the most comfortable word that ever was spoken Well done good and faithfull servant This is the heritage of them that feare the LORD hard words and ungodly deeds cannot discourage you now for God is with you there is your security a Christum â—sse cum Paâ—â—â— summa secuâ—itas Paulum asse cum Christo summa foelicitas 1 Thes 4. 17 18. you shal be with Him anon there is your happinesse for ever with the Lord you can comfort your selfe in these words Heare me with patience one word more touching the successe of the great work in hand and the security of this great City where the Lord hath made you a Watchman and hath found you faithfull which is your glory but in The Lord. Surely surely the work shal prosper for it is wrought by God your City shall not be destroyed for it is GODS City Surely a work carryed on with so many hands and hearts so much life and spirit love faith patience cannot be disappointed of its end And for the City b Where are many thousands that cannot speak yet is their language very moving with their Lord. Jonah 4. 11. her filthinesse is in her skirts c Lam. 1 9. Ai and upon her forehead too But yet a righteous people are there and Gaius mine Host d Rom. 16. 23. and many such as he She is a refuge to the oppressed a great Sanctuarie at this * The day of Jacobs trouble Jer. 30. 7. time and much good is found there We doe not boast of her goodnesse but we boast in The Lord Who hath instructed her to discretion To stand up for Him and His Cause above all the Cities that are or ever were in the world and at such a time Surely the Lord will watch over her her Watchmen think so too pray for her night and day And because they be such as never sought God in vaine they are bold and confident That The Lord will watch over this City for good it shal stil be said The LORD helpeth them The North shall give in unto them the south shal not keep back the East and West shall confer unto them the blessings of the Land and of the Sea But this is the complement of all Salvations will God appoint for walls and Bulwarks I will conclude with the close of a Psalm Let Ps 48. 11 12 13 mount Sion rejoyce let the daughters of Judah be glad because of Thy judgements walk about Sion and go round about her tell the towers thereof A goodly prospect and at such a time Mark ye well her Bulwarks consider her palaces that you may tell it to the generation following What shall they tell or what is this strength wherein doth it consist or where is it for it is not visible It follows For This GOD is our GOD for ever and ever He will be our guide even Psal 41. 13. unto death Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting and to everlasting AMEN and AMEN By way of Preface to the Reader INeed not tell thee what the times are how hard fierce and perillous nor how we are distracted in them so much thy very looks can tell me The news now a-dayes is so legible that he who runs may read it and in most mens faces There is a passion now quick and stirring within us which may stand us in great stead at this time as it may be ordered and pointed if in a right way and to the right object nothing can doe us better service to stay and stablish us but if out of the way and from that object nothing works us more mischiefe nothing more unsettles us It will betray all our succour it will shake us as a leafe with the wind and make us flee as a Roe before the hunter It were seasonable now to reade a Lecture upon this passion of feare not as a Philosopher but as a Christian I cannot say so I have done but I have bestowed many sad yet quiet thoughts upon its uncomfortable and unquiet motions and here I have made them legible That though the adversary doth all he can to make us afraid yet he may not have his will 1 Pet. 3. 6. so farre as to make us afraid with any amazement for we have made three Conclusions are fixed thereupon and resolved to take the Product or Result therefrom That we will doe our Duty not disquieting our selves about what The LORD will doe hereafter or what our foes are doing now The first Conclusion 1. That things stand at as great a distance from an honourable 2 King 9. 22. Peace as Israel stood when the WITCHCRAFTS of their mother Jezebel and her whoredomes were so many If one man sin against another a third may take up the difference and make an agreement betwixt them d 1 Sam. 2. 25. The case is not so here Man hath sinned against The Lord and we have provoked Him to His face by our Idolatries and bloud-shed Man shall not determine this case a case of bloud and betwixt GOD and Man There may be essayes and overtures that way to scab-over the matter but it cannot be the wound is deep much venome in the hottome it hath layne festring there these by past yeeres three or foure and now The Lord is searching into it making inquisition for bloud and before He hath done for that is His manner He will find it out and His sword shall not rest till He hath required and avenged it That is the first Conclusion The adversary makes a second That as 2. He hath done all he can by fraud so he doth and will doe all he can by force not to waste and destroy onely not to out Israel short but cleane off from being a Nation So the Psal 74. Adversary hath concluded now And now the Church makes a third Conclusion and thereon she will fixe and be established for ever 3. That God will make His Church a cup of trembling in the adversaries hand as a burdensome stone upon his Zach. 12. 2. shoulders as a torch of fire in a sheafe or amidst stubble The ver 6. Lord doth open His eyes upon His people He doth plead His owne cause So the Church hath concluded I could set downe some Premises whence she draws her Conclusion but it is her LORDS promise so and that is enough given long since but written for the generations to come Psal 74. 22 23. The Result from hence is That we do our duty as the Church doth not trouble our selves with unnecessary quaeres what how or when GOD will work He works wonders every day and let Him work as He pleaseth He will work all for good and all in the fittest season Let us doeour duty that is our work work out our salvation for the salvation of Israel by all such means wherein GOD Nature Grace have given us a capacity and power of working We must lye on our face
thy selfe thou didst make flesh thy foote and thy arme too thereon thou didst trust and not on GOD Flesh upheld thee and not spirit hadst thou trusted in GOD He had upheld thee now never more firmely then when the stay and staffe of the creature is taken away Then The Arme of the Lord upholds most gloriously when it sustaines alone made bare of flesh I know some suddain disaster some unexpected breach yet nothing is suddain or unexpected to a faithfull man may make his confidence quaile and his spirit fall but if he fall flat and there lye with his face upon the ground and upon serious considerations cannot raise himselfe and get up his spirit then certain it is The creature was his stay and confidence I meane thus If when the stay and staffe is taken away the heart fainteth away and dyes If the spirits be sunke then they will not up again then certain it is That stay and staffe be it the wedge of gold husband wife or childe that was the prop that stayed the heart up but now these bearers these supporters are taken away the person is down his spirit flat and sunke But thou maist say Thâ—u wast never put to that strait yet God never yet tooke from thee the stay and staffe Say Blessed be His Name And yet doe not trust to this trust doe not bee confident of this strength It is not tryed yet as gold in the Furnace That which holds thee up now may not be sufficient in the day of Trouble Thou thinkest now That Thou doest trust in God and He upholds thy Spirit whereas perhaps the creature is thy stay and thy staffe Examine the truth of this betimes and take all advantage of experiences from what GOD hath done and from promises what He will doe and all to make improvement of this Trust in God Till our strength be tryed till we have some experience we cannot tell how great the rebellion of the flesh will be under Gods afflicting hand It is an easie thing to be valiant before the combat to dreame of a good courage before the heart be tryed but indeed To bee unshaken in the miâ—st of a tempest and To stand upright when the ground under us doth tremble This is to know assuredly That we are strong indeed That we have boldnesse and can trust perfectly Surely never was there more cause then at this time To set our hope in GOD To make good our confidence To exercise this grace of saith and trust To looke back to what God hath done how wonderfull He hath wrought for those that put their trust in Him And so to gather experience that is a great meanes to support the heart and to engage it to trust in God I remember a passage which surely is worth the noting this it is David comes hastily to Abimeleck and after some greeting 2 Sam. 21. and some other passages betwixt them demands of the Priest Whether he could help him to a sword Yes said the Priest here is in my keeping The sword of Goliah the Philistine whom verse 9. THOU SLEWEST If thou wilt take that take it for here is no other No other thought David for so he said if thou hadst all the swords in the world yet there is none LIKE THAT give it me And why so There were other Giants in the world and other swords as great as that why none like that The Text resolves it That was the sword where with David slew Goliah the Philistine None like that sword That revived Davids spirits indeed they were fainting with the sense of experience of GODS faithfulnesse He had wrought wonderfully for David a weakling and yet He gave him strength to slay the Giant with his owne sword none like that a double weapon with a double edge it had slaine behind him it would slay before him God had delivered him from such a death and there was the sword now in his hand a memoriall of such a deliverance He would put his Trust in GOD for after-time This is the Poynt then we are engaged upon even To put our Trust in GOD and that we may do so To Consider well what God hath done and then To exercise our faith upon it for the better improvement of our Trust in Him Surely the very set time is now come That so we should doe improve our Trust in GOD live by faith now that is live upon God with God in God to God to make up a life in Him alone Therein is assurance and strength strong confidence (a) Prâ— â—4 â—â— And The LORD will reject all other confidences (b) â—â—â—â—2 3â— so as man shall not be held up by them nor prosper in them You will say you must have FAITH first before you can Ob. exercise it and live upon it True and before you have it you shall know how you got it Ans It is an admirable grace and wrought by the operation c effectuall (c) Colâ—s 2. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 working of God the great Worke of God but we must worke too use all diligence and all the meanes God hath sanctified for the getting of the same use the means faithfully and you shall get the Trâ—asure a Treasure indeed such as we heard A man may live upon it if he have nothing else Cry after this grace life up thy voice for it as for hid treasure it is the gift of God but so it must be sought for or it will never be had it is the principall thing with all thy getting get faith You will say There is need of Patience too Yes and that it hath a perfect work to calm quiet and silence the reasoning of our spirits There is no possessing of a mans soule without patience specially now in such a perilous and exceeding e feirce time as this is now the Divell is loose and rageth amongst us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 8. 28. great need of Patience Yet I say we stand in more need of faith for there is no grace like that at this time Thou shalt forgive Thy Brother seven and seven times saith the LORD CHRIST Luke 17. 4. We would think this would follow now LORD ENCREASE OUR LOVE let that have a perfect work that we may forgive an offender even so often But the Apostles said Lord increase our faith Yes That is the mother grace get that strengthen that all is done Shee is a mother in Israel never alone but honourably accompanied still with her children Patience Meckenesse Love Hope Ioy all these Would I then rest quietly in a stormy night when the winds blow the raine and haile beat upon my house would I be secure when terrour is round about would I stand still unmoveable in an earth-quake Then I must say when I close mine eyes and when I awaken Lord encrease my faith You have need of faith It is impossible to do or suffer any thing without it but by it All
Of FEARE The CAUSE The VSE The CURE OR Strong Consolations The Consolations of God Cordiall at all times but most comfortable now in these uncomfortable times To fixe quiet and stablish the heart though the earth shake and make it stand stil To see the salvation of The Lord. Taken from GODS mouth And Penned by HEZEKIAH VVOODWARD That all His Servants may have assured confidence for ever PSAL. 56. 3 9. What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee When I cry unto Thee Then shall mine enemies turne back this I know for God is for me He will save me because I Trust in Him Psal 37. 40. Nil terribile nisi ipse timor LONDON Printed for Thomas Underhill and are to be sold at the signe of the Bible in Woodstreet 1643. To the Right HONOVRABLE Isaac Pennington LORD MAjOR Of the City of LONDON BY the Blessing of God upon this treatise containing His own directions there it can heale the heart and the hand palsied with feare It will be no dishonour then to take it into your hand and to lay these directions if it can be yet closer to your heart whereby the City of God have been a quiet habitation (a) Esay 33. 20. when as now The blast of the terrible ones have made the earth to shake and tremble under us And you now with such as you that love feare trust GOD doing your duty and maintaining your watch doe maintayne PEACE and at such a time (a) Ezra 4. 17. Peace is good at all times but ever best in the worst times perilous and feirce as are the times of Reformation troublous evermore when hands and * Dan. 9. 28. Jer. 20. 3. Tongues are bent to make the City of GOD MAGOR MISSABIB terrour on every side Then peace is good Then cordialls are so indeed strong consolations they are the consolations of GOD at such a time Peace in and with the world is good if it could be had upon good termes But that it not possible The world will love their own And they shall have peace such as the world can give They who can comply with the world can give out unto them the right hand of fellowship to thrust Christ from His Throne and out of the world these shall have peace for they are the worlds first born and right hands of the times but you cannot do so Such a peace peace without truth is of vile esteeme with you you abhor it at such a price and upon such termes as the world bids for it and doth purchase the same You follow peace with all men and Holynesse That is a point of the highest wisdome without which no man shall see the LORD you pursue (c) Heb. 11. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this peace as others persecute it your zeale cannot boile higher then to their As as they persecute it Pursue it so still and if you overtake it not for it flees from you else you should not need to pursue it if you cannot establish peace in the City yet in that you have done your office you have peace in your soul a peace which passeth all understanding for whatsoever things are true (d) Phil. 4. 7. 8. are henest are just are pure are lovely are of good report these things you have done and will doe you have assured confidence now in this which follows and the peace of ver 9. GOD shall be with you What a good word is this and at such a time when the Adversary doth as in all times he hath done it is no new thing when the breaches of Jerusalems walls are making up he sends and writes and lies and rayles and blasphemes what doth he not after his manner to make the work to cease d Nehe. 4. and 6. You know your charge concerning him Answer him * 2 King 18. 36. not you look to the answer from a good conscience That in zeale to you LORD The Cities peace and crown of rejoycing you have done and spoken hitherto And you are resolved so to do still To stand up for Christ still To shoulder up His Throne still And you have made up your reckoning you know what it will cost you possible as much as it hath cost All His faithfull servants in all ages at such a time And having so wisely counted your Cost you can mock at feare and laugh at your Adversaries as the LORD doth seeing their day is comming (e) Psal 37. for their rage riseth high and their rising by steps that way are but steps and degrees to utter destruction which shall rise as their rage doth unto heaven and be lifted up even to the skies * Jer. 51. 9. You cannot be deceived now as we thinke good Jeremiah was He heard the defaming of many fear was on every side and he heard a cry nay he cryed out himselfe and said Violence and spoile Then sayes Jeremy Jer. 20. 8. 10. â—â— O LORD Thou hast deceived me and I was deceived He was indeed but GOD did not deceive him He had set up Jeremtah and made him so strong for Himself and for such a time as that when the adversaries deeds and words would be as hard as iron against the Truth and him but Jeremiah should be hard enough for them The Adversary might to as good purpose strike his hand against a rock as strike Jeremiah shall iron breake Jer. 15. 12. the Northern iron and steele No no the Adversary was hard and cruell and violent against Jeremiah but God made Jeremiah too hard for them all as He will all His faithfull ones standing up for Him a defenced City and a strong brazen ver 20. wall That was the promise to Jeremiah and in him to all faithfull ones many thousand yeeres agoe and you have the comfort and your fast standing from it at this day The blast of the terrible ones what can it doe It was answered long agoe As much as a blast of winde against a brazen wall so the Spirit slights what flesh can do against Him (a) â—â—â—say 2â— 4. They shall sight against Thee The Adversary will make an experiment what mettal you are made of so you must expect but they shall not prevaile ser 1. 1â— against Thee There is the comfort and it is yours who wil stand up for God and at such a time As your expectation from the World cannot deceive you after the experiences of all the faithfull that have stood up for God All hath been done against them All shall be done against you that Angry Nations can doe Atheists and Papists swelled with wrath and big with rage So nor wil The Lord The Hope of Israel and Saviour thereof in time of trouble He will not deceive you Then you shall see your strength presently that you are better bottomed then are the perpetuall Hills and everlasting Mountains a sight worth the beholding and at such a time And because your work is
in deep humiliation while the Joshuahs are searching the tents that the accursed thing may be cast out for so they have commanded us We must doe for the cause of Christ as the spirituall Lords Devils and men doe against Christ to shoulder Him out of His throne This is to doe our duty to doe As c. and so doing we doe our duty heartily and shall rejoyce in time to come that is very comfortable as we read it but there is more comfort in it then so we shall laugh at the time to come a Prov. 21. 2â— Ridet ad tempera seqâ—â—ontra Not care so much for the Army in the north as their fore-fathers did for an Army of frogs lice swarms of flies nor for any other mountain in the way for he shall be made a plaine Wee have and will do our Duty They that do so may laugh and sing too But these are but words the Lord knows not the speech but the power of our doing our duty And He put it into our hearts and keep it there for ever We can hardly set upon it though we are set upon by the hand of violence our gods are taken away from us I mean that we dote upon which quickned a man as dead in his body as we in our spirits For thus it was The Phisitians knew no way to quicken him out of his lethargy but by gingling his baggs before him upon the table then he awakened and stirred himselfe up for he would hold Hor. li. 2. Sâ— Satyr 3. his bags as long as he could hold his breath This god is takeÌ„ from us our liberty too and that is our god also Nay our LORD Christ is taking froÌ„ us Who gives all to us He is GOD indeed Now or never we will bethink our selves and lay out all we have are to keepe Him the LIFE of our lives and SOUL of our souls we wil keepe Him There is but this that can discourage us and it is the greatest encouragement in the world if we can contend for Him we may lose our estates and lives too That is true All may be lost most happily lost in such a contention Nay it is not lost it is gained and the greatest gain for He is worthy for Whose cause we do expend all this if it be our dearest blood and all He became poor for us to make us 2 Cor. 8 9. rich e nay a Curse for us to make us a Blessing If we think of this goods shal go and life too and blesse God with all our hearts that He put such a price into our hand to lay out our selves for Christ to suffer for Him Indeed it is as glorious a work as to beleeve in Him we cannot do the one without the other but suffering hath the preheminence that no man may be dismayed at his sufferings if called thereunto and for Christ for unto you it is given in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeve on Him but Philip. 1. 29. also to suffer for His sake I have done prefacing The Lord give us understanding in the times and what Israel ought to do PROV 29. 25. The feare of man bringeth a snare but who so putteth his trust in The Lord shall be safe IT is ordered by the Committee of the House of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing this 22. day of December 1642. that this booke Intituled The usefulnesse of Feare c. be printed John White Of FEARE The Just Cause The True Use The Soveraign Cure SECT I. The summe and scope of this Treatise The kinds of Feare The strange effects there from What the worst effect What the great designe of the Adversary How he prosecutes it His advantage if he can effect it His power and malice that way gives us just cause of feare CHAP. I. The Introduction to and purpose of this Treatise OUr Affections doe us the greatest service or disservice that well can be imagined and this they doe as wee master them or as they master us If we master them they are the winds of the soule carrying it so as it is neither becalmed that it moves not when it should nor yet tossed that it moves disorderly If they master us they raise storms there and we are storm-like sudden and violent carryed as a ship in a tempest If we master them they are the very wings of the soule A Prayer without them so we may say of any other performance is like a bird without wings (a) Oratio sine malis avis sine alis If I cared for nothing said Melancthon I should pray for nothing (b) Si nihil curarem nihil Orarem If they master us they are the clogs of the soule or if they be as wings it is to make us flee away from God and goodnesse from our selves and Duty Our Affections are the springs of all our services to GOD we are dry and cold and dead without them with them well ordered the soule is set on work and then the work will be done when the heart is upon it David had prepared much for the house of GOD himselfe gives the reason Because I have set my AFFECTION to the house of my GOD. (c) 1 Chr. 29. 3. Feare puts on the soule almost as fast as Love doth that great Centurion or puts it farther back I cannot doe this and sin I must doe this and why Because I have set my FEARE upon GOD and knowing the TERROR of the LORD (d) 2 Cor. 5. 11. I must perswade men In a word weare as a dead sea without our affections and as a raging sea if they exceed the bounds And no affection beats more strongly upon the soule and more like waves against the banks to exceed its just bounds and get over then feare doth and when it hath got over no affection sooner drowns the Spirits sinks Reason and so becomes a Passion indeed vexatious and troublesome for where feare is in excesse there is torment (e) 1 John 4. 18. This tormenting Passion the stilling its unreasonable motions is the subject of my Discourse now but GODS work To calme the Spirit to make it stand still when the earth shakes f Exod. 1â— â—â— Ne conâ—◠〈…〉 â—un and the kingdomes are moved I say His work Who chid the winds and commanded the seas and they obeyed Him and presently there followed a great calme Feare let alone to work its owne effects for like water it hath no bounds of its owne is g 〈◊〉 Math. 8. 20. in the heart as the tongue in the body kindleth a great fire (h) Jam. 3. 5. there from every little matter quickly raiseth that little to a raging flame which no man can quench onely GOD can And what way He commands and prescribes us for we must keep to His prescriptions the same which the whole City of GOD All His People have taken in all troublous times upward to this day To
put up against these tongues these fiery flying serpents Let the mischeife of their own Psal 140. 9. 10. lips cover them let burning coals fall upon them The Church seekes not her God in vain shee makes account it is done The hand is more rough and violent and put forth as farre as it could bee to make both Citty and Country MAGOR-MISSABIB 〈…〉 3. feare on every side What shall bee done unto thee thou violent and bloody man Man cannot answer that blood pursues him the Destroyer shall bee destroyed God hath sworne by His Holinesse utter destruction shall come unto them Hee will UNDOE all that asslict his people (a) Zeph. 3. 1â— Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feete and their eyes shall consume away in their holes and their tongues shall consume away in their mouth (b) Zeph. 14. 12. This is the portion of them that hate His Church they shall be utterly destroyed in the close of this work for there is a great work to be done upon mount Sion and about the close of the day they shall be utterly undon But first they shall bee made a terrour to themselves and round about As they thought to do to the Righteous so it shall bee done to them As they have determined so it shall bee unto them that shall bee their lot and portion of their cup from the Lord in his appointed Time But do wee not wrong these harmelesse people these innocent Lambs some of them were in sheepes clothing and they would Mal. 8. 15. bee accounted sheepe till their cloak fell off and the wolfe appeared what have they done or spoken to make the City affraid They will tell us Nothing at all We doe but fancie our feares we heare a rumour we scarce know of what or from whom and we are afraid we know not wherefore We conceit danger onely as they who took shadows for men or Judges 19. 36. as those who beholding at a distance a field over-grown with tall thistles thought verily they had been so many spearmen So the adversary saith and so say they too who should speakas the Oracles of GOD for they speak from the Pulpit And what said they As the Adversary before them That there was no cause of feare formerly nor any cause now A Phantasme a conceited thing a Panick feare the City is possessed with whereof they can give neither cause nor reason for neither is reall nor visible They have said and so they have forced themselves as unjust men doe Now we wil take leave to consider the matter and their words and give no more credit to them then we doe to such men who know no shame (a) Zeph. 3. 5. Catholique men bloody Papists universally all the world over brawned in villanies these fellowes that hate the Lord make Tumults lift up the head and yet no ground of feare not any The neighbours house is on fire there the fire rageth and the wind blows the flame directly hitherward it began there to end here yet no cause of feare That our common-house may smell of the smoak or that it is time for every common man to look to his owne No reason for that none at all speaks the adversary but he is not so mad as to think any wise man beleeves him The vile Priests and the Treacherous Prophets that have polluted the Sanctuary have done violence to the Law (c) Zeph. 3. 4. These doe rage and are swelled with malice The brutish people almost as much make tumults and they that sung forth their requests roare like Beares and are as fierce as the she-beares fearing their sweet morsels may be taken from them and their service ordered according to Rule and yet no ground of feare The tumult of those that rise up against The LORD that would dethrone Him encreaseth continually and â—et no cause of feare Indeed there is not no cause we should be afraid when we look up to GOD for it is the Tumult of those that rise up against Him and He will look to His owne Cause and Glory That shall receive no losse no diminution at all but advantage a great deale But looking down to the Adversary there is cause we should feare after a godly sort so as to make provision against him and then secure our selves and the cause in GOD. This feare is a Godly feare The Godly mans feare is his humility and casting away of Pride his reverent care to walk in the wayes of God A feare which drives out security not a feare which takes away the boldnesse of faith More of this anon This here that there is just cause of feare but of such a feare that hath been described unto us which secureth the soule the godly man and his cause in God And great need of such a feare for whatever the Adversary saith no man that hath his eyes in his head will beleeve him though his words were as soft as butter and his deeds as smooth as oyle much lesse now when his words are as drawn swords violence is in his hands war in his heart The Adversary is so mad with rage now That he casteth firebrands arrows and death and cannot deceive his neighbour Pro. 26. 18. now saying 〈◊〉 not I in sport No sure no man is so senslesse as â—â— beleeve that for when he seemed to speak faire we beleeved 〈◊〉 not â— kâ—â—wing there were seven abominations in his heart Hee that hateth may dissemble for a time and lay up deceit within him for words which are wounds and lying lips and a wicked heart may be like a potâ—â—â—ard covered with silver drosse for a time But now his hatred as active as fire cannot be covered by dâ—ceit his wickednesse is shewne before the whole congregation These are Generalls That I may be more particular I will quarter out this Legion the Adversary I meane for he is many and behold him as a man of War in his Ranks and Postures doubtlesse if we so behold him and can look no higher he will seem terrible as an Army with banners or rather as Goliah before the Israelites I said not before David for he laughed him to scorne and despised him but this I may say truly just cause we have to be afraid for consider the Churches enemies how many they are CHAP. IV. Without number for multitude 2. Without reason for rags and cruelty 3. Boundlesse in malice mischievous in projecting and watchfull in executing thereof 1. HOW many adversaries hath the Church It were well with the Church if she could number her enemies tell how many adversaries she hath We say They are but a few that can be numbred The Shepherd can tell his sheep but hee cannot tell how many Wolves nor Foxes there be nor how many dogs which doe their office the contrary way hurrying the sheep and are as bloody as the wolse or foxe every whit The Church can say They are as in former
mercy He may doe so but it is extraordinary as we have cause to observe above all the Nations in the world 2. When His People do not do according to the CHARGE (l) Deut. 25 19 utterly to root out the name of Amalek that old and ancient enemy to His Church and the very same to this day when this charge is neglected or slighted and the contrary is done Amalek is countenanced encouraged fostered suffered to get head Then it shall come to passe That these Adversaries and enemies shall be pricks in your eyes and thornes in your sides and shall vâ—xe you in the Land wherein you dwell (m) Num 3â— 35. saith the Lord. They shall be snares and traps unto you untill ye perish from off the good Land which The Lord your God hath given you (n) Joâ— 23. â—â— It is the good word of The Lord which is the same for ever 3. When the Rulers the Princes and Judges of the earth are like the evening wolves ravening the prey (o) 〈◊〉 22. What then Then for their sakes Zion must be plowed as a field (p) Mich 3. 11 Zâ—ph 3. 3. â—zech 22. When the Priests violate the Law profane the holy things devoure soules hide their eyes from the Sabbath put no difference betweene the holy and profane What then Then peace is taken from the earth When the Sabbaths are gone when the people Mic. 5. 12 13. oppresse exercise tyrannie and vexe the poore and needy When the Priests are become brutish the people no better when they that are good and have power sit still and contend not against the streame Then we reade this All ye beasts of the field come to Esay 56. 9. devoure yea all the beasts of the forrest (q) Jer. 12. 9. His Watchmen are blind and the Pastors are become brutish (r) Jer. 10. 2â— what then Then all their flocks shall be scattered Behold the noise of the bruit is come and a great commotion to make Cities desolate and a den of dragons In these cases The Lord is provoked very much even til there be no remedy (Å¿) 2 Chr. 36. 16. Jer. 12. 7. And then He forsakes His house leaves His heritage gives up the dearly beloved of His soule into the hands of her enemies le ts in judgements like a floud and it carryeth down all good and bad with the impetuousnesse of its streame What good and bad together Will the LORD destroy the righteous with the wicked Yes No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before the eye (p) Eccles 9. 1. All things come aliâ—e to all The same Common destruction takes away all together makes no difference And there is a great reason for that which we must take in in passage for The Righteous did comply too much with the time went along with the streame sided with the strongest in sight or looked on heareing Blasphemies beholding iniquity and wrong In the mean time said and did nothing * Jure istam â—â—â—am quando diâ— initus affliguntuâ— cum eis â—maram sâ—ntiunt cupus amando dulâ—ediâ—em peccanâ—ibâ—â— eis amari esse nolue unt Aug. dâ— civ l. 1. c. 9. stood not up in the gap And therefore now he is thrust down also hurried along with the Tâ—rrent and breaking in of mighty Waters he is over-whelmed in the â—lood even these good Men for the reason aforesaid No difference at all in the suffering for the manner and time thereof but in the fruit issue and end an infinite distance and inequality Where we note That this difference between the good bad in a Common Calamity is not visible not discernable by the Eye yet a great wide and an ever-lasting difference the good are delivered in it The bad utterly destroyed by it The good Manet dissimilâ—tudâ— passoâ—um etiam in â—â—â—ilâ—tudine â—assionum licet in eodem tormento non est idem â—â—tus vitium Nam sicut sub uno igne aurum ruâ—â—lat palâ—â— fumat c. Aug. de ci l. 1. c. 8. Amâ—s 9. 9. purâ—â—ed The bad consumed Good and bad are in the same calamity But as the Gold and Chaffe are in the same fire The one shines there the other smokes As the stubble and the wheat-corne are under the same flaile the one is bruised there the other cleansed freed of its Chaffe and fitted for the sâ—ive not a Corne shall be lost So also one and the same violence carryes away all the good and the bad all together destroyeth wasteth the one with an utter destruction â—ut trieth purgeth purifieth the good It is good to note this with all observation for heere we have a Cleere difference betwixt the good and the bad betwixt the persecuted now and the persecutors afterwards The good may fall but they shall bee holpen with a little help And their faling by the sword and by spoyle many dayes shall be to them as of old it was To trie them and to purge and make them white (Å¿) Dan. 11. 33 But for the wicked it is not so with them but as we heard It is a comfortable speech Rejoyce (t) Micah 7. 8. not against me O mine enemy When I fall I shall arise But when thou fallest Thou shalt fall Thy casting down shall bee like the fall of a millstone (u) Rev. 18. 21 into great waters Thou shalt rise no more When I fall I shall arise This is the heritage of them that love The Lord when their Adversarie falls he shall rise no more This is the portion of his measures for ever The conclusion is It shall be well with them that love The Lord. Nay it is well with them now though not to sense yet to faith The case of David was not ordinary Iobs case extraordinary That which follows will give some light and some satisfaction to both It is a most prevailing argument which the sister used in behalfe of her brother Lazarus LORD behold he whom Thou lovest John 11. 3. is sick This will prevaile sure It is the mightiest argument in the world LORD The Person whom Thou lovest The Cause the Faith the Truth the Religion WHICH THOU LOVEST is now in jeopardie The Malignants oppose it oppresse it they would thrust it out of the world and the professors of it That which THOU LOVEST these sons of the earth doe hate Those whom Thou lovest these men would cut off from being a Nation Certainly GOD will come in for rescue now and worke a glorious Deliverance And yet perhaps not at the just and set time of our over-hasty expectation Before Deliverance comes this person whom Christ loveth may be surprised with fearfulnesse trembling may come upon him and horror may over-whelme him that it may The Cause the Truth which GOD loveth may seem to be delivered up into the enemies hands so as they may lay the Glory of it for a time and in the eye of man in the
dust Let us consult with the context once more and with good consideration There we read Lord he whom Thou lovest is sick when Iesus heard that He abode two dayes still in the place where He was (a) John 11. 3. That is a strange matter we should thinke and so the sisters thought too That when Iesus heard That The man whom He loved was sick He would have made haste away and come with all speede to His sick friend But it was not so when He heard THAT He abode two dayes still in the same place ver â— Was this His kindnesse to His friend Iesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus But His abode two dayes longer and when He heard that Lazarus was sick made no cleare proofe of it unto them at that time Jesus came indeede but when Martha and Mary and the Iewes also thought it was too late when the breath was departed the body laid in a cave and a stone ver 38. laid upon it foure dayes before Iesus came Then and then when the case was so helplesse and hopelesse then Jesus came Truly that is His manner now but see mighty reason for His so long tarrying then Had He come quickly as soone as He was sent unto and called for possible it was That He who opened the eyes of the blinde might have caused even this man Lazarus should not have dyed (b) ver 37. so some there reasoned at that time and so we have reasoned in such cases ever since The Persons or the Cause which Jesus loveth have beene in jeopardy to the eyes of man in an helplesse and hopelesse condition If God had come in to his servants and their cause so soone as they called for Him then their hopes had flourished but staying till the case is desperate to sense reason their hope is perished Surely so the servants of God have reasoned many a time But let the servants of The Lord well observe The Lords comming in to these two sisters at that time and they can never distrust The Lord at any time Had their Lord come in unto them when they called for Him He might have caused that even Lazarus should not have dyed But then what singular thing had Hee done A Physitian an ordinary man had done many a time as much as that before Him But when as He abode two dayes longer in the same place where He was when He heard of Lazarus sicknesse and stayed yet two dayes longer by the way of set purpose to let the last enemy alone to compleat its conquest to close the pits mouth upon Lazarus and to role a stone over him and now comming in for rescue and taking the prey out of the hands of the terrible one This made Christ admired in all that did beleeve for now they must needes see The Glory of GOD whereas had Iesus came at their call before Death had made its conquest they had seene no more but the meere exercise of power and skill which might be put forth by a meere man Jesus said plainly without a figure for he called death a John 14. â— sleepe before Lazarus is dead and I am glad for your sakes Why glad that His friend Lazarus was dead and glad for their sakes They were all very sorry that Lazarus was dead and it grieved them to the heart that Jesus came not sooner for if Jesus had beene there their Brother had not dyed said the sister Then why was Jesus glad that he was not there Because that they presently beholding His glorious worke in raising a putrified carkesse they would then beleeve and rejoice with an exceeding joy If any thing 〈◊〉 to the advantage of His people 〈◊〉 â—peaking to our capacity is glad and there is joy in Heaven even new which they had not done had Jesus beene there before and caused that Lazarus had not dyes We may conclude now That the â—ord â—ill come in for the safegard and rescue of His people whom He loveth of His Cause which He so favoureth in season the fittest time when His beloved people shall most admire His comming beholding the exceeding glory thereof When is this time Then when the Righteous mans hopes are dead to the world sense and reason and when the malignants hopes flourish Then The Lord comes in That is His Time when the wicked thinke they have their hope in their hands and when the Righteous are emptied of all creature-confidence they set no hope there but all in God Then The Lord comes in when they are to sense as dead bones then they shall flourish like an herbe for then the hand of the Lord shall bee knowne towards His say 66. 4. servants when they are Orphanes poore peeled helplesse comfortlesse people then the Lord comes with His comforts and how doth he comfort As one whom His mother comforteth Then they shall be comforted indeed For as a mother comforteth her ver 13. childe so will I comfort you and you shall be comforted From these premises the conclusion is worth the repeating and recalling again and again The Lord comes in ever to His beloved people most seasonably in the fittest and best time when they can see the most of God that can be seene and the least of the creature He will come in them when His people shall say if He had come sooner it had not beene so well we had not loved Him so much admired Him so much we had not seene so much of His Glory we had not so rejoyced in His salvation So they love God and so they are beloved of Him therefore they are not afraid at no time greatly troubled If there be a cloud of feare there is an eclipse of Gods Love onely we must remember we make an allowance to the best man when wee weigh him upon the ballance for hee is supposed ever in a Christian Homo supponitur in Christiano Before we close let us note this from the premisses That The Lords manner is To exercise the persons whom Hee loveth with the sorest afflictions Iesus loved Martha and her John 11. 3. sister and Lazarus therefore Hee would try their patience He would not come to them at their call till the case was desperate till that they feared had taken hold of them and overwhelmed them whom the Lord loveth Hee chasteneth and scourgeth every Heb. 12. 6. â—on whom Hee receiveth It is the manner of Parents so to doe not scourage strange children but him whom they love they will scourge The Lord hath delivered up The dearly beloved of His Soule whither As we have read Into the enemies hands It was ever so it is so at this Day hee whom GOD loveth is spoiled robbed pillaged the enemies bend all their malice against him whom GOD loveth And God suffers them so to do for excellent ends spoken of before for these here To hide pride from their eyes by hiding the creature from them To try their
an excellent Method though they seeme confused to us and doe worke together for the good of them that love God whereunto the present time gives cleare evidence GReat are the works of The Lord Sought out of them that take pleasure therein SOUGHT OUT with diligent inquiry not with a curious prying into them much lesse with an over-hasty censuring and judging of them here we must walk softly taking leasure We must not judge of the acts of GODS providence by pieces here a part and there a part as we do not a peice of Arrace not halfe unfolded stay till GOD hath done His whole worke hath accomplished it upon mount Zion then unfold the work and behold a glorious symmeâ—try and uniformity all together workeing for the good of those that love Him If we looke upon GODS works apart and alone here one piece and there another they will be as unpleasing to the eye as are the members of a body divided and lying apart from the head They will seeme fearfull and terrible wondrous crosse to the marke they tend to Ioseph must be a prime and cheife man in Egypt look you how crosse all things goe he is sold for a servant and it was well he scaped so when he had gained no little favour and became a great master then his feet were put in the stocks Things went as crosse with David too How long To the very day I reckon within a few houres he was to be King that very day the people spoke of stoning of him 1 Sam. 30 6. GODS providence seemed as strange and as crosse towards Mordecai and as favourable to Haman That Enemy and Adversary Mordecai must ride in state through the city and Haman must lead the horse and lacquie by and so it was But before that day came Haman was very confident That he should see Mordecai set on high upon a gallows which he had provided for his purpose Truly the admonition is seasonable Iudge nothing before the time but remember these are GODS workes and He will work like a GOD His providences what ever they seeme to be now they wil appeare to be admirable exceeding glorious Little can we by the begining of any action guesse at Gods intention in the conclusion Now here is a piece of providence and it seemes terrible here is another piece and causeth distractions A third piece and that causeth a sword here is a fourth piece and Oh how crosse it is to the high marke it tends to for there be thoughts of accommodation of compounding the cause of Christ and that is a crosse way indeed so we judge before the time stay a little while and we shall see all these crosse wayes meet and kisse each other so as we shall say in the close of the work All was carried on in a curious Method things seeme to be carried very confusedly in our eye up and downe and then a crosse as upon wheeles But there is a wheele within the wheeles and eyes providences Ezech. 1. round about If we could see we would say All things are carried in an excellent Method The lines of Gods providence drawn in the circumference of the world seeme no lesse confused then the moaths in the sun But we shall see one day That not one line could be spared And that all tend Directly to the great center The Glory of the Workman and The rest of His people We think we see crookednesse an unevennesse in the lines and wayes of Gods Providence But we are deceived mans wayes are unequall Gods wayes are equall stay a little we shall say so too I said well stay a while as those that live by faith and do not make haste untill GOD hath wrought His whole worke till we can put all together Then we shall discerne plainly That all together worked gloriously for the promoting the great supreame and soveraigne ends GODS Glory and HIS Churches peace in the exalting His people plucking down and confounding the Adversary Nay GOD hath not wearied out His people with expectation Though He hath not yet accomplished His whole worke yet He gives His people leave to behold some pieces thereof And see how wonderfull and admirable they are what strange providences crosse wayes as was said hath he made to meet contrary natures and wills have wrought effectually towards the setling of Truth and Peace that these might meete in a sweet agreement Take a view of it at once and behold the poyson of Aspes viperous tongues embalming wounds healing weaknesse strengthening temptations fortifying straits enlarging perverse counsels ensnaring the perverse counsellours fears supporting distractions uniting troubles quieting stops pressures to beare down the spirits of men heightening the same Thus the LORD hath done in this short time What then may the people of GOD expect to see in after time when the work is done and they can put all together who have seen such strange providences and glorious workings thereof already He that hath wrought so gloriously and hath given His people such a discerning will worke much more and will be admired in the close of His whole work when His people can put all together Now we are to consider with more enlagement what The LORD hath done making crosse wayes meete in a good agreement and crosse spirits to stand in a posture for the safeguarding His Kingdome And what a good GOD do His people serve who would not feare Him who would not serve such a God who would not trust Him now Hee makes all work for good All that we call evil and to sense it is so is good to them never any thing in the world fell out to The people of GOD whereof they could not say this is good now for it works thereunto and which is yet more comfort they can say confidently it will be better anon within an hower a minute a little minute GODS Hand is with them and through Him they improove all good and evill all is good to them they find it so or they make it so or rather against the nature thereof it is made so to them things disagreeing are made to agree very well and impossible things to be possible for so we read if we read the History of these last months Can a man imagine who walkes by sense but that the noise of swords and staves would silence the lawes and daunt the spirits of men utterly yet it was not so This noise wakened the lawes and raised the spirits the higher would we not think that the sword would make divisions It was taken up for that end and so it works most naturally But so it shall not do It shall worke contrary effects it shall cement and sodder men together It shall make many to be as one man of one mind in a house and so to seek the peace of Israel Yea but the sword drawes blood makes havock in the Land It robbs and spoiles c. Very true but it had made more