not sown It is love and kindness indeed to follow God in a Wilderness of temptations and tryals to love him even when we groan under sad Distempers and can feel nothing as it were but signs of his displeasure The World is apt to think that Believers love God only for what they gain by his service as though their love to God was purely mercinary as the Devil said Doth Job fear God for nought c. Job 1.9 10 11. so Job 2.4 5. The Devil said Skin for Skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life but put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face God as you read afterwards suffered the Devil sorely to afflict Job vers 6 7 8. Yea Job's Wife took the Devils part as you see vers 9. The Devil handed over a temptation to him by his Wife hoping thereby to prevail with Job as he did by the Wife prevail with Adam Gen. 3.6 But the Devil could not nor Job's Wife that crooked Rib that cross piece to help him cause that good Man to curse his God See how sharply he rebukes her for her folly vers 10. Thou speakest as one of the foolish Women speaketh What shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil In all this or hitherto did not Job sin with his lips And though we read afterwards of his cursing the day of his birth Chap. 3. and of other rash speeches proceeding from him Chap. 6. and elsewhere Yet his resolution was Not to let go his integrity so long as he lived Job 27.5 6. Here was a full proof of the sincerity of his love to God and strength of his Christian courage For if thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small Prov. 24.10 4. And lastly Prayer Sickness sets Prayer awork like trouble Psal 18.4 5 6. Psal 88. per totum Psal 116.3 4. so Isa 26.16 Lord saith the Prophet in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them When God visits his People with sickness or some such like affliction then especially they visit him with prayers Prayers which before did but as it were drop out now and then a prayer are in time of trouble frequently and fervently put up unto God Christ in his agony prayed more earnestly Luk. 22.44 Thus when the outward man is ready to perish or decay through sickness or some such like affliction then the inward Man is renewed i. e. gathereth strength Isa 40.31 by daily pressures 2 Cor. 4.16 As the * Depressa resurgit Ps 92.12 Palm-tree the more it is drepressed the more it flourisheth As Jacob said to Laban Gen. 30.30 It was but little which thou hadst before I came but it is now encreased to a multitude And the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming So may sickness say to many a child of God It was but little in comparison which thou hadst before my coming but little Faith Patience Love to God Devotion c. but now it is much encreased Divine Graces like Torches in a dark night shine brightest ' midst manifold afflictions Let us now come to Use and Application which through Gods blessing may be most profitable Vse 1 1. This consideration should be a Cordial to comfort us in sickness It should make thee and me patient under sickness when God is pleased to send it Nothing befals us but what befals God's dearest Servants David Job Hezekiah Paul Epaphroditus and others as you have heard even the bravest-spirited the wisest the holiest have been sorely visited with sickness There is no temptation i. e. affliction hath taken you but what is humane so the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as it is rendred common to Man 1 Cor. 10.13 Yea to the best of men and being thus ordinary it may be the better endured Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris So then as the Author to the Hebrews speaks Seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses I add with so many examples of good men in sickness Let us run with patience Heb. 12.1 As Phocion said to one that was condemned to the same death with him Art thou not glad to fare as Phocion doth So shall not we be glad or at least be content and patient under sickness seeing we fare no worse than God's dearest Servants do Nay let us cast our eyes abroad and we shall find many our betters by far in Grace far more afflicted than our selves be with sickness Our sickness being neither so violent nor so permanent as theirs Now shall not we be content to sip of that bitter Cup which they drink so deeply of Epaphroditus's sickness besides the violence thereof was cloathed with this sad circumstance that he was * Muscul in loc Procul à suis remotus He was far from home in a strange place But we at home amongst friends and acquaintance who are at hand to give friendly visits and to minister to our necessities Vse 2 2. This consideration should strike terrour into the hearts of impatient wretches If sickness and pain be the condition of Gods dear Servants here what will be the portion of the wicked hereafter in the day of their visitation If they who shall be Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 be in such a sick condition that they know not what to do which way to turn them for ease how easeless and painful will their condition one day be who are Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Rom. 9.22 see 1 Pet. 4.17 For the time is come it may be rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Original that it is the season that judgment begin at the House of God and if it first begin at us what shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel of God Now in this life judgments i. e. chastisements Psal 7.11 befall God's dear Servants for their sinful infirmities who are here called the House of God for they are the Temples of the Holy-Ghost 1 Cor. 3.16 and if judgment begin at us first what shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospel However for the present they live become old yea are mighty in power as Job speaks Job 21.7 And their Houses are safe from fear neither is the Rod of God upon them vers 9. Yet their end will be sad vers 30. The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction They shall be brought forth to the day of wrath So the Psalmist whether Asaph or David it is uncertain stumbled at the prosperity of the wicked Psal 73.2 3. He saw they lived merrily here and when they died they died without much pain in their sickness for saith he vers 4. There are no bonds that is See Dr. Hammond in Psalm 73.4 no pangs in their death q. d. Their death is not caused by those violent and painful
thine own flesh thy Brethren and Kinsfolk bestow thine estate on these that they may bless thee and pray for thee and let thine own hands in thy life-time be thine Executors or else others may take possession of thine Estate who may be will not thank thee or may prodigally consume it See Eccles 2.18 19. and Eccles 4.8 And Salvian tells thee the naked truth Salvian ad Eccles Cath. l. 3. p. 459. Vides extortas lachrymas simulata suspiria fictam anxietatem non optantem ut convalescas sed expectantem quando moriaris Vide defixos in te et quasi accusantes tui obitus tarditatem omnium vultus O infaelicem te ac miserrimum cujus supremum exitum tantus desiderat ac precatur numerus propinquonū Such may be heirs to thine estate that will feign grief at thy sickness and think it long till thou be dead Salv. ad Eccles Cath. lib. 4. p. 474. Therefore as the same Author saith Cum Christum egere videas cur tu facultates tuas in quibuscunque non indigentibus derelinquis Why do you not relieve Christ in his members who are in real want I end this with that of Solomon Eccles 3.12 Let a man rejoyce and do good in his life For as a worthy Divine saith It is the life of a Gift to be given in the life of the Giver Mr. Fuller in his Hist of Cambr. far better than Funeral Legacies which like Benjamin are born by the loss of a Parent for it is not so kindly Charity for men to give when they can keep no longer Thou sayest Thou hast none to bear thy Name Answ Indeed this the world looks upon as sad Numb 27.3.4 So the Widow of Tekoah in a parable complains they would slay her only son that was left and so not leave to her husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth 2 Sam. 14.6 7. And we find Absalom having no son to continue his memory erected a Pillar in the King's Dale and call'd it after his own name 2 Sam. 18.18 but it was Columna calumniae a Pillar of disgrace to mind the world there was once such a wicked man as Absalom was as Lot's wife's Pillar of Salt was a Monument of her shame But to answer the Plea 1. Consider To live in our Children is but a poor kind of survival for they may soon die and our memorial be buried in their graves But if they live long and be deboist they are monuments of shame to Parents The best way for men to immortalize their names and consecrate their memories to posterity is to erect a Pillar of virtuous deeds for Psal 112.6 The righteous shall he had in everlasting remembrance and v. 9. he hath dispersed he hath given to the poor his righteousness endureth for ever and then it follows his horn shall be exalted with honour So Isa 58.10 If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon-day Oh then if thy estate be great Exegi monumentum aere pereunius Hor. build an Hospital or repair Gods material Temple or relieve the living Temples of the holy Ghost by this means thou shalt get a good name and be remembred in future ages Thy worth shall be engraven in lasting characters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. not to be razed out by the hand of time Good men will commend thee whilst living and when dead a good report like a sweet perfume Eccles 7.1 will accompany thee to the grave so that thou shalt be buried in the odour of a good name How will people be talking of thy good works as the Widows shewed Peter the Coats and Garments which Dorcas made whilst she was with them Act. 9.39 They 'l say such a man was a good Landlord a good housekeeper a very charitable person c. As Cornelius had a good report among all the nation of the Jews for he was a devout man and one that feared God and gave much alms to the people Act. 10.2 22. compared And as man so God himself will remember such as Cornelius his prayers and alms are said to come up for a memorial before God Act. 10.4 With such sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.18 see Mat. 25.34 35 c. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat c. Thus you see virtuous men are embalmed with Renown they need not Children to eternize them nor need they any Monument and Epitaph to enoble them who live in the remembrance both of God and man 2 Consider If you belong to God your names are written in the Book of Life you are registred by God and matriculated in Heaven Phil. 4.3 Rev. 3.5 There is often mention made of such a book And it is * Mr. Attersal on Num. 1.5 p. 20. a borrowed speech from such records as are kept in a City wherein the names of Freemen are written Now it is exceeding matter of joy to have our names written there Luk. 10.20 Rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven This new name in the Book of Life is a name better then of Sons and Daughters an everlasting Name that shall not be cut off as you may see Isa 56.5 6th Apology answered Another cryes out I have had several Children but lost them all I have not one left to comfort me Answ 1. Consider Thy case is not singular thy betters by far have been in as bad a condition or worse Naomi was left of her Husband and two Sons in a strange land Ruth 1.5 Job who counted it no small part of his outward happiness to have his Children round about him Job 29.5 was sore troubled at the news of their sudden death Job 1.18 19 20. yet he did not repine and murmur v. 21 22. his Wife was left indeed but to be a cross to him the Divel made use of this rib as a Bow to shoot the Arrows of temptation at Jobs heart Job 2.9 10. But it is otherwise with thee under loss of Children thou hast possibly a good Husband or a good Wife or some other good Friend at hand who may say to thee as Elkanah to Hannah 1 Sam. 1.8 Am not I better to thee then ten Sons 2 Consider Children are no special evidences of Gods distinguishing love and favour Remember me O Lord saith David Psal 106.4 with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people God hath special favours for his peculiar people Now if Children were distinguishing evidences of his signal favour thou hast great cause to be troubled at the loss of them but indeed they are not as you may see Eccles 9.1 2. Nay wicked men oft have them in abundance Haman that boasted of the multitude of his Children Esth 5.11 had ten Sons hanged up together Est 9.13 so
his neck brake and he dyed 1 Sam. 4.18 So that good King Josiah 2 King 22.19 20. was suddenly cut off in War 2 King 23.29 30. So the Prophet that came out of Judah whether Shemaiah mentioned 1 King 12.22 or some other Prophet I know not neither ought we curiously to enquire or positively determine any thing where Scripture is silent yet he was a true Prophet as appeareth by his title 1 King 13.1 call'd a Man of God by the Message it self and confirmation thereof by miracles ver 4 5 6. And as a true Prophet so questionless a pious Man yet because he was too credulous in believing the lie of the old Prophet and did eat and drink contrary to God's Command a Lion met him and slew him v. 24. So blessed Stephen stoned in a popular fury was put to a sudden and violent death Act. 7.57 59. Let us not conclude any to be in a damnable state meerly because they die suddenly Indeed God threatens the Wicked with sudden destruction as Job 15.32 33 34. so Job 22.15 16. Psal 37.35 36 38. 55.23 Prov. 10.27 Eccl. 7.17 and elsewhere And I know that wicked men many times are suddenly cut off in their wickedness when they might have lived much longer as to the course of nature But all that die suddenly are not to be reputed wicked men For the Godly as you have heard may dye sudden violent and untimely deaths And the Wise-man tells you Eccl. 9.1 2. No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before him All things come alike to all there is one event to the Righteous and to the Wicked c. The Barbarians seeing the Viper on Pauls hand thinking the venom would presently have invaded his heart and vital spirits so that he would have died presently rashly concluded him to be a Murtherer and that Divine vengeance would not suffer him to live Act. 28.3 4 6. Let not Christians like these Barbarians be rash censurers of any that dye suddenly seeing that Gods dear and peculiar People may dye so 2. Consid A sudden death is best if we be prepared for it Octavius Augustus as oft as he heard of any man that had a quick passage out of this world with little sense of pain he wished for himself and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Similem Sueton. such an easie death Suddenness saith that Prodigy of Learning Mr. Hooker because it shortens grief Eccles Polit. pag. 277. should in reason be most acceptable and therefore Tyrants use what art they can to encrease the slowness of death That monster of cruelty Caius Caligula would not permit those that he put to death to be speedily dispatched his command was this Ita feri ut se mori sentiat Sueton. Strike so that they may feel themselves dying and endure the pains of an enduring death Quick riddance out of Life is often both requested and bestowed as a benefit We read Judg. 8.20 21. that Zeba and Zalmunna chose rather to fall by Gideon than by Jether his son either because it was more honorable to be killed by a man like themselves rather than by a boy Mr. Fuller in his Coment on Ruth 1 Chap. Or rather as a learned Divine observes Because the Childs want of strength would cause the more pain And he adds Better to be speedily dispatched by a violent Disease than to have ones Life prolonged by a lingring torture And Erasmus somewhere saith Si pio homini deligere fas esset mortis genus nullum arbitror magis optandum quà m subitum If it were lawful for a godly man to choose the manner of his death I think a sudden death most to be desired and he gives this reason of it because Non potest malè mori qui benè vixerit he cannot dye ill that hath lived well For though death be sudden in its self yet in regard of his preparation for it and expectation of it to him it is not sudden Improvisa nulli mors cui provida vita Sad indeed it is to dye as Onan Absalom Amnon Ananias and Sapphira and several others that we read of in Scripture who were suddenly snatcht away in their wickedness From such a sudden death Good Lord deliver us For it is a speedy downfall to the bottomless-pit of Hell But if a man live as he ought to do in continual expectation of death and so set his house and his soul in order surely sudden death is best for him for it prevents much torturing pain which others met with upon their beds of languishment and besides this it is a speedy passage into Life Eternal 3. And lastly Consid Be thy Friends death never so sudden and violent it is that death which God in his providence hath allotted him God ordaineth our end by an immutable decree See Jer. 43.11 When he commeth Dr. Abbot on Jonah 4.3 4. Lect. 26. pag. 543 he shall smite the Land of Egypt and deliver such as are for death to death and such as are for captivity to captivity and such as are for the sword to the sword This intimates that by the Providence of the Lord who did set that King on work several persons in their times are determined to their several ends We must not attribute any friends death as the Philistines would their destruction to Chance 1 Sam. 6.9 Homer speaking of Achilles that slew many worthy Grecians saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iliad α. v. 5. Joves will was fulfilled Homer though blind as some report yet saw the hand of God in their destruction And Mr. Fuller in his Coment on Ruth 2.3 4. some observe the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Fortune is not used in all his Works It was only the ignorance of true causes that made the name of Fortune Nullum numen abest si sit prudentia sed te Nos facimus fortuna Deum Juven Sat. 10. For there is nothing fortuitous in it self seeing Gods Providence orders all events Indeed some things are said to happen in Scripture Ruth 2.3.4 Luke 10.31 but this is spoken not in respect of God but in respect of us because oft-times they come to pass not only without our purpose and forecast but even against our intentions and determinations but yet those things which thus fall out are ordered by the secret working of Gods providence We read 1 Kings 22.34 A certain man drew a Bow at a venture or according to the Orig. in his Simplicity 2 Sam. 15.11 not intending to bit Ahab yet God's purpose was to have Ahab slain and accordingly it came to pass for he smote the King of Israel between the joynts of the harness and the King dyed vers 37. Thus providence orders even casual events Christ's death with the manner was decreed by God Acts 4.27 28. Of a truth against thy holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and People of Israel were gathered together
belying of God so to eye second causes as to forget the first Jer. 5.12 They have belyed the Lord and said It is not be Let not therefore loss of Friends be imputed to chance or secondary causes but to God the supream efficient For as Eliphaz saith Job 5.6 Affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground He looks too low that under loss of Earthly-Friends looks lower than the Hand of Heaven Use 2 2. Have good thoughts of God and his wayes under such losses Many at such a time have hard thoughts of God as though he dealt hardly with them and strange thoughts of his wayes as though it was in vain to serve him They have little mind to pray read hear the Word c. some refraining the Church as though they had cast off all care of Religion Satan who hath his devices to ruine souls and rob them of spiritual comfort is very busie at such a time to suggest that God intends their ruine endeavouring by this means to drive them to despair of God's mercies and withal he tells them It is in vain to serve God Hence it is that many are ready to say with that wicked King in a time of Famine 2 King 6.33 Behold this evil is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer and as they said Mal. 3.14 It is vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Even Job that eminent Servant of God lying under sad afflictions the saddest of which were the loss of his Children though you read Job 1.21 That in all this or hitherto Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly so the like you read Job 2.10 Yet afterwards when affliction did lodge with him and he began to be wet to the skin we find him uttering many unsavoury speeches In the third Chapter you find him cursing the day of his birth And Chap. 6. ver 8 9. he wisheth God would destroy him and cut him off And chapt 16.9 he said God hated him and chap. 30.21 he said God was become cruel to him So David lying under much affliction whilst the wicked prospered had much ado to keep his feet in the wayes of Godliness Psal 73.2 As for me said he my feet were almost gone my steps had well-nigh slipt and ver 13 14. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency for all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning But though God's Children through the prevalency of temptation have spoken unbeseeming things of God and his Ways yet upon second thoughts which are ever †Secundae cogitationes meliores better they have humbled themselves for such speeches So did Job Job 42.3 6 compared And the like did David Psa 73.22 he confesseth there that in speaking dishonourably of God and his wayes he had played the fool and acted the part of a Beast rather than a Christian and ver 28. he concludes That it was good for him to draw near to God It is good for us under greatest losses to draw near to God and to have good thoughts of him and his wayes for as Azariah said to Asa Judah and Benjamin 2 Chron. 15.2 The Lord is with you while you be with him And if ye seek him hee 'l be found of you but if you forsake him hee 'l forsake you So Ezra 9.22 The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him Heb. 10.38 God's Soul hath no pleasure in such as draw back they that draw back do it to their perdition v. 39. O then part not with your Religion when you part with your Friends neither have hard thoughts of God Look upon him with Scripture-Spectacles which represent him to be as indeed he is a most wise just holy faithful and merciful God Even in his terrible Acts there is abundance of his Goodness and Righteousness appears Psal 145.6 7. His end and design is as you heard in the former Treatise to purge out sin to implant holiness in thee and so to fit thee for future happiness Therefore let God be exalted in his Judgments Isa 5.16 Sing a part in that Heavenly Hymn Rev. 15.3 4. Great and marvelous are thy Works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou only art holy Use 3 3. Labour to find out the particular sin that hath provoked God to deprive thee of such a Friend or Relation and having found it confess it be deeply humbled for it pray for pardon thereof and be careful for the future to avoid it This Use I shall divide into three parts which I shall speak unto distinctly 1. Labour to find out the particular sin that hath provok'd God to deprive thee of such a Friend or Relation Nos coelestis ira ignem accendimus et excitamus incendia quibus ardeamus Salvian lib. 8. de Gub. Dei p. 288. as Salvian speaks We kindle the sparks of God's wrath that burn up all our comforts Isa 50.11 We are the cause of our own calamities Nos calamitatum nostrarum authores sumus Ibid. And he adds a little after A Deo punimur sed ipsi facimus ut puniamur Cum autem punire nos ipsi facimus cui dubium est quin ipsi nos nostris criminibus puniamus Salv. Ibid pag 288 229. quia quicunque dat causam quâ puniatur ipse se punit Our sins procure our sorrows That Cloud of Calamity that hangs black over our heads and is rained down in Judgment upon us was first raised by the ascending vapours of our sins Jer. 2.19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy backslidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God We find in a great tempest the Heathens said every one to his fellow Come and let us cast lots that we may know for whose cause this evil is come upon us Jona 1.7 They concluded it was sin that caused that fearful tempest so as a worthy * Dr. Abbot on Jonah 1.5 6. p. 77. Divine saith if any cross befal us let us straightway with fear and trembling examine our selves and enter into our consciences and sift them in sincerity as in the sight of God what sin it is that plucks this cross upon us God's People have enquired of the Lord by Prayer and deep Humiliation when disasters have befaln them as you may read Judg. 20.26 so 2 Sam. 21.1 so Jer. 16.10 Lam. 3.40 Job looked upon his sins as the procuring cause of all his miseries Job 13.23 How many are mine iniquities and my sins make me to know my transgression and my sin And before