the pit was open it did not swallow thee when Satan roared he could not touch thee when men haue threatned they could not wrong thee in all thy lawfull actions the Lord hath blessed thee can such a God who hath done all this for thee now leaue and forsake thee Oh no! It is impossible for hee will not absent himselfe for euer neither will hee vtterly forsake the people of his owne pasture Let this comfort therefore euen melt thee with kindnesse towards thy God and cause thee to say with Dauid Psal 116.12 What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the Cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord yea I will loue thee dearely O Lord my strength I will honour thee imbrace thee kisse thee reioyce in thee and deuote my selfe wholly vnto thee because thou hast fauoured my soule in her greatest extremitie and reioyced my heart in her greatest heauinesse August in 17. Sermon 8. Tom. 10. Saint Augustine saith that a mightie man will not lose that which hee hath bought for his money and will Christ lose that which he hath bought with his bloud Surely no therefore when thou findest a want of Gods presence either in the whole or in part which before thou hast felt be not too much dismaied for hee can as soone forsake himselfe as thy soule and though he did forsake thee hee will not leaue thee comfort thy selfe therefore with these words This matter were worthy of a longer speech but time inforceth me to make an end wherefore I beseech the God of all consolation to make this point as profitable as it is comfortable The 3. roome in the first Tabernacle is Christ dâ—ligence of labour The third roome in this Tabernacle or Branch proceeding from his Appropinquation is Diligentia or as more properly we may tearme it labour For a iourney cannot be taken in hand without great diligence and labour and that because it procures a continuall motion of the body which constant motion will at length breed wearinesse in all the parts of man And surely thus it was with our Sauiour for as man he was subiect to all those passions belonging to man Heb. 2.17 4.15 being like vs in all things sinne onely excepted yet he continues his iourney drawing neere to Hierusalem as one regarding no paine fearing no labour respecting no profit so that his Appropinquation might comfort his inheritance From whence we see 3. Doct. No labour hinders Christs loue That no labour could hinder Christs loue no paines with-draw his patience but still he is patient in waiting and louing in comming to these rebellious people Nothing commends patience more then with painfulnesse to shew kindnesse nor nothing sets forth loue more then to ouercome ingratitude with labour both which doe magnifie themselues in our Sauiour His paines doth shew his patience his labour setteth forth his loue in that he drew neere vnto the Citie Many will loue so long as loue requires no labour and all will be patient whilest they feele no paine but let labour and paine paine and labour once seize vpon the body of the most yea of the best soone then shall you see loue extinguished patience banished The Iewes can loue Iesus so long as he will cure their diseases feed heir bodies and restore their Kingdome but when he preaches against the Scribes and Pharises calling them Hypocrites and the Generation of Vipers Matth. 23. Luke 19.45 whipping the buyers and sellers out of the Temple declaring how that his Kingdome was not of this world then farewell loue and patience both For loue is turned into loathing patience into raging in stead of God saue thee now The Deuill take thee in stead of Haile Master hang Master is set vp for Crucifie him Matth. 27. crucifie him is their euening and morning song nothing would content them but his death when once they felt the smart But with our Sauiour it is not so for though his comming was laborious and his labour painfull to all the parts of his body yet bee vouchsafes to draw neere this sinfull Citie By which hee shewes how farre his loue exceedeth mans and how great his patience is beyond ours Our loue may sparkle very high and our patience may drinke vp many yeares but the highest sparkle of our loue could it mount as high as the loue of Ionathan to Dauid 2 Sam. 1.26 whose Loue surpassed the loue of women yet could it not reach the middle region of Christs loue and were our patience like Iobs Iam. 5.11 able to feed vpon all afflictions and to drinke vp yeares of life yet not comparable with the patience of Christ For looke how high the heauen is aboue the earth gold beyond drosse man beyond beast nay God himselfe the Creator beyond miserable man the creature so farre is the loue and patience of Christ beyond ours Amor vincit omnia is an old phrase loue ouercommeth all things but were it as old as man and man as aged as the world yet true in none but onely in Christ Christs loue exceeding large The loue of man may ouercome many things as nakednesse famine sword water fire stones and many other perils yet not all things for hell death damnation and the burning wrath of God was something yea and such a thing that all the loue of all the men in all the world was neuer able to ouercome one for another therefore non omnia sed multa not all things but many things but the loue of our Sauiour ouercomes non multa sed omnia not many things but all things for hell death damnation and the burning wrath of God was by our Sauiour ouercome and satisfied not for him selfe but for vs and by the losse of his life Iohn 15.13 therefore greater loue then this could no man shew then to lay downe his life for his friends 1 Vse Thinke no paines too great to come to Christ If our Sauiour take such paines as by labour to weary his body in comming to vs we then are to thinke no labour or paines too much in comming to him one kindnesse requires another yet not so much for our Sauiours profit as for our benefit His labouring to come to vs is for our good not for his owne our labouring to come to him is to profit our selues not him therefore we ought to be more willing to vndergoe any paines to attaine his presence then he our persons But alas I mourne to see and seeing mourne the backward age wherein we liue Christ may take paines an hundred times to come to vs before we once to come to him For who will goe from East to West from North to South to come to him as he doth to come to vs If it were to goe to profit or pleasure neuer so farre we could be well contented to vndergoe all the labour and paines such a iourney casts
8.21 9.1 therefore wished O that my head were a Well of water and my eies a fountaine of teares that I might weepe night and day for the slaine of the Daughter of my people 2 Pet. 2.7 8. This did Lot for Sodom and Dauid was no whit behinde any when his eies powred out riuers of teares Psal 119. 130. because men would not keepe the law of his God Shall such affection be found in Gods ancient people and we to sauour neuer a whit thereof If our friends depart from vs or die with vs we can weep and mourne as fast as any but if we see a neighbour or a brother wedded to wickednesse and sunk almost past recouery into sinne we neuer mourne nor shew any dislike but salue it vp with humanum est Others sins not to be salued but sorrowed for so that for a young man to sinne is but a tricke of youth for an old man but an infirmitie of age and in none at any time as it should be lamented Children are suffered to be wanton because their yeares are tender youth is permitted to bee licentious because their age is lustie rich men are moued with vanitie because it is their portion poore men are customed with folly because they liue in want old men are drowned in superstition because they are neere their graues women are wanton because they be beautifull and all are sinfull yet by few or none lamented nay are they not reioyced at Sinnes now moue not mourning but mirch or mockings especially the failings of Gods children and in these times made the principall cause to moue laughter for if any man fall dangerously into sinne especially the childe of God either by infirmitie blindnesse or being ouertaken on a sudden by Satan the world then flings away jeering as hauing caught what of long time they watcht for then with a ioyfull countenance they vaunt abroad the whole nay more then the whole fall or sailing of this poore childe of God divulging to as many as they see or at leastwise know the time the place and the manner of that sinne which was committed by such a person 1 Sam. 17.52 for as the Israelites reioyced at the fall of Goliah so doth the world at the failings of the Saints of God Cato Cato that graue Senator of Rome was neuer seene to laugh but once and that was when he espied out of his window an Asse eating of Thistles wondring why that beast should take pleasure in pricks that should haue beene spurres to haue made him to take paines So wee when wee see our brethren eating vp sinnes like bread and drinking vp iniquitie like water Iob. 15.16 rather laugh with Democritus at their folly then with Heraclitus lament their faults I tell you brethren there is no greater signe of a reprobate then to laugh at sinne and Sinners for hee that can make wickednesse his chiefest pastime and the faults of others his greatest ioy is iust like to Satan our greatest enemy Satans greatest solace is to see men sinning who reioyceth at nothing more then when men commit sinne Therefore when thou seest sinne in any be it in thy wife children friends seruants or enemies take heed thou reioyce not at it but weepe and mourne for it present not Omnia bene all is well For any man being fallen into sinne Our hearts should smite vs when wee see another sinne Pia est illa trislitia alienis vitâ—js ingemiscere non adhaerere Contristari non implicari dolore contrahi non attrahi August Ber. homil de resurrectione Dom. is in a very miserable case till hee returne vnto the Lord by true repentance wherefore let thy heart smite thee when thou seest thy brother sleeping in the bed of sinne For This is a godly sorrow to pitie mens sinnes and not to be polluted by them to sorrow for them and not sinke into them to be drawne away in dolour and not drawne away with delight Saint Bernard makes mention in one of his Homilies of an old man who when hee saw any man sinne wept and lamented for him being asked why he so grieued for others answered Hodie ille cras ego hee fell to day I may fall to morrow If we could but remember this it would rather draw bloud from the heart then ioy when we see a man fallen into sinne therefore when thou seest a murdering Caine a theeuish Achan Gen. 4. Ios 7. 2 King 5. 2 Sam. 13. 1 Sam. 25. Numb 16. Gen. 19. 2 Sam. 15. 1 King 12.28 Exod. 9. 1 King 21. Esay 37. 2 Sam. 6. Luke 15. 2 Sam. 17. Acts 12. Luke 16. Luke 22.48 Matth. 23.25 Luke 7.37 a lying Gehezie an incestuous Amnon a churlish Nabal a resisting Cora a filthy Sodomite a murmuring Israelite a rebellious Absolom an idolatrous Ieroboam and an oppressing Pharao a painted Iesabel a blaspheming Sennacherib a railing Rabsachath a scoffing Michal a spending Prodigall a cursing Shemei a proud Herod a gluttonous Diues a traiterous Iudas an hypocriticall Pharisie a wanton Mary Magdalen an tyrannicall Nero a bloudy Bonner and an Apostate Iulian or any other sinner whatsoeuer Oh weepe and lament for them knowing not how soone God may with-draw his grace from thee and suffer thee to fall as foule as any of them into the like sinnes I conclude this point with that place of Ezechiel where the Lord commands a marke to be set vpon the foreheads of all those that mourne and cry for all the abominations done in the midst of Hierusalem for their preseruation Ezek. 9.4 5. But to take notice of all those which did not onely laugh at sinne but would not lament for sinne for their destruction O therefore let vs with our louing Sauiour sorrow and grieue for our sinfull brethren vsing all meanes to turne them from their wicked course of life imbracing the man but hating his manners rebuking him sharply for his great offence Prou. 27.5 for an open rebuke is better then a secret loue then it may be thou shalt pull his soule from Satan which if thou canst but so doe thou maiest sit downe with ioyfull Iacob when he heard of Iosephs life Gen. 45.25 I haue enough my sonne is liuing 2. Cause of Christs teares was Propter mala poenae the punishment to which they were subiect Our last point is the second cause of Christs teares which is Propter mala poenae the euill of punishment that was to be inflicted vpon them for as God he saw nay rather fore-saw from the Watch-tower of this Mount the future temptations and vtter desolations both of Church and people Cities and Citizens which whilest he beheld as God he lamented as Man Should I enter into their punishments I should diue into an Ocean without bottome and lose my selfe in a wildernesse of discourse therfore I refuse to tel you how the sword destroied twentie thousand in one day Iosephus and how the
thing to the charge of Gods chosen my sinnes deserued my punishments had they beene greater and I pray with Saint Augustine Hic vre hic seca vt in aeternum parcas Domine id est Here burne mee here slay me to spare me hereafter q.d. Lord doe what thou wilt with my body so that thou wilt but saue my soule Nay further I pray with Saint Ierome Vtinam ob Domini mei nomen atque iustitiam cuncta gentilium turba me persequatur tribulet vtinam in opprobrium meum stolidus hic mundus exurgat tantum vt ego mercedem Iesu consequar id est I would to God that the whole nation of the Gentiles Pagans and Infidels would for the name of my God and for the glory of his Gospell persecute me and trouble me I would to God this mad and foolish world would rise vp against me for the profession of Gods blessed truth only that I may obtaine Christ Iesus for my reward For the loue I found generally amongst you all I haue nothing wherewith to requite it therefore I onely praise my God and heartily thanke you amongst which Louers I cannot chuse but particularize some of the best for where most kindnesse hath beene receiued most thankefulnesse should be returned and though I am not able worthily or sufficiently to returne thankes vnto you yet I hope you will accept of what I am able receiuing these few lines as a testimonie of further seruice First therefore I salute the worshipfull Mistris Moore with whom though my acquaintance be but small yet for the good I haue both heard and seene cannot chuse but mention as one of my friends if my iudgement faile not they are to be counted the best friends that prouoke a man to cleane closest to God Gen. 45.5 Iosephs brethren out of enuy sold him to bee a bond-slaue but God that sits aboue turned the wheele so about that enuy brought glory debasement aduancement for this the Lord suffered them to doe for his and their preseruation Mistake me not I doe not tax you with any iniury but thanke you for your courtesie for this be farre from me to grieue any of the Saints of which I am perswaded you are one for the world hath crowned you for religion piety and bounty for wisdome honesty and ciuility for kindnesse courtesie and modesty and which is most of all for a tender conscience ready to releeue the poore members of Christ Iesus affording succour to his Ministers which are destitute of outward comfort Helen Queene of Adiabene when shee left her owne Country and came to dwell at Hierusalem shee filled the bellies of the poore with the Cornes of Aegypt Eus lib. 2. cap. 12. Ioseph antiquet lib. 20. cap. 2. and the Fruits of Cyprus sparing for no cost to doe good to the Saints that were at Ierusalem by which your selfe hath gotten a very famous report and I hope the Lord will still make you a beneficiall instrument both to Church and Common-wealth The rarer this vertue is the more I reuerence it commending you and your houshold to God Act. 20.32 and to the word of his grace which is able to build further and to giue you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Master Freeman you I must not forget vnlesse I forget my selfe and though I should forget my selfe yet can I not chuse but remember you the affection of your heart I haue found by the act of your hand and your willingnesse to doe me good hath beene seene by your forwardnesse to speake and write in my behalfe vpon any occasion that hath beene offered vnto you a requitall I cannot make vnlesse it please you to accept of my heartiest prayers which I cease not to poure out at the throne of grace for you your wife and family and for my vnknowne friend who desiring them hath not forgotten me Master Goodwin my loue is great to your soule though my familiarity be small with your bodily presence and neighbourly association I wish if it might not be offensiue to liue to requite some part of your courtesies for beyond my desert I haue found you forward to subscribe to any good motion for my good for which I shall euer rest at your command for any seruice Mistris Glouer much wrong I should doe you if I neglect to number you amongst my friends you were the tree that yeelded me the first fruit in this City though it was but small yet it was comfortable by reason of my necessity since you haue watered my studies with your beneficence that euen my barrennesse hath through your drops yeelded some fruit I trust to the comfort of many your loue to Gods Saints and zeale to the Word doth crowne you for as women delight not onely to see faire Iewels and curious needle-workes but to take them out and we are them so I dare boldly say that your care is not onely to know but to expresse and weare the good things you know in your conuersation I beseech God to increase his fatherly blessings vpon you and vpon your sonne Master Richard Glouer and vpon all the rest of your children and family to his owne glorie and your endlesse comforts Master Alkin you are the fauour of my heart and the Father of my being in some kinde if euer I was obliged to any in a double and treble manner to you Your care both for me and ouer me hath beene more fatherlike then friendlike and not onely to me but to many more of my Brethren which if pride doe not too much puffe vp their minds cannot chuse but acknowledge forwith Lot in Sodome you haue receiued the Angels and Messengers of God Gen. 19.2 3. with Rebecca you haue courteously entertained the seruants of Abraham with beleeuing Rahab receiued the Spies nay Gen. 24.25 Iosh 2.1 with Publius in the I le of Malta you haue receiued Paul and with Martha and Marie you haue receiued if not Christ himselfe yet Christ in his members nay with Lydia Act. 28.7 Luke 10.38 you haue constrained the Apostles to staie in your house and with Tabitha you are full of good works and almes deeds Act. 16.15 according to your abilitie This I know therefore cannot chuse but speake not to the end you should bee puft vp with vaine glorie but to encourage you in this godly course that at the latter end of your daies you may with comfort say I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I haue kept the faith from henceforth is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord c. I seale vp my loue with my heartiest praiers for you your Wife and all the rest of your Family euer resting your true friend Time calls away the euening requires haste I dare not call to any more friends lest darknesse ouertake me and preuent me of my hoped hauen Generally therefore I salute Mr. Camden Mr.
distinguish The presence of the Lord is two-fold either Corporall or Spirituall The Lords presence corporall or spirituall his Corporall presence is his being with any people in his humane Nature but of this presence both we and all other people are destitute his humane Nature onely remaines in heauen Sitting at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father and there shall sit till his second comming in the Clouds to iudgement His presence Spirituall is either generall or speciall Praesentia 1. Absoluta 2. Specialis Approbationis Act. 17.28 Gen. 4. Mat. 28. 1 Sam. 16.14 Dan. 5. Secondly his spirituall presence is two-fold generall and more speciall his generall presence is as the Schoole-men call it his absolute presence which is his essentiall being in any place so he is present with all the world as well with the Reprobates as the godly the vnreasonable creatures as the reasonable by this presence we all liue moue and haue our being By this presence he is with Cain to affright him with Iudas to confound him with Saul to vex him with Balshazer to amaze him with all the wicked to terrifie and ouerthrow them for euer The second spirituall presence is speciall presence Speciall spirituall presence what called in Scripture the loue of God or the fauour of God and thus he is present with his Elect and none else When Abraham made a request for Ismael it was onely that the Lord would suffer him to liue in his presence that is in his fauour and loue Gen. 17.18 but this presence none that are wicked can attaine vnto As for that presence which Ierusalem wanted was his corporall presence and if I mistake not his spirituall also for these Iewes did reiect him both in his owne person and in the person of his Prophets continually refusing those which were sent vnto them for their owne good Mat. 23.37 therefore it was iust with God to leaue them destitute of his speciall presence as soone after wofully came to passe Wheresoeuer the Ordinance of God is Ob. there is also his speciall presence but these Iewes had the ordinances of God therefore his speciall presence Answ The ordinances of God doe not tie Christ alwaies to be present Resp Then should his speciall presence remaine amongst many Reprobates Gods ordinances may bee where hee is not present in a speciall manner for those which haue not the feare of God before their eies can many times get his ordinances and that into their houses yea into their hands yet neuer a whit the neerer is the speciall presence of Christ because they want them in their soules It is not Michahs getting a Prophet into his house Judg. 17.13 can inforce the Lord euer a whit the more to be present for the Arke may bee in the middest of Israels army 1 Sam. 4.10 11. yet they put to flight by their enemies because their sinnes had banished the speciall presence of the Lord from their soules But let this be granted though it neuer can be prooued yet was the speciall presence of Christ now fled or flying from these Iewes and all by reason they wanted his ordinances It is true they were offered but reiected for if Christ walke but towards the Gadarens this salutation shall meet him as a hedge to preuent him Mat. 8. v. vlt. I pray thee depart out of our Coasts thus they made the presence of Christ a burthen to their soules and 11.30 his yoake though light too heauy for them to beare and neuer could haue inward peace till they banished his presence from their Country I cannot deny but that they had the Law and the Sacraments of the law yet not the speciall presence of Christ in them for these things were now abolished new things substituted and set vp in their roome Needs therfore must the shadow giue place when the substance approacheth If it haue turned vs ouer to a better Tutor it selfe hath no more to doe with vs being only but a Schoole-master to send vs to Christ Luke 19.42 but as for that Law which Christ brought the Iewes wanted for it was hid from their eyes therefore they needs must bee destitute of the speciall presence of Christ If Ierusalem that famous City which God louâ—d aboue all the Cities in the world If that place I say was or could be destitute of the speciall presence of Christ then let not Rome boast too much of her holinesse and outward flourishing estate let her neuer say Ap. 18.7.8 I am a Queene and shall see no mourning for since the bloud of all the Prophets are onely found in her her fall shall come suddenly But what haue we to doe with Rome and concerning her Religion God grant wee neuer may Let vs therefore turne vnto our selues looking more neere home for here wee shall finde imployments sufficient amongst our selues 1 Pet. 4.17 If iudgement beginne at the house of God where shall the wicked and vngodly appeare if God deale thus with a greene tree Lâ—k 23.31 what shall become of the dry If the Iewes so smart Gods eldest sons what shall the Gentiles looke for his youngest seruants Surely sinne cannot goe long vnpunished for Saint Augustine in his Booke of 50. Homilies Aug. lib. 50. Hom. Hom. 21. Homily 21. saith that Iustitia est vt puniat peccatum It is a part of Gods Iustice to punish sinne yea No greater punishment to a City than to be destitute of Christs speciall presence a part of his actiue iustice But how he will punish it in vs we doe not know worse he cannot punish it in any nation than to depriue the sinner of his speciall presence and that first because his presence is a Cities protection For if the Lord keepe not the City Reasons the watchman wakeâ—h but in vaine 1. It is a Cities protection Psal 127 1â— 1 Sam. 17.4 5 6 7. 2 Sam. 2.18 2 Sam. 14.25 2 Sam. 17. Iudg. 16.3 1 King 3.12 It is not Goliahs greatnesse nor Azas swiftnesse nor Absolons beauty nor Achitophels policy Sampsons strength Salomons wisdome Croesus purse nor any thing vnder the Sunne that can be the safety of a City but only the presence of the Lord. Secondly his presence is a Cities direction For as the wise men were led from the East to Bethelem by a Starre 2. Direct Mat. 2.9 so are those people where Christ remaines led from nature to grace from sinne to sincerity from bad to good from good to better for Christ is that bright morning star Apoc. 22.16 who will not suffer any to lodge long in sin if they direct but their course to that hauen whereunto Christ will guide them 3. Instruct Thirdly his presence is a Cities Instruction For as the Sunne discouers all darke places so wil Christ who is that Sunne of righteousnesse Maâ— 4.1 or righteous sunne by his presence vnmaske