in the time of Famine fly unto God in this their woefull wretched and miserable estate when all outward and worldly comforts fayle them and lay their burthen upon him because they knew that he was able to feed and help them though the cisternes of the world were growne dry being the Lord and as willing as able being their God For the majesty of God is so glorious that it would make them fly from him and his essence is so incomprehensible that it is a light that none can have accesse unto and an huge Sea that will drowne such as will adventure to wade into it but the Knowledge of Gods sufficiency and power to help and of his mercy and free favour whereby he is ready and willing to help that 's it that encourageth them to come before the Lord and call upon his Name with strong cryes and earnest requests with sighs and sobs and groanes and cry unto the Lord. Whence the point is this That the knowledge of Gods power and mercy is the onely cause that brings Christians into Gods presence and makes them call upon him in trouble When they are plunged in misery in distresse then God shall be sure of their custome and company like these people here who when all their hopes were perished then they run to God and cast all upon him whom they knew was able to bring Water out of the Flint as well as out of the River and Bread out of the Clouds as well as out of the Barne Canaan they knew could not maintain them without Gods blessing and with it a barren Wildernesse could and therefore to him they fly and cry They cry unto the Lord. For this look onely upon Psalme the ninth and tenth Verse where the Prophet sheweth how they come to seek unto God They that know thy name will trust in thee for thou never faylest them that seek thee How come they to seek God They first trust in God by the Knowledge of Gods Name which name is the Lord strong gracious and mercifull and till men come to know this Name they can never come to trust in God nor to seek God but by the right understanding and applying of the Name of God Nothing in distresse can hinder them from crying unto the Lord because they know that there is no evill but in his name they may have an Antidote against it no fore but there they shall have a salve to cure it no disease but there they shall have a remedy to help it no wound but there they shall have a Playster to heale it no sicknesse but there they shall have a cordiall to comfort it and Physicke to recover it no doubt but there they shall find a refolution for it nor no good thing but there they may get a certainty of obtaining it And therefore to hearten you in all assayes in all distresses miseries and calamities whatsoever to fly to this Name which will be like an Oyntment poured forth to fill and delight the hearts of the Faithfull with the odour of it And though I cannot give you a definition of the Lord your God yet take that description of the name of God notably and comfortably set downe to my hand in Exodus where you may heare the Lord himselfe Proclayming his Name in these ten severall properties Exod. 34.6.7 The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth reserving mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sins and not making the wicked innocent visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children and upon the Childrens Children unto the third and fourth Generation Then what misery what trouble what distresse what affliction what calamity can hindâ—r us from comming to the Lord upon the Feet of Faith and Prayer to cry unto the Lord. 1. Are you layd in the low Dungeon of misery as Ionaâ— was in the Dungeon of Hell in the bottome of the Sea in the belly of the Whale Are your Enemies mighty your sufferings many and your oppressions and pressures heavy then cry unto the Lord for he is the Lord strong all power is in him and from him and for him he is the mighty God and he doth not onely use his might for our Salvation but for our Enemies destruction If then your troubles be great and your Enemies mighty be not dismayed your God is greater and mightier to help you out of them then they are to hold you still in them and he rides upon the Heavens full of Majesty and full of ability to deliver you and to set you free from the strongest bonds of affliction Come but once to know Gods all-sufficient Power then no affliction or tryall shall make you faint The least affliction if God support us not in it will be too strong for us but the greatest nay the rushing in of all at once upon us if this strong God be on our side shall not be able to hurt uâ— or daunt us and therefore when our Hands cannot help us nor our Tongues prevaile with unreasonable men let us fly unto this strong Tower the Lord our God And cry unto the Lord. 2 And now least any poor afflicted soule hearing of Gods Power should say I know that God is strong and powerfull but what is that to me it may be he may use his power to my overthrow Nay saith the Lord God is mercifull as well as powerfull and therefore why should any be discouraged by misery since misery is the very object of mercy and the Eye of Divine pitty is ever fixed upon it For the God whom we serve hath no other riches then the riches of his mercy And this was the argument that David so often used Psal 6.2.3.4 Have mercy on me O Lord for I am weake â— O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed my soule is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou delay Returns O Lord deliver my soule save me for thy mercies sake And in anâ—ther Psalme Psal 86.1 Incline thine Eare O Lord and heare me for I am poor and needy And if we come but crying unto him our very misery will be sufficient to work upon him for mercy so that he will be ready to entertaine us like the Father of the Prodigall with an Vnde plangis why weepest thou my Sonne â—â—k 15.20 I will clothe thee with the best Rayment and put my Gold Ring upon thy finger and thy Fare shall be the daintiest morsell nay he will like that Father of the Prodigall stand ready to receive us with his armes uâ—foulded to â—mbrace us with his hands open to invite us with gifts with his head inclined to afford us the kisse of peace and shew forth his love unto us upon every occasion as the Prophet Hosea testifieth Hos 14.4 saying In thee the Fatherlesse shall find mercy Let us then lift up our soules and cry continually in all straits and troubles to this God of
mercy for the Lord our God is good and gracious and mercifull and of great kindnesse unto all them that call upon him Then cry unto the Lord. 3. But least that any poor soule should be disheartened as unworthy to cry for mercy by reason of his owne corruptions and spots and staines and leprosie of sin The next to hearten and encourage him is That the Lord as he is strong and mercifull so he is gracious that is loving and shewing mercy without any merit Art thou not worthy of mercy Hast thou not deserved the least favour at Gods hand what of that God tells thee for thy comfort that he is gracious The Lord our God is so gracious as that he will not tarry till we deserve favour nor till we be worthy of mercy but even while we are unworthy will freely shew forth his goodnesse and mercy towards us How worthy was Saul Acts 9 1. when he was even breathing ouâ— threatning and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord And therefore it is said of Abraham Rom. 4.5 That he beleeved in him that justifieth the ungodly noting thereby that sinne cannot hinder Gods favour from offenders but that through Faith they shall be justified and made as innocent in Gods account as if they had never offended at all Then let us not when we are in distresse be discouraged or dismayed by reason of the soulenesse of our sinnes but let us goâ— to the Lord and come but penitently and he will shew himselfe gracious notwithstanding them all Then cry unto the Lord. 4. But still the wounded soule perhaps may say Alas I have provoked God to wrath I have incensed him and justly drawne his heavy hand upon me by my sins and therefore though the Lord be gracious with what comfort or hope can such a sinfull wretch as I goe to cry to that God I have so hainously offended Hast thou provoked and offended thy God yet let not that dismay nor hinder theâ— but goe cry unto the Lord for he tells thee himselfe That he is slow to anger that is long ere he be provoked Witnesse the cryes of Sodome which pierced the Eares of the Almighty yet so loath was God to showre downe Fire and Brimstone as that he expostulates the matter as if he had bin jealous of his owne Eares and answers with an Ego vadam videbo I will goe downe and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry that is come unto me And thus as he is hard to be provoked making as though he saw not our sins because he would have us to amend so when he is provoked he is as easie to be appeased And this is seen in Mary Magdalene a notorious sinner in the City of Iernsalem who was grown so shamelesse as that the whole City suffered in regard of the bad report that went of her yet she no sooner stands at his Feet behind him weeping but Christ presently tells Simon Luk. 7.38 that many sins are forgiven her For we can no sooner fall out with our sins but God falls in with us An Earthly Father will not take every advantage against his Child and when the Child is grieved that he hath committed a great fault good Parents are easily satisfied The Lord our God piâ—tieth us as a Father his Children and whensoever we kindle his wrath against us one Teare of true Repentance will quench all the Flame thereof And to this David giveth sufficient testimony saying Psal 103.8.9 The Lord is slow to anger and of great kindnesse he will not alwayes chide nor keep his anger for ever And this he himself found by good experience for when after many mercies received he had grievously provoked the Lord in that matter of Vriah and did not repent but still lay in his sin insomuch as God was angry with him David no sooner begins to make confession of his sin but God forthwith tells him by the Prophet 2 Sam. 12.13 That he had put away his sin so that the Lord was more ready to offer him pardon then he was to aske it And therefore since the Lord is slow to anger and easie to be intreated let not our sins though never so many hinder us from Crying to the Lord. 5. But still some poor soule perhaps may say T is true indeed I know there is no fault on Gods part he is slow to anger and easie to be intreated But what am I the better when I cannot fit my selfe to seek for mercy as I ought to doe Alas I am weake and full of infirmities I come farre short every way I cannot Pray as I ought my Prayers are few and cold and weake I cannot keep Gods Word my memory is fraile and slippery c. What of all this let no weaknesse nor infirmities dismay thee for the Lord himselfe tells thee in the next place that he is abundant in goodnesse or abundant in kindnesse and it is the property of kindnesse to take small things in good worth and to passe by infirmities and weaknesse and to be easie to be intreated he will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax if we can but once come to be humble in heart though we cannot attaine to that measure of sanctification as others have nor poure out our Soules in Prayer as we should yet God will take all in good part he that will reward a Cup of cold Wateâ— he will reward a cold Prayer for God looks not for perfection from poor weak creatures that are full of imperfection And therefore since he is abundant in kindnesse let not our infirmities and weaknesse hinder us from crying unto the Lord. 6. But the poor afflicted soule may perhaps still say Though the Lord be abundant in goodnesse and kindnesse yet how shall I know that this goodnesse and kindnesse of God shall be performed unto me for I have Prayed and Cryed and waited long â—nd yet am never the neerer so that though he be good and yet not good to me kind and yet not kind to me what am I the better Hast thou Prayed and Cryed and wayted and hath not God seemed to regard nor answered thy requests in releeving thy wants easing thy torments removing thy pressures c. yet Cry still and in the Lords due time thou shalt be sure of reliefe for he never promiseth but he performeth if we persevere without fainting And so he himselfe tells thee in the next place that he is abundant in truth As he never threatens any thing but he executes it so he never promiseth any thing but he performes it You may beleeve him without an Oath But I have sworne by my holinesse saith God that I will not forsake David And never any yet could charge him with breach of promise hath he promised and shall he not performe Then cheare up your hearts and pluck up your spirits your God hath promised Psal 34.10 that those that feare him shall
and anointing the wounds of the Apostles Witnesse Zacheus who of a pilling and powling Publican and a grinder of the faces of the poor presently became a mercifull refresher of their bowels Witnesse many others c. Every mans life is a Way wherein without intermission he walkes from the Wombe to the Grave Ab utero ad Sepulchrum ambulamus omnes and this is the way which Joshua calls the way of all flesh But in this way there is a great difference for some are upright in it and those are declared to be such as walk in the way of godlinesse to glorification Others turn aside after the crooked wayes of sin and those walk on unto perdition they goe singing and in a moment tumble into Hell Now the Lord our God that would not the death of a sinner calls all to Repentance whilest we not feeling those privy nips and perillous wounds that sin impaires our soules withall doe swim in the fullest delights that invention can procure us and our souls cleaving to the midst of our mirth our way but beguyles us and for not minding our Voyage in stead of arriving at our wished for Haven we are suckt into the gulfe ere ever we are aw re so that we had need labour for a Reformation by the wholesome Information of the Word and Christs Schoole being a Schoole for all sorts we had need all become Schollars in the Schoole of Christ both young and old and old as well as young First young men for the age of youth is indeed the age of right reformation Bend a tree while it is but a twig and it will ply which way you will have it but let it alone untill it be a sturdy Oke there is then no dealing with it Even so settle the soule once upon the lees of sinfull lust and custome in sinning proves another nature and in the end becomes inflexible incorrigible Let a man through his youth set his face against Heaven and blaspheme Gods Religion it shall be as easie for the Blackamoore to change his hue or the Leopard his spots as for that man that hath been alwayes accustomed to evill ever to learn to doe well I doe not say impâ—ssible for I know that it is the easiest thing in the world with God to enrich a sinner with his grace and therefore we dispute not his power nor his mercy Not his power for God can in an instant make of a sinner a Saint Not his mercy for Gods mercy knows no bounds nor limits But it is not easie for that sinner that hath been alwayes accustomed to doe evill ever to learn to doe well for you know the curse is commonly passed out against those who have been so long fruitlesse Mat. 21.19 Never fruit grow on thee henceforth neither in this World nor in the World to come reape they shall bring forth they shall not but they shall reape the fruit of Judgement the fruit of punishment other fruit they shall never bring forth dead Trees cut off from the land of the living dead Branches cut off from the Tree of Life And indeed what can that ground expect that brings forth nothing but thorns and bryars Heb. 6.8 but that the end of it should be to be burned So that though ye rejoyce in your youth O ye young men yet remember you must come to Judgement And sure it is but an evill and wofull division when young years are given to Sathan and old age to the Lord. It s the first fruits that God requires And you may find Saint John writing to Young men as well as to Elders 1 Iohn 2.12 13. to Children as well as to Fathers And Solomon adviseth the young man Eccles 12.1 To remember his Creator in the dayes of his youth And David Psal 119 9 to redresse his wayes For indeed the age of youth is the very Harvest and Summer in which whosoever sleepeth is the son of confusion but he that gathereth is the child of wisedome Pro. 10.5 It is with grace as it is with grafts there must be a time of in-setting and a time of out-growing and both these must be seasonable before fruit can be expected so that seed must be sown in youth which must come up in age For nip a blossome in the Spring and where is the hope of its Autumne And indeed where Sathan can make youth unprofitable little good nay much spirituall beggery may be expected in all the other ages of that mans life Again Call thy wayes to remembrance while thou art young that thy Conscience may be at peace when thou art aged for assure thy selfe that the vanitles of youth will vex the heart for many yeares after Psal 25.7 See David Praying against the sins of his youth and not without a bitter sense and sting of them Psal 25.7 Ieâ— 13.16 It was the voyce of Ephraim I was ashamed yea confounded because I did beare the roproach of my youth for though for the present a man may be sencelesse of his grossest sins yet God will waken his Conscience at last and make the very thought of his iniquities as bitter as ever the practice of them was pleasant the thought of them will fill him with trouble of Conscience and bring him not onely to doubt of his effectuall calling to Grace but almost to a despaire of his salvation And if he would be fenced against all these afterclaps the time is now wherein he may prevent such afflictions by bearing Gods yoke in his youth Now is the time wherein he should take notice of that great bundle of folly which is naturally bound up in his heart But alas No age so much stops its eares as this age of youth charme the charmer never so wisely For whereas young men should live as Nazarites consecrated to the Lord they rather live like men that have vowed and dedicated themselves to the service of Sathan loathing or seorning to become Schollars in the Schoole of Christ which indeed is most effectuall to cure the disordered affections of youth But those that would be Trees of Righteousnesse and known to be of the Lords own Planting laden especially in their age with the fruits of the Spirit must in their youth timely bud timely blossome and timely beare that so their whole lives may be a fruitfull course whereby God may be glorified others edified and themselves receive in the end a more full consolation Secondly as young men so old as well as young must be Schollars in the Schoole of Christ for though its true that the age of youth of all ages is most subject to the dangerous diseases of inordinate lusts yet there is no age without its blemishes not the hoary haire without its errors David so often as he considered his wayes found alwayes something that needed redresse and there is none so well renewed in this life but they may find somthing in themselves that needs further reformation Who can say
he hath in such sort cleansed his Heart as that he need not make it more cleane Certainely when sins are lopt they grow againe when they are chased away they may turne againe and the fire of sin being quenched it kindles againe so that we had need often lop our superfluous affections if it be possible alwayes For let a man tell the truth as he finds it and I dare say he finds alwayes something in himselfe needing reformation So that Old as well as Young should come to this Schoole For surely it s a double shame and sin for an old man to be of an uncleane life or to be ignorant of the Word having lived till his head be gray without making any progresse at all in the knowledge of godlinesse The neerer we draw unto the Land of Canaan the further off should we be from the delights of Egypt otherwise it will come to passe in Gods righteous Judgement that when in regard of our long journey we are come to the very borders of that good Land we shall be put back again with those earnall Israelites and never suffred to enter into it O miserable condition of that man whose body is declining to the Grave but his spirit hath never learned to ascend to him that gave it he come as I said to the very borders of Canaan I meane to the very point of time wherein Gods Children make their happy transmigration but by reason of his sins he is thrust back againe and never suffered to enter when he should dye and ascend to the blessed fellowship of God the Father of Lights he dyes indeed but descends to the pit of utter darkenesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth What a woefull case then is it that men should be thus sould under sin nay even spend and weare out themselves in plotting and contriving who should get themselves surest and deepest in How are even the hearts of the Ancient whose Faces Age hath wrickled carried away to seek abundance desiring onely to become Heires of the World never seeking God nor his Kingdom for their Portion And though this service of profit seen somewhat more sweet and easie then the service of righteousnesse yet when this Master comes with his wages then tell me what becoms of the lovers of the World more then of the lovers of God 2 Pet. 2.13 surely they shall not fayle to receive the wages of unrighteousnesse O miserable service nay it is to be feared that many of our glistering saints our glorious professors who would be admired for their holinesse are too much bewitched with the sorcery of this sinne But let them know whosoever they be that for all their outward varnish and faire flourishes of devotion and shews of seeming holinesse who as if sanctity were ingaged onely to their service being sick of a Noli me tangere touch me not I am more holy then thou that their sins of hypocrisie and covetousnesse will blemish even the best things they have received and darken the best duties they attempt For indeed a rare professour is that man that can avoyd an Earthly mind in Earthly matters and while he layes up on Earth hath a free mind to treasure in Heaven O that we could consider how these hatefull poysonous sins make us even justly odious to our God and therefore let us labour to see the poyson of our own nature and seeing it strive to bewayle it And for that purpose let Young and Old and Old at well as Young all become Students in the Schoole of Christ for true Knowledge is that which works Godlinesse Moses himselfe who was learned in all the learning of the Egyptians must study to seek the Lord with an inward affection And though David had more understanding then his teachers yet he earnestly desires to be further taught of the Lord his God for the treasures of manifold wisedome locked up in the Word are so rich that no man can attaine to such measure of Knowledge but still he hath need to learne more The Angels themselves are but Schollars in this Schoole and because thou art Old wilt thou scorne to learne with Angels The very best considering his wayes may finde something in him to be amended The Doctors and Masters of Israel were but Fools in Christs esteeme The young man that thought so goodly of himselfe was ignorant of the way to Heaven and would learne of our Saviour how or what to doe to inherit Eternall Life The Wisest of Men seeks for Wisedome And the Princely Prophet begs Vnderstanding Let then high and low rich and poor old and young all run to that Fountaine from whence those Waters of Knowledge flow in abundance for Christs Schoole is a Schoole for all sorts Not onely the Elders but all the Inhabitants of the Land From the generality of this Convocation another Point may be this That the Kingdome of Christ admits of no distinction neither Prince nor Peasant for they are both his Subjects both the worke of his hands His Vineyard admits of all sorts of Labourers from the Morning till the Evening nay to the very last Houre the gates of mercy stand open for all and Gods call is generall Come unto me all you that travell and are heavy laden c. He calls not onely the King but the Subject not onely the Lord but the Slave He calls the Poor the Servant Mat. 9.13 and they receive the Gospel Nay Christ came to call sinners to repentance without exception even Publicans and Sinners The God whom we serve is no excepter of persons and the Kingdome of Christ admits of no distinction It s true indeed there was a difference held and a wall of partition was set up between Jew and Gentile between People and People Before the Flood were the Sons of God and the Sons of Men After the Flood before the Law there was the Promised Seed and the Seed of the Flesh after the Law before Christ was held the distinction of Jew and Gentile With the former God made his Covenant them he took into his teaching and passed by the other To them pertained the Adoption the Glory the Covenant the giving of the Law the Service of God the Oracles the Promises These had his Tempe his Prophets ordinary and extraordinary This difference David meants of in those words He shewed his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and Judgements unto Israel But he dealt not so with every Nation neither have they known his wayes Psal 147.19.20 But now in this last Age of the World this Covenant of Grace and Life is made common to all People every man is now called to Repentance and invited to come and drinke of Christs blood by Faith the partition wall is now broken downe the Vaile is rent the gates of mercy wide opened and that Mystery which was kept seeret from the beginning of the World is Published to all The consideration whereof should stir us up to an exceeding rejoycing in that