conversion unto him our greatest businesse And I doe verily believe that England must never thinke of outliving or breaking thorow this anger of God this criticall judgement that is upon it so as to returne to that cold and formall complexion that Laodicean temper that she was in before till she have so publickly and generally repented of all those civill disorders which removed the bounds and brought dissipation upon publick justice and of all those Ecclesiasticall disorders whch let in corruptions in doctrine superstions in worship abuses in Government discountenancing of the power of godlinesse in the most zealous Professors of it as that our Reformation may be as conspicuous as our disorders have beene and it may appeare to all the world that God hath washed away the filth and purged the blood of England from the midst thereof by the Spirit of Iudgement and by the Spirit of burning Secondly That Gods love is the true ground of removing Judgements in mercie from a people Let all Humane counsells be never so deep and armies never so active and cares never so vigilant and Instruments never so unanimous if Gods love come not in nothing of all these can doe a Nation any good at all Those that are most interested in Gods love shall certainly be most secured against his Judgements Hither our eyes our prayers our thoughts must be directed Lord love us delight in us choose us for thy selfe and then though Counsells and treasures and armies and men and horses and all second causes faile us though Sathan rage and hell threaten and the foundations of the earth be shaken though neither the Vine nor the Olive nor the figg-tree nor the field nor the pastures nor the heards nor the stay yeeld any supplies yet we will rejoyce in the Lord and glory in the God of our Salvation sinne shall be healed anger shall be removed nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. THE FIFTH SERMON HOSEA Chap. 14. ver 5.6 7. 5. I will be as the dew unto Israel he shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his reâ—ts as Lebanon 6. His branches shall spread and his beautie shall be as the Olive Tree and his smell as Lebanon 7. They that dwell under his shadow shall returne They shall revive as the Corne and grow as the Vine the sent thereof shall bee as the wine of Lebanon c. IN these verses is contained â—ods answer unto the second part of Israels petition wherein they desired him to doe them good or to receive them graciously And here God promiseth them severall singular blessings set forth by severall metaphorâ— and similitudes all answering to the name of Ephraim and the ancient promises made unto him Deu. 33.13 17. c. opposite to the many contrary courses threatned in the former parts of the Prophecy under metaphors of a contary importance Here is the dew of grace contrary to the morning cloud the earthly dew that passeth away Cap. 13.3 Lillies Olives Vines Spices contrary to the Judgments of Nettles Thornes Thistles chap. 9 16.10.8 Spreading roots contrary unto dry roots chap. 9.16 A fruitfull vine bringing forth excellent wine contrary to an empty Vine bringing fruit only to it selfe that is so sowre and usavory as is not worth the gathering chap. 10.1 Corne growing instead of corne taken quite away chap. 2.9 instead of no staulk no bud no meale chap. 8.7 Fruit promised in stead of no fruit threatned chap. 9.16 Wine promised in opposition to the failing of wine Chap. 9.2.2.9 Sweet wine opposite to sowre drinke Chap. 4.18 Safe dwelling in stead of no dwelling Chap. 9.3 Branches growing and spreading instead of branches consumed Chap. 11.6 Green trees instead of Dry springs Chap. 13.15 And all these fruits the fruits as of Lebanon which was of all other parts of that Country the most fertill Mountaine full of various kindes of the most excellent Trees Cedars Cypresse Olive and divers others affording rich gummes and balsomes full also of all kinds of the most medicinall and aromatick herbs sending forth a most fragrant odour whereby all harmfull and venemous Creatures were driven from harboring there And in the Vallies of that Mountaine were most rich grounds for Pasture Corne and Vineyards as the Learned in their descriptions of the holy Land have observed The Originall of all these blessings is the heavenly dew of Gods grace and favour alluding to that abundance of dew which fell on that Mouniaine descending upon the Church as upon a garden bringing forth Lillies as upon a Forrest strengthning the Cedars as upon a Vineyard spreading abroad the branches as upon an Olive yard making the trees thereof green and fruitfull and as on a rich field receiving the Corne. Here is spirituall beautie the beautie of the Lillie exceeding that of Solomon in all his glory spirituall stabilitie the rootes of the Cedars and other goodly trees in that mountaine spirituall odors and spices of Lebanon spirituall fruitfulnesse and that of all sorts and kinds for the comfort of life The fruit of the field bread to strengthen the fruit of the Olive trees oyle to refresh the fruit of the Vineyard wine to make glad the heart of man Psal. 104.15 Wee esteeme him a very rich man and most excellently accommodated who hath gardens for pleasure and fields for corne and pasture and woods for fuell for structure for defence for beautie and delight and Vineyards for wine and oyle and all other conveniencies both for the necessities and delights of a plentifull life Thus is the church here set forth unto us as such a wealthy man furnished with the unsearchable riches of Christ with all kinde of blessings both for sanctity and safety as the Apostle praiseth God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ viz. Election to eternall life adoption to the condition of sonnes and to a glorious inheritance redemption from misery unto blessednesse remission of sinnes knowledge of his will holinesse and unblameablenesse of life and the seale of the Holy Spirit of Promise as we find them particularly enumerated Ephe. 1.3 13. The words thus opened doe first afford us one generall Observation in that God singleth out so many excellent good things by name in relation to that generall petition Doe us good That God many times answereth prayer abundantly beyond the petitions of his people They prayed at large only for good leaving it as it becommeth us who know not alwayes what is good for our selves to his holy will and wisedome in what manner and measure to doe good unto them And he answers them in particular with all kinde of good things As in the former petition they prayed in generall for the forgivenesse of sinne and God in particular promiseth the healing of their Rebellions which was the greatest of their sinnes God many times answers the
leaven that defile our Passeovers and urge God to passe away and depart from us these the obstructions between his sacred Majesty and you and between both and the happinesse of the Kingdome Think seriously what wayes may be most effectual to purge out this leaven out of the Land The principall sacrificing knife which kils and mortifies sin is the Word of God and the knowledge of it It would have been a great unhappinesse to the Common-wealth of Learning if Caliguâ—a 〈◊〉 as he endevoured deprived the world of the writings of Homer Virgil and Livy But O! what an Aegyptian calamity is it to have in this Sun-shine of the Gospel thousands of persons and families as I doubt not but upon inquirie it would appear without the writings of the Prophets and Apostles A Christian souldier without his sword a Christian builder without his rule and square a Christian calling without the instruments and ballances of the Sanctuary belonging to it O therefore that every Parish had an indowment â—it for a learned laborious and worthy Pastor and Pastors worthy of such endowments that provision were made that every family might have a Bible in it and if by Law it might possibly be procured the exercises of Religion therewithall this would be the surest Magazine to secure the happinesse of a Kingdome that all reproachfull titles which the devill useth as scarcrows and whiâ—lers to keep back company from pressing in upon Christs Kingdome were by Law proscribed That scandalous sins were by the awfulnesse and severity of Discipline more blasted and brought to shame That the Lords house were more frequented and his day more sanctified and his Ordinances more reverenced and his Ministers which teach the good knowledge of the Lord more encouraged then ever heretofore In one word that all the severall fountains of the Common-wealth were settled in a sound and flourishing constitution That in every place we might see Piety the Elme to every other Vine the supporter to every other profession Learning adorned with Piety and Law administred with Piety and Counsels managed with Piety and Trade regulated with Pietie and the Plow followed with Pietie That when Ministers fight against sin with the sword of Gods Word you who are the Nobles and Gentry of the Land would second them and frown upon it too a frown of yours may sometimes do as much service to Christ as a Sermon of ours And he cannot but take it very unkindly from you if you will not bestow your countenance on him who bestowed his blood on you That you would let the strictnesse of your lives and the pietie of your examples put wickednes out of countenance and make it appear as indeed it is a base and a sordid thing If we would thus sadly set our selves against the sins of the Land no power no malice no policies should stand between us and Gods mercies Religion would flourish and peace would settle and trade would revive and the hearts of men would be re-united and the Church be as a City compacted and this Nation would continue to be as it hath been like the Garden of Eden a mirrour of prosperity and happinesse to other people and God would prevent us in the second part of our Petition with the blessing of goodnesse as soon as ever iniquity were removed he would do us good which is the second thing here directed to pray for Receive us graciously In the originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take good to wit to bestow upon us so Taking is sometimes used for Giving He received gifts for men so in the Psalm he gave gifts to men so in the Apostle and it is not improbable that the Prophet here secretly leadeth us to Christ the Mediatour who first receiveth gifts from his Father and then poureth them forth upon his Church Act. 2.23 The meaning then is Lord when thou hast pardoned weakned mortified sin go on with thy mercy and being in Christ graciously reconciled unto us give further evidence of thy Fatherly affection by bestowing portions upon us They shall not be cast away upon unthankfull persons we will render the Calves of our lips they shal not be bestowed upon those that need them not or that know where else to provide themselves It is true we have gone to the Assyrian we have taken our horses instead of our prayers and gone about to finde out good we have been so foolish as to think that the Idols which have been beholden to our hands for any shape that is in them could be instead of hands and of God unto us to help us in our need but now we know that men of high degree are but a lie that horses are but a vanity that an Idol is nothing and therefore can give nothing That power belongeth unto thee none else can do it That mercy belongeth unto thee none else will do it therefore since in thee only the fatherlesse find mercy be thou pleased to do us good We will consider the words first absolutely as a single prayer by themselves Secondly relatively in their connexion and with respect to the scope of the place From the former consideration we observe That all the good we have is from God he only must be sought unto for it we have none in our selves I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good Rom. 7.18 we can neither think nor speak nor do it And missing it in our selves it is all in vaine to seek for it in things below our selves They can provide for our back and belly and yet not that neither without God the root out of which the fruits of the earth do grow is above in heaven the Genealogy of Corn and Wine is resolved into God Hose 2.22 But if you go to your Lands or Houses or Teasuries for physick for a sick soul or a guilty conscience they will all return an Ignoramus to that enquiry salvation doth not grow in the furrows of the field neither are there in the earth to be found any Mines or harvests of Grace or Comfort In God alone is the fountain of life he that only is good he only doth good when we have wearied our selvs with having recourse to second causes here at last like the wandering Dove we must arrive for rest Many will say who will shew us any good Do thou lift up the light of thy countenance upon us Psal. 4.6 From him alone comes every go O gift Iam. 1.17 whether Temporall it is his blessing that maketh the creature able to comfort us The woman touched the hem of Christs garment but the vertue went not out of the garment but out of Christ Luk. 8.44 or whether Spirituall sanctified faculties sanctified habits sanctified motions glorious relations in Predestination Adoption and Christian Liberty excellent gifts heavenly comforts all and onely from him And that without change and alteration he doth not do
unto life and by how much the greater is our Impotencie unto the greatest and highest end Yet so desperate is the Aversion of sinfull man from God that when he is convinced of his Impotency and driven off from selfe-dependence and reduced unto such extremities as should in reason lead him backe unto God yet when he hath no horses of his owne to ride upon no meanes of hiâ— owne to escape evill yet still he will betake himselfe unto creatures like himselfe though they be enemies unto God and enemies unto him too for Gods sake for so was the Assyrian unto Israel yet If Ephraim see his sicknesse and Iudah his wound Ephraim will to the Assyrian and King Iareb for help Hos. 5 13. If he must begge he will doe it rather of an enemy then a God yea though he disswade him from it and threaten him for it Ahaz would not beleeve though a signe were offered him nor be perswaded to trust in God to deliver him from Rezin and Pekah though he promise him to doe it but under pretence of not tempting God in the use of meanes will weary God with his provocation and rob God to pay the Assyrian who was not an help but a distresse unto him 2 King 16.5 8.17 18. 2 Chron. 28.20 21. Isay 7.8.13 Isa. 30.5 Well God is many times pleased to way-lay humane Counsels even in this case too and so to strip them not onely of their owne provisions but of their forraigne succours and supplies as that they have no refuge left but unto him Their Horses faile them their Assyrian failes them Hos. 7 11 12. and 8.9 10. Their Hope hath nothing either sub ratione Boni as really Good to Comfort them at home or sub ratione Auxilii as matter of Help and aide to support them from abroad They are brought as Israel into a Wildernesse where they are constrained to goe to God because they have no second causes to help them And yet even here wicked men will make a shift to keepe off from God when they have nothing in the world to turne unto This is the formall and intimate malignity of sinne to decline God and to be impatient of him in his owne way If wicked men be necessitated to implore help from God they will invent wayes of their owne to doe it If Horses faile and Asshur faile and Israel must goe to God whether he will or no it shall not be to the God that made him but to a god of his own making and when they have most need of their glory they will change it into that which cannot profit Jer. 2.11 So foolish was Ieroboam as by two Calves at Dan and Bethel to thinke his Kingdome should be established and by that meanes rooted out his owne family and at last ruined the Kingdome 1 King 12.28 29.14 10 15 29. 2 King 17.21 23. Hos. 8.4 5. 10.5 8 18. So foolish was Ahaz as to seeke helpe of those gods which were the ruine of him and of all Israel 2 Chron. 28.23 Such a strong antipathy and aversnesse there is in the soule of naturall men unto God as that when they are in distresse they goe to him last of all they never thinke of him so long as their own strength and their forraign confederacies hold out and when at last they are driven to him they know not how to hold communion with him in his owne way but frame carnall and superstitious wayes of worship to themselves and so in their very seeking unto him do provoke him to forsake them and the very things whereon they lean goe up into their hand to pierce it Isa. 15.2 Isa. 16.12 1 King 18.26 Now then the proper worke of true Repentance being to turne a man the right way unto God â—t taketh a man off from all this carnall and superstitious confidence and directeth the soule in the greatest difficulties to cast it self with comfort and confidence upon God alone So it is prophesied of the Remnant of Gods people that is the penitent part of them for the remnant are those that came up with weeping and supplication seeking the Lord their God and asking the way to Sion with their faces thither-ward Jer. 31 7 9. 50.4 5. that they should no more againe stay themselves upon him that smote them but should stay upon the Lord the holy One of Israel in truth and should returne unto the Mighty God Isa. 10.20 21. They resolve the Lord shall save them and not the Assyrian So say the godly in the Psalmist An Horse is a vaine thing for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength c. Our soule waiteth for the Lord he is our help and shield Psal. 33.17 20. They will not say any more We will flie upon Horses we will ride upon the swift Isa. 30.16 Lastly At that day saith the Prophet speaking of the penitent remnant and gleanings of Iacob shall a man looke to his Maker and his eyes shall have respect to the holy One of Israel and he shall not looke to the Altars the work of his hands neither shall respect that which his fingers have made the groves or the images Isa. 17.7 8. And againe Truly in vaine is salvation hoped for from the Hils and from the multitude of Mountaines that is from the Idols whom they had set up and worshipped in high places Truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel Jer. 3.23 They will not say any more to the worke of their hands ye are our gods So then the plaine duties of the Text are these 1. To trust in God who is All-sufficient to helpe who is Iehovah the fountaine of Being and can give Being to any promise to any mercy which he intends for his people can not onely Worke but Command not onely Command but Create deliverance and fetch it out of darknesse and desolation Hee hath everlasting strength there is no time no case no condition wherein his Help is not at hand when ever hee shall command it Isa. 26.4 2. We must not trust in any Creature 1. Not in Asshur in any confederacy or combination with Gods enemies be they otherwise never so potent Iehoshaphat did so and his Ships were broken 2 Chron. 20.35 37. Ahaz did so and his people were distressed 2 Chron. 28.21 It is impossible for Gods enemies to be cordiall to Gods people so long as they continue cordiall to their God There is such an irreconcileable Enmity betweene the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent that it is incredible to suppose that the enemies of the Church will doe any thing which may pâ—r se tend to the good of it or that any End and designe by them pursued can be severed from their owne malignant interest Let white be mingled with any colour which is not it self and it loseth of its owne beauty It is not possible for Gods people to joyne with any that are his
the aide of God for it is he that worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. â— 11.12.13 when we Covenant to turn unto God we must withall pray unto him to turne us Lam. 5.21 Ier. 31. God commands us to turn our selves and to make us a new heart and a new spirit that we may live Ezek. 18.30.31 32. but withall he telleth us that it is hee who gives us one heart and one way and a new spirit that we may walk in his Statutes Ezek. 11.19.20 Ier. â—2 39 He giveth us posse velle agere proficere the power to make us able the heart to make us willing the Act to walk the proficiency to improve the perseverance to finish and perfect holinesse David cannot run in the way of Gods Commandements till he enlarge his heart Psal. 119.32 nothing can finde the way to heaven but that which comes first from heaven Ioh. 2.13 wee cannot give unto God any thing but of his own Who am I saith David and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee 1 Chron. 29.14 For the further understanding of this point and of the sweet concord and concurrence betweene the will of man converted and the effectuall grace of God converting wee shall set down these few propositions 1. That there is in man by nature a power or faculty which wee call Free will whereunto belongeth such an indifferency and indeterminacy in the manner of working that whether a man will a thing or â—ill it choose it or turne from it hee doth in neither move contrary to his owne naturall principles of working A stone moving downward doth move naturally upward contrary to its nature and so violently But which way so ever the will moves it moves according to the condition of its created being wherein it was so made as when it chose one part of a contradiction it retained an inward and fundamentall habitude unto the other like those gates which are so made as that they open both wayes So that as the tongue which was wont to sweare or blaspheme when it is converted doth by the force of the same faculty of speaking being newly sanctified utter holy and gracious speeches so the will which being corrupted did chuse evill and only evill being sanctified doth use the same manner of operation in chusing that which is good the created nature of it remaining still one and the same but being now guided and sanctified by different principles This wee speak onely with respect to the naturall manner of its working for if we speake of liberty in a morall or theologicall sense so it is certaine that the more the will of man doth observe the right order of its proper objects and last end the more free and noble it is the very highest perfection of free will standing in an immutable adherency unto God as the ultimate end of the creature and all ability of receding or falling from him being the deficiency and not the perfection of Free-will And therefore the more the will of man doth cast off and reject God the more base servile and captive it growes In which sense we affirme against the Papists that by nature man since the fall of Adam hath no Free-will or naturall power to beleeve and convert unto God or to prepare himselfe thereunto 2. In man fallen and being thereby universally in all his faculties levened with vitious and malignant principles there is a native privitie and corrupt force which putteth forth it selfe in resisting all those powerfull workings of the word and spirit of grace that oppose themselves against the body of sinne and move the will unto holy resolutions for the wisedome of the flesh cannot bee subject unto the Law of God Rom. 8.7 The flesh will lust against the spirit as being contrary thereunto Gal. 5.17 an uncircumcisied heart will alwayes resist the holy spirit Act. 7.51 there is such a naturall antipathy between the purity of the word and the impurity of the will of man that he naturally refuseth to heare and snuffeth at it and pulleth away the shoulder and hardneth the heart and stoppeth the eare and shutteth the eyes and setteth up strong holds and high reasonings against the wayes of God and is never so well as when he can get off all sight and thoughts of God and be as it were without God in the world Ier. 5.3.6.10.17.23.19.15 Mal. 1.13 2 Chron. 36.16 3. According to the degrees and remainders of this naturall corruption so farre forth as it is unmortified and unsubdued by the power of grace this originall force doth proportionably put forth it selfe in withstanding and warring against the Spirit of God even in the regenerate themselves A notable example whereof wee have in Asa of whom it is said that he was wroth with Hanani the Seer and put him in a Prison-house and was in a rage with him when hee reproved him for his carnall confidence 2 Chron. 16.10 and the Apostle doth in many words both state and bewaile the warring of the Law of his members against the law of his minde so that when hee did with the one serve the law of God hee did with the other serve the law of sinne and was unable to doe the thing which hee would and the evill which he would not he did doe by the strength of sinne that dwelled in him â— Rom. 7.14 15. 4. We are to distingish of the will of God which is set forth in Scripture two manner of wayes There is voluntas signi or that will of God whereby he requires us to work and which he hath appointed to bee observed by us His will signified in precepts and prohibitions This is the will of God saith the Apostle even your sanctification 1 Thess. 4.3 So we are said to prove to try to doe Gods will or that which is pleasing in his sight Matth. 7.21 Rom. 12.2 Ioh. 8.29 and there is voluntas beneplaâ—iti the will of his purpose and counsell according unto which hee himselfe in his owne secret and unsearchable good pleasure is pleased to work for hee worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will Eph. 1.11 whatsoever the Lord pleaseth that he doth in heaven and earth Psal. 135.6 And no second causes can doe any thing else though they never so proudly break the order of Gods revealed will but what his hand and Counsell had before determined Acts 4.28 The will of Gods precept and command is every day violated resisted and broken through by wicked men unto their owne destruction How often would I and yee would not Matth. 23.37 Ierem. 13.11 But the will of Gods Counsell and purpose cannot bee resisted or withstood by all the powers of the world the Counsell of the Lord must stand and those very agents that worke purposely to disappoint and subvert it doe by those very workings
poore and slender temptation how strangely did a creature of so high and noble a constitution exchange God himselfe for the fruit of a tree believe a Serpent before a Maker and was so miserably cheated as to suppose that by casting away Gods Image he should become the more like him Who could have thought that David a man after Gods owne heart with one miscarrying glance of his eye should have been plunged into such a gulfe of sinne and misery as he fell into that so spirituall and heavenly a soule should be so suddenly overcome with so sensuall a temptation that so mercifull and righteous a man should so greatly wrong a faithfull servant as he did Vriah and then make the innocent blood of him whom hee wronged a mantle to palliate and to cover the wrong and make use of his fidelity to convey the letters and instructions for his own ruine Who could have thought that Lot so soone after he had been delivered from fire and brimstone and vexed with the filthy conversation of the Sodomites should bee himselfe inflamed with unnaturall incestuous lust who could have suspected that Peter who had his name from a Rock should be so soone shaken like a Reed and after so solemn a protestation not to forsake Christ though all else should to bee driven with the voice of a Maide from his stedfastnesse and with oaths and curses be the first that denied him Surely every man in his best estate is altogether vanity Therefore it behoveth us to be alwayes humbled in the sight of our selves and to be jealous 1. Of our originall impotency unto the doing of any good unto the forbearing of any evill unto the repelling of any temptation by our owne power In his owne might shall no man be strong 1 Sam. 2.9 To bee a sinner and to be without strength are termes equivolent in the Apostle Rom. 5.6 8. Nay even where there is a will to doe good there is a defect of power to perform it Rom. 7.18 our strength is not in our selves but in the Lord and in the power of his might and in the working of his Spirit in our inner man Eph. 6.10.3.19 Phil. 4.13 If but a good thought arise in our mind or a good desire and motion bee stirring in our heart or a good word drop from our lips we have great cause to take notice of the grace of God that offered it to us and wrought it in us and to admire how any of the fruit of Paradise could grow in so heathy a wildernesse 2. Of our naturall antipathy and reluctancy unto holy duties our aptnesse to draw back towards perdition to refuse and thrust away the offers and motions of grace our rebellion which ariseth from the law of the members against the law of the minde the continuall droppings of a corrupt heart upon any of the tender buds and sproutings of piety that are wrought within us our aptnesse to bee weary of the yoke and to shake off the burden of Christ from our shoulders Esay 43.22 our naturall levity and inconstancy of spirit in any holy resolutions continuing but as a morning dew which presently is dryed up beginning in the spirit and ending in the flesh having interchangeable fits of the one and the other like the Polypus now of one colour and anon of another now hot with zeale and anon cold with security now following Moses with Songs of Thanksgiving for Deliverance out of Egypt and quickly after thrusting Moses away and in heart returning unto Egypt againe Such a discomposednesse and naturall instability there is in the spirit of man that like strings in an instrument it is apt to be altered with every change of weather nay while you are playing on it you must ever and anon bee new turning it like water heated which is alwayes offering to reduce it selfe to its own coldnesse No longer Sun no longer light no longer Christ no longer grace If his back be at any time upon us our back will immediately be turned from him like those forgetfull Creatures in Seneca who even while they are eating if they happen to looke aside from their meat immediately lose the thoughts of it and goe about seeeking for more 3. Of the manifold decayes and abatements of the grace of God in us our aptnesse to leave our first Love Revel 2.4 How did Hezekiah fall into an impolitick vainglory in shewing all his Treasures unto the Ambassadors of a forraign Prince thereby kindling a desire in him to be master of so rich a Land as soone as God left him unto himselfe 2 King 20.12 13. How quickly without continuall husbandry will a Garden or Vineyard be wasted and overgrown with weeds How easily is a ship when it is at the very shore carried with a storme back into the Sea againe How quickly will a curious watch if it lie open gather dust into the wheeles and bee out of order Though therefore thou have found sweetnesse in Religion joy in the holy Spirit comfort yea heaven in good duties power against corruptions strength against temptations triumph over afflictons assurance of Gods favour vigour life and great enlargement of heart in the wayes of godlinesse yet for all this be not high-minded but feare Remember the flower that is wide open in the morning when the Sunne shines upon it may be shut up in the evening before night come If the Sunne had not stood still Ioshua had not taken vengeance on the enemy Iosh. 10.13 and if the Sunne of righteousnesse doe not constantly shine upon us and supply us wee shall not be able to pursue and carry on any victorious affections While God openeth his hand thou art filled but if he withdraw his face thou wilt be troubled againe Psal. 104.28 29. Therefore take heed of resting on thine owne wisdome or strength Thou mayest after all this grieve the Spirit of God and cause him to depart and hide himselfe from thee thou mayest fall from thy stedfastnesse and lose thy wonted comforts thou mayest have a dead wiâ—ter upon the face of thy conscience and be brought to such a sad and disconsolate condition as to conclude that God hath cast thee out of his sight that he hath forgotten to be gracious and hath shut up his loving kindnesse in displeasure to roare out for anguish of spirit as one whose bones are broken thy soule may draw nigh to the grave and thy life to the destroyers and thou mayest finde it a wofull and almost insuperable difficulty to recover thy life and thy strength again It was so with Iob Chap. 10.16 17. Chap. 13.26.27.28 Chap. 16.9 13. Chap. 30.15 31. It was so with David Psal. 51.8 Psal. 77.2 3 4. It was so with Heman Psal. 88. and diverse others See Iob 33.19.22 Psal. 1â—â— 3 11. Isa 54.6 11. Ion. 2.3 4. Therefore we should still remember in a calme to provide for a storme to stirre up the graces of God continually in our selves that