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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01935	Certaine sermons preached upon severall occasions viz. The vvay to prosper. The vvay to be content. The vvay to vvell-doing. A summer sermon. A vvinter sermon. Vnknowne kindnesse. The poore mans hope. By Iohn Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex.	Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to prosper.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to be content.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to well-doing.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Summer sermon.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Winter sermon.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Unknowne kindnesse.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Poore mans hope.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Oracle of God.	1636 (1636)	STC 12071; ESTC S120526	199,234	334

have begun entreate you to beare it contentedly whether you deserve it or deserve it not If thou doest deserve it and that by thy scandalous life thou hast throwne this dirt in thy owne face then be content and be sorry for what thou hast done and God shall repay and make up thy good name againe wee have his owne promise for it by his owne Prophet Zeph. 3. 11. In that day thou shalt not be ashamed for all thy doings wherein thou hast transgressed against me the meaning is that in the day of thy repentance God will take from thee not thy sin onely but thy shame too David by his great sinnes had in a manner quite broken his good name insomuch that his enemies began to insult and make songs upon him to disgrace him utterly yet because he was a penitent man God upon his repentance repayred his good name and he dyed saith the text full of riches and Honour first of Chronicles Chap. ult not of riches onely but of honour too all his dishonour was done away and he left a reverend and renowned name behind him when hee had gotten credit with God hee got credit with men too In a word if thou desirest that others should speake well of thee see thou have a care to doe well unto thy selfe Psal 59. 18. Si benefeceris tibi If thou dost well unto thy selfe men will speake good of thee So that it lies in a mans selfe it is in his own hand to make himselfe a good name or a bad one So long as a man doth well to himself i spends his time well serves his God well leades his life well and husbands his estate well so long he shall be sure to be well thought of and well spoken of but if he doe ill to himselfe take an ill course leade an ill life and follow ill company c. if he be then ill-spoken of he must thanke himselfe and he may say to himselfe as the heart of Apollodorus the tyrant seemed to say to him who dreamed one night that he was steade by the Scythians and that his heart cried unto him out of the Caldron 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is I that have brought thee to all this Therefore if thou deservest to be ill-spoken of amend thou thy selfe and God will amend thy name But if thou be ill spoken of and deservest it not though the crosse be great the comfort is the greater for doe but rest contented and God will finde a time to bring thy innocency to light Looke how God doth with secret sinnes to bring them to light that are done in darkenesse so will he doe by secret innocency Iosephs uprightnesse was in secret none saw it or knew it but onely God and himselfe as for his mistresse shee accused him belied and slandered him and was beleeved poore Joseph either pleaded not for himselfe or his plea was not heard nor credited yet God found a time to cleare it and bring it to light so let the world raise what slanders they will looke how hee did with Ioseph so will hee deale with thee for he is a God that changeth not In the meane time doe not take too much to heart the reproches of thy enemies but pray as Austin did plue mihi mitigationes in cor ut patienter tales feram Oh my God showre downe thy gentle appeasings into my heart that I may patiently beare with such men as these Pray I say to God that hee would pacifie thy owne heart and mollifie thy enemies hearts and that 's the way to be Content 4 Mephibosheths case to be crost by perfidious friends and servants I confesse it is a hard case when such as are Viri pacis and Viri panis as the Prophet speakes that eate of a mans bread and professe friendship and love and service to a man when they shall go about to undermine him and worke him out of favour and out of his fortunes too yet the world is full of such Zibaes that care not how they collogue nor whom they slander for their owne private advantage If they see a man to be a cripple as it were that he cannot go to speake for himselfe nor come in place to answer for himselfe and to tell his owne tale he shall be sure to have his tale told for him by some that he little dreamt of that will do him a displeasure and he shall never know who hurt him Thus did Ziba deale with Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 19. 30. yet see how patiently how contentedly that good man put it up when David spake of dividing the land with Ziba Let him take all saith Mephibosheth seeing my Lord the King is come home in peace Here is the voyce of one that is a true servant to his God and a true subject to his King such a man is really content that the devils pioners I meane undermining flatterers should take all they can get and get all they can take either by Hophnies Fleshhooke 1 Sam. 2. or by those Nets and Dragges that the Prophet speakes of Hab. 1. 15. let them hooke hale and drag together the Devill and all as some I thinke will doe A contented man had rather with Mephibosheth loose all part with all and be stript of all he hath so he may but have leave to enjoy the favour of his God the safety of his Soveraigne and the peace of his owne conscience to himselfe Well if it be thy hard hap to be thus abused and undermined by a trecherous Ziba that beares thee faire in hand and secretly endeavours to worke thee out of all yet learne of Mephibosheth to be content though thou goest by the worse and desire of God as David did to stand thy friend in such a case sponde pro servo t●o in bonum Answer for thy servant in the thing that is good Psal 119. 122. as if he had said Lord thou hearest and seest how unjustly I am calumniated and evill spoken of in many places where I am not nor may not come to answer for my selfe therefore Lord doe thou answer for me or stirre up some good body to pleade my cause and speake in my behalfe Subarrha servumtuum so some translate it be surety for thy servant if they will not beleeve mee nor give credit to my words when I speake in my owne defence be thou O Lord a surety for me passe thy word for my truth and sincerity for thou knowest my cause is good Be surety for thy servant in the thing that is good Thus doe see thy cause be good thy conscience cleare thy heart unguilty of the great offence and then commend thy case to God let God alone to answer for thee And that is the way to be Content 5 The Cripples case Ioh. 5. to be crost in ones preferment as he was that lay 38. yeares at the poole of Bethesda waiting for a good houre and still one or other stept in before him and intercepted him of his

onely promising him to be his exceeding great reward now if God should have failed Abraham when hee was in a strange place he had beene utterly undone but Abraham gave credence to his Word and wholy cast himselfe upon the Promise and the Providence of his God and this was counted to him for righteousnesse Hence I gather hee that beares a true faith to God dares repose and cast and roule himselfe upon the mercy of his God and the merits of his Saviour for the pardon of his sinnes the preservation of his life and the salvation of his soule he that dares trust his God in a case of exigence and extremity when if God should faile him hee were undone by it I dare say that man is a righteous man in Gods account 3 The next shall be Let of whose righteousnesse you read ● Pet. 2. 8. That righteous man dwelling among the Sodomites vexed his righteous soule from day to day with seeing and hearing their unlawfull deeds Now wherein did his righteousnesse consist the text saith in vexing and grieving at the unrighteousnesse of others Try thy selfe by this Art thou vexed and grieved at the heart to see the unlawfull deeds and the ungodly courses of the world Dost thou mourne in secret as Samuel did for Saul so dost thou mourne for those who in mens understanding are in the high way to hell and destruction is it an Hazael to thine eyes and a griefe to thy heart to see that men should have no more grace nor care to serve and feare the Lord but to dishonour and provoke him every day and dost thou wish in sincerity before God Oh that it lay in thee to further the cause of God and to hinder the increase and growth of Satans Kindome in the world art thou thus minded thus affected as Lot was in Sodome then take it as an undoubted testimony to thy soule that God who counted it to him will count it so to thee for righteousnesse Whereas he that can make himselfe merry with that which makes God and his Angels sorry is farre from Lots disposition and consequently farre from being righteous in Gods account 4 Come next to Job who saith of himselfe Iob 29. 14 15 16. I put on righteousnesse and i● cloathed me meaning that his soule was clad with righteousnesse within as his body was clad with cloathes without but how did that appeare I was eyes to the blind feet to the lams and a father to the poore These be the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the infallible markes and badges of a righteous man 1 He must be eyes to the blinde Ignorant em 〈◊〉 saith Lyra by giving counsell direction and advice the 〈…〉 can to them that are ignorant and simple here signified by the blind which are not able to guide themselves without Seer 2. Hee must be feete to the lame Impotent●m adjuvando by giving countenance helpe and assistance the best he can to them that are impotent and of meane ability here signified by the lame for he that wants his limbs cannot stir without some helper and supporter He must be a father to the poore Indigentem subl●vando by giving reliefe and protection the best he can to them that are destitute of friends and meanes like poore Orphans or Fatherlesse children that are not able to provide for themselves nor to live without the charity and the mercy of good minded people These are the objects of the care and compassion of the righteous and these are the touchstones and trials of undissembled righteousnesse He that lends his eyes to the blinde to direct them his feete to the lame to support them and his bread to the poore to sustaine them that 's a Iob-like-disposition and a righteous man without doubt in the sight of God 5 Looke next to Phineas of whose righteousnesse you may read Psal 106. 31. Phineas stood up and prayed and the plague ceased and this saith the text was counted to him for Righteousnesse Now what was it that made Phineas a righteous man It was his praying or his pacifying of God for so the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and in the vulgar Latine it is St●●●t placavit he stood up and pacified or appeased God and this was counted to him for righteousnesse Hence I gather He that labours to pacifie God by prayer when he is provoked and displeased by sinne he that takes a speedy course to reconcile himselfe and others and to make attonement with God by a sound and serious humiliation when hee sees that wrath is gone our from the Lord that mans name is surely recorded in heaven amongst the number of the righteous in the Booke of God Whereas he that goes on daily to provoke God and never goes to pacifie God is farre from Phineas disposition and farre from being righteous in Gods account 6 It is said of Zachary and Elizabeth Luke 1 6. They were both righteous before God How did that appeare the text saith They walked in all the Commandements of God though no doubt they had many a rub many a slip many a fall yet still they kept on their way and walked in all the Commandements of God But how did they walke the text saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unblameably or unoffensively sine querel● non sine peccato as a Father saith not without sinne but without blame not that God could find no fault with them but that men could not charge them with any open crime and herein consisted their righteousnesse before God Hence I note they that make a conscience to frame their lives according to Gods Commandements to keepe themselves unspotted of the world and to be innocent from the great offence as David speaketh Psal 19. so that though they cannot be free from sin will endeavour to live unoffensively and to be free from blame these are surely righteous in Gods acceptance though they fall short of that righteousnesse which Gods Commandements doe require 7 Lastly to come home to my text if ye would know what kind of qualited man David meant by a righteous man Hee expounds himselfe in the very next words to my Text and saith He is ever mercifull and lendeth There be lenders enough in the world such as they be but they be unmercifull lenders that lend upon usury whose lending is as unmercifull and for the most part as unrighteous as a Robbery The mercies of the wicked are cruell saith the Scripture Viscera impiorum as it is in the Originall the very bowels of the wicked which are the tenderest parts about them and if their bowels be so cruell Oh how cruell are their Bills and Bonds if there be cruelty in their mercies Oh what cruelty is there in their malice and if their best dealings be so bad Oh how bad how vile are their worst This unmercifull kind of lending is farre from making or shewing a man to be righteous in Gods account But then there is another sort of Lenders which are

hell there David might have found him but there hee sought him not And this is the miserable end of a wicked mans prosperity The consideration whereof may be a stay unto us against that great temptation that troubled David and Ieremy and still troubles them that are weake in faith to see the prosperity of wicked men to see it goe well with them that be evill and ill with them that doe well Dost thou see an ungodly man laden with wealth honour and ease dost thou see an hypocrite and an evill liver blest as Esau was with the dew of heaven and the fatnesse of the earth dost thou see a gracelesse ruffin one that feasts without feare drinkes without measure sweares without feeling and lives without God and yet his body vigorous his coffers plenteous and his estate prosperous in a word dost thou see them prosper that seeke not the Lord but lie wallowing in that which God abhors and stand chargeable in their soules with that which separates and divides betwixt man and his God why be not discomforted at it be not disquieted with it do not fret thy selfe because of the ungodly neither be thou envious at evill doers but consider the end of those men that is the Apostles expression Iames 5. 11. You know the patience of Iob and what end the Lord made with him though he curst him at first yet he doubled his blessing upon him at last so stay till you see what end God will make with these men surely O God saith David Psal 73. 18. Thou hast set these men in slippery places thou castest them downe into destruction a man that stands in lubrico in a slippery place as on ice or glasse shall have much a-doe to keepe himselfe upright though no body touch him but if one should come upon him unawares and give him a sudden justle or a sudden rush he hath no power in the world to uphold himselfe but must fall and that dangerously and this is the case of wicked wealthy men they thinke they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unmoveable and fastned on a rocke that never shall be moved but they are deceived God that knowes their standing tels us hee hath set themon slippery places and it will not be long ere God send some death some judgement some evill angell or other to give them such a sudden justle such a sudden rush that without great mercy on Gods part and great repentance on their owne part they must fall inevitably into the pit of hell And this is the first point I desire to have handled namely that the right way for a man to prosper indeed is to serve and seeke the Lord whosoever prospers without seeking of God his prosperitie in this world shall be his ruine and perdition in the world to come Secondly the manner how one that desires to prosper must seeke the Lord and that is to be done two dayes 1. Humiliter 2. Veraciter Humbly and unfainedly sorrowfully sincerely First Humiliter as the blessed Virgin Mary told our Saviour Luke 2. 48. Thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing They that would find the Lord must seeke him sorrowing with sad and heavie hearts bewailing and bemoaning their owne miserable estate through sinne before God as it is said of the Israelites 1 Sam. 7. ● When the Arke of God was departed from them they lamented after the Lord the best and truest lamentation in the world is to lament after the Lord and a man hath never so just a cause to lament as when the Lord for sinne is departed from him We read in the story of Micha Iudg. 18. 24. that when the Souldiers had taken away Micha's gods he ranne crying and weeping after them as a man distracted and deprived of all his comfort the Souldiers hearing him turned backe and asked him what he ailed saith Micha Yee have taken away my gods and doe yee aske me what I aile can yee blame a man that hath lost his gods to be out of quiet If Micha could find in his heart to lament for the losse of a false god a god of his owne making as good gods as that lying at the backe of the fire warming a man or roasting of meate as Esay speakes shall a Christian finde in his heart to lose the true God the God of all comfort and consolation and that by sinne which is the worst losse of all and that not by any others taking away as in Michas case but by his owne act and wilfull default and not be grieved nay not moved a-whit breake none of his sleepe none of his wonted sports for it as if he reckoned God as good lost as found God forbid Certainely hee that can lament for the losse of his goods and cannot lament for the losse of his God is worthy to lose both his goods and his God for ever God was angry with the carnall Iewes Hos 7. 14. because they howled upon him for corne and wine but did not cry unto him with their hearts they howled because God had scanted them in his mercie but they never howled because they had scanted God in their duty they howled for want of meanes not for want of grace which is the greatest want of all observe therefore what a despicable contemptible terme God gives their prayers hee cals them ululatus howlings like the howlings of a Dogge or a Wolfe which is a most harsh unpleasing note in the eare of a man such are the prayers of obstinate sinners in their extremitie to God They howled unto me upon their beds but they did not cry unto me with their hearts t is not the howling of the mouth that God regards but t is the cry of the heart that pierceth heaven and entreth into the eares of Almighty God you may see it in Moses Exodus 14. 10. When the Israelites were straighted at the red Sea having the Sea before them their enemies behind them Rocks and Hils of each side of them the text saith The people cried and made a dolefull howling and lamentation to the Lord Moses held his peace and see the issue Populus clamabat non audiebatur tacebat Moses audiebatur The people cried and God heard not them Moses held his peace and hee was heard Vers 15. Why dost thou cry unto me saith God when he uttered never a word nor made any noise that we can read of onely his heart cried and that was it that God listned unto and therefore if anie man find himselfe to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of such a hard and dry and brawny temper that he cannot cry with his eyes let him cry with his heart and it is enough As it is said of our Saviour Heb. 4. 6. That in the dayes of his flesh he offered prayers and supplications 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with strong cries and teares unto God hee did not onely cry but he cried strongly he did even straine himselfe in this prayers with the greatest

well-doing if they have once done a good worke they thinke they have a supersedeas for doing good any more But God loves constancy in well-doing 〈…〉 see 2. Reg. 13. 18 19. how the man of God was wroth with the King of Israel because when he bade him smite upon the ground he smote but thrice and stayed sayth he thou shouldest have smitten five or sixe times then shouldest thou have smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it whereas now thou shalt smite it but thrice So when a man shall doe two or three good deedes and then stay his hand this is not enough to please God then is God pleased when wee proceede and goe on and keepe a constant setled course of weldoing when wee make it as our meat and drinke to doe the will of our heavenly father so that as a healthfull man if hee eate or drinke the lesse one day hee ●ates and drinkes the more another day so should wee if wee serve God the lesse one day serve him the more another day if wee doe the lesse good one day doe the more the next day as an Archer if he shoote amisse one time he will try to mend it the next time so if we have done amisse one day strive to amend it the next day and so continually endeavour to rede●me our times because our dayes be few and evill Doubtlesse it is for this cause that God hath layd such a charge upon us to affirme these things constantly that they might be alwaies fresh in your remembrance and alway constant in our practise You know what is said in the Gospel Blessed is that servant whom his master when he commeth shall finde so doing that is when death or judgement shall come upon a man like a theefe in the night unexpectedly and unawares blessed of God is that man that is found at his prayers or taken in his calling or any waies taken in the act of well-doing but woe to that man or woman that is taken as it were napping in the midst of his sinnes as Balthashar was taken in the midst of his cups Nebushadnezzar in the midst of his pride the old world in the midst of their fleshline to speake the best of it that may be it is much to bee feared that God meanes no good to that parties soule I will close up 〈…〉 with that sweete and comfortable Collect Lord let thy speciall grace now and ever more prevent and follow us and make us continually to be given to all good workes through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen But that is not all I take it 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies rather to affirme strongly ex tote valde as we say to presse it home withall the strength and might we have though you neglect and slight good workes in your practise wee must not slight nor neglect them in our preaching but set them on as the Bee doth her sting with the greatest force and efficacie that possibly we can put to it I know there is as great difference betweene preachers as betwixt an infant and a Gyant drawing the same bow and yet if a Gyant shoote an arrow against a stone wall it pierceth not but reboundeth backe againe with the greater violence so the most happie the most able preacher that lives may shoot as unprofitably I meane preach as unsuccessefully as a weaker teacher if hee meete with people that have stones in their hearts I meane that are untractable and unpliable to any goodnesse unlesse God doe by them as he promised by his prophet Ezech. 11. I will take away your stony hearts and give you a heart of flesh non ●arnale sed carn●um not a fleshly heart but a fleshy hears that is a heart that shall bee as tender as your flesh that the least blow will bee seene upon it and the least pricke of a pin draw blood of it when God hath made this way then shall they feele that the word of God is virga virtutis a rod of strength and power even in the hand of the weakest minister wee see by experience let a little child take a staffe in his hand and strike a man therewith it never troubles him he never complaines of the blow but let a strong man take this child by the hand and strike with the same staffe he that feeles the blow though he see not the party that strooke him can easily conjecture that this was more then a child could doe there was the strength of some man in it In like manner when wee take the word of God into our hands as Gehazi tooke the staffe of Elisha al●● we lay it on but weakely we doe but Verbera●● 〈…〉 beate the ayre or beate your eares that is all that we of our selves can doe but if at any time you feele a blow that lights upon your hearts if you feele a word that toucheth you to the soule beleeve it that stroke came from the hand of God All that we can doe is but as Iohn Baptist speaketh Mat. 3. to lay the Axe to the r●ote of the tree now if a man take an Axe and onely lay it to the roote of a tree it will be long enough ere the tree be cut downe for it is the strength of the arme and the fetching of the blow it is that that wounds it it is that that fells it downe and for that cause I suppose the preaching of the word is called the Arme of God Esa ●3 1. it is not the hand of a preacher but it is the ●rme of God that wounds a sinners heart and makes him fall downe at the foote of God the weakenesse is from us but the strength is all from God who yet hath commanded us not to abate any thing of our owne paines nor to preach his word in any negligent manner but to affirm● and confirme it with all the strength and might that our witt and learning will afford 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith my text These things I will that thou affirme strongly And so from the skirts as it were I come to the body of my text where you have an abridgement of the law and the Gospel the Gospel is doctrina credendorum the law is doctrina agendorum the one teacheth us what wee ought to beleeve the other teacheth what wee ought to doe for the comfort and discharge of our owne soules in the sight of God Here both are knit together Beleeving and doing Law and Gospel Faith and good workes doe in our text as they should doe in our lives even meete and kisse each other Intimating unto us what Gods good pleasure is in this behalfe namely That as many as are of a right faith as many as have beleeved in God should be also of aright conversation should be carefull to maintaine good workes 1. For matter of faith I suppose that of all men living we Protestants are in the right the Faith that we professe and hold is doubtlesse such as is able

An old disciple that is to be a ●ollower of Christ from ones youth and to continue Christs faithfull servant to ones age Age is a crowne of glory saith Salomon Prov. 16 31. When it is found in the way of righteousnesse that is when an old man is found to be a just and a righteous man then he truely deserves reverence but when a man hath lived to those yeares that he comes to have Caput album and cor nigrum a head white with hoary haires and the heart blacke with wicked deeds it is the most lamentable incongruity and disproportion in the world It is observed out of Gen. 25. 8. that Abraham was the first in all the Scripture that is called by the name of an old man and yet there were many before him that were much elder in yeares and had lived a longer time in the world than he had done why then should Abraham be called an Old man rather than any of his elder ancestours Philo gives this to be the reason that it was propter canitiem virtutum not so much for the age of his body as for the antiquity of his vertue though they were elder in yeares than he yet Abraham was elder in grace and vertue than they and had beene a vertuous a religious man and had served and feared the Lord a longer time than any of his predecessours and for this cause was he written the first old man in the Register of Almightie God And so at this day not he that is first Christened but he that is the first and best Christian is the eldest man in Gods account and comes nearest unto him who is the Ancient of dayes Whereas he that is full of dayes and empty of grace that hath attained bonum se●ectutem as one saith a good old age but wants the maine of all which is Bonum senectutis the goodnesse of old age who when the harvest of his yeares is come doth not bring forth that fruit unto God of devotion and piety of wisedome and gravity of temperance and charity that is to be found in men of fewer yeares Most wretched and miserable is his condition for he comes as it were to the borders of Canaan to the very point of time wherein Gods children make their happy transmigration into heaven but by reason of his sinnes is thrust backe againe so that when he should die and ascend to the place of eternall blessednesse he dies and descends to the pit of utter darkenesse where is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth Such is the miserable condition of that man or woman whose body is declining to the grave but his spirit hath not learned to ascend to God that gave it You therefore that are aged persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ready and ripe for the grave learne to resemble the Sunne whereof the Prophet David speaketh Psal 104. Sol novit occasum suum the Sun knoweth his going downe and therefore before his setting sends forth the brighter and the clearer and the sweeter beames so you cannot but know that it will not be long ere the sunne of your life goe downe therefore before the night of death come upon you send forth some beames of light some good prayers to God some good deeds to the poore shew some token for good before your death that it may appeare that your soules are gone the way of life And then looke how the Rivers when they come neere the sea the tide comes forth to meete them so when your soules come neere to heaven your God and Saviour shall meete you in the way and receive you into those eternall mansions which himselfe hath prepared for you So much for the Time how long David had beene an observer and an eye-witnesse of Gods Providence sc from his youth to his age I come now to the observation it selfe Non v●di justum derelictum I have not scene the righteous forsaken Wherein are two things remarkeable 1. The persons priviledged and they are the Righteous 2. The priviledge of those persons and that is they are never forsaken 1. The persons priviledged to wit the Righteous Here the question will be where any such persons are to be found for it is certaine that a Righteous man is Rara avis in terris as this world goes The Prophet once cried O yee heavens drop downe righteousnesse When Righteousnesse saith a learned man was taken up into heaven and the earth was utterly devoid of it But we trust in God the world is not altogether now so bad but that by Gods grace there are some though not many righous persons to be found amongst men but who be they that deserve to be so called and so accounted Ans I will shew you some particular instances out of the Booke of God what kind of persons went under the name of Righteous men in the dayes of old and leave the application to your selves ● The first that ever went under the name of a Righteous man was Abel of him you shall read Heb. 11. 4. That he offered a more excellent sacrifice than Caine by which he obtained witnesse that he was righteous God himselfe testifying of it Now wherein did Abels righteousnesse consist or what was it for which Abel was accounted righteous the text sheweth it was for that he offered uberius sacrificium a richer a fuller a better sacrifice than Cain for Caine also offered a sacrifice to God such a one as it was but it was a pinching sacrifice and the fruits that he offered were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the refuse of that he had that which he cared not for himselfe that he offered to the Lord but Abel made choise of the best and offered the most so that his sacrifice was both more and more excellent than Caines it was better and bigger too and for this he obtained testimony from God that hee was a righteous man Hence I note that they which are voluntary and free in their offerings to God that are willing God should have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best and principall part of all their substance that hold it in scorne as David did that it should be said they should worship the Lord and be at no cost these are they in the first place that deserve the name of righteous men Contrariwise they that are of a base and niggardly disposition to God-ward that thinke as Iudas did every thing to be perditio to be waste and lost that goes to the maintenance of the worship and service and Ministers of God they are farre from Abels disposition and consequently farre from being Righteous in Gods account 2 The next Righteous man was Abraham of whom the Apostle speakes Rom. 4. 3. Abraham beleeved God and this was counted to him for righteousnesse Now wherein did Abrahams righteousnesse consist the text saith in his faith in his beleefe of God God Almighty called him out of his owne Countrey and made him leave all his friends and meanes behind him

am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes there 's a gratious promise but marke the condition in the next immediate words put me in remembrance saith God and I will doe it and not otherwise for though God remember all our sinnes and can tell them better than our owne soules yet he doth not remember them to our comfort but rather to our confusion unlesse we tell him and put him in remembrance of them so that the onely way to put our sinnes out of Gods remembrance is to put them into his remembrance the onely way to make God forget them is daily and hourely to declare them and put him in minde of them If therefore thou canst not be so good as thou wouldst be not ashamed be not afraid to tell God how evill thou art tell him how ungodly how unthankefull how unprofitable a servant thou hast beene unto him and desire God to mend thee and make thee such a one as he would have thee And as Ioseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and begged the body of Iesus so goe thou to God and begge the Spirit of Iesus even that spirit of Grace and Supplication which the Prophet speakes of Zach. 12. 10. which will come downe from heaven and bring into thy soule first Supplications to prepare thee secondly Grace to assure thee of the free and full forgivenesse of all thy sinnes And then let thy sinnes bee what they will be sinnes of death sinnes of blood sinnes of hell if thou canst finde in thy heart to pray God will finde in his heart to pardon for his Grace is sufficient to doe it That 's the first 2. The second thing whereto the sufficiency of Gods Grace doth belong is Adconsolandum to comfort those sad and heavy hearts that can no other way bee comforted I should have fainted saith David Psal 27. 13. for all my worldly comforts but that I steadfastly beleeved to see the Lords good grace in the land of living that is to see it before he dyed therefore we reade 1. Sam. 30. 6. when he was in great distresse had neither house nor home to shelter him neither wife nor child nor friend be any to comfort to him but his owne very souldiers began to takle of stoning him Then saith the text David comforted himselfe in the Lord his God Heare this thou poore disconsolate man that art as thy Saviour was said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sad round about thou that lookest into thy purse and there is no comfort money is gone that lookest into thy cubbord and there is no comfort provision is gone that lookest into thy barne and store-house and there 's no comfort corne and wares are gone that lookest in thy heart and ther 's no comfort cheerefulnesse and joy is gone Then looke up to God and there is comfort to bee had if there bee any water it is in the sea if there bee any light it is in the sunne if there be any comfort it is in God Therefore the Apostle justly calleth him The God of all consolation 2. Cor. 1. because when all other comforts faile theres's comfort to bee found in God For beleeve this for a truth there is no mans case no mans estate no mans soule is desperate to God but when they are at the lowest ebbe at the rest stay at the most forlorne hope then doth God speake peace unto their soules then doth hee draw out those same vbera consolationes those breasts or dugges of consolation which the Prophet speakes of Esay 66. 11. and drops downe that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sincere milke of heavenly comfort to revive the spirit of the humble and to give life to them that are of a contrite heart The Hebrewes observe that one and the same word nakam signifieth first to repent and then to comfort and it may bee well applyed to this purpose that true comfort belongs to none but such are truly penitent So our Saviour tells us that the holy Ghost whom he calles the comforter when he commeth the first thing he will doe is to convince the world of sinne that is first put men quite out of comfort in themselves then put them into comfort by their Saviour In a word then forasmuch as comfort cannot be had without repentance nor repentance bee endured without comfort nor either of these bee attained without God it remaines that as the daughter of Caleb besought her earthly father Iud. 1. so we beseech our heavenly Father to give us the springs above as well as the springs beneath I meane that Irriguum superius the spring of grace comfort from above as well as that Irriguum inserius the spring of sorrow and repentance from beneath and then let our discomforts and discontents be what they will wee shall have grace sufficient from God to countervaile them al and as Philip said to our Saviour Iohn 14. 8. Lord shew us the father and it sufficeth us so though our sinnes confound us and our consciences condemne us Lord shew u● thy favour as t is sufficient for us 3. The third is Ad sanandum His Grace is sufficient to cure and heale us of all those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those bodily ailements and infirmities which God for sinne doth inflict upon us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from those scourges and roddes as the holy Ghost termeth sore diseases Luc. 7. 21. for indeed they are the very rods which God useth to chasten and correct us for our follies I say there is no rod so sharpe no disease so sore but Gods Grace is sufficient to heale it and to take it off I am Ropeca saith God Exod. 15. penult I am thy Physitian or I am the Lord that healeth thee and if God be the Phisitian his Grace is the Physicke for whosoever be the instrument of our health God is the Authour his Grace is it that doth the cure Therefore in common speech when any outward malady doth befall us whereof we know no second cause wee use to say and we say well that it came by the Grace of God now if thou beleevest that it came by Gods Grace beleeve this also that by the same Grace it shall in Gods good time be remedied and removed and done away for as S. Iames saith in another case God giveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 4. 6. He giveth more grace and sheweth more favour to heale those that are sicke and broken in heart than to breake their hearts with sickenesse that were well and whole both are from the same Grace but the one more especially the other But then the maine point for satisfaction will be this seeing it is in the power of Gods Grace to cure all infirmities and that in a moment with a word-speaking as the Centurion said Speake but the word and my servant shall be whole Why will God suffer so many of his owne Patients that have no Physitian but