preached by such a man key-cold when more learnedly more powerfully more sincerely by another They pray after such a manner because such an one who is their Paul their Apollos their Cephas their Demi-god does so Run so many miles to hear a Sermon leaving a better at home behinde them because such an one makes conscience of such things conscience to disobey the Ordinance of God conscience to be singular conscience at the best to be zealous not according unto knowledge which is as good a conscience as a painted man is a man Now we come to true zeal true in regard of the Object Gods glory Righteousnesse Heaven and spirituall things true in regard of the measure and degree neither too cold by remission nor too hot by superstition True in regard of the means and grounds not builded upon ignorance which is blinde zeal nor upon profit or pleasure which is counterfeit zeal nor upon men our Idoll-gods which is idolatrous zeal Of this here more briefly because we stood more largely upon false zeal For as rectum curvi so curvum sui recti index in the glasse of false zeal we may judge of true zeal But that we may distinguish this true fire of zeal from many wildfires true heat from feavourish heat Amphitryo from Jupiter Juno from the Cloud Salam â—nder-like let us abide a while in these flames For what is true of conscience may be said of zeal each man each Heretick pretends a zeal the Turks die for their Mahomet it is their zeal the Jesuits stab Kings dethrone Princes it 's their zeal the Arrians go to the Stake for denying the Divinity of Christ it 's their zeal the Israelites offer their Children to Molah it 's their zeal thou leaves divine Ordinances the Sacraments perhaps thy weighty Calling it 's thy zeal Well but all that say they are Israelites are not of Israel Therefore if thou wouldest have the touchstone of tryall observe these marks well and thou maist discern true zeal by them First the matter and subject of thy zeal must be good Gal. 4. 18. It is good to be zealously affected in a good matter This is a fire that burnes in no Lamp but the Lamp of the Sanctuary a fire that feeds upon no oyle but the oyle of the Sanctuary that is kindled upon no Altar but Gods devoures no Sacrifice but Gods If the matter and subject of thy zeal be evill thy zeal is evill No fire but ignis erraticus will feed upon stinking ditches no fire but ignis lambens will feed upon thine own carnall humours If thou be zealous with Saul against Christianity it is blasphemy if thou be zealous with the Pharisees to compasse Sea and Land to make a Proselyte of thy groundlesse opinions it is diabolicall Heresie Thy zeal is a fruit that must not grow upon the forbidden tree Though thine eyes be now blinded yet hereafter they may be opened that thou maist see the blindnesse of thy zeal Secondly true zeal is zeal according to knowledge Rom. 10. 2. this knowledge must be the Scriptures truly understood guiding us as a pillar of fire by night a pillar of cloud by day No fire might kindle the Vestalls Lamps but from the Sun no fire will kindle this Lamp of zeal but the Sun of Righteousnesse Christ who as Ignatius saies as he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the essentiall Word by which all knowledge was created so he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word of life which is a light unto our feet and a lanthorn unto our steps For this cause Bernard compared knowledge and zeal to two wings knowledge without zeal cannot flie so high as to pierce the clouds zeal without knowledge is beatt back again like a whirlewinde Take with thee both wings Zeal and Knowledge if thou wouldest flie to Heaven As is fire to a Child that walks among barrells of Gunpowder so is zeal without knowledge a cause of incendiaries and combustions in Common-weales This zeal without knowledge slashed and gashed the Priests of Baal this zeal without knowledge armes the ignorant Papists to maintain that with sword and blood and persecution which they cannot defend with the Word This zeal without knowledge makes many ignorant people in our nation as preposterously as if one should ring the Bells backward at the sparkling of a Smith's Forge or fire the Beacons at the discovery of a poor Dunkirkers Vessell to be up in armes against every thing that crosses their humours This blinde zeal works three dangerous effects in the soul 1. Pride 2. Uncharitablenesse 3. Impatience of admonition First Pride that like Lucifer the morning Star they are bright in their own conceit like the Element of fire over all Elements nay as good as in Heaven in their own conceit cast in the same mould with Nebuchadnezar's Image their head is of Gold but their feet of Clay Secondly this zeal without knowledge is Uncharitable censuring nay condemning all like the fire of Eliah not sparing the Elders This made the Jewes crucifie Christ for reproving their traditions the Arrians persecute the Orthodox Christians more then did the Heathen Emperours the Papists more zealous for their Canons of the Councill of Trent than for the Articles of their Creed Thirdly zeal without knowledge is impatient of admonition it is as deafe as an Adder though you charm it never so wisely be earnest and it flies with the sting in your face This zeal made the Pharisees impatient when our Saviour rebuked them for their blindnesse made Zedekiah impatient of Michaiah's admonition And for these causes a worthy Divine saies Zeal without knowledge is more dangerous in Church or Commonwealth then knowledge without zeal The third mark of true zeal is that it burnes fervently within the Furnace of the Heart before the flame burst out at the crevises of the body thy Soul and Conscience must be truly zealous within before thine eyes sparkle with zeal to affright others thy tongue be tipped with zeal to censure and rebuke others thy feet be shod with zeal to pursue others thy hands be armed with zeal to wound others Many Zealists now adaies are like the Heathen God Momus carp at all doe nothing themselves like the Flies ingendred from the wild Fig-tree provoke others to ripen but are barren themselves finde fault with every corner in the streets never sweep before their own doors are informers controulers in every Calling practises none themselves and as if they were Metropolitans of the whole VVorld they keep continuall visitations and corrections of all mens manners especially the Churches who if judged by true zeal scarce belong to the Church Zeal hath many more marks which if I should prosecute my zeal of the Subject would seem to outrun my discretion of the Time I 'le onely name them The fourth Mark is that we must be zealous in weighty matters The fifth that we must look as well to our purity within as our holinesse without The sixt
he shot at rovers Zeal bended the Bow and drew the Arrow to the head Phinehas his heat of zeal contrary to the nature of heat stayed the Plague and cleansed the aire and by the fall of two prevented the fall of thousands on his right hand and ten thousands on his left David his zeal went through his bones like the fury of a hectick Feavour and brought him into a consumption Psal 119. 139. My zeal hath even consumed me because mine enemies have forgotten thy word Mine enemies have forgotten thy word VVhat would he have done if his friends if himselfe had forgot it Psal 69. 9. The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up that is wasted me consumed me made me a Scheleton or Anatomy Come on and see Jehu's zeal against Jezabel for the Lord of Hostes whose zeal though not true if it be commended consider what true zeal would be Esay's terrible Trumpet was tipped with zeal sounding a retreat to Idolatrous Judah and Jerusalem Jeremiah's zeal did boyl more fervently then the seething pot he spyed in the North against the sins of the people Our Saviour the perfect pattern of zeal though as meek as a Lambe in his own quarrell yet zeal made him as fierce as a Lion in Gods and that sparkling in words Woe to thee Bethsaida in deeds to Peter in private Get thee hehinde me Satan to the prophaners of the Temple in publick You have made my Temple a den of theeves Zeal metamorphosed Paul from a Persecutor to a Professor a Preacher a labourer in Christs Vineyard one that laboured more then them all a Martyr indeed sacrificing his body for the truth and if wishes would have prevailed Anathema pro populo his soul also Neither could this heat of zeal be kept within him but like the fire of Aetna it burst out to others Tit. 2. 14. Be zealous of good works Rom. 12. 11. Be fervent in spirit fervency of spirit is but zeal dressed in other attire All those emblems in St. John's vision of a zeal-commanding Saviour are but so many motives to zeal seven golden Candlesticks burning with Lamps of zeal a golden Girdle about his Papps this Girdle as that Ephes 6. is Zeal Truth and Zeal must go together These Papps are the two Testaments from whence all truth flowes upon which altar all zeal must be kindled His eyes are a flame of fire these eyes are Knowledge this flame of fire is Zeal knowledge and zeal must go together His feet like fine brasse burning in a furnace This brasse is stability and constancy this burning brasse is zeal zeal and constancy must kisse each other In his right hand seven stars These Stars are so many Lamps giving light to others for they that have given up their names to Christ in Baptism must be like John Baptist lucernae ardentes burning lights lights burning inwardly within themselves shining outwardly to others Christians must be zealous And that this our Christian zeal may be distinguished from an ignis erraâ—icus or wandring fire of opinion an ignis fulminaris or frensive fire of rebellion let us examine the ground of this truth for all zeal is grounded upon truth and all truth upon Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Truth Hence it is that Christians should be zealous because for this cause Tit. 2. 14. Christ gave himselfe for us that he might redeem unto himselfe a peculiar reople zealous of good works That Angel that appeared unto Moses in the burning bush to the Prophets in a pillar of fire as speaking from God to Man became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both God and Man that Man for the glory of God might be zealous He bought our salvation with pangs and blood and sweat that we zealous of piety and purity might work out our salvation with fear and trembling He sweat blood in the Garden he was beat with cords and whips fainted under the Crosse in the way was fastned to it with nails pierced with a spear assaulted by Satan Hell and all our sins at once that we might be covered with righteousnesse as with a roab and cloathed with zeal as a garment The Turks are zealous of their Mahomet the Sidonians of Bell and Dragon the Priests of Baal of their Idoll the Papists for their Reliques Crucifixes Images the Jesuits of their Ignatius Loyola each Sect of their own superstitions Then shal not Christians be zealous for Christ who zealous of our salvation gave himselfe for us that we might be zealous of good works Secondly Christians must be zealous because zeal is the life and soul of Christianity that which the Bellowes are to the forge zeal is to the Soul an inkindler of grace that which naturall heat is to the body zeal is to the spirit a preserver of Grace that which Heroicall vertue is to Morall vertues the same is zeal to all divine and heavenly vertues the perfection of grace Zeal is the quintessence of Graces distilled the marrow and life of Religion the height and hyperbole of Holinesse Faith without zeal is but historicall Charity without zeal is but hypocriticall Profession without zeal is but carnall Patience without zeal is but Stoicall Apathie Mercy without zeal is foolish sympathy Hope without zeal is but impudency Love without zeal but lechery VVisdome without zeal but folly Martyrdome without zeal but murder These two reasons of the Poynt we have but poynted at because zeal is a Grace that is grounded upon reason yet in the heart practicall therefore we omit any further reason and come to Application First inquiring what true zeal is Secondly the severall kindes of zeal Zeal is defined by the Philosopher to be a mixture of anger and love when we are angry at the party or thing that injures that which we love These two affections as fire and oyle met together in Moses he loved God hated Idolatry therefore he was angry at that Idoll that was enmity against God Antient Divines have described it to be a mixt affection of griefe and anger flowing from love Griefe is an affection of the heart that wounds the soul for some present evill thus Jeremie mournes for the misery of the daughter of Sion Anger is mixed of sadnesse and a desire of revenge Esau was sad for the losse of his Birthright his heart boyled with revenge against his supplanting Brother These were the territories the Antients tyed zeal to who all shot near yet missed the mark for true zeaâ— neither consists in hatred nor love nor sorrow nor a desire of revenge alone a channell too narrow for zeal to run in which like Nilus overflowes the whole soul the higher the fruitfuller But true zeal either consists in a mixture of all the affections or is a high and heroicall pitch of any affection that makes Heaven suffer violence A high rapture of spirituall joy is zeal that like St. Paul rapes us up into the third Heaven The Scheme in Paul's Rhetorick was zeal when he said Rejoyce in the
promised to be a Husband to the widow a Father to the fatherlesse a succour to the poor a guide to the stranger They that offer wrong to these strive to separate those whom God hath wedded to himselfe by holy affections by promises by his Son Jesus Therefore see what God saies Exod. 22. 22. Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherlesse child if thou afflict them in any wise and they criâ— at all unto me I will surely hear their cry and my wrath shall wax hot and I will kill you with the sword and your wives shal be widowes and your children father lesse Lastly all filthy unnaturall and abominable lusts of the flesh these rebell against the spirit anger God the Father of spirits witnesse the adultery of David for which the sword never departed from his house those thousands of Benjamites that were slain for abusing the Levit's wife those Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah that were buried in the fiery flakes of brimstone Thus we have discovered a few of the chiefest of those sins that provoke Gods anger By these and all others let us examine our souls and sit an audit in our consciences whether we have any share in kindling of Gods anger or no. O that many mens consciences did not tell them without examination and that we did not see by daily experience that Hos 4. 2. by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing of adultery men break out that blood touches blood Thus much for the Use of Examination The next Use is of Enquiry if it be so that we have angered God how we may foresee and know the day of his anger Mariners desire to so see a storm diggers in Mines a damp souldiers would be forewarned that they may be fore-armed against the comming of their enemies The truâ—h is God for the most part keeps the expresse day of his anger in his secret will to himselfe yet many times shewes that it is near and those are either such as must infallibâ—y come to passe as the last Judgment or are revealed to us with a condition as Niniveh shall be destroyed if they repent not Jerusalem shall be demolished if she will not know the day of her visitation Judas shall smart for it if he betray his Lord and Master and these events which are conditionally proposed to us may be known three waies First by the threatnings and menaces of Gods Prophets and Ministers for they are his mouth and as long as they speak his Word cannot lie If the Prophet tell Zedechiah that if he go to the Battle he must be slain tarry at home he must or die If Daniel tell Nebuchadnezzar that God was angry at the great Tree he must either give over his beastly lusts or live with the beasts So when Gods Ministers threaten a day of anger against any Nation Citie Family for their proud transgressions it must of necessity come to passe either here or hereafter be repented of here or for ever punished hereafter The second signe whereby we may know that the day of Gods anger is at hand are lesser plagues that he sends as fore-runners and harbingers of severer wrath like Tamberlain he first hangs out his Ensigne of peace then his red Crosse of justice and musters smaller plagues against us if then we return not and strike a League he hangs out his black Flag of implacable wrath skirmaging and massacring till neither Prince nor People root nor branch be left He is like a Man of war discharges a warning-piece at his enemies if they despise that quits the Hatches of them with a second strikes off their mani-Mast with a third and so sinks them He sends little flashes before the great thunder-crack come Hence it is that his anger is first compared to a smoak then to a kindling of fire then to a flame of fire then to a consuming fire then to an unquenchable fire He sent to the Egyptians Frogs Lice Locusts Murrain Blood Darknesse Hail Death of the First-born and lastly an utter Overthrow Christ Matth 24. having told Jerusalem of warrs rumours of warrs troubles famines pestilences earthquakes ends his speech with a nondum finis yet is not the end these are but the beginnings of trouble To apply What shall we think God meant by the late threatning of dearth and famine such streams of blood-shed in our neighbour Nations feavours and pestilences scattered abroad as though the destroying Angell were shooting at Rovers I will not conclude that his day of anger is at hand and that he will make us the Butt at which he will discharge his whole Quiver of Arrowes but this I say that either repentance or destruction must follow Neither is it the least signe that a day of vengeance is at hand and that the Lord hath a controversie with his people when he takes holy and religious men zealous Ministers from amongst them If a Seal be plucked from an Evidence it argues the whole Writing shall be torn assunder cancelled throwne in the fire burned Godly men are as a Signet on Gods hand Seales and Pledges that he will not destroy the righteous with the wicked A royall Priesthood whom he oftentimes takes away that they may not see the ensuing misery as Pearles pluck'd from Rings Wheat gathered from the Tares foretells the one must to the furnace to be new moulded the other to the fire to be burn'd As children taken from the breasts of mothers adjudged to die that they may not see their execution Thus God sent Lot and his Family out of Sodom and then rained down fire and brimstone upon them After God had taken away the godly King Iosiah what miseries and calamities like waves one in the neck of another pursued the Jewes till their utter desolation The third signe whereby to know that a day of God's anger is at hand is his suffering of sin long to raigne unpunished Vespasian had for his Ensigne an Anchor with a Dolphin painted in it an Anchor to signifie that he was slow in comming a Dolphin that he was fierce in taking revenge It is the Tree that continues unpruned that must be hewen down the Oxen that go in fat Pastures that must to the shambles So sinners if God feed them it is but to fat them for the knife if he preserve them it is but for further judgment This is not the least token that God hath sealed us up unlesse we repent for the day of his anger What heart though harder than Adamant would not bleed to think of the scourges of other Countries The streets running with blood the Cities burning with fire the children slain in the parents sight the old gray heads dyed in crimson blood the young led into captivity while while we are hedg'd about on every side with peace wallow in abundance and which is worse in unthankfulnesse in sin What good could we not yet promise this our Nation But when the Streets rings with swearing and profanenesse Markets
God was angry at the Angells and they fell down into the lowest pit he was angry at Adam and he was throwne out of Paradise he was angry at the old World and they were drowned in the Flood angry at Sodome and Gomorrah and they were burned with fire and brimstone angry at Pharaoh and he was buried in the waves angry at Dathan and Abiram and they were swallowed quick to hell he was angry at Senacherib and the Angell slew a hundred fourscore and five thousand of his Army in one night he was angry at the Jewes and rased their â—â—ie to the ground and scattered them as vagabonds over the face of the whole earth angry at all reprobates and will cast them out of his presence for ever Thus you see we range over the Scriptures yet not out of the narrow bounds of the Text as lines from the circumference meet in one centre and spoaks of a wheel in one axeltree poynts all at Gods anger for what Man what Angell can stand in his sight when once he is angry All the reason we will give of this Doctrine shall be the infinite disproportion betwixt God and Man when there is not a creature to a creature weakness to weaknesse but a finite must encounter with an infinite power weaknesse must fight with strength man with God how can there be any standing First of Gods power Secondly of mans weaknesse He that made all things of nothing can if he please return all things to nothing the Heavens will passe away at his anger as a smoak the Hills melt the Earth tremble the raging Sea is dryed up and all creatures couch before him like Lambs Thus God can do without means what he pleases and when he pleases command what means to be rods of his wrath he will he can send upon their bodies consumptions feavours extream burnings botch of Aegypt scab itch and pestilence make the Heaven over our heads like brasse the Earth like iron rain down powder and dust smite the corn with mildew and blasting send famine and sword strike our soules with blindnesse madnesse and astonishment of heart Now what is man that he should stand against all these a flower that 's cut down a shadow that continues not a cloud that 's consumed a dream that vanishes a shepheard 's tent that is removed a smoak that is scattered with the Sun-beams and at the best but the untimely fruit of a woman that afore we be in life we are in the midst of death Thus the Reasons the Uses follow First of Information Ob. The Angell of the Lord met Moses in the way and would have slain him yet he escaped The Angell met Balaam in the way when he was angry yet he lived Ans I answer the Lord dealt with them as a Nurse that holds the finger of a child to the fire not that the fire may burn it but that it may learn to dread the fire God seemed to be angry with them not that he might overthrow them but that they might learn to flie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the wrath to come Ob. Secondly the wicked upon whom God threatens to poure down all the plagues written in the Law stand highest in view and strongest upon their guard Ans I answer if they stand the highest it 's but as Prisoners at the Bar hold up their hand that all may see their arraignment If strongest upon their guard but like Malefactours nailed to the Pillory that they cannot move Ob. But the damned spirits and reprobates in Hell endure the anger of God not for a day but for ever Ans I answer they endure it so as they are still fainting live so as they are still dying stand so as they are everlastingly falling like wheeles are carried about in a circle of Gods vengeance as one wave of his wrath beats them down another raises them up again God could with one blast of his fury consume them to nothing but he deales with them as the Turks with their Gally-slaves adjudges them to perpetuall slavery The second Use may let us see that no strength no riches no wisdome no nation no army no city can continue long when once they have angered God If strength then Goliah Sehon Og the King of Bashan might have boasted if riches the rich Glutton and the Fool in the Gospell might have sung on their Requieme if wisdome Solomon had been secure if Kingdoms the Jewes and the three Monarchies had still flourished if Armies Senacherib's had not been defeated if Cities Jerusalem Tyre Sidon and Niniveh had still stood This is it that made Solomon say Prov. 21. 30. There is no wisdome no understanding no counsell against the Lord. This made Jeremie say Jer. 9. 23. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches This made David say Psal 2. 12. If his wrath is kindled tantillum but a little quantillum how little O blessed Saint that he knows not But after a long extasie or trance breaks off his Aposiopesis with this Epiphonema Blessed are all they that put their trust in him We may learn also from hence that all earthly comforts are but crosses all worldly blessings are but cursings when Gods anger once begins to flame God was angry at Eli and his own children burst his heart angry at David and his beloved Absolom conspires against him angry at Senacherib and his own sons imbrue their hands in his blood he was angry at Solomon and his wisdome was but vexation of spirit all his riches and honour but vanity of vanities his Wives Children Horses Chariots and all his worldly pleasures like buckets of Oyle thrown into the flame increases the burning he was angry at Judas and all things work together for his sorrow that he had been Christs Disciple wounds him that he had preached the Gospell wounds him that he had wrought miracles wounds and galls his soul Thirdly observe that all other wounds they are but ripples all other flames they are but sparkles in comparison of Gods anger diseases of the body Gout Stone Strangury bloody Flux may be cured Plague Pestilence Dearth Famine may be abated Punishments of the body Rods Swords Racks Wheeles Flames Strapadoes may be endured I ones Estate poverty nakednesse imprisonment In ones name slanders reproaches defamations false witnesses In the Common-wealth captivity overthrow utter desolation in some sense may be undergone But before Gods anger who can stand This breaks the leggs looses the joynts consumes the marrow burns up the spirits dries the moysture wounds the heart deads the soul and murders the conscience In this Epilepsie all parts fail at once till God be pacified in that Apoplexie they lie for ever whom God in his anger leaves The third Use may serve to reprove three sorts of men First those blasphemous Rabsheca's whose words works lives shew they defie Gods anger like the Cyclopes in Homer
Banner Matth. 16. 24. If any man wil follow me let him forsake himself and take up his crosse and follow me Saint Paul saies to Timothy All that will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution We are Christians and our lives begins baptismate fluminis consecrated in the waters of affliction goes on baptismate flaminis confirmed in the fire of affliction and oftentimes ends baptismate sanguinis waft on Rivers of blood covers our Hearse with a scarlet die towards Heaven and that for these causes First thereby God proves us whether we be constant and true and manifests to others our sincerity they are a touchstone of tryall to examine whether we be pure or reprobate gold The Eagle tries her young ones whether they be bastards by making them look at the Sun so God tries us by the heat of tribulation As Gideon's Souldiers were proved at the water so we at the waters of affliction Faith that before was but fained will then vanish into smoak like Sodom's apples guilded hypocrisie into vapours but true Faith set upon the file will be more resplendent Hope more certain Zeal more blazing Charity more perfect Secondly afflictions are a means to wean us from the world and win us unto God as Mirrhe and Aloes to lay on the paps of worldly pleasures to make us flie to Christ a Pharaoh to pursue us out of Egypt unto Canaan they are a rod of God to turn our Rivers of delight when we are bewitched with them into blood they are a worm to make our Manna stink when we lust after it This brought the prodigall Son to his Father the Israelites from Captivity the diseased unto Christ Is the Arke taken and the glory of Israel departed then the House of Ely will begin to think upon God Is David banished unto Gath then happy are they that are but dore-keepers in the house of God or the sparrowes that may build their nests there Is Israel led into captivity then will the daughters of Jerusalem hang up their Harps upon the willowes when they remember thee O Sion Is any afflicted then surely they will pray Thirdly afflictions are medicinall restoratives by which sinners may be awaked to recover their health by repentance they are the launcing knife in the Phlebotomie of the soul to wound us that neither the Plethora or ranknesse of blood honour riches preferment pleasure choak and stifle the spirit nor the Cacochymia or pestilent humours of sin as covetousnesse pride intemperance bring us into the Hectick feavour or incurable disease of hardnesse of heart rebellion or sin against the holy Ghost They are a rod to scourge us in a Lethargy As Physicians in a Lethargy use to burn the hair of the patient and smoak it into his nostrills so afflictions burn vanities and darling pleasures which are but as excrements and casts them as dung into our nostrills They are preparative potions to repentance pills of contrition purgations of naturall corruptions vomits of sin tents to search our wounds scarrifications to draw out ill humours And though no afflictions be pleasant for the present yet afterwards they are cordialls of comfort restauratives of grace Thus God taught Miriam by leprosy to leave her murmuring he awakened Jonah out of sleep by casting him into the Sea he cured Zacharie of his infidelity by striking him with dumbnesse delivered Saul from his evill course by blindnesse David from pride by the plague cured him of adultery by killing the child Blessed is the man whom the Lord thus correcteth Fourthly as afflictions are restauratives for maladies by-past so they are preservatives and antidores to prevent the evill to come As a man whose blood is consumed in a lingring feavour is not so apt to take the pestilence so neither a man afflicted to be puffed up with pride or burn with lust he need not fear the swelling of that Carbuncle They are salt to hinder us from putrefaction a stormie winde to save our standing pools from corruption a fiery Cherubim to keep us out of the forbidden paradise of sin As the golden hair was to Nisus a safeguard from his enemies so the crosse of affliction armes from the flesh the world and the devill As is said in the Fable of Achilles so far as he was dipped in the water so far he was unpiercible by any weapon so far as we are plunged in the waters of Marah our spirituall enemies have lesse power over us God sent an Angell of Satan to buffet Paul not so much for any evill he had done as to prevent sin for the time to come lest through the abundance of revelations he should be exalted above measure If God inflict upon us malum poenae the evill of punishment it is to prevent malum culpae the evill of sin Fiftly by afflictions we are prepared and polished for Heaven that as the one scale of tribulation presses us down the other of grace may mount us up Our Oyle of grace is a quintessence that must be extracted by fire our cordiall waters of comfort by distillation our Grapes squeazed in the Wine-presse of sorrow our Wheat flayled in the threshing-floor of tribulation our Flowre grinded between the milstones of pressure We are Gold that must be purified seven times in the Furnace before we be carryed into the Sanctuary Trees that must be pruned before they bring forth any fruit living Stones that must be polished and hammered before they be brought into the heavenly Ierusalem So that to a Christian all his whole life is as it were a threshing death is the fan to winnow the pure wheat from the chaffe that we may be gathered into the heavenly Granary where no unclean thing shall enter Well then if every Christian must feel the sting of these fiery Serpents before he come at Canaan learn we to make account of them not murmur mutter wonder at them In this vale of tears we must look to be fed with the bread of affliction to drink the bitter water gall wormwood and eat the soure grape of sorrow Shall the heavens mourn the clouds shed their tears the earth tremble the fruits be blasted the sea rage the creatures groan for our sins and we not sympathize with them Shall the Prophets and Apostles go through the fire the Martyrs have their robes dyed in scarlet our Saviour sweat water and blood conflict with hell Satan death and we go to heaven in a bed of roses tread on carpets ride still in triumph upon the wings of pleasure True it is in former times we enjoyed Halcyon daies of peace sitting under our own Vines and Fig-trees singing the song of Sion and tuning our own harps in a melodious harmony having no Townes but Salems no men but friends if we had gone into the fields we should have seen no spears but standing corn have heard no drums but tabrets no out-cries but harvest-homes had no years but of Jubilee no daies but of rejoycing But now of a long
and trembles like a recoyling Canoâ— and mourns as with a sympathie while the heavens weep the flowers droop and closes up their heads within the lap of their mother earth the grasse withers the corn is blasted the fruits are thunderstroke and in stead of pagles daizes and roses of paradise bryars brambles nettles thistles spring out of her wombe and saies that sin is the cause All Nations all States all Kingdomes are troubled and saies that sin is the cause The Pagans against Turks Turks against Christendom one Province against another as whirlewindes in a strait move tumults Victorious Sweden hath long sit in Sable as a Matron mourning under the Myrtle trees deploring the dismall fate of her deceased Worthy which occasion'd so many alterations in government since and fluctuations in State and saies that sin is the cause Poland lies sick licking the scars of her lately received wounds and saies that sin is the cause Denmark bewailes her ill â—ccesse abroad and feeles the smart of her losses and intestine jarrs at home and saies that sin is the cause Whole Italy is distracted with convulsions and the State of Venice can scarce finde a pillow to sleep securely upon and saies that sin is the cause France before she could recover her bloodshed at the great Massacre hath begun to bleed afresh with civill jarrs and saies that sin is the cause Whole Germany hath been for many years in a combustion burning of Cities is no greater wonder then the sparkling of a Smith's forge slaying of men of as small account as of sheep in a slaughter-house to die in Troops as familiar as to live in Trenches such overflowing of blood that Rivers were dyed with the crimson tincture old grey heads mourning yoâ—ng infants crying women like Leah blear-eyed with weeping like Rachel lamenting the death of their children and cannot be comforted because they are not and all conclude that sin is the cause We of these Nations once styled fortunate Ilands garded like Goshen in the midst of Aegypt with turelar Angells have for these many years layne under the stroke of the destroying Angell and the stage of War hath been set up in our Territories making all places Aceldama's fields of blood the Common-weal distracted with factions the Church rent with schisms and as if these intestine broyles at home were not sufficient engagements with the Hollanders abroad to the losse of life and treasury with whom no sooner was a Peace if lasting made but Spain that had fed us with her blandishments proclaimes her selfe an enemy preparing hostility against us as if the Armado in eighty eight were but an earnest of what they intended to pay us Thus this poor Church and State lies bleeding and is not sin the cause Well then to sum up all shall not the petitions of the Heavens darkned of the Stars bedimn'd of the Aire poysoned of the Sea troubled of the Earth cursed of Kingdomes ruinated of the unreasonable Creatures groaning under the burden and looking up towards heaven as if the Stars that fought in order for Sisera would pitty and rescue them shall not these I say awake the Lord out of sleep as a Gyant refreshed with wine to put on his Brigandine and to gird on his Sword If souls for this deserve to die then how much more the body And shall not these that were petitioners become also executioners Lo the heavens as if it were their task to kill and slay hath for her armes hung up in the Zodiack man's anatomy the Planet Mars as though he were still the god of War the Dog-star and Saturn murders their children the Ayer poysons with infections feavours plagues the Sea is become a devouring gulph and contrary to Nature's intent is made a Goigotha or place of sculls the Earth that with her fruites should have nourished and with her conserves cherished is become an Aceldama or Theatre of blood one Nation one City one Kingdome one Family one Brother rises up against another as if man were born with those that arose of the Dragon's teeth in the Poet mutuis periâ—e gladiis bleed to death on one anothers sword And then shall not Gods just wrath our just desert so many executioners in heaven in earth by sea by land bring ruine and calamity of Church and State Cities and Families Hence as the case stands we are blame-worthy in a four-fold respect 1. Of Satan 2. Of security 3. Of pride 4. Of intemperance First of Satan who by his subtle sleights as he hath killed the body would murder also the soul and yet we sleight it as though we should die neither body nor soul Satan is that Panther that with his sweet odours allures us till he have gotten us within the reach of his talants that he may tear us that Crocodile that commiserates us till he have murdered us that Hyena that flatters us till he have killed us that Syren that sings till she hath drowned us that with Jael allures in with milk and murders with a nail with Joab embraces with one hand and stabs with another that whore of Babylon that gives poysoned drink in golden cups that cunning fisher that baits his hooks with the pleasures of sin that lies as a Snake in thy greenest grasse as an Enemy to assault thee in thy securest travails as a Ruffian to cut thy throat in thy sweerest sleep Art thou banquetting like Job's children with thy friends take heed Satan's there Art thou with Job praying take heed Satan's there Art thou with Iudas and the Apostles receiving the Communion take heed Satan's there In thy eating in thy drinking in thy hearing in thy praying in thy meditating beware Satan is busie about thee take heed he that hath wrought thy bodily death would also of thy soul O man of God beware mors in ollâ death is in the pot Secondly this discovers the security of carnall secure men that mind death no more hanging over their heads then Ierusalem did the blazing Star and Army in the aire then Damocles did the glittering sword perpendicular over his head then Ionah did the swelling of the waves over the Ship while he was under the hatches sleeping but they lie snorting in a lethargy of sin till a deluge of death overwhelme them as the flood did the old World as fire and brimstone did Sodom and Gomorrah as the house of Dagon did the Philistims that then death and grave and worms and hell and destruction seazes upon them Thirdly this discovers the vanity of pride many while their life is consuming as a candle burning within the socket as a coal taken out of the fire growing black studies only to varnish and paint over that rotten stock the body robbing all creatures to adorn it from one takes his wool from another his skin from another his fur from another their excrements as silk from worms beggs pearles of the fishes diggs into the ground for gold and silver turnes up the sands of the sea for