Gods presence Hee whose musicke was so coelestiall did he not first bring his instruments into tune and then praise the Lord upon them Psal 26 6. Hee first washed his hands in innocency then did compasse thine Altar O Lord. There bee many that doe lend their bodily presence but doe not give their soules unto God Some that have not entred into Iobs covenant with their eies and they gaze after vanity others that minde earthly things and they rob God of his honour making the house of prayer a denne of theeves Mat. 21.13 And â—hough Christ when he came as Man did correct those money-changers with the rods of men onely making a scourge of small coards to drive them out of the Temple Iohn 2.15 yet at his second comming hee will whip them with scorpions even with that woâ—me of conscience which never dyeth How shall any sinner presume to appeare before the Lord before whom all things are naked and manifest unlesse he resolve to abandon all wickednesse Hee seeth thee as if thou wert then acting thine hainous sinnes And if the Lord did threaten to punish a secret sin before all Israel before the sun 2. Sam. 12.12 then how terrible wil he be in taking vengeaÌ„ce upon those daring presumptuous sinners who make that most holy place a stage of wickednes a cage of all uncleannes Therefore let us renounce all sinne and with Cornelius present our selves before God to heare all things commanded of God Let me not seeme uncharitable I would be sorry to offend the least of those little ones There bee some that desire frequently to come and appeare before God which is a good gift and commeth downe from the Father of lights But then you must take heed lest that tares grow up in lieu of the good seed If any shall think the worke done that is being present in the Congregation to be a worke meritorious it proceeds from that old leaven of popery and must bee purged out So often as God suffereth thee to appeare hee giveth another talent which being well used will further thine accompt but otherwise increaseth thy condemnation Thinke that which thou hearest to bee of the nature of a prophecy which is never fulfilled but by thy practice Be not like he blinded horse that goeth â—lwayes in the same compasse 2. Tim. 3 7. It is good to bee ever lea ning but it is most dangerous to bee never able to come to the knowledge of the truth and if not to the knowledge then much lesse to the practice of it Though custome in sinning takes away the sense of sinne yet let not our ill doing of good have the same bad effect Cursed will hee be that doth the worke of the Lord negligently and a surfet by the abuse of Gods blessings must needs bee mortall The continuall sound of the Word hath beene like the Catadupes of Nilus to make us deafe And the frequent usâ— of it hath rebated the edge of our affection so that wee doe not hearken unto the Lord though the Lord hath beene pleased to hearken unto us As yet the Lord hath been slow to anger and plenteous in mercy Mal. 3.16 not rewarding us according to our iniquities Psal 103. For a long time we have enjoyed this freedome to come and appeare before God The Word hath continued as long as man liveth the years of the Gospel have beene threescore yeares and tenne and if those yeares be made up fourescore wee must wonder at the Lords mercy Now is the acceptable time and the day of salvation So long as wee have this blessing to approach into his presence there is hope of pardon and reconciliation Esther 7 8. 6.13 but if once our faces bee covered as Hamans was that we may not appeare before the King of Kings wee may feare that prediction of Zeresh will be fulfilled in us Ne amplius faciem regis videret ut sicbat apud Persas ris qui à gratiâ regis exciderant Iun. Wee shall not prevaile but shall surely fall into woe and misery It is true that God sometimes denieth this liberty unto his beloved children as here unto David that they cannot joyne with the assembly but then they are uncessant in their prayers to be restored and enlarged and their hearts are the more inflamed with the love of God and they learne more highly to prize those blessings which before were offered unto them As the Church refused to open unto Christ when hee knocked Cant 5.6 but after he had withdrawne himselfe shee sought him with all diligence And thus God prepares a table for us in the wildernes and relieves us in our greatest necessity Wee may see what assurance David had in saying When shall I come hee doth not say I shall never come but beleeveth there will bee a time of comfort Psal 27.4 when hee shall inquire in the Temple Nor is it without cause that hee so much desireth to appeare before God having ever found his eare open unto his prayer As for Saul the Lord was angry with him and would not answer him neither by dreames 1. Sam. 28.5 23 2 4 11 12 30.8 nor by Urim nor by Prophets but when soever David inquired of the Lord he received a gracious answer which made him say How amiable are thy tabernacles Blessed are they that dwell in thy house Psal 84. for a day in thy courts is better than a thousand and hee was glad when they said unto him 122.1 Let us goe into the house of the Lord yea in his greatest agony after hee had laine all night upon the earth and his head both was and seemed to be as a fountaine of teares even then in the beginning of comfort he went into the house of the Lord and worshipped before hee would eate any bread 2. Sam. 12.20 And now when he fled from his sonne he thought it the best testimony of Gods love that he might come and appeare before him 2. Sam. 15.25 If I finde favour in the eyes of the Lord hee will bring me againe and shew mee both the Arke and his habitation And although he were prohibited from building of the materiall Temple yet had hee dedicated his body being the Temple of the holy Spirit 1. Cor. 6.19 unto the service of God And hee erected a Church in his house wherein all the vessels were holy Rom. 16.5 for none that wrought deceit might dwell therein Psal 101.7 and there also God was honoured And lastly hee set up a Basilica a building well beseeming such a King when hee and all the house of Israel did bring the Arke into Zion which was an assurance of Gods presence among the people Wherefore let the same minde bee in you Philip. 2.5 which was in David and in Christ himselfe Psal 16.8 who foresaw the Lord alwaies before his face Act. 2.25 Let thy closet
to come and reveale it selfe unto us that have so highly offended yet when God commandeth it must yeeld obedience Yea he so commandeth as that we may therein discerne his favour vnto vs He sends the Angel to comfort Hagar in her distresse And he commands his kindnesse which is as his messenger bringing glad tidings of great joy unto his children His kindnes is not without love Pro. 12.10 The tender mercies of the wicked are cruell but the chasticements of God doe proceed from his love An if our chasticements then much more his kindnesse He is a Father of mercies they are as naturall and as deare unto him as a sonne to his father And though a mother should forget her child He will never forget his love to his children Mat. 5.45 Our heavenly Father causeth the sunne to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth raine on the just and on the unjust He is kind unto the unthankfull and evill Luke 6.35 But as Hanun used the messengers of David disdainfully 2. Sam. 10.2 when he thought to shew kindnesse unto him So wicked men doe abuse the goodnesse of God and pervert it unto their owne destruction But they that are indued with wisedome from above doe sing praise unto his holy name and doe pray unto the God of their life for the continuance and increase of all his blessings The Lord will command his loving kindnesse in thâ— day time by restoring him to his former liberty of appearing before God And after he had in an holy manner performed the duties of the day he did in the night meditate upon the lawes of God and rejoyce in the gracious benefits which he had received Gen. 3.17 â—abor exoriâ—r durus omnes agitat câ—ras c. â—enec The day is made for man to labour It was the punishment upon Adam and his posterity to eate their bread in sorrow all the daies of their life Yet through the goodnesse of God we receive many blessings therein It is a time of salvation vnto us if we dothe works of righteousnesse while it is day and labour to know those things which belong unto our peace 1. Pet. 3.10 If we desire to see good dayes we must eschew euill and doe good 1. King 3.14 Then the Lord will lengthen our dayes Deut. 30.20 yea he himselfe will be our life and the length of our daies Wherefore let us ever remember the love of God 11.19 and speake to the praise of his name not only when we rise up in the day but when we lye downe in the night Then to call to remembrance our song as David did who remembred God upon his bed Psal 77 6. 63.6 and did rise at midnight to giue thanks 119 62. whose eyes prevented the night watches â—48 139.18 when he awaked he was still with him And howsoever the sons of perdition do turn night into day whose evill conscience hateth the light 1. Thes 5.7 and being by darknesse robbed of all shame Quippe omnem pudorem nox ademetat Tacit. Gravis malae conscientiae lux est Fastidio est lumen gratuitum Senec. doe scorne the day so freely given unto them And are drunken in the night committing all kinde of wickednesse and uncleannesse therein Forgetting that the darknesse hideth not from God but the night shineth as the day the darknesse and the light are both alike to him Psal 139.12 Nox faecundo operum pulchraeque accommoda fraudi Stat. Yet they that are godly doe receive much strength and consolation in the night to the refreshing both of soule and body It did discover the tinorous weaknesse of Nicolemus to come unto Christ by night Nox hominum genus duros miseraca labores Val. Flac. But it sheweth our holy confidence then to sing praise unto the Lord and with our soule to desire him in the night yea with our spirit within us to seeke him early Isai 26.9 In former times God appeared vnto his servants in visions of the night and therein revealed his good will vnto them God came to Abimelech by night Gen. 20.3 and with held him from sinning And surely we may make a profitable use of our dreames in the night Iob 33.15 16. whereby many times God sheweth us the great corruption of our deceitfull hearts wanting his grace to make resistance unto the assaults of Satan who wil not give us any time to rest from his temptations But as that great Commander did sodainly come upon the enemy Ma ius â—n Salust be l. Iugur by marching diverse nights so hee doth then beset us and seekes to wound us by casting his fiery darts evil thoughts into our hearts Sometime we offend by carnall affections sometime by uncharitablenesse carefull thoughts and vaine imaginations Psal 16.7 Dicetur merita nox quoque Naenia Horat. My reines also instruct me in the night seasons and such a night requires a song of lamentation But when the Lord hath proved our heart Psal 17.3 and visited us in the night and hath tryed us and shall find nothing then may wee have a song in the night and gladnesse of heart as when an holy solemnity is kept Isai 30 29. There is great cause of joy for that the Lord doth refresh and sustain us by quiet sleepe after we have beene wearied with the evill of the day And as hee giveth rest after labour so hee giveth ease and deliverance after affliction and trouble In the night Act. 12.7 a light shined unto Peter in the prison and the Angel of the Lord raised him when hee was sleeping betweene two souldiers bound with two chaines So the Lord doth looke graciously upon us in our most disconsolate estate when we are environed with many miseries and lifts us up by his favour making away for us to escape out of the greatest dangers At mid-night Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises and immediately Act. 16.25 by the earth-quake all the doores were opened and every ones bands were loosed In the midst of trouble if our mouth bee opened in prayer our hearts also shall bee inlarged in thankes-giving Even in the time of affliction there is cause of rejoycing in that it comes from Gods fatherly love who maketh us to trust in him for reliefe after the time of triall Shall a man that is miserable delight himselfe in musicke Philoxenu iâ— Alâ—iano and shall not wee bee comforted by singing praise unto the name of the Lord Iosephs brethren thought evill against him Gen. 50.10 but God meant it unto good that he being advanced might preserve life When wee thinke our selves to bee neerest unto destruction God may then intend our greatest happinesse and comfort As the heaven is high above the earth so the height and depth of his wisedome and love doe exceed the capacity of our shallow understanding Wee
my selfe by giving an answer to Davids demand before I come to the question which is VERSE V. Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou dâ—squieted in me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance VVHerein hee makes further declaration of his sorrowfull and perplexed estate that his soule in this time of trouble did pant and thirst and was powred out and cast downe and disquieted not finding release from misery nor evasion out of these calamities Now if the light that is in thee be darknesse Mat. 6.23 how great is that darknesse and if the soule that is in thee be sorrowfull how great is that sorrow Pro. 12.25 When heavinesse in the heart of man maketh it stoupe yea to be cast down as Davids was And yet there is great cause that the soule bee lifted up with joy and not dejected with griefe if wee consider the originall of it Igneus est illis vigor coelestis origo Virgil. that it proceedeth from God himselfe Gen. 1.27 2.7 Psal 8.5 Mortalibus alti quantum coelicolae tantundem animalibus isti praecellunt cunctis Silius Eccles 3.21 12.7 who created us after his own image breathing into us the breath of life whereby wee became living soules So that wee who were made but a little lower than the Angels were made much higher than all other creatures For when the spirit of the beast goeth downeward to the earth our spirit shall returne to God that gave it Also there is cause of ioy unto the soule in regard of the body Deus dedit corpus animae ut illud in coelum eveneret Non dedita animam corpâ—ri ut c. God gave the body unto the soule that it might raise the body unto heaven Hee did not give the soule unto the body that it might presse the soule to the earth Admonet figura c. Boet Shall the body be erect towards heaven and the soule decline towards the earth Let us consider how helpfull the body is to the soule in the worship of God when our eyes wait upon him and our tongue is our glory to praise him and wee lift up pure hands and daily bow our knees before him when our feet doe carry us to his house and there wee prostrate our whole body in his presence Thus in our estate of grace there is an happy union and consent betweene them both But as Eve â—en 2.18 who was made a meete helpe proved a cause of the greatest woe and misery So the body which should assist the soule doth rebell against it and thereby becomes a great annoyance Like that kinde of torment when they did binde the dead and the living together Corpora ca daveribus ad versa adversis alligata Val. Max. So the soule that lives for ever and is willing to doe good is ioyned unto a body that is weake yea even dead to any holy duty And then the servant is upon an horse Ephes 2 5. Eccles 10 7. and the Prince doth walke as a servant upon the earth the hand-maide is advanced Eucherius ad Valeâ—ian and the mistresse brought downe to the foot-stoole The body doth bring the soule into captivity and make it of a king to become a servent Modo rex esâ— modo tyraâ—nus Sence oâ— else a tyrant Wherefore when wee finde a law in our members warring against the law of our minde wee must pray to be delivered froÌ„ this body of death Rom. 7. verse 23.24 It was observed that when the body sleepeth Anima dum corpori vires admâ—nistrat nequaquam vacat sibi c. Hippocrat the soule hath most liberty And wee know assuredly that when our bodies shall bee laid to sleepe in the grave our soules shall bee inlarged Terreno carcere resoluta caelum ibera petâ—â— Boet. and delivered from that earthly house wherein they were long pent and imprisoned Vt novus serpens pofitâ cum pelle senectâ c. Ovid. And as the serpent doth become young againe after it hath cast off the skinne so the soule shall bee clothed with maiesty and glory when this fraile body shall waxe old like a garment and bee folded up as a vesture untill the end of all things and then this vile body shall be fashioned like unto the glorious body of Christ and being reioyned unto the soule shall enter into the ioy of our Master If that father did so reioyce when he saw his sonne to be alive Gen. 46.30 whom hee thought to bee dead then how excellent shall our ioy bee when the body which was dead shall bee alive and they both being knit together shall live in blisse for evermore 29.20 Did those seven yeares seeme to bee but a few dayes 31.40 for the love that Iacob had to Rachel though hee suffered the drought in the day the frost by night and watched both day and night Then how wonderfull ought the love of the soule be to the body cheerfully serving the Lord patiently enduring all tryals and afflictions not being cast downe as if it were without hope but looking for the Saviour who shall unite both soule and body And wee shall be as the Angels of God in heaven Mat. 22.30 Let us now take notice of Davids examination of himselfe that wee thereby may learne to iudge ourselves and wee shall not bee iudged Formerly hee had with his whole heart sought unto the Lord to shew him the light of his countenance He had earnestly desired to appeare before God Hee had humbled himselfe in sorrow for his owne transgressions and the sins of other men Now God accepteth the will for the deed And they that mourne have a promise of comfort Mat. 6. Why then art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted in me Psal 4.4 Also hee did commune with his owne heart and was no fugitive from it as many are who have greatest reason to bee sorrowfull and to feare lest their soules should bee cast downe lower than Davids was because they never looke home to examine and prove themselves and to know that Christ is in them 2. Cor. 13.5 except they bee reprobates But David did make diligent search in his owne heart Psal 77.6 and in all things desired the good and comfortable estate of it Then why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted in me Remember the workes of old how graciously the Lord hath dealt with thee Say not within thy selfe that his mercy is clean gone for ever for thou dost stil enioy many blessings and his grace doth now keep thee from fainting Consider that in this chastisement the Lord dealeth with thee as with a childe and it is not his good pleasure that thou shouldest have sorrow upon sorrow but that this light affliction working for thy good may bring thee to an
the burthen upon others not seeking the bread of life by any sweat of our owne but onely as wee wipe it off from the face of other men Or else a customary and negligent performance of this duty whereby wee rather quench the spirit than stirre up the gift that is in us 2. Tim. 1. â— that it may shine cleerly for the benefit of others and burne cheerfully for the comfort of our own soules Now let us observe this resolution of David I will say unto God Ought hee not rather to have confessed with Iob Iob 9.3.15 That hee was not able to answer him one of a thousand And though hee had beene righteous yet would not answer but make supplication unto his Iudge As the Publican would not so much as lift up his eies unto heaven So might not he have said that hee was unworthy to lift up his voyce unto the Lord and to speake unto him Who art thou O man Rom. 9.20 that repliest against God Hath not the potter power over the clay Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker Isai 45.9 1. Pet. 2.20 Are servants commanded to take it patiently when they suffer for doing well and shall Gods servants bee impatient when they are corrected for their faults as if like Balaam He did smite us when wee did not offend against him Num. 22.28 Also where hee complaineth that he is now forgotten he speaketh as if God should repent of his love towards him as Adam when he thought to justifie himselfe Gen. 3.12 did impute the blame upon God So David doth not accuse himselfe who had provoked the Lord by his transgressions but speaketh as if God had forgotten to bee gracious and had rejected him in his displeasure In the former part I will say unto God My rocke There is a strong confidence in Gods mercy which emboldened him thus to speake In the latter Why hast thou forgotten me He speakes according to carnall reason Iudg. 2.3 which is as a Canaanite in the land a thorne in our side not to bee wholly conquered untill the last enemy be destroyed 1. Cor. 15.26 Before you saw him panting and thirsting for God but now he is come to the rocke from whence floweth the water of life Before the waves and billowes went over him but now his feet are set upon the rocke For who is a rocke save our God Psal 18.31 He is a rocke of refuge 62.7 94.22 of strength of salvation Thus Hannah calls him in her song 95.1 There is no rocke like our God 1. Sam. 2.2 Thus Moses frequently in his song Deut. 32 31. Their rocke is not as our Rocke Thus David in his song 2. Sam. 22.47 Blessed be my rocke and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation God who is pleased to call himselfe Exod. 3.14 I AM may fitly be described by this title of the Rocke as being ever the same Yea more stable and permanent than any rocke Mat. 27 51. For the rocks have beene rent but God is immutable with him is no shadow of change wherefore let us put our whole trust in God And as the conies Pro. 30.26 though a feebl folke yet are commended as exceeding wise because they make their houses in the rockes So it will be our wisedome to build upon this Rocke Mat 7.24 that we may noâ— fall when we are opposed exalted by the prince of the ayre Ephes 2. The dove is sayd to be in the clefts of the rocke Cant 2.14 So let our soules being purified by faith enter through the wounds of Christ Isai 2.10 and be united unto him by love In this appellation here used My Rocke the Psalmist alludes to Gods favourable dealing with the Israelites whom he relieved by causing water to come out of the rocke at Horeb Exod. 17.6 Num. 20.11 Meribah The remembrance of Gods grace and love shewed unto others doth bring comfort unto our soules And it is the best menes for us to obtaine the blessings we want when we doe magnifie his holy name for his mercy and goodnesse unto his children and for the great benefits formerly conferred upon our selves Isai 17.10 Not being unmindfull of the rocke of our strength It was Davids infirmity having begun in the spirit in calling God his Rocke thus to end in the flesh saying Why hast thou forgotten mee Had wee faith as a graine of mustard seed Mat. 17.20 wee might bee able to remove mountaines but it doth discover our unbeliefe when wee thinke that our Rocke doth forsake us that our God forgets us Wee doe with Iesurun Deut. 32.18 forget the Rocke that begat us the God the foâ—med us but he never forsakes his servants that wait upon him How often would hee like the henne gather us under the wings of his providence and mercy But when did he like the Ostrich Iob 39 14. leave us wholly destitute of his favour Shall the man that falleth through his owne weakenesse or is overthrowne by the strength of the winds and power of the waves accuse the Rocke whereon hee stood for instability The Rocke is fixed and sure but wee are feeble yet such is our error that as in passing by water the eye is ready to apprehend that the rockes doe remove and the vessell wherein wee are doth stand still So wee many times doe deceive our selves by thinking that God doth goe from us when as wee doe runne from him by disobedience 1. Iohn 4.10 We have not loved God but hee us God hath not forgotten us but wee him Doth David demand Why hast thou forgotten me Might hee not as well have asked Why hast thou dealt so favourably with mee There was great cause of indignation but no merit of love 2. Sam. 7.8 When God tooke him from the sheepe-coat from following the sheepe and anoynted him King over Israel and delivered him out of the hand of Saul 12.7 and gave him his Masters house and the house of Israel and Iudah and if that had beene too little hee would have given him such and such things Having received so great blessings hee brought forth the grapes of Sodom in lust and uncleannesse making his transgression to be like that crying sin of the men of Gibeah Iudg 25. where adultery and murther were both joyned together Wherfore it was a just judgement of God to forget him who had so highly offended And yet in this wee may see that the wayes of God are not like our wayes nor his thoughts as our thoughts Wee thinke hee is well pleased with us when hee is most angry and that hee forgets us when hee begins to looke upon us in mercy David during the whole yeare that hee slumbred in his sin thought the time to bee like a jubilee of ioy wherein all things succeeded prosperously but now that God doth punish him
otherwise than Herod thought to worship Christ Mat. 2.7 when he enquired diligently after him He hoped to have killed the Lord of life and they purpose to doe no lesse comming out with swords Mat. 26.55 as against a theefe though they aime at the members yet they smite the head it selfe in their persecution Act. 9.4 5. What is done to one of those little ones is done unto Christ and what is done to Christ is done to one of them A servant of God cannot heare His holy name which wee ought not to use without great reverence to bee dishonoured but his righteous soule must be vexed thereat It was this which did strike so deepe into David and vexe him so sore See the coherence which hee makes in the same verse Psal 69.9 For the zeale of thine house hath eaten me up and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are falne upon me How free hee was from anger and revenge in his owne particular case may appeare by his carriage when Saul had a quarrell against him For though Saul had so highly offended God by his folly in offering a burnt offering for the which hee was told that his kingdome should not continue God having sought a man after his owne heart And againe hee rebelled by disobedience in sparing Agag the best of the spoile at which time the Prophet threatned him that his kingdome should bee rent away from him And though David was anoynted by Samuel and might have set upon Saul when hee cut the skirt of his robe privily and another time might have suffered Abishai to smite him and make him sleepe his last yet hee would not upon these pretences put forth his hand against him but lamented at his death and calls to the daughters of Israel to weepe over Saul But here when God was contemned he was pricked to the heart and his marrow was turned into the drought of Summer He was upon the racke and all his bones were broken when he heard their evill speeches whereby they infected the ayre and poysoned their owne soules Now between David and most men living in these daies there is as great a difference as betweene the King upon the throne and the meanest subject grinding at the mill Hee had a soveraigne command over him selfe and was slow to anger not sinning by wrath yet most sensible oâ—e malicious words tending to the dishonour of God Whereas many that in Gods cause are like dumbe idols which have eares and heare not as if it did not concerne them being never touched with inward compunction when his name shall bee blasphemed but will rather give some consent thereunto as if they were well pleased with such lewdnesse And yet when their owne reputation shall be brought in question they will whet their tongue like a sword in sharpe invectives and will whet their swords also that they may wash off the least disgrace with the bloud of other men But if God doth whet his glittering sword and his hand take hold on judgement Deut. 32.41 he will render vengeance to all those which are of that mercilesse disposition that Cain was who thought the life of his brother to bee the most acceptable sacrifice VERSE XI Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within mee Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God VVHereas David so often repeateth these words we may observe the manifold troubles which befall us in this life Having mentioned his teates and his banishment in the beginning at the fift verse he rebukes his soule for sadnesse Having rehearsed his other afflictions he now againe chides himselfe for this distrustfull heavinesse As Peter Mat. 14.30 though he began to sinke the first time hee went to Christ upon the water Yet he was not thereby discouraged from casting himselfe into the sea againe Iohn 21.7 and then he passed safely to the shoare where Christ was So though the waves billowes went over David when hee hoped to approch unto God by faith yet here againe hee calls upon his soule and casting himselfe upon Gods mercy he arrives at the port of blessednesse Hee did not overcome these temptations and trialls at the first assault nor yet was he wearied with the continuance of them But whensoever he was molested with any evill he labours to strengthen his confidence in Gods love that he may be restored to comfort As Paul prayed thrice that the messenger of Satan might depart from him 2. Cor. 12. â— So our Author shutting up the next Psalme with the same conclusion doth the third time seek to be freed from this thorne in the flesh this heavinesse that was so offensive unto him By this we may learne that lesson which we shall have cause to remember and occasion to practice That through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdome of heaven Act. 14.22 2. Cor. 7.5 Without are fightings within are feares A wounded spirit who can beare What sorrow so neere what trouble so heavy as this when the soule shall be disquieted with doubt of Gods love or sense of his displeasure And yet wee must not faint and forsake our assurance but continue faithfull unto the death that wee may receive the crown of life In afflictions wee must not thinke some new thing doth come upon us which hath not beene before Wee will not compare our sufferings and trials with those which David endured Wee may take this one Prophet for an example of suffering affliction yet did hee not cast away his confidence but hoped in God therfore let us also hold fast the profession of our faith Iam 5.7 Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it untill hee receiue the earely and later raine let us also stablish our hearts that wee may bee refreshed with Gods favour As in water face answereth to face Pro. 27.19 so if wee looke unto the Lord Psal 42.5 we shall praise him for the helpe of his countenance who is the health of our countenance and our God The consideration hereof may be of speciall use and importance in all the casualties of this life but chiefly at the time of death Iob 18.14 when wee are brought to the king of terrors when this earthly house is dissolved we shall be conducted to the kings palace when these old garments be laid aside we shall be arraied in long robes I shall yet praise God yea I shall for ever praise God when I shall alwayes appeare in his presence Who is the health of my countenance who raised me from sicknesse to a sound estate who gave me strength after infirmity who filled me with plenty after adversity who revived me with comfort after sorrow and who will bring me to life after death Being then especially the health of my countenance when hee makes my face to shine as the sunne by beholding his glory And doth change this vile mortall corruptible body into a glorious body The lame man Act. 3.4 who was laid at the gate of the temple looking upon Peter received strength and entring into the temple praised God Though now our soules be cast downe yet if we trust in the Lord all our infirmities shall be cured entring into the holiest place we shall blesse the name of the Lord for evermore Then be not discouraged with present afflictions let thy hope be stedfast and sure Though in tempests sometimes they cut the anchors leave them in the sea Act. 27.40 that the men may be saved yet if we let our hope depart from us we perish The time of our life is but as sixe dayes of labour and sorrow and in this space we have so many nights of quiet and comfort yea we have an evening before the morning a time of strength before a time of triall But in the end there is the eternall Sabbath of blessednesse when we shall for ever magnifie the name of the Lord Amos 8.5 Though the carnall man doth with the Sabbath gone that he may set forth wheate and falsifie the ballances by deceit yet let not beleevers make hast by impatience but waite upon the Lord knowing that by this difficult ascent we come to sit upon the throne FINIS