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B12309
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A memento for Christians In some short meditations on the third verse of the thirteenth chapter of the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes [...] Published by the author, for the comfort of all those that mourne in Sion, and very fit to be seene in the hands of all men in tese troublesome dayes of the Churches sorrow.
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Doolittle, E.
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1623
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STC 6163.5; ESTC S113555
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39,885
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Secondly that all their wrongs he takes as done vnto himselfe Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act. 9. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Zacha. 2. 3. Thirdly that their afflictions are pretious in his sight for Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 116. 15. 4 Fourthly that whatsoeuer is giuen he takes as lent vnto himselfe Pro. 19. 17. 5 Fifthly how that hee hath taken order that none should doe them wrong Psal 105. 14 15. Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme yea hee hath reprooued kings for their sake 6. Sixtly how he supports them in their troubles Psal 46. 1. 7. Seuenthly how he accompanies them through them Isa 43. 5. And lastly how he calles vpon all his people euery where to remember them The consideration of these things wilfully establish the truth of the doctrine That the Lord is very pittifull of his afflicted seruants For if a King seeing his subiects in great affliction and distresse should seuerely take vengeance on their aduersaries that were the cause of their affliction and therby should make it knowne that all their wrongs he tooke as done vnto himselfe and that their afflictions were deare and pretious in his sight and thereupon had taken order that no man should doe them wrong and on the other side should make it knowne vnto all his subiects that whatsoeuer were giuen vnto them to help them hee tooke as lent vnto himselfe yea should himselfe support them in their troubles and accompany them through them in the fire in the water in the denne in the dungeon in banishment in exile in pouerty and in euery distresse And last of all should make it knowne by publike writing sealed with his owne seale that it were his will that all his subiects should remember them to minister vnto them and to doe them good would not this perswade their hearts that the king did exceedingly pitty them in their afflictions Yea yea beloued brethren the Lord doth this to you and more too for the king could doe it but as a man like Darius who laboured till the going downe of the Dan. 6. 14 Sunne to deliuer Daniel but that was all he could doe but the Lord doth it as the Almighty who is al-sufficient to support thee in thy affliction to accompany thee through it to daunt the aduersary and all at once Therefore as it may serue to confirme the doctrine so it serues exceedingly for thy comfort whosoeuer thou art or whatsoeuer thy affliction be and therfore seeing it is chiefly the intent of the words in the text and principally intended in the raising of the point to bring comfort vnto thee depriue not thy selfe of the same Vse 2 Secondly it serues for imitation That seeing God is so pittifull of his afflicted seruants euery one of his should doe the like We cannot follow a better example Vse 3 Thirdly it serues to shame Christians that are so pittilesse of the afflicted seruants of God it shewes they are no whit like their Father Math. 5. 45. and that they want a great deale of loue to God for he that loues him that begat will loue him also that is begotten 1. Ioh. 5. 1. And if wee loue we will shew it by our pittying of them 1. Ioh. 3. 17. Vse 4 Fourthly it serues for terrour to all those that are instruments or causes of the afflictions of the people of God For howsoeuer it may bee necessary in some respects that they should bee afflicted yet as it is saide in another case so I say in this Woe bee to them by whom the affliction commeth for doth God pitty his afflicted seruants then hee will haue no pitty on thee that art the instrument or cause of their affliction but will esteeme it a righteous thing to recompence tribulation vnto thee Yea if hee pronounce a woe vnto his owne people because they sorrowed not for them in their afflictions what will hee doe to thee who doest afflict them Yea if Meroshe bee cursed that came not out to helpe them what will hee doe to thee who commest out against them but euen giue thee thy portion with Pharaoh or Herod or with the Babylonians or with the Antichristian Romanes to bee destroyed heere and to be cast into the blacke lake hereafter For if thou haddest no other sinne against thee but this euen thy cruelty and vnmercifullnesse against the afflicted seruants of God It were sufficient to side thee out to the left hand of God amongst the goats to heare that woeful doome Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angels Mat. 25. O consider this ye that forget God lest hee teare you in pieces and there bee no helpe Psal 50. 22. Vse 5 In the fift place it serues for inuitation to inuite euery one to the serious meditation and due consideration of the words in the Text Remember those that are in bonds For it concernes all it belongeth to all of what estate or degree or condition soeuer whether high or lowe rich or poore in prosperitie or aduersitie here is matter for thy meditation If thou be in prosperity it informes thee of thy duty if in aduersity of the Lords care ouer thee for thy comfort Therefore let it often bee in thy minde and often in thy memory let it lye downe with thee and rise vp with thee Yea let it bee with thee in thy going out and at thy comming in and accompany thee in all thy wayes And as these words in the text so all the branches of the same with the seuerall instructions that it yeeldes for our vse and consider what a storehouse of treasure is contayned in it for howsoeuer a text may bee full of heauenly good matter yet it shall not bee good to thee vnlesse rhou profitably receiue it And as this is the masters ioye so it will bee the schollers comfort euen with Dauid to hide the word and with Mary to laie it vp in their hearts And seeing it is the intent of the Lord in speaking of his Spirit in inspiring the inuiter in gathering and his soule in desiring that it may bee for thy profiting depriue not so many of their expectation thy selfe of so much good And seeing that the sweetnesse of it made it easie in gathering let it not bee tedious vnto thee in reteining it beeing gathered And as it serues for all persons so for all times and all changes when thou art in prosperitie to teach thee in aduersitie to comfort thee Vse 6 It serues in the last place for exhortation to all the afflicted Saints to praise God for shall God be so pittifull of them and shall hee lose the praise of his loue No no. Therefore O that men would praise the LORD for his mercifull louing kindenesse and count it exceeding ioy when they fall into diuers temptations seeing that they are not forsaken in them All praise to him who is all-sufficient O That the saluation of Israel were come out of Sion when the LORD bringeth backe the captiuitie of his people Iacob shall reioyce and Israel shall bee glad Psal 14. For Sions sake I will not hold my peace and for Ierusalems sake I will not rest vntill the righteousnesse thereof goe forth as brightnesse and her saluation as a Lampe that burneth Isay 62. 1. 〈…〉 at make mention of the Lord keepe◠not silence and giue him no rest till hee establish and till hee make Ierusalem a praise in the earth Isay 62. 6 7. FINIS
wee doe duly consider of all the parts of our saluation the beginning the degrees the meanes the manner the causes and the effects they all preach vnto vs of nothing else but the loue of God For the beginning of it as it is manifested vnto vs in Gen. 3. What should moue the Lord to make that gracious promise that the seed of the woman should breake the serpents head but his free loue wherewith he loued vs from the foundation of the world For the degrees of it what should moue the Lord to send his Sonne into the world in the fulnesse of time to fulfill all righteousnesse and by his death to purchase vs saluation and life but because he loued the world Iohn 3. For the meanes of it what should moue the Lord to giue his iudgements vnto Iacob his statutes and his ordinances vnto Israel but because he had a fauour vnto them for he hath not dealt so with euery nation Psal 147. For the manner of it what should moue the Lord to vse so many exhortanions perswasions inuitations and allurements but only his loue because hee would not that wee should die Ezek. 18. For the cause of it where is it to be found but in the loue of God Deut. 7. And for the effects which is grace here and glory hereafter what doth it shew vnto vs but the loue of God that where he is there we might bee also Iohn 17. By all which it is euident that in effecting our saluation the Lord doth more manifest his loue then shew his power Reas 1. The reason is first because his mercy is Math. 5. 45. ouer all his workes Reas 2 Secondly because mercy pleaseth him Mich. 7. 18. he delights himselfe in shewing mercy and manifesting his loue Reas 3 Thirdly because there is no other way would serue turne to effect our saluation his power would destroy vs his iustice would condemn vs. It is his mercy loue Rom. 5. 8. that must doe vs good This point being thus proued both by Scripture and reasons the vses follow Vse 1 And first it serues for instruction to teach euery one of vs to take notice of the loue of God towards vs in effecting our saluation and to cry out with the Apostle O the Eph. 3. 18 19. heigth and depth the length and bredth of the loue of God towards vs in the beginning the degrees the meanes the manner the causes and effects of our saluation 2. Secondly it serues for imitation to all those that any way are instruments in the saluation of others not so much to shew their power authority they haue receiued asto manifest their loue towards Gods people to say with the Apostle that the 2 Cor. 5. 14. loue of Christ constraines vs for in this they follow the best master that euer taught 3. Thirdly it serues for exhortation vnto euery one to praise God for his mercy like as for our preseruation Psa 107. 12 by his prouidence so especially for our saluation by his loue Psal 103. 4. Fourthly it serues for reproofe of all those whom God hath made instruments in the salutation of others that stand more to shew their power and authoritie then to manifest their loue in this they leaue the example of Christ and follow Antichrist 5. Fiftly it serues for consolation vnto all those that haue part in the saluation brought vnto them by the Lord Iesu they haue so many testimonies of the loue of God as they haue experiments of the worke of their saluation So much for the first point in the exhortation the manner followes which shewes the earnestnesse of it in the word remember from whence we learne Doct. 2 That the Lords words come not lightly from him but with aboundance of affection and earnestnesse as is cleere not only in this place remember those that are in bonds which shewes the earnestnesse of his affection but else-where Oh that my Deut. 32. 29. people would haue heard oh that they would vnderstand oh that they would remember their latter end and sometime why will yee Ezek. 18. 31. die O house of Israel which plainely proues the truth of this point that the Lords words come not lightly nor slightly from him but with aboundance of affection and earnestnesse Reas 1 The reason it is in a matter of great weight it concernes his owne glory and the saluation of all his people The point being thus proued both by Scripture and reason the vses follow Vse 1 And first it serues for instruction to teach vs diligently to attend vnto the words of the Lord because they are spoken with such abundance of affection and earnestnesse As also in that it treats of a matter of such great weight and moment and thirdly in that the speaker is so great a personage euen the Lord himselfe the least of which motiues is sufficient to draw attention in matters of lesse moment Vse 2 Secondly it serues for imitation to all those that handle the word of the Lord to speake it as the word of the Lord that is as in the plainenesse and euidence so also in the power of the Spirit with aboundance of affection and earnestnesse for it is a matter of great weight they are arbitrators between God and his people they are making a loue-day and a reconcilement betweene God and man therefore 2 Cor. 5. 20. they should with the Apostle say As though God did beseech you by vs we pray you in Christs steed be you reconciled to God Rom. 12. 1. And in another place I beseech you by the mercies of God that you giue vp your selues a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God Vse 3 Thirdly it serues for reproofe of all those whom God hath called to the handling of his word and yet doe it so lasily and carelesly as though they cared not whether they speake or no which sheweth euidently that seeing they come not in the power neither haue they the spirit of Elias for it is said of Christ that he spake with authority and not as the Scribes in which words there is a plaine difference betweene the ministery of Christ and those of antichrist those of Christ as they come in the name so in the power also those of antichrist come in the name onely which howsoeuer they may be great scholiers and bee of great note in the Church euen as the Scribes and Pharises Mat. 5. 20. were yet our righteousnesse must exceede theirs els shall wee neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen For these men handle not the word as the word of God nay not as the cause of men for if they were made arbitrators betweene men oh how earnest they would be oh how full of affection how full of power in perswading and intreating But now in the cause of God they are frozen vp as it were vnlesse it bee in respect of titles or personall wrongs then they will bestirre them euen