enough to Pilate thus it hath bin and will be to the end of the world Therefore we had need to be wise that wee be not misled Men will never leave to speake ill till they have learned to speak better till the spirit of God hath taught them Now it is said that Christ will take away the rebukes of his people That is the promise as they are they shall be knowne to be he will set all in joynt againe Harmony is a sweet thing and order is a sweet thing time will come when things that are now out of order to appearance shall be all set in their due order againe Those that are basest shall be lowest and those that be excellent shall be highest this is a working and framing now In this confusion we must looke to the catastrophe the conclusion of all hee will take away the rebukes of all God is the Father of truth and truth is the daughter of time time will bring forth truth at last And those that be honourable indeed shall be honourable It is as true as God is just for goodnesse and holinesse are beames of God and will he suffer it alwaies to passe under a falfe vaile There is not an attribute of God but shall shine forth gloriously even all his excellency and dignity There is nothing shall be above him and his excellency noe though he seemes for a a while not to rule in the world or have power but fers them to goe away with it that are his enemies he is working another thing by suffering them he is working the glory of his children and confusion of his enemies There is nothing in God but shall gloriously shine and nothing in his children no beames of God but shall gloriously shine to the confusion of the world They that are good shall be knowne to be good God will bring their righteousnesse to light The Witnesses that vexed the world and had base entertainement they were slaine and disgraced but they rose againe and were carried to heaven as Elias So there will be a resurrection of name a resurrection of reputation That that is good shall be good and that that is bad shall be bad it shall be knowne to be as it is This is for comfort You hear therefore what course to take under disgrace what shall wee doe when the Church passeth under disgrace as it is now A Protestant is worse then a Turke or a Jew amongst the railing Papists Among our selves wee see under what reputation the best things goe it is too well knowne to speake of And the scandall taken from hence doth extreamely harden it keepes men from religion it draweth many from religion that have entred into it because they have not learned so much selfe denyall as to venture upon disgrace And surely where no selfe-denyall is there is no religion Christ knew what doctrine he taught when he taught self-denyall in this respect What shall wee doe therefore Labour first of all for innocency that if men wil reproach they may reproach without a cause Then labour for a spirit of patience to serve Christ with great is your reward when men speake evill of you for a good cause It is the portion of a Christian in this life to doe well and suffer ill Of all certainely they are best that out of love to goodnesse are carried to goodnesse without looking to rewards or disgrace that followes with a single eye Labour therefore for patience and not onely so but for courage for the Moone goeth its course and lets the dog barke Wee have a course to runne let us keepe our course constantly passe through good reports and bad reports be at a point what the world thinkes wee seeke applause at another theater then the world Againe then labour for sincerity under rebukes that wee have a good aime such an aime as Paul had If I be mad and out of my wits he being earnest for his Master Christ they count him out of his wits If I be out of my wits it is for Christ If I be sober it is for you the love of Christ constraineth me to be so Get the love of Christ and that will make a man care for nothing If I goe beyond my self it is to God As David said when he was mocked by Micholl It is to the Lord when he danced before the Arke Bonus ludus a good dance where Micholl scoffeth and David danceth where gracious men magnifie God and have Micholls to scoffe at them it is bonus ludus God will looke upon them for it is to the Lord. Labour that our aimes be good and it is no matter what the world judgeth of them And when all will not doe commend our credits to God by prayer as wee commend our soules and conditions so or reputations that he would take care of them that hee would bring our righteousnesse to light that it should shine out as the noone day So David doth hee complaines to God and commendeth all to him prayeth him to take part against his enemies to right his cause and when wee have done that wee have done our duty yet with all hope for better things be content to passe under the world as unknowne men and to be inwardly worthy and passe as unknown men Rich men if truly rich they will applaud themselves in their bosomes though the world disgrace them yet at home I am thus furnish'd And so a Christian that knoweth his worth that he is a child of God heire of heaven that he is attended upon by Angels that hee is a jewell to God in his esteem to be absolutely the best thing in the world Hee knoweth the worth of a Christian and his owne worth as being a Christian he applauseth and comforteth himselfe in that he knoweth he hath a hidden life a state of glory hidden in Christ Now it is covered with disgrace and disrespect in the world scorned and reproached but what is that to him it is an hidden life and for the present he knoweth his owne excellency and therefore can passe through good report and bad report I care not for mans day saith Paul there is another day to which I must stand And thus if we do as Peter saith There is a spirit of glory shall rest upon us The ground wee have of comfort under rebuke and disgrace there is a spirit of glory what is that a large spirit inlarging our hearts with inward comfort inward joy inward love of God A spirit of glory shall rest upon you and shall continue with you as long as disgrace shall continue hee opposeth this to all disgrace he meeteth with in the world God putteth sometimes a glory and excellency upon his children under disgrace and ill usage in the world that he will daunt the world as Stephens face did shine as the face of an Angell which came from a spirit of
glory that rested upon him and expressed himselfe to be the servant of God He that takes away from our good report if we be good he addeth to our reward Our Saviour Christ saith as much Blessed are you when you be ill spoken of for great is your reward THE Seventh Sermon ISAIAH 25. 8. And the rebukes of his people shall he take away from all the earth For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it THis is a great promise and I pray you be comforted with it For of all grief that Gods people suffer in the world there is none greater than reproach disgrace and contumely Movemur contumeliis plus quam injuriis We are more moved with reproaches than injuries Injuries come from severall causes but disgrace from abundance of slighting No man but thinks himselfe worthy of respect from some or other Now slanders come from abundance of malice or else abundance of contempt and therefore nothing stickes so much as reproaches specially by reason of opinion and fancy that raiseth them over high Our Saviour Christ endured the Crosse and despised the shame That shame that vaine people cast upon Religion and the best things they despise that and make that a matter of patience They knew the Crosse would not be shaken off Persecution and Troubles must be endured and therefore they endured the Crosse and despised the shame Now to bear Crosses take the counsell of the Holy Apostles look up to him consider Christ and whatsoever disgrace in words or carriage wee shall endure we are sure though wee shall never know it till wee feele it by experience The spirit of glory shall rest upon us and rebuke shall be taken away Ere long there will be no glory in heaven and earth but the glory of Christ and of his Spouse for all the rest shall be in their owne place as it was said of Judas that he went to his place Their proper place is not to domineere but to be in hell and ere long they shall bee there Heaven is the proper element of the Saints that is the place of Christ the head And where should the body be but with the head where the Spouse but with the Husband I say this shall come to passe that all the wicked shall be in their place and all the godly in theirs with Christ and then shall the rebukes of Gods people be taken away A great matter and therefore it is sealed with a great confirmation The Lord Jehovah hath spoken it therfore it must and will be so The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it This is not in vaine added for the Lord knoweth well enough we need it to believe so great things that there is such a Feast provided And that there is such a victory over death our last enemy and that there will be such glory that all the glory shall bee Christs and his Spouses that the wicked that are now so insolent shall be cast into their proper place with the Devill by whose Spirit they are led They bee great matters and there is great disproportion between the present condition and that condition in heaven and infidelity being in the soule its hard to fasten such things on the soule that so great things should be done but they are no greater than God hath said and hee is able to make good his Word The Lord hath said it and when God hath said it heaven and earth cannot unsay it when heaven hath concluded it earth and hell cannot disanull it The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it That is truth it selfe hath spoken it that cannot lye A man may lye and be a man and an honest man too he may sometimes speak an untruth it taketh not away his nature But God who is pure truth unchangable truth truth it selfe cannot lye When we heare of great matters as matters of Christianity be great matters they be as large as the capacity of the soule and larger too And yet the soule is large in the understanding and affection too When wee heare of such large matters wee need a great faith to believe them Great faith needeth great grounds and therefore its good to have all the helps we can When we heare of great things promised great deliverances great glory to strengthen our faith remember God hath spoken them He knoweth our weaknesse our infirmity and therefore helps us with this prop The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Let us therefore remember those great things are promised in the word of God in the word of Jehovah that can make them all good that gives a being to all his promises He is being it selfe and gives being to whatsoever he saith he is able to doe it Set God and his power against all opposition whatsoever from the creature and all doubts that may arise from our owne unbeleeving hearts The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it But yee will say the Prophet Esay saith it whose words they were I answer Isaiah was the Pen-man God the mouth the head dictateth the hand writeth Christ the head dictates and his servant writeth So that holy men write as they were inspired by the holy Ghost a better spirit than their owne Why doe yee look on me saith Isaiah thinke not it is I that say it I am but a man like your selves but the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it VVee should not regard men nor the Ministerie of men but consider who speaks by men who sendeth them with what commission doe they come Ambassadors are not regarded for themselves but for them that send them And therefore Cornelius said well We are here in the presence of God to heare what thou wilt speake in the name of God Acts 10. 33. And so people should come with that reverend expression VVee are come in the presence of God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost in the presence of the blessed Angells to heare what thou shalt say in the Name of God by the Spirit of God VVe are not to deal with men but with God And therefore he saith The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Hence may this question be easily answered VVhence hath the Scripture authority VVhy from it selfe it is the Word it carryeth its owne Letters testimoniall with it Shall God borrow Authority from men No the Authority the Word hath is from it selfe It hath a supreame authority from its selfe And wee may answer that question about the Judge of all controversies What is the supreame Judge the Word the Spirit of God in the Scriptures And who is above God It is a shamelesse ridiculous impudency of men that will take upon them to be Judges of Scripture as if man would get upon the Throne and as a Judge there Judge The Scriptures must judge all ere long yea that great Antichrist Now an ignorant man a simple man that perhaps never read Scriptures must judge of
of the former Verse I will now speak of the next that followeth And I will destroy in this Mountaine the face of covering cast over all people and the vaile spread over all nations to swallow up death in victory the Lord will wipe away teares from all faces and the rebukes of his people shall be taken from the earth for the Lord hath spoken it These depend one upon another being the severall Services of the Feast He promiseth a Feast in the sixth Verse And what be the severall Services He will destroy in this mountaine this Church the face of covering cast over all people c. Hee will take away the vaile of Ignorance and unbeliefe that they may have speciall sight of heavenly things without which they cannot relish heavenly things they can take no joy at this Feast And then because there can be no Feast where there is the greatest enemy in force and power he swallowes up death in victorie Death keeps us in feare all our life time that that swalloweth up all Kings and Monarchs the terror of the World Death shall bee and is swallowed up by our head Christ and shall be swallowed up by us in victory In the meane time we are subject to many sorrowes which cause teares for teares are but drops that issue from that cloud of sorrow And sorrow we have alwayes in this world either from our sinnes or miseries or simpathy in teares of that kinde Well the time will come that teares shall bee wiped away and the cause of teares all sorrow for our owne sinnes for our own misery and for simpathizing with the times wherein we live Our time shall bee hereafter at the day of the resurrection when all teares shall be wiped from our eyes God will performe that office of a mother to wipe the childrens eyes or of a Nurse to take away all cause of grief whatsoever else it cannot be a perfect feast I but there is reproaches cast upon Religion and religious persons it goeth under a vaile of reproach and the best things are not seene in their owne colours nor the worst things they go under vizards here But the time will come that the rebukes of his people shall be taken away The good things as they are best so shall they be knowne to bee so And sinne and base courses as they are bad and as they are from Hell so they shall be knowne to be every thing shall appear in its owne colours things shall not goe masked any longer And what is the seal of all this The seal of it is The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it truth it selfe hath spoken it and therefore it must needs be Jehovah that can give a being to all things he hath said it Wee have heard why the Church is called a Mountaine He will destroy or swallow up as the word may signifie the face of covering or the covering of the face the vaile which is the covering of the face and particularly exprest in that terme alwayes the vaile that is spread over all Nations God will take away the spirituall vaile that covers the Soules of his people that is between them and divine truths It hath allusion to that of Exodus 34 about Moses when he came from the Mount he had a vaile for the people could not behold him hee had a glory put upon his face that they could not look upon him with a direct eye and therefore he was faine to put a vail upon his face to shew that the Jews could not see as Paul interprets it 2 Cor. 3. 15. To this day saith hee when Moses is read there is a vaile put upon their hearts they could not see that the Law was a Schoole-master to bring to Christ the Ceremoniall Law and the Morall Law God had a blessed end by the curse of it to bring them to Christ They rested in the vaile their sight was terminated in the vaile they could not see through to the end and scope of it Neverthelesse when they shall turne to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away From the words consider first of all that naturally there is a vaile of ignorance upon the soule Secondly God doth take away his vaile and God by his Spirit onely can doe it Thirdly that this is onely in his Church And where this vaile of ignorance is taken off there is feasting with God and spirituall joy and delight in the best order And where it is taken off there is none of it First of all by nature there is a vaile of covering over all mens spirits To understand this better let us unfold the termes of vaile a little There is a vaile either upon the things themselves that are to bee seen or upon the soule which should behold them The vaile of things themselves is when they be hidden altogether or in part when we know part and are ignorant of part And this vaile upon the things ariseth from the weak apprehension of them when they are not represented in cleare expressions but in obscurity of words or in types When we see them onely in types or obscure phrases which hideth sometime the sight of the thing it selfe The manner of Speech sometimes casteth a vaile on things for our Saviour Christ spake in Parables which were like the cloud darke on the one side light on the other darke towards the Egyptians light towards the Israelites So some expressions of Scripture have a light side that onely the godly see and a darke side that other men good wit as naturall men see not Againe there is a vaile upon the Soule and upon the Sight if the things be vailed or the sight vailed there is no sight Now the soule is vailed when we be ignorant and unbeleeving when we are ignorant of what is spoken and revealed or when we know the termes of it and yet beleeve it not Now this vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe continueth in all unregenerate men untill grace takes away the vaile Besides before a thing can be seene the object must not onely be made cleare and the eye-sight too but there must be Lumen deferens a light to carry the object to the eye If that be not wee cannot see As the Egyptians in the three dayes of darknesse had their eyes but there wanted light to represent the object And therefore they could not goe neare one to another it is the light and not sight if there be sight and no light to carry and convey the object we cannot say there is sight That which answereth to this vaile is the vaile of Scripture whereby heavenly things are set out by a mistery a mistery is when something is openly shewed and something hidden When something is concealed as in the Sacrament they be mysteries we see the bread we see the wine but under the bread and wine other things are intended the breaking of the body of Christ and the shedding of his
and praying and doing good and abstaining from evill the Law of the Spirit of life frees us from the Law of sinne and death I beseech you inlarge these things in your thoughts They bee things wee must all have use of beforehand against the evill day It should bee comfortable and usefull to us all to heare that our enemy our greatest enemy Death is swallowed up in victory And yet there 's more comfort in the Text. THE Fifth Sermon ISAIAH 25. 8. And all teares shall be wiped away from all faces NOt only death shall be swallowed up in victory but God will wipe away all tears from all eyes Religion shall be religion good things shall be good things nothing shall go under false notions all tears shall be wiped away we have now many causes of teares In the world there is continuall raising of clouds that distill into drops of teares had we nothing without us to raise a vapour to be distil'd in teares we are able to raise up mists from our owne mists from our owne doubts and conflicts within As we should weepe for our owne sinnes so for the sinnes of others as wee may see in Jeremy where the Prophet saith Oh that my head were a fountaine of teares that I might weepe continually for the sinnes of my people And indeed good men are easie to weepe as the heathen man observeth they are easie to lament not onely for their own sinnes but the sinnes and misery of another Our blessed Saviour himselfe we never read that he laughed wee have heard that he wept and for his very enemies Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem He shed teares for them that shed his bloud Teares were maine evidences of Christs sweetnesse of disposition as that hee would become man and a curse and die for us and that he would make so much of little children and call all to him that were weary and heavy laden that hee never refused any that came to him Hee that wept specially for the miseries and afflictions this shewed his gracious and sweet disposition And that in heaven he is so full of sympathies in glory that when Paul persecuted the Church Why dost thou persecute me So though he is free from passion in heaven he is not free from compassion from sympathie with his Church And so every child of God is ready not onely to grieve for his own sinnes and the miserie that followeth them but the sins and miseries of others Mine eyes gush out with rivers of teares saith the Prophet David when hee saw that men brake the law of God whom he loved A true naturall child takes to heart the disgrace of his father if we be not grieved to see our father disgraced wee are bastards not sonnes They that make a sport of sinne what are they Alas they have not one sparke of the spirit of adoption they are not children who rejoyce at that at which they should grieve So Saint Paul I have told you often and now tell you weeping there be many enemies of the crosse of Christ When he saw some men preach against and others enemies of the crosse of Christ whose end is damnation hee telleth them of it weeping Wee have cause therefore to mourne for the sinnes of others and for the miseries of others whether we respect God or the Church or our selves First the love of God moveth us to weepe when wee see him dishonored If we love the Church we should mourne for any sinnes that may prejudice their salvation Doth it not pitty any man to see an Oxe go to slaughter to see a man of parts otherwise by sinning against conscience going to slaughter to see an ordinary swearer an uncleane person a prophane wretch covering himselfe with pride as a garment scorning God and the world and all Can a Christian looke upon this see flesh and blood like himself under the Gospell under a cursed condition unavoidable without serious repentance and not be affected with it Can a man see a poore Asse fall under a burthen and not helpe to take it up and yet see man falling to hell and not be affected with it Thus we see wee have cause enough of teares And as there is cause so we should be sensible we ought to take to heart the afflictions of Joseph hee is a dead man that hath not sense in this kinde If wee go to the body and state or any thing about a man there is cause of griefe hath not every member many diseases and is not our lives a kind of hospitall some sicke of one thing some of another But as there is cause wee should bee sensible of it wee are flesh and not stones therefore it is a sottish opinion to be stockish and brutish as if to out-face sorrow and griefe were a glory When our Saviour was sent into the world Christi dolor dolor maximus there were no patience without sensiblenesse away then with that iron that flinty Phylosophy that thinks it a vertue to be stupid And as the Apostle saith Romans 1. 31. without naturall affections He counteth it the greatest judgement of God upon the soule yet they would have it a vertue Why should I smite them any more saith God they have no sense no feeling The proud Phylosopher thought it was not phylosophicall to weepe a proud stoicall humor but Christians desire it And therefore we ought to labour to be more sensible that we might make our peace and reverence the justice of God and be more sensible of him afterwards It is most true that Sapiens miser plus miser the more wise any man is the more sensible of misery And therefore of all men the best men have most griefe because they have most quicke senses they be not stupified with insensibility and resolutenesse to beare it bravely as the world but they apprehend with griefe the cause of griefe And as they have a more sanctified judgement than other men so they have a more wise affection of love and a quicker life of grace where life is there is sense and where there is a cleare sight or cause of griefe there is most griefe Therefore the best men have most griefe because they be most judicious most loving Then they have most grace to beare it out of all others therefore considering there is cause in our selves and in others of griefe continually wee ought to labour to be sensible of it else it were no favour to have teares wiped away So that there is cause of teares and teares is a duty of Christians sensible of the cause both of sinne and misery upon one and another And as it is an unavoidable griefe so it is good wee should grieve we must stoope to Gods course we must bring our hearts to it and pray that since our necessities and sins doe call for this dispensation that we must under correction he will make us sensible of his rod that
he would make good his Covenant of grace to take away our stony hearts and give us hearts of flesh that we may be sensible Most of graces are founded upon affection and all graces are but affections sanctified what would become of grace if wee had not affections therefore as there is cause of griefe and teares from griefe wee ought to grieve It is a condition and a duty a condition following misery and a duty following our condition Take heed of that which hinders sensiblenesse of troubles and judgement that is hardnesse of heart forgetfulnesse studying to put away sorrow with sinne For we ought to be sensible and ought to labour to be sensible to know the meaning of every crosse in our selves and others But suppose wee have crosses and we must be sensible of them then it followeth God will wipe away all teares from our eyes Is there nothing for the present no ground of comfort yes As we ought to be sensible of griefe so we ought to be sensible of matter of joy for the present specially if we consider the time to come The life of a Christian is a strange kind of life hee ought to grieve and he ought to joy hee hath occasion of both and hee ought to entertaine both for that that wee ought to aime at specially is joy and if we grieve it is that afterwards wee might joy We must be sensible of any affliction that wee might joy afterwards and wee ought to labour for it For is not the joy of the Lord our strength Are not we fit to doe service when our spirits are most inlarged And is it not a credit to Religion when we walke in comfort of the holy Ghost Is it not a scandall when we droope under the crosse Wee ought to be sensible yet not so as to forget matter of joy and comfort And therefore as wee ought to grieve so wee ought when we have grieved to keep up the soule with consideration of joy for the present as much as wee can yea to picke out matter of comfort from the very crosse That is the heart of a Christian not onely to joy in other matters but to picke comfort out of griefe God suffers me to fall into this or that condition it is a fruit of his fatherly love he might suffer me to runne the broad way to be given up to a reprobate sense and hard heart but he doth not doe so Picke out matter of comfort from griefe Then consider the presence of God in it indeed I have matter of griefe but I finde God moderating it It might be farre worse it is his mercy I am not consumed I finde God by it doing me good I finde my selfe better by it I cannot well be without it Who would not labour to be sensible of a crosse when he looketh up to Gods crosse and justice and mercy he hath rather cause to joy than to grieve in the very crosse it self But specially marke what the holy Ghost saith here wee ought not to be cast downe overmuch with any crosse considering God will wipe away all teares from our eyes that is all naturall teares and the miseries of this life There shall be no more misery no more sicknesse no more trouble And then all teares that arise from consideration of sinne and misery following sinne Death is the accomplishment of all mortification It is a comfort wee shall not alwaies leade this conflicting life but the warre between the flesh and spirit will be taken up the sense wil be removed wee shall be out of Satans reach and the worlds reach one day which is a great comfort to consider Whatsoever the cause is the cause shall be removed ere long If the cause be desertion for that God leaveth us comfortlesse wee shall be for ever hereafter with the Lord If the cause be separation from friends why wee shall all meet together ere long and be for ever in heaven If the cause be our owne sinnes wee shall cease hereafter to offend God and Christ will be all in all Now sin is almost all in all sinne and corruption beare a great sway in us If the matter of our griefe be the sinnes of others and the afflictions of others there is no sinne in heaven no uncleane thing shall enter there The soules of perfect men are there and all are of one mind there is no opposition to goodnesse there all shall goe one way there howsoever they cannot agree here all shall have mutuall solace and contentment in one another they in us and wee in them and that for ever you cannot name them or imagine a cause of teares but it shall be removed there Nay the more teares we have shed here the more comfort wee shall have As our troubles are increased here our consolation shall increase That wee suffer here if for a good cause will worke our eternall and exceeding weight of glory wee say Aprill showers bring forth May flowers It is a common speech from experience of common life It is true in Religion the more teares wee shed in the Aprill of our lives the more sweet comfort we shall have hereafter If no teares are to be shed here no flowers are to be gather'd there And therefore besides deliverance from trouble here is comfort God will take away all cause of griefe and all kindes of griefe whatsoever And therefore thus think of it The next thing to be considered is the order First we must shed teares and then they must be wiped away After a storme a calme after sowing in teares comes reaping in joy What is the reason of that order The reason is our owne necessity we are in such a frame and condition since the fall that we cannot be put into a good frame of grace without much paine The truths of God must crosse us and afflictions must joyne with them For the sinnes contracted by pleasure must be dissolved by paine Repentance must cost us teares we may thank our selves if wee have brought our selves to a sinfull course For the necessity of this order a diseased person must not bee cured till hee feele some smart of the wounds Againe consider it is for our increase of comfort afterwards that God will have us shed teares and then to have our teares wiped away because we be more sensible of joy and comfort after sorrow We cannot bee sensible of the joyes of heaven unlesse wee feele the contrary here And therefore of all men heaven will be the most heaven to them that have had their portion of Crosses and afflictions here First therefore shed teares and then they must be wiped away because joy is most sensible As it is with the wickedest of all men they be most miserable that have been happiest because their soule is inlarged by their happinesse to apprehend sorrow more quickly and sensibly so they that have been most miserable here shall
have most joy hereafter Now for Use Here is not onely the mercies of God in Christ but the tender mercy that whereas our life is full of teares which we have brought upon our selves yet God stoops so low as to wipe our eyes like a father or mother his mercy is a sweet and tender mercy And as the Psalmist saith When wee are sick he maketh our beds in our sicknesse Christ will come and serve them that watch and serve him nay hee will attend them and sup with them He is not only mercy and goodnesse but there be in him bowells of mercy he not onely giveth matter of joy and comfort but hee will doe like a tender hearted mother wiping away all teares from our eyes we cannot apprehend the Bowells in Gods love the pitty and mercy of God towards them that be his and afflicted in the World specially in a good cause though they bee never so many if they bee penitent teares he will wipe them all away And whereas wee must shed teares here that we may be comforted hereafter take heed that we doe not in this life judge by sight but by faith if we live by sight wee are of all men most wretched In the world the Children of God are most miserable and of the Children of God the best Saints Who hath more cause of teares than the best Saints It is but seed time here while seed time continues there be teares The Husbandman while it is seed time cannot doe his office but with trouble the Minister cannot doe his office but he is forc'd to take to heart the sinnes of the times to see his worke go backward Governours of Families and such they carry their seed weeping yea the best men cannot doe good sometimes but they doe it with trouble in themselves and with conflict of corruptions There is no good sowne here but it is sowne in teares yet take no scandall at this God will wipe away all teares The head of the Church our blessed Saviour and all his gracious Apostles what a life did they live The glorious Martyrs that sealed the truth with their bloud And therefore as the Apostle saith If our happinesse were here onely we were of all men most miserable If we judge by sight wee shall condemne the generation of the righteous we live by sight when wee see any cast downe with sight of sinne sense of temptation distresse of conscience wee thinke him forlorne Oh take heed of that For those that shed teares here God will wipe them all away Woe to them that laugh now for they shall mourne hereafter Though wee weepe here yet matter of joy enough shall spring up hereafter Afflictions will yeeld a quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby Heb. 12. 11. we may not see their fruits presently but afterwards And therefore be not discouraged for any thing we can suffer here or for the Church if we see her under pressure As darknesse is sowne for the wicked the foundation of their eternall torment is laid in their joy so the ground and foundation of all a godly mans joy is laid in teares Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Yet for the present there is more matter of joy than griefe if we look with both eyes as wee ought to have double eyes one to be sensible of our griefe as we must be the other of our comfort that we may not be surprized with griefe There is a sorrow to death an overmuch sorrow it is unthankfulnesse to God to forget our comforts as it is stupidity to forget our sorrow Take us at the worst have not we more cause of joy then sorrow Marke Rom. 5. Being justified by faith wee have peace with God and rejoyce under hope of glory Nay afterwards saith he we rejoyce in tribulations And why upon what ground Knowing that tribulations bring experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed Now we rejoyce in God reconciled in Christ So that as we ought to looke with one eye upon the griefe that we may have ground to exercise grace which we are not capable of without sensiblenesse so we must look to grounds of joy Our life is woven of matter of sorrow and joy as it is woven of both affections should be sensible of both that they may be more apprehensive of the grounds of comforts When the day of persecution approacheth this will make us comfortable for our life is a valley of teares and shall not wee go through this valley of teares to this mount where all teares shall be wiped away from all eyes When we be dejected with the losse of any friend they say as Christ said to the woman weepe not for me they be happy and all teares are wiped away from their eyes And therefore as it is matter of comfort while we live so ground of comfort when wee die for there is occasion of sorrow in death parting with friends and comforts of this world then teares are shed in more abundance and then wee bethinke our selves of former sinnes and there is renewing of repentance more then at other times yet then are we neer the time of joy and neerest the accomplishment of the promise that all teares shall be wiped away And so you have the whole state of a christian life an afflicted condition I but it is a comfortable condition The more afflictions here the more comfort here but specially hereafter The life of a carnall man is all in misery if he falls to joy he is all joy if to sorrow he is all sorrow hee hath nothing to support him he is like a Naball he sinketh like a piece of lead to the bottome of the sea like Achitophell downe he goeth when he is upon the merry pinne he is nothing but joy But a Christians state and disposition are both mixt he hath ground of sorrow for his owne sinnes and for the sinnes and miseries of the times So he hath matter of comfort for the present in the favour of God in the pardoning of sinnes in the presence of God in delivering him from trouble He hath speciall ground of joy in hope of glory in time to come Therefore as wee have a mixt state labour for a mixt disposition and labour to be in a joyfull frame so to grieve as out of it to raise matter of joy And when wee would joy grieve before for joy is sowne in griefe The best method of joy is for to take away all that disturbeth our joy search the bottome of the heart see what sinne is unconfest unrepented of spread it before God desire God to pardon it to seale the pardon When our soules are searched ro the bottome then out of that sorrow springeth joy and out of these sighs and grones that cannot be exprest commeth joy unspeakable and full of glory If a man will be joyfull let him labour to weepe first that
the matter that interrupteth his joy may be taken away Those that will be joyfull and not search to the bottome must needs with shame be brought backe to sorrow When wee will joy to purpose let us judge our selves that we may not be judged of the Lord mourne for our sinnes and then lay hold upon the promise that all they that mourne for sinne shall be comforted And blessed are they that shed teares here for all teares shall be wiped away Wee are subject to wrong our selves both good and bad for the good thinke if they be in misery they shall be ever so the bad if they be in prosperity they shall allwaies be so and they blesse themselves in it Now the the joy of the hypocrites is as the crackling of thornes and the griefe of the godly is but short and therefore let not the wicked foole themselves with groundlesse hopes nor the godly vex themselves with needlesse feares but put off conceitednesse of the long continuance of troubles time is but short and ere long God will wipe away all teares from our eyes No mists no clouds shall be extended to heaven the state in heaven shall be like the state of heaven there is no cloud there but all pure all serene Therefore in Christianity consider not their beginning but their ends Marke the end of the upright for the end of the upright is peace Psal 37. 37. Wayes have their commendation from the terme in which they end If by any meanes I may attaine the resurrection of the dead saith Paul Phil. 3. 11. Through thicke and thinne faire and foule rugged windes dry or bloudy death If by any meanes I may come to the resurrection of the dead the first degree of glory all is well it s a good way that ends well Non qua sed quo consider not what way he brings us to heaven but whither he brings bs If he bring us to heaven through a valley of teares it s no matter for in heaven all teares shall be wiped from our eyes And therefore Christianity is called wisdome And this wisdome is justified of her children What is the chiefest point of wisdome To looke home to the end and to direct all meanes to that end He is wise that is wise for eternity The wicked will have their payment here But woe to them that laugh for they shall mourne saith Christ Luke 6. 25. They will not stay for ground of joy hereafter but will have present payment But though the wayes of Christians be foule and wet with teares yet blessed are they for God will wipe away all teares from their eyes comfort one another with these words THE Sixth Sermon ISAIAH 25. 8. And he shall swallow up death in victory and God will wipe away teares from all faces that the rebukes of his people may be taken away from off the earth for the Lord hath spoken it YOu have heard heretofore of a feast provided for Gods people the founder of it being God himselfe who only can indeed comfort that which is specially to be comforted the soule and the conscience he being above the conscience The place where the feast is kept is Mount Syon the Church of God the delicacies are described by fat things wine refined on the lees c. The best of the best that can be thought of which is Christ with all his benefits who is bread indeed and drinke indeed that cherisheth and nourisheth the soule to life everlasting And because there should be nothing to disturbe the solemnity of the feast he promiseth to destroy the face of covering to take away the vaile spread over all nations the vaile of ignorance and infidelity to shine upon the soule and fill it full of knowledge and heavenly comfort And because there can be no comfort where death is feared being the greatest enemy in this life therefore he will swallow up death in victory and all that makes way for death or attends death and when this is taken away all the attendants vanish with it God will wipe away all teares from all faces Because the best things have not the best entertainment in the world nor the best persons God promiseth that the rebukes of his people shall be taken away from off the earth what they are they shall be knowne to be These be very great matters and therefore there is a great confirmation they have a seale and what is that The Lord hath spoken it The last day I shewed that Gods children shall shed teares and that they have cause to do it I will now inlarge it a little It is the condition of men since the fall in Paradise before there was no cause of teares nothing was out of joynt all inframe there was no sinne therefore no sorrow therefore no apprehension of sorrow And so in heaven there shall be no teares because no cause of it they shall be as farre from heaven as the cause This life is a valley of teares a life of misery and therefore we shed teares here And wee want no cause of it as long as sinne is in the world and sorrow and misery that followeth sinne Our own sins and the sins of others our owne miseries and the miseries of others And surely a child of God finds this the greatest cause of mourning in this world that he hath a principle in him alwaies molesting him in the service of God he cannot serve God with that chearfulnesse his unfeelingnesse that he cannot be so sensible of God dishonoured by himselfe and others is his burthen hee is grieved that he cannot grieve enough he can find teares for other things matter of this enough as the heathen man could say A man loseth his estate and hath teares for them but forceth teares for other things which are the true ground of griefe a child of God hath a remainder of corruptions which puts him on to offend against God and hinders him in his service in the liberty and chearfullnesse of it And this he complaines of with Paul and others Miserable man that I am not for his affliection though that was much but who shall deliver me from this body of death I will here adde a case Some say they cannot weep but they can grieve whether then is it necessary or no to weepe Teares are taken for the spring of teares griefe all griefe shall be taken away Teares are but the messengers of griefe and often times the deepest apprehension that takes things deepely cannot expresse it in teares In some the passages fetching the conceit to the heart are made more tender that they can weepe Now the griefe of a Christian is a judiciall griefe a rationall griefe not onely sensible teares must have sensible griefe but a Christians griefe is a sensible judiciall griefe hee hath a right judgement of things that cause sorrow willeth it and teares are onely an expression of it But how shall I know whether
griefe be right or no There be teares God hath no bottle for Thou puttest my teares into thy bottle he makes much of them they be Vinum Angelicum as he saith God is an Angell to his people to wipe away their teares but some teares God hath no bottle for hypocriticall teares Dalilahs teares teares of revenge and anger Esaus teares And therefore the true teares that God will wipe away are such as first of all follow our condition here our misery God will wipe them away If wee speake of teares from a judiciall ground the spring of true teares is the love of God and of Christ and of his Church and the love of the state of Christianity Teares spring from love these teares specially O a Christian takes to heart that God should be so ill used in the world that Christ the Saviour of the world should finde such entertainement that he should have any thing in him that should offend such a Saviour this unkindnesse stingeth him to the heart he takes it grievously that God should be abused Laetitia habet suas lachrimas there is not onely griefe that is the immediate cause of teares but another cause before hand that is love Joy likewise hath its teares though they be not here meant specially Againe teares are good and sound when wee weepe for our owne sinnes as well as the sinnes and miseries of others And I will adde more wee must weepe for the sinnes of others as well as for our owne For it is a greater signe of the truth of grace to take to heart the sinnes of others more then our owne You will say this is a kind of paradox for often a man may take to heart his owne sinnes as matter of terror of conscience not his sinnes as contrary to God having antipathy to him being opposite to the state of the soule not as sinne is properly sinne but to be grieved and vexed for sinne as it hath vexation and terror of conscience When a man can take to heart the sinnes of another and that truly as it is an offence of his good God and a crucifying againe of his sweet Saviour these be true teares indeed It is more signe of grace then to weepe for a mans owne sinnes Some are taken up with terrors of conscience that let their children family and friends alone their heart is eaten up with selfe love and they be neer eaten up with their owne terrors of conscience but here is true griefe and an hatred of sinne in a right respect when it exerciseth it selfe upon others as well as upon our selves Againe teares arise from the right spring from true griefe when wee can weepe in secret O saith Jeremy if you doe so and so My soule shall weepe in secret for your pride here was a good soule indeed many will have teares of comfort in publicke c. I but when they can weepe in secret for their owne sinnes and the sinnes of others it is an evidence of a right spring of griefe Againe when teares tend to reformation of what they grieve for for else they be Steriles lachrimae barren teares doe they tend to reforme what wee weepe for doe they tend to action Affections are then good when they carry to action as griefe love joy they are all for action when wee weepe and grieve and reforme withall it is a good signe I will name no more you see then that griefe is sound when it springeth from the love of God and is for the sinnes of others as well as our owne and our owne as well as others when it stirres up to reformation when it is in secret and therefore let us examine our griefe by these and the like evidences it will be a good character of a gracious soule Then God will carry himselfe as a sweet nurse or loving mother to her child that sheddeth teares God will wipe away all these teares O the transcending love of God his love is a tender love the love of a mother the love of a nurse it is not love but the bowels of love the bowells of mercy and compassion how low doth he stoope to wipe away the teares of his children God will wipe away all teares I will propound one question more and then proceed But wee are bid to rejoyce alwaies why then is it required that we weepe and mourne can two contraries stand together I answer very well for wee may grieve as wee have matter of griefe and are in a condition of griefe And we may rejoyce and ought to rejoyce as we look to the promise that God will wipe away all teares When we thinke of the present cause wee cannot but grieve but when wee looke beyond all troubles we cannot but joy it hath influence of joy into our heart nay for the present we may joy and grieve without looking to eternity sometimes If we consider that we have offended God done that that grieveth his spirit that is matter of griefe but when we consider wee have Christ at his right hand that speaketh peace for us and makes our peace by vertue of his mediation that giveth comfort So that wee have cause of joy and cause of griefe about the same things at the same time Wee are never in such a state of griefe here but if we looke about us looke foreward looke upward A Christian that is a good Christian is a person that hath many things to looke after that he may mannage his estate of Christianity wisely He is to looke to himselfe and his sinnes to the mercies of God in Christ to the constancie of it that it is answerable to the fruit of it in peace and joy here and happinesse hereafter which are constant too his grace as himselfe is constant the fruits of it constant Therefore rejoyce evermore And saith the Apostle I know what I say I am well advised evermore rejoyce So that the life of a Christian is a mixed life nay the ground of our joy is our sorrow and griefe and joy is sowne in griefe If we will rejoyce indeed let us mourn indeed true joy ariseth and springs out of sorrow I proceed to the next And the rebukes of his people shall be taken away from of the face off the earth Another benefit that makes the Feast sweet and comfortable is this Hee will take away the rebukes of his people And here is the same method to be used that Gods children his Church and people are under rebukes and under reproach We need not stand to prove the truth of it It is true First the head of the Church and the Church it selfe and every particular member they goe under rebukes For the head of the Church we should spend the time to no purpose to prove it what was Christs life it was under a vaile he appeared not to be what he was you know he was esteemed the chiefe of Devills an enemy to
his Prince to Caesar I will not spend time in cleare truths For the Church it selfe you see in the Booke of Hester 3. There is a strange people that acknowledge no law they be against the lawes of the Prince they passe under the imputation of rebells the poore Church that had thoughts of peace the meek Church of God they counted as enemies of the state as Christ the head was And so the Church in Babylon under what rebukes was it they reproached them By the waters of Babylon we sat downe and wept when they said sing us one of the songs of Syon The Church sitteth by the waters of Babylon all this life The world is a kind of Babylon to Gods people and then sing us one of your songs where is now your God say the hearts of wretched people when they saw the people of God in disgrace Tully could say of the nation of the Jewes It sheweth how God regardeth it it hath bin so often overcome Thus the heathen man could scorne the state of Gods people You see how the Psalmist complaines in the name of particular Christians where is his God he trusted in him let him save him Oh this was daggers to Davids heart Psal 42. 10. It peirced to my heart when they said where is thy God To touch a Christian in his God as if God had no care of him it is more then his owne griefe and affliction So when a child of God is rebuked and affronted when religion must suffer by it So that the head of the Church the members of the Church are under rebukes as it may be proved if I carry you through all stories At this day the Church of the Jewes you see what it is come to the nation of the Jewes under what reproach it is And surely this Prophecy aimeth partly at the conversion of the Jewes it shall be accomplished at the resurrection when all teares shall be perfectly wiped away But it hath relation to the conversion of the Jewes In what state are they now are they not a word of reproach Moses speech is verified of them They shall be a hissing to all Nations and is not it a proverbe Hated as a Jew But what is the reason of it Not to stand long upon the point you know there be two seeds in the world the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman and the enmity between them is the true ground and the antipathy in the hearts of carnall men to goodnesse There is a light shineth in the life of them that be good and them that be ill hate the light as discovering themselves to themselves and to the world not to be that they seeme to be There is a saltnesse in the truth it is savory but it is tart whether in the word preached or howsoever truth layeth open what is crosse to corruption and hereupon pride and selfe-love in carnall men studyeth how to overcast all they can the names of those that be better then themselves with a cloud of disgrace It is the property of vile men to make all others vile that they may be alike men cannot abide distinctions of one from another The Scripture distinguisheth the righteous man more excellent then his neighbour but they will not have that The hatred of distinction is the cause they make all as bad as they can And hereupon it is that good things were never cloathed in the right habit nor ill things neither but doe passe under a vaile take away the true garment of grace and holinesse and goodnesse and put a false vaile upon it it passeth not under that that it is in this world because wicked men will not suffer it but will raise up the credit of other things of empty learning or empty things or vaine courses and cry up the credit of worldly things that they may seeme to be wise and not fooles that are carried to those things The best things had never the happinesse to passe under their owne names but they had other coverings Trueth goeth alwaies with a torne and scratched face it is a stranger in the world and hath strange entertainment If this be so wee ought to take heed of laying a scandall or reproach upon religion Salvian complaines in his time that wickednes had gotten that head that those that were good and honourable mali esse volunt ne a malis abhorreantur They that were good studied to be vile that they might not be villified of others Oh saith hee how much is Christ beholding to the world that those that owne him and owne goodnesse and owne his cause should be therefore base because they be his friends take heed of taking scandalls Use 2. Wee had need be wise that wee be not taken in this snare of Satan to mistake error for truth and good for evill Satan and his agents make things passe under contrary representations Superstition goeth for Religion and Religion for superstition Schisme and Heresie It hath alwaies bin so therefore seeke wisdome to discerne aright The devill hath two properties hee is a liar and a murtherer the one makes way for the other for he could not murther unlesse he did lie The devill himselfe will not be an open murtherer if he can helpe it The fraudulent persecution is worse than the violent If he can bring to hell by fraud and lying hee will never doe it by violence Hee is a lyar that hee may be a murtherer for when he can raise an imputation upon the Church and children of God that they be Rebels enemies of state then he may cum privilegio be a murtherer when he hath tainted Gods people in the conceit of the world then they finde that entertainment not which they deserve but which they be apprehended to deserve when the conceit of other men towards them is poyson'd Oh this Sect is spoken against every where say they to Paul Acts 28. 22. Therefore wee had need be wise for if the instruments of Satan led with his spirit had not hoped that slanders should take they would never have bin so skillfull in that trade But they know they shall finde some shallow fooles that will believe them without searching into the depth of them and take up persons and things under prejudice It is enough for them that this is said of them they have neither wit nor judgement nor so much patience from following their lusts as to examine them And that makes them so mad as they are Calumniare audacter aliquid haerebit Slander stoutly something will sticke they are sure of it That which hath raised and ruined many a man is that of Hamans casting of jealousie upon those that are better then themselves That was Hamans trick and so will be the practice of the wicked as it hath bin from the beginning so to the end of the world Thou art not Caesars friend say they and it s