hell there David might have found him but there hee sought him not And this is the miserable end of a wicked mans prosperity The consideration whereof may be a stay unto us against that great temptation that troubled David and Ieremy and still troubles them that are weake in faith to see the prosperity of wicked men to see it goe well with them that be evill and ill with them that doe well Dost thou see an ungodly man laden with wealth honour and ease dost thou see an hypocrite and an evill liver blest as Esau was with the dew of heaven and the fatnesse of the earth dost thou see a gracelesse ruffin one that feasts without feare drinkes without measure sweares without feeling and lives without God and yet his body vigorous his coffers plenteous and his estate prosperous in a word dost thou see them prosper that seeke not the Lord but lie wallowing in that which God abhors and stand chargeable in their soules with that which separates and divides betwixt man and his God why be not discomforted at it be not disquieted with it do not fret thy selfe because of the ungodly neither be thou envious at evill doers but consider the end of those men that is the Apostles expression Iames 5. 11. You know the patience of Iob and what end the Lord made with him though he curst him at first yet he doubled his blessing upon him at last so stay till you see what end God will make with these men surely O God saith David Psal 73. 18. Thou hast set these men in slippery places thou castest them downe into destruction a man that stands in lubrico in a slippery place as on ice or glasse shall have much a-doe to keepe himselfe upright though no body touch him but if one should come upon him unawares and give him a sudden justle or a sudden rush he hath no power in the world to uphold himselfe but must fall and that dangerously and this is the case of wicked wealthy men they thinke they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unmoveable and fastned on a rocke that never shall be moved but they are deceived God that knowes their standing tels us hee hath set themon slippery places and it will not be long ere God send some death some judgement some evill angell or other to give them such a sudden justle such a sudden rush that without great mercy on Gods part and great repentance on their owne part they must fall inevitably into the pit of hell And this is the first point I desire to have handled namely that the right way for a man to prosper indeed is to serve and seeke the Lord whosoever prospers without seeking of God his prosperitie in this world shall be his ruine and perdition in the world to come Secondly the manner how one that desires to prosper must seeke the Lord and that is to be done two dayes 1. Humiliter 2. Veraciter Humbly and unfainedly sorrowfully sincerely First Humiliter as the blessed Virgin Mary told our Saviour Luke 2. 48. Thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing They that would find the Lord must seeke him sorrowing with sad and heavie hearts bewailing and bemoaning their owne miserable estate through sinne before God as it is said of the Israelites 1 Sam. 7. ◠When the Arke of God was departed from them they lamented after the Lord the best and truest lamentation in the world is to lament after the Lord and a man hath never so just a cause to lament as when the Lord for sinne is departed from him We read in the story of Micha Iudg. 18. 24. that when the Souldiers had taken away Micha's gods he ranne crying and weeping after them as a man distracted and deprived of all his comfort the Souldiers hearing him turned backe and asked him what he ailed saith Micha Yee have taken away my gods and doe yee aske me what I aile can yee blame a man that hath lost his gods to be out of quiet If Micha could find in his heart to lament for the losse of a false god a god of his owne making as good gods as that lying at the backe of the fire warming a man or roasting of meate as Esay speakes shall a Christian finde in his heart to lose the true God the God of all comfort and consolation and that by sinne which is the worst losse of all and that not by any others taking away as in Michas case but by his owne act and wilfull default and not be grieved nay not moved a-whit breake none of his sleepe none of his wonted sports for it as if he reckoned God as good lost as found God forbid Certainely hee that can lament for the losse of his goods and cannot lament for the losse of his God is worthy to lose both his goods and his God for ever God was angry with the carnall Iewes Hos 7. 14. because they howled upon him for corne and wine but did not cry unto him with their hearts they howled because God had scanted them in his mercie but they never howled because they had scanted God in their duty they howled for want of meanes not for want of grace which is the greatest want of all observe therefore what a despicable contemptible terme God gives their prayers hee cals them ululatus howlings like the howlings of a Dogge or a Wolfe which is a most harsh unpleasing note in the eare of a man such are the prayers of obstinate sinners in their extremitie to God They howled unto me upon their beds but they did not cry unto me with their hearts t is not the howling of the mouth that God regards but t is the cry of the heart that pierceth heaven and entreth into the eares of Almighty God you may see it in Moses Exodus 14. 10. When the Israelites were straighted at the red Sea having the Sea before them their enemies behind them Rocks and Hils of each side of them the text saith The people cried and made a dolefull howling and lamentation to the Lord Moses held his peace and see the issue Populus clamabat non audiebatur tacebat Moses audiebatur The people cried and God heard not them Moses held his peace and hee was heard Vers 15. Why dost thou cry unto me saith God when he uttered never a word nor made any noise that we can read of onely his heart cried and that was it that God listned unto and therefore if anie man find himselfe to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of such a hard and dry and brawny temper that he cannot cry with his eyes let him cry with his heart and it is enough As it is said of our Saviour Heb. 4. 6. That in the dayes of his flesh he offered prayers and supplications 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with strong cries and teares unto God hee did not onely cry but he cried strongly he did even straine himselfe in this prayers with the greatest
downe into the soule Though we cannot command or forbid the raine to water the earth as Eliah did if we can water and mollifie the earthen hearts of men with the supernaturall raine of heavenly Doctrine and make a dry and barren soule beare fruit to God Is not this as great a wonder as the other Though we cannot cause nor command the thunder as Samuel did to terrifie the people for their sinnes yet God hath his Boanerges his sonnes of thunder still that by ratling from heaven the terrible judgements of God against sinne and sinners are able to make the stoutest and the proudest heart upon earth even tremble and quake and fall downe before the presence of God and is not this as great a miracle as that of Samuel to bring an unhumbled sinner upon his knees and make glad to cry God mercy for his sinnes In a word though wee cannot cast out devils out of mens bodies as the disciples of Christ could doe if we can cast the devill out of mens soules by the powerfull Gospell of Iesus Christ is it not as great a wonder Beleeve it brethren the conversion of a sinner to God and bringing of a soule to heaven is absolutely without comparison the greatest miracle the greatest wonder in the world And these be the miracles wherewith it pleaseth God to grace the Ministers of the Gospel therefore ye observe that the Collect for Ministers runnes thus Almighty God which onely workest great marvels c. When a soule is sicke to the death with a surfeit of sinne is recovered and revived againe by that same healthfull spirit of grace which God together with his Word doth breathe into the soule it is so great a marvell so rare a wonder that the Angels of heaven rejoyce to see it I have held you over-long in the former part of Eliahs prayer which brought the judgment heare now in a word or two the Reversing of the judgement and I have done And he prayed again the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit It well becomes the Prophets of God to be mercifull Good Eliah had not the heart to hold the people too long under a judgement when hee saw hee had done enough to humble them he desires God to reverse the judgement As it is observed of the good Angels in the old and new Testament when they appeared to any either man or woman their method and manner was this Primò terrent deinde laetisicaâ—t they first terrified them and put them into feare then presently comforted them and put them out of feare Thus did Eliah with this people thus did Moses with Pharaoh that good man had not the heart to hold wicked Pharoah alway under a judgement but upon the least entreaty made suit to God to reverse it So dealt the Prophet with Ieroboam 1 Reg. 13. 6. when he had smitten him with a judgment and had him at the advantage that his hand was withered Ieroboam was glad to submit and say Intreate now the face of the Lord thy God and pray for me that my hand may be restored me the man of God had not the heart to deny him but immediatly besought the Lord and the Kings hand was restored and became as it was before When a judgement comes then Prophets are in season Abraham is better than a King in this case Gen. 20. 7. 17. Restore the man his own for he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee and ver 17. Abraham prayed unto God and God healed Abimeleeh c. Goe to my servant Iob saith God to his friends Iob 42. 8. and my servant Iob shall pray for you for him will I accept So Act. 8. 24. When Peter had denounced a curse on Simon Magus he was glad to crouch and cry unto him Oh pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me Thus ye see that judgements and plagues will bring Prophets into request men commonly deale with their Ministers as boyes do by Walnut-trees and other fruit-trees in faire weather throw cudgels at us in foule runne to us for shelter In the dayes of peace and prosperity we are past over as superfluous creatures of whom there is little use and lesse neede but when the wrath of God falls on the naked soule when the conscience is wounded within and body pained without then the Minister is thought on I say no more if you desire their prayers and that God should heare them praying for you in your extremity do not slight them doe not wrong them in prosperity Remember how Ahab and all Israel were glad to be beholden to Eliah to reverse their judgment and you doe not know how soone the case may be your owne therefore as you love your soules love those that have charge of them And he prayed againe c. When I looke into the Story 1 Reg. 18. I can finde no direct prayer that Eliah made for raine But I â—iud there a twofold prayer that he made 1. A virtuall 2. A formall prayer 1. A virtuall prayer not for raine but for their conversion Oh Lord saith Eliah bring backe or bâ—ing home the heart of this people unto thee vers 73. and this includes all other prayers that can be made A prayer for Conversion is a prayer for every thing Ier. 31. 18. When Epâ—ratm prayes for conversion Turne thou me and I shall be turned saith God I will surely have mercy upon him c. Such is the goodnesse of God that he will with-hold no good thing be it raine be it plenty be it any thing that is good for them from them that are converted and brought home by true repentance to him Therefore if thou standest in neede of any temporall mercy pray first for conversion and all other good things shall be super-added and throwne in unto thee or if thou prayest for any child or for any friend to doe him good indeed pray for his conversion and thou prayest for every thing that one prayer is instar omnium insteed of all the rest If hee be in an ill way desire God to bring him backe and for future things take no care 2 A formall prayer when he saw that the people were truely humbled and that their hearts were indeed brought home to God insomuch that they cried out with an ingemmination The Lord he is God the Lord he is God then hee buckles his head betweene his knees to shew the humble prostration of his soule and falls a praying to God for raine After humiliation any prayer comes in season Esay 1. Wash ye make ye cleane put away the evill of your doings c. And now come saith God and we will reason together now let us parle now let us confesse now pray and I will heare you Iud. 10. 17. When the Israelites put away their strange gods and turned themselves to the true God by sincere repentance and reformation the text saith
our petitions to the divine Majestie and is never weary of it come when we will he is at leasure to heare us It is a prety observation that S. Augustine makes out of the parable proposed by our Saviour Luke 11. where he that knockt at midnight to borrow bread of his neighbour found all the whole family asleepe onely the master of the house was awake and he answered and opened and gave him that he craved though it was at an unseasonable time Nullus de janitoribus respondit none of all the porters none of all the servants none of all the children made him any answer they were all asleepe onely the master was awake and heard him when hee called Iust so it fares with us when wee knocke and call at the doore of heaven for any mercie none of all the Prophets nor Apostles none of all the blessed Saints departed make us any answer alas they heare us not they sleepe in peace and are at rest from their labours onely God Almightie who is the Master and Maker of that blessed familie hee and onely hee doth heare and answer at what time soever we cry unto him Hee that keepeth Israel neither slumbreth nor sleepeth call when we will God is alway awake to heare and helpe No time unseasonable to seeke God Secondly but more particularly for one that desires to prosper there is a choise time and season to seeke the Lord above all the rest and that is early in the morning 'T is a pretty conjecture that the Hebrewes make upon that saying of the Angel to Iacob Gen. 32. 26. Let mee goe for the morning appeareth I take it the true reason was because Iacob should not be too curious in looking and gazing upon that humane shape wherein this great Angel Christ appeared for he it was that wrastled with Iacob but their conceit is that the Angell which wrastled with Iacob all night desired to depart when the morning appeared because hee was now to goe to the rest of the blessed company and quire of Angels to sing their morning-hymne unto God 'T is but a conjecture but we may apply it thus We all hope to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Angels in heaven let us be like them on earth too and how ever we are imployed at other times when the morning appeares let us hasten to God and aske him blessing every morning as our children doe us and no doubt but God will blesse us the better all the day after Iob 8. 5 6. If thou wilt seeke unto God betimes and make thy supplication to the Almighty surely now he will awake for thee and make thy habitation prosperous I make no doubt but a many of you are early risers that are up before the morning watch I say before the morning-watch i before the day-starre or the Sunne appeare and 't is possible for a man to be early up and never the neere but hee that riseth early to pray and seeke the Lord shall be sure not to lose his labour for he shall prosper the better all the day If thou wilt seeke the Lord c. Yea but there 's a place of Scripture that seemes to crosse and contradict it Prov. 1. 28. They shall seeke me early but they shall not finde me Is the Scripture contrary to it selfe Doth God say in one place If ye seeke me early ye shall finde me and in another place Though you seeke me early you shall not finde me How shall we know which to beleeve which to build upon I answer There 's a two-fold early Gods early and mans early Gods early is to seeke him in the first place Ante omnia adoremus Deum was the old rule before we eate or drinke before we worke or play before we doe any thing doe that first first seeke the kingdome of God and that 's Gods early Mans early is at the beginning of trouble the beginning of sicknesse the beginning of sorrow and then the wickedst wretch upon earth will seeke the Lord but then perhaps he shall not finde him hee that will not seeke him in peace shall hardly finde him in trouble hee that will not seeke him in health shall not easily find him in sicknesse yea though he seeke him early at the very first at the very beginning of it as Ioab fled to the Altar in his perplexity but it saved not his life because he never came at it in his prosperity to offer upon it So that you see if wee take mans early to seeke God we may chance to misse him but if wee take Gods early we shall be sure to finde him You then that desire to prosper remember Gods early the first thing you do in the morning let it be seeke God never thinke your selves drest till that be done let thy soules have a morning draught as wel as thy body I mean a morning prayer to fence it against the infectious ayre of the world Salomon gives the reason Prov. 27. 1. For who can tell what a day may bring forth 'T is a Metaphor taken from a wombe when a woman is in travell who can tell what shee will bring forth till shee be delivered may be a sonne may be a daughter may be a monster so when the wombe of the morning is in travell who can tell what a day may bring forth may be albus may be ater dies may be a white a happy a comfortable day may be a blacke a dismall a dolefull day wee doe not know what a day may bring forth whether judgement or mercy whether good or bad events therefore to prevent the worst 't is good to make sure worke for our owne safetie namely to seeke the Lord in the morning and then come what will come all shall be for the best God will turne it all to good Omnia cooperantur c. Rom. 8. All things worke together for good to them that love God He then that would be prosperous and speed well let him be religious and pray well for he that prayes well can never speed amisse and therefore if you see one that followes his calling and is not followed with Gods blessing it may justly be suspected that such a one restraineth prayer from Almighty God as Eliphaz told Iob in another case Iob 15. 4. Now 't is just with God to restraine prosperity from them that restraine their prayers from him 't is just with God to withhold his blessing from those that have not the care nor the grace to aske it So much for the time and order of our seeking of the Lord. Fourthly where or in what place wee must seeke God Generally wee are to seeke him every where for God is omni-present in all places to be found of them that seeke him faithfully as David saith Psalme 139. 3. Thou art about my bed and about my paths and spiest out all my wayes We little thinke when wee lie downe in our beds as a dogge lies downe in a kennell
Iulian shall burne in hell with that same wood and stone that he adored and made a god of on earth So the Vsurer and money-monger that hath no goodnesse nor compassion in him shall burne in hell with the same silver and gold that he made an idoll of here in this world I will say no more but this Shew mercy to the poore for Christs sake and Christ will shew mercy to you for the poores sake Doe good as God hath prospered you and then you fulfill the law of Christ I have done with the first generall point of my text namely the ground and foundation of true prosperitie that it must be raised and built upon religion and pietie God must be sought unto ere any true prosperitie can be attained unto I will dispatch the other part in a word or two and so conclude And that is the bounds and limitation of true prosperitie how farre it reacheth and how long it lasteth and that is onely during the time that a man serves and seekes the Lord. So long as he sought the Lord so long and no longer God made him to prosper Secondly So long How long that was you may see in the words before my Text Hee sought the Lord in the dayes of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions of God That wise and holy Prophet Zachariah was a happie tutor to the minority of K. Vzziah and was alwayes at hand to counsel and advise him to advertise admonish him in things pertaining to his God and his governement and by his godly doctrine and his holy life to guide and steere him the right way to happinesse now as long as Zechariah lived during all his time he sought the Lord and prospered but assoone as Zechariah was gone and gathered to his fathers it should seeme that Vzziah began to fall away and his prosperitie sunke as fast as his pietie just like the waters of Noah's floud as soone as ever the fountaines and springs began to be stopt presently the waters began to abate so when the spring of grace begins to be stopt up in a mans heart and damd up with wickednesse and sinne it is a venture but his prosperitie will abate and drie away and his later end shall be worse than his beginning Here then as in a mappe we may see and bewayle the miserable downe-fall of many Christian soules who during their minoritie and younger yeares while they live under good Parents good Tutors and good Governors they take good courses and keepe themselves in good order but when ever they come to their owne hand Sine cortice natare to swimme without a corke to saile without a sterne and to live without a guide and without a God they runne many times headlong into such desperate licentious courses that a man that sees them so bad at the last would hardly beleeve they had ever beene good at the first It is a good observation of a late Divine in the dayes of Popery and blindnesse the Divell it seemes walked very familiarly among them hence we have so many stories of hagges and fayries and of children taken out of cradles and others laid in their roomes and those they called changelings since the ight of the Gospell hath shined so cleerely these divels and fayries have not beene seene amongst us but still there are changelings too too many in every place Some the Priests and Iesuites have changed from the true Religion to Popery some the world have changed from good neighbourhood and good hospitalitie to all manner of basenesse and miserie some good-fellowship and the alehouse hath changed from temperance and sobrietie to prophanenesse and luxury too many such changelings there be in the world God of his mercy change them againe and transforme them into a better minde ut mutati mutatum inveniant as S. Bernard speakes that they being changed in affection to God-word may finde God changed in affection to them-ward to speake after the manner of men for if you marke the course of the world observe it where you will you shall never find that such kind of persons do prosper as those other changelings never prospered in body so these never prosper in estate God gives a secret curse unto them that nothing that they have shall prosper with them But they are like a man in a consumption howsoever he may bolster up himselfe for a time with Physicke and Diet-drinkes it will kill him in the end so he that is in a spirituall Atrophy a spirituall consumption that is fallen from God hee may goe on and hold out for a time but it will undoe him in the end Iust according to the saying of the Prophet Ionas Chap. 2. 8. They that follow after lying vanities forsake their owne mercy that is they wilfully deprive themselves of that mercy and prosperite which if they had cleaved and stucke unto God they might have beene as sure of as if it had beene their owne to bestow upon themselves and that was King Vzziahs case For our selves therefore to draw to an end if wee desire to goe on and prosper as wee have begun that there may be no decay no declining no abatement either in our pietie or in our prosperity either in our inward graces or in our outward fortunes let us labour for two things which King Vzziah wanted sincerity and humility First labour for sincerity be the same inwardly to God-ward that you seeme to be outwardly to the world-ward be like the curtaines of the Tabernacle which they say were so wrought that they were on both sides alike so be you alike on both sides in heart to the Lord and in life to the world else there is no hope of continuance for nil fictum est duturnum nothing that is counterfeit will last long counterfeit Pearls Diamonds may glister and sparkle and make a faire shew for a time but their lustre will not last so where there is only an outward forme of godlinesse and not the inward power of it it cannot last long If an apple be rotten at the core though it have a fai e outside it will not continue so long but rottennesse will possesse the outside also for this is the nature of things that are unsound they st ay not there where the rottennesse began but they putrifie and corrupt more and more so those that have rotten hearts to God-ward may carry a faire shew for a time but in the end the curse of God will come upon them and their very name shall rot that is their hypocrisie shall be discovered and their outside made as rotten as their inside Beware therefor of hyrocrisie and labour for sincerity Secondly pray for humility that was another grace that King Vzziah wanted it is said of him Vers 16. of this Chap. That God helped him till he was strong and when hee was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction this was a lamentable thing that a man in prosperity should be
out of the water thus it fares with an hypocrite saith Iob when he is taken as it were with the Angle of God I meane with some mortall sicknesse that God begins to pull at his soule and twitch it out of his body whether he will or no then quaenam spes where is the hope of the Hypocrite alas his hope is gone The like expression you have Luke 12. 20. God Almighty saith to the rich man Thou foole this night they shall fetch away thy soule as if he had said I know thou art loath to part with thy soule loath to forgoe it but that shall not serve thy turne there will come those that will take it by force and fetch it from thee whether thou wilt or no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall never aske thee leave but shall wrest and wring it I am thee into such a place such a company such a condition as I am afraid to mention I have not now time as the Greekes say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beate this Oake for any more Acornes nor to sift my text for any more observations onely in a word If you desire to die contentedly let your care and endeavour be to live conscionably then let death come when it will it shall be no otherwise than a mid-wife aâ— Naz. speakes to deliver you and helpe you out of the paines of earth into the joyes of heaven then when you die you shall live when you goe from men you shall goe to God when your eyes are closed on earth they shall be opened againe in heaven Thus according to my weake ability I have done with my text and shewed you the way to be content God of his mercy give a blessing unto it for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be given and ascribed all honour and glory be done and performed all service and duty this day and for ever Amen FINIS THE Way to Well-doing OR A SERMON OF FAITH AND GOOD WORKES Preached in the Chappell of Buntingford in the County of Hartford at the beginning of their publike Lecture By John Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex Printed at London by Thomas Cotes for Thomas Alchorn and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Greene-dragon 1635. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Master John Mountford Doctor of Divinity and one of the Residentiaries of Saint Pauls my most worthy friend and Benefactour Right Worshipfull I Remember a Motto of your owne which was this Lunae radijs non maturescâ—t Botrus That the beames of the Moone are too weake and too invalid to ripen a tender grape and bring it to maturitie unlesse the sun also adde his heate and cast his vitall beames upon it How well this sutes with men of my ranke that are Inferioris subsellij sacerdotes J shall not neede to tell you Alas what are all a poore mans labours in the ministry but as the Beames of the Moone some light they may give in a darke place but to ripen any worke for the publike good or to gaine any credit or estimation in the world they are farre too weake and unsufficient unlesse some man of worth that is instar solis in stead of the Suune to so poore a starre will be pleased out of his owne goodnesse to cast some beames J meane some favour and friendly countenance upon him Vouchsafe me therefore your gracious aspect upon my weake endeavours and the God of Heaven preserve your life that you may continue like Eliakim Esay 22. 23. As a fastened naile in a sure place still to doe good workes in Gods Church on earth till you be received up into glory with his Church in heaven Thus prayes Your poore unworthy Servant IOHN GORE THE WAY TO Well-doing Titus 3. 8. This is a faithfull saying and these things I will that thou affirme constantly that they which have beleeved in God might be carefull to maintaine good workes these things are good and profitable unto men NOT to trouble you with any preface it being not Taâ—ti not worth the while may it please you to observe in the Text three generall parts which may be reduced to three Heads and bee thus expressed 1. The Preachers direction 2. The peoples duty 3. Every ones desire As thus This is a faithfull saying and these things I will thou affirme constantly there is the preachers direction 2. As many as have beleeved in God must bee carefull to maintaine good workes there is the peoples duty 3. These things are good and profitable unto men there is every ones desire for that which every man desires that which every man aymes and drives at in his calling and in his course of life is to doe those things that may redound to their profit and their good and therein my text complyes with every mans desire assuring them that these things are not onely good and pleasing to God but good and profitable also unto men God hath onely the glory of our well-doing the profit and the good is all our owne In the first generall part observe two particulars 1. A commendation of the text this is a faithfull saying 2. A command to the Teacher these things I will that thou affirme constantly 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a faithfull saying I suppose you beleeve there is not a saying in all the booke of God but it is a true and a faithfull one all proceeding from the mouth of him that is a true and faithfull God a God that cannot lie nor alter the thing that is gone out of his lips yet some sayings in Gods booke are by way of Eminence or of excellence called by the name of faithfull sayings it pleaseth the Holy Ghost himselfe to set that note of dignity upon them either because God would have us in a speciall manner to build our faith and our affiance upon them as if he should say whatever other saiyngs of scripture ye doubt of never make any doubt of these for they are faithfull sayings you may pawne your lives and soules upon the truth and certainetie of them or rather as I take it they are termed faithfull sayings because they are such as doe more neerely concerne the faithfull then any others being purposely directed and intended Omnibus Christi fidelibus to all Christs faithfull people wheresoever for as Saint Paul said of Timothy Phil. 2. 20. I know no man like minded who will naturally care for such matters as these Tell a carnall or a worldly man of faith and good workes surdo canis you doe but as it were tell a tale to a deafe man he minds not what you say if you will talke to such a one you must tell him of the prizes of corne the practise of husbandry the rising and falling of the markets or perhaps some forraine or Domesticall newes then he understands you you speake to him then in his owne Idiome in his owne language but tell
unawares as the Apostle speakes Gal. 6. 1. besides the purpose of his heart and against the intention and desire of his soule that mans sinnes are sinnes of infirmitie which by the mercy of God shall never be laid to his charge Contrarily when a man shall hang in â—quilibrio in an even ballance as it were betwixt wickednesse and goodnesse and shal be equally disposed to sinne or not to sinne as occasion shall offer it selfe or which is worse shall doe like him Psal 36. 4. shall set and settle himselfe in a way that is not good resolving with himselfe that this sinne â—its my turne and pleaseth my humour and I will not part with it or which is worst of all when a man shall draw iniquity with cords of vanity as the Prophet spaketh as if the devill were backward and sinne would not come fast enough upon him of its owne accord shall fish and angle for it and hunt after ill company and draw himselfe and others into sinne as Fish and Fowles are drawn into a net to their ruine and destruction this mans sinnes are farre beyond the sinne of infirmity for they are sinnes of iniquity and sinnes of obstinacie and such as will cost him many a sigh many a groane many a teare before ever he shall attaine to this comfortable perswasion that there is compassion with God and salvation with Christ for his soule 2. A sinne of infirmity is knowne by the consequents of it or that which followes after it it leaves such a sting behind it in the soule that a man can never be at quiet in his owne conscience till he hath made his peace with God by a sound and serious humiliation and reconciled himselfe againe to Iesus Christ Yea it never leaves a man till it hath brought him to that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Indignation which the Apostle speakes of 2 Cor. 7. 11. that a man shall even fret and vexe and fall out with himselfe for offending and provoking so good so gracious a God It will make a man upbraid himselfe for a very beast and a foole as David did Psal 73. So ignorant was I and so foolish even as a beast before thee And it is a sure rule that of Saint Augustin peccata non nocent si non placent if a mans sinnes doe not please â—im they will never hurt him Whereas on the contrary when a man can carry away his sinnes as lightly as Sampson carried the gates of Azzâ— that they are no burthen to his 〈…〉 e or if they doe beginne to trouble him shall doe as Saul did betake himselfe to musicke and sport and merry company to drive it away as if one sinne could drive out another and not rather drive it farther in beleeve it this mans sinnes are no sinnes of infirmitie but they are sinnes of an higher nature and such as will cost a man deare ere hee can be acquitted of them in the sight of God And this I dare confidently affirme that there is no man that sinnes of infirmity but he iâ— afterward the better for his sinne it makes him the more jealous of himselfe the more watchfull over his wayes the more carefull to serve and please God than ever hee had beene in former times Whereupon saith Saint Austin upon those words of the Apostle Rom. 8. Omnia cooperantur c. All things worke together for good to them that love God Etiam peccata Domine Even our very sinnes O Lord for by sinne we have experience of our infirmitie our infirmity brings us downe to humility humility brings us home to God and in God every man hath his quietus est a happy discharge from all his sinnes This being done one thing onely remaines and that is this A man that hath sinned of infirmity will labour to bring forth that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Iohn Baptist speakes of Mat. 3. 8. the worthy fruits of repentance for you most know that repentance is one thing and the fruit of repentance is another it is not enough to repent and be sorry for what a man hath done so did Iudas so did Ahab but he must honestly and unfainedly endeavour to bring forth the fruit of repentance and that is the reformation and alteration of his life and conversation in the sight of God and men If it he thus with thee take comfort in Gods name from this comfortable Doctrine that thou art no other then Eliah was a man subject to passion It followes Eliah was a man subject to passions yet hee prayed Hence wee may learne never to be so dejected at the view of our frailties and imperfections as to forbeare our resorting to God in prayer For no man living hath so much neede to pray to God as a man subject to passions It was one part of Salomons request to God 2 Chron. 6. 29. When any one shall perceive and feele his owne sore his owne griefe and the plague of his owne heart as he termeth a mans owne corruption what shall he doe Shall hee despaire shall he be driven backe from God as Iordan was driven backe at the persence of the Arke no let him this doe let him downe upon his knees to God and spread forth his hands to heaven and the Lord which dwelleth in heaven will heare him and when he heares have mercy It was an amazed and unadvised prayer that of Simon to our Saviour Luke 5. 8. when he cried out Lord goe from me for I am a sinfull man as if a Patient should say to the Phisitian depart from me for I am sicke The sicker a man is the more neede he hath of the Phisitians presence and the sinfuller he is the more neede to draw neere to his Saviour as a man that shivers of an Ague creepes nearer and nearer to the fire You know our Saviours gracious call Come unto me all yâ— that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you Now as Saint Bernard saith every Christian is Animal onerifâ—rum a burden-bearing creature not a Christian upon earth but hath some crosse or other to clogge him some corruption or other to burthen him at times and lies heavy upon his heart what then is to be done Shall he lie downe like Issachar and couch betweene his burthen Shall he be disheartened and discouraged from resorting and approaching to God God forbid let him in Gods name come to Iesus Christ that calls him with teares in his eyes with true griefe and Godly sorrow in his heart with humble confessions and prayers in his mouth and he hath promised in verbo servatoris in the word of a Saviour that hee will release and ease him of it One thing I must tell thee by the way when thou prayest to Christ for ease thou must promise him obedience and service as the Israelites did to Rhehoboam 1 Reg. 12. Ease us of our burthen and we will be thy servants for ever Thus doe and then let thy burthen be never so
of piety to God but when the poore and hungry come to them as Christ came to that Figtree hoping to pull some fruite of charity and mercy from them there is nothing to be found but leaves good words perhaps and that is all beleeve it such men are nigh unto cursing and it is Gods infinite mercie if hee doe not blast their estate as Christ did the Fig-tree that it shall never prosper to them nor theirs The other wonder of Christ that did any hurt was that Mat. Chapter eight The drowning of the Swine and yet that was the devils doing Christ onely gave way to these evill spirits which seeke the destruction of man and beast to carry them headlong into the 〈◊〉 as they would carry us too but that God above who stiles himselfe The preserver of men is pleased in mercy to keepe out of their clutches and this was symbolicall too to let us understand how God hates all those that are of a swinish disposition that is all drunken sots that like swine have neither wit nor grace to moderate themselves in the use of Gods creatures and all lazie beasts that mind nothing but their bellies as you know a Swine is one of the laziest creatures that a man can keepe it doth him no worke nor service at all or lastly All hoggish worldlings and miserable muck-wormes of the earth that never doe good till they come to die let all such tremble and feare and call to God for mercy least in his just judgement hee deliver their soules into the hands of those hellish Fiends to carry them headlong as they did the swine into the lake that burneth with fire and brimestone for evermore there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth These are the two severest wonders that ever our Saviour did or suffered to be done as for all the rest looke into the Stories of the Gospel which are the Acts and Monuments of Iesus Christ you shall finde to be all gracious all beneficiall all healing and saving wonders Never any man came to him for sight that went away blind never any came to him for hearing that went away deafe never any came to him for health that went away sicke In a word you shall never finde that ever any man or woman came to our Saviour for any help or mercy that ever went away confounded or disappointed of their hopes Now beloved Christ is the same Iesus still that then he was Coelum non animum as we say though he have changed his place he hath not changed his nature but is still as favourable as indulgent to mankind as ever he was if we doe but as truly seeke unto him for our soules health as they did for their bodies So you see the nature of these wonders is altered from that they were in Eliahs times the severity of the Law suites not with the lenity of the Gospel and we must now imitate our Saviour in works of mercy not follow Eliah in prayers for judgment We see Luk 9. 54. When the disciples fingers itched to be revenged on the Samaritans for their base discourtesie in not entertaining our Saviour Master said they wilt thou that we command fire from heaven and consume them as Eliah did We have a president for it it is a booke case Eliah did so let us doe the like these men deserve it as bad or worse than they with whom Eliah had to doe No saith our Saviour the case is altered ye know not of what spirit ye are the spirit of the Law required severity the spirit of the Gospel requires meekenesse and mercy Farre is it from the good Spirit of Christ and of God to stirre up any mans heart to private revenge not an Eagle but a Dove was the shape wherein that holy and healthfull Spirit made choise to appeare Let us therefore all that are called Christians follow no other president but our Saviour Christs whose onely lesson that ever he set us to learne of him was 〈…〉 and meeke and so doing we shall finde Requiâ—m animabus 〈…〉 owne soules The third and last reason that may warrant Eliah in praying for a judgement was 3. Necessitas rei the necessity of the thing it self that holy Prophet had spent his strength in vaine Sermon upon Sermon warning upon warning threatning upon threatning and when he saw that nothing would worke them to goodnesse then he prayes for a judgement not in a vindictive way to be revenged upon them but as a desperate remedy knowing that that or nothing would bring them to good as it is said 2 Chron. ult God sent his Prophets rising early and sending them and used all gentle meanes to reclaime them till there was no remedy then he sent destruction In this sence if a man have a child or a friend or any one that he wisheth well to his soule if he be growen to that passe so hardned in sinne that no perswasions no warnings no threatnings will worke upon him I am perswaded it were neither uncharitable nor unpleasing to God if a man should pray Lord smite him correct him lay some medicinall some healing punishment upon him that he may see the errour of his wayes and may returne and repent and so be saved Vpon these and the like grounds I suppose Eliah might with a safe conscience pray for a judgement but then the next question is Why hee should make choise to pray for this kinde of judgement of drought and dearth for want of raine rather than any other I will tell you what I think the reasons may be 1. Because it was an uncontrouleable a convincing judgement if Eliah should have brought any earthly or visible judgement as Sword or Pestilence c. they would have imputed it presently to some secondary meanes and causes now this was a heavenly an invisible judgement the stoppage of the cloudes the detaining of Raine and the burning and scorching of the 〈…〉 judgement from heaven and 〈…〉 needes confesse to be Digitus the 〈…〉 God not Aliqnid humani no handy worke of any mortall man For this was the fallacy which the Scribes and Pharises put upon our Saviour Mat. 16. 1. When they had seene all the miracles and wonders of Christ how hee cured the sicke c. they conceited that these things might be done by slight of hand by art Magicke by Beelzebub or by Conjuration c but say they Shew us asigne from Heaven and then we will beleeve They knew that a Magician or a devill might doe much upon earth but he could doe nothing in heaven therefore say they shew us a signe from Heaven and we will beleeve So here to prevent all misconceites Elias prayed and procures a judgement from heaven and that a convincing a cutting judgement for you must know that the people at that time left off to worship the true God and fell to worship Baall the Sunne the Moone and all the Hoast of Heaven trusting no doubt that these gods of
part of that service we owe to God as our Saviour intimates in the Gospel where he saith that Mary hath chosen the better part It is the doing of Gods Will and the fulfilling of his Word that makes our service entire and compleate and such as God would have it This lesson if we will not learne it by the Scriptures we may learn it of the very sencelesse creatures of the very Snow in my text for saith Iob God doth but speake to the Snow and say Be thou on the earth and there it rests till God removes it This is my second observation that the Snow is nuntius dei the messenger and servant of God and may teach man obedience to his Maker Therefore Christ expostulateth it as an absurd thing in men to cry Lord Lord i to professe and ingominate a verball subjection whereas really and indeed they would not doe so much for God as the very sencelesse and bruitish creatures 3. Moreover Iob tells us Cha. 38. 22. that God hath Thesaures nivis Treasures of Snow which he reserveth and keepeth in store against such time as the earth shall stand most in neede of it and so you shall observe in Scripture that God hath treasures in store for all kind of mercies He hath a treasure of raine as Iob tells us in the same place that is in the scorching heat of Summer when the earth doth even rend and split and gaspe for want of moysture as if it were ready as it wâ—re to give up the ghost then doth God goe to his Treasurie and fetch out that same pluviam munificam Psal 68. 9. gracious â—â—â—â—ching raine that refresheth the bowels of the earth and maketh the very Vallies as David spakes even to laugh and sing The same Prophet David tels us Psal 17. 14. that God hath Thesaurum alimonia a treasure of foode and provision for the belley Whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasure that is In time of dearth and famine when the city shal be forced to cry to the country as the man did to Paul Act. 16. 9. Come out of Macedonia and helpe us and when the countrey shall thinke as that Nobleman did 2. Reg. 7. that the scarcitie of provision is so great that if the Lord should make windowes in heaven it would all be little enough to fill the bellies of the people then doth God of his goodnesse provide for the poore then doth he goe to his secret and hidden treasure and by wayes unlikely and unexpected doth God take order for their reliefe that put their trust in him Beyond all these God hath one Treasure more more worth than all the rest and that is Thesaurus Gratia the treasure of his grace and goodnesse which he hath hidden and laid up in the Breast and Bosome of Iesus Christ Colos 2. 3. In him saith the Apostle are hid the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Therefore as in Egypt they that wanted any corne went all to Ioseph who had the Treasures and Storehouses in his owne keeping so let all that want grace repare to Iesus Christ who is the Lord high Treasurer of the graces of God Now these treasures of grace are said to be hid in Christ not as Moses body was hidden by the Angel to the intent that it should not be found but as the woman in the Gospel Mat. 13. is said to hide her leaven in the meale that the vertue of it may be diffused and dispersed into every bit of her bread In this sence doth God hide his graces in the heart of Iesus Christ that all we that are his sinful members may have a taste and a relish of the same graces that are in him according to that Ioh. 1. 16. Of his fulnesse we all receive grace for grace that is as one sweetly expounds it as a child in generation receiveth 〈◊〉 his parents member for member or as the paper from the Presse receiveth letter for letter or as the glasse from the face receiveth Image for Image so do we from Iesus Christ receive grace for grace that is for every grace that is in Christ appertaining to a generall sanctification as humility zeale devotion c. there is a grace in us if we belong to him in some measure and proportion answerable and agreeable to the same in him Thus â—re we through Gods mercy partakers of the same treasure with our blessed Saviour and we carry it about as the Apostle speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in earthen vessel therefore it stands us in hand to take heed of knocks and fals I meane into sin whereby the treasure of Gods grace may be endangered in us Thus you see that God hath treasures for all mercies and indeede his treasures are all and onely for mercy as for that same treasure of wrath Rom. 2. 5. that is ours and none of Gods God treasures up nothing but mercy it is we that store and fill his treasure with wrath as the Apostle saith Thou O wicked man after the hardnesse of thy heart treasurest up wrath for thy selfe against the day of wrath God doth not treasure up wrath for thee nor for any man else but thou treasurest and storest it up for thy self and therefore if God pay 〈◊〉 home in thy own coine and 〈◊〉 thy treasure upon thy own head thou must thank thy selfe In a word though God keepes the treasures of merâ—ie yet we keep the key at least we may if we will our selves for God hath given us a key that will open any treasure that God hath and that is humble prayer it is Clavis 〈◊〉 the key of heaven gates onely take heede that we doe not suffer the wards of this key to grow rusty for want of use least in the day of extremity when we come to the doore of mercy our key will not open it These things have I noted upon occasion of Iobs expression touching the Treasures of the Snow which God layes up in store for the earth against the time of neede that is in sharpe and bitter weather when the fruits of the earth lie naked and bare and have nothing to defend them from the cold and killing blasts of the winde and frost then doth God bring forth the snowes out of his treasury or out of his wardrobe as a vesture of Wooll to keepe warme the corne that it take no hurt as it followeth in my text Dat niâ—em sicut lanam He giveth Snow like Wooll And why like Wooll I suppose for two principall reasons 1 Propter albediâ—â—m for the whitnesse of it That Metaphor it pleaseth the holy Ghost to use elsewhere Psal 51 7. Punge mee with Hysope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow to shew what a blessed change and alteration Gods mercy and our repentance makes in the soule of a poore sinner who can tell where the spot was when the skinne is rinsed now the onely washing-lye for the heart and for the inward
〈◊〉 is that which is made with the ashes of our sinneâ— to 〈◊〉 and scoâ—â—â— our foules That soule which before wâ—◠〈…〉 or hell with wickednesse and 〈◊〉 of darkenesse being rinsed by repentance and renued by the Spirit of Iesus Christ becomes as cleane and white aâ— pure and unspotted in thâ— eyes of God as the driven Snow is in ouâ—s Take away 〈◊〉 iniquity saith David and thâ—◠〈◊〉 finde 〈◊〉 when God hath taken away a manâ— iniquity his sinnes are no more to be found than if they had never beene 〈◊〉 Esayâ— 16. Waâ—â— ye make ye cleane put away the evill of your doings from before my eyes c. What then Why then saith God ver 18. Though your sinnes be 〈◊〉 scarlet they shal be as white as Snow though they be red like crimson they shal be as Wooll You know that crimson and scarlet iâ— so deepe a dye that all the Art under heaven cannot alter it or take it out yet the Lord can make of a Slarlet-sinner a milke-white-Saint God can take out the deepest dies of sinne though they be sinnes in graine and the soule shall become as the Snow or Wooll that was never dipt oâ— stained Therefore when thou goâ—â—â— or lookest abroad in the Winter time and seest the Snow lie white as Wooll upon the ground then reflect upon thy selfe and say O that my soule were of this colour Oh that all the blacknesse and darkenesse the deformity and uglinesse of my sinnes were done away and that my soule were restored to that Candor and whitenesse and bright sincerity that this Snow doth represent Beloved It is not the outward brightnesse and beauty of the countenance and complexion that God regards where there is cor nigrum a blacke base heart within but it is that same decor ab intus that inward intrinsecall comelinesse that David speakes of Psal 45. 14. that makes the King of heaven take pleasure in our beauty Let neither man nor woman therefore boast or be proud of their white Out-side but rather labour and pray for a white In-side that they may be as Moses was said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 7. 20. faire to God for so the Originall hath it wee translate it Hee was exceeding faire but the Greeke signifies Hee was faire to God and when all is done that is the true beauty that commends us to God when the other beauty is withered and wrinkled and cleane gone then doth this Iâ—veâ—escere grow younger and better with age Whensoever therefore God sends a Snow doe not thou like a bruite beast onely trample upon it and tread it under foote but make some benefite of it to thy soule and say within thy selfe This is the colour oâ— my Saviour Revela Chapter 1. verse 14. The Saints in heaven are all of this colour as white as this very Snow in grace and glory Revelaâ— Chapter 7. verse 14. Lord make my soule of the same colour too that I may no longer resemble the devill in being blacke with sinne and iniquity but may resemble the Saints and Angels in being white with innocency and integrity Consider I beseech you why is it said 1 Corinthians 15. That flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdome of God The meaning cannot be that the substance of flesh and bloud cannot inherit Gods Kingdome for then what should become of all the Saints and servants of God whose soules are gone beforehand into heaven while their bodies liâ— in the must expecting glory but the meaning truely is that the corruption of flesh and bloud cannot come within that Kingdome that is flesh and bloud as it is corrupted and defiled as it is blacked and besmeared and stained with sinne and Satan so it shall never come within the Kingdome of Iesus Christ and of God our heavenly Father but when flesh and bloud shal be washed and cleansed and sanctified by the grace and by the Spirit and by the bloud of Iesus Christ and become as white as Snow then is it come to the right colour then and not till then is flesh and bloud fit for Gods Kingdomâ— and for the blessed society of the Saints in light So much for the first reason why God is said to give Snow like Wooll for the purity and whitenesse of it 2 Propter 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of it for though the Snow â—e â—â—ld and â—â—illing to 〈◊〉 it is warme and comfortable to the earth like a garment of Wooll upon the backe of it to preserve and cherish the kindely fruites of the earth that in due time through Gods mercy 〈◊〉 â—ay enjoy 〈◊〉 Reason therfore with thy self if God so cloath the 〈◊〉 which is but scabellum Dei the 〈…〉 God the lowest and basest part of his creation Will â—e not much 〈◊〉 cloath thee O man that art Image Dâ—i the Image of God that carriest the stampe of God upon thy soule as the coine beareth the stampe of the King upon the side surely he that taketh care for Oxen will much more take care for Christians Hee that feedeth the young Ravens that call upon him will surely feede young Infants that call upon him Hee that Cloatheth the grasse of the field which doth him no service will certainely provide cloathing for us if we doe him any service as we ought to doe Remember how God provided for the Israelites when they were in the wildernesse where there was no new apparell to be bought God so provided that the old apparell which they had did neither weare out nor waxe too little for them but their cloathes grew as their bodies grew and their shooes grew as their feeâ—e grew and the one wâ—â— as lasting and as durable as the other Take no care therefore saith our Saviour meaning no distrustfull care what ye shall eate or drinke or what cloathes ye shall have to cover you Why for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have neede of these things Alas may some say this is but small comfort to tell a poore man be of good comfort for God knoweth thy wants or to tel a sicke man be of good comfort for God knoweth thy diseases or to tell a man that is undone be of good comfort for God knoweth thy losses c. I say this that God knoweth all things were but a feeble Cordiall if so be that the knowledge of God were not as it is accompanied and attended with the helpefulnesse and the goodnesse of God that wheresoever God knowes there is a want he takes a speedie course to relieve and supply it according to that 2 Chron. 16. 6. Oculi domini discurrunt c. the eyes of the Lord runne to and fro throughout the whole earth not harely to see and take notice of what iâ— wanting or amisse but to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them whose hearts are perfect towards him Doubt not therefore but stedfastly beleeve he that is so carefull to cloathe the earth will have a greater care to cloath thee
if thou belongest to heaven Lastly from hence they that are rich in this world may learne in a contrary sence to that of Lucifer to be similes altissimo like to the most high God I meane in goodnesse and tender-mercie we use to say dives quasi divus to intimate that a rich man should be to the poore as Moses was to Aaron in some fence a God Exod. 4. to succour and defend them in the time of need so then look how God above doth in the Summer time refresh the bowels of the earth with raine and in the Winter time keepe warme the backe of it with Snow so should they Philemon-like refresh the bowels of the poore that are pinched with hunger and Dorcas-like provide some cloathing for the backes of the poore that are not able to cloath themselves It is recorded of Iob to his eternall happinesse and honour that the loynes of the poore did blesse him being warmed with the fleece of his flocke Oh what a blessed thing it is to have the blessing of the poore and the blessing of God into the bargaine and all for the offalls of a mans estate Such a man shal be blessed in his name blessed in his person blessed in his posterity God will blesse a charitable minded man men will blesse him heaven will blesse him earth will blesse him all that ever have beene comforted or cloathed by him will blesse him too their backes will blesse him their bellies will blesse him their soules will blesse him his house shal be filled with blessings as a cruell mans house is filled with curses Therefore as David said of the men of Iabez when newes was brought him that they had buried the bones of Saul 2 Sam. 2. 5. Blessed be ye of the Lord the Lord recompence you this mercy So may I say of a mercifull minded man blessed be such a man of the Lord the Lord will surely recompence him mercy for mercy kindnesse for kindnesse and whatsoever cost he hath bestowed upon earth he shall finde it a hundred fold with God in heaven This lesson men of wealth and ability may learne of the very Snow or rather of the God that sends it not to lay all upon their owne backes Salâ—â—s sylvas as hee said groves and grounds and all to decke up themselves but lay something out upon the backes of Christs naked members that they may heare that comfortable doome at the last day Come yee blessed of my Father for I was naked and ye cloathed c. I had a conceit as I come by the way that the Snow did carry in it a lively resemblance of the state of this world in sundry passages I will but name them and leave them to your consideration 1. As the earth lies warme under the Snow and feeles not the bitter blasts of winde and frost which other poore creatures shrinke and smart for so fares it with the rich men of this world that lie warme with their wealth about them and have no feeling nor compassion of the cold and hunger the miseries and necessities of their poorer brethren So Dives being warme within had no feeling of poore Lazarus without now Dives signifies a rich man and Lazarus in the Originall signifies one qui auxilio destitutus est One that stands in neede of helpe and the intent of the Parable is to shew that the rich are commonly as destitute of pitty as the poore are destitute of helpe the one hath little or no feeling of the other sufferings 2. You may observe how the Snow goes by drifts the Wind fetcheth it off from one place to fill up another many a piece of ground is made naked and bare to fill up some ditch or pile up against some hedge and there it lies to keep those places warme that were warme before Even so doth the wealth of this world goe by drifts the winde of adversitie fetcheth it off from one man to fill up the unsatiable ditch of another man and many a mans meanes like the Snow is blowne cleane away from him and his posterity into the hands of Vsurers and rich Oppressoins to keepe them warme that were warme already to increase their wealth that had too much before just as Naboâ—hs Vineyard was blowne away from him and from his children into the territorie and demaines of wicked 〈◊〉 3. Looke how they boyes and other youths toyle themselves in the cold to make a Snow-ball that shall licke up the other Snow and laâ—â— when that is gone so doth many a covetous man toile himselfe in the world and licke up his poore neighbours with hard bargaines and cruell dealings and all this to rowle up himselfe a private wealth which when he hath done is but like a Snow-ball it may last for a time but vix gaudet tertiâ—â— heres it is a venture but some unthriftie Heire will waste it and melt it away as fast and as ill as ever his father got it 4. The Snow blindes a mans eyes that when he comes into a darke roome he can scarce discerne any thing Thus are many a mans eyes dazled with the vanities and vices of the world that when hee should come to looke inward into the darke corners of his heart to see how the case stands betwixt God and his soule like the blinded Sodomites he gropes at noone-day and cannot finde the doore of Gods mercy to enter at Salomon saith that gifts blinde the eyes of the wise In the Originall it is Pickim such as have their eyes open the meaning is that corruption and briberie so dazleth many a wise man that though his eyes be open to the world-ward to hell-ward they are blinde to God-ward and to heaven-ward and cannot see into the things that belong to the right way of pleasing of God and saving their owne soules 5. As many a dunghil and many a dirty slough is hid under a drift of Snow that a man can neither see it nor suspect it so is many a base minde many a false heart hid under a faire outside that will make profession and promises of favour and friendship to a man in prosperity but let him be cast or driven upon them in adversitie he shall finde them like a rotten quagmire under a heape of Snow a meanes rather to sinke him than to save or succour him at such a time 6. Lastly as Leontius said once to his sonnes pointing with his finger to his gray-haires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. when this Snow melts there will be a floud so let all old weather-beaten sinners pueri centuÌ„ annoruÌ„ as the Prophet speaks Esa 65. 20. that are aged in time and sin but children in grace and knowledge that have feathered their nests in this world and have nothing to take to in the world to come let them beware as he said least a floud of fire brimstone in the infernal lake do follow upoÌ„ the melting of their snowyheads upon the dissolution of their
the next day this makes the wayes and passages worse than they were before So when a mans heart shall melt a little on the Sonday and freeze againe all the weeke after as Pharaohs melted for a time and then presently hardned again this relapse is worse than the former as water having beene once heate and then cooled againe growes colder after than before Wee see that even marble in some weather will stand on drops and yet retaines its wonted hardnesse so did Pharaohs heart and Sauls and Ahabs seeme to give and melt for a time but they grew hard againe too soone Take heede of that if thy heart begin to thaw desire God to follow thee with his grace that it may not freeze againe 3. After a thaw though the Snow for the most part be vanished and gone yet under hedges and ditches there wil lie some leavings of it as we call them a long time after so when it hath pleased God to melt a mans heart for sinne yet there wil be some leavings of corruption some remainders of his old sinnes in the blinde and secret corners of his heart So that the continuall care and daily practise of a Christian must be to finde out and purge out these old leavings of sinne that lie unmelted in his soule 1 Cor. 5. 7. 4. The thaw makes the wayes exceeding foule and cloggie which before were faire and cleane so till a mans heart be thawed he never perceives the foulenesse of the wayes of sinne how they bemyre his soule and clogge and hinder him in his passage to heaven Saint Peter calls the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a squalid foule and filthy place so the word signifies 2 Pet. 1. 19. a man shall have much adoe to keepe himselfe unspotted where so much filth and corruption is David found this and desired of God Psal 69 15. Eripe me de â—uto Lord deliver me out of the myre that I sinke not A wicked man thinkes the broad way to be the best way but a man whose heart hath beene thawed knowes it to be full of myre and sloughes and it is Gods mercy if they doe not sinke irrecoverably 5. While the frost holds the plowes are lockt out of the earth no seede can be sowne all husbandry is intermitted till God send a thaw and then their work goes forward So while men are frozen in sinne Gods Plow can make no worke the seed of his word can take no roote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle calls the Ministrie of the word 1 Cor. 3. God husbandry doth no good till there come an inward thaw to prepare and make way for grace that mens hearts may be wrought upon by the powerfull Gospel of Iesus Christ then it is no griefe for a Minister to take paines in the Word and Doctrine of the Lord. Therefore Iohn Baptist was sent before to prepare the way for Christ and to thaw mens hearts by the preaching of repentance that they might be capable of the Doctrine of Christ who was to sow the seede of eternall life in the world 6. Lastly after a thaw comes a floud so after repentance follow teares It was Peters case Luke 22. 60. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while he was yet speaking ere the word was out of his mouth his heart began to melt and hee went out and wept bitâ—erty It was one of Gods charges to his people Exod. 22. 29. that they should not delay their liquors or drink-offrings So we translate it but in the Originall it is non tardabis â—aâ—rymam tuam thou shalt not delay thy teares therefore if thou hast done any thing that needeth Peters teares and hast not shed them let me be thy Cocke doe it now what ever thou delayest delay not that for it is a ruled case in Divinity that no man can come to heaven with drie eyes therefore if thou findest thy eyes to be so dry and thy heart so hard that faine thou wouldest but canst not weepe for sinne desire God to smite thy heart as Moses smote the Rocke that the waters of repentance may gush forth in abundance or as the words of my Text are desire God to blow upon thy soule with the vitall blasts of his holy Spirit that these waters may flow to wa â— and clense and carry away the mudde and dregs and filth of all thy sinnes I have done with my Text. God of his mercy give a blessing to it for Iesus sake our Lord and onely Saviour Amen FJNJS VNKNOWNE KINDNESSE A SERMON Preached in the Cathedrall Church of St. PAVL in London Anno Dom 1635. BY IOHN GORE Rector of Wenden-lofts in ESSEX Printed at London by T. Cotes for Thomas Alchorne and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Greene-Dragon 1635. Perlegi hanc concionem cui titulus Vnknowne Kindnesse in quâ nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium THO. WEEKES R. P. Epo Lond. Cap. domest Ex aedibus Fulhami Maij 24. 1635. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL M. Doctor DVCK Chancellor for the Diocesse of LONDON RIGHT WORSHIP I Remember that David Psal 23. 4. tooke as much comfort in the Rod wherewith he was smitten as in the Staffe whereby he was upholden And J consider that your Jurisdiction over me is as well corrective for what is amisse as directive in what is aright Take J beseech you this Tender from my hand as a testimony from my heart that J am yours in both and doe as kindly accept of the one as J embrace the other Thus nudus ad ignotum J prostrate my selfe and pray both for your temporall and your eternall welfare Your poore unworthy Friend IOHN GORE VNKNOVVNE Kindnesse PSALME 141. 5. Let the Righteous smite me it shall be a kindnesse and let him reproove me it shall be an excellent oyle that shall not breake my head AS there are two sorts of sinnes against God sinnes knowne and sinnes unknowne I know my iniquity saith David of the one and Father forgive them for they know not what they doe saith our Saviour of the other so there are two sorts of kindenesses from man knowne kindenesse and unknowne kindenesse the knowne kindnesse is that which consists in charity in love and compassion to the poore like that which David shewed to Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 9. 3. Is there not any of the house of Saul that I may shew the kindnesse of God unto him saith the King to Ziba that is that I may sustaine releive and doe him good as God in his kindenesse is wont to sustaine releive and do good to those that stand in neede of succour this is the kindenesse of God and that is a knowne kindnesse But then there is another sort of kindenesse that is unknowne such as the world doth hardly know how to discerne from an unkindnesse and that consists in smiting rebuking and reprehension and this is the kindenesse that David doth even begge for here in my Text.
the indignation and wrath of God upon him that wronged him or whom God in flaming fire will render vengeance when he comes to judgement And this is the way to be revenged of an enemy But then if a man have a friend that hee wisheth well unto and faine would reclaime him from his evill life David would have him take another course and powre drops of oyle upon his head that is mollifie and melt him and worke gently and kindly upon him by mild rebukes and reprehensions for this may touch his heart but shall never breake his head it may doe him good for his soule but shall never doe him wrong for his life or reputation And this I take to be the meaning of my text The summe of all is this Looke what vertue what excellency there is in the most soveraigne most precious oyles or balsomes for the salubrity and health of the body the very same are to be found in kind and gentle admonitions for the health and welfare of the soule Fitly therefore doth David resemble it to oyle in many respects I will but name them and conclude 1 Quia medetur vulneribus you know that balsom which is nothing else but oyle is a soveraigne remedy specially for a greene wound so is seasonable reprehension a soveraigne cure for one that hath newly wounded his conscience or his credit by sin Wouldest thou doe a spirituall cure upon thy friend let him not runne on till he be festered and rankled with a habit of sinning but take him while the wound is greene Wee see in Genesis that when Adam had sinned God came to him in the coole of the evening the same day and reprehended him for it because God would not have him sleepe one night in his sinne A Candle new blowne out is soone blowne in againe and a wound newly taken is sooner healed if thou would heale thy friend give him this balsome in time 2 Quia expellit venenum there be oyles as sallet oyles c. that are of speciall vertue to expell poison taken inwardly sin is of a poysonfull nature that envenomes and endangers the very life of the soule David compares it to the poyson of Aspes which is the deadliest of all poysons hath thy friend taken poyson hath he baned himselfe by presumptuous sinnes give him this oyle rebuke him lovingly it will either fetch the poyson upward by a penitent confession or drive it downewards and make him prostrate himselfe at the foot of God one way or other it will worke upon him 3 Quia exhilarat faâ—iâ—m Oyle maketh a man have aâ— cheerefull countenance saith David and it is pitty his words should be perverted and strained to patronize the painting of Iczâ—bel but my meaning is when a man hath beene gently rebuked by a friend and beene wrought thereby to a kindly repentance to a holy sadnesse and deâ—ection for sinne and therefore hath in a sincere penitentiall manner even shriven himselfe to his God you would not beleeve what a cheerefulnesse this breeds in a sad heart how light-some he shall be after his former lumpishnesse quasi volitare facit as a Father saith it even carries a man above ground and makes him forget the best of natures comforts 4 Quia penetrat corda There be oyles of that vertue that they will enter thorow the skinne and flesh and bones and worke upon the very marrow that is within Such vertue hath the word of God being powerfully applied and chafed in by the warme and soft hand of a kind and loving friend it will enter into the very secrets of the heart and worke upon the very soule and spirit and doe a cure there where no earthly medicine can take place 5 Quia recuperat moriturum Saint Iames tels us that in the Primitive Church when a man was sicke unto death the Elders of the Church annointed him with oyle which by the miraculous vertue that God gave unto it was a meanes to recover the party from whence the Papists derive their Extreme Vnction which God knowes is but an apish uneffectuall mis-imitation of a miracle which now is ceased in the Church and even then could not be done by every Elder for all had not the gift of healing as the Apostle tels us this is indeed the onely spirituall oyle that we are to apply unto men on their death-beads to speake comfortably to their hearts to work kindly upon their consciences and to prepare their soules for heaven by wholesome admonitions FJNJS THE POORE MANS HOPE A Sermon Preached By IOHN GORE Rector of VVenden-lofts in EESSEX 1635. PSAL. 12. 5. For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needie now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him HEB DDIEV HEB DDIM Printed at Londâ— n by Th 〈…〉 for Thâ—mas Alchorne and arâ— to be sold at his shop iâ—â—… Pauleâ—… Church-yard at the signe of the Greene-Dragon 1635. Perlegi hanc concionem eui titulus The Poore mans Hope in qua nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium Tho. Weekes R. P. P. p. Lond. Cap. Domest TO MY VVORSHIPFVLL And most vvorthy Friend M. EDMVND VVOODHALL Chiefe Register of the Perogative Office in LONDON WORTHY SIR I Remember how heartily the Apostle prayed for his good friend Onesiphorus who had ought refreshed him and was not ashamed of his chaine 2 Tim. 1. 16 18. The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus and againe The Lord grant that he may finde mercy of the Lord in that day Now whither that good man were willing to have his name and his goodnesse made knowne to the world J cannot say very likely his modest hashfulnesse would not seeme to desire it But who will blame Saint Pauls good nature that he did not forget the kindnesse of his friend as Ioash forgat the kindnesse of Iehojada nor would smother his 〈…〉 Hazael smothered his Master but remembred 〈◊〉 in his prayers made mention of him in his writings and besought the Lord for mercy to that house where hee had found so oft refreshing In like manner This is all the poore amends that J can make you worthy sir for all your free and noble entertainements to become your Oratour to God your Herald to the world and to requite your courtesies with prayers which 〈◊〉 all never be wanting from Your poore unworthy Friend IOHN GORE THE POORE Mans Hope PSAL. 37. 25. J have beene young and now am old yet never saw the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging their bread THese words are an experiment or an observation of the Prophet David touching the certainety and infallibilitie of Gods Providence and Goodnesse to the righteous and their posteritie Wherein we may take notice of three generall Points 1. The time how long David had observed Gods dealing and dispensation in this behalfe namely from his youth to his age I have beene young and now am old 2. The parties in whom
a chariot to convey the other Sicco pede without wetting their feete to the land of Promise This is that which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12. 11. the quiet fruit of righteousnesse for though the bud and blossome of Righteousnesse I meane the first beginning of Grace and Christianity may be troubled and assaulted with difficulties and doubts and feares yet the fruit is alwayes quiet and the end is alwayes peace so that the Righteous while the live they live to the Lord and when they die they die in the Lord so both in life and death the Lord is theirs and they are his they never forsake the Lord nor doth the Lord ever forsake them I never saw the Righteous forsaken Ob. No may some say Did David never see the Righteous forsaken as when he himself cried out Psal 22 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and art so far from my helpe And doth not Sion it selfe which is the Church of God and mother of the faithfull complaine in like manner Esayâ—9 â—9 14. The Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten mee And did not our blessed Saviour who was Righteousnesse it selfe when he was in that biâ—ter passion upon the Crosse and suffered those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those unknowne and unexpressible torments did not he crie out to the amazement of men and horrour of Angels My God my God why hast thou forsaken me How then can David say He never saw the righteous forsaken Ans I answer in the words of a Father Quosdam deserit Deus quosdam desâ—rere videtur some God doth indeede forsake as he did Saul and Iudas and such others because they had indeede and in earnest forsaken and cast off the Lord other some God doth but onely seeme to forsake as hee did David and Sion and his owne blessed Sonne our Saviour As when some tender mother will seeme to forsake her childe and goe aside and hide her selfe onely to trie whether the childe will moane after her or no and then hearing the childs moaning she is wont to make the more of it than she did before Thus it pleaseth God many times to hide himselfe as the Prophet speaketh Esay 45. 15. Thou O God hidâ—st thy selfe O God the Saviour of Israel but it is onely to see whether we will make any moane after him and lament after the Lord as the Israelites did and groane and grieve for his departure Therefore as our Saviour when he heard them say He whom thou lovest is sicke Iob. 11. 3. he answered This sicknesse is not unto death so when it may be said Hee whom God loveth is forsaken it may be answered This forsaking is not unto death but when they seeme in the sight of others and in their owne sence and feeling to be most rejected and least regarded of God then is God nearest to their helpe and succor In a word there is a twofold desertion the one in sinne the other in punishment God may leave the Righteous to either or both of these that is hee may suffer them to fall into some grievous sinne or he may suffer them to lie long under some grievous punishment and yet not forsake them neither 1. Desertion is sin is when God withdraweth the assistance of his grace and leaves the righteous to fall into some great offence as he did David and divers others and of Hezekiah it is said totidem verbis 2 Chron. 32. 31. That God left him to try out al that was in his heart not but that God knew all before but Hezekiah did not know so much by himselfe nor would not beleeve that he had so bad so base an heart till he tried it and found it by wofull experience therefore God left him to himselfe to pull downe the pride of his heart and to make him humble and vile in his owne eyes Thus God left Saint Peter as you know but wherefore did hee leave him Our Saviour saith it was but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 22. to sift and winnow him as wheat Looke then what winnowing is unto the wheat a meanes to cleanse it and purge it from drosse and dust and chaffe the same is temptation and sinne to the righteous a meanes through Gods mercy and their owne repentance to make them more cleane more holy more humble in the sight of God And for this cause I suppose that God who if he pleased could easily withhold the righteous from sinne doth yet in his wisedome leave them to themselves and let them fall that by falling they may have experience of their infirmity their infirmitie may draw them to humility humility brings them home to God and in God they have their quietus est a free and full discharge from all their sinnes 2. Desertion in punishment is when God casts the righteous into tribulation and anguish and then seemes to leave them and neglect them and take no notice of the burthen that lies upon them as you read Judg. 6. 13. the Angel of the Lord came unto Gideon and said God is with thee thou mighty man of valour Gideon answered Alas Lord if the Lord be with us how then is all this evill come upon us that good man could not perâ—wade himselfe but that God had quite forsaken him when he saw there was so much evill come upon them he thought that Gods goodnesse and their evills his mercies and their miseties had beene incompatible and could not have consisted nor stood together But Gideon was mistaken in that and so are the Righteous many a time and oft when they measure Gods presence by prosperity and hiâ— absence by adversitie For God is not absent when hee punisheth but onely seemes to withdraw himselfe and his favour that the Righteous might draw nearer and creepe closer to God as one that shivers of an Ague drawes neerer and creepes closer to the fire Thus you have seene the priviledge of the Righteous that notwithstanding their sinnes and notwithstanding their punishments yet they are never wholly deserted nor forsaken of the Lord. I come now to the last part of my Text and that is The continuance and succession of Gods favour and mercy that it doth not rest onely upon the Righteous themselves but extendeth and enlargeth it selfe to their posterity and to their seed Nee semen ejus querens panem nor their seed begging their bread This shewes the gracious descent and propagation of Gods blessing when it alights Like the Oyle that was powred on Aarons head it wet not his head and his beard alone as David speaketh Psal 1 33. 2. but went downe to the skirts of his cloathing so the mercy and loving-kindnesse of the Lord doth not rest and remaine onely upon the head of the family upon the righteous parents but descends and runnes downe to the utmost of their posterity and is derived from them unto their â—eed Here then come in two Points worthy to be resolved First
in mercy to all that call upon him will be a Father to thy children a Guardian to thy orphans and while thou art above with God in glory God will be beneath with them in mercy that they shall never feele such want nor fall to beggery It is a blessing promised to the poore Psal 107. 41. That God will make them families like a flocke of sheepe which implyes that they shall thrive with a little maintenance even as sheepe grow fat and gather flesh and fleeces though the plaines and leas they feed on be but bare and short I know that generally all parents have a naturall desire that their children should prosper and doe well when they themselves be dead and gone Oh that Ishmael might live in thy sight saith Abraham to God Oh that thou wouldst be pleased to take him into thy favour and mercy that he may never cast off thee nor waste his meanes and so come to want and beggery Now if thou wouldst be upon a sure ground for thy childrens welfare labour to become a righteous man thy selfe and to bring thy children to righteousnesse too and then there is no feare but all shall be as well as thy heart can wish for it is not wealth and money but it is honesty and piety that must keepe a mans seed from want and beggery it is not rents and revenewes without but it is Righteousnesse and Religion within that entailes Gods blessing to thy childe and keepes the begger from the doore This then is the onely comfort that though parents shall not know how their children â—are when themselves are dead and gone For Abraham our father is ignorant of us and Israel knowes us not Isa 62. 16. 〈◊〉 the father of the faithfull above knowes not his own children till they come into his bosome nor how the world goes with them and Iob 14. 24. His sons come to honor and he knowes it not and they are brought low but he perceiveth it not of them I say though the Righteous shall not know what becomes of their children after that themselves are gathered to their fathers in peace yet here 's the comfort and the assurance that they have in God that if they have brought them up in the feare and nurture of the Lord and see them towardly and well-disposed to goodnesse they may comfortably depart without feare of their miscariage for as God hath bin a Father to them so he will be to their children and though they leave them behind on earth they shall finde them againe in heaven At which blessed center God of his mercy grant we may all one day meet where we shall never be divided any more but shall live together and love together in eternall solace in eternall felicity world without end Amen FINIS THE ORACLE OF GOD. A SERMON appointed for the Crosse and preached in the Cathedrall Church of St. Paul in London on the 20. day of December being the Sunday before Christmasse Anno Dom. 1635. By Iohn Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex LONDON Printed by Thomas Cotes for Thomas Alchorne and are to be sold at his shop in S. Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Greene-Dragon 1636. Perlegi hanc concionem cui titulus Gods Oracle in quâ nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium Tho. Weekes R. P. Epi. Lond. Cap. Domest TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE CHRISTOPHER CLETHEROVV Lord Major of the honorable City of London whose dignity and prosperity God long continue WHat it pleased your Honour to desire may it please you also to accept a poore mans Sermon J have no other plea nor other hopes nor meanes to finde Grace in your eyes seeing J am a stranger but onely for that Grace's sake which is the Theame and subject the pith and marrow of my text Jn a word therefore As Iacob prayed heartily for his sonnes when they went to present themselves before Ioseph Gen. 43. 14. God Almighty give you mercy in the sight of the man such iâ— my hearty prayer to Almighty God God Almighty give mee mercy in your sight and you in his sight Oratum est Your Honours poore servant and suppliant IOHN GORE THE ORACLE OF GOD. 2 COR. 12. 9. My Grace is sufficient for thee IT is well knowne that this Sunday and some of the rest that are gone before are commonly called in our Liturgie by the name of Advent-sundayes as you would say in plaine English Comming Sundayes And wote you why because therein wee doe thankefully celebrate and solemnize the blessed time and memory of our Saviours comming to us in the flesh and his arrivall from heaven in this vale of misery If any man desire a reason why we celebrate the comming of our Saviour in so solemne so sacred and so settled a maner being gone and past 1600. yeares agoe Saint Iohn hath given me an answere to my hand Because grace and truth came by Iesus Christ Iohn 1. 17. When Iesus Christ came from the bosome of his Father he came not empty-handed nor unprovided but brought Truth and Grace into the world with him Truth to direct us to heaven and Grace to deliver us from hell and that 's a Congiary that deserves commemoration to the worlds end If any man shall yet further inquire what is this Grace to us or what are wee the better for the Grace that hee brought For that my text will resolve you and make it evidently appeare unto you that Christ is no niggard of his Grace neither doth he keepe it to himselfe as Nabal did his victuals but doth graciously impart it and mercifully bestow it so much upon every one as he seeth in his wisedome to be enough and sufficient for him My Grace is sufficient for thee And let that suffice for the occasion and choyce of my text that it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not altogether unsutable and impertinent to the time Come we now to the text it selfe which is nothing else but The Oracle of God or Gods owne immediate voyce not disdaining to utter it selfe from Heaven for the comfort and satisfaction of his poore distressed Suppliant here on earth For thus stood the case Our Apostle at this time was punished with two strange and strong afflictions the one internall the other externall the one he termeth the Thorne in the flesh the other the Messenger of Satan that buffeted him By that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thorne or splinter in the flesh I suppose hee did meane his owne concupiscence his owne corruption and lust which is as painefull and vexatious to a tender soule as a thorne in the hand or a splinter under the nayle is irkesome and grievous to the tender flesh By that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the messenger or the angell of Satan must needs bee understood the Devills temptation for before that wicked one come himselfe he sends his Messenger or his Angell before him to make way for his entertainement and as Elisha said
8. postulaa me c. desire of mee and I will give thee the heathen for thy inheritance c. If hee that was sole heyre of Heaven and earth haeres ex toto asse as the Romans used to stile them could no otherwise come by his inheritance but by way of petition to desire it afore he had it much more so is it with us where no desire it looke for no gift no prayer no grace We see in Esay God makes a gracious promise to his people that he would put away all their sinnes take them all into his favour as though they had never sinned but marke the condition for all these things I will be sought unto saith God So though God offer his grace to men hee will not force it upon them against their wills hee will have them sue for it hee will have them desire it or they may thanke themselves if they goe to hell without it and God may justly complaine of them as David did of Naball 1. Sam. 25. 21. All is in vaine that I have done for these men Seeing then there is no backwardnesse in God to make deniall of his grace but hee is willing to bestow it upon all that are desirous to imbrace it oh be not wanting to thy owne mercy ne deficias doe not faile of it 2. Seeing that grace is the Lords nè superbias be not proud of it doe not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Iames his word is cap. 3. 5. doe not magnifically lift up thy selfe aboue thy brethren whose graces are not so eminent as thine but rather as the eares of corne and the bowes of trees the more they are laden with fruit the lower they hang to the earth so the more God hath laden thee with his graces and favours be thou so much the more lowly in thy owne eyes and thinke not scorne to doe as thy God doe who though his Glory bee above the heavens saith David Psal 113. â— yet hee doth Abase himselfe to behold the things that are in the earth and as the more direct the Sunne is over us the shorter and lesser is the shadow so the more that Gods grace is over thee and in thee the lesser let the shadow of pride bee seene to come from thee for consider saith the Apostle what hast thou that thou hast uot received or what is that thou canst properly call thine owne but mendacium peccatum lying and sinne as our Saviour said of the devill Iohn 8. when hee speaketh a lye hee speaketh de suo of his owne God never put that into him so for thy sinnes thou must thanke thy selfe or rather indeede beshrewe and blame thy selfe for they are thy owne but if thou hast any grace or any vertue in thee thanke God for that for it is not thine it is the Lords seeing then thou art but a Tributary to God and hast nothing that good is but what thou art beholding and must be countable to the Lord for it nè superbias be not proud of it 3. Seeing Grace is the Lord to bestow on whom he pleaseth nè invideas doe not envie it let not thine eye be evill because God is good nor thinke the worse of another man because God is better to him then unto thee for Gods grace is his owne he may give it to whom he will When God shall take of his grace and of his good spirit as Samuel said to Saul shall give it to a neighbour of thine that is better then thou what cause hast thou to be envious at this and not rather to humble thy selfe and thinke that as Daniel told the king cap. 5. 27. God hath weighed thee in a ballance and found thee minus habens wanting to God and to thy selfe and therefore hath justly with holden his favour from thee and given it to one that will use it better for his glory and for the Churches good farre be it from any child of God to Cherish in his brest the spawne of that old serpent the divell for envy is no better as the learned have well observed there is so neere a resemblance betwixt an envious man and the divell that in the booke of God the one is taken for the other so the divell is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an envious man Mat. 13. 28. an envious man is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a devil Iohn 6. 70. How farre better would it become us in this respect to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Angels of heaven who now at Christmas time when they saw that our Saviour would in no wise take their nature which was far better then ours but tooke our nature upon him which was farre worse then theirs and which was most of all and would have gone most against our stomackes commanded them to worship it Heb. 1. 6. they were so farre from envying or taking offence at this as that elder brother did in the Gospel when the yonger was received to grace after his riotous course that even then they sung an Anthem for the joy of our happinesse and even to this day Saint Peter tells us 1. Pet. 1. 12. they doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stoope downe as it were in duty and love to honour the mistery of Christs incarnation and to admire the grace and favour of God to mankind In a word then seeing that the Honouring of Gods grace wheresoever it lights is a quality so Angelicall and the contrary so diabolicall let it bee thy practise evermore to reverence him that hath it to judge thy selfe unworthy of it seeke it in Gods name and get to bee partaker in it but in any case ne invideas doe not envie it 4. Seeing that grace proceedes from so holy a fountaine as is the Lord ne Abutaris doe not abuse it doe not vitiate nor staine it with sinne as Lot entreated the men of Sodome Gen. 19. 8. that they would not abuse the Angels of God seeing they were come to shelter themselves under the shadow of his râ—ofe so let me entreate you all in the name of Christ that you would not abuse the graces of God seeing they are come from heaven to take shelter and harbour in your brests and bosomes The Apostle speakes of some Iud. 4. that turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and that 's a woefull kinde of Alchymie as one saith singularly well would we not esteeme that man prodigally foolish and mad that would spend all his time all his substance and all his industry to finde out a perverse Philosophers stone that should turne all the gold it touched into lead and drosse even such are they that pervert the grace of God and turne it into wantonnesse into lasciviousnes into all manner of scurrility and deboistnesse and never lin till they have made a poyson of an Antidote and baned themselves with that which would have beene their blisse lucerna dei in spiritu hominis saith Salomon Pro. 20. 27. The
himselfe to lye languishing so long under his owne hand and seeme to take no notice of their miseies The best answere I can give is that of our Saviour to his Mother Iohn 2. 4. Nondum venit hora My houre is not yet come for you must conceive there are two kindes of houres wee have our houre and God hath his Houre As soone as wee begin to sicken that wee feele but any paine or finde the want of any ease then is our houre to be healed then doe wee cry out as t is fit we should Have mercy upon mee O Lord for I am weake Lord heale me for my bones are vexed Psal 6. 2. But God hath another houre and that you shall finde 2 Chron. 7. 14. When my people humble themselves and pray and seeke my face and turne from their wicked wayes that is when they are bettered and amended by my afflictions Then saith God will I heare in Heaven and have mercy upon them and heale their Land God complaines of that people in many places that their hearts were waxen fat that they would not see with their eyes nor heare with their eares nor understand with their hearts ne convertantur ut sanem Mat. 13. 15. lest they should be converted and I should heale them So that the time of our conversion is Gods healing-time First labour to be converted and then looke to be healed and not before So Acts 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sinnes may bee blotted out and then and never till then looke for a Tempus refrigerij a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. We read Numb 12. 14. When Myriam was strucken with leprosie Moses was importunate with God to heale presently out of hand Heale her now O Lord I beseech thee Heale her now No saith God I will not heale her yet shee shall stay the time that I have determined upon her for if her Father had but spit in her face should she not have beene ashamed and kept in for seven dayes c. So perswade your selves of this that there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an appointed time that God hath set downe with himselfe in heaven when and wherein his mercy shall appeare on earth for our recovery and till that time we must wait as David saith Psal 123. 2. As the eyes of a servant wait on the hand of their masters and the eyes of a mayden on the hand of her mistresse so doe our eyes waite upon the Lord our God untill that he have mercy upon us Marke that same donec misereatur untill hee have mercy that is though God shew thee not mercy this day nor to morrow nor the next day may be not till a long time after yet let not thy heart be dismayed but let thy soule truely wait upon God untill hee shew thee mercy let him shew it when he will In the meane time know thou art under the hands of a wise and gracious God who measures every dram ofsorrow that thou feelest who will not only be about thy bed but will ever make all thy bed in thy sicknesse and will so establish and under-prop thee with his Grace that though thy body lye in paine thy soule shall lye at ease though thy outward man consume and melt away for very heavinesse yet that same Interior cordis homo as Saint Peter speakes the inner man of thy heart shall bee so strengthened with might and armed with patience and guarded with peace that neither paines of death nor the powers of Hell shall ever be able to prevaile against thee In a word if ever it shall please God to cast thee downe upon that same Lectum languoris that bed of languishing which David speakes of Psal 41. 4. for that wee all must make account of though we now lie and laze upon our beds the time may come that wee shall lie and languish on our beds wishing as they did in Deuteronomy when t is morning would God it were evening and when t is evening would God it were morning If ever such a dolefull time should happen to thee I pray God of his mercy looke graciously upon thee and say unto thy bleeding soule as he did once to that forlorne Infant Ezech. 16. 6. Dixi in sanguinibus c. when thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live If God doe but say thou shalt live though thou wert in thy blood though thou wert in thy grave his word shall fetch thee for his Grace if it stand with his glory is sufficient to heale thee 4. The last and chiefest thing whereunto the Grace of God and nothing else but Gods Grace is sufficient is Ad salvandum to save the soule of every one that hath it The Apostle calls it The Grace that bringeth salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 2. 11. for as the wickednesse of man bringeth destruction so the Grace of God bringeth salvation to every soule that entertaines it Saint Paul is direct Ephes 2. 5. By Grace yee are saved whether it be meant of the Grace of God within us which our Saviour compares to Salt Marke 9. 50. Habete salem in vobis c. have Salt in your selves and peace with one another because as salt preserves the flesh so doth Grace preserve the spirit from corruption and rottennesse in sinne or whether it be meant of the Grace of God that is over and above us I meane his favour and loving kindnesse which lightneth upon us from Heaven as we pray in our Liturgie let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust is in thee Take it either way it holds good and true for by the one we are prepared for salvation by the other salvation is prepared for us the Grace of God within us prepares us for salvation the Grace of God over us prepares salvation for us so both wayes t is our happinesse By Grace to bee saved It was Gods mercifull promise Deut. 11. 12. Mine eyes shall be upon this Land from the beginning of the yeare to the end thereof such is Gods goodnesse where hee bestowes his Grace such a care hath God of their soules that his eye is upon them from the beginning of their conversion to the end of their salvation and as his eye is upon them to watch over them so his hand is with them to conâ—uct them in the right way of pleasing God and of saving their own soules Deut. 33. 3. All his Saints are in thy hand as a Father leads his childe so doth God lead his Saints by his Grace and by his good Spirit from all things prejudiciall to all things profitable to his service and their owne salvation To conclude this point because as the Schoolemen say well Ad singulos actus desideratur Gratia a man hath need of Grace to every action that hee takes in hand and that he can doe nothing well without it let us all