Thy Seruant Esdras hath told vs of an eternall Paradise whose fruit remaineth incorruptible wherein is safety and health if wee will enter into it verse 53. Draw wee neere therefore vnto the Lord for an Inheritance because wee walke in great pride in these latter dayes of this world therefore doe many miseries meete vs and sundry calamities ouertake vs But the wise must with-hold sorrowes in themselues to allow Gods purpose and receiue his Corrections in patience if they looke to bee commended of him and allowed by him Be of good comfort O Israel and bee thou not heauy-hearted O thou house of Iacob 2. Esdras 12.46 For the most High hath you in remembrance and the Almighty hath not forgotten you in temptation 1.12.47 Neither will hee leaue Syon desolate but still mercifully remembreth the low estate of his distressed Sanctuary The Lord giueth vs all good things so doth hee enable vs when hee will and as hee will Remember wee therefore his Commandements neither let wee them at any time bee put out of our mindes but feare wee the Lord as wee flee from each sinne still doing the things which are acceptable to the Lord our God As the Lord doth scourge so doth he pitty hee leadeth to Hell and bringeth vp neither is there any that can auoide his hand Our Heauenly father scourgeth vs for our iniquities but againe gathers vs out of all Nations amongst whom wee shall bee scattered Waite yee for Saluation from God call vpon him to helpe you and hee will heare your voice if it please him God hath not tryed you as hee did the Patriarkes to the examination of your very hearts neither doth hee take vengeance on you but punisheth you for Instruction to bring you nearer to himselfe God seeing vs to bee vnruly Children doth therefore swing vs that wee may bee come quiet and goe from vnder his fingers as tame Lambes seeking for no other rest or peace then is found in Iesus Christ Know you not this that hee which offereth the most blowes is Crowned Whither should we resort but vnto the Lord in the times of our dangers and there cry most earnestly death being still before vs in our owne sight humble wee our bodies with fasting and desire the Lord to helpe vs being desolate Praise God in your misery and magnifie him for his mercy the soules of the righteous are in the hands of God where no torment can touch them the departure from vs may seeme as it were destruction howbeit they were in peace What though you now suffer paines before men yet is your hope full of immortality although you bee preuented with Death yet shall you be in rest God taketh away his least wickednesse should beguile the minde It is a matter of endlesse comfort to the poore members of Christ to see how vppon earth none are more ful of wofull paines in body and soules then Gods children who so full of soares as Iob Lazarus euen from the top to the toe Some are maimed in their bodies Iob 5. The Poole called Bethesda with her fiue porches was filled with multitudes of sicke folke blind halte and withered wayting for the moouing of the Waters after the Angels stirring whereof whosoeuer first stepped in was made whole whatsoeuer disease hee did languish of It is a comfort very cordiall to all Gods children to remember their former miseries now turned into felicity ioy and happinesse what though you rest poore yet may you possesse a Kingdome Are you here hungry and thirsty you shall assuredly taste of the Tree of Life Are you now wretched and naked you shal bee cloathed with the Roabes of Christs Righteousnesse and in the stead of the rags of infamy and Reproach on earth you shall bee crowned with the Dyadem of immortall glory in the highest heauens Be not sad eyther for the sickenes of your selfe or your friends for you cannot perish neyther shal you be cast away for your soules shall be presently in ioy and your bodies buried in the Graue as in a Bed of Doune to take a sweete sleepe till the day of Iudgement and then you shall rise to glory And according to your Religion Faith and good deedes in feeding and cloathing Christ Iesus in his members he will pitty you in mercy and now prouide comfort for you in the time of your Troubles Assure your heart and perswade your owne soule that Christ Iesus resteth the most true and absolute Sheepheard who feedeth his sheepe with most wholesome pasture not suffering vs to Rot vpon earth but assuring our soules to sing with Angels in Heauen We must not forget in the middest of our miseries that Christ our Redeemer was wounded for our transgressions broken for our iniquities the chastisment of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed Esay 53.5 Wee are saued by comming vnto God by Christ Heb. 7. he euerliuing that maketh intercession for vs. Hebr. 7 And by none other name can wee be saued Acts 4. Acts 4. Remember and forget not how wee are made partakers of Christ and his benefits euen by beeing of an humble spirit by Faith apprehending and applying Iesus Christ with all his merits vnto our selues Thus are we iustified before God and sanctified for Christs sake and therefore wee must all be content to vndergoe shame disgrace trouble persecution and bonds yea death it selfe for Christ his sake The Remembrance of Christs comming to Iudgement must cheare vp your heauy soules So labour now your heart as you may crye with the Spouse of Christ Come Lord Iesus come quickely Hope wee to liue with Christ in the Church Tryumphant then must wee dye with him in the Church Militant None shall liue with Christ aboue vnlesse they suffer with him here below nor none shall haue their teares wiped from them in Heauen vnlesse they haue first shed them on Earth It is the Lords vsuall dealing after long time of peace to bring some tryals that the Elect and true Christians may be discerned It is knowne to vs all how a Christian mans life rests a war-fare so that there is no dreaming of a Victory before wee fight It is our lot to suffer and our comfort still to stay vpon Christ who will so dispose of vs and our seuerall troubles as they shall leaue a blessing behind them and we shall gayne more in the Spirit then we can loose in the flesh Which GOD grant we may Tuesday Meditations THis rests a Maxime in Religion that God wil haue his owne true Church and Children to be tryed and vndergoe the heate of persecution Wee must learne therefore to be wise and not to thinke our selues out of Gods fauour when wee are tryed nor deeme worse of the Gospell because the Crosse still goeth with it and wicked people still hate it But still let vs all learne to looke at Christ Iesus remembring that we Seruants may not looke for any larger priuiledge then had our Lord and Maister
doth crosse and afflict him therefore GOD doth hate forsake and vtterly cast him off those with whom he so now dealeth It is true that Christ Iesus hath taught vs to call vppon him by the name of a Father who now loueth vs more then our mothers did First instructing vs as parents doe their children Secondly admonishing vs as Schoole-maisters scourging vs now and then with his Rod. Thirdly if we grow stubborne spend-thrifts wanton and prodigall vsing ill company then God draweth vs out by the eares whipping or beating vs till our bones doe cracke yet with a fatherly true affection still to bring vs to amendment or he vtterly cast vs off Our heauenly Father warneth vs by his rods to walke in his wayes and to liue in his obedience which if we dispise and refuse to follow then will the Lord vse his scourges pouerty sicknesse diseases crosses in Children stocke or croppe fire or sword till that wee humbling our selues vnder Gods mighty hand shal subiect our selues to his gouernment suffering in our selues a holy reformation of manners and amendment of life Learne we also to reioyce in the middest of our troubles and afflictions with contented minds and sanctified affections no Parents so louing to their Children as is our heauenly Father for our safety in our sufferings cling wee therefore the faster and the more faithfully vnto God in our troubles God hath turned heretofore the penury and the captiuity of his people vnto their good by greatest crosses working his people their greatest comforts God doth oftentimes make our sicknesses and sorrowfull diseases as purgations to euacuate our pride vayne-glory hypocrisie and the corruptions of our putrified soules And sometimes for preseruatiues to keepe vs from falling into those or the like sinnes And sometimes God vseth them as Cordials to strengthen our decaying graces and to animate vs vnto holy duties to pray Reade and heare the more attentiuely to beare the Rod of God more patiently and to performe each holy duty with the more cheerefulnes Be not ignorant of that Lesson which Dauid teacheth vs all Psalm 119 It is good for vs that wee haue bin afflicted For the learning of Gods Statutes and Keeping of his word and testimonies with-hold vs from going a stray in ill wayes so that each one of vs may truly say of our troubles sorrows and sicknesses that we haue suffered them and haue learned to loue God more and our owne deserts the lesse let vs all learne to make holy medicines for our soules out of such calamities as do often befall vs in the World and so shall we haue no cause to vexe our selues with cures for the sanctified crosses that do vs much good we grieue at the vntimely death of our Children which we hoped should haue beene the staffe of our old Age inherite our houses and keepe still our name but we minde not how many children of as good hope as ours haue prooued parents crosses and some mothers vpon their knees haue wished they had neuer beene borne or that they had then carried them to their graues when they had them to weane Sure it is that God for the most time doth lay such afflictions vpon vs eyther because he will procure vs some good or preuent some Euill by them Which things if we commonly see them come to passe why mourne we so that which tendeth vnto our welfare and greater comfort There is nothing in the world but still works for the best to the children of God aswell the stratagems of Sathan as the imaginations of men are for the Weale of Gods children Yea out of one of the most poisonfull things as sinne and death doth the Lord draw healthfull and medicinall preseruatiues to them that loue him still strengthning their Faith whilest they giue glory vnto God Care you not what outward punishment you indure so that you may feele the guilt of your sinnes washed out of your Conscience and the louing countenance of our heauenly Father in Christ Iesus to wipe your trespasses cleane away Let the goodly sorrows of our seuerall wounded consciences driue vs to GOD who hath vndoubtedly physicke for our sickly and sinnefull soules Are you weake and sicke sad and confounded in minde desire the LORD so to stampe the impression of his sacred spirit into your hearts as washing your selues in the water of Repentance you wallow no more in the mire of former filthines the Lord so kill and clarifie your flesh as the life of Grace may assure your soules of election to glory Remember what Queene Esther did being in danger of death Chap. 14.1 Shee resorted vnto the Lord shee layd away her glorious apparell and put on the garments of sighing and mourning instead of precious oyntment scattering ashes and Earth vpon her Head humbling her body greatly with fasting filling all the places of her ioy with the haire shee plucked from her Head It is very good for GODS Children that this world now and then much discourageth them and that wee and they likewise rest seldome free from one calamity or another to make vs to cry with Christ in our troubles vnto God that he may pitch his Tents about vs so as we finally miscarry not nor goe astray from the Kingdome of God apply our hearts wholy vnto Christ and cleaue we all still vnto him with sure purpose of soule to rest throughly sanctified Beware of temporary faith which is lame of one hand onely able to take Christ but not to giue himselfe to Christ This is to offer the same offering without the burnt offering hast thou Hope against Hope feelest thou Hell in thy Conscience yet here must thou apprehend Heauen and with Ionas in the Whales belly call vpon GOD in faith for faith is the subsistance of things that are not much more then of things that in deed are though not in appearance Be of good cheere for Christ hath fastened Sathan Sinne and Death to his Crosse Now amidst thy bitterest torments and tortures remember how Christ drunke the most bitter and sharpe Cup of his Fathers wrath in our name Remember that Peter suffering for the truth of God returned from the Councell with ioy and gladnesse when hee had beene whipped and had heard that hee should dye a violent death through which conflict and repugnance hee stroue still with violence not for other peoples pleasure but for his owne saluation There is no Christian but he must fight before he can tryumph and be daily calling yea earnest by praying and crauing for helpe at Gods hands remembring that against the ignomy of the Crosse wee haue to set the decree and purpose of God fore-told by the Prophets of Christ How that first of all hee should bee crucified here vpon Earth And then he should appeare from Heauen the Iudge and Restorer of all things that all Beleeuers might be saued and all vnbeleeuers vtterly perish Vnderstand and Know this that God vseth to wrappe vp his Church with the wicked in
Heauen but by Hell Gods scourging vs sheweth that he loue vs and meaneth to manifest vnto the VVorld whether we be slaues or sonnes There is no greater Temptation then to thinke God our enemy going about to destroy vs in with-drawing the most comfortable signes of his fauour from vs then yet must we rest vpon the Lord and by Fayth cleaue vnto him VVhat though by outward sence we are reiected of God yet by our Faith must wee still apprehend his hidden mercies and behold it a far off in the Glasse of Gods Promises Nay although the Lord fayle vs yet let vs not leaue him vntill that he haue blessed vs well Knowing his loue that he will hold with the one hand when hee assayles vs with the other proouing and Exercising our Faith as hee did the VVomans of Canaan Matth. 15.22 First Math. 15.22 Christ gaue her Faith and by that Faith was shee mooned to seeke to him but when shee was once come vnto him he gaue her three Repulses First by saying nothing Secondly by denying her And thirdly by calling her Dogge Marke we how Christ made shew as though he would neuer haue granted her request yet at euery repulse she grew the more instant crying more earnestly vnto him shee opposed herselfe vnto Christ and would take no deniall Marke wee all here the nature of true Faith if you doe now rest faithfull though you feele your selfe ouerwhelmed with sinne turmoyled with Sathans conflicts yea and God himselfe both angry and offended with you Yet can you lift vp your eye-liddes to Heauen and giue a glimpse at the Brazen Serpent Christ Iesus flinging your selfe into the Armes of GODS mercy and catching hold of that hand buffetting you and kisse it Then feare not we must not passe for the malice of men but haue an eye vnto the mercies of God well knowing that yet it is not made manifest what we shall be But we know that when Christ shal be made manifest we shal be like vnto him for we shall see him as he is 1. Ioh. 3.2 Doe not I pray you measure the Loue of God vnto your soule eyther by your prosperity or by your Aduersity well considering that these rest common both vnto bad good Take heede and beware of perswading your selues to bee in the depth of Gods fauours whilest you inioy temporall peace and externall glory for Christ fled into the mountayne when hee heard they would come to make him King choosing rather to bee there alone then for to inioy a transitory Crowne To keepe you now from dispaire consider I pray you all or some of Gods former mercies towards you He hath protected you both in your Infancy Child-hood and Youth and multiplied vpon you many positiue blessings let all these pleaders preuaile for your faithfull and hearty seruice to so heauenly a Maister If any countenance a seruant and giue him meanes and maintenance hee would take it ill to leaue him and serue his very enemies yet so doe sinners that forgetting Gods fauours towards them flye vnto the professed enemies of God yea of Christs Church and Gospell I meane the Deuill himselfe from whom to be saued sigh wee still to be anointed vntill wee be crowned anointed here with the oyle of gladnesse in this Church militant that wee may bee crowned hereafter with the Church triumphant 2. Tim. 48. Desire the Lord to make your bed in your sicknes that the voice of ioy health may bee heard in your habitation account no priuiledge so precious as to be in GODS fnuour and haue accesse to the Throne of Grace and vpon all occasions to see the golden Scepter stretched out vnto you your prayers heard your petitions granted and your suite obtained assure your selfe that Christ sendeth no sinners discontented or empty handed from him Salomon craued Wisedome Paul power against Sathans buffetings Ezechias and Dauid deliuerance from Enemies Moses from drowning and the Theefe from damning No petition put vp from a sorrowfull Soule and a beleeuing and touched Heart but receiueth a gracious answere for GODS glory and our good Serue wee Christ now vpon Earth and wee shall surely sing with him in Glory trust and rely we still vpon God and hee will take vs away as hee did Iosias from seeing of Euils or as hee did good Augustine before the sacking of Hippo by the Vandals or conuay vs to some other place as he did Lot when Sodome was burned or prouide some meanes for our stay as hee did the Arke for Noah when the World was drowned Hee that saued Moses and the Israelites when the Aegyptians were drowned wants no meanes to remooue our painefullest Maladies yea to rescue and redeeme our liues with the death of our Enemies as Haman was hanged for Mordecai saued was the Corne and burnt were the â—ares one and the same Flaile beats Chaffe to be burned and pure Corne to be preserued Be not discouraged at the feare of death knowing that with Christ all Christians must die that the remnants of sinne might bee quite taken away and abolished so as the roote of old Adam may bee most absolutely stocked vp Remember I pray you that flesh and blood must be changed before it can inherit the Kingdome of God 1. Cor. 15.50 Moreouer the blood as it is old beginneth by little and little to condensate and waxe thicke and so to corruption Againe our spirits waste by vse and labour which weares euen the Iron and hardest mettalls and both the body and the minde are weakened by corporall and mentall exercises Both of them like to vnthrifty heires spending faster then either the father or fosterer of them the Heart can digest and gather for them All these things tell vs that dye wee all must rich Diues aswell as poore Lazarus Simon the wiser aswell as Naball the foole Absolom the faire aswell as Thersites the foulest and fulsome Tall Saul must goe to the Graue aswell as little Zacheus godly Ionathan aswell as his vngodly Father both Wife and Husband must participate of the common condition of humane Nature once to dye Know this all of you that no Princes vpon the earth can with-draw their necks from this yoake howsoeuer some seeme as Gods vpon the earth yet must they die like men be they neuer so high of birth or blood Though my brethren and sisters yee weare all golden Crownes let vs all obserue how louing our LORD and Master was vnto Dauid in promising vnto him a Kingdome but for many yeares was he so hunted and persecuted therein that hee knew not which way to turne himselfe to finde peace and safety And why was all this but that hee might first become a good man and then a good King whosoeuer will weare the Crowne of Glory with Christ must likewise with him weare the Crowne of Thornes Our heauenly Father scourgeth vs to see whether wee will heartily loue him being our heauenly Phisitian or no and that with our very soules Deut.
his scourges and plagues which he sendeth vppon the Earth and yet notwithstanding hee prouideth for it conueniently though he doth most commonly grant but a short time of Truce vnto his Church and children to be at rest and quiet in Learne we all to set the glory of Christ his Resurrection against the shame of the Crosse and graue seeing seeing it may aswell bee proued by witnesse which saw it as by testimony of the Prophets learne wee all therefore to goe forward in one way in our vocation through a thousand death Gods prouidence taketh not away the causes which God vseth as meanes but rather ordereth and disposeth them to their right vse euen then when he openeth an extraordinary issue for then and not till then came wee to the promised and sure saluation thorow the middest of tempest and death it selfe Then are perplexities most to be looked for when the Port and Hauen is nearest The godlier you bee the more sure shall you bee to haue danger vpon danger but alwaies most sure to haue a glorious issue What though aduersity bee the punishment of sinne yet God in punishing doth not alwaies respect sinne they iudge too rashly which eyther doe not waite for the Lord or doe iudge and esteeme all men according to prosperity or aduersity let this be still your comfort the Lord neuer afflicteth his aboue their strength what though now we behold miseries and calamities in a Church yet is the hope of felicity harboured in our hearts as if we presently enioyed it Know this that it is of the Lords mercy that you are eyther helped or healed Wis 18. It is the power of righteousnesse that Saints receiue good and euill in like manner singing prayses for the one aswell as for the other It is not wisedomes care to walke with ease by crooked paths and to bring vs into feare and dread and to torment vs with her discipline vntill she hath tryed our soules and prooued vs by her iudgements then will shee comfort vs and shew vs her secrets and heape vpon vs the vnderstanding of righteousnesse The Lord now and then sendeth vs away weeping and mourning but with ioy and perpetuall gladnesse will hee bring vs againe vnto himselfe Remember that Sion may bee in Captiuity and yet see her Saluation from God to come with great glory and euerlasting brightnesse suffer we therefore as Children the wrath of God patiently hoping at last to tread vpon the necks of our foes and euer hereafter to reioyce though now for a time wee mourne Who would not make haste to the Kingdome of GOD liuing vprightly and be of a good and honest conuersation as Christ once offered himselfe willingly to be taken that wee might be deliuered Remember in your present misery how Christ being innocent was condemned of the High-priest for that wickednesse whereof wee are guilty Christ our Sauiour found no comfort any where that in him wee might bee fulfilled with Celestiall ioyes and solace euery where hee was made a curse that in him wee might bee blessed hee was spoyled of his Garments that wee might bee enriched with his Righteousnesse Christ healing the manifold miseries of mankinde sheweth that he came to make cleane and wipe away the sins of the world with his touching hand from Heauen Feare wee not any accusers before God seeing that GOD himselfe absolueth vs as iust much lesse neede wee feare damnation seeing that wee rest vpon the death and resurrection yea the Almighty power and defence of Iesus Christ Therefore what can there be so waighty in this life or of so great force and power that might now feare vs although wee might fall from the feare of God wherewith he loueth vs in Christ Surely nothing it is in it lelfe most constant and sure and also in vs conformed by stedfast faith by Christ that loueth vs we are perfectly iust and through him are wee conquerours ouer miseries and calamities although we seeme as broken in pieces with the woeful weight of woefull dangers yet as good Christians let vs grow more and more couragious that the waies and wills of GOD may bee throughly knowne in this world Remember that the matter of our saluation is Christ in whom onely we are endued with spirituall blessings vnto saluation Oh perswade your owne soules that God hath chosen vs from the beginning in his Sonne the end of afflictions being true ioy and that through the vertue of the Spirit of Christ which hee giueth to them which aske it We ought not to be discouraged but rather to bee incouraged by the persecutions which the enemies of the Gospell imagine and practise against vs seeing that they are certaine witnesses from GOD himselfe both of our saluation and of the destruction of our enemies that hate vs. Persecution is a signe of our saluation because it 's a gift of God to suffer for Christ which gift hee rendreth to his owne as he doth the gift of faith Grieue not for your great afflictions no not although you should dye to make pefect your oblation with your blood as with a drinke-offering The way to eternall saluation is to follow Christ his steps by afflictions and persecutions vntill wee come to Christ himselfe who is our marke whereat wee shoote and receiue the reward whereunto God calleth vs to him Therefore bee not disquieted through impatiency seeing that God is at hand to giue you remedy against all your miseries neither bee you carefull for any thing but with sure confidence giue God thankes and craue of him whatsoeuer you haue neede of that with a quiet conscience you may wholy and withall your heart submit your selfe to him that you may with Dauid beginne with teares and end with thankes The afflictions of the Church may be said to be Christs afflictions by reason of that fellowship and knitting together that the body and the head haue one with the other not that there is any more neede to haue the Church redeemed but that Christ sheweth his power in the daily weaknesse of his members and that for the comfort of the whole and holding of his Childrens hearts together whose assured comfort is to enter by afflictions into the Kingdom of Glory Know this that our God being iust will punish the vniust and will do away the miseries of his owne people Remember alwayes to set the invisible power of Gods Spirit which God hath giuen you agaynst those stormes which may or will come vpon you I pray remember that the gift of Gods Spirit is as it were a certayne liue flame kindled in our hearts which the flesh and the Diuell seeke to put out And therefore you and I on the contrary side must labour as much as we can to foster and keepe it burning and not to be pierced thorough as people whom the Lord will destroy Doubt we not but that our Saluation doth hang vpon Christ who was exhibited in our dayes and suffered farre more grieuous things then wee can