fouÌ„taine of our saluatioÌ„ Ioh. 3.16 So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten Son In the causes of our redeÌ„ptioÌ„ we must not begin at our selues or at our own merits nay we may not begin at the death and passion of Christ Iesus but wee must begin at the eternall loue of God who sent his onely begotten Sonne and therefore blesse that good God Ephe. 1.4 which hath chosen vs to bee saued before the foundatioÌ„ of the world was laid The goodnesse of God in our redemption appeared to be greater towardes mankind then it was to the very Angels When the Angels fel froÌ„ God they were neuer restored but as S. Iude sayth they are reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse to the iudgement of the great day but when man was fallen Iude. v. 6. the Lord of his goodnes gaue a comfortable promise of the seede of the woman Gen. 3 15 which should bruse the power of Satan The Angels which continued stedfast do continually prayse God are ready to execute his will Psal 103.21 but of Gods goodnes they are yet ministring spirits to serue for their vse that shall bee heires of saluation Heb. 1.14 And therefore Dauid Psal 34.7 when hee hath said that the Angels of the Lord doe pitch round about theÌ„ that feare him he addeth in the next verse O tast see how good the Lord is blessed is the man that putteth his trust in him A blessing it is to bee guarded by meÌ„ a greater blessing to bee guarded by Princes but what exceeding fauour is this when God doth vouchsafe to guard vs with his holy and blessed Angels Though in some respects Dauid doth acknowledge man to bee somewhat inferior to the Angels yet in this he saith Psal â— 5 that God hath crowned man with glory and worship in that he hath made him an Emperour ouer all his works put all things in subiection vnder his feet not only the beastes of the field the foules of the aire whatsoeuer walketh through the pathes of the seas but as he saith before in the same Psalme euen the heauenly Creatures when I consider the heauens v. 3. the worke of thy fingers the moon the stars which thou hast ordained theÌ„ say I O Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the son of man that thou so regardest him This vse we must make of all Gods Creatures so to behold in theÌ„ the goodnes of God towards maÌ„kind that we be thereby stirred vp to prayse Gods holy name The horse mule can behold the heauens to bee high bright and lightsome The hog seeth the earth to be a place to walke vpon the so to feede vpon The Peacocke conceiueth a glorious shew in his variable coloured fethers many dumbe Creatures doe exceed man in the sharpenes of smelling when wee behold eyther the glistering azured skye or the beautifull flowers and fruites of the earth if we goe no further then seeing smelling and tasting theÌ„ are we no better then the brute vnreasonable creatures but we must in all those things go further we must behold therein the mighty power of God that wee may bee stirred vp to feare him and the infinite goodnes of God that we may learne to loue him and then are we endued with true spirituall wisedom as Dauid concludeth in the end of this psalme Psal 107.43 Who so is wise will consider and ponder these thinges he shall vnderstand the louing kindnes of the Lord. The goodnes of God doth many wayes shine out in the creation of man Hee made him as Zorastes said Pulcherrimum naturae spectaculum the most beautifull spectacle of nature not going groue-long towards the earth but with his face lifted vp to heauen to signifie that his mind should alwayes bee on heauenly things Hee gaue vnto him a soule endued with vnderstanding made after his own image He framed him to be as it were a little world and an abridgement of all his creatures whereupon some haue giuen him the name of Microcosmus some of Omnigena Creatura because he taketh part of al and containeth the principal parts of all Hee hath substance as haue stones life as haue plants sense as haue beastes and vnderstanding as haue angels When the Romane Pollio would haue drowned one of his slaues in a fury because hee had broken a fayre Christall glasse Augustus did well forbid him and said Homo cuiusuis conditionis si nulla alia ratione nisi quia est homo totius mundi vitris preciosior A man of any poor estate whatsoeuer if it be for no other cause but onely because he is a man is farre more pretious then all the glasses of the whole world but especially the goodnesse of God did appeare in the renewing of our hearts by his grace and holy word 1. Pet. 1.3 That doth S. Peter call the aboundant mercy of God Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abouÌ„dant mercy hath begotten vs againe to a liuely hope by the resurrection of Christ Iesus That doth S. Bernard call a greater worke then the Creation of vs Bernard in Cantic or of the whole world When God made the world onely he spake the word and it was done Let there be a light Gen. 1.3.9 and there was light let the waters be gathered into one heape and they were gathered whereby was made the sea and the dry land was called earth Let there be two great lights in the firmament and there was straightway a Sunne to rule the night Bern. But quam multa dixit quà m multa fecit quà m multa perpâ—ssus est How many things hath God spoken how many things hath God done how many things hath he suffered to renew the heart of man If we should receiue the creatures ordained for the sustenance of our bodies and not be renewed and fed inwardly in our soules our estate were infinite thousand times worse then the estate of brute beasts For they are fed to perish temporally but we should be fed to perish eternally The seed of our new birth 1. Pet. 1.23 to wit the word of God is by an earnest acclamatioÌ„ pronounced by the Psalmist to be one of the greatest tokens of Gods fauour and goodnesse towards his elect For when he hath declared that God gaue his word vnto Iacob Psal 147.20 his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel he crieth out He hath not dealt so with euery nation neither haue other people the knowledge of his lawes There are two especiall properties which do greatly extoll and magnifie the goodnesse of God First that it is free not in respect of our deserts but in respect of Gods aboundant mercy Secondly that it is endlesse and perpetuall Esay 43.25 The freenesse thereof is set out by the Prophet I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne
as it is said Gen. 2.7 Hee breathed in his face the spirit of life Neither must wee thinke that they haue onely imbecility and weakenes in resisting corruptions but that they haue also many other defects of mind and will they are destitute of spirituall light are therefore blinde and not inclined to such desires and actions as the law of God requireth God bestowed his giftes and graces vpon Adam on this condition that hee would giue them also to his posterity if hee himselfe would by obedience keepe them but would not giue them to his seed if he by his vnthankfulnes should cast them away Now Adam hauing by disobedience lost them God in iustice as a iust punishment inflicted vpō Adams sinne doth bereaue his posterity of them Now these defects and the inclinations corrupted by these defectes are sins as they are drawne by men sinning vpon themselues and their posterity and as they haue from them and their seed their beginning and as they are causes also that man neither is nor can bee conformable to the law of God It is not a doctrine so strange as some would make it that the soule being created pure should bee polluted by the body seeing that the soules of our first parents were created most pure and yet afterward depraued and though the bodies of their posterity bee of themselues sencelesse yet that doth not proue but that vpon the curse laid on our first parentes they may be prone to ill and no fit instruments for any goodnesse neither is it against the goodnesse of God so to ioine his pure creature to the body that it must needes bee polluted thereby seeing that as hee hath therein shewed his iustice in punishing sinne so hee doth thereby set forth his infinite mercy ordaining for it a remedy by the redemption of Christ Iesus God could haue made the soules of our first parents in such manner that they could not possibly fall away but it was not expedient that they should be so made because then the obedience of man should haue beene as it were forced and therefore not so acceptable vnto God So God could haue made the soules of his posterity with such strength and stedfastnesse that they could not possibly bee polluted but it was more expedient that they should be so made that it might be knowne both what wee are by nature and what we are by grace The goodnesse and mercy of God doth more shine by the redemptiō of Christ Iesus then it should haue done if man had neuer fallen into miseries although in the iust iudgement of God the soule bee made in such sort as it must of necessity be polluted by the vniting of it with the body yet is it not thereby to be excused from the guilt of sinne for though it bee of necessity yet is it not of any compulsiō A stone let downe into the water goeth downe of necessity yet not with compulsion bodies depriued of food doe faint of necessity and flesh doth in time putrifie of necessity yet neither doth the one faint nor the other putrifie by any compulsion God of necessity is good and the Diuell of necessity euill yet cannot we say that eyther goodnes in God or iniquity in the Diuell do proceed of compulsion The soule being ioined to the body is of necessity sinnefull yet not by compulsion but willingly and of her owne accord But some may say the faithfull are regenerate and born a new and are in Christ become a holy people 2. Pet. 2 9. how can it then bee that their seed should not be sanctified or how can their posterity be originally sinnefull either in body or in soule To that it is annswered that man can giue nothing to his posterity but what hee hath by nature for that which cōmeth to him by grace must come to his posteritie by grace also Our new birth commeth not by any naturall meanes wee are borne as it is in the Euangelist not of bloud Ioh. 1.13 nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of the will of God If we winnow wheat neuer so perfectly and purge it throughly frō the eares Comparatio Petri Mart. ex Aug. chaffe and drosse yet if that wheat be sowne againe it will not bring forth winnowed or clensed wheate but together with the stalke huskes and such other thinges as must afterward be seperated from it It can giue nothing to the corn that must grow of it but what it had by nature what it had by art industry that must the graine next growing haue by the same meanes againe Euen so the faithful though they be washed iustified and sanctified yet they cannot giue to their children these giftes which they haue receiued of Gods grace they can giue to their children no more then what they haue had by nature and by nature they haue nothing else but to bee children of wrath Eph. 2.3 Here now ariseth another doubt if from our parents wee bee Children of wrath it should seem that the children are punished for the parents trespasse how can this agree with the iustice of God Ezech. 18.26 to afflict one for the fault of another This doubt is easily resolued if these fower positions bee duely considered First that the most excellent graces which were at the first bestowed on man were giuen on this condition that if he did loose them he should loose thē both from himselfe and from his posterity Secondly that children doe proceede out of the masse or substance of their parents and therefore must needes be accounted as a part of their parēts according to that in the epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 7.10 The Tribe of Leui being fower generations after Abraham was yet in the loines of Abraham if then the whole nature of man bee corrupted then must needes euery portion be guilty of the same corruptiō vntill by some singular grace and fauour it doe obtaine remission Rom. 5.12 Thirdly that seeing the body proceeding from sinfull parents is one part of man and found guilty in and by the parentes it standteh well with the iustice of God to bee offended with whole man and thereupon so to withdraw his graces from the other parte that both together may fall into malediction Fourthly that though God doe thus punish sinne with sinne yet hee doth it in that maner that hee is no way the author of sinne Aug. de gratia lib arbit cap. 21 as Saint Augustine saith Deus operatur in cordibus hominum ad inclinandum voluntates eorum quocunque vult siue ad bona prosua misericordia siue ad mala pro ipsorum meritis iudicio vtique suo aliquando aperto aliquando occulto semper iusto GOD doth worke in the heartes of men to encline their willes which way soeuer his pleasure is eyther to good thinges according to his mercy or to ill according to their owne desert and that by his
conceit of Purgatory or temporall punishments endured by the soules departed but as hauing an eye to the resurrection which was yet to ensue and neyther to be hastened nor to be deferred by any prayers and yet they prayed to testifie their hope as S. Paul praied for Onesiphorus 2. Tim. 1.18 that the Lorde would graunt vnto him that hee may find mercy with the Lord in that day meaning as some expound it the day of resurrection hee had a further respect in his praier then eyther to his life or to his death and so had the fathers a further respect then to the present estate of the soules for as for their present estate they did not doubt of their happy rest Augustine when hee prayed for his mother said Credo quodiam feceris quod te rogo Aug. confess lib. 9 cap. 12 sed voluntaria oris mei approbo Domine non respondebit illa se nihil delere sed respondebit demissa debita sua ab eo cui nemo reddet quod pro nobis no debens reddidit I beleeue that thou hast already graunted what I request but good Lord accept the voluntary wordes of my mouth shee shall not say that she oweth nothing but shee will answere that her debtes are forgiuen of him to whome no man can recompence that which hee hath freely done for vs. And so likewise although Ambrose prayed for Theodosius yet hee doubted not but that he was in eternal glory Ambros de obitu Theod. for so he affirmed Absolutus crimine fruitur nunc Theodosius luce perpetua tranquilitate diuturna sanctorumque caetibus gloriatur Theodosius hauing his sinne remitted doth euen now enioy perpetuall light and a lasting rest and doth triumph in the company of the saints by the name of prayers were oftē signified thanksgiuings 2. Tim. 2.22 psal 14.4 as indeed calling vpon the name of God is taken often in the scriptures for the whole seruice of God They had their commemoration of the dead especially at the ministration of the Lords supper which they tooke to bee Eucharistia a sacrament of thanksgiuing and as Chrysostome noteth what was done for the dead was done most in Hymnes doe testifie their ioy and thankfulnesse Quid sibi volunt Hymni nonne glorificamus Deum Chrysost ad popul Antioch hom 70 gratias illi agimus quia iam defunctum coronauit haec omnia sunt gaudentium What meaneth Hymnes or songes doe wee not glorifie God and giue thankes vnto him that hee hath already crowned a soule departed Al these are effectes of hearts reioycing And further in the commemoration of the dead there was especially a rehearsing of the resurrection of our Sauiour by himselfe and all the Saints by him to shew that that was the time which they most respected and if they praied for forgiuenes of the sinnes of the departed the meaning of their petition was that their sinnes should not be imputed vnto them in the resurrection Vide August in Io. tract 49 How lawfully they might make that praier I will not now dispute It sufficeth here to haue shewed that they did not acknowledge any temporall tormentes after this life appertaining to such as haue ended their dayes in the faith of Christ and that the secret rest which they placed in Abrahams bosome did not signifie vnto them a sleepe or idle rest but a place of ioy and happinesse Ioh 8 56 that as it was Abraham his ioy in this world to see the dayes of Christ so it is a farre more infinite felicity to him and his faithfull seede this transitory life being ended to behold and fully to enioy the presence of our Redeemer in the eternall kingdome of heauen S. Augustine sayth that hee doth fully belieue that his sweet friend Nebridius is in Abrahams bosome Aug. confess lib. 9. hee sheweth presently what that is Pomt spirituale os adfontem tuum bibit quantum potest sapientiam pro auiditate sua sine fine foelix He setteth his spirituall mouth to thy fountain O Lord and drinketh wisedome to the full according to his chiefest desire being happy without end This happy estate of the soules of Gods saintes is at large laid open by the manifold testimonies of the holy scriptures in the beginning of my tenth Chapter as likewise in the whole course of that and the chapter following By the word of God as by the touchstone of all truth the ancient fathers doe desire that their writings should bee examined what is agreeable thereto to be receiued and what not to be reiected Augustine sayeth Aug. in psal 57. Auferantur é medio chartae nostrae prodeat in medium codex Dei Let our writings bee laide aside and let place bee giuen to the booke of God Hee also nameth the olde and new Testament Duo vbera Ecclesiae The two breastes of the Church out of which all sound and perfect truth must bee drawne and deriued vnto vs. In them wee finde but onely these two places or habitation for the soules once separated from the bodies to wit for them which dye in carnall security as did the rich glutton hell torments those which are spoken of in Deuteronomie fire is kindled in my wrath Deut. 32.24 and my wrath doth burne to the bottome of hell those which are called by Salomon the Chambers of death by Esay a tophet prepared deepe and large Esay 30.33 the burning whereof is fire and much wood and the breath of the Lord a fire of brimstome to kindle it and by our Sauiour vnquenchable fire where the worme neuer dyeth Mar. 9.44 the flame neuer goeth out And in the Reuelation A lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death of those torments Apoc. 21. ◠Abraham said to the rich man Luke 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is such a gulfe and distance placed betwixt them and the ioyes of the godly that there is no hope of passage from one to an other whereby is signified that the paines are vnrecouerable easelesse endlesse and hopelesse But for them which close vppe their eyes in a true faith vnfained repentāce Iohn 16.22 there are prepared eternall ioyes in the kingdome of heauen where the knowledge will integrity and all the powers of the soule Luke 20.36 shall haue such a correspondencie and conformity to the wil of God that they shall bee equall with the blessed Angels and where wee shall haue the fruition of Gods presence wherein doth consist the fulnesse of ioy For as the Apostle doth make this as greatly to augment the vengeance that is shewed on them which shall bee punished with euerlasting perdition 2. Thes 1.9 because it shall bee from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power so on the other side this is named as a high degree in our heauenly felicity that as here we see in a glasse 1. Cor. 13 12.
in mā for whose benefit and comfort the workes and affaires of this world are in such wonderfull maner managed and ordered The Psalmist deliuereth fiue especiall examples of Gods prouidence V. 4. First of exiles and pilgrims when as they do wander in desertes and are in most extremities hungrie and thirstie and their souls fainting in them the Lord doth often heare them when they cry vnto him bring thē to a city where they may dwel The second example is of captiues who whē for their sinnes V. 10. they lye fast bound in miseries and irons if they earnestly cal for Gods merciful aide the Lord doth bring them out of darknes the shadow of death and breake their bands asunder V. 17. The third proofe of Gods prouident mercy is when foolish men are by some sicknes plagued for their iniquities whē their soule doth refuse all food and sustenance and that they are now at deathes dore if in their miserie they crie vnto the Lord the Lord doth send forth his word heale thē and deliuer them from the pit of corruption The fourth spectacle of Gods goodnesse is in ship-men V. 23. who goe downe into the Seas and occupy their busines in great waters when they are in most perill mounting vp to heauē and falling downe againe to hel when they stagger and be at their wits end if then they cry vnto the Lord in their troubles then sendeth hee a gracious calme and bringeth them to the hauē where they would bee The fift as it were a theater of Gods prouidence is in the altering and changing not onely of dumbe creatures bringing some times riuers into drie deserts V. 33. sometime drie groundes into springes or ponds of water sometimes making a fruitfull land barren for the wickednes of them that dwell therein and sometimes so blessing the land V. 40. that men may sowe and plant to yeeld thē fruites of encrease but also in altering the estates of men somtimes powring out contempt vpon princes and somtimes lifting vp the poor out of his miserie and making him housholds like a flocke of sheepe The Verse which now I haue chosen to intreate of is called versus amaebaeus a verse that doth answere by turnes because in the end of the foure first histories it is added still as a conclusion of the historie to shewe vnto vs what vse we must make of Gods gracious deliuerances not to passe by them as it were with closed eyes but to stirre vp both our selues and others to magnifie the name of God for these his vnspeakable mercies The Psalmist may seeme to direct this his Psalme only to a thankfulnes for corporall benefits but no doubt in the same he doth include also the spirituall blessings of God When he speaketh of the miseries of man hee sheweth the causes to be their sinnes as speaking of captiues lying in miserie and iron V. 11. hee saith it was because they rebelled against the worde of the Lord lightly regarded the counsell of the most high And after of sicknes foolish men are plagued saith he for their wickednes iniquities V. 17. And after of barrennes of soile A fruitfull lād saith he he maketh barrē V. 34. for the wickednes of them that dwell theerin As then hee noteth the cause of all calamities to be sinne So when he celebrateth God his gratious deliuerāce he doth vndoubtedly include the remouing of the cause as well as the effect doth exhort vs to praise God for the remission of our transgressions If the Israelites were bound to prayse God for their deliuerance frō the thraldom of Aegypt and generally all others which are the redeemed of the Lord as it is here said in the secōd verse whome he hath redeemed from the hands of the oppressors how much more ought they to bee thankfull which are deliuered from the tyranny of the diuell Rom. 16 2◠when the God of glorie and peace doth treade downe Satan vnder our feete If they did owe thanks which from wandering in the wildernes were broght to this happines to haue at the last cities to dwel in what thanks is required of vs who frō wandering in the by-pathes of sin and error are by our heauenly Iosua Christ Iesus broght home to be citizens with the Saints Ephe. 2.19 of the houshold of God in this life and heires by hope of the celestial Ierusalē in the world to come Apoc. 21.2 If prisoners giue al humble praise whē they are deliuered from their darkenes misery and irons how much more then ought we to be thankfull when by the glorious triūph of our Sauiour Christ Osea 13.14 1. Cor. 15.55 we are deliuered from the dungeon of the graue hell death damnatiō If they haue great cause of thākfulnes which haue escaped the dāgers of sicknes and infirmities then much more are they to be gratefull who by the heauenly Physitian our Lord Iesus are cleansed and cured of their sinnes which are indeed the originall causes of their diseases and maladies For this deliuerance doth the kingly Prophet Dauid Psal 103.3 first principally praise Gods holy name because hee forgaue all his sins and healed all his infirmities By temporal benefits the weaknes of our nature is taught to rise vp to the consideration of spirituall blessings and if we be not wilfully blind wee may easily and plainely conceiue that if corporall giftes are to be acknowledged to be the free blessings of God as we are taught to pray giue vs our daily bread then much more must wee confesse all spirituall benefits to bee the free gifts of God bestowed vpon vs by the mercy of God in through his sonne Christ Iesus If wee cannot merit things needefull for the body much lesse can we merit the ransoming of the soule If wee are bound to praise God for deliuerances appertaining to the bodie then by good reason as much as the soule is more precious then the bodie so much more ought we to be thankful for the soule then the bodie The Psalmist in this Amaebaean verse so often repeated in this Psalme doth vpon euery particular deliuerance frō either banishment or prison or sicknes or tempest still exhort the partie deliuered that hee will thereby rise vp to a generall consideration of the goodnesse of God of all his wonderfull works which he hath wrought for mankind In these two verses which I haue red vnto you there are two especiall things offered to our consideratiō The diuision of the text First for what we are to celebrate magnifie the name of God to wit for his goodnes for his wonderfull workes Secondly how we must shew our thankfulnes to wit first both before the Lord and before the childrē of men secondly by offering the sacrifice of thāksgiuing and telling forth his works with gladnes The goodnes of God as is taught by our Sauior is the first
sake and will remember thy sinnes no more And againe a litle after Esay 48.9 V. 11. For mine owne sake I will be gracious for mine owne glory I wil refraine mine anger and will not destroy thee Propter me propter me faciam It is for my selfe and mine owne sake that I will do this for thee There was no cause in the Iewes that God should chuse them as elect vessels to cary the treasure of his word and to passe by so many other nations more rich and more populous Neither is there any cause in vs that we should haue the Gospell in peace and quietnesse preached vnto vs which blessing is denied to many mighty nations about vs. The cause is onely in the free goodnesse of God wherewith he embraceth his elect and chosen and therefore we may well say of our nations as Esay sayd of the Iewes of his time Isai 1â— If the Lord had not left vnto vs a remnant we had bene as Sodome and Gomorrha Such is our vnthankfulnesse for Gods manifold blessings such is our carelesnesse and dulnesse in prayer such is our disobedience and contempt of God his holy word that vnlesse there were a remnant of God his elect people amongst vs it could not haue bene but long before this time we should haue had the iudgement of Sodome and the cities adioyning in full measure powred vpon vs. But God hath a remnant of his elect amongst vs and in respect of his free loue towards them he doth still continue his goodnesse towards vs. God be eternally praysed for that remnant of his elect God graunt vs to be of that number God increase them daily God so continue and multiply them that the truth of his holy Gospell may still remaine to vs and to our posterity for euer A good hope we haue in the second property of Gods goodnesse to wit in the continuance and perpetuity thereof Saint Iames doth teach vs Iam. 1.13 that with the Lord there is no change nor shadow of change If we cast off the kindnesse of men we can yet haue no full assurance of the continuance of their benefits because the harts of men are variable Math. 21.8 They which this day doe cut downe bowes to strew in the way may to morow cry away with him and crucifie him But with God with whom there is no change nor shadow of mutability euery experience of Gods goodnesse is a sufficient argument of the perpetuity thereof as the king Prophet saith Psal 61.3 Thou Lord hast bene my refuge and strong tower against the enemy therefore I will dwell in thy tabernacle for euer and seeke my succor vnder the shadow of thy wings Whom God doth loue Iohn 13.2 Rom. 11.27 he doth loue to the end and the gifts and calling of God are without repentance It is his owne voice by the Prophet Isay 54.8 In a moment of time haue I hid my face from thee but in mine euerlasting mercy will I gather thee againe saith the Lord thy redeemer When Dauid doth in thankfulnesse of mind extoll the goodnesse of God Psal 136. he doth principally praise and magnifie the perpetuitie thereof And therefore in his Psalme of thanksgiuing as neuer sufficiently satisfied with the consideration thereof he doth still in euery verse repeate the mercie of God endureth for euer Many causes we giue for the abbridging and with-holding thereof but the Lord being patient long suffering Esay 30.18 doth still waite for our repentance Why will ye die O ye house of Israel Thus sayth the Lord I will not the death of a sinner Ezech. 18.31 but if he repent he shall liue We haue many wayes offended but God his goodnesse doth yet still enlarge it selfe towardes vs We are all as drie stubble yet the Lord doth not burne vs vp we are barren trees yet the Lord doth not cut vs downe we are all vnfruitfull ground yet the Lord doth make his Sunne to shine and raine to fall vpon vs. We haue often deserued Gods louing countenance to be turned from vs but we may thankfully say with the Prophet Misericordia est Domini Ierâ—m Iam. 3.22 quòd non consumimur It is the mercie of the Lord that we are not consumed This perpetuitie of God his goodnesse is our chiefest comfort in all afflictions and distresses For thereby though we be killed all the day long yet with the Apostle we are assured that neither life nor death nor principalitie nor power Rom. 8.38 nor any other thing shall separate vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesus Though God punish vs yet we doe chearefully with Iob blesse the name of God assuring our selues that whom the Lord doth loue he doth correct Hebr. 12. â— and scourgeth euery sonne whom hee doth receiue If we bee thankfull onely in prosperitie we loue not God but we loue the prosperity but herein appeareth the triall of our loue when we say with Iob Iob. 1â— 15 Although God kill me I will put my trust in him And doe with the Apostles reioyce that we bee accounted worthie to suffer any rebuke for the name of Christ Iesus Act. 5.41 It is good for me sayd Dauid that I haue bene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes Before I was afflicted Psal 119.71 67. I went astray but now O Lod I learne thy commaundements Psal 112.4 Vnto the godly saith Dauid there doth arise vp light in darknesse In the middest of all troubles they haue a sweete feeling of Gods goodnesse If sicknesse or any grieuous calamitie doe happen vnto the wicked all their ioy and comfort is vtterly driuen away The candle of the wicked as Salomon doth call it is soone put out Prou. 24.20 But the godly and faithfull though they be often ouer-whelmed with darknesse and misery yet their light doth still arise Ioh. 16.22 the sweete feeling of the mercie of God in Christ doth neuer depart from them They are assured that all things will worke for the best to them that loue God Rom. 8.28 they acknowledge that all their sorowes and sicknesses are nothing so great as their manifold follies and trespasses haue deserued and as the palme-tree the more waight is hanged vppon it the better it is sayd to prosper so the greater calamities they endure the more their faith doth flourish and the more zealous they are in prayer as the Psalmist here affirmeth Psal 107. Ve. 19. They crie vnto the Lord in their trouble and he deliuereth them out of their distresse O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnes and declare his wonderfull workes before the children of men The second thing for which the Prophet doth here exhort vs to praise God is the effect of his goodnesse to wit his wonderfull deliuerances in the midst of all distresses Ve. 20. He sayth in the verse going before that God sendeth forth his word and healeth
works before the children of men wee are put in minde of a notable effect of thankfulnes which is both in our selues and in others to conserue a memorial of God his louing kindnes and that not onely among our selues but as much as we can euen vnto all posterities for euer In Exodus Exod. 13 14 the father is commaunded to declare to his children for euer the mighty deliuerance of the Israelites out of Aegypt Dauid saith Psal 88. wee will shew the praise of the Lord to the generations to come his strength and wonderfull workes that hee hath done True thankefulnesse hath not onelie a regard of thinges present before the eyes but it calleth also to remembrance the benefits of former times Thankfull must wee bee for this our present happy gouernmēt vnder such a mighty Monarch and most Christian Prince and yet still not forget the singular benefites which we haue heretofore also receiued vnder her who being assisted by Gods mightie hand did in time of greatest dangers deliuer vs frō the thraldome of blindnes and idolatrie and by whose godlie care euerie village of this Realme hath beene seasoned in some measure with the knowledge of God his truth Dauid maketh this an excellent property of true gratitude not to forget the former blessings of God Praise the Lord O my soule Psal 103.2 ◠v. 7 forget not all his benefits he made his waies known to Moses his deeds to the children of Israel It was a miserable ingratitude in that people of Israel Psal 106.7 when as it is said in an other psalm they considered not Gods wonderful workes neither were mindful of his manifold mercies but were disobedient at the sea euen in the red sea when the red sea was like two wals on either side of them euen in the red sea they forgat the mercies of God and had not the goodnes of the Lord in remēbrance And such I am afraid is our vnthākfulnes in this realm of Englād In this most happy ioiful time in the middest of Gods great fauour louing kindnes wee consider not onely Gods wōderful works neither are we so mindful as we ought to bee of his infinite mercies and goodnes Basil ad Iullitam Martyrem we are like those eies which as Basil saith when thinges are set close hard to thē they do not discerne nor behold thē The nearenes of Gods benefites doth as it were shut our eies cast vs into a slūber of security we are more ready to talke of our safety against al forrain foes then we are to giue humble praise vnto God to testifie our thnakfulnes by amendment of life the like that Senator of Rome Messala Coruinus who grew so far ouerwhelmed with obliuion that at the last he forgat his owne name wee forget our owne name wee forget that wee are the souldiers and seruantes of Christ wee forget that spirituall warfare whereunto wee are called to set all the powers of body minde against sinne wee consider not duely the end whereunto all Gods blessings are directed nor yet the right and holy vse which ought to be made thereof when God sendeth troubles hee tryeth our patience when he sendeth deliuerance he tryeth our thankefulnesse Chrysostome in psal 9 Chrysostome saieth verie well that then when wee haue most neede of God◠prouidence when wee are deliuered from aduersities and then wee haue most cause of fearing when wee are freed from dangers for as hee maketh his comparison like as wee doe much more feare the Lyon or Leopard being let loose then when they are chained vp so our vntamed affections when by prosperity they are let loose are much more to bee feared then when they were tyed vp and bound by dangers afflications Let vs therefore learne how to carry our selues whē wee haue escaped any perils Psal 30. let vs not say in our prosperity wee shall neuer bee remoued because God hath made our hill so strong let vs not be like the Heyfer Ier. 31 1◠which running in good pastures forgetteth to vndergoe the yoke let not our worldlie happines bee like that rankenes of soile which by ouermuch moisture destroieth the good plant let not outward ioies draws vs headlong into iniquities Gen. 19.35 as Lot being drūken committed incest but rather let euery blessing of God bee a good encouragement to vs to stirre vs vp to a more earnest zeale of rendering thankes to the Almighty Let vs loue God for hee loued vs first 1. Iohn 4 1◠let vs as the Psalmist saith here praise the Lord for his goodnes and for his wonderfull workes before the childrē of men Then shall wee not onely escape those grieuous punishmentes wherewith God doth vsuallie plague and punish the vnthankfull to wit the taking away of his blessed worde and the giuing of it to an other nation Mat. 21 4◠that shall bring forth the fruit of it the sending of that feareful famine Amos ◠11 not a famine of bread nor a thirst of water but a famine of the word of God whē mē shal go from North to the East Esay 5.6 from one sea to another to seeke the word of God and shall not finde it the taking away of the hedge and fencing of his vineyeard that it may be wasted and troden down the ouerwhelming of men with a spirituall blindnes Esay 6 10. when their heart shall waxe fat and their eares heauy and their eyes closed vp that they should not beleeue nor be saued Luke 14.24 that seeing they haue vnthākfully despised grace offered by Christ they should therefore neuer be partakers of his supper But also on the other side we shal haue all the blessings and fauours of God more and more plentifully powred vpon vs Bern de contemp mundi for as vnthankfulnes according to Bernard Est ventus vrens ' siccans fontes pietatis fluenta gratiae is a parching wind drying vp the fountaine of mercy and the riuers of grace so thākfulnesse for one benefite is a steppe to the receiuing of an other then wee may be well assured that if wee bee found thankfull for benefites receiued hee which hath begunne a good worke in vs Phil. c 16 will finish the same euen vntill the day of Christ He will continue his Gospell to vs and to our posterity for euer Hee will so carefully protect vs that he which toucheth vs shall touch the verie apple of his eye Zach. 2 8 He will blesse vs both prince and people in this life and in the world to come crowne vs with euerlasting life with our heauenly king Christ Iesus where wee shall for euer yeelde such praises vnto God as shall neuer waxe wearie neuer cease neuer haue end wee shall perpetually ioine with them in that ioifull song Holy holy Apoc. 4 8.11 holy Lord God Almighty thou art worthy O Lord to receiue glorie honour and power