in and by how many Prophets yet euen at the last cast when the sword was whetting and readie to strike a Doore was opened to them Amend your wayes Ierem. 26. 13. and your doings and obey the voyce of the Lord your God and the Lord will repent him of the euill that hee hath pronounced against you What could bee more peremptorie than the prophesie of Ionah against the Niniuites A day was prefixed which stood before them and seemed to inclose them that they should neuer goe beyond it Yet their faith had espyed this doore of Mercy as it were by a little Crany Ionah 3. 9. Who can tell if God will turne and repent and turne away from his fierce anger that wee perish not Behold a strange Faith that so much beleeued in Gods mercy that it seemed to doubt of his truth Nay far bee that from so excellent a Faith They beleeued both the Truth and Mercy of God for they so much beleeued and hoped in his Mercy to penitent sinners that they beleeued that the same Mercy had left some secret way of Truth by which it might passe vnto them and they goe forth vnto it And in this point their faith seemed to exceed the faith of the Prophet For the Prophet thought his owne honour would bee lost if so peremptorie a sentence were not peremptorily performed But these men beleeued it stood well with the honour of God that a peremptory sentence vpon penitence might be dissolued And indeede theirs was true faith and his thought was but an errour For the word of God whose Truth is a true ground of Faith is the very foundation of that which they beleeued At what instant Ier. 18. 7. I shall speake of a Nation and concerning a Kingdome to plucke vp and to pull downe and to destroy it if that Nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their Euill I will repent of the euill that I thought to doe vnto them Thus we see in the denunciation of Gods Iudgements there is an implied Reseruation and this Reseruation is the Doore at which the Nineuites and other beleeuing penitents may finde a way to escape Yea the peremptorinesse of the sentence which seemeth to hedge vs in may be the very meanes to bring vs to the way of escaping For the peremptorinesse of a sentence strikes the sentence strongly as it were a spurre into the sides of resty and dull flesh and bloud and stirs vp mankinde hardly to labour for that Issue which seemes so hard and almost impossible to be found And indeede this finding God vsually proposeth as the scope of his warning He tells vs of Iudgements comming that wee may finde the way to auoid them If he meant to destroy his readiest way were not to forewarne It was Sauls case when he was neere to the period of Ruine The Lord answered him not neither by dreames 1. Sam. 28 6. nor by vrim nor by Prophets Let vs therefore account premonitions to bee Summons vnto Iudgement but yet by a silent and implied Reseruation offering vs Mercie And betweene the time of denunciation and full performance let vs thinke that offer continued to vs. For the Time of warning is commonly a time of Truce betweene God and Man and a time of Respite between Wrath and Punishment Therefore is it called The day of a person or people euen a day of Grace Luke 19. 42 wherin iudgement is suspended and may bee preuented And if in this their day those things are not hid from their eies which may make their peace with God the peace of God will preserue them from the Iudgements of God Wherefore let vs not thinke that euery forewarning is a binding for a prediction ordinarily bindeth no farther than mens impeni tence bindeth it For in it selfe a premonition is an offer of loosing as well as a sentence of binding There is a gate of Mercy in it and man hath a Key wherewith to open it Yea the Iudge himselfe who seemes to inclose vs in prison calls vpon vs to make vse of it and by the hardnesse and difficultie of escaping stirs and spurs vs vp to an earnest seeking of the meanes of our Freedom 4. If any man aske what is the Key by which this gate is opened Spirituall helpes are the true helpes to set vs at liberty from Iudgements 1. Sam. 10. 27. he may plainly see it in the places alledged In euery one of them it is Repenting and Turning from euill waies But flesh and bloud replies in the language of Belial For as the men of Belial said of the King whom God had annointed Shall this man saue vs So flesh and bloud saith of the meanes which God hath sanctified Shal such an ayerie and inuisible thing saue vs Yet most true it is that inuisible things must saue vs or wee cannot bee saued Spirituall things are inuisible and spirituall things must saue vs. And no wonder for spirituall things worke our eternal saluation and if they can worke the greater why should they not be able to worke out the lesser saluation When a question is made concerning the great Saluation Act. 2. 37. 38. Men and Brethren what shall we doe to be saued The first word of the Answer is Repent And why should not the same answer serue for a lesser saluation Againe if wee looke vpon the way wherein wee came to be bound wee shall finde a spirituall way to bee our onely way to loosing If wee looke to heauen we shall finde it is God that bindes vs there and God is a spirit Now Ioh. 4. 24. according to the reason of CHRIST himselfe if God be a Spirit it is a spirituall meanes that can only bee powerfull with a spirit And if wee looke below we shall finde it is sin that prouoketh God to binde man and sinne is a spirituall disease euen a deprauation of the Image of God in the soule and spirit of Man or a fruit of it Now it is plaine that a spirituall remedy can only cure a spirituall disease The soule will not bee fed by the food of the body neither by bodily physicke will it bee cured Wherfore in regard of God who is offended and in regard of thy sinne that hath offended him behold the word of God turning thee from carnall and visible to spirituall and insuisible Remedies Micah 6. 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Riuers of Oyle shall I giue my first-borne for my transgression the fruite of my body for the sinne of my soule Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe in walking with thy God Neither hath God herein giuen meere words but his deeds haue beene as good as his words The Scripture is full of examples that this meanes which the world thinkes to be weaknesse hath beene strong vnto
helpes whom God of his meere grace bestoweth vpon Paul Yea naturall helpes being opposed against spirituall are ready helpes to destruction so the Master and owner of the ship being beleeued against Paul become the meanes of the ships destruction Naturall helpes if they bee not stayed and held by spirituall helpes will then runne away from vs when we haue most need of them so the Mariners would haue run away when they might haue stood most in steed if Paul had not stayed them Spirituall helpes are they that saue vs when naturall helpes doe faile vs so the loue of God to Paul saued both him and his companions when they were destitute of the helpe of man And lastly when spirituall helpe and blessing is giuen to the meanes then the meanes can saue vs yea then the meanes are so necessarie that without them we cannot bee saued So when God is pleased to giue successe to the seruice and helpe of the Mariners then they are vsefull to bring the ship where the passengers may bee saued Yea they are then so necessarie that without the Mariners they cannot bee saued Thus wee see that spirituall helpes are the strong helpers and outward helpes are themselues holpen by them Spirituall helps are the foundation and temporall helpes are a building vpon that foundation Wherefore if we will be wife builders first let vs bee sure to make the foundation strong and then may we hopefully reare vp the walls Let vs by penitence draw neere vnto God our Rocke and being spirituall fetch strength and helpe from the Almighty Spirit Then may wee say and not till then The Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in him and I am helped Yea he is a Sunne as well as a shield Psal. 28. 7. and when this Sunne returnes Psal. 84. 11. then there comes a spring vpon a Nation 6. Being thus put vpon spirituall helpes Sure and sound Repentance is a sure sound helpe and particularly vpon Repentance as vpon that which reconcileth to vs the strong and All sufficient helper A first part of it is the sight and acknowledgment of sinne let vs giue all diligence to make this repentance sure vnto vs. And sure it is made to vs by making it our owne and it is made our owne when wee our selues doe practise it For then repentance only can heale vs when by particular applying of it to our owne soules we make it our repentance And as it should bee a sure repentance so should it bee a full repentance For then is it most sure in it selfe to heale vs when it is most entire and perfect And so being sure in it selfe and sure to vs I hope we may be sure to bee saued Now to come to this fulnesse of repentance let vs view the parts of it yea let vs view some Accessions and necessary improuements of it yea let vs see the Crowne and consummation of it And let vs not only see but doe that wee may bee blessed in the Deede of it The parts of it Oyle of Scorp pag. 219. I haue heretofore shewed They are a Sight and Acknowledgment of Sin a Detestation of Sin and a Turning from Sinne to the contrary Righteousnes And first the Sight and Acknowledgement of our sinne is absolutely necessary It is necessary in respect of God and in regard of our selues In respect of God it is necessary for thereby we giue the glory that is due to the Iustice of God When we see our sins and acknowledge them we confesse that God is iust in his punishments and that he hath rightly afflicted vs. Dan. 9. 5. 7. 14. We haue sinned saith Daniel and haue done wickedly and haue rebelled euen by departing from thy precepts and iudgements And therupon he inferres O Lord righteousnesse belongeth to thee but to vs Confusion of Faces as at this day And a little after Therefore hath the Lord watched vpon the Euill and brought it vpon vs for the Lord our God is Righteous in all the workes that hee doth for wee obeyed not his voyce Thus from the Acknowledgement of sinne ariseth Glorie to Gods Iustice in punishing Sinnes and this Glorie hee expecteth before the Sinner be dismissed Hee will haue an acceptation of his punishments as of things iustly due vnto vs and it is an excellent degree toward Mercie to say with the penitent Thiefe on the Crosse We are righteously here Luk. 23. 4â— and receiue the reward of our deedes Yea with that holy Man Thou O God Ezra 9. 13. hast punished vs beneath our iniquities But if this be the fruite which God expecteth of his punishments for sinne that his Iustice should be so farre approued that the punishments should bee accepted how contrary an effect doe men commonly returne to God who in stead of acceptation returne nothing but murmuring and repining They employ their thoughts most on the stones that are cast at them and they bound their imaginations with the euills that presse them And they are so farre from this right fruite and vse of them that they neither see them as punishments for sinne neither doe they see the Iustice of God in sending these punishments yea they doe not see God at all in them but which is most lamentable and feareful because it is the very character of the wicked ones God is not in all their thoughts Psal. 10. 4. But while thus wee looke downeward to Effects without looking vp to Causes we look on our punishments rather like beasts than men And whatsoeuer toile wee take about the Effects if wee doe not remoue the Causes it is but losse of labour But how can we remoue the Causes when we doe not see them Sinne is that which moues Gods Iustice to punish vs and God will haue his Iustice approued and accepted in the punishment of Sinne before he will remoue those punishments And if it be our owne sinne and the Iustice of God that lay these euils vpon vs I wonder what good thou dost toward the cure of these euils by biting the stone that by these is throwne at thee For if thou shouldst bite it to powder as long as the Iustice of God remains vnappeased because thy Sin remaines vnacknowledged the great God of Iustice who in Mercie can turne stones into children of Abraham in Iustice can turn any sonnes of Adam into stones to batter thee Yea I will tell thee farther that as long as thou standest off from God and doest not take notice of him and much more while thou standest out against God and only snarlest at his punishments he wil defend euen his punishments against thee The punishments of God while they are in Gods businesse and till they haue done their errand are the seruants of God God will mainetaine them in that seruice vntill it bee done Therefore whatsoeuer become of Nebucadnezzar when his worke is done yet in doing of Gods worke God himselfe doth call him My
remouing of all curses And indeed why should wee not leaue sinne what is there in it or with it that we should not leaue it and loathe it Surely if wee looke neerely and cleerely vpon sinne wee shall see all the reason that may bee to cast it from vs and vtterly to abhorre it Among others let vs consider the deformity of it mentioned before the vanity of it and the miserie of it The deformity of it should especially bee looked on as that whereby God is offended and the offence of God should chiefly bee regarded Surely sinne is an ill-fauoured thing and it cannot bee otherwise for it is contrary to the most absolute purenesse beauty and glorie of the Deity it crosseth the will of God the Rule of righteousnesse it crosseth and opposeth God who is light because it is darknesse it is a blot and spot vpon the Image of God and it cannot but bee a thing odious and hatefull to God to see his Image and superscription blotted defaced it turnes men into a generation of Vipers it makes them rauening Wolues it makes them like the Horse and Mule which haue no vnderstanding Yea it makes them worse than the beasts that perish Esay 1. 3. For the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters cribbe but Man by sinne casts off his owner and Master euen the high Lord and Master of the whole Creation because the sole and whole Creator of it And what doe we now to saue this sinne from death and destruction which makes vs fit for nothing but the wrath of God the plagues that attend it And if we behold the vanity of sinne that may make vs weary of it and willing to forsake it For the maine cause of keeping our sinnes are certaine pleasures with which the diuell hath bayted them and wee so loue this bayte that wee take downe the hooke with it and by taking it we are taken And indeed if we could see sinne stripped of this pleasure that is the hooke without the baite wee should both feare and hate it And of this men haue some sight in the end of pleasures and in the day of sicknesse and death But looke vpon them now in the very time of thy health if thou canst but bring thy flesh a little on sleepe while thy soule is waking For if thy flesh would be quiet while thy soule is in this contemplation thou mightest answer out of thy owne knowledge vnto this question of the holy Ghost What fruite haue yee of those Rom. 6. 21. things whereof yee are now ashamed Take all the pleasures that are past squeese them with all thy might and see what drop of fruite thou canst wring of them They are past and gone and there remaines no one iot of them but they are perished with the vsing Coloss. 2. 22 And as these haue dealt with thee that are past so shall they serue thee that are to come There is nothing left of the former neither shall there be of the latter but they shall be all swallowed vp of one emptinesse and nothing But in stead of the pleasure of sinne which is vanished thou maist haue a sting of sinne that will not easily vanish and this meere naturall reason hath told vs. Habet omnis hoc voluptas Boeth Stimulis agit fruentes Apiumque par volantum Vbi grata mella fudit Fugit nimis tenaci Ferit icta corda morsis And if the pleasure of sinne vanisheth and the sting remaineth how much better is the labour of righteousnesse whose labour vanisheth but the comfort and reward of righteousnesse for euer abideth But if nothing else yet let the miseries of sinnes which are so many blowes of an offended God beate vs from sinne When wee see it attended with Plague Famine and Sword with Sicknesse Death and Hell with vnsuccesfulnes in Armies Nauies with terrours within and without at home and abroad yea with all the euills of soule body and estate then let vs hate it if not for it selfe yet for the fearefull consequences and followers of it Yea let vs hasten from it as Lot was hastened out of Sodom for to hasten out of sinne is to make haste from fire and brimstone and from all the torments that may be inflicted by an omnipotent wrath 9. But if we meane throughly to leaue sinne To leaue sinne throughly we must roote vp sinfulnes wee must leaue sinfulnesse wee must not plucke off the branches but plucke vp the rootes of it Wee must not heale sinne downeward but vpward we must goe to the bottome of it and begin to purge and heale it at the bottome and so come forward to make it whole at the top If wee pull vp the roote of it the branches will die but if we do but breake off the branches of it the root will bud againe and bring forth both branches and fruit The tree of knowledge of good and euill that brought-in lust to be the law of our hearts which is a contrariety to the law of God must bee pulled vp by the rootes And why should it not For when this is done a man is in no worse case by it than Adam was in his perfection euen when hee was happy and before his vnhappinesse Yea thou shalt hereby free thy selfe from a most miserable bondage and so let thy libertie as well as the excellencie of this estate moue thee Thou art now a slaue to thy lust euen an Egyptians bond-slaue if it bid thee goe thou must goe if it bid thee come thou must come and wouldst thou not rather choose to be free from so blinde and base and imperious a master to serue the highest and most glorious Creator euen the true and liuing God True it is that sinfulnesse is rooted somewhat strongly in thy nature but there is a mighty power that is able to roote it out euen the same power that first created Nature and that can raise the dead yea which raised Iesus Christ. Eph. 1. 19. 20. This mighty power and outstretched Arme is that which helpeth soules in their passage from Egypt and giues them safe conduct into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Wherefore feare not to incounter the power of sinne and to cast off the yoke of it for thou hast a mightier power to make good thy freedome euen a power against which Pharaoh his hostes 1 Ioh. 4. 4. the diuell sinne and the gates of hell shall not bee able to preuaile The Lord in his mercy Exo. 15. 13. leades forth the people whom hee hath redeemed and guideth them in his strength vnto his holy habitation 10. Neither must we only put off sinne When sin is put off righteousnesse must be put on Mat. 3. 10. but wee must put on righteousnesse There are certaine fruits which are worthy or sutable to amendment of life and these must bee brought forth For when the Axe of Gods iudgements is laid to
persecution were ended wee receiued the word with ioy in the holy Ghost wee did then runne well who doth let vs from running so still Yea then God mightily prospered vs and made his owne word good vnto vs 2. Chro. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while yee be with him Why then should wee not bee still with him as at first that hee as at first may stil be with vs Those that are of God the word and wisedome of God should moue them for that saith to them Ier. 6. 16. Inquire the old way and Remember from whence thou art fallen Reu. 2. 5. and repent And those that are of the world the wisedome of the world should moue for thus saith their Oracle It is more cleare than the day Disc. vpon Liuy lib. 3. cap. 1. that such bodies of Common-wealths c. doe not endure except they bee renewed and the manner whereby to renew them is to bring them backe to their beginnings And then comming to Religion wherof hee discourseth vnder the name of Sectes he saith It is manifest that such renewings are necessary euen by experiments in our Religion And indeede by his owne Rule if Religion decay a Kingdome and Common-wealth will decay therfore he aduiseth lib. 1. c. 12. He that wil maintain a Kingdome in his entirenesse must aboue all take care that Religion doe not decay and by little and little come to bee neglected Thus should Religion bee reuiued and mainetained in ancient vigour by all By those that know it truely because of the goodness which is in it By those that know it not in the inside but onely some outward goood effects of it because it is good for themselues if the good of the Kingdome wherein they liue be their good 21 The great remedy of Repentance and Conuersion being taken downe into the hearts and soules of vs Vpon the foundation of Repentance sure hope of mercie is builded I would not doubt Act. 27. 22. but wee should see Paul standing forth againe and heare him saying I exhort you to bee of good cheere for there shall bee no losse of any mans life among you And I speake it not without ground for God himselfe hath giuen vs some earnests of this safety For as the same Paul gaue this for the reason of his Encouragement There stood by me this night the Angel of God so may I say for a ground of our Comfort Not onely the Angel of God but the Lord of the Angels hath stood by vs in the night of our sufferings and chastisements and by a manifest grant of our petitions vpon humiliation hath giuen vs good proofe that more humiliation may obtaine more safetie and deliuerance Vpon a little humiliation for a little space grace hath bin shewed from the Lord our God Ezra 9. 8. to leaue vs a remnant to escape and to giue vs a nayle in his holy place that our God may lighten our eyes and giue vs a little reuiuing The first Fast was followed with miraculous successe Neuer a greater pestilence in our greatest Citie recorded in these later ages and I thinke neuer so great a pestilence so soone so cleane swept away Yea though the Citie were not long after thronged with a double meeting so that it should be thought that the chambers of death were filled with the liuing yet death being cōmanded to sheath his sword could not touch life though fallen into the armes of it So death by Gods mercy was turned to vs Gen. 31. 29. as Laban toward Iacob though it had a hurtfull power it had no power to hurt vs. But when the greatest Pestilence hath thus the speediest end it is a very wonder and plainely shewes a hand aboue Nature And what hand doe we finde to be the cause of extraordinary changes but Dextera excelsi the right hand of the Highest And if wee looke below by what lower meanes the right hand of the most High hath beene moued to make these changes euen to repent of the euill Ionah 3. which hee said hee would doe Ioel. 2. and did it not wee finde that Humiliation with Fasting is a principall meanes Wherefore this way being taken by vs and this effect following it what can wee thinke but that by this way Gods mercy came vnto vs A second blessing following a second Fast was the stay and turning away of a Famine And this also was strange and extraordinarie euen by a strange and extraordinary change For the Famine was posting apace towards vs yea it flew on the wings of the cloudes which dropped downe death and destruction by destroying the fruites of the earth Yet in the very speed of this blacke Horse the Fast gaue it a stop and the word of God set that day for a bound to it And concerning that day a command came to the cloudes Thus farre shall yee goe and here shall yee stay your destroying waters For wee know that this very day was the end of that iudgement Now when wee see a Iudgement stop in such a day what shall we thinke but that the worke of that day was the stop of the iudgement For otherwise that day wherein wee were relieued had no more vertue than the dayes wherein wee were punished Besides by both rule patterne in the Scriptures wee finde that this effect by such causes may bee produced The Scripture saith 1 Cor. 11. 31. If wee iudge our selues wee shall not bee iudged God was readie to iudge vs with a Famine which is a Fast of necessitie We vnderwent a voluntary Famine by a voluntary Fast So the Famine meeting with a Famine went no farther but dyed in it The businesse which it should haue done was done and the end being attained that which moued to the end rested And it is not without patterne that spirituall workes haue bounded the iudgements of God with a day Yea God himselfe doth call vs to set a Marke on that day and by that on others that are like it When the Iewes for the neglect of a worke that tended to Gods glory were punished with pouerty and scarsitie yet in that very day wherein they began that worke which God required there was a change of curses into blessings whereupon God calls vpon them Consider from this day Hag. 2. 18. and vpward from this day will I blesse you Thus by the good hand of God vpon vs there hath beene a change and deliuerance from two of the great scourges wherewith God professeth that hee scourgeth the sinfull Nations of the earth Ezek. 14. And if in two euills hee haue deliuered vs why may we not hope that hee will deliuer vs in the third If he haue deliuered vs from the Beare and the Lyon why may wee not hope that hee will deliuer vs from a third though it be as bigge as Goliah It is a sure signe that Gods eare is yet open to vs and while his eares are open
there is hope for a Nation only let vs come to make sure this hope to vs by making sure and right steps vnto it A first should bee praise and thanks-giuing for these great saluations which wee haue already receiued It hath beene shewed before that by thankfulnesse for old benefites God is moued to giue new and that where hee reapeth plentifully he will plentifully sow Therefore we must be thankfull for the former it wee will hope vpon sure grounds to receiue the latter and wee must giue thankfulnesse for blessings past as a pledge and pawne vnto God that hee shall not lose his due thankes and praise for benefites to come And that our thankfulnesse may bee hearty it must proceed from the loue of God for the true taste of Gods goodnesse in blessings cannot but much moue vs to loue him whose sweetnesse wee taste Therefore the Psalmist saith Psal. 116. 1. I loue the Lord because hee hath heard mee And surely true loue will bring forth true obedience Christ who is truth hath said If a man loue mee he will keep my words Ioh. 14. 23. And indeed obedience is the best thankfulnesse It is better than the sacrifice of praisein the calues of the lips But both together are best For who so offereth praise honoureth mee and to him that ordereth his conuersation aright Psal. 50. 23. will I shew the saluation of God Wherefore our Liturgie doth make an entire thanks-giuing for a deliuerance from the Pestilence when it offers the soules and bodies deliuered to be a liuing sacrifice vnto God and withall praiseth and magnifieth Gods mercies in the midst of the Congregation A second step to a sure hope is perseuerance and constancie in the vse of those meanes by which wee attained these blessings already receiued The same meanes to which Gods eare hath beene open it will still bee open yea being now opened already it is much easier to keepe it open than if it were shut to open it Wherefore this doore of mercy being open let vs by pressing into it not only keepe it open but open it wider vntill all mercies bee obtained that may heale our miseries And as repentance and inuocation should by euery one particularly and continually bee set on worke to moue God to continue and perfect his good worke of mercy in vs and vpon vs so it is humbly and heartily to bee desired that the same publike meanes and manner of humiliation may not long bee intermitted vntill God make his face to shine on this Nation in a full deliuerance from generall troubles dangers and straites For why should wee leaue to seeke God by those meanes wherin God doth not leaue to heare vs And why should wee leaue to vse medicines as long as there remaine diseases God hath shewed vs the way how to bee heard and healed Yea hee hath assured vs of healing this way by the earnests of health which this way hee hath sent vnto vs And shall sicknesse giue ouer the Physician before the Physician giue it ouer shall Need bee weary of asking and receiuing before Bounty is weary of hearing and giuing O let vs not shut vp Gods mercies against our selues before God doe shut them vp against vs but while the oyle of mercy is running let vs by humiliation repentance and inuocation enlarge our vessells and open our mouthes wide that hee may fill them If God had denyed vs the example of the Canaanitish woman would haue inuited vs to seeking whose faith was commended and rewarded with a miracle for importunity after rough denyalls But now God hath granted and heard vs were it not a great neglect of Gods goodnesse and our owne happinesse not to goe on in speaking For as it is very fit to be said when the Lord speaketh Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth so it is fit to be said when the Lord heareth Speake seruant for the Lord heareth Gen. 18. Thus did Abraham continue praying for Sodom because God continued hearing and neuer left vntill hee brought the conditions of Sodoms deliuerance to bee so easie that for tenne righteous all Sodom might haue beene spared And surely if our perseuerance in humiliation and prayer shall not stop it may worke the like effect and so our hope may bee sure Rom. 5. For experience saith the Apostle breedes hope and such hope as doth not make ashamed And if hope bee the fruite of experience surely wee had experience that God heareth our prayers and why then shall wee not also haue hope that hee will heare the like prayers hereafter The Apostle that teacheth vs this fruite of experience in his doctrine teacheth it also by his practice For when he hath had experience of Gods goodnesse hee inferreth that trust vpon it which is the ground of things hoped for Who deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer 1. Cor. 1. 10. And now behold his confidence and hope In whom we trust that hee will yet deliuer vs. 22 Neither may our present lowness Our lownesse or the lownes of the Church may not destroy our hope if â—â—yned to â—penâ—nce or the lownesse of those that haue reformed Religion and purged it from Idolatrie take away the hope of Recouery For lownesse is the very way to exaltation and Weakenesse to Strength Wee see here that before S t. Paul came to this experience of Gods deliuerance from whence hee gathers sure hope for deliuerance to come he receiued in himselfe the sentence of death So that a pressing aboue measure and such a pressing as makes an impression of the sentence of death is the way to deliuerance And there are diuers reasons why it should be so First on Gods side God himselfe professeth 2. Cor. 12. 9. My strength is made perfect in weakenesse So that weakenesse is a fit subiect whereon God vseth to glorifie his strength therefore weakenesse may encourage men if they be like-minded to S t. Paul for hereupon he saith I will most gladly glory in my infirmities for when I am weake then am I strong He is so farre from being discouraged that he is encouraged by his weakenesse because weakenesse drawing to it the power of God becomes stronger than the strength of men without God Hee that first brought light out of darkenesse and in Christ Iesus hath brought life out of death he goes on commonly to all his great Workes in a way of contraries that one contrary arising out of another all the honour of the worke may be wholly reserued to God and all eyes turned wholly to him for there is nothing on earth to looke on for a Cause but a contrary and that euen common Reason will tell plainly cannot produce his contrary And this course of God is so vsuall that he hath Titles affixed to him expressing it God who raised the dead and God who brought light out of darkeness and God who comforteth the Abiect Againe the Lownesse of Gods children giues God all