Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n
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A09646
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The cure of hurtfull cares and fears. By master Thomas Pierson late rector of Brompton-Brian, in the county of Hereford
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Pierson, Thomas, ca. 1570-1633.
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1636
(1636)
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STC 19910; ESTC S111955
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18,628
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96
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THE CVRE OF HVRTFVLL CARES AND FEARES By Master THOMAS PIERSON late Rector of Brompton-Brian in the COUNTY of HEREFORD LONDON Printed by R.B. for P. Stephens and C. Meridith and are to be sold at their Shop at the signe of the golden Lion in Pauls Church-yard 1636. TO THE TRVLY NOBLE Sr. Robert Harley Knight of the Honourable order of the Bath the glory of holines in this life and the happinesse of glory in the life to come SIR THat I presume to present this little Treatise unto you is not my respect only but your right your interest in all the Author the Worke and Publication doth more then require it For the Treatise it selfe besides the matter which is excellent the art shewed in it I conceive is such as may bee exemplary For the Author as no man knew him better than your selfe of whom I have heard you say That you esteemed your selfe much honoured in presenting him to the Rectory of Bromptonbrian where he continued a burning and a shining light above twenty yeares together so no man can better testifie with me that his name is as an ointment newly powred out and all the house of God where he was knowne is filled with the odour of it The sweetnesse of his voice still Ecchoes in the eares of many precious soules which hung upon his lippes whilst with the wise Preacher hee taught the people knowledge yea gave good heed and sought to finde out acceptable words and words of truth sound speeches seasoned with salt and ministring both delight and grace to the hearers And like a wise and faithfull steward of the mysteries of God he hath left behind him many written treasuries so plentifully stored with such spirituall Provision that future ages would rise up and call him blessed if his own works should stand forth to praise him in the gate Wherein as no man living hath more interest then your selfe so I know no man more able by experience to commend them to the Church of God for excellent If this breake the way no paines of mine shall bee wanting if you please to bring any of the rest out after it In the meane time I should have thought my selfe guilty in some kind of Sacriledge if I had not given way to the publishing of this unto the good I trust of many which by experience hath beene found already not acceptable onely but profitable also unto some So submitting the rest of my thoughts and desires in this businesse unto Yours I rest as I am many wayes obliged to be Your Worships in all observant duty unfeignedly devoted Christopher Harvey Perlegi hoc Opusculum cai Titulus The Cure of hurtfull Cares and Feares Vnà cum Epistolâ dedicatoriâ quae continent in toto paginas 76. in quibus non reperio aliquid sanae doctrinae aut bonis moribus contrarium quo minùs cum utilitate publicâ imprimi queant sub eâ tamen conditione ut si non intra tres menses typis mandentur haec licentia sit omnino irrita Gulielm Haywood R. R. D. Arch. Cant. Capellan Domest THE CVRE OF Hurtfull Cares and Feares Philippians 4.6 Be carefull for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thankesgiving let your request be made known unto God 7. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keepe your hearts and minds through Christ Iesus IN the nine first verses of this Chapter The coherence of the Text. the Apostle prescribes the practice of sundry christian duties wherof some bee generall belonging to all Christians verse 1.4 5 6 7 8 9. Others bee speciall duties belonging to some particular persons in the Church of Philippi verse 2 3. Among the generall duties are the words of my Text prescribing unto Christians such behaviour as best befitteth them in times of distresse and in cases of difficulty urging them therunto by the singular fruit that will come thereof The behaviour it selfe is propounded in a double duty First by way of prohibition what wee must not doe Secondly by way of precept what we must do The prohibition is against care the precept is for the exercise of prayer with thanksgiving verse 6. The encouragement unto both is from the assurance of Gods peace which passeth all understanding to keep our hearts and minds through Christ Iesus verse 7. For the first The meaning of the words bee carefull for nothing This prohibition may seeme strange and contrary to the will of God who accounteth the carelesse and improvident worse than infidels 1 Tim. 5.8 and sendeth such lazy bodyes to the Ant or Pismire Prov. 6.6 as also commendeth carefulnes as wel about the matters of the soule both for our selves 2 Cor. 7.11 what carefulnesse and for others 2 Cor. 11.28 the care of all Churches commeth on me dayly as also for the things of this life Prov. 27.23 Bee diligent to know the state of thy flock and set thy heart upon thy herds which implieth a great care in looking well unto them as the good huswife looketh well to the wayes of her houshold Prov. 31.27 Answ As the Apostle speaking of sorrow calleth some godly sorrow and some worldly 2 Cor. 7.10 so may we truly say of care some is godly some worldly The godly care is that whereby a Christian sets his mind upon the duty of his place in sober manner to use lawfull meanes sanctified by prayer for the fruition of blessings and freedome from evills either spirituall or corporall leaving the issue and successe wholly to Gods good will and pleasure Worldly care is that whereby a man beside the use of meanes doth perplexe his mind about the issue and successe of things which he desires or feares and doth not rely upon the mercy or providence of God for the same as hee ought to doe And this is the care here forbidden by the Apostle when he saith Bee carefull for nothing meaning as worldlings be who vexe themselves and perplex their minds about the issue and successe of things which they ought to leave to GODS good pleasure In which prohibition so conceived this point is plaine The doctrine observed and confirmed The Child of GOD must not perplex his mind nor vex his heart with worldly carking care in any thing whatsoever When in a sober and sanctified manner a man hath used lawfull meanes belonging unto him for the fruition of blessings or freedome from evils corporall or spiritual he must not busy his mind about the issue succes but leave that wholly to the Lord. This duty our blessed Saviour doth plainely teach his Disciples Matth. 6.25 c. Take no thought for your life what ye shall eate or what ye shal drink or for your body what ye shall put on And for their better observance and remembrance doth twice more in that Chapter repeat the same charge ver 31. and 34. Therefore take no thought c. And 1 Pet 3.6 The good wife must not bee afraid with
Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matthew 27.46 know therefore thou that makest conscience of thy wayes that this feare of Gods forsaking thee in times of distresse is from humane frailty which the best have in them while they bee in this world and will more strongly assault them upon the remembrance of former sinnes though repented of and upon the conscience of corruption remaining though it doe not raigne as wee may see in Iob when he saith unto God wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest mee for thine enemy For thou writest bitter things against me and makest mee to possesse the iniquities of my youth Iob 13.24 26. and more fully in David acknowledging his frailty in this very case My spirit saith he was overwhelmed I am so sore troubled I cannot speake Will the Lord cast off for ever Is his mercy cleane gone Hath God forgotten to be gracious And I said this is mine ininfirmitie that is this is my great weakenesse to doubt of Gods mercy because of my present troubles Psalme 77.3.4 7 8 9 10. Here thou must bring thy heart to the third thing before commended to thy observation viz. That GOD is pleased to exercise his own deare children under great and sore afflictions for most excellent ends as before is shewed And indeed what distresse can befall thee wherein faith set a worke to consider of Gods dealing with his own children may not set before thy view some of the Lords worthies better than thy selfe who have suffered the like or far greater evills then are upon thee Was not righteous Lot taken captive in Warre with all his goods Gen. 14.12 14 Was not Ioseph sold for a servant cast into prison and layd in irons Psa 105.17 18. Was not the Prophet Ieremy smitten and cast into the myrie dungeon Ier. 37.15 16. Was not David hunted after to bee slaine by Saul as one hunteth a Patridge in the Mountaines 1 Samuel 26.20 Was not Ziklag where David and his men dwelt burnt with fire by the Ama lakites and their wives and Children with all their goods taken captives 1 Sa. 30.1 2 5. Were not the Lords Priests to the number of fourescore and five persons their City both men Women and Children and sucklings Oxen Sheepe and Asses smitten with the edge of the sword by the command of their owne King upon a false surmise of conspiracy with innocent David 1 Sam. 22.13 18 19. Was not Ionathan Davids dearest friend slaine by the uncircumcised Philistims 1 Sam. 31.2 Nay was not good King Iosiah slaine by Pharaoh-Neco at Megiddo like unto whom there was no KING before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart with all his soule c. 2 King 23.25 27. Was not Iohn Baptist greater than whom there rose none before him among them that are borne of women Matthew 11.11 imprisoned by Herod for doing his duty in telling him it was not lawfull for him to have his brother Philips Wife and afterward beheaded upon a most triviall occasion even to gratifie a damsell for her dancing Mar. 6.18.26 27. Which of the Prophets did not the people of the Iewes persecute Acts 7. 52. Had not other of Gods servants before Christs incarnation triall of cruell mockings and scourgings of bonds and imprisonments Were they not stoned sawen asunder tempted slaine with the sword did they not wander about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented though the world were not worthy of them Hebrewes 11.36 37 38. And were not Christs own Disciples and holy Apostles sent forth as Lambes amongst Wolves Luke 10.3 and set forth as men approved unto death made a spectacle to the world reviled persecuted defamed made the filth of the world and the of-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4.9 13. Was not Paul in labours abundant in stripes above measure in prison frequent in death oft Received hee not of the Iewes five times forty stripes save one was hee not thrice beaten with rods once stoned and thrice suffered shipwracke was he not in journyings often in perills of waters in perills of robbers in perills by his owne country men in perills by the heathen in perills in the City in perills in the wildernesse in perills in the Sea in perills among false brethren in wearinesse and painefulnesse in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakednesse c. 2 Cor. 11.23 24 27. Nay which is more than all the former was not our blessed Saviour himselfe persecuted and apprehended by the hands of the ungodly Was he not buffeted and spit upon crowned with thornes scourged and most shamefully condemned and crucified Now then what thinkest thou of thy selfe art thou better than these dost thou thinke God forsooke them in their afflictions Why then stirre up thy heart to say unto the Lord with subjection to his will even for the sustaining of death it selfe It is enough Lord take away my life for I am no better then my fathers 1 Kings 19.4 When affliction increaseth and death approacheth then look unto Iesus the Author and finisher of thy faith lest thou be wearyed and faint in thy mind He left himselfe an example that we should follow his steps in suffering affliction patiently Now when Peter would have rescued his apprehension by force of armes he forbade him saying The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Iohn 18.11 And remember this word of his The servant is not greater than his master If they have persecuted mee they will also persecute you Iohn 16. ver 20. Adde hereunto the consideration of Gods speciall providence over thee in all thine afflictions whereupon Christ Iesus bids thee not to feare them that can kill the body but are not able to kill the soule Are not two Sparrowes sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father The very haires of your head are all numbred Feare ye not therefore for yee are of more valew then many Sparrowes Matthew 10.29.30 31. God is faithfull who will not suffer you to bee tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to beare it 1 Cor. 10.13 Lastly remember that his love in Christ Iesus is firme and constant unto thee in thy greatest affliction See Romans 8.35 38 39. What shall seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus Surely nothing can doe it as the things there named and accounted unable doe plainely shew tribulation anguish or distresse persecution famine perill sword c. For whom hee loves in CHRIST his Son he loves to the end Iohn 13.1 his gifts and calling to grace and favour in CHRIST are without repentance Rom. 11.29 Nay more rest assured that as the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 so our light affliction which