowder treason and the nearer to execution the more marvellous our deliverance in all which cases the Church is taught to praise God and say The Lord hath done marvellous things with his owne right hand and with his holy arme hath he gotten himselfe the victory Oh trust in God be the storme and threatned hurt to the Church never so great for all shall worke for good There is no wisdome counsell or strength against the Lord But he will turne the rage of man to his praise When all that see and heare shall marvell and say with reverend awe Who is this What manner of man is this The Greeke word is very emphaticall and of greater signification than another which is thus translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qualis For though this be often used in the New Testament yet ever translated what which one place only excepted Neither are they derived from the same root for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pavimentum as if it were written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cujas as if they had fully expressed the word thus What Countrey-man is this Which question bewrayeth their ignorance tendeth to the begetting of knowledge and is an effect of their admiration which may thus be described according to the rules of Philosophie Admiration is a painfull suspension of the minde proceeding from the knowledge of some great effects whereof the causes are unknowne I call it a painfull suspension because all men naturally desire knowledge and the more generously minded any are the more painfull it is for them to be ignorant Some say that Aristotle the Prince touchstone of Philosophers was so grieved that hee could not finde out the cause of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea that he died on it yea some say that he cast himselfe into the Sea saying Seeing I cannot comprehend thee thou shalt comprehend me but the other seemeth more probable Now admiration proceeding from ignorance of causes doth wonderfully provoke to the studie of causes that so they may be eased of that sorrow paine and griefe whereupon admiration is said to be the soule and life of Philosophie And Pythagoras being demanded what was the end of Philosophie answered To marvell at nothing intending that herein a learned Philosopher knowing the causes of things did not marvell whereas an ignorant rustick doth marvell at his owne shadow As in Philosophie so much more in Divinitie ignorance is a painfull thing to the godly disposed and therefore the more they admire the word and workes of God the more they enquire and search into the causes thereof as the Disciples here marvelling said one to another What manner of man is this Whose question intendeth three things viz. First That Christ is true man having a true soule and bodie in regard of their substance and their essentiall properties as in the soule will understanding in body true dimensions as length bredth thicknesse yea taking also the generall and blamelesse weaknesses and infirmities of both as ignorance of some things feare sorrow wearisomenesse hunger thirst sleepe ache paine sicknesse such as accompany the generall nature of man and are not repugnant to the perfection of science and grace as was more largely shewed from his being on sleepe This is it was anciently promised The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head And In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed And afterwards prophesied A Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne A Childe is borne a Son is given A woman shall compasse a man Which promises and prophesies have bin most truly fulfilled as this day doth witnesse to the Christian Churches For the fulnesse of time being come God sent his Sonne made of a woman The word was made flesh Iohn 1. 14. Oh what a sweet comfort is this to us miserable sinners that our blessed Saviour and Redeemer is not a stranger to our nature but tooke upon him the forme of a servant did partake with his in flesh and bloud became that prophesied Shiloh wrapped in the Tunicle skinne or Secundine our kinsman as Iob calleth him If the Baptist did so spring for joy in his mothers wombe when Mary the Mother of Christ saluted his Mother and if the Angels did so rejoyce and sing at the birth of Christ what cause have we to rejoyce and sing yea our very soules to spring for joy that wee doe celebrate this Festivitie in commemoration of our Saviours birth Yea that our comfort may be full he hath not only taken upon him our nature but our infirmities also that he might become a mercifull and compassionate High Priest So as we may boldly goe to the Throne of grace and be assured we shall finde mercie and grace to helpe in time of need The second thing avouched by the proprietie of the word in this question as you have heard in opening the sense of it is That this true man is a stranger they aske whence he is whereunto Christ returneth a perfect answer Hee descended from heaven Saint Paul saith He is the Lord from heaven Not that he brought his humanitie from heaven which passed thorow the Virgins wombe as water thorow a conduit as divers Heretiques have dreamed for he was made of a woman and had the materials of his body from the blessed Virgin but he had not his beginning here on earth as men have but God came downe from heaven and was manifested in the flesh and as he came so here he lived but as a stranger not having where to be
the great wisdome of God glory shame power and weaknes majestie infirmitie so twisted mingled together that if the one trouble and offend the other may comfort and content He was borne but it was of a Virgin He was borne in a stable and laid in a manger but the Angels proclaimed him Herod sought to kill him but Kings came from the East to adore him He was baptised of his servāt but his Father gave testimonie and the Holy Ghost descended from heaven in likenesse of a Dove and rested upon him He was hungry in the Wildernesse but rebuked Sathan He sate on Iacobs Well weary but told the woman of Samaria that came to draw water all that ever shee did He wept for Lazarus but bade him come forth of the grave and he did so He did spit on the ground and made clay but with it he cured a man that had beene borne blinde He hanged on Crosse betwixt two theeves but the Sunne was darkned and the earth trembled He slept but rebuked the wind and sea Remember your question What manner of man is this A man but an extraordinarie man Remember your answer This man is the Sonne of God and that doth the reason of the question shew which commeth now to be considered viz. That even the winds and the sea obey him In which words the Reason both of their Admiration and Interrogation as the cause and effect is rendred To which purpose the words in the Originall are very significant For first there is a double particle which in the former place is augmentative translated even etiam as else-where also With authoritie commandeth he even the uncleane spirits and they doe obey him q. d. What manner of man is this that not only men women children birds beasts but even the very uncleane spirits and even winds and sea obey him The word in the Hebrew copie translated obey doth also signifie to hearken diligently to intend earnestly and to obey readily and perfectly The Greeke word also signifieth no lesse that winds and seas did heare intend and speedily and faithfully obey the voice of Christ Here then is represented unto us the soveraigne dignitie power and authoritie that Christ hath over all creatures and which all creatures though never so sturdie rebellious or senslesse doe acknowledge It is a Doctrine I have already handled but suffer me suffer me willingly I beseech you to inlarge my meditations and ampliate my discourse What sweeter Argument can I handle or you heare What Subject doth not delight to speake of the majestie dominion power wealth and glory of his King And can I speake of any Argument more pleasing and delightfull than of his kingdome majestie dominion glory seeing all these he hath for our good Oh that my tongue were as the pen of a ready writer to indite his honour yea that I had the tongue of an Angell to speake of the glory of thy kingdome and to talke of thy power to make knowne to the sonnes of men thy mighty acts and the glorious majestie of thy kingdome Thy kingdome is an everlasting kingdom and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations Yea I should have an hand to write a tongue to speake if with Solomon I had an heart as large as the sand for of the abundance thereof both hand doth write and tongue doth speake Oh that I could say with the Apostle Mine heart is inlarged and my mouth opened but alas I am straitned in mine owne bowels Oh that I had the spirit of David when hee penned that most excellent curious Alphabetical and Encomiasticall Psalme How did he abound in zeale when he said I will extoll thee my God ô King and I will blesse thy name for ever and ever Every day will I blesse thee and praise thy name for ever and ever Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised there is no end of his greatnesse One generation shall praise thy works to another and declare thy mighty acts They shall abundantly utter the memoriall of thy goodnesse Oh that I had the spirit of S. Augustine when he wrote upon that Psalme wherein if ever he exceeded himselfe Shall Christ in such a famous miracle set forth his glorious majestie and dominion and shall wee thinke and speake so little of it We must be content here to wish and desire hereafter we shall enjoy here to serve God according to the weaknesse of the flesh hereafter according to the perfection of spirit here to praise God in briefes and semibriefes hereafter in larges and longs here but to tune our Harps and instruments when ever and anon a string breaketh or starteth and causeth an harsh jarre sweet shall be the musick in the Quire of heaven when Angels and Saints shall without wearisomnesse or end praise him whose glory and dominion hath no end As there is no end of his greatnesse number of his wisdome nor measure of his bounty so shall there be no end number or measure of our praise But now alas our spirit is strait wit dull speech dumbe that we may justly complaine with the Apostle when we take even the best dutie in hand To will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I finde not As Christ said of his Disciples it is most true in the best of us Though spirit be willing flesh is weake Wherein this is our comfort that we serve so good a Master as accepteth of that we have and so there be a willing minde it is accepted Let me then expresse my willingnesse striking once againe upon the same string for a close but varying in the descant from that you have heard already Herein Lord Iesu leade me with thy good spirit as thou art the King of Maiestie as well as of mercy untie my stammering tongue that thy name may be glorified by thy weakest creature and a worme of the earth may speake wisely of thy Maiestie who art King of Kings Prince of the Kings of the earth and hast on thine head so many Crownes yea the winds and seas obey thee Amen First let us see how this great King of heaven hath commanded all creatures to serve for the temporall good of his children according to his gracious promise They that feare the Lord shall want nothing that is good they that seeke the Lord and his kingdome shall have all earthly things even cast upon them Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth Being Christs all is theirs All will helpe nothing hurt them Doe they want bread or flesh The clouds shall raine it Do they want water The rocke shall be a fountaine Doe they want apparell Sheepe with fleece and skin shall clothe them Doe they want gold or silver God hath laid it up in veines of the
his doctrine as himselfe hath said The workes that I doe beare witnesse of me that the Father hath sent me And againe If I doe not the workes of my Father beleeve me not but if I doe though â—â—â— beleeve not mee beleeve the workes Now if wee compare this with the other Euangelists it will appeare that Christ had taught the people many things in parables and therefore went purposely to the sea that he might by miracle there as it were seale the truth of that doctrine which he had taught and delivered for as our Saviour asked Philip Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat did it onely to prove him for he himselfe knew what he would doe So our Saviour knew what he would doe on the sea and for what worke he purposely went thither at this time The fourth and last was the triall of their faith who having been now some good time with him he would make triall of their proficiencie as God tried Abraham not that God was ignorant what was in Abraham or Christ ignorant what was in his Apostles but they were ignorant what was in themselves and presumed they had more faith than they had wherefore it pleased our Saviour Christ by bringing them into this danger on the sea to let them see the weaknesse of their faith and by doing such a miracle strengthen it and make them in all future dangers to rest more stedfastly on his Almightie power and not feare any evill by water or land In whom we may behold and learne for our instruction what is the Lords usuall manner of dealing with his Disciples No Schoole-master doth make that triall of his scholars of their proficiencie that God maketh of his concerning their profiting and growth in Knowledge Faith Repentance Patience Zeale none shall be long in his Schoole but he will trie them either by sicknesse of bodie discomfort of soule losses crosses dangers by water or land false doctrine evill example one way or other All that live godly shall be sure of their trials The Apostle saith That is no strange thing yea as the Apostle Paul saith They that are without correction are Bastards and not sonnes So they that are without trials are Bastards and not sonnes all Gods children are partakers thereof you cannot be ignorant of the great trials of Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioseph Moses David Iob the Children of Israel in the wildernesse it is our common condition and therefore good counsell that Syracides giveth My son if thou come to serue the Lord prepare thy soule for temptation Thou canst not be long with Christ on the land but hee will have thee into the ship thou must to the storme and yet all for the best in regard whereof Saint Iames hath pronounced Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him And Saint Peter saith Our faith being tried and found more precious than gold that perisheth shall be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ Oh if the graces of God as Knowledge Faith Patience Humilitie Zeale doe appeare in excellent measure as they did in Abraham Iob David and others specially the holy Martyrs how greatly is it for Gods honour and their true comfort and happinesse but if these be very weake and feeble in us and humane frailtie exceedingly appeare yet how profitable is it to know our wants as for those Apostles to know how weake their faith was that so they might walke in greater humilitie and pray the more earnestly Lord increase our faith Wherefore be not afraid of the storme if thou beest sound at the heart it shall be for thy good which made David so pray Examine me ô Lord and prove me try my reines and my heart And againe Search me ô God and know mine heart try me and know my thoughts marke well if there be any way of wickednesse in me For howsoever David knew his integritie yet the heart of man is deceitfull above all things who can finde it and he desired to know if his faith were weake or any wickednes lay lurking in any secret angle and corner of his heart as holy Iob suspected himselfe Though I were perfect yet will I not know that is justifie mine owne soule and S. Paul in jealous humilitie confesseth I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby iustified he that iudgeth me is the Lord Thus in an holy humble jealousie we should be glad to know if there be any weaknesse or wickednesse in us The manifestation whereof in his Apostles was a principall motive to leade them to the sea and into this storme For a conclusion of this first point let it be observed for ever remembred that my Text saith Christ is the first that entred into the ship He sendeth not his disciples to sea and himselfe standeth fast on shore but He first entred into the ship The greatest comfort to the Church of God in generall and every Christian in particular is that Christ is present with them in all their troubles and dangers God spake to Moses out of the burning bush And this is it which he hath so often graciously promised As to Moses when he sent him to speake to Pharaoh and deliver his people Certainly I will be with thee and the like to Ioshua As I was with Moses I will be with thee all the daies of thy life I will not faile thee nor forsake thee and unto Ieremie Speake all that I have commanded thee and feare not their faces for behold I am with thee to deliuer thee yea the promise is made to all Gods people When thou passest thorow the waters I will be with thee and thorow the riuers they shall not ouerflow thee when thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee And againe Because he hath set his love upon me I will be with him in trouble I will deliuer him and bring him to honor Ps 91. penult And Christ his promise to all his disciples is Loe I am with you alwaies even unto the end of the world and for confirmation thereof appeared to IOHN walking in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks whose corporall presence gave Peter such boldnesse and comfort that he presumed to walke upon the waters towards him yea the assurance of his spirituall presence gave David such courage that hee said I will not feare to goe thorow the valley of the shadow of death for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe comfort me But on the other side Gods absence and departure is most grievous and fearefull specially in times of danger and distresse as when God was angred by the golden
Thus Christ hath shipped himselfe first and thereby assured vs that hee is with his Church and people in all their dangers and distresses and will witnesse that his presence either by miraculous deliverance or most mercifull supportance as he seeth it to be most for his glory and their true good The second sort of persons that were shipped are called his Disciples Disciple is properly a Latine word and doth signifie in English a Scholar or learner from the verbe Disco the Greeke also is of the same signification and is often so translated as where our Saviour saith Learne of mee And every one that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto me Let the woman learne in silence with all subiection In which and many other places which might be alledged but that these are sufficent for instance you have the word of the Text translated Learne as it properly signifieth So that every scholar or learner is called a disciple and of whom hee is taught or learneth he is called his disciple So we reade of Iohns disciples and of Moses disciples and so all Haeresiarches or Schismatickes that are factious and Schismaticall seeking to draw men to learne of them and embrace their opinions are said to draw disciples after them And thus all that professed Aristotle for their Master and were scholars in the schoole of the Peripatetickes Plato Pythagoras Zeno and others are said to have disciples that is scholars learners and professors of their doctrine and maximes The Hebrew also in Munsters Copie agreeth with both these And as from the Greeke word some speciall Sciences are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called the Mathematickes because of their deepnesse of learning and sharpnesse of wit and capacitie required in all the learners thereof so from the Hebrew word commeth the Iewes Thalmud that is Doctrinall a Systhema or composition of their doctrine The ancientest was composed about 230. yeares after Christ and was full of Iewish fables and Rabinicall Traditions but was afterwards refined and purged of many idle fables traditions and disputes by Moses the sonne of Maimon which is in great request amongst the Iewes unto this day and much alledged out of it by our best Writers You see then what the word Disciple signifieth according to the proprietie of holy languages Christ had two sorts of Disciples First in the largest sense all that professed the doctrine or Gospell of Christ were called his Disciples whether that profession was in sinceritie or but in hypocrisie so the Disciples were first called Christians in Antiochia And many of his Disciples went from him and walked no more with him Secondly and more strictly they were called his Disciples that not only learned and professed the Gospell but were also called and appointed of him to preach the Gospell to others And they were of two sorts first and of a lower order the seventie sent forth two and two before his face into every citie and place whither he himselfe would come to preach the Gospell and worke miracles And these both in Scriptures and Ecclesiasticall stories are known by the name of The seventy disciples Who these were though Eusebius Epiphanius and others tell us yet in the Gospell their names are concealed and Christ bade them reioyce that their names were written in heaven The other and higher order were the twelve Apostles many times called his Disciples and made knowne by their names The learned Divines say herein the truth answered ancient types both of the twelve Patriarches and seuentie Elders called their Sanedrim as some the seventie soules that came with Iacob into Aegypt Others the twelve fountaines of water and seventie Palme-trees in Elim Who those Disciples were that entred with Christ into the ship is a question because the Text doth not cleare it it is most probable that all the Apostles were there for confirmation of whose faith this miracle was wrought likewise that there were others as Mariners and it may be professours too for it is said the men marvelled but not the seventie I will not say none of those out of whom the seventie were chosen for that might be but not the seventie being chosen for by chronotaxie and harmonie of the Euangelists it appeareth that this miracle was wrought in the latter end of the first yeare of Christs Ministery the choosing and sending of the seventy was not till the third and last yeare of his preaching And this is all the light I have received from the Scriptures and Fathers concerning those Disciples that entred with Christ into the ship Now observe I pray you the passengers and observe it well that Iudas is gone aboord amongst the disciples a wicked man ever though as yet hee had not committed that transcendent wickednesse of betraying his Master What more observed by friends that stay behind Yea observe Christ hath a ship wherein Iudas was not but all passengers in it shall be saved beleeving one God one Faith one Baptisme one Church which is Holy Catholike and Apostolike out of which there is no salvation Therefore as the Lord added daily to the Church such as should be saved so every one that hath a care and desire of salvation must be sure that he be a member of that holy Church which is invisible an article of our Faith not but that wee see the bodies and professions of such but saving grace is not seene nor their election known but in iudgement of charity being that cōpany of the elect faithfull only gathered out of mankind by the Word and Spirit consenting in true faith here living and warring against the Devill world and flesh and this is called in Latine Ecclesia which yet is properly a Greeke word and commeth from such a theme as doth signifie to cal forth It was an ancient custome in Athens that a company of Citizens were called sorth by the voice of a Crier from the rest of the multitude to such an assembly wherein some publike speech was made or to heare relation of some sentence or iudgement of the Senate from whence it seemeth the Apostles translated the name Ecclesia to signifie such a congregation as commeth not together by chance but are called from the prophane multitude by the Crier of the Word and Spirit to professe God and true godlinesse I say againe that it is absolutely requisite to salvation that a man be a member of this Church called Company he that is not in this world a member of the Church Militant shall never in the world to come be a member of the Church Triumphant And therefore Saint Peter chargeth men to giue all diligence to make their calling and election sure Observe secondly that all the Disciples went into the ship where Christ was even Iudas amongst them for whose sake as some of the Fathers conceive this storme
sleeve and they depend on his mouth what to beleeve and doe and receive his decrees with greater reverence pietie and devotion than that of Christ himselfe it being most true in them that Christ imputed to the Pharisies they made the Commandement of God of none effect through their traditions yea teach for doctrine the commandements of men and do glory to be called Papists acknowledging the Pope to be their Nauclerus or Pilot we leave that to the Franciscans Dominicans Benedictines Iesuits and many other sorts which some of the best writers of our Adversaries well know as Orladius Salmeron D. Carr. pag. 158 Iansenius that have verbatim transcribed whole leaves and Pighius reading Calvin upon Iustification by Faith with a purpose to confute him was converted by him as Tapperus in his 2. Tom. 8. Artic. confesseth who sometimes was his fellow-pupill under Adrian the sixt What need I tell you what wonderfull testimonie Thuanus D. Stapleton and Panygirolla have given him though Doctor Carrier a seduced malecontent doe spight him a man not worthy to light his candle when he went to his studie More precisely observing the rules of their order and following the prescripts of their Founders than they doe of Christ As for Master Calvin and Luther whom they doe so extremely hate for that they have given an incurable wound to Popery we know they were learned men and singular instruments of Gods glory such as lived and died godly notwithstanding that lying Cochlaeus and Bolsecus most wickedly slandered them and Bellarmine in his Oration prefixed to his 4. Tome would make the world beleeve hee and his followers are the wickedest men in the world but we neither follow them no nor Saint Paul himselfe further than they followed Christ and so farre we have good warrant for Saint Paul biddeth Be followers of me and looke on them which walke so as you have us for an example And againe Be yee followers of me even as I am of Christ He nor they never required more to him nor them we never yeelded more we doe not make Master Calvin our Nauclerus Let men be never so learned and holy yet in this life wee know but in part are sanctified but in part never any so deare to God but have had their errors and blemishes none ever wrote so faire but blurred his copie only Christ is the perfect copie for doctrine and conversation and him only wee teach and perswade you to follow Oh follow follow him And thus that I have directed you in what societie to ship your selves and shewed you what men are Now be pleased that I encourage al such as are godly minded to this following of Christ whereunto I exhort them Which I shal the better doe if I remove such lets and hinderances which the Devill the world and their owne corrupt reason doe cast in their way to hinder them First me thinketh I heare some complaine Alas Christ is so perfect and absolute an example I cannot come neere him so faire a copie I am cleane out of heart to write or once to take pen in hand I answer that in following Christ requireth qualitie but not equalitie a similitude but not proportion a perfection indeed as Christ saith You shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect but a perfection of parts not of degrees what we doe let vs doe it in truth and sinceritie be loving humble diligent zealous without hypocrisie and the Lord will accept according to that which wee have so there be an holy and honest endevour with godly sorrow that wee come so farre short and with Peter that we follow so farre off and heartie and continuall prayer with the Church Draw Lord and wee will runne after thee Hee knoweth what pase wee are able to make better than ourselves he will beare with our limping and halting and accept of the will for the deed Wherefore so there be truth and sinceritie in the inner parts let vs not be out of heart with our weaknesse but follow after though we creepe with the Snaile What dulnesse did David finde in himselfe when he said My soule cleaveth to the dust oh quicken me And I shall runne the waies of thy Commandements when thou hast enlarged mine heart How did our holy Mother Church finde her soule and affections fettered and shackled with worldly cares carnall pleasures vaine delights when shee prayed Christ to draw her with his Word Spirit Mercies Corrections Therefore streng then the weake hands and comfort the â—eebleknees Whosoever followeth with an holy endevour shall be sure to obtaine A good Scribe will beare with his scholar if against his will and purpose he make a blot or deformed letter and if he eye his copie and have a care and desire to imitate he will guide his hand but no man on earth hath that loving regard to his scholar that Christ hath to the weaknesse of all such as follow him Oh but hereby I shall expose my selfe to many euils checkes mockes taunts disgraces it may be persecution to the losse of goods libertie life Indeed it is true it many times fareth better here with those that follow the Devill world flesh that protesse any doctrine follow the Pope and Mahomet and live never so prophanely than it doth with the holy servants of Christ professing the Gospell in sinceritie and striving to live accordingly wherein Christ and his Apostles have dealt faithfully deceiving none with vain hopes he said his Kingdome is not of this world and telling him that with an earthly mind offered his service Master I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest The Foxes have holes and birds of the aire have nests but the Sonne of Man hath not whereon to rest his head And called Zebedees sonnes from the crowne to the crosse Are yee able to drinke of the cup and be baptised with the Baptisme I must be baptised with Whosoever will be my disciple must take vp his crosse daily and follow me Yea He that doth not forsake father and mother wife children house and lands for my sake and the Gospels cannot be my disciple And therefore would have all men to sit down and cast their account what it will cost them because to set hand to Gods plough and looke backe maketh a man utterly vnfit for Gods Kingdome And it were better never to have knowne the waies of godlinesse than afterwards to depart from the holy Commandements given unto them Oh no marvell that so many are so loth to goe from home and so hard a taske to get them aboord But see oh see the happie reward of all followers in the end Behold saith Peter in the name of all the Apostles yea of all disciples wheÌ„ ever living that for action or affection can truly say with him we have forsaken all and followed thee what shal we
be broken So much for the sense of the word But as the Iewes said of Christ concerning the death of Lazarus Could not be that opened the eyes of the blinde have caused that even this man had not died So I say He that stilled the tempest and raging of the Sea could not he have caused it had not beene at all Yes verily Let us then search out for what causes it was his pleasure that this great tempest should arise Some of the Fathers tell us it was for Iudas his sake as the great storme arose for Ionas his sake But at this time Iudas had not betrayed his Master Doubtlesse he was a covetous wretch which gave Sathan the advantage to tempt him to that sinne but I suppose as yet Sathan had not so much as put it into his heart But because it is the Fathers I will not reject nor confute it Only by the way in a word make this use of it Let us so much as we can keepe out of the societie of wicked men as the Apostle biddeth Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darknesse For as a Father saith Where sinne is there will be a storme The Scriptures are plaine to teach us that even for the sin of some one man the punishment whereof was neglected a whole familie tribe and people have beene punished As the making and worshipping of the Golden Calfe though it was not the sinne of all yet it endangered all and God told Moses he would consume them all For Achans sinne how did the people fall before their enemies Which made all Israel so afraid when the two Tribes and an halfe had erected an Altar as they conceived to offer sacrifice on contrary to the commandement of God and sent messengers to tell them that if they did rebell against the Lord that day to morrow he would be wroth with all the Congregation of Israel villanie committed by some of the Inhabitants of Gibeah in abusing the Levites concubine the heavy vengeance of God came not only upon the persons themselves but upon the whole Citie wherein such wickednesse was committed yea upon the whole Tribe because they delivered not up those wicked men to be punished but seemed to defend them yea not upon the Tribe alone which seeme justly to be condemned as accessarie but also on all such as came not up to warre and helped not to take vengeance for that wicked fact as upon all the Inhabitants of Iabesh Gilead And doe you not remember how for Sauls cruell fact in killing the Gibeonites there was a great famine in the Land for three yeeres together So good a thing it is if we can prevent it that Iudas be not in Ship House or Towne where we saile or dwell as S. Iohn fled out of the Bath where he saw the wicked Heretike was or at the least Ministers Magistrates people and all must endevour that sinne be punished and so taken away else the guilt and punishment may lie on all But I suppose there were other two principall Reasons for which Christ was pleased that this great tempest should arise viz. First for triall of his Disciples faith which is specially tried in times of danger distresse and perplexitie yea though he knew it to be weake yet themselves did not so and it was very profitable for them to know how weake their faith was Lastly that by this miraculous deliverance he might confirme their faith and teach them in all future dangers and perplexities to cleave unto him and trust in him which teacheth us that former experience of Gods providence power and goodnesse in ministring to our wants and delivering us out of evils should strengthen our faith in assurance of the like if it shall please God to bring us into them as we see David made that use of his deliverance from the paw of the Lien and Beare that that God would also deliver him out of the hand of the Philistim And so much for the Reasons Now for further instruction observe that as there is a manifold singular bodily or earthly vse of the Sea or Navigation so is there also singular Divine and heavenly use to be made and specially for contemplation There is no creature visible wherein in fairer capitall letters we may reade the goodnesse greatnesse power and Majestie of God than in the Sea that huge and uncontroulable creature and specially in a storme to see the waves how they rowle and rage and to heare them even many miles off how they roare in beating one against another and against the shore so true that is of David They that goe downe to the Sea in ships and occupie their businesse in great waters These see the workes of the Lord and his wonders in the deepe If God challenge such glory from the wings and feathers of Peacocks and Ostriches the wilde Goats Hindes Asse Vnicorne Hawke Eagle Horse Behemoth and Leviathan Iob 39. 40 41. Chap. Oh how great is his glory from creation and government of the Sea Therefore God himselfe often urgeth his Dominion over the Sea that unruly and boysterous Element for declaration of his great Majestie as unto Iob Who shut up the sea with doores who set barres and said Hitherto shalt thou come and no further and here shalt thou stay thy proud waves And againe Feare yee not me saith the Lord will yee not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waves thereof tosse themselves yet can they not prevaile though they roare yet can they not passe over it Who ever saw tempest on sea whose heart was not smitten with feare and reverence of the Majestie of that God who hath made and doth governe it And againe Thus saith the Lord who divideth the sea when the waves thereof roare the Lord of hoasts is his name As God himselfe doth urge it so holy David specially was very frequent in the meditation thereof He gathereth the waters of the sea together as on an heap layeth up the deep as in store houses Let al the earth feare the Lord let al the inhabitāts of the world stand in awe of him And againe It is God that stilleth the raging of the sea and the noise of its waves And again He turned the sea into drie land he ruleth by his power for ever And again I will meditate of all thy works and talke of thy doings thou art the God that doest wonders the waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee were afraid the depths also were troubled And againe God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about him O Lord God of hoasts who is a strong Lord like unto thee thou rulest the
long as Satan possesseth the Palace all is in peace so long as a man is wholy vnregenerate all is in quiet Rebekah by the striving of the Twins in her Wombe knew she was with child the barren feele no such matter The Children of God know that there is Spirit within them as well as flesh because these doe so lust strive one against another There cannot be a greater argument that a man or woman are altogether carnall and unregenerate and earthly than that they have no experience of this spirituall warfare conflict but rather glorie that they never doubted of Gods love remission of sinnes and salvation but were ever assured of those things not doubting but if any be saved they shall Oh it is most wonderfull to heare the vild and strange presumption of men and women who yet are most sinfull and wicked in their lives and conversations and thereby proclaime that there is no true knowledge feare nor love of God in them Oh this is a fearefull condition indeed a flat argument of a reprobate sense of a benummed yea a seared and cauterized Conscience therefore tremble to thinke of this but reioice in the other Thirdly this storme will over it never endureth longer than this life seldome if ever so long Heavinesse may endure for a night but joy will come in the morning Christ hath said ye shall weepe and lament but the world shall rejoice and ye shall be sorrowfull but your sorrow shall be turned into joy and your joy shall no man take from you How many thousands of Gods Children who have beene in their times tossed with waves and billowes of discomfort and distresse who have now found eternall rest to their Soules and praise God day and night who lead them thorow fire and water into such a wealthy place Lastly know that Christ is in thy Soule in all this thy dolefull estate and condition he will not leave thee nor forsake thee no more than he did this Ship in the Tempest he may be as on sleepe and make as if he heard not and regarded not the more to try thy faith and patience but he is a sure and a faithfull friend never neerer than when he seemeth furthest off never will doe a man more good than when he seemeth least to regard him in his good time he will rebuke Satan and thy rebellious Lusts and send a most gracious calme That thou maiest say with David now returne to thy rest oh my Soule the Lord hath well rewarded thee Yea thou shalt be compassed about with Songs of deliverance Oh but how might we procure this happie calme I answer that many times it is the evill temper and disposition of the body as melancholy that causeth such troubles and stormes in the Soule and in such case the Physitian is to be aduised with and his counsell direction followed But which way soever it doe arise the context will teach you there are three waies and meanes for the quieting and calming of the troubled soule viz. First their owne prayers You see in this tempest the Disciples goe to Christ and pray to him So hath God commanded Call on me in the day of thy trouble and I will heare thee Is any afflicted let him pray Iam. 5. 15. Thus did David in his distresse give himselfe to prayer and got him to his Lord right humbly and prayed My God my God looke upon me So did Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and put up his supplication with strong crying and teares So did Ionah Out of the belly of hell I cried unto thee Neither let any of Gods children be discouraged though they cannot expresse their wants or desire supply of grace as they would or as they heare others The Apostles did but pray Lord save us we perish and Christ heard them and rebuked the winds and seas The Publican did but pray Lord be mercifull to me a sinner and went home iustified The penitēt theefe on the crosse did but pray Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome And Christ promised that night he should be with him in Paradise If thou canst but say feelingly fervently Lord save mee Lord have mercy on mee Lord give me peace of conscience Lord quiet my mind Lord rebuke Satan Lord helpe mine unbeleefe Lord assure my soule of thy love euen such are most powerfull prayers with God Neither yet let them be discouraged because they are not presently heard but many and many times they have prayed and receive no answer Remember it was Davids case I crie all the day long and thou hearest not It was the woman of Canaans case who received many discouragements from Christ and his Disciples yet still continuing her praier in the end received a gracious answer O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Let us not prescribe God his time or meanes when or how but still with Iacob wrestle and resolve he shall still heare of us till he doe helpe us and assuredly he hath a good time when he will speake peace to our Soules The storme shall not continue for ever in the meane time he will be sure to keepe from drowning Secondly note that in this storme some one doth not goe of himselfe neither doe they make one or two as Peter or Iohn their Deputies or Committies to goe and awaken Christ and to pray him save them but the Text saith the Disciples went to him So the second way of comfort which God hath appointed that sinners sinke not into despaire is confession of our case and condition and to crave the helpe and comfort of others praiers and good counsels and above all the comfort of the Ministers absolution in the name of Christ pronouncing remission to everie true penitent Oh there is nothing more dangerous to the Soule or that Satan more laboureth than that a sinner should keepe his counsell and by no meanes make his griefe or disconsolate estate knowne for verily even in making it knowne the Tempest is halfe calmed Howsoever then the Papists namely a sometime rotten member of this body to make us and our profession odious to the world declaime against us as enemies to praying fasting virginitie good workes confession yea that the people in our Church are deprived of a great comfort that though their Soules be never so oppressed and disquieted through sinne they have none to goe and confesse unto that hath the seale of secresie We give all the world to understand that we neither write or speake against any of the former workes of pietie and godlinesse but against their corruptions not against praier but performance of it in a strange Tongue for custome not of conscience according to the number of Beads not sense of want Wee speake not against fasting but the Pharisaicall abuse of
the Church of God to persecution imprisonment losse of goods libertie and lives of Gods children without God his good pleasure and purpose Oh as I have from the letter reproved the Atheisme of those men who in stormes and tempests on the Sea or Land doe not looke up to the seat of Majestie and give him the glory thereof who doth rule and governe that huge and vast Element So let me reprove the Atheisme of those who when stormes and tempests are raised in the world or against the Church of God do not looke up to the ruling and over-ruling hand of Iehovah but cry out upon chance or fortune or gaze too much upon the meanes Oh if this had not hapned or that had not beene whereas all is but under God for the executing of his good pleasure and purpose Did not the Lord stir up Hadad the Edomite to be an adversarie to Salomon and stir up another adversarie also Rezon the sonne of Eliadah and Ieroboam also not only to lift up his hand against the King and trouble him in his peace but also in the daies of his sonne to rent away ten Tribes from his house and perpetually to divide the Kingdoms of Iudah and Israel Doth not God say he hath created the destroyer to destroy Esay 54. 16. Good Lord how plaine and plentifull are the Scriptures in this point if I would inlarge my selfe Oh that men would therefore looke to the hand that smiteth search out the causes of such tempests beare with patience his hand and seeke unto him for a calme I beseech you learne this lesson That all the enemies of Gods Church they are Gods souldiers he hath levied them and giveth them pay they fight under his banner and hee hath sent them to destroy though themselves doe not know so much Oh but why will God suffer such havocke and destruction to be made of his people I answer because through long peace plenty and prosperity they are become unthankfull loath the heavenly Manna earthly-minded proud covetous rebellious against Gods word and ordinance and will obey it no further than it doth like themselves prophaning his Sabbaths growing senselesse and obdurate at his corrections of famine pestilence sicknesse despising the warnings of his servants and in stead of repenting and turning to God and meeting him with the intreatie of peace falling foule upon his messengers mocking and abusing them These are the sinnes which he hath threatned to punish these were the sinnes oh these were the sinnes of Gods people in France Palatinate and other places of Germany whereby the Lord of Hosts being provoked to anger hath mustered his Armies and sent his Souldiers to destroy and avenge his quarrell Oh therefore that they had grace to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God to turne to the Lord in fasting weeping and mourning to rent their hearts for their sinnes and become more cheerefull in their obedience to the Gospell and zealous in the profession of it Oh then would the Lord soone humble their enemies and turne his hand against those that hate them and either cause their rage utterly to cease as hee did sundry times in Iudah when the people so sought his face or if in his justice he did harden their hearts to pursue as the Egyptians did the Israelites into the heart of the Sea they should not need to feare but even stand still and see the salvation of God in the perpetuall confusion of such cruell and bloud-thirstie enemies Oh England God calleth to thee to be warned by the example of thy neighbours friends allies and brethren to meet the Lord by repentance and whilst he doth shake the rod at thee to shake off that sluggish and carelesse profession of the Gospell to scoure off the rust of those sinnes which so long peace plenty and prosperity have bred to cause thy love to spring againe afresh to the Gospell and more sincerely to practise the duties of pietie and godlinesse being fruitfull in all good works If thou doest so the Lord of Hosts will cashier and discharge his Armies put an hooke in their nosthrils and a bit in their iawes as hee did against that proud Sennacherib Or else they shall plot and fight without him yea take our parts against them and arme the winds waters against them as sometimes he hath done to his everlasting praise But if England will not be reclaimed and reformed but still refuse and be rebellious hating to be reformed adding drunkennesse to thirst making a mocke of Gods Iudgements when they are threatned the Lord will turne thy calme into a storme and to trust in any earthly thing were but to make vanitie our refuge There is no wisdome counsell nor strength against the Lord It is the Lord that raiseth tempests and if he be disposed to raise one it shall rise indeed he hath wayes and meanes which we see not David was as confident as wee can be that his mountaine was so strong that it could not be moved but it was moved and shaken indeed Cannot he that hangeth the earth on nothing shake a mountaine He doth weigh them in scales Remember this doctrine Yea let every one that is inwardly troubled and afflicted in soule know that howsoever God may therein use Sathan and permit him to vex and disquiet or else the melancholike evill disposition of our bodies yet such spirituall afflictions are from God They neither come by chance or fortune nor properly from Sathan or our selves but God Almightie laieth such troubles upon our soules for exercise of our Faith Patience Meeknesse and he will not suffer us to be tempted above that we shall be able to beare but will give issue with the temptation and in good time cause a calme And therefore still let us provoke our soules to wait upon God and to be of good comfort in him So much for the qualitie Now as this tempest was raised suddenly as a whirle-winde or gust vpon the Sea so for quantitie it was a great one It is worthy to be observed that when our Saviour wrought any miracle the Euangelists are directed to describe the greatnesse of the evill by such circumstances as declare that the evill was by naturall helpe and meanes utterly incurable As a man full of leprosie came to Christ and he did but touch him and cure him A woman had beene diseased with an issue of blood twelue yeeres and had spent her living on Physitians neither could be healed by any came behinde him and did but touch the hem of his garment and immediatly her issue of blood stanched A man that was borne blinde having his eyes anointed with clay was made to see Lazarus who had beene dead foure daies and was said to stinke by the voice of Christ was raised to life The like may be observed in many others So here that the glorie of
and invest him with absolute authoritie to governe the ship every one must plie their tacklings according to his whistle and though he runne them all upon the rocke yet hath he that unlimited and transcendent authoritie that no man may once question him or say why doest thou thus Oh dangerous to passe in that Vessell wherein such ignorant and wicked Atheists are made sole Governours and Commanders But happy that Church wherein Christ is in the Sterne and hath the governing of the Helme continually viewing of the Compasse and sounding so as it is not possible for that ship to miscarry Thirdly how is he disposed there Hath hee there a bed of downe whereon to rest No the Euangelist saith he did but lay his head on a pillow yea and an hard one too as some conceive a woodden pillow little better than that of Iacobs which was of stone A sweet comfort also to consider how ready Christ is to helpe his in distresse The Church being called on answered I have put off my coat how shall I put it on Loe what a paine it is to rise out of the warme bed and put on cloathes Christ hath not put off his seamelesse coat and is in his warme bed that hee had rather all should be much endangered if not cast away rather than hee would arise and dresse himselfe No no hee hath but leaned his head on an hard pillow hee is ready to helpe in any need as David saith Hee is a present helpe in trouble Hee appeared unto Iohn walking in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks as ready to helpe any member of the Church that standeth in need of him And thus much bee said of the first generall part in their sailing viz. their great danger or jeopardie Now followeth to speake of their deliverance VERSE 25. And his disciples came to him and awoke him saying Master save us we perish COncerning deliverance out of this their great feare and danger the second part in the storie of their sailing two things are to be considered viz. first the procurement and secondly the performance of it How deliverance was procured the Euangelist expresseth in this 25 verse viz. when they were in greatest danger and extremest perill as you have heard the disciples goe to Christ give themselves to prayer and thereby procure it whereof I purpose first to speake generally and then particularly In generall from this example we learne according to the letter thereof where-ever we become what-ever we goe about to exercise our selves in prayer No dutie more often commanded more highly commended or abundantly rewarded Wherefore David was given to prayer Invocation of the name of God is made in the Scriptures the true note or marke of a Christian When Saul had got letters from the High Priests to persecute the Church it is said by S. Luke He received authoritie to binde all that call on the name of God S. Paul writing to the Church of Corinth and describing the saithfull he calleth them Saints and such as call on the name of the Lord Iesus On the other side the Prophet David noteth out the Atheist that saith in his heart there is no God by this marke that such an one calleth not on the Lord By which it appeareth that of many who desire to beare and be knowne by the name of Christians yet there are indeed very few sound and true Christians The world is full of Atheists very poore in heavenly graces because they have not the spirit of invocation or supplication whereby to aske what they want Oh it is the happinesse of Christians that they may in all places and at all times in Gods houses and their owne by sea or land within doores or without in field or bed on mountaines or in dungeons at midnight as well as at mid-day lift up their hearts and hands and call on God Oh let us be ashamed of our negligence herein both in Gods house with the assembly of Saints and in our owne and let us more inure our selves herewith let it be the first thing we doe when we awake the last thing we doe when we lie downe to sleepe yea throughout the day whether we eat or drinke labour or rest worke or play let our hearts be ever disposed to prayer and on every occasion lifted up if not with words yet with devout sighes and vehement desires if no larger yet in such short wishes as here and elsewhere Lord save us God be mercifull Christ blesse and prosper Lord increase our faith As Moses by familiar talking with God had his face to shine so assuredly he cannot but be a good man and have a shining soule and life too that talketh much with God and prayeth continually Secondly hence let us learne that times of necessitie and great distresse are both fittest for prayer and great furtherers thereof Yea this is a principall end that God respecteth in sending afflictions and perplexities viz. to provoke the praiers of his people wherein he delighteth So saith the Lord when his people grew wanton and ran after their lovers I wil go returne to my place til they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they will seeke me early Let Iacob heare that his fierce brother Esau cōmeth out against him 400 men with him threatning to smite him the mother with the children then he will pray yea and wrestle with God and never let him goe till he blesse him Let the people of God be in danger at the Red Sea banke to be all destroyed and then Moses will cry Let Annah be barren and Peninnah upbraid her and then shee will up to the Temple pray weepe and powre out her soule before the Lord Let Ierusalem be besieged and Rabshekah raile and blaspheme and then Ezekiah will up to the Temple and spread the blasphemous letter before the Lord yea let him receive a message from the Lord that he shall die and not live and then he will turne his face to the wall and pray and weepe sore Let a great Host of Moab Ammon and Mount Seir come against Iudah that they know not what to doe and then King Iehoshaphat will proclaime a fast and pray O Lord God we know not what to doe but our eyes are unto thee Let David come into extreme miseries and out of the deeps he will cry unto God Few will when they goe to Sea pray with S. Paul we reade not that these disciples did but let there arise a storme which mounteth up to heaven and letteth them goe downe againe to the depths that their soule melteth because of the trouble and they are even at their wits end and then they will cry to the Lord in their trouble Let the ship be even covered with waves and then the disciples
will goe to their Master Yea let Ionah be cast into the Sea and be swallowed of a Whale and then he will cry to the Lord A strange thing saith one that he that slept in the ship should be awake in the Whales belly and he that fled from God on dry land should flie to God in the bottome of the sea Oh when men have all things according to their hearts desire they seeke not the Lord. Prosperitie dulleth devotion in the best as David found by experience In my prosperitie I said I shall never be moved but thou hiddest thy face and I was troubled then I cried to the Lord and made supplication to my God Oh to correct this dulnesse and negligence it is that God many times taketh away good things from his people and sendeth many evils both generall to the Church and Common-wealth as famine pestilence sword and particular on our families and persons as sicknesse ache paine death of friends losses and crosses and all because as we say God would be better acquainted with us and see us at his Court for in miserie he knoweth he shall heare of us but else let us alone and we let him alone So much in stead of much more be said from the letter and historie Now let us proceed to the mysterie You have heard that this storme so endangering this ship doth represent persecutions and troubles which in this world doe infest the people of God As then the disciples in this dangerous tempest went to Christ and by prayer to him procured a calme so when the Church of God is persecuted and in danger all the disciples of Christ must goe to him by prayer for it So doth David injoyne Pray for the peace of Ierusalem Luther calleth prayers the Christians Canons and surely being well charged with faith and repentance and fired with zeale and fervencie of spirit they shoot farre and pierce deepe yea it pierceth heaven and overcommeth enemies on earth As then Kings and Princes when enemies approach prepare their weapons armour swords and speares When Christians heare of warres and rumours of wars they must prepare themselves to prayer muster their petitions and set them in battell array as David saith Psal 5. 3. and not trust too much in earthly meanes as David saith Some trust in horses and some in chariots but we will trust in the name of the Lord And againe An horse is counted but a vaine thing to save a man neither is any mighty man delivered by his much strength and I will not trust in my bowe it is not my sword that can save me but in God we boast all the day long The horse is prepared for the day of battell but salvation is from the Lord By all which and many other places of Scripture which might be alledged to this purpose the use of meanes is not condemned but that they be not trusted in but be seconded with true and faithfull prayer David neglected not the meanes yet purposely penned a forme of prayer for the people to use when he went forth to battell The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thee send thee helpe from his Sanctuary and strengthen thee out of Sion Moses neglected not the meanes when he sent forth Ioshuah with his Armies to fight with Amalek but himselfe went up to the top of the mountaine to pray and did more there with his prayer than all they with sword and speare For when he held up his hands Israel prevailed when he let them fall Amalek prevailed King Asa neglected not the means when there came up an huge Armie of Ethiopians even ten hundred thousands and three hundred Chariots He went out against them and set the battell in array and Asa cried to the Lord and the Lord heard his prayer and discomfited them Yea the greatest and most glorious deliverances and victories that ever the Church received from enemies were meerely obtained by prayer without a blow given Moses and the children of Israel crying to the Lord in their distresse at the Red Sea God hardned Pharaohs heart to pursue them into the Red Sea where he and all his hosts were drowned Gedeon with three hundred men only with trumpets and lamps in pitchers but sounding their trumpets breaking their pitchers and crying The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon not only the huge Armie of the Midianites ran and cried and fled but every mans sword was against his fellow and they slew one another When Samariah was in exceeding distresse by siege the Lord made the hoast of the Syrians to heare a noise of a great hoast in the feare whereof they arose and fled in the twilight and left their tents and horses and all the Campe as it was and fled for their lives When Ierusalem was besieged at the prayers of Esay and Ezekiah an Angell was sent who destroyed in one night an hundred fourescore and five thousand in the campe of the Assirians When such a great Armie came up against Iehoshaphat he commanded fasting and prayer and his forme of praier is recorded whereby they obtained that their enemies destroyed one another Oh the same God liveth still and is now as able and willing to helpe his people as ever but his people neglect him goe not unto him but trust in their owne meanes want the spirit of supplication like Ionah they are on sleepe in this great storme either pray not at all or very coldly Where is that disciple that feelingly and fervently zealously and faithfully publikely and privately at the least thrice a day with Daniel is on knee for Ierusalem helping devotion with abstinence and fasting that so they may cry mightily and wrestle strongly resolving as Iacob never to let the Lord goe and with the woman of Canaan to take no nay or deniall but they will awake him he shall never be rid of them Alas how are these things out of use Where is watching fasting striving in prayer How little are many moved being out of the storme and present danger themselves whether others doe sinke or swim but give themselves to riot and luxurie to feasting and playing Wherefore God hath sent me to you againe as this Scripture commeth not to my hand by chance so neither this passage wherewith to renue in his name the charge I have often already given There is a great storme and if ever you desire to see a calme away with his disciples here to Christ What meane yee oh sleepers arise and call on him and plie him with your continuall prayers he looketh for more earnestnesse than he hath yet found Oh pray pray pray for the peace of Ierusalem Resolve with David One thing I have desired of the Lord and that will I seeke after that the Lord will awake and have mercy on Sion
crueltie compared with the compassion of God God himselfe hath said Can a woman forget her sucking childe that shee should not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Our Saviour therefore useth an argument from the lesser to the greater saying If yee that are evill give good gifts to your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that aske him The Lord professed of himselfe that his bowels were troubled for Ephraim his deare sonne and pleasant childe Yea that his heart was even turned within him and his repentings did roule together As if he had begotten mercy he is called the father of it Yea as if there were no end thereof he is called The Father of mercies Yea whereas he is called the God of many things as of Patience Comfort Hope Peace c But Father and in plurall of none but this as if he were nothing but mercy Christ had compassion on the multitude when he knew they were but hungry He had compassion when he saw them bring their sicke unto him and will he not have compassion when life is in danger Oh right deare and precious in his sight is the death of his Saints Hee wept when his friend Lazarus was dead and will he not prevent it in his disciples Yes assuredly if it be for his glory and their good they doe well therefore to goe to Christ but it is enough to tell him what is their danger and misery Lord save us we perish Is then the Church of God in danger through cruell rage of bloudy persecutors so as it cannot in likelihood subsist goe to Christ and pray for his people Lord save us we perish Art thou thy selfe in danger through hunger thirst by water fire sword pestilence c. Goe to Christ and say Lord save me I perish So did David I will cry unto God most high and he shall send from heaven and save me from such as would swallow me â—p Psal 57. 2. Yea and go to him with great comfort and confidence for he hath beene made like unto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest yea hath beene touched with the feeling of our infirmities therefore let us goe bolaly to the throne of Grace and specially in danger of death Let us with his Disciples here goe to him who hath himselfe both suffered and feared it and hath in nothing more declared his goodnesse and greatnesse love and power than in delivering his servants from it when their lives have beene for his glory as his people from rage of enemies and Red sea Moses from the water Ionah out of the Whales belly the three Children out of the fiery furnace Daniel out of the Lions den yea Paul out of the mouth of the Lion Oh the dangers that every where by sea and land at home and abroad by day and night we are continually subject unto and wherein we had long since perished if he had not mercifully by his good providence and powerful protection of his good Angels preserved us To him let us ever commend our selves Lord save us that we perish not But I heare some object against this Vse and say Doe not Gods people complaine For thy sake are we killed all the day long and as sheepe appointed for the slaughter Doe they not complaine that the enemies prevailed and gave the bodies and flesh of his servants to be meat to the beasts of the field and fowles of the heaven and shed their bloud like water And againe They breake in peeces thy people and afflict thine heritage they slay the widow and stranger and murther the fatherlesse The ungodly even for his owne hearts lust doth persecute the poore Never might such complaints be more justly made than in these daies wherefore it seemeth that Christ doth not care though his people doe perish but as the carelesse shepherd said That which perisheth let it perish Zach. 11. 9. I answer that sometimes God suffereth great havocke to be made of his Church and people for their sinnes and giveth the dearely beloved of his soule into the hands of their enemies Ierem. 12. 7. nor will heare his best servants for them Ezech. 14. 20. but casteth them off to sword pestilence captivitie Ier. 15. 2. And then the enemie groweth proud and blasphemeth Who is the Lord that he should deliver Ierusalem out of mine hands And there is no helpe for them in God and then even Davids feet had wel-nigh slipt And the Prophet Habakkuk is wonderfully offended and expostulateth with God Oh God why doest thou hold thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he Yea then such as are not sound at heart fall away and say It is in vaine to serve God what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hoasts I say to all such enemies Vnderstand ye bruitish among the people He that planted the eare shall he not heare he that formed the eye shall hee not see He heareth the sighes and groanes and seeth the misery of his people and when he hath sufficiently scourged his people and accomplished his great worke upon Sion and Ierusalem he will burne the rod and Ashur shall pay for it as he hath threatned I was wroth with my people and gave them into thine hand but thou didst shew them no mercy upon the Ancients hast thou very heavily laid the yoke Oh the persecuting enemies have an heavie day comming And I say to all such as feare God Stand still and see the salvation of God Never any father corrected his childe with more unwillingnesse than God doth afflict his people his bowels yearne He putteth all their teares in his bottell And as he will preserve them they shall never everlastingly perish so either their bodies shall not perish but be preserved from sword of enemie or if he give them for a prey he will fill them with patience comfort and joy and receive them to eternall happinesse so as they shall praise him and for ever confesse Thou hast tried us as silver thou broughtest us into the net thou layedst affliction upon our loynes thou hast caused men to ride over our heads we went thorow fire and water but thou hast brought us into a wealthy place Rest assured Most precious in the sight of God is the death of his Saints They may confidently pray they may not perish for he hath numbred their very haires Matth. 10. 30. He keepeth their very bones so as not one can be broken much lesse any one shal die but as it is for Gods glory and their good Our second
no strength in him When wicked Belshazzir an enemy of Gods people and at that time he and his Wives Concubines and Princes carowsing in the Vessels of Gold and Silver which his father Nabuchodonezer had brought from the Temple of the Lord in Ierusalem and praised their gods of Gold and Silver Brasse Iron Wood and Stone no sooner cast his eye on death through the glasse of the Law which God set up on the wall over against the Candlesticke but his countenance was changed his thoughts so troubled him that the ioints of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against another and nothing could comfort him or still that raging storme This was signified by that dreadfull manner of giving the Law on Mount Sinai with such darknes thunder lightning and earth-quake that all the people fled and Moyses himselfe confessed I exceedingly feare and quake We see when wicked and ungodly men come to die how they fare either they die sullenly as Nabal whose heart was dead as a stone it being the righteous judgement of God upon them that such as refused grace in their life time when he offered it should in their sicknesse neither have grace nor crave it but die blockishly and senslesly The Lord knoweth our times are full of such men and women which as David saith have hearts as fat as brawne possessed with a spirit of slumber you might as well speake to the bed-sted as to them talke with them of the way of Redemption Iustification and Salvation alas how ignorant Tell them of Resurrection and last Judgement they have no apprehension Reprove them for their sinnes past they know no such matter Informe them in the doctrine of Repentance Contrition of heart longing after the righteousnesse of Christ the happinesse of heaven they wonder as if you were reading of Riddles to them You shall finde no sound knowledge no token of true repentance no fruit of lively faith no testimonie of a well-grounded hope no signe of Christian joy as looking for a better life nothing but dulnesse and deadnesse of spirit and all their desire is to live But others being awakened out of their sins their consciences accusing and they beholding death in the looking-glasse of the Law good Lord how are they affrighted What tossing sighing groaning sweating compassed about with the sorrowes of hell and he is overwhelmed with despaire Now are his sinnes set before him the sinnes of childhood youth age his swearing riot uncleannesse oppression contempt of Gods word and generall profanenesse such as hee made but a mocke and sport of but now they come in troopes and appeare so great that he is swallowed up of dismaiednesse and letteth his tongue be wray his despaire and utter blasphemie and let a man labour to comfort him he still holdeth Cains conclusion My sin is greater than can be pardoned And thus as his life was full of sinne his death is full of sorrow as in his health he had no conscience in his sicknesse he hath no comfort as in his life he mocked Gods counsell in his death God laugheth at his destruction and he is in hell whilest he liveth which to prevent he could wish the rocks and mountaines to fall on him and cover him Yea not only the wicked and reprobate but even the elect and most righteous having but a glimpse of death thorow this glasse have beene exceedingly daunted and brought into most fearefull fits Holy Iob a man by Gods owne testimonie that feared God and eschewed evill and all the dayes of his life did wait for his change Iob 14. 14. could in good measure beare the sudden strange losse of all his substance cattell servants and children and say The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord but let him be touched in his bodie sicke and sore from the crowne of the head to the soale of the foot let God withall write bitter things against him and make him possesse the sinnes of his youth let him see death in the looking-glasse of the Law and then he enjoyeth wearisome nights and is full of tossings yea will curse the day and all the services of his birth David a man after Gods owne heart will wade thorow a world of troubles and it is not the malice of Saul hatred of the Philistims envie of the Princes rebellion of Absolom trecherie of Achitophel no threatning of Goliah grapling with a Lion fighting with a Beare no hunger cold danger can discourage him but in all distresse he comforteth himselfe in his God but let him see death in the looking-glasse of the Law and hee will even roare for the disquietnesse of his heart his heart will be pained the terrors of death fall on him fearefulnesse and trembling come upon him and horror over whelme him Psal 55. 4. yea the feare of death doth undoe him then will he make his bed to swim and even water his couch with teares and then all his prayers are against death Oh spare me that I may recover my strength and Oh my God cut me not off in the midst of my dayes Oh save me for thy mercies sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee and who will give thee thanks in the grave Let King Ezekiah receive a message of death from God and behold in the glasse of the Law and hee will turne his face to the wall and weepe bitterly chatter like a Crane or Swallow mourne like a Dove and complaine that God like a Lion hath broken all his bones and all his prayer is for life The living the living shall praise thee But in Christ himselfe we have an Example of all Examples for this purpose who as Mediator beholding death in the glasse of the Law and the inferiour reason presenting it to the minde not with all circumstances he began to feare his soule was exceeding sorrowfull even to death yea the sorrowes of death compassed him about that he fell into a dreadfull agonie his thoughts were troubled his spirits affrighted his heart trembled his ioynts shooke his pores opened and a sweat of drops like bloud burst thorow and thorow his garments Oh this was a grievous storme in his soule And what doth he As his disciples came to him so he to his Father and in a sweet and solitarie place a Garden an Oratorie whither he had often resorted to pray there he powreth out his soule in an heavenly prayer most commendable both for substance and circumstance with earnest intention for he did double and ingeminate the title often Father Father with wonderfull fervencie of spirit every word afforded a drop of bloud in faith he said my Father with humblenesse for he kneeled downe with wonderfull reverence he fell downe groveling as it were kneeling
neighbour either we flatter him and say All is wel or never rebuke saying Why doest thou so or else with scorne contemne despise and reject him never considering our selves that we also may be tempted But marke how meekely mildly and lovingly he reproveth them not one word of any sharpnes rigour or asperitie no nor so much as affirme This is your great sinne to be fearefull but as God asked Ionah a question about his anger Dost thou well to be angry So he only asketh them a question about their feare Why are yee fearefull intimating their feare was excessive and causelesse and so the reproofe tended rather to comfort and encourage them q. d. Be not so afraid you have no cause of such feare Oh it is the gentle reproofe the milde and loving objurgation and crimination which pierceth deepe The Lords servant must be gentle towards all This is the reproofe that David so much desired Let the righteous smite me friendly and reprove me And the Apostle biddeth us restore such an one as is overtaken in a fault with the spirit of meekenesse But for want of love it commeth to passe we reprove not at all or with such fiercenesse gall and bitternesse as tendeth not to restore but harden sinners Oh let us from this Example learne to be gentle and meeke towards poore and weake sinners and if any be too fearefull because themselves or the people of God are in any great danger let us labour to comfort them to strengthen the weake hands and comfort the feeble knees Speake to the heart of Ierusalem Feare not thou worme Iacob though thou be but a worme And againe Feare not ye men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer So much for generall observations Now more particularly consider what was it he reproved Fearefulnesse not simply feare for that is ingraffed in our nature neither did Christ goe about to rob them of their affections that they should no more feare danger than the mast of the ship yea Christ himselfe had our affections and namely this of feare but our Saviour reproveth the excesse of it called fearefulnesse The word in the Originall is of harsh signification both amongst prophane Authors as miserable weake and wicked and in the Scriptures for such as shall die the second death such a feare as God hath not given his children the Spirit of a feare which maketh men miserable weake and feeble in minde wicked in practise to use any meanes to escape the evill they feare the high way to hell and that timiditie which the wise Heathen have opposed to the vertue of Fortitude and therefore reproved Why are yee fearefull Wherefore this reprehension must teach us both by divine and humane praier and all worldly wise meanes to bridle and restraine our passions that they exceed not measure nor we be transported with the violence of them to say or doe that which is evill but to remember the Apostolike caution Be angrie but sinne not be merry but sinne not be sory but sinne not be afraid but sinne not If you give way unto it it is a most painfull passion yea as Saint Iohn saith Such feare hath torment and maketh men bondslaves Heb. 2. 15. Christ had passions but blamelesse because his nature was most holy and pure And therefore as a glasse of snow-water though never so much shaken yet abideth cleare and pure but the glasse of muddie water though whilest it standeth still the mud sinder to the bottome and the top is cleare yet no sooner is shaken but the mud ariseth and all is defiled So howsoever in times of peace health and prosperitie our passions be moderate and calme and seeme cleare yet no sooner are troubled but they grow muddie yea defile our selves and all that come neare the raging sea did not more cast up mire and dirt than their troubled affections spirituall defilements for which cause Christ here reproved them Why are yee fearefull The second particular observation is What was the object of this feare Was it God or his judgements No they did feare a temporall not the eternall death water but not fire sea but not hell drowning but not burning a creature not the Creator they may truly say with David The terrors of death are fallen upon us fearefulnesse and trembling are come upon us and horror hath overwhelmed us Which our Saviour reproveth Why are yee fearefull And he teacheth us that Gods people should not immoderatly feare no not any manner of death A lesson which it behoveth us in these daies specially to take out for as the Apostle said If the word spoken by Angels was sted fast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recoÌ„pence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation So if these Disciples having heard and seene but a little and being now in such great perill yet are reproved for immoderate feare how much more shall wee be reproved to whom the Gospell of Christ hath beene so clearely revealed who have seene so many workes of Gods goodnesse mercy power as the Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Christ into heaven Here is therefore a good lesson for us to labour that we be not immoderately afraid of death I say not not afraid of death at all for the best of Gods servants mentioned in holy Scripture as Moses David Iob Eliah Ezekiah and the rest have been I may say of them all as the Apostle saith of Eliah they were subject to this passion as wel as we Therefore he doth not say Why are yee afraid but fearefull yea as if the word were not sufficient to expresse the measure of their coÌ„sternation which yet is very significant as you have heard hee addeth thereunto an Adverb of affirmation So qâ—d Why are yee so exceedingly fearefull so fearefull beyond bounds and measure This being that he reproved in them and is reproveable in all his disciples viz. immoderate and excessiue feare of death Let us now see by what meanes Gods children may moderate the feare of death in them wherein I doe specially commend unto you these foure things viz. 1. A good cause 2. An honest life 3. A strong faith 4. Godly meditation on the good of Death First a great meanes to suppresse immoderate feare of death is to die if not for yet in a good cause Blessed is that servant whom his Master shall finde well doing Matth. 24. 46. It is a true saying It is not the punishment but the cause maketh a Martyr Christ hath not absolutely pronounced all blessed that suffer persecution but all such as suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake This was the joy of the Saints in old time that they could truly say Lord for thy sake are wee killed This caused the holy Martyrs of Christ in
are to be considered viz. A preparation then hee arose Secondly the reprehension it selfe hee rebuked the winds and seas Then he arose That is when by reprehension he had decreased the feare and increased the faith of his disciples and so prepared and fitted them to the fruitfull sight of this ensuing Miracle then hee arose Which teacheth vs That God is many times hindred from doing great works by the indisposition of his people Christ could as soone as ever he awaked have start up and rebuked the winds and seas but his disciples were in extreme passion which as the wise heathen man hath truly said destroieth judgement and understanding As the eye which is exceedingly troubled with humours and theumes cannot abide to looke on the Sunne no more can a passionate and troubled minde behold with content and comfort the great and glorious sworkes of God If then wee thinke it long ere God helpe us or his people let us not murmure and have thoughts of Belial concerning God and as though he had cast off all care and loving affection complaine That hee had forgotten to be mercifull and would for ever shut up his loving kindnesse in displeasure c But let us looke into our selves and know that something is amisse in us wee want Faith Repentance or Patience which when the Lord hath cured then he will arise and helpe us He arose Or arising To arise properly doth signifie such a gesture or motion of the body which hath sate or beene laied whereby it doth prepare and addresse it selfe to some other posirure disposition or actiō as standing walking running c. So Peter said to the Creeple that was laid at the Beautifull Gate of the Temple to aske almes of them that entred into the Temple In the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walke So here it is taken properly For at the least Christ had laied downe his head on a pillow and reposed himselfe but now he arose I leave the letter To arise in Scriptures is often used for preparation to some businesse doth not intend any bodily sitting or lying before as God called Arise Ionah and goe to Ninivie And to Ieremy Trusse up thy loines arise and speake unto them And to Ezechiel Sonne of man stand upon thy feet All which intend no more but goe about that businesse I have appointed you unto By figurative Translation of that which is proper unto man to God he is many times in Scriptures said To sleepe and wake Lie downe and rise up Where by rising is meant nothing else but Gods preparing of himselfe to declare visibly his Mercy or Iustice Love or Anger Greatnesse or Goodnesse in the punishing of his enemies or saving of his people The Lord thus promiseth his helpe for the oppression of the poore and deepe sighing of the needie Now will I arise and set him in safetie from him that puffeth at him And elsewhere with many moe words to this purpose Now will I arise saith the Lord now will I be exalted now will I lift up my selfe Seeing then God is pleased thus to speake of himselfe and in such a Metaphoricall phrase to promise his helpe his Church and people are bold in the same phrase to crave his helpe as Arise Lord and let thine enemies be scattered arise O God and judge the earth Arise Lord and save us So much for the sense Here for instruction we learne That howsoever Christ may seeme to sleepe long and then Satan and his instruments are busie and by God great but just permission bring the Church of God in generall and many Gods faithfull servants in particular into great extremitie and distresse yet in that needfull and best time when it shall bee most for his glorie and his peoples good hee will not faile to awake arise and helpe them This is it which David so plainly teacheth in the Psalmes saying He for sooke the Tabernacle of Shiloh he delivered his strength into captivitie and his beautie into the enemies hands Hee gave his people over to the sword and was wroth with his inheritance fire consumed their young men and their maidens were not given to mariage their Priests fell by the sword and there were no widowes to make lamentation Oh what havocke enemies make of Gods Church and people when God maketh as though he were on sleep and regarded not But marke what followeth when things were brought to this desperate extremitie then the Lord awaked as one out of sleepe and like a giant refreshed with wine he smote his enemies on the hinder parts and put them to a perpetuall shame The Lord seemed to sleep long when his Church and people sojourned in Egypt foure hundred yeeres Oh then their enemies oppressed them laid an iron yoke on their necks made them to tread in mire and clay gather stubble where they could finde it and every day felt the lash of the whip being not able to do what was commanded Yea then they tooke crafty counsell how to destroy them by the drowning of all their male children But at the last the Lord awaked and rose up to help them met with Moses at Horeb and told him I have seene I have seene the affliction of my people and then he brought out his people with ioy and his chosen with gladnesse and sent plague upon plague on their enemies till he utterly destroyed them in the Red Sea The Lord seemed to sleepe long when wicked Haman obtained a decrce that all the Iewes should be destroyed The Decree is written sealed published and day for execution appointed but he was awakened and raised up with the prayers and teares of his people and then the King could not sleepe readeth in the Chronicle of Mordocaies fidelitie bethinketh how to honour and reward him maketh Haman himselfe the instrument therein Hester is promoted Mordocat honoured Haman and his sonnes hanged the Decree disanulled the people of the Land slaine by thousands and the Iewes have dayes of feasting and ioy for their deliverance The like might be shewed in many other Examples The doctrine is most true That howsoever God may seeme for a time to sleepe and wholly to neglect the estate of his people and then they fall into great extremities yet ever in his good time he hath and will awake arise and helpe them Oh let Gods people trust in him and awaken and raise him up by Fasting and Prayer and sound Repentance Yet know that he is not easily awakened and raised When God for the sinnes of his people doth returne to his place and as it were betaketh himselfe to his chamber and couch it is no easie thing to a waken him It may cost many a heavy sigh many a bitter teare much smiting of thigh and knocking of breast It will cost deare
Our mother Church may be an Example who found the truth of this Doctrine by wofull experience at whose doore Christ knocking and desiring to enter shee returning a sluggish answer I have put off my coat how shall I put it on but being better advised and arising to open unto him he was gone and as Shee was hardly perswaded to arise and open to him so was He as hardly perswaded to arise and helpe her but suffered her to run up and downe in the streets to seeke him and could not finde him yea to fall into the hands of cruell watchmen who did smite and wound her Oh see the bitter fuits of dallying and late repentance So his people having provoked him and calling to be delivered out of the hands of their enemies see what a cold answer he giveth Where are your gods the rocke wherein yee trusted that did eat the fat of your sacrifices and drinke the wine of your drinke-offerings let them rise up and helpe you and be your protection Oh poore is the helpe that Idols can give to their worshippers having eyes but see not eares but heare not feet but walke not The Prophet biddeth the people that would raise God to give him no rest Christ biddeth us aske seeke knocke and commendeth spirituall violence The Apostle requireth a labouring or striving in prayer and the King of Ninivie commanded his people to cry mightily unto God All which declare that God helpeth not his people till he be raised he is not raised but with violence and as it were by being pricked under the sides as the Hebrew word signifieth Shall I conclude this point with paralelling it with another The people of God being persecuted and much distressed by their enemies David penned that most excellent Psalme the 68. wherein first he directeth them what to doe in their wofull case viz. as the Disciples did here to goe to Christ for to him the Apostle applieth that Psalme And what must they intreat him to doe To arise Arise Lord and let thine enemies be scattered The Lord did arise and went forth before his people made Kings with their Armies to â—lie rebuked the companie of spearemen the multitude of Buls and Calves of the people and scattered them that delighted in warre And what are Gods people taught to doe then Even to praise God and mutually provoke one another thereunto Blessed be the Lord even the God of our salvation he that is our God is the God of salvation and to him belong the issues of death Oh blesse yee God in the Congregations oh sing unto God yee kingdomes of the earth oh sing praises to the Lord even to him that rideth upon the heavens the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people blessed be God And is this all No but when they have praised him for the good he hath done they are also directed to pray unto him to goe forward and perfect his good worke begun Strengthen oh God that which thou hast wrought for us for thy Temples sake at Ierusalem so shall Kings bring presents unto thee Oh how fit that Comment and this Theme and both of them for this time Many have beene the troubles of Gods people for these late yeeres in many parts of the Christian world and Christ hath slept long but loe by the importunate prayers of his people he is at last awakened his head is up from the pillow he is risen and hath begun a gracious calme Though I cannot say with the Psalmist Warres are ceased in all the world yet hath he beene marvellous to breake the bow knap the speare asunder and create a glorious peace for so many thousands and millions of his worthy servants in France and to give them the shadow of a great rocke in that weary land Oh let the voice of gladnesse be heard in righteous mens dwellings and let God be praised in the congregations of his Saints and let all men pray the Lord to finish that good worke he hath begun establish that peace in all truth and sincerity and give like comfort and breathing to all his servants in Germanie and else-where Yea be assured now he is risen he will in his good time doe some great worke and cause if his people now praise and pray a great calme I say then with Moses Stand still feare not and see the salvation of God and with the Prophet Zacharie Be silent ô all flesh before the Lord for he is now raised up out of his holy habitation So much for Preparation The Reprehension followeth He rebuked the wind and the sea All the Euangelists doe use one and the same word which in the native proprietie doth signifie to reprehend and chide and charge yea charge strictly even with threatnings and menaces and accordingly translated in some Latine Copies q. d. I charge you be still and calme upon your perill be it I will make you rue it else Which majesticall threatning intendeth three things viz. first Authoritie to command secondly Power to punish if he be not obeyed lastly An acknowledgment of that power For in vaine it is to command or threaten if the parties or creatures doe not regard us But as hee had power to command and threaten and punish so winds and seas had eyes and eares and heart to see heare feare and obey he no sooner commanded and threatned but presently they obeyed There was a great calme Heare â— heaven and hearken ô earth for the Lord speaketh Esay 1. 2. If the Lord speake heaven and earth and all creatures have eares to heare O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord Ierem. 22. penult I say againe let it be marked that Christ did not pray intreat and beseech but with authoritie he commanded Peace and be still as if he were much provoked with their impetuous insolencie And no marvell What Winds and seas not know their Maker What Have they heretofore trembled and fled at his presence and doe they now rage and roare and conspire to drowne him What high treason against the Lord of heaven and earth is this It is well they escape with a rebuke that he doth not make them feele the power of his wrath and give all posterities occasion to say with the Prophet What ailed thee oh thou sea What didst thou Lake of Gennesareth that the Lord was so angry and displeased with thee What was thy transgression ô sea of Galile for which the Lord powred out upon thee the furiousnesse of his wrath Oh let it be written and let all posterities note the meeknesie and gentlenesse of the Lord towards his creatures who did no further punish such a treasonable conspiracie against his life but with a rebuke Peace and be still Here for our instruction let us learne what is the soveraigne Regall authoritie of this great
Lord Paramount Christ Iesus over all creatures He is the great King over all the world though his kingdome be not of this world Aske of me said God and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession And againe I will set his hand in the sea and his right hand in the rivers and I will make him my first-borne higher than the kings of the earth And againe He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth Many Kings have had large and great Dominions as Ahashuerosh who reigned from India to Aethiopia over an hundred and seven and twenty Provinces Some Kings have so far doted and beene besotted with admiration of their owne sublimitie and excellencie as to forget themselves to bee but Lords Paravall and in stomacke have asked Who is the Lord and have answered themselves with scorne and contempt I know not the Lord But the sea will know none but the Lord. There was a great storme when Ionah was in the ship and the Mariners thought to have mastered it and with their oares did digge and delve into the surges but the sea wrought and was troublous and would have drowned them all if they had not cast Ionah into it For God had given the sea a commission to fetch in that fugitive Prophet and it would execute it with effect There was a great storme when Paul was in the ship and they cast out both lading and tacklings as if they would have bribed the Sea to be still but it would not till it had broken the ship with violence of waves Some have beene angry with the Sea That great Persian Monarch Xerxes was in as great a rage as Hellespont it selfe who threatned to be avenged for breaking downe of the Bridge which he had builded for the passage of his numberlesse Armie yea he commanded three hundred stripes to be given it and so many fetters to be cast into it and others with hot Irons as it were to set marks upon it but Hellespont felt no hurt by all this nor cared for the Executioners words The Lord hath inflicted this punishment upon thee for the hurt thou hast done him Tush Hellespont knew not his Lordship but raged still and if they had come within it reach would have drowned both him and his Canutus a Danish King in this Land set his foot on the Sea shore close by the Sea whilst it was flowing commanded it not to rise and wet his feet or clothes but the Sea kept his course rose and wet both feet and thighes whereupon the King started away and said All men may know that the power of Kings is vaine and meere vanitie and none worthy to have the name of King but he that hath all things subject to his command and lawes and after this never wore Crowne on his head but set it on the head of a Crucifix at Winchester Ex Huntington Fox Martyrolog 1. Tom. p. 147. But let the Lord the great Iehovah come who is of man invisible and the Sea hath eyes to see him withall The Sea saw thee and fled Iordan was driven backe Let him rebuke and the Sea hath eares to heare let him say Peace and be still and there is as sudden and as great a calme as there was a storme Let him be pleased to walke and the Sea is as firme as a pavement Let him be angry and it hath an heart to feare The waters saw thee ô God and were afraid No winds doe so trouble it as the blasting of the breath of his nosthrils Yea let Moses but take the rod of God in his hand and the Sea divideth Elijah with his cloke shal divide Iordan and if the spirit of Elijah rest upon Elishah he shall doe so too and so long as Peters faith holdeth he shall walke on it that as the evill spirit answered the sonnes of Sâ—evah Iesus I know and Paul I know but who are yee so the Sea may say JESVS I know and Elijah Elisha and Peter and all the servants of the most High God but for Pharaoh Xerxes Canutus and others who are yee We regard not your rebukes wee feare not your threats Oh what can be more usefull than to speake and heare and meditate on the omnipotent soveraigntie of Christ over all creatures and namely over that huge boisterous uncontroulable and fearefull Element And therefore how often in the holy Scriptures is there mention made thereof and specially of the drying up of the Red Sea and Iordan giving passage to Gods people God himselfe asked Who shut up the Sea with doores Who set barres and said Hitherto shalt thou come and no further and here shalt thou stay thy proud waves And againe Feare yee not me saith the Lord will yee not tremble at my presence who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waves tosse themselves yet can they not prevaile though they roare yet can they not passe over it Holy David as he was much given to devout meditation and contemplation of the Heavens Sunne Moone and Starres Thunder Lightning Haile Meteors so very frequent in meditation of Gods power and providence in the creation and disposition rule and government of the Sea as He gathereth the waters of the Sea together as an heape and layeth up the deepe as in store-houses Let all the earth feare the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him And againe It is God that stilleth the raging of the Sea and the noise of it waves And againe I will meditate of all thy works and talke of thy doings thou art the God that dost wonders the waters saw thee ô God the waters saw thee and were afraid the depths also were troubled Againe O Lord God of Hosts who is a strong Lord like unto thee thou rulest the raging of the Sea and stillest the waves thereof when they arise And many such like in the Psalmes and Prophets whereof these are but a taste And lest any Atheist should object for the straitning of his dominion that Gods power is but over some few and small Lakes as this was as if he were but Vice-Admirall of narrow Seas note how Gods power hath appeared on many Seas Streams and Flouds yea when all the world was Sea at the first by the power of his word they were gathered into one place and the dry land appeared Whereof David thus rendreth the praise unto God Thou laiedst the foundation of the earth that it never should be removed at any time thou coveredst it with the deepe as with a garment The waters stood above the mountaines at thy rebuke they fled at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away Which
they were they did subsist in the person of the Word So were there at once two great unions admirably singular and singularly admirable viz. 1. Manhood and Godhead 2. Motherhood and Maidenhood But because the wombe is a darke shop wherein every man is marvellously and fearefully made much more was Christ the Virgins wombe being called the shop of miracles Neither did it want mysterie that the Holy Ghost is said to overshadow her We will also beleeve with our hearts what we cannot fully comprehend with our mindes much lesse expresse with our tongues We will also religiously marvell at this and say What manner of man is this that was even conceived by the Holy Ghost and proceed to that was more visible and patulous viz. His birth S. Iohn saith He saw a great wonder in heaven a woman clothed with the Sunne and the Moone under her feet and upon her head a crowne of twelve starres and shee was with childe and cried travelling in birth He may well call it a wonder a great wonder it is the wonder of wonders and comprehendeth many wonders What! the inhabiter of eternitie subject to time and after certaine moneths in the wombe as this day borne into the world The everlasting Father a young childe The Word an Infant which cannot speake Wisdome it selfe not know good from evill He that beareth up all things by his omnipotencie borne in the armes of a woman He that is invisible in his owne nature whom no man ever saw nor can see now to be seene of any in our nature even of the country Shepherds He that hath heaven for his throne and the earth his footstoole borne in the stable of a common Inne and laid in a cratch He that filleth heaven and earth too finde no roome in an Inne He that hath girt the sea sand himselfe wrapped in swadling clothes Hee that openeth his hands and feedeth every living creature doth he sucke the breasts He that is Davids Lord is he become Davids sonne He that was before Abraham is he so long after him in the flesh and descended from his loines He that is the Lord of all is he become a servant unto all Whereas man in the nonage of the world was made after the Image of God now in the dotage of it will God be made after the similitude of sinfull man He that made woman of Adams rib will he now be made of a woman and shall his mother be a Virgin Well said God when he prophesied that the Lord will create a new thing in the earth a woman shall compasse a man He may well call it a new thing for there was never such a thing before nor since and he may well call it a Creation Yea some Divines hold the worke of Incarnation when God was made like man to be greater than the worke of Creation when man was made like God I am sure the greatest miracles that every eye saw may be seene of the spirituall man in the birth of Christ The Sunne in the Firmament hath beene seene to stand to be retrograde and goe backe divers degrees to be eclipsed or darkned at a plenilune and these were great miracles But in the birth of Christ thou shalt see the Sunne of righteousnesse come downe from heaven and the most glorious Sonne of God emptie himselfe and descend from the bosome of his Father into the wombe of a Virgin Moses saw the viriditie of a bush burning with fire preserved and in Christs birth we may see the virginitie of a mother preserved Esay 7. 14. Aarons dry rod did blossome and beare fruit and in the birth of Christ we may see the withered stock of Iesse flourish and beare fruit Manna fell out of the clouds Christ came from the bosome of his Father Elijah was taken up into heaven but a greater than he came now downe from heaven The consideration whereof made that learned and devout Father to breake out into admiration O Lord I doe not admire the stature of the world the stabilitie of the earth waxing and waning of the Moone perpetuall motion of the Sunne but I wonder to see God in the wombe the omnipotent in the cradle `` These things doe astonish me and make me say with Abacuck I have considered thy works and was afraid With whom let us marvell and say with these Disciples What manner of man is this who as this day was borne of a pure Virgin Surely this is a new and strange thing indeed which Iehovah himselfe hath created and it is marvellous in our eyes Oh rejoyce in this day which the Lord hath made yea rejoyce in this day wherein the Lord was made Rejoyce great grandfather Adam for as this day thy wife Evah hath brought forth the promised seed which shall bruise the serpents head Rejoyce grandfather Abraham This is the day thou so longedst to see Now is thy seed borne in which all nations of the earth shall be blessed Rejoyce father David this day thy Lord is become thy sonne which shall sit upon thy throne Rejoyce all yee Prophets for God hath fulfilled what he hath spoken by your mouthes Rejoyce yee men for the Sonne of God is now made man Rejoyce yee women for a woman is become the mother of God and all generations shall call her blessed Rejoyce yee Virgins for a Virgin hath conceived and borne a sonne Rejoyce yee children for the Sonne of God is become a childe Rejoyce yee that sit in darknesse for the day spring from on high hath visited yea the Sunne of righteousnesse is risen unto you Rejoyce yee that hunger for the bread of life is come from heaven Rejoyce yee that mourne for the consolation of Israel is come Rejoyce yee that are sicke in your soules the Physitian is come Rejoyce yee sinners for a Saviour is borne Let all that feare the Lord rejoyce and sing Glory be to God on high And so much for his birth He hath many most glorious high honourable titles given him as Iesus Christ Son of the most high Lord of glory Emanuel Wonderfull Counseller Mighty God everlasting Father Prince of peace Angel of Covenāt Redeemer Way Truth Life Resurrection Peace First last First begottē of the dead First fruits of them that sleepe Prince of the Kings of the earth Bright morning starre Amen Faithfull and true witnesse The beginning of the Creation of God Prince of Life The true Light Good Shepherd Vine Doore Lambe of God Only begotten Sonne of the Father Image of the invisible God second Adam Sonne of Man The true God Great God Mighty God The only God God over all King Everlasting Priest
and shall not see it Come then come I say whilest yee may and thanke God that ye may come and goe safely and pray for them that faine would and cannot Come but come not alone bring your companie say one to another Come let us goe up to the Mountaine the house of the Lord say with Ioshuah I and mine house will serve the Lord Bring those with thee to Gods House who are with thee in thine owne house Your owne good Example who have charge of families is full of power and the more eminent yee are in state and degree the more inducing is your good Example The Reason why the Lord hath prepared his table spred his servants invite so few guests come is because so few of the chiefe come and they come alone neither care they whether wives children or servants come at all or no. Oh come bring yours with you and come often yea the oftner the more welcome to Gods Table This the Apostle intended when he said As often as yee eat this bread and drinke this cup Enjoyning all such as live in a visible Church so often as the custome of the Church is to administer it and hee hath no lawfull impediment to hinder him as absence from home sicknesse so often to receive it if hee doe not it is a great neglect if not contempt of the holy Ordinance of God And how just were it in time of sicknesse and adversity such an one should be weak in faith and void of comfort seeing he neglected the meanes when he might have enjoyed them Give me leave then to reprove a common fault even in this renowmed Mother Church where the holy Sacrament at least every month is religiously and reverendly administred how few are there that come for all our calling As if to receive the Sacrament were but a thing arbitrarie once a yeare at Easter may suffice thrice a yeare a largis to what purpose oftner Thus in Paradise with eating of the forbidden fruit wee surfetted have quite lost our appetite and loath heavenly food as the Israelites did the Manna But let me tell you the only way to recover our appetite is to come and eat none have lesse stomack than such as eat least none more than they that eat most They that make their meat their God the more they eat the lesse appetite but they that make God their meat the more they eat the more they hunger This appeareth from the worthy examples of the Saints in Ancient times It appeareth from Saint Augustine That some faithfull did receive every day and make the Lords Supper their daily bread which though he neither reprehend nor commend yet he earnestly exhorted all to receive every Lords day and our Church hath godly appointed a speciall exhortation to be read when people are negligent in this kinde But me thinketh I heare some say Indeed my departure and seldome comming doth not proceed from neglect and contempt but the reverend respect I have to that heavenly and holy Sacrament fearing that if I should so often receive I should not receive it with that care conscience and preparation that is meet I answer If thine owne heart condemne thee not neither doe I Goe in peace The reverend respect that the Centurion had to Christ made him refuse to entertaine him I am not worthy thou shouldst come under my roofe But Zacheus his reverend respect of Christ made him come downe hastily and receive him ioyfully See the contrary effects of the same affect and both approved of Christ Some out of reverence come to every Sacrament and some out of reverence come seldome Charitie hopeth the best of all But take heed Sathan tempt you not and take heed that your owne consciences condemne you not if they doe God is greater than they and he is not mocked But now Communicants being prepared and come to the Lords Table what is more to be done Our Church godly prescribeth in a very short rule Lift up your hearts though knee be on ground let the heart be in heaven and the minde intently exercised in comparing the signes and spirituall things together When we see bread and wine which are for full refection of our bodies let us thinke what a perfect Saviour we have When we see them set apart for this use let us thinke how Christ the Sonne of God became man for our sakes and salvation When we see the bread and wine blessed and consecrated and as it were made fit for so holy and heavenly an use let us thinke how Christ his humanitie being united personally to the Word received all fulnesse of grace for the worke of Redemption When we see the bread broken and wine powred out let us thinke of the bitter passion of Christ the renting of his holy bodie and shedding of his most precious bloud for our sinnes When the Minister offreth these let us thinke how lovingly God offreth his Sonne to be our Saviour And as the Receiver taketh eateth and drinketh the bread and wine and it turneth into his substance so by the hand of faith we must receive and apply Christ unto us to dwell in our hearts who hath given himselfe for us Lastly let God have most hearty thanks and praise for all his mercies represented and exhibited to us in his holy Ordinances in regard whereof the Greekes call it an Eucharist Thus from a marvelling Text I have taken occasion to provoke you to marvell at the institution of this day and at the service of this day I desire that God may have the glory of all and that ye would say one to another Doubtlesse we have heard and seene and received strange things to day and the Lord make us thankfull Amen His Passiō most marvellous to say nothing of his hunger thirst wearisomnesse dangers persecution derision his whole life being a continuall passion yet can you reade and heare of his Agonie how without any violent exercise or bodily paine in an open Garden in a fresh aire in the moist dew and prostrate on the cold earth yet was in such an Agonie that his sweat was like drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground And doe yee not marvell Himselfe did marvell Is there any sorrow like my sorrow wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Doe you reade and heare of the desperate and insolent behaviour of wicked men preferring a notorious murtherer before the innocent Sonne of God crying out to have him crucified and let his bloud be on them and their children crowning that head with thornes which is higher than the heavens spitting in that face which the Angels doe delight to behold nailing those hands to the Crosse which made heaven and earth piercing those feet which have walked on the sea but never stood in the way of
Doctrine how plausible soever yea such Doctrines are most pleasing to our corrupt nature which doth sooth up man in his owne free-will workes and righteousnesse to make him strout it and pride himselfe and say What manner of man am I that have this power and have done these these workes it is earthly carnall sensuall Hearest thou then any doctrine delivered which thou art not able fully to examine for the truth of it nor to unty the knots of intricate questions Yet aske Doth this Doctrine advance the glory of Christ It is good then Doth it make man proud and haughty in himselfe It is naught then And I need not any other Argument to make me reject it As the most points of Popery doe as their doctrine of Free-will workes of righteousnesse meritorious of congruitie or condignitie obedience to Councels Auricular Confession Penance and workes of satisfaction the Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Masse mediation of Angels and Saints Popes Pardons and Indulgencies Purgatorie c. all draw from Christ to admire themselves or the Pope This rule our Saviour himselfe hath given He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glory but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him he is true and there is no unrighteousnesse in him Saint Paul examined his doctrine by this touch-stone and found it currant Doe I now perswade men or God Doe I seeke to please men Then I were not the servant of Christ And therefore confidently pronounced If an Angell from heaven shall preach otherwise let him be accursed What doctrine soever doth rob Christ of his glory and draw away the hearts and minds of men from marvelling and praising of him as most points of Popery doe it is accursed and woe to them that preach and beleeve it We are now at the last come safely to shore blessed be Christ our Pilot who hath brought us thorow the tempest to the haven where we would be and hath visibly commented from heaven and confirmed the truth of that hath beene delivered in the present state of his Church All I am or have what I have delivered you have received I dedicate to his glory And let every thing that hath breath in all the parts of his Dominions praise the Lord. He also bring us l and all his thorow all the stormes and tempests of this world that in the end in despight of Satan and all contrary winds and waves we may saâ—â—â—y arrive at the blessed haven of eternall happinesse To him with the Father and the holy Spirit of us and his whole Church even of al the Angels and Saints in heaven most gloriously triumphant and all Christians men women and children on earth militant be rendred as is most due all Honour Glory Majestie Wisdome Thankes and Dominion â—â— ever and ever Amen FINIS a Hieronym epist Paulino Tom. ult Basil apud Iâ— Frob. anno 1524. b Tull. de Orat. lib. 3. c Clem. Alexand. Strom. lib. 1. Basil anno 1556. d Dr. And. CoÌ„cion ad Convocat anno 1592. e Videant Lectores societatem Iesuitarum à Iesuita Cosmopolitam dictam Cornel. à Lapid in Numb 1. 5. pag. 774. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graeâ— Paroem * 1 Cor. 4. 1. f Hoc auguror hoc voveo Amen g August Tom. 6. contr Manich. h Sylv. Girald Topogr Hiber i Poscentes vario nimium diversa palato Horat. inserm 1 Cor. 1. 17. k Eruditum saâ—is quod clarum est l August in Iohan. tract 26. col 225. D. m Ambros n Hieronym Damas pag. 131. Basil Apud Io. Eroben Anno 1524. o Sic non te spernat qui pro nobis dignatus est sperâ—â— August tom 2. Ep. 2â— coll 100. p August tom 3. de T 〈…〉 lio 1. cap. 3. coll 241. q Luâ—oviâ— Viv. in August de Câ—vi at Dei â—â—b 22. cap. ult ad 〈◊〉 coll 1398. r August Tom. 2. Ep. 110. coll 515. B. Å¿ August Tom. 9. Manual cap. 6. coll 794. t August sup Manual c. 36. coll 808. Prayer Preface Acts 20. 36. a Psal 107. 23. 5. b Ionah 1. 4. c Acts 27. 14. d Gen. 16. penult 21. 2. e Gal. 4. 22. f Gen. 6 7 8 cap. g 1 Pet. 3. 21. h Exod. 14. i 1 Cor. 10. 2. k Exod. 17. 6. l 1 Cor. 10. 4. m Exod. 16. 14. n Ioh. 6. 48 51. o 1 King 3. 1. p Psal 45. 9 10. I. Sea * Salva rerum gestarum fide August lib. de unitate Ecclesiae cap. 5. q Rev. 4. 6. r Eph. 4. 14. Å¿ 1 Tim. 1. 19. t Eph. 6. 12. u Rom. 13. 12. * Ibid. x Hebr. 4. 13. y Rev. 1. 14. 2. Ship 3. Storme z Psal 18. 4. a Psal 124. 4. b Esay 8. 7. Ierem. 47. 2. c Psal 69. 1. 4 Christ his sleepe d Psalme 10. 1. e Psal 22. 2. f Psal 74. 10 11 22. g Psal 3. 7. h Psal 7. 6. i Psal 44. 23. 5 Called upon and awaked 6 Causing a calme 1 Context * in terra jam transit ad mare Ludolph ex Origen Analysis Part. 1. 1. For preaching k Matth. 13. 2. l Luke 5. 1. m Matth. 4. 19. 2 For recreation n Marke 6. 31. o Marke 6. 34. Matth. 14. 13. Luke 9. 10. 11. p Iohn 3. 2. q Matth. 8. 20. Application r 2 Tim. 4. 2. Å¿ Revel 14. 13. 3. The working of the miracle t Iohn 5. 36. u Iohn â—â— 37. * Marke 4. 34. Luke 8. 22. x Iohn 6. 6. 4. Triall of his Apostles faith y Gen. 22. 1. Doctr. Simile Confirmation z 2 Tim. 3. 12. a 1 Pet. 4. 12. b Heb. 12. 8. c Ecclus. 21. Prevention d Iames 1. 12. e 1 Pet. 1. 7. Vse f Luk. 17. 5. Exhortation g Psal 26. 2. h Psal 139. ult i Ierem. 17. 9. k Iob 9. 21. l 1 Cor. 4. 4. Comfort m Exod. 3. 12. n Iosh 1. 5. o Ierem. 1. 8 19. p Esay 43. 2. q Matth. 28. ult r Rev. 1. 13. Å¿ Matth. 14. 29. t Psal 23. 4. Absence fearefull u Exo. 33. 2. 3. 14. * Ezech. 9. 3. x Iohn 16. 6. y Iohn 16. 7. z Ibid. a Iohn 14. 2 3. b Ibid. c Acts 1. 9. d Luk. 24. 17. Vse Obiection c Iudges 6. 12 13. Solution 1. Miraculous deliverance f Dan. 6. 22. g Dan. 3. 27. h Exod. 34. 24. i Psal 46. 8. k Psal 76. 3 10 vlt. 2. By gratious supportation l Rom. 8. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supervincimus m Acts 5. penult n Acts 16. 25. o Heb. 10. 34. p Heb. 11. 35. * Tyrannâ—s ipsumque Neronem velut quosdam culices Chrysost 2. Homil de laudibus Pauli q Tertull. advers gentes non procul ab initio “ Rupert Part. 2. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disco q Matth. 11. 29. r Iohn 6. 45. Å¿ 1 Tim. 2. 11. t Matth. 11. 2. u Iohn 9. 28. * Acts 20. 30. “ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉