whole Church in generall when as manifold afflictions like a darke cloud wrapt her in on euery side Lament 2.17 The Lord hath done saith she that which he purposed he hath fulfilled that which hee determined A truth most necessarie to be knowne in these two respects The first is to comfort and incourage the seruants of God and vs especially to beare and vndergo all crosses and calamities how bitter so euer with the greater patience and cheerefulnesse considering they come from him who as a Father to all so is he principally to the elect Math. 6.9 Isa 63.16 An earthly father wee know may at his pleasure and as he seeth iust cause chastice and correct his childe neither ought the childe to take it otherwise then well in no cause either murmuring or resisting and if an earthly then much more saith the Apostle Heb. 12.9 may the Father of Spirits our heauenly and we in the meane while receiuing the same most patiently and contentedly Isaackes burthen Genes 12.6 was both heauie and vncomfortable heauie for the matter vncomfortable for the end And yet as farre as we can read he bare it willingly the reason I take it is expressed in the same verse Pater imposuit His Father laid it on him Whose example my desire is may be ours What God will haue let vs imbrace if hee will impose it let vs indure it remembring the counsell of Salomon to his sonne Pro. 3.11 My son refuse not the chasticing of the Lord for whom hee loueth hee correcteth Who knoweth not that the Argument that Absolom vsed to perswade his Sister Tamar to patience 2. Sam. 13.20 bearing as she might the hard dealing of her brother with her was but onely this Frater est He is thy Brother doubtlesse if this were reason as he thought sufficient to still her voice that then cried and wept so bitterly and pacifie her wrath and furie against him that so iustly had deserued it Then Brethren I beseech you how much more ought the consideration of the person from whom this calamitie is thus sodainely come he indeed our gratious Father to perswade and put vs on to indure the same with contented mindes knowing withall First that as he neuer offended vs so haue we infinitely him And secondly that it is come from that sweet hand from whom we haue all our liues long euen to this instant receiued such a world of blessings receiuing then so many good things is it not reason that wee should receiue some euill Secondly this doth afford vnto vs a most necessarie direction to whom to resort in this and all other our greatest miseries surely to him onely and to no other Intimating herein the poore Prodigall who being in that misery wherein he was would trie the curtesie of no more Citizens but went straight way to his Father I will saith he go to my Father so let vs to ours Thus doe the seruants of God hearten on and incourage each other in their greatest trialls Hos 6.1 Come say they let vs returne to the Lord he hath spoiled and will heale vs he hath wounded and hee will binde vs vp Neither ought we to bee discouraged in so doing seeing this is he whose name Pro. 18.10 is a strong Tower to which the righteous flie flying doubtlesse vpon the wings of their faith and are exalted Ier. 31.20 This is our mercifull Father who whilst he is striking hath his bowels sore troubled and his Repentance rolled vpon him Hos 11.8 For a little space I confesse he hath beene angrie but if we seeke him in due time he will yet be found of vs Isa 54.7.9 yea he will returne with abundance of compassion Psal 31.6 Let the Lacedemonians therefore in the time of danger tie and binde their Mars amongst them with gyues and fetters of gold And let vs onely hold and tie God with teares and praiers Imitating Iacob who although the principall sinnewes were shrunke in his thigh yet would he not suffer Gen. 32.26 the Angell to depart without a blessing The third and last thing that we are to consider in the precedent is the reason why man is rebuked conteined as we heard in this word Iniquitie when thou with rebuke doest chastice man for iniquitie Now iniquity we are to know is taken diuersly in the holy Scripture two waies especially either for some great and hainous sinne and accordingly doe the brethren of Ioseph speake to him Gen. 44.6 God hath found out the iniquitie of his seruants that is their great and heinous sinne and is now ready to punish them Or secondly for sinne in generall agreeable to that Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all iniquity And so in this place for iniquitie that is for the sinne Now sinne is tearmed by the name of Iniquity Quia peccatum est ab aequitate alienum according to the Apostles owne expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Iohn 3.4 For sin is the transgression of Law Shewing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sinne is nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression or crossing of the Law of God And indeed hinc lachrymae hence it is saith our Prophet that man is rebuked suteable to that Lament 3.39 Wherefore then is the liuing man sorrowfull man suffereth for his sinne With which agreeth the saying of the Apostle Rom. 6.23 Stipendia peccati mors The wages of sinne is death that is not onely the reason why soule and body be separated and nature destroied but the cause likewise of all that labour and trauell to which man is daily subiect as the sparkes to mount vpwards Iob. 15.7 Iob. 15.7 Iniquitie I know right well is not alwaies the chiefe cause of Gods rebukes and chasticements yet is it vsually found in such as are rebuked and corrected Let Iob I pray you be our example neither indeed doe I remember any one more pregnant whose trialls as all know were exceeding great take his owne word heauier then the sand of the sea Iob 6.3 and yet the end that the Lord propounded as the euent shewed was not simply to rebuke him for his sinne but rather in so doing to trie his faith and patience and accordingly to leaue him a Mirror of both to succeeding ages Iames 5.11 notwithstanding consider but the passage of things betweene God and him and him and his friends and you shall finde matter sufficient as for that so a farre greater humiliation as he freely acknowledgeth vnto God crying peccaui Chap. 42. 5. 6. Neither are wee indeed to haue the least thought of iniustice or cruelty in God in thus punishing man for his iniquitie For shall not the Iudge of the world doe right Gen. 28.14 No brethren sinne is another matter and of farre greater consequent then the ignorant person and prophane imagineth For first of all iniquity or sinne is a crossing as we heard before and thwarting of the Law of God
first for the sacrifice it selfe wee must take it as it is indeed a thing highly commended vnto vs in the holy Scripture both for the nature of the same as also for the great accompt whereof it is with Almighty God And therefore the Apostle Paul telleth the Philippians that it is a sweete smell A sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to the Lord. And the Authour to the Hebrewes exhorteth the Hebrewes Heb. 13.16 Deut. 15.11 Isa 58.10 Rom. 12.13 Iam. 1.17 and in their persons all other Christians in no case to be negligent herein assuring them that with the same and such like sacrifices God is well pleased Neither is the Spirit of God more large in commending any one sacrifice then hee is of this And no maruell for there is none besides that I remember whereby a man may either in the time of prosperitie get vnto himselfe a more assured testimonie of the sinceritie and vprightnesse of his heart or gaine a more sacred anchor which being fastened vpon the promises of God in time of aduersitie he may by meanes thereof certainely expect an issue both happy and comfortable The consideration of all which doubtlesse exceedingly incouraged and heartned on this honourable Gentleman as to doe the first the duty it selfe so in no case to be negligent in the second but to doe it with all alacritie and cheerefulnesse Neither can the latter of these which is the onely beautie of the former in my Iudgement better be discerned then by these two things especially 1. Frequencie 2. Constancie For doubtlesse the vncheerefull Giuer cannot hide himselfe but either he giueth nimis parce aut non diù Too sparingly or not long his candle being sodainely drowned in it selfe Too sparingly first for matter it is like Sauls offerings First the worst 1 Sam. 15.9 Secondly but spoiles Secondly for manner it is Nabals feast now and then once a yeare it may be and it may be seldomer Or secondly not long the sacrifice pleasing them for a time Mal. 1.13 but at length they snuffe at it and it is a wearisomnesse to them It is like Sauls armour vpon the backe of Dauid which in the very proofe proues too heauie But it was not so with him his house being indeed the seate of hospitalitie and his gate the seate of mercie A Stranger if of any desert in the world was alwaies sure here to finde louing entertainement both of the Master himselfe as also of the whole Familie Peter had a great deale worse vsage for comming onely to the high Priests fire then a meaner person yea perhaps one that serued a great deale worse Master for comming to his Table A small acquaintance would in his house procure a kinde welcome and seldome or neuer did any depart from the same without exceeding great contentment Secondly as hospitality dwelt in his house so did mercie at his gate in a faire house built of purpose for her whose doores like the temple of Peace stood alwaies open Seldome vnder 30. And some daies 40. Their prouision on the flesh daies broath and beife or mutton besides bread and beare And on the Fridaies Broath and Fish with bread and beare and great resort there was of persons daily haunting her courts but especially three daies in the weeke when she made more large prouision then ordinarie Certainely a blessed sight was it then which no eye but one frozen in the place could see without blessing to behold Christ thus feasted in his members and such a number of distressed soules aged persons and young children the widow and the fatherlesse so plentifully prouided for Neither did his noble and liberall hand hold it selfe satisfied onely with satisfying their hungrie stomaches except it did dilate it selfe likewise further in prouiding couering for their nakednesse and comfort against the iniury of the weather And therefore his manner was these diuers yeeres together according to the time of his age and yeeres of life to distribute garments here and there to seuerall Townes round about him this yeere amongst other giuing 32. for the appairelling and clothing of so many poore and miserable creatures I loue not to tell wonders this is of truth I lie not Nay alas I speake not halfe of that which my soule is priuie to of his Christian behauiour in this kinde For you heare me not speak all this while as I might of his bountifull minde to many other pious and religious vses maintenance of learning releiuing of prisoners to whom I haue knowne that hee hath sent a brase of angells at a time Neither of his tender care that he had of his poore neighbors oppressed with sicknesse sending them continually things necessarie for their comfort and oft-times horse and man for a Phisician to come to them to consider of their estate and to apply remedies accordingly for their recouerie defraying all the charge of his owne purse These things I say with many other of like nature deseruing indeede Caedar Tables for breuities sake I doe willingly omit hastily turning my selfe to the consideration of the reason and cause of all this namely what the reason should be that in these dead and lumpish times wherein loue is waxen cold and liberality out of fashion there should notwithstanding one be found so liberall so mercifull now the reason I take to be partly from nature but principally from grace First for Nature it were indeed a wonder that one hauing his breeding descended of Parents to their liues end of such renowne and honour in the world as for other their rare qualities so for their bounteous and liberall mindes great hospitality and tender affection to afflicted soules for him I say thus bred to be base or miserable were not onely a wonder but I say more a thing altogether impossible Especially if wee ioyne with this a second namely Grace which if it were hereditary as the former oft-times is I might well say likewise hee receiued from his worthy Parents how euer not traduced yet infused into that brest of his naturally inclined vnto liberallitie by meanes whereof his Faith did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superabound to euery good worke For how could it otherwise be 2. Thes 1.2 so faire an Oliue springing from so rich and sappie a roote and seated in so lusty a soile fatted with the bloud of Christ bedewed daily with the sweete influences of his eternall loue and the sonne of righteousnesse casting so continuall an aspect vpon it but it should be alwaies flourishing exceeding frutefull Neither must I here forget in speaking how liberall this worthy Gentleman was to others the exceeding liberality likewise and goodnesse of the Lord toward himselfe dealing with him much what as he dealt with Abraham long agoe in regard of that deare yet willing sacrifice of his in deuoting to him his sonne Now see the goodnesse of God hee tooke his sacrifice wherewith he was highly pleased and yet in the meane time Abraham had his sonne Iust
lie giuen them Psal 4.2 And the Prophet Ierem. 9.23.24 exhorteth all those that haue them in no case to be ouer-ioyed or puffed vp with them Let not saith he the wise man reioyce in his wisdome nor the strong man in his strength neither the rich man in his riches But if any glory let him in this that hee knoweth me that sheweth mercy and iudgement Secondly as his glory is so is himselfe nothing better but vanitie 1. First vanitie being taken from so fraile and brittle an element 2. Secondly vanitie being so subiect euery moment to be dissolued into the same againe and in the meane while meeting with such and so many sorrowes and with so few and such mixed pleasures that leauing the stage hee may close vp his part with that speech of Iob 4. I had for inheritance the moneths of vanitie Seeing then that man with all his glory is vanitie let vs not then I pray you build vpon him in the least regard placing our trust and confidence in him No saith the Psalmist 46.3 not in Princes One reason is there for there is no helpe in them There is another Isa 2.22 for their breath is in their nostrils And here in my text the ground of both For they are but vanitie Secondly as we build not vpon others so let vs not I pray you build vpon our selues in regard of any outward priuilege whatsoeuer seeing wee are no better then others but euen vanitie as well as they But here let me make a stay a little and propound two questions which being answered then will I draw to a conclusion The first shall be this What the reason should be that God being so strong and man so weake the wicked notwithstanding all this should liue and wax old and grow in wealth Iob 2.7 These are Gods enemies why doth hee then suffer them seeing if he please he can so suddenly consume them To this I answer that long life together with the fruition and enioyment of these outward things are not alwayes a blessing and if they be surely rather Esaus yea euen in Esaus eye they are not the best which maketh him so discontented with his brother for leauing him but only this And in truth God suffereth the wicked oft times as Dauid did both Absolom and Adonijah from their cradle laying the raynes vpon their necks and giuing them their hearts desire his rod is not vpon them Iob 21.7.8.9 they spend their dayes in ease and pleasure and all this in the end for their ruine Such lenitie as this in man is crueltie in God seueritie A sore punishment that God oft times inflicteth vpon the worst men Psal 78.29 in giuing them vp to their hearts desire The foole hath his ease and this slaieth him But secondly there are diuers other speciall ends that our heauenly Father propoundeth to himselfe in all this I will name but some of them First to allure and draw the prophane man to repentance Rom. 2.4 knowest thou that the patience and long suffering and beautifulnesse of the Lord leadeth thee to repentance 2. Secondly that Asher may be the rodde of his wrath and staffe of his indignation Isa 10.51 to scourge and humble his Church and people for their iniquities Thirdly to take away in the end all excuse from them That thou mightest be iustified when thou speakest and cleare when thou iudgest Psal 50.4 And lastly to shew vnto the world that the happinesse of a Christian resteth not in these outward and fading things but that there is another recompence of reward Heb. 11.26 to which Moses and all the faithfull haue from the beginning looked of higher nature and more noble consequence My second demaund shall be the reason why the Lord thus sparing the wicked man and miscreant doth in the meane time rebuke and chastice his dearest seruants and oft-times in this very kinde cutting them off in their flourishing age 1 Cor. 3.22 Now the Resolution in a word that not onely afflictions but death it selfe is to the seruants of God great aduantage Phil. 1.21 And first for afflictions they serue most excellently to weare and wast away by little and little that body of death or rather sinne that is the cause of death and whereof the Apostle so exceedingly complaineth Rom. 7.24 These are the refining pot Eze. 22.20 Pro. 17.3 of the Lord whereby he purgeth his gold from the drosse and his cutting knife wherewith he cleanseth his vine Ioh. 15.1 and is daily pruning of the superfluous branches Secondly to weane them more and more from this world that with the Epicures they should not make their nest hereupon the earth or with the Israelites delight too much in this their Egypt but that loathing the Tents of Kedar Psal 120.5 they should long hourely for the habitation of Sion Thirdly To make the kingdome of heauen they being once entred the same the more pleasant and delightfull to them The poore Pilgrime that hath now beene deteined sometime in forraine parts farre from his natiue soile the worse his condition hath beene the more welcome is his home vnto him with what cheere doth hee enter his doores and with what contentment doth he sit him downe in the middest of his friends flocking on all hands to congratulate his returne His misery past is instantly forgotten or if he speaketh of it at any time it is alwaies with much delight Doubtlesse this is the estate of all the seruants of God their pilgrimage once ended and they through manifold afflictions entred that blessed Pallace by how much they haue more suffered by so much are their ioyes more augmented Here they were contemned and spurned at How comfortable then are the embracings of that heauenly company vnto them Here naked or at the leastwise in ragges and patches How welcome then are those pure garments the pretious robes of Christs righteousnesse to them Here hungrie and thirsty Apoc. 7.9 How happy then doe they thinke themselues being once set at Table with Abraham and his sonnes Mark 8. feasting and banqueting in the kingdome of God Lastly hereby those graces that otherwise would lie hid and buried within them or at leastwise not shew themselues so clearely are discouered and made manifest to the world These being the sharpe and cutting windes of the Lord that blowing vpon his garden cause these blessed flowers to cast forth their sauour They bring indeed darknesse with them but onely to this end that the beautie of these pretious Diamondes may be the better veiwed and more plainely discerned Secondly as these so death it selfe is gaine vnto them die they sooner or later If later then they are Schollers longer trained vp in the Schoole of Christ and hauing greater experience of the goodnesse of God attaine to an higher pitch in grace and fuller ripenesse in Christ Secondly if Christ calleth sooner the sooner doth Bartimeus throw off his patched cloake And the sooner the Angell calleth