little of her argument whereby shee forced the blessed Apostle and the rest to her house If yee have judged me faithfull IT is a most binding argument If you judge me faithfull you must judge me a child of God an heire of heaven the Spouse of Christ you must judge mee all these and the like If you have judged mee faithfull come to my house And if you judge me so can you denie me this courtesie It is a conjuring wondrous forcible argument If you have judged mee faithfull It implies that S. Paul and holy men would be more strange else And so there should not be intimate familiaritie converse there may be but not familaritie with those that are not faithfull Indifferent carriage to all alike shewes a rotten heart those that make no difference betweene good Christians and formall hypocrites No but if you have judged me faithfull come to my house As if she had said I know your spirits are such that except you judge me faithfull you will not take this courtesie at my hands Againe she supposed if Paul judged her faithfull he would not denie her that courtesie Those that upon good grounds wee judge faithfull we should be gentle to them and easie to be intreated The wisedome that is from above is so Grace Sweetnes the Carriage and alters a mans disposition Those that have felt pittie from God are mercifull to others Therefore if you have judged mee faithfull c. It was an argument of a great-deale of sinceritie to appeale to their knowledge and judgement If you have judged me faithfull If she had not beene sincere she would not have done so but sinceritie makes a man bold to appeale to God himselfe Lord thou knowest that I love thee saith S. Peter and If there be any iniquitie in my heart saith David they dare appeale to God and to Gods people if yee have judged me faithfull In this speech likewise shee desires to have confirmation of her estate from the Apostles And indeed it is a great confirmation of weake Christians to have the judgement of strong Christians that they are good If you have judged mee faithfull doe me this courtesie And would it not comfort her soule to have the judgement of so strong a man as Paul It is a great strengthening not onely to have the spirit of God witnesse for us but the spirit of God in others And sometimes in temptations the judgment of others will doe us more good then our owne in a darke state Therefore wee should appeale to those that feare God to judge us faithfull though we be in a mist and in darkenesse sometimes that we are not able to judge of our owne condition And indeed when we judge the people to be truly good and true hearted to God we owe them this dutie to thinke them good people and to shew it it is a debt we wrong good persons when wee take wrong conceits of them Shall wee not affect and loue them that God loues It is as if shee had sayd God hath taken me into his family and will admit mee to heauen and will not you come to my house when Christ shall take men to be members of his body shall not we take them into our company It is a wrong to good people to be strange to them sometimes there may by way of censure in some sin be a little strangenesse but ordinary stangnesse becomes not Christians it becomes not that sweet bond the Communion of Saints If you haue judged me faithfull That is the bond Her invitation is Come to my house and and abide there YOU see many sweet graces presently after shee beleived here is a loving heart Why did shee desire them to come to her house To expresse the loue she did beare to them for their works sake shee felt the loue of Christ by their ministery and now she desired to expresse the fruit of her loue in maintaining them And not onely so but she desired to be edified by them shee was yongly planted and shee desired to bee watered from them Shee knew Paul would drop heauenly things and giue her that that might stablish her therefore she desired that they would stay at her house that she might haue benefit by their heauenly discourse and be built vp and edified further and further So you see these two graces especially upon beleeuing a bountifull louing heart shee intreated them not onely to come to her house but to abide there a good while as they did And here was her desire to bee edified And a boldnesse to appeare to owne Christ and his ministers in dangerous times for in those times it was a dangerous thing to appeare to be a Christian they were worse hated then the Iewes were though both were hated yet Christians were aboue all Therefore false Christians would be circumcised they would be Iewes to auoid the Crosse that they might not bee accounted Christians You see in Generall true faith that works loue and workes by loue It workes loue in the heart and by loue it works all duties of hospitallity and bounty by loue When it hath wrought that holy affection it works by that holy affection You see here it is neuer without fruit presently faith brings forth fruit as soone as shee was baptized shee shewes her loue to the Apostles and their company and her bounty and her boldnesse in the cause of Christ. We say of a graft it is grafted to purpose if it take and bring forth fruite so shee being a new sience graft into Christ shee tooke presently as soone as she was baptized into Christ here is the fruite of loue and bounty and boldnesse in the cause of Christ. Zacheus as soone as euer he beleeved halfe my goods I giue to the poore So wee see the Gaoler afterwards presently upon beleeving he entertained the Apostles with a feast and washed their wounds Take heed of a barren dead faith it is a false faith if thou beleeue indeed faith will worke loue and worke by loue as it did in this blessed woman her faith knit her to Christ in heauen her loue was as the branches of the tree her faith knit her to the roote but loue as the branches reached to others her branches reached fruit to the Apostle and his company So it is the nature of faith that knits us to Christ the same spirit of loue knits us to others and reacheth forth fruit to all wee converse with As wee desire to haue evidence of the soundnes of our faith let us see what spirit of loue we haue especially loue to these three things loue to Christ to whom wee are ingrafted and loue to the ministers of Christ. We cannot shew kindnesse to Christ he is in heauen but his ministers and his poore are upon the earth when wee can buy ointment to poure on Christs feete his poore members and his Ministers and loue to the word of
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
God they are the three issues of a gracious beleeuing heart and where they are not there is no faith at all I beseech you let us imitate this blessed woman You see here the name of Lydia is precious in the Church the name of Lydia as it is sayd of Iosiah it is as a boxe of oyntment powred out the name of Lydia cannot bee named in the Church but there is a sweete sauour with it As soone as shee beleeued the Holy Ghost the spirit of GOD blowing upon the garden of her heart where the spice of Grace was sowed stirred vp a sweete sent of faith and of bountie and liberalitie in the cause of Christ. Let not this bee in vaine to us but euery one of us labour to bee like Lydia you see what loadestone drew PAVL heere to goe unto her house shee had Faith and shee expressed it in loue Let us labour to haue faith and to expresse it in loue to GOD vnto CHRIST to his people and word and ordinances that haue his stampe on them and let us boldly owne the cause of CHRIST let us not regard the censures of vaine men that say thus and thus Faith and loue forget danger it is bold Shee forgot all the danger that shee was in by countenancing Paul and such men Let us labour for faith and loue and wee shall not say this and that There is a Lion in the way but wee shall goe on boldly vntill wee doe receiue the end of our faith and loue the salvation of our soules FINIS The Table A. Abasement part page CHrists word powerfull in his abasement 2.92 Affections Affections to Religion strong in women 1.9 Affliction Affliction why sent of God 2.58 Prayer a remedy in affliction 2.60 Angels Praise a duty fit for Angels 2.108 Appetite To blesse God for appetite 2.46 Spiritual appetite how recovered 2.140 Attend Attention God opens the heart to attend 1.46 Attention necessary 1.54 Directions to attend on the Word 1.57 Trials of attending aright 1.69 Attire Selling and wearing rich Attire lawfull 1.17 Atheisme see Nature B. Baptisme Baptisme a seale of salvation 1.76 How to thinke of our Baptisme 1.78 Beginning Great things from small beginnings 1.11 Boldnesse see Sinceritie C. Callings Callings allowed of God 1.14 Censure Censure of wicked men not to be regarded 2.24 Command Command of God over all things 2.84 Commerce Commerce lawfull 1.15 Confirme Approbation of strong Christians confirmes the weak 1.95 Crie Gods children crie in afflictions 2.57 D. Death Gates of death what 2.49 Death how to disarme it 2.53 Deferre God why hee deferres helpe 2.81 Dishonour Only wicked men dishonour God 2.104 displease To take heed of displeasing God 2.87 Distemper What to doe in spirituall distempers 2.141 Divinitie Divinitie transcends other Arts. 2.37 E. End Fooles forget their End 2.17 Epicures Happinesse of Epicures unstable 2.45 Extremitie see Crie F Faith Faith trialls of it 1.104 Fooles Folly Wicked men fooles 2.9 Why they are fooles 2.10 Folly in Gods children 2.25 Fruitfull True faith fruitfull 1.101 G. Garments Garments the use of them 1.16 Gates see Death God God to bee sought in trouble 2.35 Gospell Gospell the ground of faith 1.50 H. Heathen God heares the prayers of the Heathen 2.21 Heart Heart opened by God 1.32.34 Heart what meant by it 1.40 Humiliation Ground of humiliation of wicked men 2.21 I. Iesting Iesting with sinne a signe of folly 2.16 Invitation Lydia's invitation 1.99 Iustifie To justifie God in his judgements 2.33 L. Labourers Labourers to be prayed for in Gods harvest 1.52 Love Trials of faith by love 1.104 M. Meanes God brings the elect under meanes 1.29 Mind The mind must be sanctified to attend to the Word 1.43 Miserie Miserie of wicked men 2.50 Why God suffers men to fall into great miserie 2.55 Murmuring Murmuring in trouble the cause of it 2.39 N. Nature Atheisme against nature 2.57 Notice God takes particular notice of his 1.7 O. Open. Trials whether the heart bee open 1.46 See heart Passion Wicked men fooles for their passion 2.12 Passion how it presents things 2.13 Patience Patience to others the ground of it 1.38 Patience in our selves 2.34 People People of three sorts before Christ. 1.19 Pestilence To praise God for deliverance from the pestilence 2.129 Physitian God the best Physitian 1.71 Power Powerfull Gods word Powerfull 2.83 Incouragements to pray from Gods power 2.89 See Abasement Poyson Sinne as poyson 2.41 Prayer What state we are fit to pray in 2.62 Prayer to God successefull 2.73 See affliction Praise All men to praise God 2.99 Other creatures how they prayse God 2.102 Prayse the end of all we doe 2.109 Helps and meanes to prayse God 2.113 Preached The Word preached the usuall meanes of faith 1.51 Preaching how to be prized 1.54 Preparation Workes of preparation necessary 1.20 Preparation from God 1.21 Preparations remove hindrances 1.22 Progresse of preparation 1.24 Preparations not to bee rested in 1.31 Providence Instances of Gods providence 2.3 R. Rod. Sinne puts a rod into Gods hand 2.40 S. Sicknesse Sinne the cause of sicknesse 2.32 Sicknesse how from God 2.38 Extremitie of sicknesse 2.43 Naturall cause of sicknesse 2.44 How to converse with the sicke 2.47 To have recourse to God in sicknesse 2.73 Sight Foure things requisite to sight 1.55 Sinne. Aggravation of sinne 2.22 Vnhappy succession of sinne 2.31 Beginnings of sinne to bee avoided Ibid. Particular sinnes to be searçhed out 2.34 What sinnes hinder prayer 2.82 Sinceritie The boldnesse of sinceritie 1.95 Soule God by his Word heales the soule 1.137 T. Table Whence the breach of the second Table comes 2.27 W. Waiting Waiting after prayer necessarie 2.79 Weake How to judge of weake Christians 1.77 Wisdome Spirituall Wisdome to bee begged 2.23 Wittie Wicked men wittie in their Generation 2.18 Women See Affections Word See Power Worldling The course of Worldlings 2.35 Wound Fooles wound themselves 2.20 FINIS A Rescue from DEATH with a Returne of Praise PSAL. 107.17 c. Fooles because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted c. THis Psalme containeth some passages concerning Gods particular sweete Providence not onely to the Church but to other men for Hee that created all things even the meanest creature must haue a providence over all things his providence must extend it selfe as large as his creation for what is providence but a continuance of creation a preservation of those things in being that God hath given to have a being The Prophet here of purpose opposeth the profane conceits of them that thinke God sits in heaven and lets things goe on earth as if he cared not for them it was the fault of the best Philosophers to ascribe too much to second causes The Psalmist here shewes that God hath a most particular providence in every thing First hee sets it downe in generall and then hee brancheth it out into particulars especially foure wherein hee specifieth Gods providence The first instance is of those
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
of the largenesse of his heart he expresseth the same thing in many words therefore I shall not need to make any scruple in particularizing of them because there is not so much heed to bee given in the expressions of a large heart as to be punctuall in every thing First he begins with prayse Oh tâ—at men would therefore praise the Lord c. It is a duty as I said before fit for Angels fit nay it is performed by them For it is all the worke they doe it is the onely worke that was religious that Adam did in Paradise and that we shall doe in heaven with God therefore we are never more in Heaven then when we take all occasions of blessing and praising God wee are never in a more happie estate It is a duty therefore we should ayme at and the rather because it is the fruite and end of all other duties whatsoeuer what is the end of all the good we doe but to shew our thankfulnesse to God the end of our fruitfulnesse in our place that others may take occasion to glorifie God What is the end of our hearing To get knowledge and grace that wee may be the better able to prayse God in our mouths and in our lives What is the end of receiving the sacrament nay what is the duty it selfe a thanksgiving what is the end of prayer to begge graces and strength that so we may carry our selues in our places as is fit that so wee may not want those things without which we cannot so well glorifie God so the end of all is to glorifie God It is the end that God intended in all he framed all things to his owne prayse in the creation Why hath God given man reason here upon the stage of the world to behold the creatures Rom. 1. that seeing in the creature the wisedome of God in ordering of things the goodnesse of God in the vse of things and the power of God in the greatnesse of things the huge vast heaven and earth hee might take occasion to glorifie and magnifie this God to thinke highly of him to exalt him in our thoughts that his creatures heaven and earth be so beautifull and excellent what excellencie is in God himselfe And as the end of creation so in redemption all is for his glory and prayse in Ephesians 1. how sweetly doth Saint Paul set forth the end of it To the glory of his rich mercie and grace To bee mercifull to sinners to giue his owne sonne for God to be come man not for man in that estate as Adam was in innocencie but for sinners for God to triumph ouer sin by his infinite mercy here is the glory of his grace shining in the Gospell all is for the glory and prayse of God there And for particular deliverances in Psal. 50. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me his deliverances of us in the passages of our life is that we may glorifie him by taking notice in imminent dangers of some of his attributes when there is no meanes of deliverance of his power and goodnes c. In Revel 4. The Elders are brought in praysing God for the work of creation and then in the fifth for redemption Thou art worthy for thou hast redeemed vs so indeed the worke of creation redemption and the particular passages of Gods providence and protection and preservation they are matter of prayse in heaven and earth among Gods people Now to name a few helpes and meanes to performe this duty the better If we would stirre up our selues to prayse God let us consider our owne vnworthinesse As in prayer there must be a humble heart for a man will not seeke abroad if hee haue somewhat at home poverty of spirit and humilitie of heart makes a man pray so it is the humble soule that praiseth God that sees no desert in it selfe this is one way to help us to prayse God to see nothing in our selues why God should so regard us as to giue us our lives for a prey to set his loue on us and to follow us with good nay we haue deserved the contrary that God should leave us and expose us to misery rather then to watch over us by his providence what is in vs It is he that hath made vs and not wee our selves he made us again when we were sinners when wee were worse then naught therefore to humble us we must consider our owne vnworthinesse hee that knowes himselfe vnworthy of any favour hee will bee thankfull even for the least as we see in Iacob I am lesse then the least of all thy favours therefore he was thankfull for the least so wee see here in the text these men are stirred vp to prayse God they saw no other helpe no worthinesse in themselues they were at the gates of death in a desperate estate O that such men would praise God indeed such men are fittest to praise God that can ascribe help to nothing but to God to no second causes Therfore in the next place as a branch of the former if we would praise God dwel not on the second causes if God use second causes in any favour he bestowes on vs either in keeping us from any ill or bestowing any good coÌ„sider it as a means that God might dispence with that he might use if he would or not vse See God in the second causes rise from them to him Art thou healed by Physick Use Physicke as a meanes but see God in it but if God hath cured thee without Physick without ordinary meanes then see him more immediatly doing good to thee without the helpe of second causes that is one way to helpe us to prayse God to see him in every favour and deliverance for what could second causes doe if hee should not giue a blessing especially prayse him when he hath immediately done it as he can did not he make light before there was a sunne he is not tyed to giue light by the sunne and hee made waters before hee made the clouds hee is not tied to the clouds therefore especially prayse God when wee haue deliverance we know not how without meanes immediatly from the goodnes and strength of God Againe if wee would praise God for any favour consider the necessitie and vse of the favour wee pray for as these men here they were at Deaths doore and loathed all manner of meate alas they had died if God had not helped them If thou wouldest blesse God consider what a miserable stare thou should be in if thou hadst not that favour to praise God for If thou be to blesse God for thy sences put case thou shouldest want thy sight what a miserable case thou shouldest be in so for any of the sences that a man wants whereby hee should glorifie God and take the comfort of