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
farre shorter then he had done all the time of his sicknesse before yet wee still held our former thoughts hoping of his recouerie vntill betweene 10. and 11. of the clocke at night when death shewed her selfe plainly striking him to the heart with a sudden cold and instantly benumming of one of his armes I will not here spend time in seeking out what the reason should be of this his so sudden a change whether he tooke cold lying too thinne clad in his bed all the day before or whether some cold vapour piercing in at his window he sitting too nigh the same after he was vp drew the malignant qualitie inward to his heart or whether neither of these but only the immediate hand of God in hastening of his end indeed the most probable In dubijs dubiè Let it onely be sufficient for vs to know that within one quarter of an houres space through the wisdome and great skill of the Physitian his arme and body were restored to their former temper and himselfe likewise after a while brought to take some tolerable rest Notwithstanding in the morning there wee easily discerned in him a great alteration it being by this time written in his countenance whither he would And yet at that very time and so diuers houres after he was of so strong and able a body that wee did not at all imagine that his departure had beene so nigh but perswaded our selues that he might liue at the least vntill the morrow after which was the eleuenth and his criticall day But God as the euent shewed had otherwise determined appointing that day to be his last with the end whereof he should end his life vpon which day it being as we know according to the time of the yeere May-day his desire was in the morning to be remoued into another chamber intending only as it should seeme there to rest himselfe for a time before hee should remoue into the chamber of so great a presence Well his minde is satisfied and he accordingly brought thither After which time there was no apparent change in his estate to be descried in him from that it was in the morning vntill 6. of the clocke at night at which time both his speech and to the iudgement of those about him his vnderstanding likewise were at once taken from him The newes whereof being brought vnto me for at that time I was not with him did at the first hearing somewhat amaze me yet hastening into his chamber I found the report too true for there he lay as a man in an extasie neither hearing nor regarding only to my thinking inwardly wrestling with some strong and violent temptation Whereupon pawsing a while I asked him whether he knew me his answer to my thinking was No. Well Sir quoth I if you know not mee I pray Almightie God giue you the full knowledge of him in whose knowledge alone there is life eternall But Sir it is your minde is it not that we should pray with you what answer hee made me I could not well discerne but whatsoeuer the answer was wee regarded a great deale more the present necessitie then the voice Whereupon we all that were present there fell downe vpon our knees before God and with what earnestnesse of soule we could we humbly besought his Maiestie to take pittie vpon him in this his agonie to giue him the sweet fruit of all his former labours and comfort of all those blessed and gratious promises that carefully he had laid vp against this time specially not to suffer him to be tempted aboue his strength but to affoord him an happie issue with the temptation Lastly if in his infinite wisdome hee saw so good then to affoord him if it were his pleasure at that time to take him out of the world at the leastwise so much libertie as to giue satisfaction to the world of that full assurance that he had of a better life and his liuely expectation of the crowne of immortalitie The which praier of ours was no sooner ended but it was for the most part as gratiously answered for immediately after was both his vnderstanding and speech restored vnto him and hee thereupon suddenly brake forth into these or the like speeches Lord God Iehoua haue mercy vpon me Holy holy holy Lord God haue mercy vpon mee Oh Iesu Christ that sittest at the right hand of the Father take pittie on me and pleade my cause Oh thou good Samaritan now powre thy wine and oile into my distressed soule Father if the greene tree be cut downe shall the Sire be spared If the righteous scarcely be saued what shall become of mee poore sinner And thus he went on we standing in the meane time with watrie eyes about his bed whilest hee pleaded in this sort his cause with God At the length I began againe with him asking him whether he knew me He told me yes and called me by my name Sir said I I perceiue well there hath beene a conflict betwixt you and some great and eager temptation but whatsoeuer it were my hope is that by this time it is vanquished Oh saith he my sinnes they are thousand thousands millions of thousands To whom I answered that hee did well to lay them forth to the vttermost shewing plainly thereby that his minde was not to hide any but to confesse all as one heartily sorry for the committing the least of them But Sir said I let the number of them I beseech you no whit astonish you considering the manner of our heauenly Father is at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sins to remoue his sinnes though neuer so many farre out of his remembrance Ezech. 18.21.22 Mica 7.19 yea to drowne and burie them in the bottome of the sea And let them be granted so many as you speake of yet their number is finite but the mercy of the Lord you know is infinite True said he But my sinnes are scarlet sinnes Sir said I be it so but what saith God Isa 1. Come saith he let vs reason together Though your sinnes were as crimson they shall be made white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall be as wooll But Sir replied I for that long discourse may I suppose be troublesome to you I would desire you in a word or two to answer mee these two questions First of all whether you be not heartily sorry for offending God your heauenly father as you haue done and whether that be not the only weight that now oppresseth your soule He told me Yes desiring Christ to ease him of it Sir said I doubt you not of it he will doe it you and such as you are being as you know as well as my selfe the onely persons that hee in the 11. of Matthew doth inuite and call vnto him promising assuredly to ease them of their burthen The second question Sir quoth I shall be only this whether you doe not hunger and thirst now
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