from being lost in the first sence and meaning of that word And there is o◅e that will saue from destruction those that are ready to perish and thee among others that will deliuer from damnation those that are already iudged and thee as well as others and that wil pluck out of the iawes of death out of the snares of Satan and out from the gates of hell those that were ready to be swallowed vp and deuoured as a pray and thee assoone as others so to recouer thee from being lost in the sense and meaning of the word And this seeker is of that diligence wisdome that he cannot be disappointed of finding this sauiour is of that goodnes power that he will not and cannot be letted from sauing whom hee intendeth to deliuer of whom the Apostle to the Hebrewes saith He is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them And who is this diligent seeker that can and will so certainely finde who is this mightie Sauiour that can and will so certainely preserue it is the Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God the sauiour of mankind of whom the Euangelist yea himselfe the Euangelist onely reporting his words saith The sonne of man is come to seeke and saue that which was lost So that if any man be gone astray if any man bee out of the knowledge and care of God his keeper Iesus came to seeke him And if any were worthy to perish and already by sentence giuen adiudged to perish such is the condition of all men Iesu◅ is come to saue him And it is worthy obseruation that he saith The sonne of man came to seeke the sonne of man came to saue as making this seeking and sauing of them that were lost to be the onely end as indeed it was of his comming into the world For this cause was he conceiued by the Holy Ghost for this purpose was he borne of the Virgin Mary to this end and for the effecting of this saluation was the sonne of God made the sonne of man yea for this and for this onely did he fulfill all righteousnes and yeelded obedience euen to the death of the crosse that he might seeke and find them that were gone astray and that he might recouer and saue them that were lost so that hee that shall deny these things to be truely intended and fully performed by Iesus Christ doeth make idle and fruitlesse the incarnation and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and denieth the vertue of the death and bloudsheding of the sonne of God Let our afflicted sinner consider these things and set his heart on worke to meditate vpon them and it will come to passe that whereas before the remembrance of his lost estate was cause of heauines vnto him the same very condition shall giue him comfort and hope and saue him as an argument to proue him to be one of those for whom Iesus Christ died to saue them For if it be true that the lord Iesus came to seeke and to saue them that were lost and be also true that ◅e is lost then it must also be true that Iesus Chist came to seeke to saue him The Lord Iesus said to the woman of C◅naan I am not sent but vnto the lost ◅eepe of the house of Israel Vnto those lost sheepe hee was sent and to none other So that if our afflicted sinner see himselfe to be a lost sheepe there is hope that the Lord Iesus was ◅ent for yea it is most sure that he was sent for him sent to seeke him sent to saue him whereas if he had a proud opinion of himselfe as had the Pharises that he were not as other men for so gloried hee saying O God thanke thee that I am not as other men or if he nourished a careles opinion of himselfe as doe the contemners of the world that he were in no danger for so doe they flatter themselues saving Wee are deliuered though we haue done all these abominations Then Iesus indeed should not profit him for hee came for none such He saith of himselfe I am not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance In this very name therefore that he is a lost sinner a sinner worthy to perish he may comfort himselfe in Iesus Christ and hope to be saued by him that came to seeke and saue that which was lost Let me in a few words briefely and plainely open to this sinner his estate what it is in himselfe and what it is in Iesus Christ that as in himselfe hee seeth cause of griefe and feare so in Iesus Christ he may see cause of hope and reioicing if hee looke into himselfe and consider what he is by birth what he is by kind and what he hath manifested and declared himselfe to bee by his life and conuersation surely hee is and shall find himselfe to be a lost creature and a child of wrath for he shall find nothing in himselfe but sinne deseruing eternall dest◅uction he shall find that hee was conceiued in sinne that he was borne in iniquitie and that he liued in sinne not onely in the daies of his first ignorance whi◅e sinne reigned without resistance in his mortall body but also in the daies of knowledge sinne yet remaining and misleading him into many errors and it ◅ thus not onely in him but euen in all ◅en and among all others euen in the elect of God in Gods owne peculiar people euen they at home and in themselues are lost creatures dead in sinnes and by sinnes deseruing eternall death The Angell appearing to Ioseph said vnto him of the child conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin Mary Shee shall ◅ing forth a sonne and thou shalt call his ◅me Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Those whom his father gaue vnto him therefore called his people them he saueth he saueth them from their sinnes By which speech it is plainly intimated that euen they considered in themselues are lost by their sins And so is our afflicted sinner considered in himselfe with respect to his kind to his birth and to his life hee is lost hee is a child of perdition and therein hee hath cause to be humbled and to feare the iustice of God But let not the sinner gaze so long vpon this his naturall estate that his dazled eies should after be vnable to look any higher such a view of this our naturall condition as may serue to beate downe the pride of flesh and bloud and to bring vs vnto true humilitie and to the deniall of our selues before God is sufficient Let him therefore after consider him selfe in another and view his conditiō estate in Iesus Christ by vertue of his holy calling of his second birth namely his regeneration and hee shall find himselfe another man He shall find that God hath
edified and walked in the feare of the Lord and were multiplied by the comfort of the holy Ghost And this conuersion of Saul with the churches peace growing thereby some haue ascribed vnto Stephens prayer as an intermediate cause who while they stoned him kneeled downe and cryed with a lowd voyce Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Of which prayer of Stephen Austin in his fourth Sermon of the Saints hath this saying If Stephen had not thus prayed the Church should not haue had Paul but therfore was Paul being fallen from his horse raised from the earth because when Stephen with bowed knees was fallen to the ground hee was heard in his prayer Therfore thogh thou hast not oportunitie to admonish thy remote aduersary yet pray vnto God for his conuersion Thou knowest not whether God wil heare thy praier and shorten thy trouble by changing the mind of thy troubler If it be to bewrought by a remoue and that remoue to be made by death therein thou hast nothing to do before-hand but to maintaine that resolution that alwaies ought to be in all Christians namely to yeeld to the wil of God and to approue his worke as well in killing as in giuing life and as well in our selues as in others And if it please God to take away thine enemy then is it thy part to praise his name that suffereth thy peace to out-liue thine enemies fury but neither worke it nor desire it nor reioyce in it as a calamity happened to thine enemy or to his house much lesse offer violence to thy self that may free thee from short troubles but it will surely plunge thee into eternall troubles If God haue appointed to shorten thy troubles by remouing either thy troubler from thee or thee from thy troubler by distance of place that you may be yet further a sunder and the one out of the reach of another as opportunity is offered wisdome will aduise thee what to doe For the departure of an enemie a wise man said A bridge of gold should be made to further his speedy passage rather then to stay him with any impediment And it is at thy liberty flying from the swords point of persecution and malice to remooue from one City to another But if God be pleased to maintaine against thee the enemy that he hath stirred vp thy chiefe casting of thy burden vpon God is by patience to possesse thy soule bearing quietly what thou canst not shake off by hearty praier to sollicite the maiesty of the most high God to free thee from thine enemy when it pleaseth him and in the meane time to giue thee wisdome to suffer as thou oughtest to his pleasure Thus much how to cast the burden of remote troubles vpon God when thy troble groweth from the malice of remote enemies that offer wrong vnto thee Sometimes thou art not hurt by remote enemies but rather art greeued for remote frindes or strangers for whose calamity thou are affected with heauinesse Sometime in regard of common humane nature because they are men as thou art and it grieueth thee that any of thine owne kinde should suffer such calamity sometime in regard of common holy religion because they worship the same God and beleeue in the same Sauiour that thou doest and it greueth thee that any of thy faith and religion and any true worshipper of thy God should indure such misery For direction to cast this burden vpon God there needeth no long discourse because I feare there are not many that beare any such burden of sorrow for others misery or vpon whom it lieth heauy if they sorrow at all or vpon whom it abideth long if it be heauy Selfloue permitteth vs not to mourne for the calamity of other men when we are at case our selues The Butler in Pharaoes court when hee had once recouered his owne place and honour neuer regarded nor was moued with Iosephs imprisonment The chiefe Butlar did not remember Ioseph but forgat him And those wounds neuer enter deepe in our hearts which we only see or heare in others and feele not in our selues and the teares that fall from our eies for other mens miseries quickly drie vp If Amos liued in this selfe-delighting and neighbour contemning age wanton and excessiue one way but wanting and pitilesse another way he would surely crie out againe as before he did saying They drinke wine in bowles and annoint themselues with the chiefe ointments but no man is sorry for the afflictions of Ioseph that is euery man cherisheth himselfe delicately but no man regardeth how other men fare Yet because God hath alwaies his a mercifull father mercifull children because some there are of tender hearts that mourne with them that mourne and haue put on as the Apostle speaketh tender mercy and kindnesse to satisfie them I pray them to call to remembrance the three rules giuen before iâ—… the case of like griefe for frindes most neare First so farre as distance of place betweene thee and them the small acquaintance that thou hast with them and thy weake means will suffer afford them thy best helpe Egypt afforded food to Canaan when famine was sort in that land The King of Moab gaue entertainment to Dauids father and to his whole houshold when Sauls displesure was heauy to them in Israel Dauid had Ziklag giuen him to dwell in when he could not be safe in Iuda Mercy by hospitality succoureth many strangers that by famine warre and other calamities cannot remain in safety at home If thou be grieued for the calamity of them that dwell farre off affourd thy best helpe thou shalt make lesse thy sorrow for their calamity while thou makest lesse their calamity by thy mercy Therefore did the brethren among the belieuing Gentiles make collections to send to the poore Saints at Ierusalem Secondly vse patience in this case and till God put an end to their miseries glorifie thou God in his iudgments that so exerciseth truth humbleth correcteth and punisheth Lastly pray vnto God for them that in his iudgements he will be pleased to remember mercy and to spare the sheepe of his owne pasture if they be true worshippers or at least that he will spare the worke of his owne hands whatsoeuer they be and forgiuing their sinnes that he will giue them repentance that they may come to the knowledge of him and of his truth and in the end be deliuered from his fiery wrath In these three things iâ—… helping mercifully in bearing patiently and in praying fruently consisteth the right manner of casting our burden of griefe and sorrow for other mens calamities vpon God And so haue wee considered of this third secular burden of more remote troubles which hath great affinity with the burden of more nigh and domesticall troubles and differeth onely in respect of the persons by whom thou art wronged and for whom thou art grieued in that they are
Chapter we shall finde it to be not any particular transgression of any or of all the precepts of the law but a wil-full opposition of our heart against as I may call it the body of religion first rightly vnderstoode and certainely knowne to be the true religion of God and vpon no other cause but out of meere enuie The Pharises heard the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ and saw his miracles and knew him to bee that sonne of Dauid that Messias that was promised they knew his doctrine to be holy and heauenly and his workes to bee wrought by the finger of God Yet because the people honoured him and vpon the sight of his miracle when hee healed the man that was possessed of a diuell and was both blind and dumbe because they then cryed out saying Is not this that sonne of Dauid They therefore out of enuy and mallice without any other cause gaue it out concerning him saying He casteth out Diuels no otherwise but by Belzebub the prince of Diuels Indeuoring by these wordes to perswade the people that he was a wicked man risen vp out of Hell set vp by the Prince of diuels and assisted with his power to publish the doctrine of diuels and to vphold his kingdome so slaundering the person of Christ the workes of Christ and the doctrine of Christ all which many of them knew to be heauenly and of God If they had not knowne him to bee thee sonne of God they had not beene guilty of that great sinne As the Lord said vnto them If ye were blind ye should not haue sinne your ignorance would haue cleered you from this wiâ—…full mallice But they knew his person to be sent of God his workes to be done by the finger of God and in his doctrine that he taught truely the will of God The Lord himselfe said vnto them Yee both know me and know whence I am Yet did they out of enuy detract from the glory of his workes that they might by that meanes bring both his person and heauenly doctrine into contempt And they ceased not this course of slandering his person of disgracing his workes and obscuring the truth of his doctrine laying wait also for his life for God giueth not repentance for this sinne till they had bought him with money of the traytor iudged him to be worthy of death vpon the knowne false testimonie of suborned witnesses extorted with their clamours his condemnation from an vnwilling Iudge pronouncing him iust whom he condemned for their pleasure added vnto his vniust death what reproch they could and after his resurrection corrupted the souldiers with money so causing it to be by them divulged that his disciples stole away his body out of the graue and that he did not rise againe from the dead by that course labouring out of enuy to suppresse the Gospell and doctrine of Iesus Christ which yet they knew by the illumination of the holy Ghost to be the very truth of God This malitious opposition of theirs against religion knowne to be the religion of God was their vnpardonable sinne It was not their vncharitabe proceeding against an innocent man their hiering of a seruant to betray his master their suborning of false witnesses against a iust person their corrupting of a Iudge to giue sentence to their liking though vniust nor the hyâ—…ing of bold men to spred a lie among the credulious multitude nor yet the cruell and vniust murdering of the Lord of life Though all these were grieuous sinnes for many were pardoned both of the people and of their gouerners that had their handes in all this iniustice though they had not so deepe a reaâ—… so enuious a purpose of ouerthrowing by his ouerthrow the religion which they knew to be of God as most of the Priestes and Pharises had many I say were pardoned that had their handes in the iniustice done to our sauiour for he praied for them saying Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe and that praier of his could not be in vaine But in the cunning fellowes both among the people and their goueruors that knew him and whence he was and how he wrought and what he taught and that all was of God this was their vupardonable sin that they vsed al that falshood corruption and cruelty both during his life and in his death only to this end to hinder the course of his doctrine as they say plainely in their councell If we let him thus alone all men will beleeue in him When they knew that doctrine taught by him wherein they would not haue the people to beleeue to be the very truth of God This is the vnpardonable sinne called blasphemie against the Holy Gost because it flaundereth and disgraceth the truth of God which was made knowen vnto them so made to shine in their hearts by the Holy Ghost called the spirit of truth because it leadeth into all truth This sinne is a common sinne of diuels that know God and maliciously seeke his dishonor that know the groundes of true and holy religion and enuiously seeke to depraâ—…e them to corrupt them and if they could to abolish them out of the world desiring nothing more then to disgrace the truth of God among men This sin is sometime but rarely found amongst men and in examination thy sinne will bee found not to be this sinne and therefore not to be vnpardonable which is a great ground of hope to build vpon First the sinne of him that is pressed with the generall and confused accusation of an euill and hypocriticall heart cannot be this sinne that being naturally the estate of all men that come into the world they are borne with a heart deceitfull and wicked aboue all things But no man can be borne guilty of blasphemy against the holy-ghost because no man is in his birth enlightned with the knowledge of true religion which knowledge must necessarily goe before this fearefull opposition Neither can this sinne bee found in them that are distinctly charged with a particular sinne or sins that were committed in the days of ignorance it cannot be those sinnes For he that may fall into this vnpardonable sinne must first haue a full cleere knowledge of true religion with perswasion that it is the trueth But the ignorant man wanteth that cleere knowledge And hee is far enough from this sinne Neither can it be found in them that sinne against knowledge but out of weakenesse either surprised with a sudden temptation or led captiue with a strong and violent temptation for when these men are at libertie to consider what they haue done they haue no pleasure in it But that vnpardonable sinne is a voluntary wilfull and malicious opposition against the knowne truth out of their enuy not induring the glory of Christ in his Gospel Neither can any particular breach of any one Commandement nor all the breaches of all the
with the balme of comfortable words heale the wounds of our grieued soules It is the saying of S. Austin Good men euen in this life affoord vs no small comforts for if pouerty pinch vs if sorrow make vs sad if paine in our body afflict vs if banishment or any calamity vex vs if good men be present which know how to reioyce with them that reioice and to weepe with them that weepe and in conference to speake healthful things vnto vs those sharpe things are made maruellously gentle those heauy things are made easie and those aduersities are borne and ouercome For in a good man that hath bowels of cōpassion it is most true that one saith aegrotanti animo medicus est oratio his words will heale a grieued mind Thus much of the person instructed CHAP. 4. NOw we come to the instruction Cast thy burden vpon the Lord and he shall nourish thee he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer This instruction consisteth of two parts the first is a precept of aduice the second is a promise of recompence The precept is in these words Cast thy burden vpon the Lord The promise is in the rest and he shall nourish thee he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer This promise giueth assurance of mercy from God according to our want and desire and the precept directeth vs a sure course to seeke and speed of that wanting and desired helpe In the precept Cast thy burden vpon the Lord for the better vnderstanding thereof it will be good to consider first what this burden is secondly what it is to cast this burden vpon God These things vnderstood the precept is vnderstood The name of a burden is familiar many poore men liue by bearing burdens and know wel the meaning of that name when they feele the waight vpon their shoulders But here it is vsed in a borrowed sence for any thing that is heauy to the mind breeding feare care and griefe of which burdens there is great plenty in the world and euery man high and low at one time or other is faine to play the porter and beare some of these burdens some more heauy and some more easie but euery man some For order sake we may endeauour to bring these burdens vnto certaine heads vnder which if not all for this fruitfull world breedeth new burdens daily yet the most may be comprehended And because in some of these burdens we haue immediatly and at the next hand to doe with worldly matters and with men in things belonging to this life in others we haue immediatly and at the next hand to doe with spirituall matters and God himselfe in things belonging to our soules and the life to come therefore I will diuide them into secular and spirituall burdens The secular burdens shall againe be reduced to fower rankes whereof the first shall be the burden of worldly cares when a mans charge is great and his maintenance small and he taketh care how to pay his debt how to get meat and clothes and other necessaries for him and his which burden is made heauy vpon vs sometime by the immediate hand of God sending times of dearth and losses by fire and water and other waies sometime by other men as by oppressors deceiuers theeues bad debtors false seruants and riotous children sometime it is increased by our owne fault through idlenesse through plaie through foolish bargains through daintinesse of fare costly apparell and other courses of riot And this burden may be called the burden of the multitude The second ranke shall be of domesticall troubles either in thy selfe thy family thy kindred or thy habitation For where there is wealth at will and that way no cause of care yet Iob may languish being full of diseases Dauid may haue a scornfull Michol to his wife Abigail may haue a churlish Nabal to her husband Rahel may mourn for her children because they are not the sonne may be riotous and disobedient the daughter may be dishonest and between Amaon Absolon and Thamar the father of the family may haue griefe enough seruants may be vnfaithfull and perhaps maintaine factions thy kindred may be vnkind or fall into some calamity and thy next neighbour may bee thy neare and great enemy or thy house may bee visited with sickenesse so that thy trouble shall breed euen in the nest of thy rest in thine house at thy table in thy bed and in thy bones and there and from thence shall thy vexation grow where and from whence thou didst promise thy selfe comfort A third rank of these burdens shall be troubles more remote growing from enemies and occasions further of For many men haue peace at home ioy in their obedient and louing wiues comfort in their dutifull and sober children content in their trusty and faithfull seruants and sweet fellowship with their kind neighbours so that their home and habitation is their happy paradise and yet their estate may be vndermined by oppressors and deceiuers their names may be disgraced by liers and slanderers and their liues brought into danger by blood thirsty and malicious enemies and they touched with the calamities of their brethren abroad A fourth ranke of these burdens shall be the difficulties following the duties of our callings For though it be our honor and our crowne to performe the duties of our callings yet they grow diuersly to be burdens vnto vs sometime when more is required at our hands then wee are able to performe either by the fault of other men when we are called vnto publique seruices before we be ◅ipe and fit for them or by our owne great fault when we either couetously or ambitiously intrude into callings that we are insufficient for seeking the reward and honor of the place without regard of the seruice to be done in it Sometime we are sufficient and also painfull and yet either God denieth successe to exercise vs therby or men oppose against vs as Elimas did against the preaching of Paul Sometime men are sufficient diligent and effect the seruice laudably but enuious men misinterpret and misreport their doings as the Pharisies did the workes of our Lord Iesus Christ and in stead of praise they are rebuked and reprooued and in stead of deserued and expected reward they are in danger of punishment In all these cases the duties of our callings in themselues honorable yet become heauy burdens vnto vs. Vnder these foure heads I suppose all secular and worldly burdens may be comprehended There are other burthens wherein we haue to doe immediatly with God in things that belong to piety to peace of conscience to the life to come Those may be reduced to two heads The first head and ranke of these burdens are our sinfull lusts our inbred corruptions and infirmities and the law of sinne in our members rebelling against the lawe of our mind whereby it commeth to passe that
illustration of the doctrine rising out of these places of Scripture Let me alledge an example or two wherein you shall see the true practise of these holie rules While Abraham hauing left his seruants went with his sonne Isaac to the place where he was commanded to offer him vp for a burnt offering vnto God Isaac spake vnto Abraham his father and said My father and he answered Heere am I my sonne And he said Behold the fire and the wood but where is the Lambe for the burnt offering then Abraham answered My sonne God will prouide him a Lambe for a burnt offering Heere is a notable example of casting our burden vpon God Abraham was a true beleeuer and in a case of no small trouble burden to his soule he faithfully intended to doe as God had commanded him and for the successe of all the businesse he laid all vpon God and left it to the disposition of his good pleasure saying God will prouide so must we doe and this is to cast our burden vpon the Lord. When Iacob to shunne the fury of his brother Esau from whom hee had won his father Isaacs blessing and also to the end that hee might marrie in his kinred and not with a daughter of Canaan as Esau had done was sent by his father Isaac in poore estate with his staffe in his hand toward his vnckle Laban by the way he vowed a vow saying if God will be with me wil keep mein this iourny which I go and wil giue me bread to eat cloths to put on so that I come againe vnto my fathers house in safetie then the Lord shall be my God c. And vpon this vow and praier ma le Iacob went forward Here was a right casting of his burden vpon God while desiring moderatly things necessary for him for his foode for his clothing for his safety and for his returne hee seeketh them by no wrong courses nor afflicteth his soule with care for them but meekly by praier beggeth them at the hands of God When Dauid fled from Ierusalem be cause of the rebellion of his sonne Absolom and it was told him that Ahitophel that great polititian was ioyned with Absolom being then in great heauinesse as hauing a great burden fallen vpon him going vp the Mount of Oliues with his head couered his feete bare and weeping as he went he praied vnto God and said O Lord I pray thee turne the counsel of Ahitophel into foolishnesse And afterward when in his way Shemei had railed vpon him and Abishaâ—… in his heroical indignation would haue taken off the railers head Dauid said to Abishai and to all his seruants behold my sonne which came out of mine owne bowels seeketh my life then how much more now may this sonne of Iemini suffer him to curse for the Lord hath bidden him It may be that the Lord will looke on mine affliction and doe mee good for his cursing this day Here doeth Dauid turne his burden vpon the shoulders of God while he referreth all to his pleasure and maketh request vnto him for helpe vfing in the meane time much patience The places of Scripture before alledged and these examples added for illustration doe teach vs in generall maner for all burdens whatsoeuer that thâ—…s is to put them off from our owne shoulders and to lay them vpon the shoulders of God our strong helper namely if in our troubles wee remember God thinke vpon his couenant and promises his truth and faithfulnesse his wisdome mercy and power and thereupon pray vnto him for his helpe referring our businesse wholy to his pleasure patiently expecting and thankfully accepting what issue he shall be pleased to send Thus much for this point what it is to cast our burden vpon the Lord considered generally without reference vnto any particular branch of our burdens CHAP. VI. NOw we are more particularly to consider of this point of casting our burden vpon the Lord with particular reference vnto those rankes of our burdens remembred before But before I begin with them seeing wee must speake of particulars I will by way of caueat tell you of certaine particular burdens that men doe cast vpon God against his liking and they are not so much burdens lying heauy vpon themselues whereof they seeke to be cased by the strength and mercy of God as they are burdens which with pleasure they binde and cast vpon God to vex him withall Such burdens wee are not here warranted to cast vpon God These burdens are of two kinds by two kinds of men prepared The first kind of these burdens is the ceremonious worship of God not accompanied with true reuerence in our hearts nor with the conformable practise of godlinesse in our liues This burden God doth complaine of by the Prophet Esay saying Bring no more oblations in vaine incense is an abomination vnto me I cannot suffer your new Moones nor Saboths nor solemne daies it is iniquity nor solemne assemblies My soule â—…ateth your new Moones and your appointed feasts they are a burden vnto me I am weary to beare them And when you shall stretch out your hands I wil hide mine eies from you They were formall in the outward seruice of God therein they did well but because they wanted the reuerend feare of God and their hands were defiled with the bloud of their oppressions and cruelties therefore their dutifull formality was abhorred of him that loueth truth in the inward affections though the ceremonies of that formality had been appointed by himselfe This burden is the pleasure of hypocrites and by them prepared to weary the Lord withall by such as feare men more then they feare God and loue the praise of men more then the praise of God and draw neare vnto God with their mouthes and honour him with their lips but they remoue their hearts far from him and are like vnto painted Sepulchers shining without and stinking within so they appeare vnto men to be holy but within they are full of hypocrisie and in secret commit all iniquity This inward and hidden wickednesse is it that disgraceth their otherwise laudable outward and open obedience The second kind of these burdens is an open wicked life when men cast off both the feare of God and also modesty so that they neither make conscience of their doings in regard of God neitheir make dainty of doing open euil for feare of the opinion of men Of this burden the Lord complaineth by the Prophet Amos saying Behold I am pressed vnder you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues If a Cart be ouerladen it lieth heauy vpon the Axeltree that maketh a whining and groning noise and sometime breaketh laying both Cart and loade in the dust So presse they God with the loade of their sinnes vntill hee grone vnder them and complaine by his Prophets and at last ouerthroweth them casting both them and their sins by
thee then as thou desirest an end of the trouble that they put thee to so desire that God will giue them a better and wiser heart This rule is included within that more generall rule of our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell I say vnto you loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that hurt you and persecute you If we ought to pray vnto God for all that hurt vs then also for them of our owne house habitation and kindred that hurt vs and so much the rather for those at home and so neere vnto vs because they haue more opportunity to hurt vs then they that are farther of And what are we to begin praier for them Two things one that God would forgiue their fault which we also must forgiue Another that he will giue them a heart to see and to amend their fault God in his holy iustice doth therefore many times stir vp domesticall troubles to men because they are negligent in domesticall praier neuer commēding vnto God either husband or wife child seruant kinsman friend or neighbour neuer making any request for grace and wisedome to bee giuen vnto them When Dauid had brought the Arke of the Lord into the place that he had prepared for it vpon the hill of Sion and had offered burnt offerings and peace offerings it is said that he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hoasts that is he praied the Lord of hoasts to powre downe his blessings vpon them and hauing distributed flesh and bread and wine among them and they therewith being departed home it is said that then Dauid returned to blesse his house that is to pray vnto God for them of his house that they might prosper and that he might liue a comfortable life among them Also Isaack praied vnto the Lord for his wife And Iacob blessed all his sonnes euery one of them blessed he with a seuerall blessing And Booz the Bethlemite comming into the field among his seruants and reapers saluteth them with a praier vnto God for them saying the Lord be with you And Daniels custome was three times a day in his house to pray vnto God who praying in his family could not in his praiers be vnmindful of his family From so holy and worthy examples learne thou to pray for thine while thou enioyest peace with them pray that they may not proue a trouble vnto thee and when thy troble growes from thē pray that God will giue them a mind more agreeable to peace So fit for the ease of thy burden is praier for them by whom thou art troubled Sometime thou art not vnkindly vsed by them yet thy trouble groweth from them while thou art grieued for some calamity hapned vnto them and takest care for ◅he helping of them In this case there is speciall neede of praier to be made for them And it is a speciall point of casting thy burden vpon God God speaking to the Israelites saith of himselfe I am the Lord that healeth thee that is all the health and helpe both of thee and thine must come only from my hand And in another place I kil and giue life I wound and I make whole That is I send sicknesse danger and hurt to make men seeke vnto me and againe I restore health safety and peace when men doe seeke vnto mee And these things being the workes of Gods owne hand they should faile very much of casting their burden vpon God that being burdened with griefe for the sicknesse and calamities of their neighbours friends kinsfolke and family should forget and neglect to pray to God for them Dauid praied for his child in a most humble and earnest manner when it was sicke For Dauid besought God for the child and fasted and went in and lay all night vpon the earth The Centureon whose faith is commended in the Gospell praied vnto the Lord Iesus for his sicke seruant saying vnto him master my seruant lieth sick at home of the palsie and when Herod had cast Peter into prison with purpose after the feast to bring him forth to the people to be slaine earnest praier was made of the Church vnto God for him The saints of God haue alwaies obserued this as a most safe and sure rule of casting their burdens vpon God when they were troubled and grieued for the sicknesse and calamitie of others to pray vnto God for them to restore their health their peace their liberty and their comfort that in the recouered comfort of them that were afflicted they might recouer comfort that were afflicted for them There is therefore in these domestical troubles imploiment for thy praiers to be offered to God for them either by whose meanes thou art troubled or for whose sakes thou art grieued Thirdly thou hast need to offer vp praier vnto God for the rest of thy familie of thy kindred of thy friends and of thy neighbors whether thou be wronged by the vniust and vnkind dealing or else grieued for the calamity and sicknesse of some that neither the sinne of them that wrong thee nor the calamity of them for whom thou art grieued may spread any further to the corruption and damage of the rest If Esau grieue his father Isaack and his mother Rebecca by taking a wife of the daughters of Canaan haue not Isaack and Rebecca cause to pray to God for Iaacob their other sonne that he may not doe as his brother had done when certaine of the followers of the Lord Iesus Christ had left him taking offence at some words of his concerning the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood which they vnderstood not Iesus said to the twelue will ye also goe away he was carefull that an euill example might not spread like a contagious sicknesse to corrupt the whole company of his disciples And more agreeable to the cause that wee haue in hand when Iudas one of his family the diuell entring into his hart had couenanted with the Priests and pharisies to betray his master into their hands the Lord Iesus heauily charged with a burden of trouble growing from his treason taketh occasion from his wickednesse to pray vnto his father for the rest saying Those thou gauest me haue I kept and none of them is lost but the child of perditiō that the scripture might be fulfilled And now come I to thee and these things speak I in the world that they might haue my ioy fulfilled in themselues c. The child of perdition Iudas the traitor being lost the Lord hath care of the rest and praieth for them that they might euer reioice in him Euen so euery louing man that can take pleasure in the health and honest cariage of his friends neighbours and family when one is ill at ease and when one doth giue offence he will heartily pray to God to preserue the rest that they may
of our Sauiour Iesus Christ who hanging vpon the crosse and being vnder the same temptation for other mens sins which thou art vnder for thine owne sinnes vsed the same words that Dauid did saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee I intreat this afflicted sinnet hearing the sonne of God complaine that he was forsaken of his father to tell mee his opinion whether he thinkes he was forsaken eternally or was forsaken onely for a time and whether after this forsaking God did not returne vnto him and deliuer him from all his feare If hee should answer that he thinkes hee was eternally forsaken and that God â—…turned not to deliuer him and that he was neuer deliuered from his feare it â—…ere an absurd answer For the history is plaine and cleare that though he were forsaken vnto the death and lest vnto the will of his enemies and sealed vp in his graue yet as the Prophet in his person had spoken to God before saying Thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue â—…ither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption So God dealt with him hee was not left in the graue hee did not see corruption for on the third day God raised him vp again to life Forty daies after that hee ascended vp into heauen euen with his body and now in all fulnesse of glory and maiesty he sitteth at the right hand of God So that his folly would fully bewray it selfe if he should answer that Iesus was eternally forsaken and that God returned not to deliuer him from his feare And if hee answer as truth will compell him that he was forsaken onely for a time and after inioyed againe and still inioyeth the fauour of his father then it will follow by his owne confession that all that are forsaken are not eternally forsaken and some are onely left for a time to be tried exercised and humbled and after triall taken of their faith after patience perfected and true humility wrought in them hee that had forsaken them doth gather them againe into his lap he that had left them to themselues doth again receiue them into his charge And why then may not our sinner that crieth out thus that he is forsaken of God suppose himselfe to be onely forsaken for a time And if our sinner complayning that hee is forsaken thinketh otherwise as namely that God hath forsaken him for euer I answer him first that he speaketh foolishly and out of ignorant feare that being a matter of Gods secret counsel where of it is not possible that he should haue certaine knowledge that hath not so much knowledge as hee should of Gods reuealed will Let him goe first and make himselfe better acquainted with Gods reuealed will let him study to learne and know the promises the threatnings the precepts and rules contained in Gods word And as for the secret counsell of the Lord so much as concerneth him to vnderstand God â—…ill in time by his worke make knowen â—…nto him In the meane time let him learne to keepe silence that hath no certaine knowledge of the thing whereof he presumeth to pronounce Secondly I say vnto him that the â—…nner of his temptation argueth and concludeth against his owne saying that hee is not forsaken for euer For if God had purposed to forsake him for 〈◊〉 hee would not haue laied vpon him this temptation to make him thereby to see his sinne and the danger that his sinne bringeth him into for the sight of these things is a very ready way to repentance for it maketh a man to bee truly displeased with his sinne and it â—…aketh him restlesly carefull and desirous to winde himselfe out of the danger and it doth awake him with a witnesse out of his old security But rather if the Lord had intended his eternall reâ—…ection hee would haue rocked him asleep in his security with continual prosperity and much peace after the manner of the world that he might haue had no cause to feare sinne so long as the prodigall sonnes prosperity lasted hee neuer thought of returning home to his fathers house That surely is the way to scale vp sinners in their security and to keepe them from all thought or all desire or at least from all resolution with speede for to leaue sinne And so vseth God to deale with them whom hee forsaketh for euer As Iob obserued saying vnto God Wherfore doe the wicked liue and wax old and grow in wealth their seed is established in their sight with them and their generation before their eies Marke in the next words what followeth Their houses are peaceable without feare and the rod of God is not vpon them They are not troubled with any temptation like thine Their Bullocke gendereth and faileth not their Cow calueth and casteth not her Calfe They send forth their children like sheepe and their sonnes dance They take the Tabret and Harpe and reioyce in the sound of the Organs They spend their daies in wealth and suddenly goe downe to the graue Thus for the most part God dealeth with them whom he meaneth to forsake for euer And this continuall prosperity most kindly locketh vp all the powers of their soule in security as in a dead sleepe that they neuer intend repentance but are confirmed in their sinne and in the contempt of God As Iob in the same place noteth in the very next words saying They say also vnto God depart from vs wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies who is the almighty that wee should serue him and what profit shall we haue if wee should pray vnto him Thus continuall prosperity shuttâ—…th vp the heart in security and bringâ—…th the wicked asleepe in sinne whereas no temptation that can come vnto a man doth so kindly waken the heart and open the eies of a sinner to see his sinne to hate his sinne to forsake his sinne to turne to God and to seeke pardon by repentance as doth this tentatiâ—… of thine Thinke rather that God is gâ—…thering thee to himselfe and laies this burden vpon thee to stay thee from râ—…nning still from him then that hee hath eternally forsaken thee But against this fearefull perswasion oâ—… finall forsaking the best of all arguments is the gracious maner of the Lords merciful dealing with his people whom yet hee dealeth withall no lesse sharply then he hath now dealt with thee The Prophet Esayâ—… sets downe that manner of the Lords dealing and deliuers it in the words of Gâ—…d himself saying For a litlâ—… while haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy redemer This is Gods manner these are his owne words Now let vs compare thy words with these words of God and see how neare thou comest to his truth I hou saist God hath forsaken