to run throughout the race of finite misery It is a cowardly part to fear that enemy whom we know we can out reach and he is but pusillaminous that is disturbed with grief and fear for that calamity which he is sure to out wear and if he please able to contemn Things of little or no continuance have not their name or value among durables and how can we judge that evil which peradventure would prove so if it could purchase life but is extinct almost so soon as it beginneth to be Our life here for the very brevity of it may we sometimes think scarce justly be termed life yet affliction hath not a lease of that little which is but is put to its progresses and retirings nay each hope crusheth it when it is most powerful and high These things considered are enough to force up the fire of joy into a sacred flame even while it is dashed with the billows of affronts and beshowered with the storms of miseries for after this storm is over the day will prove fair and our present heat will be sufficient for the present occasion And surely although all God's works are instrumental to draw us towards him and to six our whole delight in him and that with a love pure and unfeigned which casteth away fear and although adversity do this effectually yet he at last giveth prosperity too For the same thing is aimed at in both and both rellish well enough with the pious Soul but the later is more pleasing to the bodies gust and Gods love to us is such that his soul will not alway strive with man for that he is flesh We are fâ—ail and too too subject to miscarriages so that that joy which for a while did stoutly bear up may at the last lack faith and sink therefore shall it have a relief and change but only when God seeth his time As God intendeth at his constituted time to satisfie the longing soul with himself in eternity and with it the companion of its labours advancing the body to that glory to which as supernatural it can lay no claim without the souls more priviledged grace So doth he here sometimes as it were by vision give an appearance of our entry into that glory by converting the exuberance of our sorrowful eyes into streams of pleasures and flouds of pious rejoycings And all this is for the manifestation of his own power and confirmation of our faith that as we have seen him able to create good out of evil and light out of darkness we may believe him able to stop the insolent proceeding of the foot of pride and after a preparation by temporal favours to enlarge them into spiritual and boundless God's glory is our life and strength This to him raised out of the two great opposites of good and evil becometh to us the united effect of joy The sundry contrivances of it become to us but one entire because a perpetual joy and we still through love having our eyes sixed upward continually behold it one and the same though compacted of a multiplicity of unexpected revolutions He is glorified in the constancy and prayers of his servants in their fervency and resolution in their exaltation above the world and in their humility in ascribing righteousness to their Maker and again in his own mercy protecting and goodness afterward delivering them in their faith and hope of future happiness through the benefit of it here asserted and by their thanksgivings unto him who alone worketh wonderously And likewise he is glorified in putting an end to the powers of darkness and bringing the wheel over the ungodly in frustrating their violent and depraved counsels in making manifest to the world that works of wickedness are no fortifications but only are as a broken wall and a tottering fence that wicked mens security is danger their wisdom madness and folly that their paths are either upon ice slippery and subject to sudden dissolutions or upon glass brittle and deceitful no way able to bear those ponderous weights to be passed and repassed upon the shoulders of armed rebellion Thus shall iniquity stop her mouth and innocence prosper even in these our days the truth of that blessing being experimentally proved in our present times that the meek shall inherit the earth Unto them God will here give earnest for what he meaneth to give hereafter and by the lesser maketh confirmation of the greater God hath triumphs for his Church militant even such as when it may lead its captivity captive Earthly joy may sometimes prove an obstacle to mans entry into the joys of heaven but never when it is thus made the consequent of an endured Cross Christ whose disciples true patients are after his descent from the Cross would glorifie his passions by a resurrection and a time spent upon earth exempt from sufferings To us also will he as he findeth most expedient allow a mitigation of tears an inversion of joys that as we had before rejoyced as partakers of Christ's sufferings we should now rejoyce as being partakers of his resurrection He doth graciously permit us to arise out of the languishing bed of cares and in companies to enter Sion with the songs of triumphs in our lips and our mouths filled with laughter Although we must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdom of heaven yet God doth frequently after the fury of tribulations cooled by a temporal prosperity use to bring his Elect to the border of his Sanctuary IT addeth very much vigour to our joy that when the Devil as he is apt rippeth up things past and long since covered with the aged mantle of oblivion to put us into a slumbering dismay and contempt of hope we erect our Spirits to a contradiction and solace our selves with the opposite indulgence of whatsoever experiments knowledge can suggest God's neglect of his people and leaving them to toyl out their whole time of life like slaves in Gallies withoâ—t any apparency of future happiness more than in uncertain promise is a firebal of Satâ—n's compounding But if he appeareth with such language with far fetched and tortured circumstances we have our examples ready to confute him For such a thing as the direliction of a servant there never was on God's part And yet we see and know that there are many more instances of gracious returns of love and satisfaction in this life given than of those whose rewards were referred to another life All his alledged circumstances are but continued calumnies God's care is continually laborious in the production of new supplies and contenting goods appliable to man's otherwise destitute condition So that that creature is neither forgotten nor forsaken whose benefits are not bestowed once for all but flow down like the Giver's love daily and eternally We have not that alway at the beginning which some of us would have but we have alway all of us what we should have and while need is staved off want proveth a
able memories to recollect the surreptions and losses sustained in the late barbarous broiles and because these breaches are not made up to charge our hearts with repinings intermixed with joy what do we but make use of our strongest faculties to cheat our selves We are to look forward to what is to come nay to consider what advantages we have in the happy Restauration of King and Church Many it is true are the insiduous baits laid for us every where and way but while God is our chief desire prosperity helpeth nor faileth us Therefore to those who constantly behold Gods will as their most desireable pleasure the good wrought in such varieties maketh wonderfully for the heightening of their Joy None but a distempered palate thinketh bitter sweet and sweet bitter for a sound body hath a distinguishing gust So sincerity of Religion giveth sound judgement for the election of the most savory delights the Sum whereof is God the particulars whatsoever perseverance in Love promoteth to the understanding NOW that prosperity at all proveth obnoxious to future â—â—â—contents by too too indulgent supplies of luxurious appetites is no fault of the times but of the persons who cannot learn to behold the beauteous blessings of God with chast and temperate eyes Neither is the subservient and ready good an excusive plea for immoderate either lust or use nor given otherwise then for a punishment to such unrestrained wills It is true that there is more danger in an exalted state of life then in a depressed because more privy temptations more publick ones but then care is the more commendable and likewisere sistance is the more glorious when the assault is feircest They then who were frighted nearer God and farther off a self-lâ—ve by the Sword Persecution Nakedness and distress have made adversity beneficâ—al to their Souls if their care now become not like a watch not wound up slack in time of greatest urgency Temptation is no necessity nâ—ither store hurtful unless misapplied The â—â—u use of prosperity is to be led amongsâ— and through the dilicacies and charms of pleasure and leave them conquered and as often as we are so led to recede with maiden appetites reserved for God alone Thus onely do we use these benefits aright and thus using them shall we duely remember the greatness of the succour afforded by them when time would wipe away the tract and obliterate the legend Thus using them do we enlarge our Joy in them because our Joy in the Author is thereby perpetuated The greatest and sincerest of pleasures as directly in reference to things of this life is to bear and forbear Temporal things coming suddenly to their height do suddenly decrease and the benefits of this life too greedily taken and used cease to be benefits after one full enjoyment of them onely moderation with reference to God lengtheneth them and preserveth the joy of them entire They are so made to reach from earth to heaven and the joy of our span-long life is spun out into a glorious thred of immortallity SEE now how farr our confidence hath carried us The prayers of Faith have wrestled and prevailed with God for this return of peace to his Church and this Realme A pious boldness in asking any thing of God and resolution in denying any thing to our selves for his sake will procure a more prosperous advancement for us than this even an exaltation above temporal to eternal rest and peace Amen O Lord thou hast been favourable to this thy Land in Redeeming thy people from captivity thou hast forgiven our iniquities and covered our past sins thou hast fallen away thy wrath and turned thy self from the fierceness of thine anger Therefore our meditation of thee shall be sweet because thy salvation is nigh them that hope in thee that glory may dwell in our land Thou hast remembred thy mercy and truth towards thine Israel and the ends of the World have seen thy salvation O righteous God Truely thou art good to such as are of a clean heart but we had well nigh committed folly against thee in being envious at the prosperity of the wicked when we saw the Tabernacles of Robbers prosper and that they were encompassed with Worldly happiness round about But at last when we drew neer to the refuge of thy word and considered the Wisdome of thy disposals we were taught not to condemn our own lot neither envy theirs For we understood destruction to be nigh their habitations and ready to receive them But thy Servants are alway with these thou upholdest them with thy Right Hand Thou shalt guide us with thy counsell and afterwards receive its to Glory Thou shalt encrease our greatness and comfort us on every side so that our lips shall greatly rejoyce when we sing unto thee and our souls also which thou hast wonderfully redeemed Let this be written in our hearts and likewise engraven in the rock for ever for posterities sake that the generations to come may know it and the people which shall be created may praise thy name who lookedst down from the height of thy Sanctuary to hear the groaning of the prisoners and preserve the multitudes of the afflicted Surely the upright shall rejoyce for they have seen the vengeance and shall boastingly say Verily there is a reward for the righteous Thou hast proved us and tried us as silver is tried Thou caused'st men to ride over our heads we went through fire and water But thou hast brought us out into a wealthy place We long sat by the way side mourning for the Ark of God catching at all tidings which might nourish Hope At last we understood and now confess thy power who hast brought it out of the house of Dagon It is well for us that we have been afflicted Yet assuredly if thou hadst not been on our side when malitious men rose up in fury against us they had even swallowed us up quick But praised be thy name our favour and Defence our foot is escaped out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are delivered What are we that thou hast thus magnified us and heard our prayers continually importuning these to arise and to have mercy upon Sion How great are thy loving Kindnesses and Mercies who considered'st that the time to favour her even the set time was come And now thou hast set thy Tabernacle in Salem that Righteousness and Peace might kiss each other Therefore unto thee do we give thanks O Lord unto thee do we give thanks for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare Let our mouth be filled with thy praise and honour continually and be thou exalted O God above the Heavens let thy glory be above all the earth And now O Lord I beseech thee remember me thine unworthy Servant with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people and visit me with thy Salvation that I may see the good of thy Chosen all my days and rejoyce in
with the glimmerings of success even while they hear God denouncing the Thunders of his wrath against such Prostitutes of sin Much more do I wonder how God or the World to come can be in their thoughts and lips and they not presently fall into an extasie of horrour The meditation of our approaching end is the most necessary thought to take up both the beginning and continuance of our life Our chief study should be to die well which is a long Art and considering the violent distempers of our nature none of the easiest It moreover requireth a peaceable time but in War the Sword devoureth one as well as another How much Christian then can he be who is resolutely contriving an entrance into the Field without the Divine Guidance and looketh death in the face practising Rebellion not knowing but that in a moment he must give an account to his injured and angry Judge Or how much is his zeal to be accounted of who prodigally wasteth his treasure of Reason wherewith God hath been pleased to bless him to the corruption of other mens judgments not considering that he who lent that misimployed breath may suddenly remand it from those debased uses and commit the Speaker bound over to his self-contrived miseries The consideration of lifes brevity and uncertainty should methinks make every man busied not in a forreign search but an home-enquiry after guilt The time which is so spent upon others is clearly lost what upon our selves is truly gained Most men when they speak of other mens faults encrease their own but they who speak to God of their own by the example undoubtedly make many to be sooner cleansed Then also hath the self-examiner this advantage of others that he dismayeth not at Deaths Menaces having pacified his Judge Whereas the backbiting murmurers hellish life here is all his Heaven He who exerciseth himself with the lashes of pious reproof liveth comfortably and peaceably nay joyfully here but is assured of a superabundant joy after the frail body is cloathed with Honour and Perfection by an happy Resurrection and desired Union with its glorified Redeemer Amen HAve mercy upon us O Lord for the dark places of the Earth are full of the habitations of cruelty Lo the wicked bend their bow they make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart If we had done this evil which they mention or those iniquities were in our hands wherewith they asperse us then were we out of thy protection and the enemy persecuting our souls could not but take and destroy us But thy peircing Knowledge seeth that they travail with iniquity that they have conceived mischeif and brought forth falsehood Surely false witnesses have risen up against us laying to our charge things which we knew not O take thou the matter into thine own hand and be thou the defence of the humble for the wicked have purposed to overthrow their goings They who have known thee will put put their trust in thee and call upon thee in the day of trouble for thou wilt hear them We will not trust in our bow our Sword shall not save us but thou shalt save us from our enemies and put them to shame who hate us Although the blood thirsty lay snares and they who seek to do hurt speak mischeivous things imagining deceit all the day long yet thou maintainest the right thou sittest in the throne judging right and thine Eye-lids try the children of men Thou who alone knowest it do good unto those who are good and upright in heart But as for such as turn aside to their crooked wayes teach them that their end will be to be led forth with the workers of wickedness O Gracious Father and Merciful Redeemer consider the trouble which we suffer of them who hate us and of thy great compassion deliver us and in ransoming deliver us we pray thee from all our offences that we may not deservedly be the rebuke of the foolish Thou hearest and from the seat of thy Majesty beholdest all our miseries Arise for our help and Redeem us for thy mercies sake that the mouths of them who speak lies may be stopped Remember the reproach of thy servants how we do bear in our bosomes the reproach of many people wherewith thine enemies have reproached thee O Lord. And for the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips consume them that they may not be that by thy judgements they may make it known that not cursed policy but thy good power ruleth unto the ends of the earth Instead of the desired effects of mischeif prolong thou the Kings life and his years as many generations O prepare mercy and truth which may preserve him Because he will not yeild to the dishonour of thy Church they burden him with these indignities but do thou repay him seven fold into his bosome and let his honour be great in thy salvation This is thine own cause Arise then and plead it remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily the tumult of those who rise up against thee encreaseth continually In thee we trust we cry unto thee to save us For Lo they breath out cruelty against us Deliver us who desire to serve and worship thee in spirit and truth from lying lips and from these deceitful tongues which speak lies in hypocrisie And let our adversaries be clothed with shame let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a mantle Let them curse but bless thou let them be ashamed but let thy servant rejoyce O Lord God of Hosts who judgest righteously if they will not return let us see thy vengeance upon all perverse promoters of bewitching sedition Let their conspiracies be as the dust before the wind and themselves as the stubble before the fire that the World may see that this is thine hand that thou Lord doest establish the just by casting down the wicked So shall the Congregations of the people compass thee about for their sakes therefore lift up thy self on high And to thy servants give patience to bear their calamities and together with a religious boldness to withstand and rebuke their wickedness grant such an innocent and meek deameanour as befitteth the sincere Disciples of a most humble Master By shunning backbiting and the reproach of our neighbour and endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace fit us for our dissolution that we may in peace go down into the bed of silence and joyfully rise again to the possession of invincible tranquility through Jesus Christ our onely Mediatour and Advocate Amen Our Father which art in Heaven c. CHAP. VII How little the minds of some men are wrought upon The continual examples of miscarrying Factions SOLOMON thought the desire accomplished to be sweet to the Soul But it was also his observation taken from the humour of men over-eager in pursuit of their desires that it is an