perceiue his Election and Saluation The saying is as true as ancient We must goe by the gates of Hell to Heauen we must after a sort be in Hell before euer we can be capable of Heauen aboue That is in the Hell of an ashamed countenance and a confounded conscience before euer the Lord will say vnto our soules that he is our Saluation and Redemption Our humiliation by the Law must first preceed the saluation of the Gospell so then they are not conuerted that more or lesse are neuer humbled To be troubled and amazed for our sinnes is to be fitted for Heauen and first we must be lost ere we can be found and must be condemned before wee can be reprieued or saued We must be ashamed of our sinnes affrighted at our follies and confounded in our consciences before the Lord wil once say to our soules I am thy Redemption Are you amazed at your sins be not disparaged so farre you are in this your Hell from Hell as you are composed thereby and made fitter for Heauen which is the throne of the Euer-liuing Lord GOD. Againe we must labour to haue the spirit of Bondage become the Spirit of Adoption to our soules and we must acknowledge our seuerall diseases before Christ will heale vs. As euery one can rest content to haue Cstrist our Iesus so must we rest content to haue him our Lord and be conformable vnto him in bearing the Crosse if euer we meane or looke to be glorified with him in Heauen We must needs feele our sicknesse ere wee befit for Righteousnesse soule afflictions must not fright you from Almighty God but make you rather runne vnto him for defence as the Chickens do from the Kite to their Hen 2 Cor. 12.17 18. The more you trust in God the sooner will he support you and the more earnestly you cry and craue for iustice the sweeter will be your end and the more ioyfull your deliuerance Forget not to be thankfull for the least measure of Faith and Grace wel knowing that the want of these soone worketh mans ouer-throw Vnderstand I beseech you that though Death be the deliuerer of euery faithfull man and woman from the body and prison of sinne to Eternall Felicity Our Sauiour by his Death and Passion hauing killed the sting of death in vs and a though Paul once rauished with an high Contemplation Wished to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Philip. 1.23 Yet haue we no warrant euery man to pray for the hasting of his owne death being to euery Faithfull particular man the same thing that the generall transmutation wil be at the latter day to the whole body of the iust and Elect except that the Elect after the generall dissolution attayne to a greater degree of Glory Christ came not to Call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance To seeke the lost Sheepe to finde the lost Greate and reclayme the lost Sonne or meet with the lost treasure Submit your desires to GODS will and leaue your indeauours with patience to be ordered by the Lords prouidence earnestly desiring preseruation from Death you patiently submitting your selfe vnto GODS pleasure eyther for Life or Death For the best and surest way to finde Fauour in the Eyes of the LORD Almighty is to desire him to doe with vs what hee seemeth or thinketh good for referring our selues to his Diuine prouidence hee will euer deale most graciously and louingly with vs. God is our GOD willing to shew vs grace and mercy he will turne to vs and be fauourable 〈◊〉 he takes away our manifold iniquities and cast our sinnes in the depth of the Sea Agayne Psalme 103.8.9.10 The Lord is full of Compassion and mercy long suffering and of great goodnes He will not be alwayes chiding neyther keepeth he his anger for euer He hath not dealt with vs after our sins nor rewards according to our iniquities But looke how high the Heauen is in comparison of the Earth so great is his mercy towards them that feare him Looke how wide also the East is from the West so farre hath he set our sinnes from vs. Yea like as a Father pittieth his owne children euen so is the Lord pittifull to them that feare him For he knoweth whereof we be made hee remembreth that we are but dust Psal 145.8 Ioel. 2.13 Mat. 26.11 2. Cor. 1.3 Ephe 2.4 2 Tim. 1.13 Of the great mercies of God towards vs sinners read at your leasure Psalme 145.8.9.147.8.10 and in Ioel 2.13 Math. 26.11 2 Cor. 1.3 Ephes 2.4 1 Tim. 1.13 vnto 18. verse All these places yeelde words of rare comfort pronounced by the Eternall Verity it selfe and therefore not to be mistrusted or dispayred of Let vs not abuse GODS mercies making them a cloake to couer our sinnes presume we not saying Eccles 5.6 Eccle. 5.6 The mercie of our God is great he will forgiue my manifold sins for mercy and wrath come from him Forget not that golden saying of St. Paule Rom. 8.28 All things worke together for the best to them which feare God Rom. 5.4 Yea the afflictions and troubles of Gods children are so sanctified vnto them by Gods spirit that by the same they are made partakers of Gods holinesse Hebr. 1.12 Heb. 1.12 By the same they inioy the quiet Fruite of Righteousnesse by it likewise they attaine to a greater measure of ioy in the Holy Ghost Agayne Hereby is the world crucified vnto you and you vnto it Rom. 8.8 Hereby are we made conformable to the death of Christ by this are we kept from the condemnation of this World and by the same likewise learn we experience patience Hope c. I beseech you all to ponder weigh and consider how your crosses are mercy your losses gaines your afflictions schooling and each aduersity as a Lesson receiue your Crosses as comming from Christ written both for thy Learning and Comfort manifesting by these tokens that he loueth you meaning thereby to draw you euen into his Bosome hereby we are assured of our heauenly Fathers good will towards vs. We may not in our miseries still looke for Gods but likewise at his ineffable mercie our Parents disobedience in eating the forbidden Fruite did banish them out of the most pleasant place of the World yet shewed GOD his fatherly Kindnesse vnto them before he droue them out for he made them Coates to arme them against all weather More then that hee comforted them with the promise of the blessed Seed Iesus Christ which should restore that Saluation vnto mankinde which they had lost by yeelding to the Serpents intisements Loe here the most louing and Kind dealing of GOD with Man hee will make vs smart a little for our sinnes here is his Iustice but yet so that he will not vtterly forsake vs or giue vs ouer for euer here is louing mercy Auoyde therefore Sathan once I say agayne auoyde cease to suggest or ingest into any mans heart that he should thinke because that God
Thy Seruant Esdras hath told vs of an eternall Paradise whose fruit remaineth incorruptible wherein is safety and health if wee will enter into it verse 53. Draw wee neere therefore vnto the Lord for an Inheritance because wee walke in great pride in these latter dayes of this world therefore doe many miseries meete vs and sundry calamities ouertake vs But the wise must with-hold sorrowes in themselues to allow Gods purpose and receiue his Corrections in patience if they looke to bee commended of him and allowed by him Be of good comfort O Israel and bee thou not heauy-hearted O thou house of Iacob 2. Esdras 12.46 For the most High hath you in remembrance and the Almighty hath not forgotten you in temptation 1.12.47 Neither will hee leaue Syon desolate but still mercifully remembreth the low estate of his distressed Sanctuary The Lord giueth vs all good things so doth hee enable vs when hee will and as hee will Remember wee therefore his Commandements neither let wee them at any time bee put out of our mindes but feare wee the Lord as wee flee from each sinne still doing the things which are acceptable to the Lord our God As the Lord doth scourge so doth he pitty hee leadeth to Hell and bringeth vp neither is there any that can auoide his hand Our Heauenly father scourgeth vs for our iniquities but againe gathers vs out of all Nations amongst whom wee shall bee scattered Waite yee for Saluation from God call vpon him to helpe you and hee will heare your voice if it please him God hath not tryed you as hee did the Patriarkes to the examination of your very hearts neither doth hee take vengeance on you but punisheth you for Instruction to bring you nearer to himselfe God seeing vs to bee vnruly Children doth therefore swing vs that wee may bee come quiet and goe from vnder his fingers as tame Lambes seeking for no other rest or peace then is found in Iesus Christ Know you not this that hee which offereth the most blowes is Crowned Whither should we resort but vnto the Lord in the times of our dangers and there cry most earnestly death being still before vs in our owne sight humble wee our bodies with fasting and desire the Lord to helpe vs being desolate Praise God in your misery and magnifie him for his mercy the soules of the righteous are in the hands of God where no torment can touch them the departure from vs may seeme as it were destruction howbeit they were in peace What though you now suffer paines before men yet is your hope full of immortality although you bee preuented with Death yet shall you be in rest God taketh away his least wickednesse should beguile the minde It is a matter of endlesse comfort to the poore members of Christ to see how vppon earth none are more ful of wofull paines in body and soules then Gods children who so full of soares as Iob Lazarus euen from the top to the toe Some are maimed in their bodies Iob 5. The Poole called Bethesda with her fiue porches was filled with multitudes of sicke folke blind halte and withered wayting for the moouing of the Waters after the Angels stirring whereof whosoeuer first stepped in was made whole whatsoeuer disease hee did languish of It is a comfort very cordiall to all Gods children to remember their former miseries now turned into felicity ioy and happinesse what though you rest poore yet may you possesse a Kingdome Are you here hungry and thirsty you shall assuredly taste of the Tree of Life Are you now wretched and naked you shal bee cloathed with the Roabes of Christs Righteousnesse and in the stead of the rags of infamy and Reproach on earth you shall bee crowned with the Dyadem of immortall glory in the highest heauens Be not sad eyther for the sickenes of your selfe or your friends for you cannot perish neyther shal you be cast away for your soules shall be presently in ioy and your bodies buried in the Graue as in a Bed of Doune to take a sweete sleepe till the day of Iudgement and then you shall rise to glory And according to your Religion Faith and good deedes in feeding and cloathing Christ Iesus in his members he will pitty you in mercy and now prouide comfort for you in the time of your Troubles Assure your heart and perswade your owne soule that Christ Iesus resteth the most true and absolute Sheepheard who feedeth his sheepe with most wholesome pasture not suffering vs to Rot vpon earth but assuring our soules to sing with Angels in Heauen We must not forget in the middest of our miseries that Christ our Redeemer was wounded for our transgressions broken for our iniquities the chastisment of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed Esay 53.5 Wee are saued by comming vnto God by Christ Heb. 7. he euerliuing that maketh intercession for vs. Hebr. 7 And by none other name can wee be saued Acts 4. Acts 4. Remember and forget not how wee are made partakers of Christ and his benefits euen by beeing of an humble spirit by Faith apprehending and applying Iesus Christ with all his merits vnto our selues Thus are we iustified before God and sanctified for Christs sake and therefore wee must all be content to vndergoe shame disgrace trouble persecution and bonds yea death it selfe for Christ his sake The Remembrance of Christs comming to Iudgement must cheare vp your heauy soules So labour now your heart as you may crye with the Spouse of Christ Come Lord Iesus come quickely Hope wee to liue with Christ in the Church Tryumphant then must wee dye with him in the Church Militant None shall liue with Christ aboue vnlesse they suffer with him here below nor none shall haue their teares wiped from them in Heauen vnlesse they haue first shed them on Earth It is the Lords vsuall dealing after long time of peace to bring some tryals that the Elect and true Christians may be discerned It is knowne to vs all how a Christian mans life rests a war-fare so that there is no dreaming of a Victory before wee fight It is our lot to suffer and our comfort still to stay vpon Christ who will so dispose of vs and our seuerall troubles as they shall leaue a blessing behind them and we shall gayne more in the Spirit then we can loose in the flesh Which GOD grant we may Tuesday Meditations THis rests a Maxime in Religion that God wil haue his owne true Church and Children to be tryed and vndergoe the heate of persecution Wee must learne therefore to be wise and not to thinke our selues out of Gods fauour when wee are tryed nor deeme worse of the Gospell because the Crosse still goeth with it and wicked people still hate it But still let vs all learne to looke at Christ Iesus remembring that we Seruants may not looke for any larger priuiledge then had our Lord and Maister
but God our Lord who is not rigorous to any but righteous to all God sanctifie your afflictions and free you from misery comfort you in Paradise and establish you really with Glory Amen Wednesday Meditations WHen the LORD doth visite vs and not presently free vs out of trouble we must beware and take heed that wee murmure not against God to require or grudge at his chastisements God sometimes suffers his euen to wrestle against desperation and to see no glimering of his mercies sometimes againe hee causeth the hearts of his dearest Children to leape for ioy then making his Maiesty most knowne when it may tend most for the comfort of the Elect Learne wee all to waite the Lords leasure for our deliuerance not to prescribe his time but stay his leasure and willingly waite till he comfort vs againe God forgetteth not to bee gracious though sometimes hee seemeth as though hee would shut vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure Howsoeuer it pleaseth GOD now and then to humble his Children yet he forsaketh them not for euer What are many nights of afflictions in comparison of the ioyfull morning and sun-shine of the euerlasting mercies and fauours of God These these reioyce our soules and comfort our hearts which are oppressed with sorrow Deutro 8.16 The Lord humbleth his Chosen people and prooueth them that hee may doe them good at their latter end A man may gather more vndoubted assurance of GODS euerlasting fauours towards his soule by inward afflictions then by any outward prosperity in the world Let vs all consider the manner of Gods dealing with his people in the world hee will now and then spoile vs of all our Sences and feeling of his Mercies in Christ yea suffer vs to lie bleeding in our miseries yea scorhed and tormented with the heate of Gods anger for sinne But when our hope rests euen gone then doth our heauenly Father send a gracious raine and a blessed shower to quench the heate of our poore afflicted soules for sinne which shall be as mercy to men in smart and misery Obiect But tell mee this Obiect why seeketh God his seruants in so much misery Ans To make vs all to depend of him onely with faith and patience Answ Secondly to make vs to know and see that wee are nothing of our selues but that all the strength wee haue it is onely in Christ Thirdly to stirre vp our hearts to seeke and pray vnto the Lord more earnestly for helpe and succour Fourthly to make vs esteeme the mercy of God more highly because things easily come by are lightly esteemed but things long in getting costing much trouble and paines are most sett by often therefore doth the Lord deferre his mercy vnto the last gaspe that so it might be the more esteemed Oh waite wee GODS leasure though hee deferre long and seeme to forget vs wee hope Lord for life in the middest of death and say though thou kill vs yet will wee trust in thee although thou deferre thine helpe and comfort for many yeares yet will wee neuer let goe our hold but still hang on thy mercy with our hands of Faith saying thus Lord though thou hast already whipt mee diuers wayes yet will I neuer forget to meete thee with my repentant teares well knowing thou esteemest nothing when Reformation of heart and life is wanting Iudgements come eftsoones from God for our sinnes yet layeth hee no more crosses vpon vs then hee in mercy will make vs well able to beare granting such an issue as wee shall gaine more in the Spirit then wee shall loose in the flesh Content your selfe my Brethren the Crosse in GODS due time shall bee your aduantage and leaue a sure blessing behinde it GOD imposing no punishments vpon vs but for our sinnes the tryall of our Faith Patience c. For our Heauenly Father doth afflict vs with light affliction to make vs runne vnto him and kisse his rod he afflicting vs for our good the reformation of our liues and the saluation of our soules I deny not but the best of Gods children may be afflicted with sicknes and wounds with troubled Consciences Gods rod being good both to purge our corrupt and cankered hearts and for the humbling of them throughly to the exercise of faith patience and prayer Hee knowes little that knowes not this how the poore Members of CHRIST must bee afflicted and liue in sorrow sicknesse and griefe of minde yet granteth the Lord patience to endure all By teares sorrowes and grieuous sicknesse doth God fyle away the cankered rust of our Rebellions that wee might bee more feruent in Prayer hunger more after Heauen and the more eagerly depend of his fatherly goodnesse and diuine graces When wee doe aske one thing hee giueth vs another that 's better for vs that wee might learne wholy to depend of his goodnesse all the dayes of our liues Are you in distresse fling your selfe into the blessed Armes of the LORDS mercy so will hee vndoubtedly giue you euerlasting rest vnto your soules such is the loue of GOD that hee neuer failes nor forsakes his Children Neuer despaire for any troubles but perswade your soule this that the God of peace will shortly treade downe Sathan vnder your feete hee is faithfull that haue made vs this promise Rom. 16.20 Rom. 16.20 Affliction being our portion on earth wee must labour to get faith and patience in our soules that so wee may hold out vnto the end As wee are Gods Children we finde no promise in the Word of God to be freed from temptations and trials pouerty sicknesse c. Howbeit as wee are Gods Children wee haue this promise that these things shall neuer hurt vs because the Lord will so sanctifie them vnto vs as they will surely leaue a blessing behinde them In time of danger and death nought in the world should more comfort vs then this to remember that wee haue walked before GOD in truth and with an vpright heart Esay 28.3 This cheered Ezechiah when hee was going the way of all flesh that hee had vndertaken much paines to know the LORDS Will. The best Christian is the most couetous in all heauenly knowledge of God and our saluation by Iesus Christ the Childe of God is no sooner in perill but the Lord putteth vnder his owne hand to deliuer him from death and danger Forget not God who sayth Esay 54.17.8 For a little time haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee Psal 34.17 18. Psal 34.17.18 The Lord is neere vnto all those that are of a contrite heart and will saue such as are afflicted in spirit Doth not our Sauiour comfort his Disciples thus Iohn 14.18 I will not leaue you comfortlesse but I will come vnto you euen I and I am with you to the end of the world Doubt not but there is comming a time of refreshing that will breake out as the rising of the Sunne and the bright beames of the Morning
and mercy shall embrace you on euery side Psal 31.11 Let this true comfort raise you and me vp as wee are the members of Christ that in our deepest misery and afflictions the Lord is able first to free vs from it or else to deliuer out of it There is neither panges nor any one fit in your sicknesse but it is from God the manner of it the measure of it the time of it the matter of it is of God which giueth vs good assurance and affiance that God will be mercifull and gracious vnto vs seeing hee striketh vs that is our Father and in the stroake be it neuer so sharpe he neuer forgets his former compassion but maketh each thing fall out to our future saluation puts our teares in his bottle and most louingly layes his hand vnder our head that aketh Seeke wee therefore to God for health who as hee smiteth mee so hee will heale me and as he wounds mee so likewise he restoreth me God therefore bringeth downe to the graue that he may raise vs vp againe and puts vs in mind of death by Gods Sergeant aresting vs to bring vs before him God of his goodnesse behold your teares hearken vnto your prayers and mercifully remoue your heauy affliction from you It pleaseth the wisedome of God now and then to confound your pride by weaknesse and to free vs from former sinnes by furnishing vs with most delectable seruices of assured sanctification Afflictions change their nature when they befall the man endued with Gods Spirit all things working together for the best for the loue of all such as feare the God and are called according to his purpose Let none of vs so forget the safety of our soules as not euermore still to remember Christ Iesus how he went as willingly to the Desart to be humbled as vnto Iordan to be exalted Thinke not your selfe to be forsaken of God when you are tempted of Sathan for herein you are resembled to the Sonne of God who being baptised was presently tempted by Sathans subtilties Afflictions soften our hearts when we apprehend Gods mercies in them and can receiue them as the wounds of a friend with the melting of our hearts sent in loue vnto vs to better our behauiours Know I beseech thee thou languishing person that the deeper the sence of misery is the sweeter is the sence of mercy It 's the saying of St. Bernard Deus non infundit oleum misericordiae nisi in vas contritum God powres not the oyle of his mercies saue into a broken vessell For indeed whole vessels are full enough and would run ouer if powred into them and so be spilt on the ground The Lord scourgeth vs to make vs more pliable to his holy will an vnhumbled sinner is vnfit for Gods Instruction and like an vnbroken Colte for the Saddle The deeper your discent in humiliation the higher your ascent in consolation Therefore doth now euen rottennesse enter into your bones that hauing a while trembled you may henceforth rest in the day of trouble remembring how after greatest tempests come the stillest calmes sanctified windes making the trees of Gods Garden to take the deeper rooting It is the manner of our heauenly Father to gaine glory to himselfe by working by contraries when he bringeth ioy out of feares light out of darknesse and Heauen out of Hell God wrestled with Iacob and lamed him ere he blessed him Iosephs leggs were laden with irons and bolts in Pharaohs Dungeon ere hee could weare a golden Chaine and haue dominion in Aegypt The wounds that our God giueth are not mortall but medicinable our God is such a Chyrurgeon that he first woundeth but then heales It is Gods accustomed manner to bring first downe to Hell and then vp againe into the bosome of Abraham Feare not to fall into the Lords Dungeon which will rebound you safely into Heauen his Pallace of priuiledge forget not how repenting Ionas was throwne into the Sea and humbled Glut not your selues with any pleasures of this life neither spend your precious time in fleeting vanities keepe rather your best dainties in the vineger of godly sorrow allay your strong wine with water eate your meate as the Iewes did their Passeouer with sower hearbs Imitate godly King Dauid who caused his bed euery night to swim oftentimes watering his Couch with his teares Psal 6.6 Forget not good Bradford that vsually at his dinner shed teares on his trencher art thou sicke and sinfull stand not reasoning with thine owne distrustfull heart but heare what God sayth by Esay 1.18 If you will wash and cleanse your selues by repentance though your sins were as red as Crimson yet then shall they be as white as Snow Oh but my sins passe the sinnes of all others in greatnesse so much the more haste to repent the more dangerous thy disease is the more physicke must thou vse if thy sinnes be so great as thou complainest why meanest thou to make it greater by thy not repenting Repentance makes sin lesse Impenitency is the condemning sinne Remember that Christ is our Physitian and Repentance is his Phisick Math. 9. In death Sathans temptations and our Consciences accusations will be strongest therefore our preparation against them should be more then ordinary We may not once despaire of our heauenly Fathers prouidence but call to minde how louingly the father entertained his sonne after hee had misbehaued himselfe in rude and riotous courses As our heauenly Father is often shewing vs many fauours so now and then he pincheth vs with too too heauy crosses because we should not be ouer-ioyed with any of Gods fauours but prepare for some following after-claps being as content to endure the one as cheerefully to receiue the other with him shall we raigne wee shall hereafter for euer liue with him in glory with whom now wee are in misery if we now take vp our crosse following him with sanctified contentation wee rest then assuredly happy when we beare each affliction with ioy in the Spirit submitting our selues to the yoake of our God then contented with our states then wee weare our chaines and weepe shedding many teares Our sufferings are no arguments of Righteousnesse but our Righteousnesse an ornament vnto our sufferings Are we in troubles lye wee in troubles flye we vnto Christ our Lord and Master for ayde who in mercy will heare vs and deliuer vs by the strength of his mighty power be our state neuer so desperate he can helpe it and we are neuer past helpe so long as we desire to be holpen The greatnesse of our perill can be no stop to our deliuerance because the power of our deliuerance is infinite Tribulations are the way to the kingdome of Heauen through stormy tempests are we brought to the Kingdome of Heauen being the Hauen that all hunger for Be of good courage for al the diuels in hell cannot damne vp the way betweene vs and the Kingdome of Heauen Through the straite way haue all
and to admiration of his healing medicines Pray wee and God will prosper physicke that he giueth for ease and the prolonging of our liues mourne wee for our friends as if wee suffered great harme our selues Couer we their bodies and lament we them as they are worthy powring out our teares ouer them as if wee had suffered much harme our selues in our bodies soules sences and substances When the dead is once at rest let his remembrance rest and comfort wee ourselues againe for him when his spirit is departed from him desire your most heauenly Father to make you ready for himselfe and fit to atchiue his Kingdome for the only sufferings of his Sonne There is not one of Gods Children but must prepare their soules vnto diuers temptations Resolue we our selues euer in this life to liue and remaine as in a continuall rough battell and fight where no truce is to bee looked for but perpetuall combats and raging assaults From our birth to our death it 's now no new thing to be tempted and troubled with diseases in body or discomforts of minde praise wee God for our lot be your molestations short or lingring welcome bee Gods wande be it for wealth crosse or comfort hee first hath suffered more for you then hee will inflict vpon you in your troubles still call on him and vnder his wings shall you be safely couered The Almighty so strengthen your faith as you may stand fast to the end still beleeuing the Lord our God in all his promises Learne we all to shew forth the fruites of our faith obedience loue charity and hearts purified from sinne and still more and more prepare we to Christ Iesus our heauenly Bridegrome at his comming with more alacrity and ioy triumphant then either mouth or man can conceiue or vtter Christ by the sacrifice of his death will take away all our sinnes where there is neither sighing nor sorrow but triumphant ioyes in the highest Heauens Though the Lord send afflictions yet will hee not forsake vs for euer what though hee afflict to day yet will he haue compassion vpon thee to morrow according to the multitude of his mercies God doth seldome punish willingly the Children of Men for his compassions are many and his fatherly louing kindnesses are so many and so multiplied that wee cannot number them Maintaine Lord the cause of my soule for thou hast redeemed my life from the euill imaginations of the wicked and vengeance of the vile If you were dead and buried yet can God reuiue you and by his great mercy free you from all iniquity and still keepe you in the number of the faithfull The Almighty so exercise your contrite heart as both it sole sences may be laudably imployed in the Lords seruice Sicknesse to the seruants of God doth bring infinite ioy and much goodnesse it 's a purgation and cleansing of our sins the mother of fortitude spirituall strength against our frailty and sure defence against all worldly troubles A purchasing of grace and pardon a medicine of life and a comfortable guide to reduce vs from hell and bring vs all to the Celestiall Paradise I beseech you to remember what troubles and calamities are a purchasing of grace and pardon a merry time of life and a continuall remembrance of Christs owne blessed life death and passion We are all duely to consider how that our humane bodies are as darke and filthy prisons of our soules liuing as in exile banishment and misery The Almighty deliuer you from hell sinne and eternall death for euer The Lord comfort you and are you from sin and strengthen your weake heart against Sathan who still standeth against you to seduce you but remember you Gods Angels that are ready prest for to aide you his grace for to guide you and his fauour for to feede you Arme Lord thy Seruants heart with perpetuall peace and patience giue thy weake Creature grace most ioyfully to beare the burden of the Crosse As Heauen is incomparably greater then the Earth so the Mercy of our heauenly Father rests incomparably greater then the seas of our sinnes Lord free you from bitter sorrows all sinnes and grieuances whatsoeuer they bee The Almighty of his mercy renue your Repentance and vnburden you of the weight of all your great bonds most grieuous sins lay we fast hold on Christ his mercy death and passion Ioh. 3.16 The life of each one of vs being but a vitall Laborinth and a confused Chaos affoording vs nought but fraude folly and fleshly sensuality and troubles to try vs and sundry aduersities to disquiet vs from the King in his throne to the Captiues in the chaines All must taste of miseries discontentments and sorrows before our soules by death be deliuered from their terrestriall burden Although it bee an happy thing to die in Iesus Christ yet such rests the foolishnesse of our corrupt flesh that wee are loath to remooue from bad to better from Sinners to Saints and heauenly Associats we lose nothing in our changing our bad place for a better But one thing we that are Gods Children must still bee most carefull of to dread furious foes dangers Comfort wee our hearts in our deepest distresses acknowledging God to be more able to defend vs then all foes to confound vs not any Gods Children but burdned with calamities Nebuchadnezar King of Babell was turned out a grazing seuen yeares Gods Children are more afflicted then others Luke 13.16 The daughter of Abraham was for 18 yeares bound of Sathan likewise the man whom our Sauiour cured had beene diseased 38. yeares Comfort your heart in your afflictions knowing God to bee the sender of afflictions by reason of our sins It 's the Lord who killeth and maketh aliue bringing to the graue and raising vp againe 1. Sam. 2.6 If Christ had not beene the Sonne of God Sathan would neuer haue so much assaulted him and his Members for his sanctifying and sauing of innumerable Saints and Soules Labour wee all for the Word and Gospell of Trueth whatsoeuer our temptations are let vs all and euery one weepe for our owne sinnes and not once stubbornely defend the perpitrating of the least of any vile and corrupt sinnes and offences Almighty God so moderate your greatest crosses and grieuances as your soule may euer sing with Saints Our most gracious father deferreth his helpe not that hee will not helpe vs but to exercise our Fayth and stirre vp in vs the calling vppon his name and still being acquainted with Gods mercies reioyce Night and day in his Euerlasting fauours would you haue peace none but Christ can giue it you and he will giue to none but to the penient to none but the Faithfull Set wee our Lord Iesus Christ betweene GOD and our sinnes let it rest our desire to spend our selues in sighes and teares of true Repentance and then rayse vp our humble Soules to a liuely Confidence in our onely Sauiour and All-sufficient Redeemer by whose
wicked Faint not in trouble and you shall assuredly finde helpe let mee intreate you to remember that God requireth two things at your hands and of all his Children in the world First that you detest vice secondly that you put your trust in God for your deliuerance which though they appeare not suddenly yet rest they most sure and are all layd vp in store for you I feare not Bee you in neuer so great misery yet is there euer left place for your prayers see therefore that you labour to haue a liuely feeling of that which you desire stedfastly beleeuing to obtaine it Despaire not of Gods mercies for as great as the World is yet is it fraught with the signes of his fauour his mercies remoouing sinnes as the blast of windes doe the dust You haue nothing in your selfe to mooue God to mercy but onely the Confession of your infirmities and misery and though you be naturally flow to praise God yet stirre vp your selues to the performance of all the seuerall duties of godlinesse Bee not carefull for those you leaue behinde you for God which prouideth for bruite beasts will much more extend his prouident care vnto the Children of his sonnes and seruants there being no part of the world so barren but that most euident signes of Gods blessings appeare therein God prouideth not onely Hearbs and things necessary for vs but also things to reioyce and comfort our hearts as Wine Oyle and oyntments Doubt â—ou not of GODS prouidence iâ— caring for your Wife and Children knowing that hee prouideth euen for the bruite Beasts he prouideth for all Creatures their dayly food and hee with-drawing his blessings from vs wee all perish As Gods mercifull face giueth strength vnto the earth so doth his seuere countenance burne vp the Mountaines wee sinners doe so infect the world that GOD our heauenly Father cannot so reioyce in his workes as hee would Prayse I pray you for his benefits passed and bee you throughly strengthned and encouraged against all present and future sorrowes whatsoeuer So inestimable is Gods goodnesse that hee would rather change the order of Nature then that his people should not bee deliuered Exo. 14.27 Exodus 14.27 although they were wicked Not any one of Gods Elect but earely or late shall feele Gods helpe in their necessity neyther rests there any afflictions so grieuous out of which God will not deliuer his whereof wee must learne to bee mindefull all the dayes of our life Not once forgetting this that God doth punish and correct vs seldome extreamely but because wee cannot bee brought vnto him by any other meanes When in mans Iudgement there seemeth in sicknesse no recouery but all things are brought to despaire then GOD chiefly sheweth his mighty Power and brings vs by sharpe and heauy rods to call mightily vppon him vntill wee finde mercy and compassion So by healing and helping vs when all secondary Causes and meanes of Physicke fayled vs it causeth vs with praise and glory to confesse Gods benefits yeelding vnto him the sacrifices of our owne soules When Humane artes faile then doth Gods prouidence preserue and bring vnto the Hauen where wee would bee Such loue did GOD beare vnto his Church that hee changed the order of nature for their commodities euen at the Red Sea where the Israelites went through the middest of the Sea vpon the drye Land The water being a Wall vnto them on their right hand Exod. 14. and on their left Exod. 14. It is Gods manner sometimes to exalt vs and then agayne to humble vs by afflictions that we may know our selues Know that you belonging to the Lord all things shal turne to your profite trust still fully on the Lord and hee will finally free you from your troubles and sorrows Care not for your outward sorrowes assayling you so the Spirit within comfort you Shew your selfe a faithfull seruant of the Lord God In this your present aduersity still remembring that as the Lord is a a iust God so resteth hee a most mercifull father and when wee are in distresse then is it our time to seeke him and his helpe when wee rest destitute of ayde succour counsell and comfort God hath a care ouer vs disposing of our Death and taking account of our Life yet rests our best payment but thankes laud and prayses for his mercies Refuse you not to be tried with temptations but intreate the Lord so to succour you in time as you faint not through infirmity Know this that with out the maintenance of Gods word our life droppeth away like water Doubt not of Gods power yet of each lawfull meanes and neuer abuse his graces and so shortly you shal be comforted GOD will not suffer such as haue set foorth his glory to groane ouer-long in griefe and to bee ouer-come with misery but with sound Doctrine will comfort our corrupting flesh and languishing desires with the society of Saints and melody of Angels in Heauen Vnderstand this I pray that wee which are not yet punished for our transgressions haue no cause to reioyce at others which are afflicted but rather to feare that the dilation of our punishment wil be more grieuous for though our God doeth come with leaden heeles hee striketh with iron hands recompencing the tardity of his stroake with the grauity of the wound Do not grieue to depart out of the miserable cottage of this World in-into Heauen the Citty of Saints where possessing Christ wee shall enioy all things with him Rom. 8.32 Rom. 8.32 Farwell Riches that are vanity pleasures that are hurtfull and sin which is damnable Come to mee O my God for thou art Truth and thou O Christ my Redeemer with thy merrits and thou Holy Spirit my Guide and Comforter Regard no earthly things for they are of short continuance make the ioyes of Heauen the obiects of your soule which are eternall Desire God eyther mercifully to preuent the plagues or else to grant you patience to sustaine them when they come It was Paules aduantage to haue Agabus Prophesie of his Chaynes that so by his flight hee might eyther defeate the Iewes or by premeditated Resolution lighten or preuent his bonds Although no Repentancs can alter the Almighties decree yet resolued patience may the better endure it the safest shelter in all our afflictions is our faithfull relying vppon Gods assistance And our best improouements of Gods power is by our infirmity No stronger instigation of mercy then our acknowledgement of misery as the priuiledge of greatnesse is to relieue the impotency of distressed supplicants We must labour to gayne by faith and not to loose by infidelity well knowing prosperous issues daily to attend the liuing images of the Deity your faithfull weaknesse becommeth not any disaduantage for glorious tryumphes No Martyre insulted vppon by the furious tyranny of his inraged aduersity but hath faith for his Aduocate naked Truth for his Guardian and the Holy Ghost to keepe him farre from
fainting verse 31. Are wee not by faith the Israel of God as his seruant Iacob whom hee hath chosen and the seed of Abraham his friend Chap. 41.8 listen to the Lord verse 9. Thou art my Seruant I haue chosen thee and not cast thee away verse 10. Feare not for I am with thee bee not afraide for I am thy God I will strengthen thee and helpe thee and will sustaine thee with the right hand of my Iustice Esay 41.14 I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying vnto thee feare not I will helpe thee verse 14. Feare not thou worme Iacob and yee men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel Esay 42.16 I will not forsake thee but make darknesse light and crooked things straight vnto thee Esay 43.1 Thus sayth the Lord that created thee O Iacob and he that formed thee O Israel Feare not for I haue redeemed thee I haue called thee by name thou art mine when thou passest thorow the water I will bee with thee thorow the floods that they doe not ouerflow thee When thou walkest thorow the very fire thou shalt not bee burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee Feare not for I am with thee I wil bring thy seed from the East and gather thee from the West Esay 43.11 I euen I am the Lord besides mee there is no Sauiour And verse 25. I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne Names sake and will not remember thy sinnes Math. 11.28 Come to mee all yee that are weary and heauy laden and I will ease you And learne this Lesson should wee all to suffer according to the will of God committing our soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull Creatour 1. Pet. 4.19 When our heauenly Fathers rods light vpon vs as it did vpon Iob 9.34 then must we intreate him with teares not so to astonish vs with feares but that we may speake vnto him when once hee hath clad vs with the roabs of his Righteousnesse and washed vs white in the blood of the Lambe Reuel 7.14 If wee be afflicted in body or minde cry mightily vnto God Reuel 14.15 saying Reuel 14.15 Reape O Lord thine owne Corne thrust in thy Sickle the time is come to reape I thy haruest-corne am ripe and ready for the Garner Yea a Cluster of thy Vineyard and a Grape for thy Presse yea in Christ Iesus a draught to delight thee gather mee O my Redeemer as wheate into thine owne Garner But why doe I cry so long vnto my God and gracious Father sure I am I shal not dye vntill my Lord and God speake the word saying vnto mee as once hee did vnto Israel You haue dwelt long enough in this place Deu. 1.16 Deutro 1.16 Let no pangs or paines fright vs from our heauenly Father we knowing that our eldest Brother Christ Iesus the very Authour of our life was condemned to death Mathew 20.18 and that euen then when hee came not to be serued but to serue and giue his life a Ransome for many The Lord Iesus so open your eyes that receiuing the true sight you may follow him that couragiously through Death went himselfe vnto life Feare no danger to bee in death it cannot bee but a good Entry that the faithfull passe vnto by deaths cruelty Dread not neither bee affraide for when wee renounce our owne strength and constantly follow our owne vocation and depend on the Lord this resteth the true boldnesse and most agreeable to God such Calebs rest fittest to enioy the land of promise as treading it with the feete both of themselues and of their Children doe most constantly still follow the LORD Deuteronomy 1.36 Know this there is no strength in our selues where the hand of God is not ready prest to yeeld helpe there is no standing but falling when wee fight without our Captaine You must know this and all such as now feare the Lord that God will euer helpe his beloued in their necessities marry the times and houres are best knowne to him who at his pleasure most mercifully reuealeth them vnto vs by his Spirit 2. Kings 7. verse 7. to teach vs both to looke stay and waite vpon his holy and deuine pleasure and will Be you not affraide God will comfort you you haue liued long like a Christian dye now like a Saint surely sanctified with Grace from on High Foelix somnus cum requie requies cum voluptate voluptas cum aeternitate Petrus Dauus de Stephan Pleasant and happy is that sleepe which commeth with rest rest with pleasure and pleasure with Eternity Send your thoughts before you into Heauen as holy Harbingers of your happy soule and see whether there bee not a desire in you to receiue the blessed Sacrament Viaticum aeternitatis a blessed baite for each deuoute soule ready to trauell for another life It is the mercies of our God to make death the way to life and by the way of mortality to cloath vs with Immortality Oh the ineffable Mercies and Wisedome of God to seuer our soules from the dregs of our bodies to enioy the presence of God and be invironed with troopes of Angels and soules of blessed Saints Let vs not with the old Arcadians mourne one night for the setting of the Sunne for wee shall be comforted by the breaking of the day when wee shall see him to shine againe in his Spheare The people that were enraged at the death of Romulus were quieted by Proculus his newes that hee saw him in Glory riding vp to Heauen Much more must wee Christians remaine full of hope at the death of the Righteous which are layd to sleepe with their Fathers Who amongst you doe not mourne to behold the manifold outrages of the Children of Beliall in this so glorious a Sun-shine of the Gospell Feare not death my deare Brethren but rather desire with hearty teares to bee remooued from the seate of sinners and scorners Where some rest so vnchaste that moderate and modest Christians may not safely consort with them Some so insolent and proud that you may not playnely rebuke them of their faults Some so vnsatiable and gluttonous that you may not long sit with them and generally amongst sinners of vnsanctified hearts was godlinesse neuer more vrged yet neuer lesse regarded though malice by euery mouth debased yet neuer did she beare more rule Godly Preachers were neuer more publickely paynefull yet publicke paynes did neuer lesse profite in priuate The Catholicke and Apostolicke faith was neuer since the Apostles times taught more truely yet seldome seene lesse to Fructifie Such is yet the Satanicall seminary of greene growing iniquity and sinnes amiddest the sonnes of men Few now in these dayes doe remember how that the Cherubins of golde vppon the two ends of the Mercy Seate were a Worke beaten with the Hammer Places of Prerogatiues and Honour are not easily come vnto Neyther can we passe to