loue one another to teach vs that if we loue not one another professing all the same Gospell w◠loue not Christ for he y t loueth him which begat loueth him also which is begottē and he that loueth the head must néedes loue the mēbers Now if we delight still in quarrelling and contending one with another in censuring and iudging one of an other for toyes and trifles in spiting and vexing in mistaking and misconstruing in racking and rending of wordes and halfe wordes if we continue still in bitternesse and wrath in mallice an enuie and will not be contēt to be curteous and louing and in the bowels of tender cōpassion fréely to forgeue as God for Christ his sake forgaue vs we may be sure we loue not God Againe if you loue me saith Christ doe good to the poore which you shall alwayes haue with you and looke what you do to them I will take it as if it were done to my selfe now if we be so straight laced against the poore as we haue bene and do not exercise the workes of mercy towardes them according to our abilitie how can we say that we loue God I meane not to be a proctour for the idle and slouthfull which can worke and will not for they ought not to eate and in Gods name let thē be driuen to worke or be seuerely punished for if you shall maintaine such when time shall serue they will cut your throats for that you haue to make you amends like Hanun who cruelly and shamefully entreated Dauids messengers when of curtesie and goodwill they were sent to visite him but reléeue while you may those that are impotent aged sickly diseased and labour hard for their liuing would worke if they had it sée to such I beséech you on Christs behalf and encourage the vertuous and godly amongst you you vse to say God helpe you I haue not for you a cold almes God knoweth but if God had suffred our enemies to triumph ouer vs thē we should haue said God helpe vs we haue neither for you nor for our selues therefore while you haue wealth and are able doe good withall do not be-lye the Lord that hath giuen you both for your selues for them too for in such time you may speake it that your wordes may proue truer then you wot of as it did with Ananias his wife who said they had no more left when they had as much more as they sold. Furthermore if we be assured that y e Lord doth loue vs in Iesus Christ we may be bold to pray without feare and not doubting that he will heare vs. Last of all this assurance of Gods fauour should bréed in vs a resolution to leaue all our odd shifts and deuises which we vse to liue by and to rely wholy vpon his prouidence vsing no meanes but good knowing that he which loueth vs will not see vs want any thing that he séeth good for vs. These things may trouble vs but if they do not triumph ouer vs by ouerruling vs thē we are beloued of God striue we then by faith and repentaunce against our affections and in the end we shall surely triumph in heauen for the Church can not be triumphant in heauen vntill it be militant on earth Now let vs pray THE SECOND SERMON OF THE ASSVRAVNCE OF GODS LOVE Nouember 21. Sabboth day By this I know that thou fauorest me c. THe Prophet Dauid careth not what enemies he hath nor how many he hath so that God be not his enemy he regardeth not what the Lord doth vnto him neither how he doth handle him so that he may be sure he doth it in his loue fauour towardes him and not in his wrath and displeasure therefore he prayeth Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath neither chasten me in thy displeasure as if he should say I care not O Lord what y u doest with me in this life so that I may be sure of thy fauour and louing kindnesse This serueth to teach vs that when any trouble or affliction shall come vpon vs we must not so much looke vpon that and séeke to be eased thereof as to looke whether we be in fauour with God or no. And being sure of his fauour in his sonne Iesus Christ to arme our selues patiētly to beare the crosse whatsoeuer it be because whatsoeuer it is outward or inward it is layed vpon vs in loue not to hurt vs but to helpe vs forward in the wayes of godlynesse We will take any thing well at his handes of whom we are perswaded that he loueth vs for the assuraūce of his loue swalloweth vp and swéetly sendeth downe all the rest if he teach vs we take it if he admonish vs we are contented if he reproueth vs we put it vp if he iest with vs we are not gréeued yea if he smite vs we are not offended all is taken in good part because they come frō loue who neuer did hurt his beloued So God dealeth with vs his children he teacheth vs when we are ignoraunt he correcteth vs when we goe astray he admonisheth vs when we are vnruly he reproueth vs when we transgresse he threatneth vs when we are stubburne and he smiteth vs when there is no remedy but is his fauor and mercy he teacheth correcteth reproueth threatneth and smiteth his children that they might not be damned with the wicked world If he woundeth vs his fauour is oyle to cure the wounde if he sendeth floudes and seas of troubles the assuraunce of his fauour is like Noahs Arke to beare vs vp from drowning If his wrath shall burne like fire his fauour is water to coole the heate whereof Diues in hell could not get a drop if he send sicknesse either of body or minde the assuraunce of his fauour is a present remedy like the brasen Serpēt if he sendeth sorrow ouernight his louing fauour shall bring ioy in the morning and a ioyfull tidings like Sonne be of good cheare thy sinnes are forgeuen thee If he chide vs his fauour that he beareth vnto vs will not suffer him to chide for euer if his wrath be kindled against his children his fauour puts out all againe if he sets vs vp as markes to be shot at he sets his fauour before vs with the assuraunce whereof we are defended as with a shield When he punisheth his childrē he pitieth them for he doth not punish them as an enemy but as a father therefore Dauid saith As a father hath compassion on his childrē so hath the Lord compassion on all those that feare him A fathers anger is rather loue then anger and his correction is to be compted rather a loue token then a punishment So is Gods anger towardes his children which feare him and keepe his couenaunts and therefore his correction is a loue token and no punishment Aske Salomon and he will tell you so nay the Lord himselfe will tell you
to weare a breast plate with foure rowes of precious stones In the first row a Rubie a Topace and a Carbuncle In the second row an Emeraude a Saphire and a Diamonde In the third row a Turkis an Achate and a Hemetite In the fourth row a Chrysolite an Onix and a Iasper And the stones shalbe according to the names of the children of Israell twelue according to their names grauen at signets euerie one after his name and they shalbe for the twelue Tribes all this is to shew what accoÌ„pt the Lord doth make of his chosen people But where must these stones 〈◊〉 worne he sheweth where in the 29. verse So Aaron shall beare the names of the children of Israell in the breast plate of IudgemeÌ„t vpon his hart wheÌ„ he goeth into the holy place for a remembraunce continually before the Lord. And Aaron shall beare the Iudgement of the children of Israell vpon his hart continually And what is this for but to shew the continuall care that Christ hath of his Church For Aaron is a figure and resemblaunce of Christ the precious stones are a figure of the Church of Christ. Aaron must weare them vpon his breast that is in his sight so Christ hath his people alwayes in his sight As it was impossible for Aaron to forget the stones which were in his sight so is it impossible that Christ our true Aaron should forget his people which beléeue in his name but hath them in continuall remembraunce being now gone into the holy of holies that is the kingdome of his father the most holy place of all And the same care which the Lord Iesus had of the Iewes his choise people at the first the same care hath he of the Gentils that is of vs and other nations of the earth which beléeue in him because the wall of separation is pulled down and there is now no respect of persons with the Lord but in all nations he that feareth the Lord and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him As for me thou doest set me before thy face for euer This then sheweth that none are in such safetie as the godly none so wel guarded as the godly none so well prouided for as the godly for God doth set them before his face for euer so that howsoeuer the world goeth yet God doth alwayes remeÌ„ber theÌ„ as he did remember Abraham wheÌ„ Sodome was destroyed for as he was mindfull of his promise which he made to our forefather Abraham which is called the father of the faithfull so will he be no lesse mindful of his promise which he made to his séede y t is to all y e faithfull for euer Because he is the Lord â—haungeth not Who dareth offer violence to the Princes beloued in the presence of the Prince Who shall presume to take the â—â—gnet off the Princes finger Who will take a praye out of the Lions claw And who shal snatch the Lordes choseÌ„ out of his hand whoÌ„ he hath set as a signet vpon his right haÌ„d Iâ— there be no safetie in the preseÌ„ce of y e owner where is safetie Nature doth teach vs no lesse The child fearing to be hâ—â—rt of any body runneth before his father or his mother and then thinkes him selfe safe Nature hath taught the very dogge to runne before hiâ— master when he feareth any body that commeth to hurt him but yet these may be deâ—ceiued for what if the father be so vnnaturall that he will not rescue his child or if he be willing what if he be not able being ouermatched or if he be able and willing at one time what if his minde chaunge what if his affection be estranged at another time if he be not altered in affection what if he knoweth not when his sonne is iniuried if he knoweth when what if he knoweth not by whom if he knoweth by whom what if he cannot come by him And many things moe what then why then Vltra posse non â—st esse He can do no more theÌ„ he can But with the Lord our heauenly father it is not so for as he is able being almightie so he is most willing being our father through his sonne Christ. As he is willing so is he vnchauÌ„geable as he is vnchaungeable so hath he all knowledge and therefore knoweth by whoÌ„ at what time in what place in what maner and for what cause any thing is done in the whole world and as he hath all knowledge so is his Maiestie euery where present therfore there is no flying from his preseÌ„ce And as he is euery where so is he iust and true and therefore cannot be bribed nor peruerted as he is all in all things so all things are his and of him are all things whatsoeuer they be and therefore he hath néede of nothing What shall we say more shall not therefore Gods children be most safe most happy before his face in whose presence is life and at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore no doubt of it Let the wicked then tremble let Sanballat and Tobias be astonished let Ashur Pashur be abashed let Corah and his coÌ„panie be confounded let Ioab and Iudas go hang them theÌ„selues with their trecherous kisses and their traiterous conspiracies let Ananias disseÌ„ble his wifâ— take his part and let them perish in their hypocrisie And the foxes which séeke to destroy the Lordes vineyeard and their cubbes by whose vndermininges the vine hath buâ— small grapes let them take héede that they be not taken in their owne wilinesse foâ— they cannot go so closely nor yet so cuningâ—ly to worke against Gods children but thâ— Lord â—éeâ—h them well inough For he hath seâ— his children before his face for euâ—â— This was it y e dismayed Paâ—rie y â— bloudâ—butcher when he came with a full resolutiâ—â— to lay hands vpon the Lordes annointed hâ— saw in her very countenaunce the face 〈◊〉 God that is some litle sparke of his Maiestie which did so coole his courage that his traiterous hand was not able to accomplish the bloudie deuise of his hart the Lordes name be blessed for euer And were it possible for her to haue escaped so many daungers as she hath passed through euen from her infancie if the Lord had not set her before his face and geuen his louing kindnesse charge to waite vpon hir The Lord therefore set her in his sight and defend her with the light of his countenaunce for euermore But if this be true will some say why do the wicked séeme to preuaile so often as they do against those which feare the Lord Surely it is true they séeme indéede to preuaile against them when they confounde themselues And for the most part their laughter is but from the téeth outward and the end of their mirth is heauinesse But y e truth is so that God séeing his children to were proude of his presence and to forget themselues like
Bethesda wherein lay many sicke and diseased there was wayting on euery side and happy was he that could step in first for he that stept in first after the stirring of the water was healed of what disease soeuer he had We haue a better poole theÌ„ the poole of Bethesda for the word of God is water of life and able to cleanse the soule body too if we step into it wheÌ„ it is stirred by the Angell of the Lord how often hath y e Lord by his Ministers stirred vp this water that we might be healed by it no small fauour no doubt But who waiteth for it who steppeth into it Nay who steppeth not from it rather who is cleansed by it and yet who hath not néede of it For none caÌ„ say his hart is cleane Now if we make no more reckoning of Gods loue and his loue tokens then thus shall not those sicke and diseased men of Bethesda rise vp in iudgement against vs no doubt they shall We thinke that whatsoeuer we want yet we are sure that God doth loue vs neuer make any reckoning of his loue tokens but we may be deceiued Dauid was not alwayes so sure for sometime he thought that the Lord had forgotten him sometime he thought that God had geueÌ„ him ouer to him selfe hereupon he cried out at one time how long shall thy wrath burne like fire for euer at another time he prayeth O take not thy spirite from me restore vnto me the ioy of my saluation by which pitifull cries it may appeare that he was halfe afrayde Therefore he was glad to take a loue token when it was offred him for when he was not sure of Gods loue towardes him he thought that God was angry with him and that was of all things most terrible vnto him and intollerable So must we if we wilbe sure that God is not angry with vs we must be sure that he fauoureth vs. If Gods people must be sure of Gods fauour towards them in Christ as Dauid teacheth then we must not stand in doubt of it as Papists do teach we haue no reason so to do For doth he call vs his sonnes and we call him our father that we should doubt of his loue Doth he call vs his friends his brethren his spouse his loue his doue and by all the names of loue that we should doubt of his loue Hath he kissed vs with so many kisses of his mouth hath he sent vs so many pledges of his loue hath he renewed his couenant so often hath he sealed it with the Sacraments and bound it with an oth and al this that we might doubt whether he doth loue vs or no Thus you sée one point of poperie ready to soune at the hearing of this doctrine If there be any Papist here that hath a mind to it let him take it vp make much of it for Gods people you sée care not for it they had rather know for a certaintie that God doth fauour them then to stand in doubt thereof To loue God and to be loued of God is all that God requireth of vs and all that we desire of God For if we loue him then we feare him we worship him we trust in him we heare him we obey him c. If he loue vs then he prouideth for vs all good things and preserueth vs from all that may hurt vs c. Our loue to him hath marks and so hath his to vs. God doth not loue vs and kéepe it from vs but he maketh it knowen that he loueth vs as Ionathan made his loue knowen to Dauid and as the father of the prodigal child made his loue manifest to his sonne when his affection was towards him By this I know that thou fauorest me saith Dauid because mine enemie hath â—ot triumphed against me When God doth deliuer vs from the haÌ„ds of our enemies or any trouble else we may perswade our selues thereby that he hath a fauour vnto vs as Dauid did But then it may be demaunded If God doth loue his Church why doth he suffer his Church to be troubled and molested with enemies The reason is this because by this meanes his loue may be made more manifest in sauing and deliuering them For as a sure friend is not knowen but in time of néede so Gods goodnesse and loue is neuer so well perceiued as it is in helping of vs wheÌ„ we cannot helpe our selues As Adams fall did serue to manifest Gods iustice mercie the one in punishing the other in pardoning of sinne which otherwise we had neuer knowne so the troubles of the Church serue to manifest 1. our desertes by reason of our sinnes 2. our weakenes and inabilitie to helpe our selues and 3. the louing kindnes of the Lord our God in sauing and defending that so we might be truly thankfull returne all the praise and glorie to God and none to our selues So that the Church of God may haue enemies and yet be still the beloued of God as Lazarus was beloued of Christ although he was sicke for whom the Lord loueth he correcteth and therefore he correctech them because he loueth them Now some men will say Oh I thankâ— God I am in prosperitie and I liue well out of all danger and trouble and I want nothing therfore I am sure God loueth me Againe such a one serueth God well I warrant you for you sée how he doth thriue and prosper in the world he is come vp of noâ—thing c. therefore no doubt God doth louâ— him this is the corrupt iudgement of blind worldlings which take all for gold that gliâ—stereth and thinke there is no other heaâ—uen but earth but these men deceiue themâ—selues and so many as listen vnto them for when God shall neuer visite vs with anie crosse but shall giue vs all things at our pleasure and let vs haue what we lust for it is a signe that he is angrie with vs then we are nearest to our destruction For as the oxe that is stall fed waxeth fat and the fatter he is the fitter he is for the butcher and the nearer he is to the day of slaughter so it â—areth with the wicked worldlings which neuer come vnder the crosse whose necks â—ould neuer abide the yoke of the word of God they are set vp a fatting for the butâ—her of hell and made ready against the day â—f slaughter which is the day of Iudgement when all these outward commoÌ„ and geneâ—all blessings shall tend to their greater coÌ„â—emnatioÌ„ They liue at ease in this life that â—hey may feele payne in the world to come â—hey haue their heauen here that they may â—aue hell hereafter The greatest iudgemeÌ„t â—f God that can be in this world is to let vs â—iue in securitie and to geue vs ouer to our â—wne harts lust And this is witnessed by many places of Scripture Aske Iob and he will iustifie this to be true for these are
his wordes Wherefore doe the wicked liue and waxe old and grow in wealth to shew that a man may be a wicked man though he be a wealthy man and that honestie goeth not by riches he goeth on saith Their seede is established in their sight with theÌ„ and their generation before their eyes Their houses are peaceable without feare the rod of God is not vpon them Their bullocke gendreth and faileth not their cow calueth and casteth not her calfe They send forth their children like sheepe and their sonnes dauÌ„ce They take the tabret harpe and reioyce in the sounde of the Organes They speÌ„d their dayes in welth sodenly they dye or go down to the graue That is they lye not loÌ„g sicke Now sée theiâ— Religion They say vnto God depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Who is the almightie that we should serue him and what profit should we haue iâ— we should pray vnto him Now sée their endâ— They shalbe as stubble before the wind and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away God will lay vp the sorrow of the father for hiâ— children when he rewardeth him he shall know it his eyes shall see his destruction and he shall drinke of the wrath of the almighty Aske the Prophet Dauid and he will iustifie as much for thus he speaketh of the wicked They are not in troubles as other men neither are they plagued with other men Their eyes stand out for fatnesse they haue more then hart can wish They set their mouth against heauen and their toung walketh thorough the earth Now sée their blasphemy against God And they say how doth God know it or is there knowledge in the most high Lo these are the wicked yet prosper they alwayes and increase in riches Now sée their end Surely thou O Lord hast set them in slippery places and cast them downe into desolation How sodenly are they destroyed perished and horribly consumed If this be not sufficient he can proue it by an example of the Israelites of whom he maketh this report They lusted with concupiscence in the wildernesse meaning wheÌ„ they desired the flesh pots of Egypt againe And saith he The Lord gaue them their desire for he sent them quayles but he sent leannesse into their soules for he cursed it it did them no good but they dyed with the meate in their mouthes what became of the rest that had their desire they rebelled against Moses Aaron whereupon y e earth swallowed vp some and fire from heauen deuoured other some If you aske the Prophet Esay he will auouch this to be true for speaking in the person of God to the stubburne Iewes he saith thus Wherefore should you be smitten any more for you fall away more and more the whole head is sicke and the whole hart is heauie Meaning that he would correct them no more séeing they were neuer the better for correction but to let them do as they listed that his indgemeÌ„â— might be excéeding great and iust vpon theÌ„ For the followeth in the 7. verse Your land is wast your Cities are burnt with fire strauÌ„â—gers deuour your land in your presence anâ— it is desolate like the ouerthrow of strauÌ„gers And the daughter of Zion shall remaine likâ— a cottage in a vineyard like a lodge in a garâ—den of cucumbers and like a besieged Citie And all this came vpon them wheÌ„ the Lorâ— left them to themselues to do what they liâ—sted All which places doe shew and prouâ— how mad foolish they are which measurâ— Gods loue and fauour towardes them bâ— outward prosperitie and his anger by ouâ—â—ward aduersitie On the contrary his children he puts thâ— alwayes in minde of their duetie by whipping them with his fatherly rod they do not so soone step awrie but by and by he fetcheth them home againe What is Diues the better for all his wealth being now in hell torments Lazarus a poore man yet a godly man was kept vnder in this life but now is exalâ—ed And God indéede doth many times kéepe â—is children vnder and geueth them but sroÌ„â—and to mouth and yet loueth them neuerâ—helesse As a father kéepeth his sonne heire â—hort without any money in his purse or any thing els at his owne will till the time come that he shall inherite in great wisedome he doth it for if his sonne should haue â—he inheritaunce presently he would wast â—t spend it vaynely so God dealeth with his children and for no other cause both in singular wisedome and loue that they may say afterward By this I know that thou â—ouest me c. So that this is not the thing that can assure vs of Gods fauour to haue no enemies and no troubles for if we be Gods children we must looke for both Therefore is the Church called militaÌ„t alwayes in battaile alwayes beset with enemies Therefore is y e Gospell called y e word of the Crosse. Therefore S. Paule describing the way to heauen saith we must passe through many tribulalations Therefore Esaw and Iacob shall no sooner haue life but they shall striue together in their mothers belly Therfore Abraham shall no sooner receiue the promise but he must looke to be banished and therefore Abell shalbe enuied of his owne brother so soone as the Lord regardes his sacrifice Thâ— righteous man is like Lot amoÌ„gest the Soâ—domits and like Sampson amongst the Phiâ—listins This is the state of the Church calleâ— militant it is like a ship tossed with the waâ—ues driuen with the winds beset with Piâ—rates on the one side with rockes sandeâ— on the other side alwayes vpon the sea anâ— when it is safest there is but a bord between life and death Their peace is persecution their rest is labour their riches is pouertieâ— their glory is reproch their libertie is imâ—prisonment And yet by this they know that God doth fauour them because he doth so tâ—â—â—per these cuppes vnto them with his graceâ— holy spirite that in persecution they finâ— peace in labour they finde rest in pouertâ— they finde contentement therefore great riches in reproches they finde glory in imprisonment they finde libertie and in death they finde life It is no new thing you sée for good men to haue enemies nay the better men the more enemies as Peter the more faithfull to Christ the more sifted by Sathan but as Christ then prayed for Peter that his faith might not fayle so he prayeth still for the faithfull that their faith may not fayle so that still they may say with Dauid By this I know that thou louest me because my enemies do not triumph against me But what did not Dauids enemies triuÌ„ph against him when they said A mischief is â—ight vpon him and he that lyeth shall rise no more As appeareth in the 8.
so if he sinne saith the Lord meaning by Salomon I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the plagues of the children of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I tooke it from Saul whom I put away before thee Aske Adam and Eue and they will tell you so for in punishing their first sinne he wrapped vp a blessing within the curse saying to the Serpent that the seede of the womaÌ„ should breake his head meaning that Christ should weaken the power of sinne of death such was his loue that he could scarce punish for loue Aske Dauid and he will tell you so The Lord hath chastened me sore saith he belike then he was very angry but he hath not deliuered me vnto death Therefore he made his choise to fall into Gods hands rather then into mens handes because saith he the Lord is mercifull in correcting Who would not be conteÌ„t now to beare whatsoeuer in this life such a a God should lay vpon him When Iesus wept ouer Lazarus the Iewes said behold how he loued him yea though he suffred death to cast him into his graue the common bed of all flesh yet behold how he loued him So may Gods children say when the Lord correcteth or reproueth or afflicteth theÌ„ yet marke how he séeketh vs entreateth vs and wooeth vs that when we sée this we must néedes say behold how he loueth vs. Sechem deferred not to doe all that was required of him for the obtaining of Dinah because he loued her So when we stand in néede of the Lordes helpe he deferreth not to helpe vs because he loueth vs. Dallila said to Sampson how canst thou say that thou louest me seeing that thy hart is not with me thou hast mocked me these three times But who can say that the Lord doth not loue his children séeing both his hart and his hand is with theÌ„ and he neuer mockt them When the Lord doth crosse his people he dealeth with them as Ioseph dealt with his brethren which because it is so liuely a resemblaunce of the Lordes procéeding with vs we will a litle compare the one with the other both for our comfort and also for our instruction When Iosephs brethreÌ„ came to Egipt to buy corne Ioseph knew them and spake roughly vnto them and bare them in hand that they came as spies so the Lord dealeth with his children many times wheÌ„ they come to him for such things as they want He knoweth them wel inough but maketh himselfe straunge vnto them and speaketh roughly vnto them by séeming to deny their request yea somtimes by encreasing their sorrow and affliction as Iacob striuing with the Angell for a blessing receiued a blow on his thigh more then he looked for Well Ioseph turned from his brethren and wept for he loued them but he kept it secret to him selfe a while so the Lord loueth his children when he handleth them very roughly but he kéepeth it sometime secret for a while Further it is sayd of Ioseph that he tooke Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes now all this while Ioseph knew his brethren but they knew not him for if they had knowen it had bene their brother Ioseph which loued them no doubt they would haue borne any thing at his hands So if we knew our troubles to come froÌ„ our Father which loueth vs would we not willingly beare any thing at his hands to Afterward Beniamin must go theÌ„ Iacob thought he had bene robbed of all his children but he found Ioseph Simeon and Beniamin all againe at the last So Gods children in the end find all when they thinke they haue lost all Well Beniamin goeth and when he is come Ioseph reasoneth the matter with them thus Is this your brother or whom you told me c. He knew it well inough but before he could go any further his affection was so inflamed towards his brother that he made hast sought where to weepe all this while he loued them dearly but kept it to him selfe After all this sée a secoÌ„d triall no whit inferior to the former As they went home hu and crie came after them for Iosephs cup which was in pollicie conueyed into their brother Beniamins sack search was made they thought them selues cleare so do we many times iustifie our selues they did afterward coÌ„demne theÌ„selues and wheÌ„ it was found in Beniamins sacke they were worse apayed then they were before Wel Beniamin must stay by the reckening and answer the matter this passed all the rest so doth the Lord many times finde out sinne by vs when we thinke all is wel and then things go worse and worse with vs as we thinke yet still the feare is greater then the hurt Well hereupon Iudah draweth neare to Ioseph and said Let me speake but a word in the eares of my Lord and tels him a long storie of the whole matter from the beginning to the ending as though Ioseph all this while had known nothing of the matter So we oftentimes in the griefe of our hearts powre foorth manie things complaints which the Lord knoweth well enough Now after many trialls it is said that Ioseph could no longer refrain before all that stood by but cried Haue forth euerie man from me which being done he wept and cryed so that all heard him both of the Egyptians of Pharaohs house And at the last his loue breakes foorth like the morning light and ouerfloweth after long restraint as a streame whose course is stopped ouerfloweth the banks Now mark how he vttereth him selfe I am Ioseph sayth he is my father aliue but his brethren could not answer him for they were astonished at his presence full litle did they thinke that Ioseph had bene so neare them they did not once dreame of any such matter or of anie such man Euen so the hand of God is many times in the tempring of afflictions to the godly for their good when they thinke full litle vpon it But againe saith Ioseph I am Ioseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt wel fare all good tokeÌ„s come neare I pray you vnto me be not sad nor grieued with your selues that you sold me for it was Gods doing for your preseruatioÌ„ Afterward they and their father and all his house came vp and had Egypt to inhabite after the like maner dealeâ—h God with his children as Ioseph dealt with his brethren but after many trials he vttereth him selfe vnto them he puts them in good remembrance of their iniuries done to his Maiestie he fréely forgiueth them and giueth them the inheritance at â—he last which is more then they deserued and more then â—hey desired and more then they looked for by which they are assured of Gods fauor vnto them Therefore who will not be content with patience to beare what triall soeuer this our louing God
owne glory and to the saluation of his children So God turned Adams fall to the manifesting of hiâ— owne glory and to Adams good for by thiâ— meanes had Adam experieÌ„ce of Gods greaâ— and infinite mercy and might say By this 〈◊〉 know that thou fauorest me because thoâ— forgauest me and didst not suffer the deuil to triumph against me so all the slippes and falles of Gods children are turned to their good in as much as by them they are made more fearefull of sinne and more watchfull ouer their wayes as the child is fearefull of the candle when he hath once burnt his finger in y e flame And S. Paule telleth vs from God that all things shall fall out for the good yea for the best to them that loue God Now of this point we may make a very holy vse It serueth first to confirme and vphold our faith in the prouidence of God and not to feare the endeuours of the wicked because we sée that God doth still dispose of theÌ„ to our good if we be his children Againe this may stand vs in good stead when our affeâ—tions begin to boyle in a burning desire of reuenge against our enemies would we be reuenged of theÌ„ The best way to be reuenged of our enemies is to pitie their case and to make that profite of them which Dauid did of his that is still to looke to God in theÌ„ theÌ„ shall we be sure to be no loosers but gayners by them whither they will or no. But here some may demaund and say Doth God vse to handle his beloued so or may a man be sure of Gods fauour being beset with so many enemies and ouerwhelmed with such heapes of troubles especially sinne being the cause wherewith God is prouoked to anger To which we may answere that sinne indéede is the cause of all our troubles but yet whatsoeuer the Lord layeth vpon his children here it is not a punishmeÌ„t of their sinne for that was discharged by the hellish suffrings of the Lord Iesus Christ but it is a fatherly correction froÌ„ which we are no more fréed by the death of Christ then we are fréed from our naturall death And it is layed vpon vs by our heaueÌ„ly father for two principall causes first to preuent sinne which we might fall into as presumption contempt vnthankefulnesse forgetfulnesse of God and many moe Secondly they are layed vpon vs as Phisicke to cure and heale sinnes which we are already fallen into and this is that which Dauid confesseth when he saith before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keepe thy word and therefore he saith It was good for him to be afflicted that he might learne the statutes of the Lord. And in both these endes of our afflictions the Lordes purpose is to stay vs that we runne not with the wicked world headlong to damnatioÌ„ whom he hath geuen ouer to them selues So that troubles and enemies are sent to vs the children of God as Phisicke and therewith all he sends a priuate messenger to tell vs that he loueth vs for all that it is because he loueth vs to that end y t we may be assured y t he loueth vs that messenger is his spirite of adoptioÌ„ which certifieth our spirites that we are the children of God And this being once made sure then all is sure But now the question is by what ordinarie meanes the spirite of adoption doth conuay this certificate of Gods fauour vnto the harts of Gods children in their afflictions for as God doth assure his children of his louing fauour in Christ Iesus so he doth it by ordinarie meanes which meanes being not vsed or neglected this assurance faileth and falleth from vs and nothing remaineth but either a bare faÌ„cie flotting in the aire in stead of a sure faith builded on a firme foundation and when trouble comes an impatient spirite to beare vp the burdeÌ„ and when death comes a heape of sorrow and a heauie waight of despaire to presse downe to y e lowest hells The meanes then by which the spirite of God doth worke this assuraunce in the harts of the godly is the preaching of the Gospell which is called glad tidings because it makes the harts of the faithfull to become ioyfull and glad And S Paule to put vs out of doubt that the spirite worketh not without the word of God calleth the word the sword of the spirite to teach vs that howsoeuer the spirite of God must beate downe Sathan and cut downe infidelitie impatiencie despaire presumption and all our vnrulie affectioÌ„s and howsoeuer it worketh faith patience ioy streÌ„gth courage c. yet all this it effecteth â—and bringeth to passe by the meanes of the word of God preached read heard marked and meditated vpoÌ„ for as the word without the spirite is but dead to the hearer so the spirite of God without the opening of Gods wil in hiâ— word doth not ordinarily giue this comfortable assurance of Gods loue Aske the Prophet Dauid himselfe who had this comfortable assuraunce of Gods fauour in affliction aske him I say how he came be it or how iâ— came to him and he will tell vs that by thâ— word of God he came vnto it for so he saith Except thy law had bene my delight I had perished in my affliction for therein he fouÌ„â— many gracious promises of his God both for the punishing of his enemies for the defending and rewarding of himselfe and all Gods seruaunts for the forgiuenesse of his sinnes which were the cause of all his troubles and therefore the promise of God he chalengeth at Gods hand RemeÌ„ber thy promise made to thy seruant wherein thou hast caused me to trust vpon this promise of God he resteth and stayeth himself It is my comfort in my trouble for thy promise hath quickned me And when he looked into this booke of God the storehouse of his promises there he found also how necessarie affliction was for him he found the causes thereof and what vse to make of all his enemies so through the inward working of the spirite of sanctification he behaued himselfe at all times accordingly and therefore when he saith it was good for him that he was afflicted he addeth that he might learne the statutes of the Lord to shew that the godly doe not know how good their afflictions be vntil they haue learned the statutes of the Lord. And therefore at another time he said that he was much moued at the prosperitie of the wicked and had much a do to kéepe himselfe in an innocent and vpright life hearing seeing the wicked so farre out of square vntill he went into the house of God and when he came into that schoole once he was taught by the word and the spirite of God what vse to make of all and then he saw how wisely and iustly the Lord ordereth all things