O thou enemie for though they fall yet they shall rise againe Say not wee haue deuoured them for God is on their side and though heere they lament weepe mourne yet this finite sorow shal be turned into infinite ioy And if the godly amiddest their persecutions Ioh. 16.20 see not meanes of victory let them pray vnto God and hee will performe it and giue them grace to see it When the King of Syria sent horses chariots and a mightie host to compasse Dothan in the night that they might take Elisha for disclosing his minde to the King of Israel 2. King 6.14.15.16 17. and that the seruant of this man of God arising early to go out espied them he cried alas master how shall we do but when Elisha had prayed to the Lord to open his eyes and the Lord had opened them then the seruant looked and behold the mountaine was full of horses and chariots of fire to defend them and then according to Elishaes aduice no reasō he should feare because they were moe that fought for them then those which were against them Euen so many in their troubles crie alas what shall wee do vntill by prayer their eyes are opened to see Gods armies of deliuerance about thē Act. 4.30 Who although a while they seeme to haue their feet in the stocks fast boūd with misery and iron yet the Angel of God comes at the last bids them arise like strōg men 1. Cor. 10.13 then the chaines of their miseries fall presently from thē Therefore O verè tuta pro Christo cum Christo pugna in qua modò nè fugias nec vulneratus nec prostratus nec conculcatus nec millies si fieri possit occisus fraudaberis à victoria O happie fight saith Bernard for Christ to fight vnder Christ Bern. in Epist. in which if wee valiantly hold out though we be woūded beatē to the groūd spurned with feete slaine a thousand times if possible it could be yet we could not but haue the victorie because 2. Tim. 2.11 Licèt pugnādo moriamur tamen mortui mox coronabimur though in fighting we lose this miserable life yet presently after we shal be crowned with the Diadem of euerlasting glorie Secondly 2. The godlie haue true comfort in all troubles the godly haue exceeding comfort in all their troubles And how can it be otherwise They haue the Spirit of God dwelling within them Ephes 3.16 Rom 8 9. 1. Ioh. 3.24 2. Cor. 3.16 1. Tim. 1.14 Galath 5.22 Virtutas gaudium est fons gaudij in propria domo nascens Seneca their bodies are his temples he is in them and they in him Now among infinite other blessings whereof Gods Spirit is an absolute cause Paul accounts ioy to be one A man cannot want pleasant springs to refresh him that hath a fountaine of sweet waters in his own house no more can the godlie hauing fontem gaudij in propria domo nascentem the fountaine of all comfort in the temples of their bodies want meanes to reioyce them If the Angell in the prison where Peter lay Act. 4.30 caused all the house to shine what a glorious comfortable light shall that blessed Spirit which is the light of the Angels themselues Exod. 15.25 giue to those in whom it hath his residence 2. King 2. This is that blessed tree that Al-seasoning salt that makes the bitter water of afflictions sweete and sauourie vnto vs. Where the rod of correction strikes Psalm 23. the staffe of the Spirit doth hold vp and comfort So that though the godly sit in darknes as men forgotten yet the Lord is a light vnto them Mica 7.8 Rom. 5.5 Thus Paul speaking in the persons of the afflicted saith wee reioyce in tribulations And though this is not apparent to the fleshlie eie that sees nothing but griefe and cause of lamentation yet the godlie haue an vndoubted feeling of the same Non enim pereunt gaudia iustorum sed mutantur à corpore ad animam à sensibus ad conscientiam For the ioyes of the righteous doe not perish but are only remooued from the bodie to the soule from the outward senses to the inward conscience which is a thousand times more excellent And thus I conclude both these with Dauid The voyce of ioy and deliuerance is in the Tabernacles of the righteous Psalm 118.15 Thirdlie 3. The godlie gaine by all afflictions the godly gaine by all the troubles aduersities that befall them They sow in teares but reape in ioy for mens cursing they haue Gods blessing for the worlds hatred Gods loue for earthlie riches heauenly treasures for fading ioy enduring comfort fortyrants contempt Christs fauour for their opposing Angels guarding for friends forsaking Gods receiuing for this lifes losing their soules sauing Thus teacheth Augustine Augustine Percutis vt sanes occidis nos nè moriamur Thou dost wound vs to make vs perfectlie whole and thou dost kill vs that we should not die finallie Thus teacheth Dauid When my father and mother forsaketh mee the Lord taketh me vp Thus teacheth Christ that he that will saue his life shal lose it but he that will lose it for his sake shall saue it And thus is Christ to the persecuted Christian both in life and death aduantage But see more of this in the answeres to the particulars obiected Fourthly 4. The godlie are trulie rich the godly are wonderfully rich though in the iudgement of the world they are counted poore The Lions lacke and suffer hunger but those which loue and feare the Lord want nothing that is good Is not this then to bee exceeding rich Aug. in Enchir. Ille diues qui omnia quae vult habet nec aliquid vult quod non decet He is rich which hath as much as he doth desire and desires no more then that which he ought for riches consist not in the abundance but in the manner of enioying so that to haue a little and yet to desire no more is to be truelie rich and to haue much and yet still to desire is indeede to bee poore or at least though outwardly rich yet inwardly poore because though his barnes are full his mind is emptie so they are rich but he poore But it is far otherwise with the godlie they desire no more then they haue and in the possessing of that which they haue they are not disturbed Gregorie Cui cum paupertate benè conuenit non est pauper saith Gregorie He that in his pouertie hath all things going well that man cannot bee poore But the riches of the godly are the ornaments of their soules Venditis rebus nostris nullum magis charum accipimus pretiū quà m nos metipsos August Augustine the rewards thereof not this worldly wealth which hath his ebbe as well as his flowing and his meanes of hurting as well as benefitting
Vbicunque caro inuenit refectionem inuenit defectionem wheresoeuer the flesh findes a refreshing it shall also finde a want and wearing In this the godly are often poore in regard of the quantitie but in the other which are true and tried riches very abundant Are not they rich which haue the most precious graces of Gods holy spirit within them which haue Christ himselfe who as Bernard saith hath all riches in his left hand Bern. in serm and all honour in his right yea who are heires of a kingdome in qualitie rich pure shining cleare gorgeous most glorious and fuller of all ioy and happines then tongue can declare or heart conceiue In quantitie exceeding spatious in substance not subiect to alteration corruption or malice of traitors Reuel 21. To this of the riches of Gods grace and mercie they are freely chosen and of this the whole world combining themselues together can neuer depriue them These are treasures not subiect to the blasts of the aire to the malice of Tyrants to the furie of the enemie to the deceit of the flatterer or to the plots of the robber Nec fraude surripiuntur nec vi eripiuntur they are neither gotten by craft nor taken away by force and therefore permanent and enduring And thus Christ for our sakes became poore 2. Cor. 8.9 that we through his pouertie might bee made rich And thus are the godlie euer rich when in the sight of the wicked they are counted poore Lastlie 5. The godlie euer haue true honor and happinesse howsoeuer the godly are accounted wretched yet they are most blessed howsoeuer base and vile yet most excellent and honourable Prou. 22.4 The truth of this appeares in that the God of Gods and King of Kings doth both largelie reward them highly esteeme them For passing by many mightie Princes 1. Thessal 1. of the exceeding riches of his grace hee elected them being defiled with that vglie leprosie of sinne he hath clensed them with the most precious blood of his onely begotten Sonne being by nature the children of wrath as well as others he hath iustified them of his free mercie sanctified them by his Spirit and called them by his word thus though once they were dead wandred and were dispersed yet now they are reuiued called home and in the superabundance of Gods mercie gathered to Christ Iesus the Sheepheard of the flocke and Bishop of our soules In which estate they weare now no more the filthie ragges of the old man but by the hand of a liuely faith haue the glorious robe of righteousnesse that is of the new man Christ Iesus put vpon them This was our estate in regard of our selues Ephes 2.3 1. Pet. 2.9 Ioh. 1.12 Galath 3.26 Hebr. 2.11.12 So that whereas once they were enemies to God now they are made friends vnto him whereas once cursed now blessed whereas once slaues to Satan now sonnes to God whereas companions and brethren of iniquitie now brethrē to Christ wheras once wedded to our lusts now espoused to him wheras once vassals of wrath now vessels of glorie whereas once captiues to Satan now free denizens of a glorious citie whereas once led by the spirit that ruleth in the aire now guided and gouerned by the good spirit of God whereas once bondslaues to Satan now heires of the kingdome of heauen Is not this true blessednes is not this exceeding honour and dignitie A faithfull man saith Salomon abounds in blessings Prou. 28.20 Prou. 28.6 Prou. 19.1 Psalm 1.1.2.3 c. and better is the poore Christian that walketh in his vprightnesse then he that peruerteth his waies though he be worldly rich Hunc habe beatum saith Seneca non quem vulgus vocat Sencca sed cui omne bonum in animo est Account that man blessed who hath all his riches in his mind not him whom the blind worldlings esteem blessed Macrob. because solae virtutes faciunt beatum the vertues of the mind make a man happie The world hauing their iudgements corrupted and eies blindfolded are misled in censuring and deceiued in beholding the state of Christs Church and no meruaile Omne decus filiae Sion ad intus The beautie of the daughter of Sion is within her which in as much as they want the spirituall eie it is impossible by thē to be discerned They prie into the imperfections and outward blacknesse of the Church but they behold her not in Christ and so see not her perfection and glory Being for her prittie trimnenesse compared to a Roe for her louelines to a doue for her fruitfulnesse to a vine for her holinesse to a Priesthood for her royaltie to a Queene for her safetie to mount Sion for her brightnesse to the morning for her glorie to the Sunne for her beautie to the fairest of women for her glittering to an Iuorie tower for qualities called by Christ himselfe sweete comelie perfect and most blessed Now the Church of God consisting of the number of the righteous Lord what do they count blessednesse if these whom thou hast thus blessed are not truelie blessed If these whom thou thus honourest are not right honourable whose soules are inricht with thy graces whose bodies are kept by thy Prouidence and guarded by thy Angels whose death is life Hebr. 6.7.8 1. Cor. 3.22 Hebr. 1.13 whose end is glory and ioy without end whose authority is to rule all Gods creatures and this rule ended to haue a greater giuen them euen to be Iudges with Christ of the most mightie tyrants and wicked Princes vpon earth Loe this is the portion of the righteous this the inheritance of the God of Iacob and therefore they are truly blessed therefore right honorable therefore most excellent But on the contrarie the wicked want true comfort euen when prosperitie smiles The tontrarie to the fiue former observed in the wicked much more when aduersitie frownes vpon them And how can it be otherwise since they want the Spirit of God which is the sole fountaine of all comfort Secondly they are swallowed vp of the miseries that doe befall them Hence it is that Dauid saith though their seate be vpon an high hill yet it is slipperie therfore they fall in their falling come to a perpetuall destructiō As Pharaoh and his hoste were swallowed vp of the seas so they are detained of death kept vnder of the graue and hell hath dominion ouer them Thirdly they lose by all view their exchange for laughing they haue mourning Luk. 6. Prou. 14. for a little ioy endlesse sorrow for the loue of the world the hatred of God for the sauing of this life Triplex vox creaturae 1. Possideto 2. Gratias habeto 3. Rationem reddito the losing of their soules for earthly pleasures they lose heauenly ioyes to liue at ease in this life brings endlesse torments in the life to come Yea in the enioying of what they most desire they frame an
in soule and bodie and all to free vs that were guilty being guiltlesse himselfe Thus he became a louing Noah that made an Arke of his owne bodie to saue vs silly sinners from drowning in the pit of eternall perdition thus he became a louing Pellican that pearced his owne heart that with his deerest bloud we might be reuiued It is obserued that the Pellican hauing made her nest hatched vp her young departs for a little season but in meane while the serpent comes and poisons them all the Pellican perceiuing it at her returne strikes the place against her heart washeth them with the bloud that issueth and after keepes them warme three daies and so they are restored againe Christ is the Pellican we his young Paradise the nest Satan the Serpent wee are poisoned Christs hart is stricken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redemption signifies a price giuen therefore Paul 1. Tim. 2. saith that Christ hath giuen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a price expressed by Paul Ephes 1.7 to be his blood 1. Pet. 1.19 the bloud issueth we are washed hee couers vs that were dying with the wings of his mercie and so we are restored from death to life againe This bloudshedding is that price which Christ gaue for our redemption a most precious price and of an exceeding value to which not siluer nor gold being things corruptible may once bee compared For it was pure bloud stained with no pollution of sinne and secondly the blood of him that was the sonne of the most glorious liuing God Qui multa gessit mira protulit dura nec tantum dura sed etiam indigna who as Augustine saith did not only endure tortures most wonderfull most grieuous but euen such as were most vnbeseeming and vnworthie his person for as Bernard saith Habuit in dictis contradictores in factis obseruatores in tormentis illusores in morte exprobatores He had such as did contradict him in his sayings obserue him in his deeds mocke him in his sufferings reproch him in his death Hee said hee was the Sonne of God they said he was a blasphemer By curing on the Sabbath he did that which was good but they obiected he did that which was not lawfull to do He was content as a seruant to suffer for our sinnes but they in the bitternesse of his paines derided him with haile master King of the Iewes He submitted himselfe to the death and they in this death cried Thou which destroyest the Temple and buildest it againe in three daies if thou bee the Sonne of the liuing God come downe from the crosse and saue thy selfe And thus in his sayings deeds sufferings death he had those which did cōtradict obserue deride and cast him in the teeth This being knowne do you not now know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Cor. 8. that he being rich for our sakes became poore that we through his pouertie might be made rich And doe you know this price giuen for our redemption this precious price this exceeding price in the giuing whereof he vnderwent so many miseries so many torments so many gain-sayings so many obseruations so many mockings so many scornings and shall not these not all these moue vs to loue him that bought vs Bernard and thus dearely bought vs O duri indurati obdurati filij Adami quos non emollit tanta benignitas tam ingens flamma tam feruens amator O hard and more then hard hearted sonnes of Adam whom so great loue such flaming loue so feruēt a louer wil not prouoke incense nor moue to loue him Behold him on the crosse his head bowing to kisse thee his armes to embrace thee his blood from the very heart through hands sides and feete trickling downe to cleanse thee heere 's a sweete kisse an humble kisse a blessed kisse by which a barren groūd yeelding wholly weeds and brambles is now made a garden of most sauourie spices in which heauen hath stooped to earth a King married a begger yea more then all God vnited to vs and we to him through which death and destruction is abolished and euerlasting life and happines procured And shall not all this moue vs to loue him I know all will answere they loue the Lord and fie on him that loues not God that thus deserueth to be beloued But withall Deut. 5.6 Matth. 22.37 1. Toto corde 2. Tota anima 3. Tota mente id est 1. Jutellectu sine errore 2. Voluntate sine contradictione 3. Memoria sine obliuione Augustine thou must further learne to loue him with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy mind and this is that maner of louing which God requireth And secondly examine this loue by the effects thereof and thou shalt finde few to loue him feruently many to loue him coldly infinite to loue him nothing at all Touching the manner with all the heart with all the soule with all the mind it is as Augustine saith to conceaue of him in our minds without any errour to obey him in our willes without contradiction to lay him vp in our hearts without obliuion Alias 1. Sapienter ne decepti 2. Dulciter ne illecti 3. Fortiter ne oppressi Bern. Or as Bernard saith with the heart that is wisely with the soule that is sweetly with the minde that is strongly Wisely that we be not deceiued with the policie of Satan and his craftie instrumēts Sweetly that riches pleasures honor by their sugred baites doe not allure vs. Strongly that the mockings of the scorners of Gods promises or persecutions of Tyrants doe not ouercome vs. And this is to loue God with all the heart with all the soule and with all the minde But I come to the effects of loue which are certaine and many Verus amor si sit in affectu necessariò ostenditur in effectu If true loue be in the affection it euer shewes it selfe in effecting The fire yeelds heate or smoke and if neither thou maist say there is fire long enough before men will beleeue thee This loue is a fire The fire kindled saith Dauid and at last I spake with my tongue therefore if it yeeld not his effects in stronger or weaker manner say what wee will the loue of God abideth not in vs. Certaine effects of louing God These effects are infinite but I touch the chief and leaue the rest to our due consideration The first signe of our true loue vnto God is when wee decrease in our loue to the world Yee cannot loue God and Mammon saith Christ I account aduantage Philip. 3.7 losse saith Paul and all things dung that I may winne Christ as if hee should say These must bee reiected before Christ can be loued VVhere is your loue to God you coueious Earth-wormes Simile Duplicibus desiderijs nemo incedere potest None can halt between two desires the eyes cast vpon two things at once