the Creature put case a man should want his tast as these men here their soule abhorred all manner of meate alas what a miserable case is it to want a relish and tast of the comfort that God hath put into the creatures put case we should want the meanest benefite wee enjoy how uncomfortable would our lives be This sparke of reason that God hath given us that wee have understanding to conceive things which is the engine whereby we doe all things as men and are capable of the grace of God what a miserable thing were it if God should take away our wits or suspend the use of them But especially in matters of grace if God had not sent Christ to redeeme the world what a cursed condition had we lyen in next to Divels Againe if wee would praise God let us every day keepe a Diary of his favours and blessings what good hee doth us privately what positive blessings he bestowes upon vs and what dangers hee frees us from and continues and renewes his mercies every day and publikly what benefit wee have by the state we live in Oh what a happie state is it that we live in peace that wee enjoy such lawes that every man may fit under his owne vine and under his owne figtree and enjoy the comforts of this life when all the world about us are and have beene in combustion We should keepe a Register of Gods blessings Oh that wee could learne to have such exact lives it would breed a world of comfort and wee should have a lesse account to make when wee die Every day labour to be humbled for our sinnes specially such as break the peace of our consciences and never give our bodies rest till our hearts have rest in the favour of God and together with matter of humiliation dayly observe how God bestowes new favours or else continues the old that notwith withstanding our provocation and forgetfulnesse of him hee strives with us by his goodnesse this is a blessed duty that we should labour to performe And then when we have done this let us rouse up all that wee are and all that wee have within us to praise God Psalme 103. My soule praise the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy Name What have wee within us to praise God Let us praise God with our understanding to conceive and have a right judgement of Gods favours of the worthinesse of them and our owne un worthinesse and then a sanctified Memory forget not all his benefites forgetfulnesse is the grave of Gods blessings it buries all And then there is in us the affection of joy and love to God to tast him largely and then all within us will be large in the praising of God And our tongue likewise though that be not within us it is called our glory let us make it our glory in this to Trumpet our Gods praise upon all occasions all that is within us and all that we are or have or can do let it be all to the glory and praise of God To draw to a conclusion with some generall application of all that hath beene spoken and then in particular to the present occasion You know how God hath dealt of late with this Citie and with our selves indeed for we are all of one body politike and however God visited them yet it was our sinnes also that provoked him we brought stickes to the common fire A Physitian lets the arme blood but the whole body is distempered God let the Citie blood but the whole kingdome was in a distemper so that it was for our sins as well as theirs wee all brought I say some thing to the common flame and God afflicted us even in them God hath now stayd the sicknesse almost as Miraculously as hee sent it It was a wonder that so many should be swept away in so short a time it is almost as great a wonder that God should stay it so soone And what may we impute it unto Surely as it is in the text They cried unto the Lord God put it into the hearts of the Governours of the state to appoint humiliation and crying to God and therefore since God hath beene so mercifull upon our humiliation it is religiously and worthily done of the state that there should be a time to blesse God Againe God did it with a word with a command it was both in the inflicting and delivery as it were without meanes for what could the Physitians doe in staying the Plague Alas all the skill in the world is at a losse in these kinds of sicknesses it comes with Gods command it is Gods arrow more especially then other sicknesses God sent it by his Command first to humble us for our sin and now hee hath stayd it with a word of command that from above 5000. a weeke it is come to three persons God hath sent his word and healed us It was a pittifull state wee were in before for indeed it was not onely a sicknesse upon the Citie but a civill sicknesse the whole state wâ—s distempered for as there is sicknesse in the body when there is obstruction when there is not a passage for the spirits and the blood from the liver from the heart and from the head these obstructions cause weakenesse and faintings and consumption So was there not an obstruction in the state of late were not the veynes of the kingdome stopped Was not civill commerce stayed the affliction of this great Citie it was as the affliction of the head or of the heart or of the liver if the maine vitall part be sick the whole is sicke so the whole kingdome not only by way of sympathy but it was civilly sicke in regard that all trading and intercourse was stopped it was a heavy visitation And wee have much cause to blesse God that now the wayes of this Sion of ours mourne not that-there is free commerce and intercourse as before that we can meete thus peaceably and quietly at Gods ordinances and about our ordinarie callings those that have an apprehension of the thing cannot chuse but breake out in thanksgiving to God in divers respects First of all have not we matter to praise God that he would correct us at all hee might have suffred us to have gone on and beene damned with the wicked world as it is 1 Cor. 11.33 We are therfore chastened of the Lord that wee should not be damned with the world it is his mercy that hee would take us into his hands as children that he would visite us at all Another ground of thankesgiving is this that since he would correct us he would use this kind of correction that he would take us into his owne hands might he not have suffred a furious bloody darke spirited divellish spirited enemy to have invaded us to have fallen into the hard hands of men acted with divelâ—ish
is shewed in particular callings which are sanctified by God to subdue the excesse of corruptions Men without callings are exceeding vicious as some Gentlemen and beggars in this I may ranke them together those that haue no callings nor fit themselues for a calling and that are out of a calling lawfull Callings are lawfull And so this calling of commerce and trade A seller of purple Though for the most part men gather a great deale of soile and corruption by commixture of manners with those they deale with yet there must be commerce and this particular commerce of selling of Purple The body of man needs many callings there is not a part of mans body not one member but it sets a particular calling on work Therefore this life is a life of many necessities and there must be callings and trading and this particular trading selling of purple It may seeme superfluous but it is not altogether for Garments are for 3. ends For Necessity Ornament Distinction Now purple howeuer it be not for necessity it is for ornament and distinction for Magistrats and the like persons of great quality How-ever the pride of the times hath bred a confusion that one will goe as well as another yet God that allowes distinction of callings and persons allowes distinction of habit and attire Therefore selling of purple is lawfull and the wearing of rich attire Kings daughters went in such as it is sayd of Davids daughters So there bee not over much delicacie for delicacie in this in these times is fatall as there be many in the City and in the countries that are given to over-much nicitie and sumptuousnes in this kind it is a fore runner of ruine Otherwise it is lawfull for those that may to weare purple as it is lawfull to sell Purple so that as he sayd to the great Emperour they doe not consider the purple so much as that the purple couers dust and base flesh that must turne to dust and ashes and rottennesse ere long so that people bee not lift up in that that is borrowed from the poore creature from wormes It is a strange thing that men should be so sicke in their fancie as to thinke themselues the better for that they beg of the poor creature so a man take heed of fancie and pride it is lawfull to use purple Shee was a seller of Purple So much for her calling Shee worshipped God SHEE was perhaps a Iew and looked for a Messias There were 3. sorts of people before Christ. The Iewes and those that we call prose lites and Religious persons fearing God Shee might be one of the three it is not certaine what shee was Certainely shee was one that feared God She had some religion in her though yet shee was not ripened in the true Religion shee was a woman that feared God From such kind of places as this we haue occasion to speake of workes of preparation Saint Paul was sent to her shee was a woman that feared God To speak a little of works of preparation It is true God usually prepares those that hee meanes to convert as we plow before we sow wee doe not sow among the thornes and we dig deep to lay a foundation wee purge before Cordialls It is usuall in nature and in grace preparations therfore preparations are necessary There is such a distance betweene the nature and corruption of man and grace that there must be a great deale of preparation many degrees to rise by before a man come to that condition hee should bee in therefore preparations we allow and the necessity of them But we allow this that all preparations are from God wee cannot prepare our selues or deserue future things by our preparations for the preparations themselues are of God And thirdly though we grant preparations yet we grant no force of a meritorious cause in preparations to produce such an effect as conversion is No only preparation is to remooue the hindrances and to fit the soule for conversion that there may not be so great a distance beetweene the soule and conversion as without preparation there would be But when is preparation sufficient When the soul is so farre cast downe as it sets a high price on Christ and on grace aboue all things in the world it accounts grace the onely pearle and the Gospel to be the Kingdome of heaven when a man sets a high price on grace more then all the world besides then a man is sufficiently prepared Some poore soules think they are neuer prepared enough but let them looke to the end that God will haue preparation for that is that a high price be set upon the best things and value all things but grace meanely in their owne ranke when a man is brought to that pitch that by the light of the spirit hee esteemes all nothing but Christ and that hee must be had and he must haue sauing grace let him neuer talke whether hee bee prepared or no. This disposition shewes that he is prepared enough at least to bring him to conversion Now God in preparation for the most part Civilizeth people and then Christianizeth them as I may say for the spirit of GOD will not be effectuall in a rude wild and barbarous soule in men that are not men Therefore they must bee brought to Civilitie and not only to civilitie but there must be a worke of the law to cast them downe and then they are brought to Christianitie thereupon Therefore they take a good course that labour to breake them from their naturall rudenesse and feircenesse as by nature every man is like a wild asse-Colt there cannot be more significant words a Colt an asse Colt and wild Now ther is no sowing in the sand or on the water there is no forcing of grace on a soule so farre indisposed that is not brought to Civilitie rude and barbarous soules therefore Gods manner is to bring them in the compasse of Civilitie and then seeing what their estate is in the corruption of nature to deject them and then to bring them to Christianity as we see here in Lydia For howeuer there is no force of a meritorious cause in preparations to grace to raise up the soule to grace for alas that cannot be it is not in it to produce such a blessed effect yet notwithstanding it brings a man to a lesse distance then other wild creatures that come not within the compasse of the means Therefore vsually to those that use the talents of their vnderstanding and will that they haue well God after discovers himselfe more and more Therfore let all be incouraged to grow more and more to courses of civility and Religion and wait the good time till God shine on them in mercy For though those courses can neuer produce religion yet it brings men to a proximity and nearenesse to God and Christ more then those that stand further off But
then prayers are cries they are darted out of the heart as it were to heaven It is sayd Christ made strong cryes in extremity prayers are cries hence I observe breifly these things That God suffers men to fall into extreame ills even to the gates of death that there is but a step betweene them and death Why To weane them perfectly from the world To make them more thankfull when they recover for what is the reason that men are so sleight in thanksgiving Usually the reason is they did not conceive that they were in such extreame danger as they were Likewise he suffers men to fall into extreame sicknesse that he may have all the glory for it was his doing there was no second cause to helpe here for their soule abhorred all manner of meate and they were even at the Gates of death Now when all second causes fayle then God is exalted therfore he suffers men to fall into extreamity the greater the maladie the more is the glory of the Physitian The second thing is this as God brings his children into extremity So Gods children in extremity they cry to him EXtremity of afflictions doth force prayers In their affliction they will seeke me early When all second causes faile then we goe to God nature therfore is against atheisme as one observes that naturally men run to God in extremity Lord helpe mee Lord succour me so especially in the Church in extremitie Gods people cry to God and as afflictions so pâ—rticularly this of sicknesse of body drives men to God God should not heare of us many times unlesse he should come neere us by afflictions and deepe afflictions Out of the deepe haue I cryed God brings us to the deepe and then we crie Our nature is so naught that God should not heare of us as I sayd unlesse he send some messenger after us some affliction to bring us home as Absalom dealt by Ioab when hee fired his corne In the Gospel Christ had never heard of many people had it not beene for some infirmity but blessed are those sicknesses and infirmities that occasion us to goe to God that makes us crie to God It was the speech of a Heathen we are best when we are weakest why as hee saith very well who is ambitious voluptuous or covetous for the world when he is sick when he sees the vanity of these things This should make us submit more meekly vnto GOD when wee are vnder his hand when we are his prisoners by sicknesse when he casts us on our sicke beds because GOD is working our good hee is drawing us neerer to him Then they cryed to him So we see then that prayer it is a remedie in a remedilesse estate when there is no other remedy and this one difference betweene a child of GOD and another In extremitie a carnall man that hath not grace he hath not a spirit of prayer to goe to GOD but a child of GOD he cries to GOD hee had acquaintance with God in the time of health therefore he goes boldly to GOD as a father in the time of extremity Gods children can answer Gods dealing for as he brings his children to extremitie when there is no second cause to help so they answer him by faith in extremitie when there is nothing to trust unto they trust him when there is no physick in the world that can-charme the disease they have a spirit of faith to answere Gods dealing in the greatest misery as Iob faith though he kill me yet will I trust in him For GOD is not tyed to second causes and therefore if hee have delight in us and if he have any service for us to doe he can recover vs from the gates of death Nay from death it selfe as we see Christ in the Gospell raysed from the dead and at the resurrection he will rayse us from death much more can he rayse vs from the gates of death when wee are neere death Therefore considering that praâ—er is a remedy in all maladies in a remedilesse estate Let us labour to haue a spirit of prayer and to be in such a state as we may pray What state is that First take heed of being in league with any sinne If I regard iniquitie in my heart God will not heare my prayer nay he will not heare others prayers for us oh what a pittiful state is it when God will not heare us nor others for us Pray not for this people saith God to Ieremiah and if Noah Daniel and Iob stood before mee they should but deliver their owne soules If a man be in a peremptory course of sinne and will not be reclaymed but is like the deafe Adder that will not bee charmed God will not heare prayers for him will God heare a rebell when he comes to him for mercie and is in a course opposite to Gods will As if a Traitor should come to sue for pardon with a dagger in his hand which were to increase the treason So when a man comes to God and cryes to him and yet purposeth to live in sinne and his conscience tells him that hee offers violence to GOD by his sins and lives in rebellious courses GOD will not heare his prayers Againe if we would bee in such a state as God may accept us when wee come to him let us heare GOD when hee cryes to us hee cryes to us in the ministrie of the word Wisedome hath lift up her voyce and this is GODS course hee will heare us when wee heare him Hee that turnes his eare from hearing of the Law his prayer shall bee abhominable Those that doe not attend upon Gods ordinances that will have a kind of devotion private to themselves avoid the publike ordinance that feare perhaps they shall heare somwhat that would awaken their conscience and they would not bee tormented before their time Let them consider it is a terrible speech of Salomon Hee that turnes his eare from hearing the Law his prayer shall be abhominable Let us take heed it is a fearefull thing to bee in such an estate that neither our owne prayers nor others shall bee regarded for us and let any man judge if wee will not heare GOD speake to us is it fit that hee should heare us speaking to him And before I leave the point let mee presse it a little further at this time wee have cause to blesse GOD for the deliverance of the Citie Oh! but let all that have the spirit of prayer that have any familiaritie with GOD improve all their interest in heaven at this time doe wee not conceive what danger wee are in What enemies wee have provoked What if wee be free from the sicknesse are we not in great danger of worse matters thâ—n the sicknesse Is it not worse to fall into the hands of our enemies Have wee not great provoked cruell Idolatrous enemies therfore let us joyntly now all cry
sweet to vs Deliverance from troble and sicknesse because it is a pledge of our spirituall deliverance in Christ the deliverance from hell and damnation what comfort can a man haue that knowes not his state in grace in the enjoying of his health when hee shall think he is but as a sheepe kept for the slaughter hee knows not whether hee be in the favour of God or no Therefore let vs come and renew our faith in the forgiuenesse of our sinnes through the blood of Christ of whom we are made partakers in the Sacrament For if we beleiue our deliverance from hell and damnation by the body of Christ broken and his bloodshed then every thing will be sweet when we know God loues us to life everlasting then every thing in the way to life everlasting euen dayâ—â— bread will be sweete because the same loue that giues heauen giues dayly food and the same loue that redeemes us from hell redeemes us from sicknes therefore let us labour to strengthen our faith in the maine that wee may bee thankfull for the lesse And as we enter into new couenant with God so labour to keepe it in Levit. 26. euery thing auengeth the breaking of Gods couenant when we make couenant to serue him better for the time to come and yet breake it God is forced to send his messenger he sends sicknesse to avenge his Covenant considering that he hath lately so auenged it let it make us so much the more circumspect in our carriage So much for this time and text FINIS Imprimatur Thomas Wykes May 11 1638. Vers. 9â— Parts of the text God takes particular notice of his Womens affections to religion strong Reas. 1. 2 3 Great things in religion from small beginnings Callings allowed by God Commerce lawfull Vse of garments The selling and wearing rich attire lawfull Object 3. Sorts of people before Christ Workes of preparation necessary to conversion Preparations are from God Preparations remooue hindrances Quest. Answ. Progresse of preparation God brings his elect under means Preparations not to be rested in God opens the heart 1 The heart naturally shut 2 God alone opens the heart 1 There is want of ability in the soule 2 There is an opposition Vse Patience to others 2 Tim. 2. Thankfulnesse What ment by heart The mind must bee sanctified to attend to the word God opens the heart to attend Vse Triall whether our hearts be opened The Gospell the Ground of faith The word preached the usuall meanes of faith Rom. 10. Vse To pray â—or labouâ—â—ers in Gods harâ—est To prize the ordinance of preaching Attention necessarie 4 Things requisite to â—ight Directions to attend on the word 1 Search our wants 2 Come with subjection 3 To get the word ingrafted 4 Meditation Quest. How to know we attend aright Answ. 1 When wee know not the word but the things 2 The soule ecchoes to the word 3 They see things in their owne light They judge according to their profit Baptisme the seale of salvation How to thinke of our Baptisme Honour of good governours of families Good instructions may be effectuall long after Christians easie to be intreated Approbation of strong Christians confirmes the weake To judge well of Christians Lydias invitation To shew her loue To be further instâ—â—cted Faith fruitfull Triall of faith by love 1 To Christ. 2 To his members 3 To his Word The scope of the Psalme 4 Instance of Gods providence vers 4. vers 10. vers 17. Verse 23 Division oâ— the text Who ment by fooles Why wicked men are termed fooles 1 For lack of discerning 2 For passion Passion presents things falsely 3 Iesting with sinne 4 Forgetfulnesse of his end Wicked men wittie in their generation 5 He wounds himselfe Vse 1. To humble wicked men 2 Aggravation of sinne 3 Begge spirituall wisdome 4 Not to passe for the censures of the wicked Folly in Gods children Psa. 38.5 Psal. 73. The breach of the second table comes from the breach of the first â—nhappy succession of sin Vse Take heed of beginnings of sinne Doct. Sinne the cause of sicknesse 1 Cor. 11.31 Vse 1. To justifie God 2 To be patient 3 Search out our particular sin To seeke God in trouble The course of worldlings Psal. 32. Divinity transcends other arts Sicknesse how from God how from sin The cause of murmuring in trouble Sin puts a rod in Gods hand Sin a poyson Salvian Extremity of sicknes Naturall cause of sicknesse Happines of Epicures vnstable To blesse God for appetite How to converse with the sicke Gates of death Death it selfe 2 Authority of death Misery of wicked men Rom. 5. 3 Power of death Vse To disarme death 2 Cor. 15. Doct. God suffers men to fall to great misery Reas. 1. 3. Gods children cry to him in affliction Atheisme against nature Why God sendeth affliction To submit to God patiently Prayer a speciall remedie in affliction To be in a state fit to pray 1 Take heed of knowne sinne 2 Heare God calling on us Exhortation to prayer Prayer best before affliction Mal. 3 Remember the Church in our prayers God the best Physitian 2 Chron. 7.14 Vse To haue recourse to God in sicknes Doct. Prayer to God successefull Psal. 38. Rom. 8. God hears heathens Much more his children Luke 11. Object Answ. Wayting after prayer necessary God deferres for our good Beloved sins hinder prayer Gods powerful word Gods command over all things Vse Take heed of displeasing God Jncouragement to pray from Gods power Christs word in his abasement powerfull All men praise Goâ— To praise God for others Especially for our selues Luke 2 1â— 14. Creatures prayse God bow Rom. 8. Psal. 103. Wicked men only dishonour God Prayse a duty fit for Angels Prayse the fruit and end of all we doe Of hearing Of the Sacrament Praysing God the end of the creation Rom. 1. It is the end of redemption Ephes. 1. Psal. 50. Jt is the end of our particular deliverances Rev. 4. Rev. 5. Helps and meanes to praise God Consider our owne vnworthinesse 2 Not to rest on second causes The necessity and use of the blessing 4 Dayly register Gods favours To prayse God with that which is in us Psal. 103. Our vnderstaning Memory Ioy. Tongue In the great visitation 1625. Simile Concerning deliverance from the plague to blesse God 1 That hee would correct 1 Cor. 11.33 2 That hee would do it himselfe 3 That he stayed the Pestilence 4 That our lives were spared 5 That it spread not farre God by his Word heales the soule Symptome of a sicke soule To recover spirituall appetite What to do in spirituall distempers Levit. 26.