vngratious impe yet he is my child my child saith Dauid I cannot but loue him and indeed he ouerloues him which I doe not commend but onely obserue to note the strength of parents loue if it bee naturall a loue indeede as strong as death as hot as fire like that which Salomon speakes of in another case which cannot bee put out with water nor bought out with siluer and can it be otherwise when parents bee religious sith God and nature both command grace and nature both enforce loue though not fondnes you that be parents saue me the proofe of this point and do but heare why I note it First do kind and godly parents so loue their children that you may sooner finde too much carnall then too little naturall affection in them then shall they neuer make it good to their owne or others soules that there is any goodnesse in them who beare no affection to their owne children Those parents that haue no naturall affection can they be spiritually affected Doth that spirit which makes vs louing to all lodge in the vnnaturall brest Can they loue Gods children that beare no loue to their owne bowels Can they loue their enemies can they call God Father that are tyrants to their owne children their owne flesh No no it argues grosse sinnes and a fierce conscience when men be so fierce and violent against mankinde I might say I must say themselues What parents not to feele their children when they crie Father not to finde their bowels mooued when they thinke of a childe what not of a religious childe Why then blush ye Dragons and be ye ashamed O Beares and Tigres that your Lords should be so beastlike say I nay so diuellish for what creatures but Diuels hate their seed Nay could Diuels haue naturall seed would they hate their owne trow yee But why spend we words on them who haue the curse vnder seale as Paul shewes Rom. 1.5 Secondly heere is somewhat for children also Is the affection of godly parents such that they cannot chuse but loue their children and out of their loue grieue at their vnkindnesse weepe for their impietie mourne for their sorrowes and take to heart their follie why then the children of such parents must take to heart their former stubbornnesse and for the time to come forbeare those practises that might be matter of griefe to their parents How canst thou refresh thy selfe with that which is a sword in the heart of thy dearest friends how canst thou thinke to escape the hand of God when thou wilt feed vpon the bloud of thine owne parents and make them as weary of the light as Dauid now is Is it not sufficient that already they haue cared and sighed and groaned and wept for thee but still thou wilt kill their soules with griefe What if thou canst shake it off Can a father shake out his heart Doth their loue nothing mooue thee nor their care northeir paines nor their teares nothing O that Absalom had seene or heard his fathers complaints he thought that now because he loued not his father his father could not loue him but that is thy errour cursed viper The father loues when the child hates and then can Dauid say most feelingly Handle the young man Absalom well when Absalom could say if shame did not stop his mouth Handle the old Carle Dauid roughly at my request yea then can Dauid die for Absalom when Absalom had as leese die as see Dauid liue Had Absalom knowne this would not he thinke you haue relented would not his rockie heart haue yeelded What could hee haue said if Dauid had said but this vnto him O Absalom O Absalom did I call thee Absalom for this Is this to be a childe Doest thou also thinke my griefes too few Was it not enough to be crossed in my familiars in my father in law in my owne brethren in my wife but my owne children must adde vnto my griefe Must Absalom that I loued so well Is it not sufficient that thou hast robbed mee of my children and brought mee almost to the graue but now thou wilt haue my crowne and my bloud Did I spare thee for this Was I a meanes of thy life and wilt thou be of my death Would I die to doe thee good and wilt thou die vulesse thou maist hurt me what thou my son Is not Dauid thy father Maacah thy mother dost not know vs c. canst thou forget vs hast thou been a father thy self yet risest vp against thy father what I say could Absalō haue said to such a salutatiō but he is not so happy to heare his father therefore he proceeds till vengeance will not suffer him to liue but hangs him vp against the sunne And let all disobedient and rebellious children take warning by this one thus hanged vp in gibbets and know that if the kindnes of their parents cannot breake their hearts and worke them to remorse the hand of God will bee vpon them and pursue them till the rauens of the vallies haue pickt out their eies and the flames of hell haue scized vpon their soules Last of all heere 's a word both of instruction and consolation for all sorts both parents and children high and low Is the loue of an earthly father if godly so great doth he take so much to hart the vnkindnesses of his children is he so sensible of their griefes so wounded with their sorrowes What then is the affection of our heauenly father towards vs how tenderly doth he take disobedience at our hands and therefore how great should our mourning be for our great and many contempts how ought wee to powre forth our soules in teares and to lament with a great lamention like that of the Egyptians for Iacob that of the Israelites for Iosiah that of a father for his first his onely sonne how deere should the name of our God be vnto vs how tenderly should wee take those contempts and indignities that are cast vpon him who is so feeling of euery sorrow that befals vs O Lord that we had an heart to weepe ouer Christ and that the rebukes of God did fall on vs ô that our owne sinnes could cause such teares as other mens did wring from Dauid O that the word would smite our hearts and cause water to gush out of these rockes ô that we stood affected to God as Mephibosheth to Dauid he mourned he fasted he wept in this distresse of Dauid we laugh we feast we do not we cannot weepe though we our selues haue risen against our soueraigne and holpen to dethrone him Ah brethren shall Dauid mourne for others sins in his Psalmes shall not wee for our owne Shall Dauids good subiects take to heart his afflictions shall not wee rebellion against our king shall Dauids seruants bee ready to smite him thorow that shall raile vpon him and shall 〈◊〉 our hearts arise when the name of our God
our selues euen the best of vs all Poore Dauid that scarce euer came where prosperity grew had but a little rest and he beganne to dreame of golden mountaines hee thought crosses had now taken their leaue of him and would be afraid to looke into the court and therfore Absalom is sent out of his bowels to confute him And good Hezechiah who was first humbled at the comming of Saneherib and the second time brought to deaths dore by gricuous sicknes had no sooner a little respit but he begins to looke big and to lay about him whem embassadors came to visite him he carries them from place to place and sets the best side outward he swaggers not onely with them but with Esay too who tooke as small pleasure in this his courting as many of his cloath doe now in preaching ô Esay saith he you cannot tell who haue beene here great states the king of Babell sent Embassadors to vs such Princes so farre from vs take notice of vs and they I would haue thee know were royally entertained wee shewed them withall what store of gold siluer our treasuries could afford we would haue them know that all the wit and wealth is not lodged in Babell but that Gods people haue it in them and about them too as occasion shall serue Thus Hezechiah thought he spake but reason but the Lord seeing him so ranke thinkes it time to let him blood and therefore Esay giues him a cooler you haue made saith he for so in effect hee speakes a faire hand of your wealth you haue you haue brought the wolfe to the fold and now keepe him out if you can Gold-thirsty Babell now knowes where to haue a draught and as for your selfe sith you thinke the better of your selfe for your wealth the Lord hath made your will and the king of Babell is your executor Thus because Hezechiah surfeited he is physickt and this is onother reason of the Lords thus dealing with his people because the difference is not great whether you eate bad meate or surfet on good Thirdly God had but neede to diet the best of vs sometimes because we be so lazie when we are full much like to a man that comes newly from a feast fit for nothing we follow our calling as if we would drop on sleepe we performe exercises of religion as children say their lessons minding euery thing rather than that in hand wee come to the ordinances of God as fed wantons to a feast nothing pleaseth vnlesse it be some odde sawce or new inuention the worst dish on the table so it is with vs when wee come to the word the sense must be pleased as well as the heart edified else it is but a dry feast one tricke of wit doth more affect than twenty gratious sentences now when the Lord sees our mouth so farre out of taste that it cannot relish our meate and discouers in vs such a lazinesse about our busines he thinkes it reason to prouide some remedie in time lest these fore-runners of sicknes breake forth into worse inconueniences and surely Dauids practise and case may affright vs all for alas how did he gather mud when he had stood still a while and how would his corruptions againe haue growne to some head had not Absalom beene raised vp to breath him and to disperse them Now if Dauid were so foggie after so many breathings Dauid a man of so good a diet how resty should wee bee if neuer walkt how grounded on our lees with Moab if neuer turned forth from vessell to vessell It stands the Lord therefore vpon if hee will prouide for his haruest and our good to take some paines with vs lest otherwise he faile of his vintage whilst we want dressing Fourthly and in a word crosses had need to come and come thicke and come in strength to the strongest of vs because in the best there be many and strong corruptions ô the pride the pride the vnbeleefe the ignorance the selfe-loue that lodges in the purest soule would yee not haue thought that Dauid by this time had almost emptied himselfe of all pride that all passions all loue of the world all carnall affections had beene well nere buried but see see when crosses come how he laies about him hee sobs he roares he would die in a passion as if he knew not what he did or cared not what he said now should not such a stomach as this be taken downe yes the child had beene spilt there if the rod had beene spared and therefore God laies it on Now if good Dauid after so much breaking and so long standing in religion be so waspish so impatient so passionate do not you thinke that there is some store in vs let vs be crossed a little cannot we chafe let vs be abused cannot we find our tongues adde to this our worldlines cannot wee bee content to liuelonger in this world bad though it be do we not dote too much on one Absalom or other be not our hearts yet vnbroken why then you see God must smite and smite againe and smite home draw blood for no sound heart must go to heauen as none but sound hearts must come thither sound I say from hypocrisie but broken with sinne and sorrow thus wee see great cause of great affliction on Gods part sith our sinnes are great which must be purged and preuented our surfers great which must be cured our deadnesse great which must be quickned our inside bad which must be cleansed Time will not giue to speake of all One more reason shall bee drawne from our owne practise and so an end As God laies many crosses on vs so we may thanke our selues for many too not onelie in that we doe deserue them but in that 〈◊〉 worke them out of our owne bowels for many we diaw vpon our selues by riot Idlenesse vnthrifâ—nes rage c. and the most we make more heauy that are heauie enough already through our owne folly and that is whilst we rake into our wounds looking no higher and what with vnbeleefe and impatience doe double the crosse on our selues Dauids burden was heauy enough already hee did not neede to increase it yet such is Dauids weaknesse he cannot choose it is his Absalom prety Absalom and therefore he must pay for his passions and thus when God afflicts vs in measure as euer he doth his children wee make our crosses beyond measure because we keep no meane in mourning and not onely so but we prouoke our father to giue vs somewhat for brawling and for strugling thus we see some reasons of ours so great neare afflictions taken partly from our selues partly from our God The wicked will happily thinke themselues wronged that we giue not them and their master the credit of the Saints troubles but to speake properly they are no causes but onely executioners they are hangmen and bedles when an execution is to be wrought and the
and peace to his father call him Absalom saith Dauid I hope he will be a good man and a peaceable child one day and to say the truth where should a father looke for comfort sooner then from his childe but yet it proues otherwise you see Absalom is named as they say Popes be by contraries his name and nature agree like a boatman and his oares that looke two contrary waies poore Dauid met with nothing lesse then that hee expected Let vs learne some wisedome from his misery let vs not become sureties for the world in a debt of comfort but rather suspect her and correct our selues saying I now take some comfort in this child I solace my selfe in this outward blessing but let me be moderate who knowes what sorrow it may breed mee ere I die Thus if wee could forecast perils before they come and bee well appointed to receiue them when they doe come wee might better quit our selues in crosses then vsually we doe but when we are in our iollity wee cannot heare on that side O spare your speech or else you kill my heart doe you say that I must part with my husband and bury my child what my Absalom I hope I shall neuer liue to see that day at least not yet a while and thus you will not heare of crosses till they come and then you cannot beare them because they come so suddenly Others know well enough there must bee a time of parting what need you tell them that but in the meane you must beare with them for in truth they cannot chuse but loue their friends and take their part in all God sends as if there were no difference betweene louing and doting betweene moderate drinking and excessiue drunkennesse and they doe not doubt but when God calles them to crosses hee will fit them for crosses and thus they run on But is it like lie that he wil beare afflictions patiently who cannot with patience heare them spoken of Is this the way to bee furnished for winter to sit still and say if God call me to winter he will fit me for winter and in the meane time make no prouision but say whiles he sends warme dry weather I will take my part No in summer thou must thinke of winter in thy prosperity of aduersity else thou wilt bee soone in Dauids tune Thirdly wee must haue a speciall eie to our dealings in outward matters that wee do not abuse them to Gods dishonour nor defile them with sinne and wickednes for thē if wee be crossed in them we shall soundly smart for it because those crosses will come with a sting Dauid was not so found in the matter of Absalom as with more credit he might haue beene and therefore Absalom stickes by him longer then he should And surely brethren crosses are like pinching frosts they will search they will examine where we are most vnsoūd we shal soonest plaine where most corruption lies there we shall most shrinke when the burden comes would wee not then greeue too much for outward things let vs not sin in the vse of them would we keepe out carnall sorrow keepe out cursed sin if we let this canker cate into our hearts Gods medicines must pierce as deepe els what recouery build on this brethren sin alwaies makes way for sorrowe in that measure that sinne taints vs crosses will sling vs this is a true saying and of all men to be beleeued But I am slow A fourth remedy is this we must breake the streame of our affections and turne our sorrow vpon our sin place all our happines in Iesus Christ so we shall be sure that our sorrowe shall be alwaies moderate so shall we be freed frō the worst of sorrowes that which is false and imaginary for true sorrow eates vp false as Aarons rod the Egyptians and false is euermore hurtfull and violent then true as bugbeares more affright children then true men Again godly sorrow kils worldly griefe as spirituallioy mars carnall mirth let sin ly heauy and outward crosses will bee light mourne that thou hast displeased God and defaced his image and thou wilt haue little leasure to mourne for worldly matters againe if Christ be all thy ioy and all thy comfort be shut vp in the Lord thou canst neuer bee left comfortles sith Christ euer liues in thee and for thee But here is the spite we mistake the marke we passe sin and spend our sorrow on the world we leaue Christ and bestow our affections elsewhere hence wee are to speake of comfort when we should vse it lose our labour in sorrowing amisse Thus Dauid bestirs him for Absalom and when all is done he must vnwinde and vnwrap all againe How happy we if we now learne to place our ioy and sorrow aright Lastly if worldly sorrow shall not beare vs downe let vs be much in conference with God and in the practise of holy dueties pray much abound in thankesgiuing this is Pauls prescription to the Philip you may write probatum est vpon the head of it for there is no crosse so great vnder the cope of heauen but praier and thanksgiuing will lighten it as there is none so easie but plodding and vnthankfulnes will make it heauy Let then our complaints be made to God and let that time which is spent in aggrauating crosses and vnkindnesses be spent in recounting mercies and deliuerances and then crosses will bee as small in our esteeme as they bee in truth and had Dauid thought on this to haue cried ô my son Salomon in stead of Absalom and seene Gods mercie in the one as well as Gods iustice in the other and in this heate of passion drawen himselfe into Gods presence and listed vp one faithfull praier these stormes would haue vanished as a mist before the Sun and he would haue saued himselfe a great deale of paines but he cannot as yet pray and therfore as yet here is no cófort O let our sorrowes bring vs speedily to God and then comfort will come riding vpon the clouds towards vs. Let vs presently fall to praier and thanksgiuing as once Iob did and betake our selues to the word and promise or to some holy conference when our fits doe come vpon vs and we shall quickly breake the course strength of them Thus if we will learn to denie our selues in worldly things vsing them so that we abuse them not if we will thinke on crosses before they come and not leaue all till afterward if we will be iust in getting and vpright in vsing the things of this life that we do not enuenim them with sinne if we will bestow our sorrow on our sin make that our chiefest griefe and greatest crosse if lastly we will bee much in prater thanksgiuing meditation of the word c. our strength will be so much against crosses at least our comfort in them that we shall not need to feare any hurt from them but may