that it doth not onely justine us before God and appropriate unto us all the happinesse of heaven through Christ but is of so great use in this life both in the times of health and prosperity as time and occasion serve bringing forth most worthy fruits in regard of God and our neighbours and specially in our adversities and troubles David confessed hee had perished in his troubles if it had not beene for his Faith And the Apostle saith Through Faith the Saints of old stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword were tortured and accepted not deliverance Heb. 11. 33. It is Faith that breedeth Patience and begetteth godly comfort and courage hee that beleeveth doth not make haste that is whereas the vnbeleeving comming into any distresse any danger or perplexitie are distracted with care and feare and make haste running and rushing into all manner of evill and indirect meanes for releefe and deliverance as Saul who for want of Faith made too much haste to offer sacrifice and consult with a Witch Such as truly beleeve will not doe so Though earth remove and hills be hurled into the midst of the sea If God send famine he is not so fearefull for he knoweth God feedeth the Birds of the aire and the young Ravens when they call And whosoever feare him shall want nothing that is good If God send pestilence he is not so fearfull for he knoweth it is Gods arrow to hit whom he will and that if his life be more for Gods glory than his death A thousand shall fall on one hand and ten thousand on the other yet it shall not come nigh him If sword come he wil not be so fearfull Though he were compassed with ten thousands of enemies round about for he knoweth the wicked is but Gods sword that an haire cannot fall from his head but according to the good will and pleasure of his heavenly Father If sicknesse and death come he is not so fearefull For he knoweth though he die yet shall he live oh of what singular use is faith in all our troubles But I heare some as discomforted with this discourse say I thanke God my conscience doth approve my cause and walking to be honest humane frailties excepted yet I finde my selfe often very ill disposed and fearefull to die which maketh me doubt I have not faith I answer Our Saviour doth not say Because his Disciples were so fearefull therefore they had no faith but their faith was little Immoderate feare argueth imbecillitie but concludeth not a nullitie of faith And for thy comfort know this that even the best of Gods children are subject to such feares as David The feare of death is fallen upon me Psal 55. 4. But though it exceed measure for a time their faith will keepe them from despaire and in good time recover them as David said I will not feare to goe thorow the valley of death c. Psalm 23. 4. Oh pray then for the increase of faith Whereunto lastly may be added godly meditation on such great blessings as death beheld in the looking-glasse of the Gospell doth bring to every true beleever as that the Body is presently brought into a better condition than ever it had in this life for by death it is both made insensible and by that meanes freed from all the calamities of this life and ceaseth to be an Active and Passive instrument of sinne the Soule passeth to life rest and glory perfectly seeing and knowing God without intermission keeping an eternall Sabbath and without cessation or wearisomnesse keeping turnes with the Angels praising Gods name for ever and ever in fulnesse enjoying whatsoever may cause love and admiration or procure joy and contentation even an universall collection of all joyes blessings and comforts beyond all we have heard seene or can possibly thinke In regard whereof Solomon hath pronounced The day of death to bee better than the day of birth And the Apostle desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all And so much for the literall doctrine Gods people must not immoderately feare any manner of death and how that is obtained Our second doctrine is from the mysterie the ship representing the Church and the storme persecution Our Saviour reproving the disciples for their immoderate feare in this storme doth â—each vs That Gods people should not immoderately feare though the Church be in never so great danger distresse or perplexitie What greater evill threatned to the Church than by the Assyrian Monarch Insomuch that God caused the Prophet to call his sonne Maher-shalalhash-baz or make speed to the spoile yet even then the Prophet bade the people not be afraid nor say a confederacie a confederacie but sanctifie the Lord of hoasts and let him be your feare and let him be your dread and hee shall be for a sanctuary c not forbidding a moderate feare and use of godly meanes but immoderate feare and for their securitie making such leagues with Idolaters and Gods professed enemies as was forbidden Oh great is the storme now and the poore ship of the Church in mans eye in great perill but bee not so fearefull but rest on God The Church is in danger beset with enemies both powerfull and politike for crueltie and mischiefe matchlesse who have confederated and threaten her ruine True but hath not Christ said Hee will be with his Church to the end of the world nay more That the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it The ship is covered with waves but shall not be drowned the Church is persecuted but shall not bee destroied God will in his good time rebuke winds and seas and send a comfortable calme Mardochay beleeved comfort and deliverance would come and it did come and he that doth not beleeve as he did may worthily bee rebuked in the words of my Text Why are yee so fearefull O yee of little faith And so much be said of the first thing Christ reproved in his disciples viz. The excesse of feare The second followeth which is the defect of faith in these words O yee of little Faith Which reproofe is laid downe in way of admiration q. d. Oh that your â—aith should be so little and weake hauing heard and seene what you have done Out of which â—ater commeth meat and out of this strong commeth sweetnesse that I may use Sampsons Riddle yea out of this reproofe doe flow comforts abundantly to all godly minded ones who mourne in their soules because they are subject to the same reproofe having but a little â—aith For the further comfort then of all poore weake and feeble beleevers suffer me with your patience fully to open this point And marke his words he saith not O yee of no faith for they all beleeved in him
Howsoever they may shew faire weather without they have grievous stormes and tempests within though sometimes and on some occasions their consciences do rage more horribly that at others Shall I make this cleare by a few Examples When God had summoned arraigned examined convicted and sentenced Cain for the murther of his brother oh behold a tempest My punishment is greater than I can beare thou hâ—st driven me out this day from the face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid and I shall be a fugitive and vagabond in the earth and it shall come to passe that every one that findeth me shall kill me When Sathan in the habit of Samuel had told Saul that the morrow after he and his sonnes should die and the Host of Israel should be delivered into the hand of the Philistims oh behold a storme He fell along on the earth and was sore afraid and there was no strength in him When Belshazzar in the midst of his feast saw the palme of an hand write on the plaister of the wall oh behold a storme His countenance was changed and his thoughts so troubled him that the ioints of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against another When Iudas had betrayed his Master and saw he was condemned oh behold a great tempest yea as ever did arise in the soule of a wretched man and as Mariners in a great tempest as in the stories of Ionah and Paul wee may perceive sticke not to runne up and downe and cast out goods and tacklings so he ranne into the Temple and cast out his sinnes by confession and threw his money in the Temple and all to calme his tempestuous soule but it would not be and being perswaded that death would ease him he desired to die yea he cared not what death so hee did die and rather than not die he would die a dogs death and be his owne executioner hee went and hanged himselfe Cardinall Crescentius the Popes Vicegerent at the Councell of Trent and a notable enemie to true Religion and the professors thereof on a time writing long letters to Rome full of all devilish policie and plotting all manner of mischiefe against the Protestants and the cause of Religion had a strong conceit that the Devill in the likenesse of a huge dog walked in his chamber and couched under his table which raised such a fearefull tempest in his soule that neither Physicians nor friends could calme but he died in a most comfortlesse manner Oh Tyrants and learned men abusing their power and policie may raise up strange tempests in other mens bodies goods and estate but withall they raise up such stormes and tempests in their owne soules as are intolerable incurable according to that of Salomon The spirit of a man will beare out his infirmities i. if a mans conscience be quiet and comfortable in God he will beare with patience and cheerefulnesse manifold paines and diseases tortures and torments in his bodie and all outward crosses as we have most memorable examples in many holy and glorious Martyrs but a wounded spirit who can beare A spirit or conscience full of horror and anguish through guilt of sinne and apprehension of divine indignation who can beare that It is the Hell on Earth as you have seene in the former examples and many moe such might be produced curelesse and remediiesse for nothing can calme them but Christ who rebuketh winds and seas and him they have not without whom all other meanes doe faile There is no sicknesse but Physicke hath some medicine for it no sore but Chirurgerie hath a salve for it no restraint so great but freedome and inlargement may be procured by friends or money no disgrace so great but time will eat it out no plague so hot but a man may flie from it but as there is no strappado racke wheele or most exquisite torment comparable to this so no helpe for it I meane in the wicked that flie from God no physicke can purge no cordiall can comfort no corasive can eat it out no lenative asswage it Friendship intreatie gifts may deliver a man out of prison and captivitie but who can unlocke the prison doores of a guilty conscience or knock off the bolts of horrour and distresse of minde Men may flie from plague but cannot from this because he ever carrieth it in him he may flie from field to citie from citie to his owne house from house to chamber from chamber to closet from closet to his bed but where-ever he becommeth the Hellish Hags and Infernall Furies of evill conscience doe vex and torment him Though their Assistants were an Armie of millions of men their friends the great Princes of the world their dominions as large as the Sunne shineth on their meat Manna their apparell as costly as Aarons embrodered coat their palaces as stately as Nabuchadnezzars their musicke like that at the setting up of Nabuchadonozars Idol yet nothing can calme this tempest but when they die they are cast into Hell where they shall be tormented for ever Oh labour then for the peace quietnesse and calmenesse of your conscience the greatest jewell in the world a continuall feast and brasen wall against all oppositions Oh beware of sinne the cause of stormes and tempests yea as Salomon saith If sinners entice thee consent not be not deceived Thou shalt heare them insult against this exhortation and say Tush I have thus and so sinned and yet have I as chearefull light and merrie an heart as any man in the world I eat and drinke and sleepe as well as ever I did I am not troubled with melancholike thoughts and passions I never had experience of such stormes and tempests as they speake of Indeed great is the securitie of some men whose consciences are seared as with a glowing iron and who are given over to a reprobate sense to sin with greedinesse long custome in sinne having taken away the sense of sinne but conscience though it sleepe it cannot die it may hold peace but it cannot forget this is Gods truth The wicked have no true peace and first or last tribulation and anguish shall seaze upon them where sinne is there will be a tempest which whensoever it riseth they shall never see end yea eternitie it selfe shall not over-live it it shall live when they die and make them live that faine would die that so they may die eternally in which endlesse tempest I leave the wicked I come now to speake to the comfort of Gods children who have experience of great and grievous stormes and tempests in their soules and consciences and what only wayes are to be used for the calming of them Observe then that as Christ being entred into the Sea there arose a great tempest so into what soule soever Christ entreth by Faith to inhabit there will first or last arise a tempest which will
be the more grievous if Christ be on sleepe it will cause great calling and crying indeed Herein behold the example of Iob A man that feared God and eschewed evill Good Lord in what great and grievous stormes and tempests was he tossed and like to be swallowed up I meane not in regard of his body and estate but chiefly in regard of his soule when he so complained that God did set him as a But to shoot at that the terrors of God did set themselves in array against him Iob 6. 4. that hee did write bitter things against him made him possesse the sinnes of his youth would not suffer him to swallow his spittle and If I say my bed shall comfort me and my couch shall ease my complaint then thou skarest me with dreames and terrifiest me with visions thou appointest wearisome nights to me when I lie downe I say when shall I arise and the night be gone and I am full of tossings to and fro vnto the dawning of the day so as my soule chuseth strangling and death rather than life yea in weaknesse he cursed the day and all the services of his birth and was so weary of the tempest and not able to endure it any longer hee made his suit to the Pilot to cut asunder the Cable and let the ship runne against the rocks saying Oh that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for even that it would please God to destroy me let his hand loose and cut me off Oh here was a tempest indeed so as if God had not kept him he would have leaped over boord into the Sea rather than have endured it In what a tempest was David when he said His spirit was in perplexitie and his soule amazed and that from his youth he had suffered the terrors of God with a troubled minde and as if he could afford to leape over boord too hath much adoe to perswade his soule to patience saying Why art thou cast downe oh my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me Ionah his bodie was not so tossed in the tempest as his soule in the tempest of Gods anger when he said All thy billowes and thy waves passed over me then I said I am cast out of thy sight In what a tempest were the lewes when they came in such consternation to Peter and the Apostles asking Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saved Yea Christ himselfe was in a greater tempest in his soule on the Crosse than now his bodie was on the Sea when he so cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee S. Paul was often in perils on the Sea but nothing did so much shake him as his inward terrors the inward tempests of his soule made him cry out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me So true is this doctrine and by these few examples instead of many fully confirmed that into whose soule soever Christ doth once enter to live and dwell by faith they shall be sure of stormes and tempests whereof these two principall reasons may be rendred viz. First the extreme and unappeasable malice of Sathan who so long as he doth reigne in the soule and conscience and is obeyed in his lusts there is great peace but if Christ a stronger than hee come and dispossesse him he will rage and will make that soule to shake and tremble that entertaineth Christ he will besiege it and roare with his Cannons of temptations that howsoever such a soule may have sweet peace with God yet it shall have perpetuall warre with Sathan who will doe all the mischiefe hee can If the woman be with childe and nigh in her travell and bring forth the great red Dragon will stand ready to devoure the childe and if he cannot prevaile he will cast great water-flouds after her Though the Vision most properly concerne Christ yet is it most true in his members no sooner is any childe of God conceived in the wombe of the Church by the immortall seed of Gods word and that he is formed and brought forth but Sathan the great red Dragon will seek to kill and destroy it as Christ saith He is a murtherer from the beginning and as the Apostle saith Hee goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom to deuoure and if herein hee be restrained yet will he cast out great flouds of temptations lies slanders feares doubts perplexities hee will not faile to raise a grievous tempest The second Reason is the corruption of our nature for though the Regeneration Sanctification of Gods children be most true yet is it imperfect in regard of degrees and the best of God children are partly spirit and partly flesh and that throughout all the inward powers and faculties and outward parts and members as in the dawning of the day when it is neither altogether light nor darke and in luke-warme water it is neither altogether cold nor hot so there is some ignorance in their minds some hardnesse in their hearts some frowardnesse in their wills sinne though it reigne not yet it dwelleth in them to defile and staine their best workes and stir vp stormes and tempests in their Soules and Consciences Here then first is a sweet comfort to Gods Children who have experience of the truth of this Doctrine in their owne Soules me thinketh I heare them thus lament The time hath beene when I could have beene merrie and glad and had abundance of joy and comfort in God it was my greatest delight to heare reade and pray I was able to be a comfort and stay to others but now my Soule is heavie and pensive sad and sorrowfull I thinke on nothing but my sinnes but those though many yeeres agoe committed I doe as perfectly remember with the circumstances thereof as if they were but yesterday I can thinke of nothing but Gods anger and the punishments of the Reprobate neither have I any delight in godly exercises or if I doe performe them I finde no comfort in them but returne from Church as void of comfort as I went thither rise up from praier with as heavie an heart as I kneeled downe I am even oppressed with feares doubts and distrusts that I have not truly repented that I doe not truly beleeve that I am not sanctified that I am not Gods Childe that he loveth me not that my sinnes are not forgiven and that I have but served him in Hypocrisie Oh behold what waves surges and billowes of discomfort may cover a poore Soule But let all such be of good comfort for first this is no other than that all Gods Children first or last more or lesse have experience of Thou thinkest none ever were in such cōdition thou art deceived Secondly it is an argument of good estate for so
were with Christ for the temporall good of their bodies Lord Lord save us How much more earnest should we be with him for the eternall good of our soules and importunately to beg those excellent gifts of Knowledge Faith Repentance Remission of sinnes Sense of Gods love Patience in adversitie Lowlinesse in prosperitie Peace of conscience Ioy in the Holy Ghost as Christ hath counselled First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and as the Apostle counselleth Set your affections on and seeke those things which are above Was Christ well pleased with his Disciples that craved the saving of their bodies and is he not much more pleased we should call and cry unto him for the salvation of our soules seeing hence he hath his glorious name whereat every knee must bowe and is able perfectly to save such as come unto him But herein our great dulnesse and negligence commeth justly to be taxed We are very sensible of our bodily and senslesse altogether of our spirituali wants if wee be naked and cold wee are pinched with it and all our care is for fewell and apparell if we be hungry how greedy wee are for food In this time of Famine how the hungry poore runne from doore to doore pitifully and importunatly begging bread Whose heart doth not earne to see the ghastly countenances of poore prisoners in their chaines and thorow their grates craving releefe How doe such as have money plie the market for corne and if they have it not in one runne to another and strive who shall be first served How did the leprous blinde and diseased flocke to Christ for cure And if in these dayes there were a man knowne to cure all diseases how would they seeke to him by Sea and Land yea sell House and Land to get helpe And if the life be in danger by fire or water then what crying is there Lord save us But alas our soules are ready to starve and we doe not hunger are naked and we care not for garments sicke and diseased and we seeke not to the Physitian yea we are in danger every moment to sinke into the pit of perdition and for ever to be lost in hell and destruction and yet we cry not to Christ for helpe Lord save us And the reason hereof is because we doe not know our selves to be lost and ready to perish but with those of Laodicea say we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and know not that we are wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. That which caused the Disciples here to cry so earnestly to Christ to be saved was the sense of miserie they saw if he presently helped not there was no way but one with them they were drowned every mothers childe they must all presently perish certainly none can earnestly seeke and crave salvation that doe not feele themselves to be most miserable sinners under the wrath of God utterly lost in themselves looke every moment to be swallowed up of death hell and condemnation Christ came to seeke and save that which is lost and was sent only to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel came not to call the righteous but sinners to repent i. such as in their owne sense and feeling are miserable and lost sinners When Peter began to sinke he cried Lord save me and immediatly Iesus stretched out his hand and caught him When the ship was covered with waves then the Disciples cry Lord save us and he rebuked the winds Oh it is not possible for any to be earnest with Christ for salvation till with Peter their soules begin to sinke into Hell and the poore cockboat of their Consciences is even covered with the waves of Gods displeasure One deepe calleth on another Ps 42. 6. the deep of misery to the deep of mercy De profundis clamavi Ps 130. 1. Alas thousands of Protestants who professe Christ to be their Saviour yet never tasted now sweet the Lord is nor ever were earnest with him for salvation because they were never thorowly touched with the sense of their spirituall misery to say with David I have gone astray like a sheepe that is lost and from my youth up thy terrors I have suffered with a troubled minde Thou hast vexed me with all thy stormes and all thy waters are gone over me c. And never till then can any affectionately pray with David O Lord say to my soule I am thy salvation And with the Disciples here Lord Iesu save me Many doe wonderfully brag and boast that Christ is their Saviour shed his precious bloud for them if at that instant they should die they were sure to be saved and to goe to heaven to him I would aske such a question or rather desire them to demand it of their owne soules Didst thou ever see thy wofull misery and the wretched estate wherein thou art by reason of sinne Didst thou ever see what great need thou hadst of Gods favour and of the bloud of Christ Have thy sinnes ever mustred themselves against thee which hath made thine heart to tremble with feare Yea hast thou even bin at the brinke of hell and with sighs and teares intreated mercy and salvation They answer and I suppose truly No God be thanked they were never so troubled or disquieted but have ever had merrie and peaceable hearts and have beene ever assured of Gods love neither would they for all the world doubt of it they have heard Ministers preach much of distresses and perplexities of the soule but they know not what they meane Alas poore soules how are these deceived How are they carried away with a strange presumption What a dangerous lethargie spirituall are they sicke of Even of all men most to be pittied Oh know the high way to grace is to know our soules to be emptie of grace the high way to be saved is to know our selves in our selves to be lost and damned never shall any have the benefit of one drop of the bloud of Christ that as for life and death have not begged it Oh see then what a blessing of God it is to be faithfully told and reproved for sins and to see our damnable estate in the looking-glasse of the Law that so seeing our selves to be utterly lost and undone we may cry day and night vnto God with the Disciples here Lord Iesus save us So much for the blessing desired the third last word followeth for whom they desire salvation Vs. It is not said that Peter came and praied for himselfe Lord save me and Iames for himselfe Lord save me and Iohn for himselfe Lord save mee c. as if they cared not though all the rest were drowned if they themselves escaped but they pray in common each one being as desirous of his fellowes safeguard
on his face and praying out of the dust with great constancie he prayed three times with submissive obedience Not my will but thine be done and with great charitie for ever and anon he visited his Disciples and gave them good counsell and comfort and what was it he thus begged Take oh take away this cap and he was heard in that which he feared the storme was calmed an Angell sent and comforted him Oh man see in thy Saviour what it is to be a sinner If the righteous and deare Sonne of God having no sinne but by imputation was so affrighted with the terrors of death how would death distract with the terrors of it impenitent sinners if God did open their eyes and let them see it in the looking-glasse of the Law clothed with the red robe of Gods fiery indignation gaping with great Iron teeth ready to devoure having in the forehead written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the booke of the law to doe them and having the keyes of hell and the bottomlesse pit in his hand Thus we have seene death in the looking-glasse of Nature and it appeareth fearefull for therein the bodie perisheth We have seene it in the looking-glasse of Fortune therein it appeareth more fearefull for therein bodie and all the good things of this world perish We have lastly seene it in the looking-glasse of the Law and therein it appeareth most fearefull for therein bodie and soule perish for ever The fourth and last glasse is the glasse of the Gospell wherein through the death of Christ the nature of it is changed of a foe it is become a friend and from a curse and punishment of sinne is become a blessing from the doore of Hell it is become the portall of Heaven Christ hath spoiled principalities and powers and triumphed openly over them on the Crosse yea and hath pursued Death into the grave his Castle and there conquered him the sorrowes of death being loosed whereof it was impossible that he should be held and so hath performed what he anciently threatned O death I will be thy plagues oh grave I will be thy destruction which made the Apostle in the name of all the faithfull so to triumph O death where is thy sting ô grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thanks be to God who giveth victory through Iesus Christ our Lord I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeveth in me shall live though he die He that beleeveth is passed from death to life and shall not come into judgement Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus and Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Loe these are the comforts of the Gospell against death which all the faithfull have enjoyed from the beginning of the world though more plentifully revealed in these last dayes And hence it is that where-ever death is beheld through the glasse of the Gospell it is seene and spoken of with abundance of joy and comfort and as the nature so the name of it is changed God called Abrahams death a going to his fathers and the death of Isaak Iacob Aaron and Moses is called a gathering to their fathers Ioshuah calleth his dying the going the way of all the earth And David useth the same words Moses and Elias talking on Thabor of Christs death call it so too they talked of his departure Yea Christ called it his departing out of this world to his Father and Simeon prayed the Lord to let him depart in peace It is but a taste but a sight Lazarus death is called a sleepe Ioh. 11. Paul calleth his death a loosing as out of prison S. Peter calleth his a laying downe of his Tabernacle Thus comfortably doe the Scriptures phrase death for the incouragement of all mortall men who must die oh get into Christ and feare not death no more than thou wouldest feare to lie downe and sleep or to put off an old garment or to goe out of prison or of a rotten Cottage that thou maist dwell in a Palace a Paradise Oh death is not now terrible but desirable as S. Paul said I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And againe Wee sigh desiring to be clothed on with our house which is from heaven Oh welcome death which to all Gods children through Christ is the end of hunger thirst sorrow care sicknesse ache paine temptations sin and all evills and the beginning of all good without end Whereof some of the learned Fathers have written most large and excellent Treatises If then these Disciples had beheld death in the glasse of the Gospel had had a strong Faith they would never have given it so harsh comfortlesse a title as calling it a perishing but as you have heard a sleeping going and gathering to fathers departing laying downe of Tabernacle c. and if their Faith had beene strong they would have said as the three children did to Nabuchadonozer O King our God whom we serve is able to deliver us Winds and Seas what meane yee to rage Our Master whom we serve is able to save vs whether he sleepe or wake but howsoever we feare not death be it sudden or looked for violent or naturall by sea or land by water or fire for if we die we shall goe to heaven and then shall we know misery no more To conclude these disciples call and pray to Christ for helpe but withall they doe their duties The Euangelist saith They did toile in rowing in another storme and so doubtlesse did they in this The heathen Mariners in Ionah as they did cry upon their gods so they cast their wares into the sea to lighten the ship and did even dig and delve or furrow the sea with their Ores if possibly they might have brought it to the land But herein appeareth a great deale of our folly that as most pray not at all so many pray only Lord save us and doe nothing else whereas God would have every one in such a storme to set to his hands to helpe to cast out the lading of the ship and lighten it What is it that ladeth the ship of the Church and endangereth it in a storme It is sinne which is heavier than sand or lead or any ballast It was too heavie for David to beare Psal 38. 4. It made the Sonne of God sweat Luke 22. 44. Yea made God himselfe complaine That hee was pressed as a Cart with sheaves Amos 2. 13. Oh Ministers Magistrates all Christian men and women set to your hands Over the boord with sinne in your selves and in others Were it not madnesse for Mariners in a storme to take in more lading And
borne or buried or whilst he lived whereon to rest his head And as quickly was he gone againe he did but sojourne or as the word signifieth pitch his Tent among us for the space of 33 yeers which compared with eternitie or long lives of the Patriarchs is nothing He was but as a Traveller which as for a nights lodging only turned in unto us and as a stranger he was used for his owne would not receive him but did lade him with all wrongs and injuries preferre a murtherer before him and most disgracefully crucifie him betwixt two notorious malefactors But it shall suffice only to touch these things The third and last is more largely to be handled as most fitting the Text the day the insuing service of this day whereunto with some few words to that purpose I would prepare you and is this This man is a strange man wonderfully qualified For they propound the question in way of admiration What manner of man is this q. d. Oh what a wonderfull man is this And well might they so marvell and demand for there was never such a man on earth before or since or shall be The Church saith Her beloved is the chiefest of ten thousand a finite number being put for an infinite All the thousands and millions of glorious Angels in heaven or men on earth cannot afford such another He is the only Standard-bearer as the word signifieth He is anointed with the oile of gladnesse above his fellowes He received not the spirit by measure In him were hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge yea all that fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily that they may well marvell What manner of man is this For Christ hath said of himselfe he is a wonder and the Prophet maketh this one of his glorious titles He shall be called wonderfull And never any creature so answerable to his name as Christ to this For what he was said did suffered ordained was all most marvellous Let us retaile these things For wherein can I more edifie you than by provoking you to marvell which is the whetstone of knowledge And first let us consider his person and it will make us marvell yea be astonished with marvelling He that is true God from everlasting in time became true man not ceasing to be what he was before but beginning to be what he was not before assuming true manhood to subsist in the word by hypostaticall or personall union neither nullifying the Deitie nor deifying the Humanitie but reserving the essentiall properties of each nature severall and distinct without mixture or confusion The Apostle saith This is a great mysterie and to be much marvelled at God manifested in the flesh The word made flesh Manhood assumed into personall union with Godhead that so Godhead and Manhood make the person of one Redeemer as soule and body doe one man that seeing as God hee could not die which God hath threatned and as man not overcome death being God and man he could both suffer and overcome the one suffered and the other enabled By reason of which union and as I may call it association of divers natures a kinde of mutuall commutation there is whereby those concrete Titles God and Man when we speake of Christ doe take interchangeably one anothers roome and in the Concrete it is most holy and true which in the Abstract were horrible and hellish blasphemie to affirme We cannot say the Humanitie made the world or Deitie suffered but we may truly say the man Christ made the world and the God Christ suffered The Apostle saith The Iewes did crucifie the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. and that God hath purchased his Church with his bloud and Christ being on earth said at the same instant The Sonne of man was in heaven Where you see a bloudy death is attributed to God and Lord of glory and ubiquitie to manhood which humane nature admitteth not Therefore by God and Lord of glory wee must understand the whole person of Christ who died and shed his bloud but not in that nature for which he is called God and Lord of glory and in the other place by Sonne of man we understand the person of Christ who was in heaven as well as on earth though not in that nature for which he is called the sonne of man Yea without this caution the Fathers who were both sound in the faith and unanimous in defense thereof will seeme to be both corrupt and contrary For Theodoret disputeth with great earnestnesse that God cannot be said to suffer but he meant in the Abstract against Apollinarius who held the Deitie to be passible And Cyrill is as earnest saying Whosoever doth denie very God to have suffered death doth forsake the faith but he meaneth in the flesh and not in that substance for which the title God is given him But why doe I goe about to expresse and make cleare such a mysterie as is unconceiveable The strength of faith appeareth in those things wherein our wits and capacities are weake and therefore I must leave you reverendly and religiously to marvell at the person of your Redeemer and say What manner of man is this who is truly God-Man and Man-God And so I proceed to speake of his humane nature wherein he is more familiar unto us yet therein most marvellous also And first His conception is marvellous which was not according to the course of nature and by carnall copulation as Ebion blasphemed but as the holy Gospel teacheth and we professe to beleeve he was conceived by the Holy Ghost that as he was God of his Father without mother so he might become man of his mother without father and so be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech who is said to be without father and mother And this comming of the Holy Ghost upon the Virgin effected a threefold worke First the fashioning of the body of a part of Maries substance that so he might be the true sonne of Adam Abraham and David according to the flesh and also the creating and infusing of the soule into the body which at the first was organized and fit to receive it which other bodies are not Secondly the sanctification of that matter that it had not the least staine or blemish of any originall sinne uncleannesse contagion or corruption Thirdly the union of the Godhead Manhood All which were wrought at the same instant of time Of all which the personal union is most marvellous That as in the Trinitie three persons are united in essence so in Christ three several and distinct substances viz. Deitie Soule and Flesh are united in one person And therefore the humanitie of Christ his soule and body did not make a person as in other men but so soone as
his doctrine as himselfe hath said The workes that I doe beare witnesse of me that the Father hath sent me And againe If I doe not the workes of my Father beleeve me not but if I doe though â—â—â— beleeve not mee beleeve the workes Now if wee compare this with the other Euangelists it will appeare that Christ had taught the people many things in parables and therefore went purposely to the sea that he might by miracle there as it were seale the truth of that doctrine which he had taught and delivered for as our Saviour asked Philip Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat did it onely to prove him for he himselfe knew what he would doe So our Saviour knew what he would doe on the sea and for what worke he purposely went thither at this time The fourth and last was the triall of their faith who having been now some good time with him he would make triall of their proficiencie as God tried Abraham not that God was ignorant what was in Abraham or Christ ignorant what was in his Apostles but they were ignorant what was in themselves and presumed they had more faith than they had wherefore it pleased our Saviour Christ by bringing them into this danger on the sea to let them see the weaknesse of their faith and by doing such a miracle strengthen it and make them in all future dangers to rest more stedfastly on his Almightie power and not feare any evill by water or land In whom we may behold and learne for our instruction what is the Lords usuall manner of dealing with his Disciples No Schoole-master doth make that triall of his scholars of their proficiencie that God maketh of his concerning their profiting and growth in Knowledge Faith Repentance Patience Zeale none shall be long in his Schoole but he will trie them either by sicknesse of bodie discomfort of soule losses crosses dangers by water or land false doctrine evill example one way or other All that live godly shall be sure of their trials The Apostle saith That is no strange thing yea as the Apostle Paul saith They that are without correction are Bastards and not sonnes So they that are without trials are Bastards and not sonnes all Gods children are partakers thereof you cannot be ignorant of the great trials of Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioseph Moses David Iob the Children of Israel in the wildernesse it is our common condition and therefore good counsell that Syracides giveth My son if thou come to serue the Lord prepare thy soule for temptation Thou canst not be long with Christ on the land but hee will have thee into the ship thou must to the storme and yet all for the best in regard whereof Saint Iames hath pronounced Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him And Saint Peter saith Our faith being tried and found more precious than gold that perisheth shall be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ Oh if the graces of God as Knowledge Faith Patience Humilitie Zeale doe appeare in excellent measure as they did in Abraham Iob David and others specially the holy Martyrs how greatly is it for Gods honour and their true comfort and happinesse but if these be very weake and feeble in us and humane frailtie exceedingly appeare yet how profitable is it to know our wants as for those Apostles to know how weake their faith was that so they might walke in greater humilitie and pray the more earnestly Lord increase our faith Wherefore be not afraid of the storme if thou beest sound at the heart it shall be for thy good which made David so pray Examine me ô Lord and prove me try my reines and my heart And againe Search me ô God and know mine heart try me and know my thoughts marke well if there be any way of wickednesse in me For howsoever David knew his integritie yet the heart of man is deceitfull above all things who can finde it and he desired to know if his faith were weake or any wickednes lay lurking in any secret angle and corner of his heart as holy Iob suspected himselfe Though I were perfect yet will I not know that is justifie mine owne soule and S. Paul in jealous humilitie confesseth I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby iustified he that iudgeth me is the Lord Thus in an holy humble jealousie we should be glad to know if there be any weaknesse or wickednesse in us The manifestation whereof in his Apostles was a principall motive to leade them to the sea and into this storme For a conclusion of this first point let it be observed for ever remembred that my Text saith Christ is the first that entred into the ship He sendeth not his disciples to sea and himselfe standeth fast on shore but He first entred into the ship The greatest comfort to the Church of God in generall and every Christian in particular is that Christ is present with them in all their troubles and dangers God spake to Moses out of the burning bush And this is it which he hath so often graciously promised As to Moses when he sent him to speake to Pharaoh and deliver his people Certainly I will be with thee and the like to Ioshua As I was with Moses I will be with thee all the daies of thy life I will not faile thee nor forsake thee and unto Ieremie Speake all that I have commanded thee and feare not their faces for behold I am with thee to deliuer thee yea the promise is made to all Gods people When thou passest thorow the waters I will be with thee and thorow the riuers they shall not ouerflow thee when thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee And againe Because he hath set his love upon me I will be with him in trouble I will deliuer him and bring him to honor Ps 91. penult And Christ his promise to all his disciples is Loe I am with you alwaies even unto the end of the world and for confirmation thereof appeared to IOHN walking in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks whose corporall presence gave Peter such boldnesse and comfort that he presumed to walke upon the waters towards him yea the assurance of his spirituall presence gave David such courage that hee said I will not feare to goe thorow the valley of the shadow of death for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe comfort me But on the other side Gods absence and departure is most grievous and fearefull specially in times of danger and distresse as when God was angred by the golden
did arise Then is this societie a shadow or figure of the visible Church By visible and invisible I do not mean two distinct Churches as our Adversaries falsly charge us as if a member of the visible were not also a member of the invisible but I distinguish the divers considerations of the same Church which is visible in respect of profession and use of the Word and Sacraments but invisible in respect of saving grace wherein only elect doe communicate and whose bodies profession is visible but saving grace invisible unknown of us saving in the judgement of charity As all men might know Nathaniel to be an Israelite but to be a true Israelite in whom was no guile that Christ only knew so that many of the invisible lie hid in the visible as a part in the whole which visible Church may be thus described viz. It is a mixed company that professe that doctrine which is according to godlines having the word of God for matters fundamentall purely preached Sacraments for substance sincerely administred And I say this is a mixed company For in such a company may be ludas and many unregenerate and hypocrites in the visible which are not of the invisible Church This Church was shadowed out by Noahs Arke wherein were both cleane and uncleane beasts by a floare having a heape of corne and chaffe mingled together a field wherein wheat and tares grow together a draw-net gathering all sorts of fishes good and bad a wedding wherein are guests that have the wedding garment and that want it by a company wherein are both wise and foolish virgins the one having lampes and oyle the others lampes onely a flocke of sheepe and goats Matth. 25. 32. a great house wherein there are vessels of gold and siluer so also of wood and earth some to honour and some to dishonour And this visible Church is two-fold Vniversall and Particular the Vniversall visible Church is the company of all such as professe the doctrine of godlinesse and enioy the ministerie of the Word and Sacraments wheresoever in the world they be A Particular visible Church is a company professing as before but receiving denomination from the Countrie Kingdome or Citie as the Church of England Scotland Bohemia Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippi which is the reason why particular visible Churches are so affected with ioy or griefe at one anothers prosperitie or adversitie because in effect they are even the same and as members of the same bodie parts of the whole Thus we have shipped the passengers Now as friends at parting have commonly some loving Charge or other suffer me before they launch forth to give to them and in them to you and us all a double warning viz. Beware of departure from and of division among I say beware of departure and division goe not out fall not out For the first howsoever Iudas the covetous wretch and who afterwards was Traitor be in the company yet let none depart from the ship and forsake the fellowship of Christ and the rest of the disciples for his sake it had been no lesse dāgerous to the bodie of any of them to have gone out of the ship into the sea than it is to the soule of any to depart from a true visible Church where Christ and his Disciples are I doe not deny but for many respects it may be warrantable for a man to depart from one visible Church to become a member of another yea for a time to dwel where no visible Church is but to depart because of some corruptions specially in discipline or manners is the dangerous departure condemned by the Scriptures and the ancient Fathers in Donatists Novatians Catharists and such like Separatists of all whom S. Iohn hath pronounced They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had beene of us they would no doubt haue continued with us neither shall such departers ever satisfie their blind and preposterous zeale There never was nor will be a visible Church in this world without great blemishes faults and corruptions Looke upon the state of the Church from the beginning of the world and you will finde it so yet in all the Scriptures there is no precept rightly understood commanding to depart nor warrantable example of any that have so departed A thing also which the Fathers in their times haue exceedingly declamed against Not that we should sit downe carelesse and not take to heart the corruptions of Church or Common-wealth or as if Magistrates and Ministers by word and sword should not endeuour reformation Indeed the Master said to his servants Let both grow together till the harvest which place the Anabaptists abuse amongst others to proue a toleration and S. Augustines opinion was so at the first as himselfe confesseth and gave his Reason lest professed Heretikes should become dissembling Hypocrites but Luther hath both shortly and soundly expounded the place saying It is not a sentence of approbation but of consolation that we should not endevour reformation but a comfort when we cannot so reforme but still there will be corruptions yet for them not to forsake the fellowship as the manner of some is But these things I have more largely handled and pressed in this place hereto fore from some other Scriptures and because such departure is not now so hot and common as it hath beene I passe it over with this touch and caution in few words given The second charge I give is the same that Ioseph gave to his brethren Beware of division and falling out All division is dangerous be it of Kings Cities or Families as our Saviour saith Every kingdome divided against it selfe shall be brought to desolation and every citie or house divided against it selfe shall not stand but no division so dangerous as that in a ship and specially in a storme what doth that threaten but ship wrack and destrucction to them all Wherefore there is nothing that Sathan more laboureth and wherein he doth more hurt than by causing of divisions and nothing more commanded than peace amitie and unitie Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another The Angels at Christ his comming into the world proclaimed peace and Christ at his going out of the world bequeathed peace My peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you The Apostles still wished Grace and Peace to those Churches to which they wrote and inioyned the Saints If it be possible and as much as lieth in them to liue peaceably with all men yea to follow peace with all men and to striue to keepe the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace And here I cannot sufficiently wonder at the Romanists that considering our unite and the great and grievous divisions in the Synagogue of Rome yet the Romanists are not ashamed
world hath not blinded that all the pinnaces of Heretikes and Schismatikes and specially that great Romish ship though painted and gilded faire and hath large sailes with top and top gallant tacklings and cordage is indeed no better than an hot man of war a ship of Pyrates It hath leaked long and though Bellarmine hath put to all his strength in pumping and the Iesuits like cunning Divers have used and doe use all their skill to stop this leake yet shall they not be able it shall one day sinke and make shipwrack In the meane time know that the Church of England is a glorious visible Church a faire ship wherein Christ and his disciples are and therefore for this time I discharge you with renewing of the former charge Take heed you depart not from her take heed you cause not division in her but every man seeke her welfare follow faith to the conservation of the soule and keepe the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace beware of Heresie beware of Schisme God for his Christ sake helpe us to keepe faith and a good conscience to the end and in the end Amen Followed him We have heard the number of passengers Christ and his disciples the Euangelist also noteth the manner or order of their shipping viz that Christ went before and his disciples followed him Christ ordinarily called the Disciples and Apostles in this forme and phrase of speech as to Simon and Andrew being fishing Follow me and I will make you fishers of men and in the verse before my text Follow me and let the dead burie their dead and to Matthew sitting at the receit of custome Follow me and to the young man If thou wilt be perfect goe and sell that thou hast and give to the poore and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow me The reason why Christ would specially have the Apostles conversant with him during the time of his Ministerie here was that hearing his doctrine seeing his miracles and observing his manner of life after his departure they might be witnesses to the world of that which they had heard and seene and for this cause after the death of Iudas there was care had that such an one might be chosen into his roome as had accompanied with them all the time that the Lord Iesus went in and out before them Therfore the Apostles commonly followed him from place to place in City and Countrey field and house by water and land though sometimes for some speciall causes he admitted not all but some few of them as Peter Iames Iohn were only admitted to see the miracle of raising the Rulers daughter and his transfiguration on the Mount and his agonie in the Garden The words are sufficiently cleared for their literall sense The letter teacheth us to give due honour and respect to one another The impression of superioritie and subjection command and obedience domination and service is not only stamped on man a sociable creature a little map or modell as it were of the great world though never so barbarous subjects following Kings souldiers their Captaines servants their Masters children their Parents and wives their Husbands whereby that Eutaxie and decorum which is established by nature and fortified by Morall Law Honour thy Father and Mother is preserved and ataxie and confusion prevented but God hath also stamped in man the members subject to the head the bodie to the soule and appetite to reason yea this impression is stamped upon the whole face of nature in the heavens God hath placed a greater light to rule the day and a lesser to rule the night yea if we ascend higher amongst the Angels there are Principalities Thrones Powers and Dominions and Michael an Archangell If we come to the earth the very birds by instinct of nature are subject to the Eagle the beasts to the Lion and very Bees have a master whom they in their kinde doe reverence and follow else their Common-wealth could not subsist yea if we descend lower the very Devils of Hell have Beelzebub for their Prince if that kingdome were divided in it selfe it could not endure there must be precedencie and subsequencie a going before and following after in all creatures specially amongst men and women who as they are many wayes to testifie inferioritie and respect to Gods ordinance so this way specially Christ was their Lord and Master they his servants and scholars it was therefore comely that so often we heare in the Gospell and even in shipping that Christ entred first and his Disciples followed him And it is a perpetuall rule of Civilitie which the Apostle hath prescribed that in giving honour we should prefer or as some Translations have it goe one before another As men and women should not be proud and ambitious a thing reproved by Christ in the Pharisies for loving the chiefe places at meetings shuffling and thrusting being dry drunken in the opinion of their owne worth as if none knew them but themselves whereby in Gods iustice they make themselves vile and hated whereas the way to honour is to be bid sit up higher so neither should any but most willingly in gesture word and deed acknowledge the worth and dignitie of others and specially Christians should in all places carrie themselves modestly and humbly that amongst them all things may be done decently and in order This is the fosterer of love and the spur of vertue and nourisher of Arts for what doth more prick forward and enflame men to great and noble enterprises especially of learning and chivalrie than respect honour and glory All men naturally desire esteeme and regard and to seeke it by vertue and goodnesse is very lawfull It was no ambition or vain-glory in David to aske What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistim If there be any praise thinke on those things For Christ to goe before and disciples to follow him is a comely sight But I leave the letter In the mystery this doth concerne us all and in what the Disciples did bodily wee may see what we ought to doe spiritually viz. If we be Christ his disciples or Christians wee must follow him To follow is properly an Hebraisme and signifieth to serve and obey and imitate in such things as concerne us as it is said The men of Israel went from after David and followed Shebah the Sonne of Bichri and God reproving his people for Idolatrie asketh How canst thou say I have not followed Baalim And the Pharisies say one to another concerning Christ Behold the world is gone after him that is acknowledge him for the Messiah and submit themselves to receive his doctrine and obey his precepts and imitate his example as their onely teacher and patterne And lest any should thinke it concerned only
long as Satan possesseth the Palace all is in peace so long as a man is wholy vnregenerate all is in quiet Rebekah by the striving of the Twins in her Wombe knew she was with child the barren feele no such matter The Children of God know that there is Spirit within them as well as flesh because these doe so lust strive one against another There cannot be a greater argument that a man or woman are altogether carnall and unregenerate and earthly than that they have no experience of this spirituall warfare conflict but rather glorie that they never doubted of Gods love remission of sinnes and salvation but were ever assured of those things not doubting but if any be saved they shall Oh it is most wonderfull to heare the vild and strange presumption of men and women who yet are most sinfull and wicked in their lives and conversations and thereby proclaime that there is no true knowledge feare nor love of God in them Oh this is a fearefull condition indeed a flat argument of a reprobate sense of a benummed yea a seared and cauterized Conscience therefore tremble to thinke of this but reioice in the other Thirdly this storme will over it never endureth longer than this life seldome if ever so long Heavinesse may endure for a night but joy will come in the morning Christ hath said ye shall weepe and lament but the world shall rejoice and ye shall be sorrowfull but your sorrow shall be turned into joy and your joy shall no man take from you How many thousands of Gods Children who have beene in their times tossed with waves and billowes of discomfort and distresse who have now found eternall rest to their Soules and praise God day and night who lead them thorow fire and water into such a wealthy place Lastly know that Christ is in thy Soule in all this thy dolefull estate and condition he will not leave thee nor forsake thee no more than he did this Ship in the Tempest he may be as on sleepe and make as if he heard not and regarded not the more to try thy faith and patience but he is a sure and a faithfull friend never neerer than when he seemeth furthest off never will doe a man more good than when he seemeth least to regard him in his good time he will rebuke Satan and thy rebellious Lusts and send a most gracious calme That thou maiest say with David now returne to thy rest oh my Soule the Lord hath well rewarded thee Yea thou shalt be compassed about with Songs of deliverance Oh but how might we procure this happie calme I answer that many times it is the evill temper and disposition of the body as melancholy that causeth such troubles and stormes in the Soule and in such case the Physitian is to be aduised with and his counsell direction followed But which way soever it doe arise the context will teach you there are three waies and meanes for the quieting and calming of the troubled soule viz. First their owne prayers You see in this tempest the Disciples goe to Christ and pray to him So hath God commanded Call on me in the day of thy trouble and I will heare thee Is any afflicted let him pray Iam. 5. 15. Thus did David in his distresse give himselfe to prayer and got him to his Lord right humbly and prayed My God my God looke upon me So did Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and put up his supplication with strong crying and teares So did Ionah Out of the belly of hell I cried unto thee Neither let any of Gods children be discouraged though they cannot expresse their wants or desire supply of grace as they would or as they heare others The Apostles did but pray Lord save us we perish and Christ heard them and rebuked the winds and seas The Publican did but pray Lord be mercifull to me a sinner and went home iustified The penitēt theefe on the crosse did but pray Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome And Christ promised that night he should be with him in Paradise If thou canst but say feelingly fervently Lord save mee Lord have mercy on mee Lord give me peace of conscience Lord quiet my mind Lord rebuke Satan Lord helpe mine unbeleefe Lord assure my soule of thy love euen such are most powerfull prayers with God Neither yet let them be discouraged because they are not presently heard but many and many times they have prayed and receive no answer Remember it was Davids case I crie all the day long and thou hearest not It was the woman of Canaans case who received many discouragements from Christ and his Disciples yet still continuing her praier in the end received a gracious answer O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Let us not prescribe God his time or meanes when or how but still with Iacob wrestle and resolve he shall still heare of us till he doe helpe us and assuredly he hath a good time when he will speake peace to our Soules The storme shall not continue for ever in the meane time he will be sure to keepe from drowning Secondly note that in this storme some one doth not goe of himselfe neither doe they make one or two as Peter or Iohn their Deputies or Committies to goe and awaken Christ and to pray him save them but the Text saith the Disciples went to him So the second way of comfort which God hath appointed that sinners sinke not into despaire is confession of our case and condition and to crave the helpe and comfort of others praiers and good counsels and above all the comfort of the Ministers absolution in the name of Christ pronouncing remission to everie true penitent Oh there is nothing more dangerous to the Soule or that Satan more laboureth than that a sinner should keepe his counsell and by no meanes make his griefe or disconsolate estate knowne for verily even in making it knowne the Tempest is halfe calmed Howsoever then the Papists namely a sometime rotten member of this body to make us and our profession odious to the world declaime against us as enemies to praying fasting virginitie good workes confession yea that the people in our Church are deprived of a great comfort that though their Soules be never so oppressed and disquieted through sinne they have none to goe and confesse unto that hath the seale of secresie We give all the world to understand that we neither write or speake against any of the former workes of pietie and godlinesse but against their corruptions not against praier but performance of it in a strange Tongue for custome not of conscience according to the number of Beads not sense of want Wee speake not against fasting but the Pharisaicall abuse of
the Church of God to persecution imprisonment losse of goods libertie and lives of Gods children without God his good pleasure and purpose Oh as I have from the letter reproved the Atheisme of those men who in stormes and tempests on the Sea or Land doe not looke up to the seat of Majestie and give him the glory thereof who doth rule and governe that huge and vast Element So let me reprove the Atheisme of those who when stormes and tempests are raised in the world or against the Church of God do not looke up to the ruling and over-ruling hand of Iehovah but cry out upon chance or fortune or gaze too much upon the meanes Oh if this had not hapned or that had not beene whereas all is but under God for the executing of his good pleasure and purpose Did not the Lord stir up Hadad the Edomite to be an adversarie to Salomon and stir up another adversarie also Rezon the sonne of Eliadah and Ieroboam also not only to lift up his hand against the King and trouble him in his peace but also in the daies of his sonne to rent away ten Tribes from his house and perpetually to divide the Kingdoms of Iudah and Israel Doth not God say he hath created the destroyer to destroy Esay 54. 16. Good Lord how plaine and plentifull are the Scriptures in this point if I would inlarge my selfe Oh that men would therefore looke to the hand that smiteth search out the causes of such tempests beare with patience his hand and seeke unto him for a calme I beseech you learne this lesson That all the enemies of Gods Church they are Gods souldiers he hath levied them and giveth them pay they fight under his banner and hee hath sent them to destroy though themselves doe not know so much Oh but why will God suffer such havocke and destruction to be made of his people I answer because through long peace plenty and prosperity they are become unthankfull loath the heavenly Manna earthly-minded proud covetous rebellious against Gods word and ordinance and will obey it no further than it doth like themselves prophaning his Sabbaths growing senselesse and obdurate at his corrections of famine pestilence sicknesse despising the warnings of his servants and in stead of repenting and turning to God and meeting him with the intreatie of peace falling foule upon his messengers mocking and abusing them These are the sinnes which he hath threatned to punish these were the sinnes oh these were the sinnes of Gods people in France Palatinate and other places of Germany whereby the Lord of Hosts being provoked to anger hath mustered his Armies and sent his Souldiers to destroy and avenge his quarrell Oh therefore that they had grace to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God to turne to the Lord in fasting weeping and mourning to rent their hearts for their sinnes and become more cheerefull in their obedience to the Gospell and zealous in the profession of it Oh then would the Lord soone humble their enemies and turne his hand against those that hate them and either cause their rage utterly to cease as hee did sundry times in Iudah when the people so sought his face or if in his justice he did harden their hearts to pursue as the Egyptians did the Israelites into the heart of the Sea they should not need to feare but even stand still and see the salvation of God in the perpetuall confusion of such cruell and bloud-thirstie enemies Oh England God calleth to thee to be warned by the example of thy neighbours friends allies and brethren to meet the Lord by repentance and whilst he doth shake the rod at thee to shake off that sluggish and carelesse profession of the Gospell to scoure off the rust of those sinnes which so long peace plenty and prosperity have bred to cause thy love to spring againe afresh to the Gospell and more sincerely to practise the duties of pietie and godlinesse being fruitfull in all good works If thou doest so the Lord of Hosts will cashier and discharge his Armies put an hooke in their nosthrils and a bit in their iawes as hee did against that proud Sennacherib Or else they shall plot and fight without him yea take our parts against them and arme the winds waters against them as sometimes he hath done to his everlasting praise But if England will not be reclaimed and reformed but still refuse and be rebellious hating to be reformed adding drunkennesse to thirst making a mocke of Gods Iudgements when they are threatned the Lord will turne thy calme into a storme and to trust in any earthly thing were but to make vanitie our refuge There is no wisdome counsell nor strength against the Lord It is the Lord that raiseth tempests and if he be disposed to raise one it shall rise indeed he hath wayes and meanes which we see not David was as confident as wee can be that his mountaine was so strong that it could not be moved but it was moved and shaken indeed Cannot he that hangeth the earth on nothing shake a mountaine He doth weigh them in scales Remember this doctrine Yea let every one that is inwardly troubled and afflicted in soule know that howsoever God may therein use Sathan and permit him to vex and disquiet or else the melancholike evill disposition of our bodies yet such spirituall afflictions are from God They neither come by chance or fortune nor properly from Sathan or our selves but God Almightie laieth such troubles upon our soules for exercise of our Faith Patience Meeknesse and he will not suffer us to be tempted above that we shall be able to beare but will give issue with the temptation and in good time cause a calme And therefore still let us provoke our soules to wait upon God and to be of good comfort in him So much for the qualitie Now as this tempest was raised suddenly as a whirle-winde or gust vpon the Sea so for quantitie it was a great one It is worthy to be observed that when our Saviour wrought any miracle the Euangelists are directed to describe the greatnesse of the evill by such circumstances as declare that the evill was by naturall helpe and meanes utterly incurable As a man full of leprosie came to Christ and he did but touch him and cure him A woman had beene diseased with an issue of blood twelue yeeres and had spent her living on Physitians neither could be healed by any came behinde him and did but touch the hem of his garment and immediatly her issue of blood stanched A man that was borne blinde having his eyes anointed with clay was made to see Lazarus who had beene dead foure daies and was said to stinke by the voice of Christ was raised to life The like may be observed in many others So here that the glorie of
slumber Whilest the bridegroome tarried long they all slumbred or as the word signifieth nodded with the head And David placeth this in the eye-lids I will not suffer mine eye-lids to slumber for this is only a heavinesse in the eies the lids falling downe and by and by lifted up againe it commeth not neere the heart as the Church describeth it I sleepe but mine heart awaketh and such are very easily awakened but there is a greater degree in sleeping when senses are fast bound and locked up and this is expressed in English many times by addition of some other word as deepe sound heavie fast and dead sleepe or as the Scripture phrase is A sleepe of God as when David tooke away the Speare and Cruse of water from Sauls head no man saw it nor knew it for a sleepe of God was fallen upon them Which kinde of sleepe the Poets call the Image and brother of death So it is said When God tooke a rib out of Adams side God cast him into a deepe sleepe and Stserah when Iael drove the naile of the tent into his head is said To be fast on sleepe and Eutichus whilest Paul continued long preaching is said to fall into a deepe sleepe And Ionah went downe into the ship and lay fast on sleepe fast indeed when in stead of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suadentia somnos that Ovid and Virgil speake of as silence c. neither the raging nor roaring of the Sea tumbling nor cracking of the Ship like to be broken with euery wave the crying of Mariners on their gods their noise in casting out their goods could awake him Well might the Ship-master say What meanest thou ô sleeper And verily our Saviours sleepe at this time was very fast deepe sound and as I may say a dead sleepe for that the word which is here in Saint Marke used signifieth His senses were well and fast bound he was fast asleepe But what Had hee any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Soporiferum Where was he or what meanes of sleepe did he use Was he betaken into some Cabin or with Ionah into the Ship and there laid upon some bed of Downe No indeed onely Saint Marke telleth us Hee was in the hinder part of the Ship asleepe on a pillow which yet if we beleeve good Authors was but a woodden pillow and indeed it is most true of the Apostle He that was rich for our sakes became poore poore in his birth borne in a stable poore in purse borrowing mony of a Fish to pay his tribute poore in his greatest triumph and solemnitie riding on an Asse into Ierusalem Matt. 21. poore in apparell wearing a Seamelesse coat poore in diet feeding on Barley bread poore in lodging not having where to rest his head poore in his Disciples not Princes and Philosophers but Fisher-men and Tole-gatherers of the poorest of the people Matthew 4. 18. poore in death dying on a Crosse poore in his buriall being laid in another mans toombe Ioh. 19. 41. And all because his kingdome was not of this world Ioh. 18. 36. Yet alwaies contented and thankfull and thereby teaching all his Disciples so to bee with what it pleaseth God to send But alas how proud are his Disciples Proud in their houses diet apparell lodging c. because they set their hearts on these things as if their kingdome were of this world But probable it was he was wearie with exercise of his Ministery amongst the multitude on the shore or had spent some night before in praier and therefore now fell so fast on sleepe But though these might be naturall meanes they were but subordinate to his good pleasure for though his sleepe was sound and not fained yet was it so by Divine providence and dispensation that the Faith of his Disciples might be the more throughly tried For even this did not a little adde to their feare that in this dangerous tempest hee was so fast asleepe Thus much be said for the opening of the Literall and Historicall sense From whence first according to the sense Literall we learne That Christ is true man Which some ancient Heretikes as Manichees and Marcionites denied But hee not onely tooke upon him the true nature and substance of our soules and bodies with the Essentiall properties of both as in Soule Will Understanding in Bodie dimensions but also the infirmities of both as ignorance of some things feare sorrow wearisomnes of body hunger thirst spitting on ground weeping sleeping paine ache sorenesse c. Even like unto us his brethren in all things except sin Which doctrine yet must be understood and qualified with a double caution First That infirmities of soule are either unblameable or sinfull Hee tooke the first onely and not the second Secondly That infirmities of body are of two sorts viz. either generall which accompany the nature of man and may be found in everie true man as hunger thirst sleeping wearisomnesse to be sicke or sore if beaten c. Or else such as are personall and particular arising from some priuate naturall causes or laid on some as the particular judgements of God As to be borne blinde deafe dumbe lame crooked deformed or to be sicke of a burning fever consumption dropsie plurisie Now Christ tooke but such as are generall and doe accompany humane nature not the particular for then hee could not haue beene our Redeemer no nor have liued one houre but hee need not take any personall infirmities no more than hee did any mans person And verily here is a matter of most sweet comfort to the children of God that wee have not a stranger to our nature for our Redeemer but as Iob calleth him a Goel a Kinsman a Shiliah as Iacob saith one that hath beene wrapped in the Secundine or Tunicle borne after the manner of men yea that hath had experience of our infirmities c. This comfort the Apostle laieth downe in these words Hee tooke not on him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham yea in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren that hee might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest in things pertaining to God for in that hee hath suffered and beene tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted And againe We haue not a high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted as wee are yet without sinne Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need Who can fully expresse the sweetnesse of this comfort that wee have such a Saviour to flie unto in all our wants and necessities as was true man not senslesse as yron and steele but sensible of miseries as having
wiser than so they lay not hold on Christ to cast him into the sea but seeke to awaken him by prayer Lord save us we perish Whensoever any storme ariseth in Church Common-wealth or soule they are safest that cleave fastest to Christ for he is the Saviour of all and specially of them that beleeve Now let us in the first place compare the three Euangelists who doe record this story wherein three things offer themselves to be observed First the forme and manner of phrase is varied Our Euangelist expresseth it in the forme of an humble prayer Lord save us we perish but S. Marke layeth it downe in manner of an angrie and pettish expostulation Master carest thou not that wee perish The same also that David used Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his mercy cleane gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore Hath hee forgotten to be gracious and wil he shut up his louing kindnesses in displeasure Yea and all the people of God Vp Lord why sleepest thou awake and be not absent from us for ever And againe Why withdrawest thou thine hand why pluckest thou not thy right hand out of thy bosome O Lord how great is the weaknesse of Gods people How great their boldnesse that being but wormes and dust and ashes they dare so speake to the eternall Maiestie even quarrell with him that is able to destroy both body and soule David acknowledged it was his infirmitie It was these disciples infirmity it became them well to pray but very unseemely yeâ— and dangerous to expostulare and contest with Christ Let us strive to follow them in that which is good and leave them in that which is evill Secondly whereas our Euangelist hath it but single Lord save us Saint Luke expresseth it with a double appellation or with ingemination of the title Master Master which intendeth their earnestnesse and fervencie in prayer Thirdly they doe greatly vary the title which they give him yea the three Euangelists doe use three severall titles which though the Latine and our English expresse not are very significant and emphaticall in their originall proprieties S. Markes title is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in English signifieth a Teacher of letters manners or any Art in relation whereunto they were called disciples scholars or learners A reverend title which they often gave him and he assumed Yee call me Master and say well for so I am and presseth the use of it the disciple is not aboue his Master Saint Lukes title is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth in English a Defender a present Helper such as in times of warre are sworne brethren to live and die together commiles succenturiatus and in times of peace Guardians of infants Shepherds have the same title who are defenders of their flockes and Aristotle calleth Magistrates so who are to defend their subjects from wrongs or hurts A sweet title this is for how safe are they whose defender the Lord is The title in the Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth power or might Answerable to that glorious Tetragrammaton Iehovah which the Septuagint constantly translate thorowout the old Testament in this word an essentiall title and in the Hebrew not given to any but the true God and this in the Greeke is the most common title Christ had and by him acknowledged Yee call mee Lord and yee say well for so I am The titles well considered afford two waightie Arguments or Reasons why they pray to him and he is to heare and helpe them In that he is their Teacher and Defender sheweth his willingnesse for will such an one suffer his Scholars and Pupils to perish In that he is Lord and Iehovah he is able to deliver them So they pray unto him with Confidence because he is their loving Master and Defender And with Reverence because he is their Lord and God In that he is their Master they pray in love in that he is their Lord they pray in feare Hee being their Master they are not timidi over-fearefull He being their Lord they are not tumidi over-bold but pray with love and reverence as David counselleth they rejoyce with trembling So much for the Observations inlightning the Text and arising from comparing of the Euangelists Now for our more orderly proceeding note in this their prayer two parts viz. First a Petition Lord save us Secondly a Reason taken from their great jeoperdie we perish q. d. Lord save us for we are in danger now to be drowned Of the Petition first generally and then particularly The words are cleare and plaine for their sense Only by the way note in one word that to save in a strict sense is properly to deliver from the guilt and punishment of our sinnes as the Apostle saich There is no other name wherby to be saved this is the Reason why Christ was called Iesus or Saviour because he saveth his people from their sinnes But in a larger sense it signifieth to preserve from some bodily hurt and this appertaineth to Christ also in which respect hee is called the Saviour of all men that is in regard of this present life as Saint Ambrose expoundeth it For in him we live move and have our being without whose good pleasure not an haire can fall from our heads yea He saveth both man and beast Or as our last Translators more fully expresse the sense Hee preserveth both man and beast and that is the sense of this place Lord save us Lord preserve us from these raging waves which threaten imminent death unto us So much be said for opening the sense of thâ—â— their Petition Hence first in generall we learne that affliction distresse and perplexitie is the best school-master or mistresse of prayer Which thing the Prophet teacheth from his owne experience Lord introuble have they visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them like as a woman with childe that draweth neare the time of her deliverie is in paine and crieth out in her pangs so have we beene in thy sight O Lord And another Prophet saith In time of trouble they will say Arise and save us Yea God himselfe hath said In their afflictions they will seeke me early Wherefore David prayeth for his enemies good in this forme Fill their faces with shame that they may seeke thy name O Lord Let Moses see the people of God in great danger and then he will crie to the Lord Let Annah be barren and Peninnah checke her and pro voke her and then shee will weepe and powre out even her soule in prayer Let God turne away his face from David and he will get unto his Lord right humbly Yea if hee come into the deepes hee will crie unto
no strength in him When wicked Belshazzir an enemy of Gods people and at that time he and his Wives Concubines and Princes carowsing in the Vessels of Gold and Silver which his father Nabuchodonezer had brought from the Temple of the Lord in Ierusalem and praised their gods of Gold and Silver Brasse Iron Wood and Stone no sooner cast his eye on death through the glasse of the Law which God set up on the wall over against the Candlesticke but his countenance was changed his thoughts so troubled him that the ioints of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against another and nothing could comfort him or still that raging storme This was signified by that dreadfull manner of giving the Law on Mount Sinai with such darknes thunder lightning and earth-quake that all the people fled and Moyses himselfe confessed I exceedingly feare and quake We see when wicked and ungodly men come to die how they fare either they die sullenly as Nabal whose heart was dead as a stone it being the righteous judgement of God upon them that such as refused grace in their life time when he offered it should in their sicknesse neither have grace nor crave it but die blockishly and senslesly The Lord knoweth our times are full of such men and women which as David saith have hearts as fat as brawne possessed with a spirit of slumber you might as well speake to the bed-sted as to them talke with them of the way of Redemption Iustification and Salvation alas how ignorant Tell them of Resurrection and last Judgement they have no apprehension Reprove them for their sinnes past they know no such matter Informe them in the doctrine of Repentance Contrition of heart longing after the righteousnesse of Christ the happinesse of heaven they wonder as if you were reading of Riddles to them You shall finde no sound knowledge no token of true repentance no fruit of lively faith no testimonie of a well-grounded hope no signe of Christian joy as looking for a better life nothing but dulnesse and deadnesse of spirit and all their desire is to live But others being awakened out of their sins their consciences accusing and they beholding death in the looking-glasse of the Law good Lord how are they affrighted What tossing sighing groaning sweating compassed about with the sorrowes of hell and he is overwhelmed with despaire Now are his sinnes set before him the sinnes of childhood youth age his swearing riot uncleannesse oppression contempt of Gods word and generall profanenesse such as hee made but a mocke and sport of but now they come in troopes and appeare so great that he is swallowed up of dismaiednesse and letteth his tongue be wray his despaire and utter blasphemie and let a man labour to comfort him he still holdeth Cains conclusion My sin is greater than can be pardoned And thus as his life was full of sinne his death is full of sorrow as in his health he had no conscience in his sicknesse he hath no comfort as in his life he mocked Gods counsell in his death God laugheth at his destruction and he is in hell whilest he liveth which to prevent he could wish the rocks and mountaines to fall on him and cover him Yea not only the wicked and reprobate but even the elect and most righteous having but a glimpse of death thorow this glasse have beene exceedingly daunted and brought into most fearefull fits Holy Iob a man by Gods owne testimonie that feared God and eschewed evill and all the dayes of his life did wait for his change Iob 14. 14. could in good measure beare the sudden strange losse of all his substance cattell servants and children and say The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord but let him be touched in his bodie sicke and sore from the crowne of the head to the soale of the foot let God withall write bitter things against him and make him possesse the sinnes of his youth let him see death in the looking-glasse of the Law and then he enjoyeth wearisome nights and is full of tossings yea will curse the day and all the services of his birth David a man after Gods owne heart will wade thorow a world of troubles and it is not the malice of Saul hatred of the Philistims envie of the Princes rebellion of Absolom trecherie of Achitophel no threatning of Goliah grapling with a Lion fighting with a Beare no hunger cold danger can discourage him but in all distresse he comforteth himselfe in his God but let him see death in the looking-glasse of the Law and hee will even roare for the disquietnesse of his heart his heart will be pained the terrors of death fall on him fearefulnesse and trembling come upon him and horror over whelme him Psal 55. 4. yea the feare of death doth undoe him then will he make his bed to swim and even water his couch with teares and then all his prayers are against death Oh spare me that I may recover my strength and Oh my God cut me not off in the midst of my dayes Oh save me for thy mercies sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee and who will give thee thanks in the grave Let King Ezekiah receive a message of death from God and behold in the glasse of the Law and hee will turne his face to the wall and weepe bitterly chatter like a Crane or Swallow mourne like a Dove and complaine that God like a Lion hath broken all his bones and all his prayer is for life The living the living shall praise thee But in Christ himselfe we have an Example of all Examples for this purpose who as Mediator beholding death in the glasse of the Law and the inferiour reason presenting it to the minde not with all circumstances he began to feare his soule was exceeding sorrowfull even to death yea the sorrowes of death compassed him about that he fell into a dreadfull agonie his thoughts were troubled his spirits affrighted his heart trembled his ioynts shooke his pores opened and a sweat of drops like bloud burst thorow and thorow his garments Oh this was a grievous storme in his soule And what doth he As his disciples came to him so he to his Father and in a sweet and solitarie place a Garden an Oratorie whither he had often resorted to pray there he powreth out his soule in an heavenly prayer most commendable both for substance and circumstance with earnest intention for he did double and ingeminate the title often Father Father with wonderfull fervencie of spirit every word afforded a drop of bloud in faith he said my Father with humblenesse for he kneeled downe with wonderfull reverence he fell downe groveling as it were kneeling
surely no lesse madnesse it is for men to cry unto God to cease punishing but themselves cease not to sin What meane ye mad people The storme is great the ship is overburthened and draweth deepe every ioynt cracketh and yet you will not lighten it not part with your sinnes though all sinke for it c. And thus much be said of the procuring of the calme It followeth VERSE 26. And hee said unto them Why are ye fearefull ô yee of little Faith CHrist being awakened by the importunitie of his Disciples presently applieth himselfe to deliver them out of danger And their deliverance consisteth in a double reprehension or increpation for our Saviour saw there was a double storme the one in the Sea the other in the minds of his Disciples As the Sea did rage and endanger the destruction of their bodies so their minds did rage and there was a strange storme in their affections which threatned no lesse the destruction of their soules Yea the outward storme had beene a calme if they had had a calme within wherfore he stilleth them both but which in the first place is a question Our Euangelist is plaine he first rebuked his Disciples S. Marke and S. Luke are as plaine That hee first arose and rebuked the winds and the seas It must not trouble us that such differences appeare in the Euangelists It may be he rebuked his Disciples twice both before he stilled the Sea and after both to declare how justly he was offended that they having heard so much Doctrine and seene so many Miracles yet they had profited no better and also to worke a perfect cure in them that hereafter they might no more bewray such weaknesse And this answereth fully how one saith It was before and two That it was after for indeed it was both and one Euangelist hath that which another omitteth a thing so usuall as needeth no proofe But I rather incline to that of Chrysostome That first he rebuked his Disciples and then the winds and seas and that the other two Euangelists did not precisely observe the order of the History not because our Euangelist saith then hee arose and rebuked the winds and seas as noting precisely the time to be after he had rebuked his Disciples For S. Luke hath the same for the other then he arose and rebuked the winds and seas but because Christ first laboureth to beget Faith and then worketh a miracle to increase and confirme it there is no greater let of miracles than vnbeleefe as the Euangelist saith Hee did not many mightie workes there because of their unbeleefe and before hee cured the possessed of a dambe spirit he said to his father If thou canst beleeve all things are possible to him that beleeveth and reproved Martha before he raised her brother Said I not if thou wouldest beleeve thou shalt see the glory of God Christ is now about to worke a glorious miracle but the modicity of his Disciples Faith doth as it were stand in his way and hinder him wherefore first he removeth that Why are yee fearefull By which order of proceeding our Saviour teacheth vs That God would have his people by Faith to rest on him even when they are in the midst of their troubles And herein lieth a great difference betwixt a worldling and a true beleever a meere worldlings heart is as dead as a stone in troubles and can have no comfort as long as troubles continue A Prince said when the Prophet prophecied plenty of victualls in Samaria If the Lord would make windowes in heaven can this be 2 Kings 7. 2. But the true beleever in all distresse doth comfort himselfe in God as David did Though hee kill mee I will trust in him saith Iob When the children of Israel were in such distresse at the Red Sea this was it Moses required Stand still and see the salvation of God lay aside their distrust and murmuring rest on God and then they should see his salvation And when there came so great an hoast against Iudah King Iehoshaphat being well advised by Gods Prophet saith to Iudah and all the Inhabitants of Ierusalem Beleeve in the Lord your God and ye shall be established beleeve his Prophets so shall yee prosper and then the enemies destroyed one another And Hester and her maids and people must fast and pray and encourage one another for they shall not be delivered till they beleeve in God Here then is the reason why the storme so long continueth and there are such great troubles and of such long continuance in the Church of God in generall and in many a mans person and state in particular viz. They are immoderately fearefull and out of heart distrust Gods power and providence wherefore God doth still proceed to correct their distrust and when his people have learned in their troubles to rest on him then shall they see the salvation of God then and never till then God will send a calme And so much be noted from the manner of proceeding First then Christ reproveth his disciples and that for two faults viz. 1. For excesse of feare Why are yee fearefull 2. For defect of Faith O yee of little Faith The former is reproved by way of question the latter by way of admiration Their Faith was in the Positive very little their Feare in the Superlative very great For the first Why are yee fearefull Away yee fearefull unbeleevers Yee and ship perish together c. Hee reproveth them but doth not reject them No no he is that loving Shepherd that doth seeke up the wandring and lost sheepe beareth the tender lambs in his bosome bindeth up that which was broken and strengtheneth that which was sicke That loving Saviour of whom it was prophesied Abruised reed hee shall not breake and smoaking flax hee shall not quench And that mightie God whose strength is made perfect in weaknesse But if his offend he will rebuke them Martha is reproved for her worldlinesse Martha Martha thou carest and art troubled about many things And Peter if he be too curiously inquisitive must heare of it If I will have this man stay till I come what is that to thee Yea if he give him ill counsell he will be sharpe with him Get thee behinde mee Satan Yea let the Disciples be in never so great danger he will first reprove their fault Why are yee fearefull Thus we also should doe and so fulfill the Royall Law which saith Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sinne upon him Which Clemens Alexandrinus calleth the Chirurgery of the soule in Paedag. lib. 1. cap. 8. And Saint Augustine A spirituall almes in Enchirid. But for want of this true love and a fruit of hatred it is that if we see any evil in our
this Land in the daies of Queene Mary so cheerefully to receive sentence of death so joyfully to sing in their prisons darke and loathsome dungeons so comfortably embrace faggots kisse stakes clap hands in flaming fire because all this was for a good cause even for Christ the Gospell and a good conscience sake and the holy Ghost hath pronounced Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord This made them rejoyce in death with joy unspeakable and glorious This was Iosephs comfort in prison that he was falsly accused And Daniels that he was cast to the Lions for the matter of his God Therefore Saint Peters charge is Let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a theefe or as an evill doer or as a busie-bodie in other mens matters but if any suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalfe But how great is the horror of malefactors No doubt but it pierced Ahabs soule more than the arrow did his bodie that this was the just judgement of God upon him for his sinne How fearefull was death to all such whose carcasses God overthrew in the wildernesse and destroyed them with fiery Serpents and other fearefull meanes Who knoweth the unconceiveable dread and horror which wicked men have in their soules in their prisons death-beds or executions when their owne consciences tell them This miserie is come upon me for murther theft adultery riot and such like wicked courses I doe not deny but such malefactors may die sullenly or desperately Others may be deceived and thinke they die in a good cause when they doe not So the ancient Donatists and Arrians and in our times the Priests and Iesuits thinke they die for Religion and the true Catholike cause and deserve to be Canonized for Saints whereas they suffer deserved punishment for their rebellion and sedition yea they would in death be accounted Martyrs before they have led the life of a Christian yet being thus abused and deceived by Satan and God in his justice giving them over into a reprobate sense they may even astonish men to behold their seeming patience joy and Christian resolution but yet this standeth firme that no man suffering or dying for an evill cause and his minde be rightly informed can die with comfort and peace but with exceeding dread and horror such an one must needs be exceedingly fearefull to die Yea this that I have said must also be understood with exception of Repentance Many men justly suffer pressures and miseries tortures and torments for their sinnes and evill deeds yet upon true repentance finde peace and comfort in life and death Moses died in the wildernesse and might not enter into the promised Land because hee did not sanctifie God at the waters of Strife but repenting he died with comfort Iosiah fighting rashly and without warrant from God was wounded to death but repenting of his folly he died with comfort and was gathered to his Fathers in peace The theefe on the Crosse died justly for his sinnes but repenting he died with comport and went to Paradise Our Prodigall suffered hunger and misery justly for his riotous and luxurious dilapidating and wasting his goods but repenting he found comfort Many a man commeth to great misery poverty sicknesse ache imprisonment banishment death for his disordered life yet truly repenting findeth peace and comfort But these cases excepted no man that is rightly informed in his minde and continueth impenitent can but be exceedingly afraid to die wherefore every one that would moderate the feare of death must be sure to live and die in a good cause The second meanes for moderation of the feare of death is to live an holy and sanctified life The Apostle compareth death to some fierce and truculent beast or serpent which killeth all men that grapple with it with a poysonfull sting and telleth us the sting of death is sinne As a man then would not feare but with great boldnesse encounter that Serpent when he knoweth the sting is gone so may we boldly and comfortably die when we know the sting thereof is gone Oh it is the guilt of sinne maketh men so fearefull to die But great is the peace they have that love thy Law Mark the upright behold the just the end of that man is peace The righteous are bold as Lions Oh such as here live in the feare of God making conscience of their waies eschewing evil Walking in the Spirit Mortifying the flesh with affections and lusts having their conversation in heaven And ever beholding the face of God thorow the perspective of holinesse Setting their minds on those things which are above Being passed from death to life and alreadie entred into the first degree of glorification sanctification being glorification inchoate and glorification sanctification consummate What comfort joy boldnesse have such in sicknesse and death How comfortable to the living to visit such and to heare and see their cheerefulnesse patience prayers praises benedictions valedictions if infirmitie of flesh and bloud or strength of disease doe not hinder on the other side such as walke in their life time after the flesh drinke up iniquitie like water and are continually strengthening and adding poison to the sting of death How are they distracted with feare if they see that beast but gape upon them or hisse at them How comfortlesse to visit such see their impatience observe their worldly mindednesse and heare their words of discontent discomfort and distrust if God have not laid on them the spirit of slumber Therefore let him that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie And whosoever would with comfort and boldnesse looke for death or Christ to judgement Let him deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live righteously godly and soberly in this present world The third meanes of moderation is by a lively and stedfast faith This is our victory even faith How can that man be immoderately afraid to die who doth in his heart stedfastly beleeve that Christ died for him and hath conquered Satan death and hell for him disarmed the strong man Satan deprived Death of its sting that it cannot hurt that the nature of it is changed an end of all evill the beginning of all true good It is not possible with the cleare eye of Faith to behold death in the Crystall-glasse of the Gospell and to be immoderatly afraid of it Here then was the Disciples want they had a good cause they followed their Master into the ship they lived honestly Iudas excepted but their faith was weake and therefore their feare so strong Why are yee so fearefull O yee of little faith Wherefore let all such as desire to moderate the feare of death pray for increase of Faith Oh see what an inestimable Pearle Iewel Faith is in
gladnesse there was not one feeble person and Egypt was glad Psal 105. 37. The Church had a great storme for 70 yeeres in Babylon when they sate by the rivers of Babylon and wept to remember Sion Psal 137. 1. but in the end a great calme when they had leave to returne then were their mouthes filled with laughter and their tongues with ioy Ps 126. 1. The Church had a great storme in the daies of Ahashuerosh when Haman had procured they should all be destroied then was fasting and mourning but in the end a great calme when Haman and his sonnes were hanged and the Iewes had Purim Great persecution in the daies of the Apostles but in the end God gave the Churches rest throughout Iudea Samaria and Galilee and the word of God increased and the number of disciples multiplied in Ierusalem exceedingly The Ecclesiasticall story witnesseth that howsoever God hath sometimes yea for a long time exercised his Church and people with hot cruell and bloudy persecutions yet in the end rebuking persecutors by death or otherwise as you have heard he hath given his Church peace and turned the tempest into a great calme For the outward estates of particular persons we have gracious promises I will not faile nor forsake thee Which though particularly and personally made to Ioshuah yet the Apostle teacheth every man how to make it his owne by the application of faith Call on me in the day of thy trouble and I will heare and deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me David saith Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth out of all Psal 34. 19. And the Apostle saith God is faithfull who will not suffer his to be tempted above that they are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that they may be able to beare it And Christ promised to turne his disciples sorrow into ioy which in all ages he hath most graciously performed to his servants yea commonly in this life As Ioseph endured a great tempest when his brethren sold him his impudent mistresse falsly accused him his master cast him in prison he endured hunger and cold and the iron even entred into his soule but there came a great calme when the King sent and delivered him the Prince of the people let him goe free made him ruler of his house yea set him over all the land of Egypt and every one cried Abrech before him Great was the tempest that godly Mordochai endured when proud Haman so despised and intended mischiefe against him having set up gallowes to hang him thereon but there came a great calme when the King commanded Haman to put on him royall apparell which the King useth to weare to set him on the horse the King used to ride on and set the crowne roiall upon his head and proclaime before him Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King will honour Great was the tempest that David endured in that long time that Saul persecuted him and by all meanes sought to take away his life hunting him as a partridge upon the mountaines that he confesseth the flouds of ungodlinesse made him afraid and he said in his infirmitie I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul but there came a great calme when Saul being slaine David was anointed King and died full of daies riches and honour Iob endured a great tempest when hee lost all his goods children and health but there came a great calme when all was restored double unto him againe Many a man hath endured a great tempest of povertie sicknesse ache imprisonment disgrace and God hath sent a great calme of wealth health ease liberty honour Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men What great and grievous conflicts have the learned Bishops and Fathers in their times had with Heretikes Athanasius and Hilarie with Arrius Basil with Eunomius Tertullian with Hermogenes Origen with Celsus Augustine with Faustus Pelagius Petilian Cyprian with Novatus yet painfully rowing with the Oares of Gods word these Doctors overcame all those boisterous and contrary winds and waves and used it as a proverbe After weeping commeth laughter and after banishment commeth Paradise After a tempest a calme Great also are the Internall tempests whereof Gods children have experience in their soules mindes and consciences but God hath promised most gracious calmes For a moment in mine anger have I turned away but with everlasting compassion have I imbraced thee Heavinesse may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Yea the meeke shall be refreshed with abundance of peace Psalm 37. 11. And these promises God hath in all ages most graciously performed David had a great tempest in soule when hee complained That all Gods waves had gone over him and hee had beene vexed with all his stormes Yea he had suffered from his youth up the terrours of God with a troubled mind But there was a great calme when he said Now returne to thy rest O my soule the Lord hath well rewarded thee and againe Thou hast delivered my soule from death mine eyes from teares and my feet from falling awaked at midnight to sing praises and called for his Lute and Harpe to awake Iob had a great tempest in his soule when hee complained God did write bitter things against him made him possesse the sinnes of his youth and Gods terrours came in battell ray against him but he had a great calme when hee k 〈…〉 Redeemer lived and would trust in God though he killed him and God gave him double all that he had There was as great a tempest in Ionahs soule as in the sea when he said I am cast out of thy sight and his soule fainted within him but hee had a great calme when the fish vomited out Ionah on the drie land and hee paid his vowes and sacrificed unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving Oh many and great are the trials of Gods children in this kinde till the Lord rebuke Satan fearefulnesse distrust heavinesse c. and then sweet are the mercies and comforts wherwith the Lord refresheth their soules Oh then Art thou full of heavinesse mourning and sorrow in thy soule which maketh thee as a Pellican Owle in desart and Sparrow on house top alone thou minglest thy drinke with teares thy conscience doth rage in sight of sinne and sense of divine anger say as David did Oh my soule why art thou cast downe and why art thou so disquieted within mee still trust in God the storme will over and God will send a gracious calme But
was made the greater was the truth and glory of his Resurrection yea such as were set to watch did publish it Matth. 28. 11. So the greater is the power and the more violent the assaults which enemies make against the Church of Christ the greater is Gods glory in their deliverance which the people confesse in the Psalmes If the Lord had not beene on our side now may Israel say if the Lord had not beene on our side when men rose up against us they had even swallowed us up quicke when they were so wrathfully displeased at us the waters had overwhelmed us the deepe waters of the proud had even gone over our soule But praised be the Lord who hath not given us for a prey to their teeth Our soule is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are delivered The greater the danger of Gods people at the Red-sea the greater their deliverance the greater the evill by Iesuits intended against the Protestants in France the more glorious their peace the greater mischiefe intended by the Gunpowder treason and the nearer to execution the more marvellous our deliverance in all which cases the Church is taught to praise God and say The Lord hath done marvellous things with his owne right hand and with his holy arme hath he gotten himselfe the victory Oh trust in God be the storme and threatned hurt to the Church never so great for all shall worke for good There is no wisdome counsell or strength against the Lord But he will turne the rage of man to his praise When all that see and heare shall marvell and say with reverend awe Who is this What manner of man is this The Greeke word is very emphaticall and of greater signification than another which is thus translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qualis For though this be often used in the New Testament yet ever translated what which one place only excepted Neither are they derived from the same root for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pavimentum as if it were written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cujas as if they had fully expressed the word thus What Countrey-man is this Which question bewrayeth their ignorance tendeth to the begetting of knowledge and is an effect of their admiration which may thus be described according to the rules of Philosophie Admiration is a painfull suspension of the minde proceeding from the knowledge of some great effects whereof the causes are unknowne I call it a painfull suspension because all men naturally desire knowledge and the more generously minded any are the more painfull it is for them to be ignorant Some say that Aristotle the Prince touchstone of Philosophers was so grieved that hee could not finde out the cause of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea that he died on it yea some say that he cast himselfe into the Sea saying Seeing I cannot comprehend thee thou shalt comprehend me but the other seemeth more probable Now admiration proceeding from ignorance of causes doth wonderfully provoke to the studie of causes that so they may be eased of that sorrow paine and griefe whereupon admiration is said to be the soule and life of Philosophie And Pythagoras being demanded what was the end of Philosophie answered To marvell at nothing intending that herein a learned Philosopher knowing the causes of things did not marvell whereas an ignorant rustick doth marvell at his owne shadow As in Philosophie so much more in Divinitie ignorance is a painfull thing to the godly disposed and therefore the more they admire the word and workes of God the more they enquire and search into the causes thereof as the Disciples here marvelling said one to another What manner of man is this Whose question intendeth three things viz. First That Christ is true man having a true soule and bodie in regard of their substance and their essentiall properties as in the soule will understanding in body true dimensions as length bredth thicknesse yea taking also the generall and blamelesse weaknesses and infirmities of both as ignorance of some things feare sorrow wearisomenesse hunger thirst sleepe ache paine sicknesse such as accompany the generall nature of man and are not repugnant to the perfection of science and grace as was more largely shewed from his being on sleepe This is it was anciently promised The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head And In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed And afterwards prophesied A Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne A Childe is borne a Son is given A woman shall compasse a man Which promises and prophesies have bin most truly fulfilled as this day doth witnesse to the Christian Churches For the fulnesse of time being come God sent his Sonne made of a woman The word was made flesh Iohn 1. 14. Oh what a sweet comfort is this to us miserable sinners that our blessed Saviour and Redeemer is not a stranger to our nature but tooke upon him the forme of a servant did partake with his in flesh and bloud became that prophesied Shiloh wrapped in the Tunicle skinne or Secundine our kinsman as Iob calleth him If the Baptist did so spring for joy in his mothers wombe when Mary the Mother of Christ saluted his Mother and if the Angels did so rejoyce and sing at the birth of Christ what cause have we to rejoyce and sing yea our very soules to spring for joy that wee doe celebrate this Festivitie in commemoration of our Saviours birth Yea that our comfort may be full he hath not only taken upon him our nature but our infirmities also that he might become a mercifull and compassionate High Priest So as we may boldly goe to the Throne of grace and be assured we shall finde mercie and grace to helpe in time of need The second thing avouched by the proprietie of the word in this question as you have heard in opening the sense of it is That this true man is a stranger they aske whence he is whereunto Christ returneth a perfect answer Hee descended from heaven Saint Paul saith He is the Lord from heaven Not that he brought his humanitie from heaven which passed thorow the Virgins wombe as water thorow a conduit as divers Heretiques have dreamed for he was made of a woman and had the materials of his body from the blessed Virgin but he had not his beginning here on earth as men have but God came downe from heaven and was manifested in the flesh and as he came so here he lived but as a stranger not having where to be
doctrine As was his doctrine so was his life and conversation most holy for he never did sinne nor knew sinne his very enemies could not rebuke him of sinne He came not to breake but to fulfill the Law And he fulfilled all righteousnesse indeed His righteousnesse farre exceeded the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies For it was the righteousnesse of God Now was that fulfilled though hee lay among pots yet had he silver wings and his feathers like gold Psal 68. 13. He did converse with sinners and yet was separated from them he touched pitch and yet was not defiled As he was most holy so most meeke he did not strive nor crie nor lift up his voice in the streets most patient being led as a sheepe to the slaughter and as a lambe dumbe before the shearer he opened not his mouth most humble he did not ride into Ierusalem like an earthly Emperour in Skarlet Purple glistering roabes cloth of gold not mounted on a lustie Palfrey with stately saddle and Princely trappings attended on with great troopes and guard in soft garments and with chaines of gold but he rode on an Asse used to the yoake a poore base contemptible and ridiculous beast in his poore seamelesse coat and in stead of any rich saddle sate upon some poore garments that his Disciples had spread under him attended by a few fisher-men and others of base qualitie in the world yet all the Citie was moved and said who is this And when you heare these things will yee not also marvell and say What manner of man is this so holy harmelesse meeke patient and humble Againe How glorious were his miracles in the eyes of the beholders which hee wrought Giving sight to the blinde hearing to the deafe speech to the dumbe strength to the lame cleansing Lepers casting out devils raising the dead Rebuking Fevers healing all manner of sicknesses and diseases rebuking winds and seas whereat the beholders were astonished And when you heare it wil not ye also marvell and say What manner of man is this for even the winds and the sea obey him How marvellous also in the Sacraments which he hath ordained and instituted for the use of his new Testaments Church Did the Iewes so marvell at their Passeover when but the bloud of a Lambe was shed saying What meane you by this service Exod. 12. 26. And will not you marvell at the Sacrament of the body and bloud of the Sonne of God Did they at the Type and will not you at the Truth Did they at the shadow and will not you at the body Oh marvell inquire and I will informe you I purpose not to sound the Trumpet to warre and perplex your minds with intricate questions and fruitlesse disputes which are endlesse about this subject Christ ordained them for the comfort of our soules and not for the exercise of our curious and subtill wits to seale up a sweet union with Christ and communion one with another not to occasion division and contention yet through Satans malice and our weaknesse it is come to passe that in nothing are Christians more divided nor have more bitter conflicts than about these things I will briefly lay downe the positive truth according to the Scriptures and the Tenet of our Church and labour to prepare you to the worthy receiving thereof And first let mee provoke you to admire the love of Christ and his desire of our salvation who not contented to speake unto our eares in his word doth adde Sacraments as the seales thereof for confirmation of our faith and let us see with our eyes what we heare with our eares the Sacraments being a visible word yea whereas the Word conveyeth grace to the heart but by the one sense of hearing the Sacrament of the Lords Supper conveyeth grace by seeing handling tasting that as David saith We may see and taste how good the Lord is and with the Apostle That which wee have heard and seene and handled These Sacraments properly so called are but two as ours and the other Reformed Churches doe truly teach I say properly so called because the Greeke word Mysterie by some translated Sacrament is of larger extent in the Scriptures and the Fathers in their writings call all Articles which are peculiar to the Christian faith and all duties of Religion containing that which sense or naturall reason cannot of it selfe discerne Sacraments but none are properly called Sacraments but such as have these three things viz. First an outward and visible signe Secondly an inward and invisible grace Thirdly the word of Institution all which doe onely concurre in the New Testament in two viz. Baptisme and the Lords Supper both instituted of Christ both having outward signes in Baptisme Water in the Lords Supper Bread and Wine and both of them one and the same invisible grace Christ being the invisible grace represented and exhibited in the Sacraments both of the Old and New Testament For they did eat the same spirituall meat and drinke the same spirituall drinke that wee doe Yet have the Sacraments some things peculiar to themselves for by Baptisme we once receive Christ to new birth and Regeneration but in the Eucharist wee receive Christ to continuall nourishment of that spirituall life wee received in Baptisme and therefore that but once as we are but once borne this often as our bodies are often fed The outward Elements in the Lords Supper are but few and poore to the eye of flesh and bloud common and ordinary bread and wine in some Countries as common as bread and in all places of the knowne world to be had bread made of graine and wine without mixture of water a great corruption though ancient these continuing in their naturall substance to the end though the Papists in their metaphysicall faith beleeve Christ to be present I will not say really for that our learned Divines acknowledge and in candide construction as Reall is synonimall with truth and veritie I will not deny it may be warily and soberly used but corporally and that by Transubstantiation of the substance of bread and wine into the very flesh and bloud of Christ so as after words of Consecration there remaine not the substance of bread and wine but only the Accidents colour and taste No no the words of Consecration doe not change the nature or substance of the signes which once destroyed the Sacrament ceaseth but changeth the qualitie in separating them from a common to an holy use S. Paul to make that out of question doth in one Chapter after the Consecration thrice call it Bread Neither indeed is there any need that there should bee such a change as if Christ could not feed us or our soules be nourished without orall manducation for did the woman by her faith finde such good in touching but
the hemme of Christs garment and shall not we much more from this holy Sacrament of his owne ordinance and institution Oh let me eat and it sufficeth Dispute thou of the manner I will beleeve But these outward signes and Elements being consecrated by the word and prayer are of most wonderfull spirituall use and efficacie to every beleeving and worthy receiver which to expresse and that they may not be basely esteemed of as common and ordinary things the Scriptures doe commonly ennoble as others so this Sacrament with giving to the signe the name it selfe of the grace signified This is my bodie And This is my bloud of the New Testament And the Apostle saith The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the bodie of Christ And the cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The Ancient Fathers also have exceedingly magnified this Sacrament As that Christ dieth againe in this mysterie the Priest holdeth Christ betwixt his hands the bread over which thankes is given is the bodie of the Lord Which figurative speeches are warrantable by the Word And they gave hyperbolical and excessive praise to this Sacrament in most thankful and godly minds to stirre up godly care and devotion in the Receivers but did not fore-see how thereby they occasioned many hereticall Conclusions and Idolatrous adoration whereof wee having lamentable experience it behoveth us warily to use their phrases not thinking it sufficient that from Scriptures and Fathers such phrases may be used for truth but cautelously and with exposition lest we harden the wilfull Heretike or scandalize the weake beleever For as we must take heed that we make them not idle signes wee must also take heed wee make them not Idoll signes they are but signes still and though grace be conueyed by them yet it may be separated from them so as all that receive the grace of Sacraments doe not receive grace by the Sacraments Though they be holy honorable glorious vessels for the conveyance of Christ and all his blessings and graces yet they are not physicall vessels and instruments as a nutritive power and vertue is in bread and drinke or tied to them by inevitable necessitie as if God were tied to give Christ and eternall life to all such as doe the work and receive the outward Element They are only morall instruments and vessels to the fruitfull use whereof is required something also in the Receiver For as the Word profiteth not them in whom it is not mixed by faith no more doth this Sacrament profit such as receive it not by faith yea many do eat and drinke unworthily to their owne condemnation but God is tied by covenant and promise to convey and exhibite the invisible grace to all that doe faithfully duely and devoutly receive the visible and holy Sacrament Oh then prepare your selves to the receiving of this holy Sacrament prepare not the teeth and belly but the heart for it is not the food for teeth but minde and let Faith worke When you see but the least graine of mustard-seed cast into the ground though there it seeme to rot yet you beleeve it will become a great tree for birds to build in If you see a cunning work-man take though a rugged and crooked tree in hand you beleeve he will doe some exquisite and curious worke Will you thus rely on Art and Nature and not rely on God the Author of both You will not beleeve how your soules can be fed and nourished by bread and wine unlesse he acquaint you with his waies and lay open the secret of his skill before you Where God doth speake such things as are for height and sublimitie of matter or promise such graces by such meanes as for secrecie of performance we are not able to reach unto it behoveth Gods children to submit themselves in the simplicitie of faith and not curiously dispute which commonly chilleth the warmth of zeale and devotion and so distracteth the minds of men that they know not what to beleeve Examine your selves therefore whether yee be in the faith Examine your selves whether you have unfainedly repented of your sinnes which appeareth by a perfect hatred and detestation of them and all of the meanes and occasions leading unto them with a resolute purpose of minde for ever to avoid them to become obedient unto God The people of God were commanded to eat the Passeover with bitter herbes which word I finde elsewhere used to expresse the bitter sorrow of heart and verily hee shall never worthily eat of our Passeover Christ in the Sacrament whose soule is not filled with bitter sorrow for his sinnes for which Christ Jesus suffered the torments of death and shed his precious bloud whereof that Sacrament putteth him in remembrance What is it but even a despising of the bloud of Christ and the accounting of it as an unholy thing for a man to receive having a purpose to continue in his sinne and at the most but hanging downe his head like a bulrush for a day Wherefore purge your hearts yee sinners and cleanse your hands Wash them in innocencie and then come to his Table As the Pharesies would not eat before they had washed eat not before thy conscience be purged from dead workes to serve the living God Examine your selves whether yee be in love and charitie and whether where offenses have beene given there bee a free forgivenesse and all good meanes of reconciliation used that so it may be indeed as it is called a Communion whereby all the members being knit together in the bond of love may partake in one Sacrament and have a sweet fellowship one with another and with Christ their Head This Sacrament must be eaten with the unleavened bread of sinceritie and charitie 1 Cor. 5. 8. If by examination you finde your selves thus in some measure but truly prepared then Wisdome calleth to you as to her guests Come eat of my bread and drinke of my wine and also sendeth forth her servants calling and inviting All things are readie come to the Supper and beware of idle excuses left thou also heare the same doome denounced against thee Not one of those that were bid shall taste of my Supper Oh come come whilst you may these if ever any are the happie daies of the Sonne of Man wherein Christ in his Word truly preached and Sacraments sincerely administred is even crucified in our sight Oh happie daies when wee may so safely feast together at Gods Table and our owne but let us feare lest Christ beholding our negligence and offended with our frivolous excuses say as sometimes he did to his owne people for the like faults The daies come in which you shall desire to see one of the daies of the Sonne of Man
earth for them Doe they want Pearles and Iewels The rivers and streames shall afford them Are they heavy-hearted The Vine shall glad them with wine Have they cause of mirth and feasting Oile shall make their faces to shine Are waters cast out of the Dragons mouth The earth shall swallow them up Doe winds and waves roare and threaten to drowne If Christ doe but bid be still they are calme and obey him A point of Doctrine which one of the Ancient Fathers hath abundantly confirmed and illustrated by positive and exemplarie Scriptures if I would inlarge it Oh let us thankfully admire and extoll the mercy and goodnesse of God who is so bountifull in the donation of good condonation of the evill of guilt and preservation from the evill of punishment that hath saved us from so many and so great evils of bodie soule estate by water and land and hath given us all good things abundantly to enioy pertaining to life and godlinesse sendeth us daily manifold comforts from Heaven Aire Earth Sea Sunne Moone Starres Light Birds Beasts Fishes Fruits Herbes And if he have so liberally provided for us in the wildernesse what inestimable good things are provided for us in our owne Countrie If so great things in the prison what in the Palace If such a calme in this world what in heaven If such varietie of comfort in this vale of teares and in Christ his absence what at the mariage-feast Oh when your tables are richly furnished with varietie of good things from aire earth sea praise him whom winds and sea obey and let your harts be lifted up to meditate on those future and inestimable good things prepared in heaven for them that love him Our Doctrine from the Mystery is That all creatures at Christ his command are readie to serve his Church and people though never so contrarie to their nature If the Lord rebuke the winds will not blow nor waters flow nor fire burne nor hungrie Lions devoure nor Sunne move If all things were not thus at command it were impossible for the poore Church of Christ to subsist on earth to endure such cruell conspiracies and bloudie persecutions of mightie Tyrants for his poore little flocke to dwell in the midst of so many ravening Wolves for this little Cock-boat to ride out such grievous stormes and tempests but our God who was then in the ship and rebuked winds and sea and they obeyed he is now in heaven and doth whatsoever he will and he hath promised to be with his to the ends of the world and that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against them And therefore if in times of trouble and distresse when it pleaseth Christ to scourge and fanne his Church we be too weake in faith and too strong in feare and bewray pusillanimity and cowardize let us with David ingenuously confesse This is our infirmitie not regarding the Scriptures nor the power of God Let us be ashamed of it and learne more stedfastly to trust in the Lord as David counselleth Let the house of Israel trust in the Lord hee is their helper and defender O house of Aaron trust in the Lord he is their helper and defender yee that feare the Lord trust in the Lord he is their helper and defender he will blesse the house of Israel he will blesse the house of Aaron hee will blesse them that feare the Lord both small and great Yea let this Doctrine be remembred and it will wonderfully comfort and strengthen our faith in the resurrection For as winds and sea obeyed Christ now at the last day earth and sea shall heare and obey the voice of Christ yeeld up al the dead which they have received Marvell not at this for the houre is comming in the which all that are in the graves shall heare the voice of Christ and shall come forth Whereof he hath given us assurance in the raising of Lazarus Rulers daughter and widowes sonne only with his word Lazarus come forth Damsell arise Young-man arise This was of old most lively represented to the Prophet in vision hee was caried by the Spirit of the Lord and set downe in the middest of a valley which was full of dead mens bones and very drie and he was commanded to prophesie upon those bones which he did saying Oh yee drie bones heare yee the word of the Lord and immediatly there was a noise and behold a shaking and the bones came together bone to his bone and sinewes and flesh and skinne came upon them and covered them This as one of the Ancient Fathers saith was a most lively picture of the Resurrection of the dead which shall at the end of the world be effected by the omnipotent voice of the Sonne of Man Yea scarce any of the Fathers have written of the Resurrection but have made singular use of that Vision If at any time then our faith shall stagger at that Article which as a Divine saith is so farre above though not contrary to naturall Reason let us strengthen our faith with that excellent Vision Yea this was also represented to Saint Iohn in vision The sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell gave up the dead which were in them No matter then where we die by sea or land or where we bee buried in earth or water these are all but Gods Gaolors and shall faithfully bring forth all such as have beene committed unto them at that generall Assises If thy faith stagger let it rest upon the omnipotent power of Christ and for ever remember what you have heard from this storie Christ rebuked the winds and the sea and they obeyed him And therefore say I will lay me downe and take my rest for the Lord sustaineth mee I know my Redeemer liveth and I shall rise againe Our second lesson from mysterie is That the maine and principall end of all Gods word and workes is that from consideration thereof man may be provoked to admire and set forth the praise and glory of Christ What manner of man is this that hath done such things The Lord hath made all things for himselfe saith the Wise-man And the perpetuall exercise of the glorified Saints in heaven is day and night to praise Christ for the great worke of Redemption Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us unto God by thy bloud out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and made us Kings and Priests unto God Here then is an infallible touch-stone whereby to trie all Doctrines and I would to God with charitie and sobrietie all the matters in question betwixt the Papists and us were with meekenesse brought to this touch-stone Those Doctrines are ever soundest which doe give glory to Christ and provoke men to admire praise him What manner of man is he But whatsoever