hast thou done so And thus elsewhere he patiently submitteth himselfe to be afflicted at his good pleasure 2 Scm. 15.26 But if saith he he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies So good old Elie when he heard from Samuell what a fearefull worke God would doe to his house quietly he humbleth himselfs saying it is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him best 1 Sam. 3.18 Thus likewise Job once have I spoken yea twise but I will proceed no further I will lay my hand upon my mouth and abhor my selfe repenting in dust and ashes Lo Hezechiah sweetly submits when he looketh up to God what shall I say For he hath said it to me and he hath done it Isa 38.13 It is the safest way when Gods hand is on our back to lay our hand on our mouthes and do as Aaron did at the fearefull death of his sons when he heares Moses to tell him that God would be sanctified in those that did draw neere unto him He held his peace Lev. 10.3 Thus those Saints in the 21. Acts. 14 Conclude their arguments with words of submission concerning Paules journey to Jerusalem the will of the Lord be done Now as all events whatsoever are by and according to the will of God so to this will of God must we sweetly submit in all crosse accidents whatsoever we either feele or feare This have the Saints in all ages done when they saw once the the mind of God they quietly yeil ded So Mauritius the Roman Emperour when after the butchering of his loving wife and tender children before his face at the command of the Tirant Phocas he was to act his owne part in that mournfull tragedy in his flesh at first like a grudging Israelite began to repine and draw back but after some passionate panges he humbly submits with these words just art thou O Lord and just are thy judgements And this is patience indeed when we are content without murmuring or repining to resigne our selves into Gods hands to be dealt withall even as it shall seeme good to him both for the time and measure of our affliction We must not only not sink under them but not shrink from them Stay in them till he that laid them on shall please to take them off 1 If we would seriously consider who this is that afflicts us Why it is the Lord who is infinite in glory power and Majesty who having created us of nothing may dispose also of us according to his pleasure for why should the clay murmur against the potter dust and ashes against the glorious King of heaven and earth Who measureth the earth with his span and poyseth it as in a ballance who upholdeth all things by his word and ruleth them at his good pleasure In him we live move and have our being so that if he sustaine us we continue but if he blow upon us we are presently gone and returne again unto our dust 2 As God is infinite in majesty and power so is he just in his judgements his wayes are past finding out Hath he corrected us sharply surely 't was no more then we deserved hath he taken away our dearest friends by death why he took away nothing but what he gave he never gave any thing absolutely and for ever but only to use for a time till he againe did call for it and therefore seeing the Lord hath taken nothing but his owne let us not say we have lost it but only restored it to the right owner 3 Let us beare patiently whatsover comes from God because he is goodnesse it selfe from whom there can come no evill It is he that ruleth the world and ordereth all things for the best taking care of every particular person neither doth nor hath any evill in him God is the fountaine from whence all goodnesle flowes if he be good to all he is abundantly good to his owne if he be so sweet to those that seeke him how beyond expression will he be to those that finde him Now who may better chastize us then he that created us who more right to correct and nurture us then he who feedeth and nurseth us We see the most savage beasts which will not indure the looke of a stranger will take stripes from their owner who feedeth and tendeth them and shall we more brutish then they snarle and repine when the Lord who not only giveth us food but also maketh it nourishment doth chastize us for our good The Lord is our King and Soveraigne unto whom we are to yeild absolute obedience and therefore if earthly Princes doe punish their subjects and judge them insolent if they repine and rebellious if they resist not enduring expostulation or to have their actions called to account nay though they be unjust How then shall we be acquitted when being corrected by God we impatiently murmure and by using unlawfull meanes to free our selves as much as in us lieth resist him in his most righteous judgements which are all disposed for our good if we submit our selves unto them Seeing by ruling us thus on earth he fitteth us to raigne with him in heaven Ah! Therefore let us not looke to the interiour causes by which our crosses are immediately imposed but unto the Lord our God who is the cheife and supreame cause of all our afflictions Let us not looke to instruments and aggravate our sorrowes by circumstances as looking upon our afflictions with an impotent impatience because our enemies are malicious proude and insolent in the carriage of the matter but to God which aymeth at nothing but our good Thus saith Christ to Pilate thou couldest have no power except it were given the from above Thus likewise doe we make our burdens in supportable when we too much looke upon the treachery neglect or unkinde dealing of some friends of whom we have deserved well and therefore least of all suspected to have received from them such hard measure Alas if our thoughts mount no higher then those broken reeds we may sit down and die of discontent And therefore 't was sweetly said of a holy and experimentall Divine lately that unlesse we learne to suffer from the hands of Saints as well as from ungodly persons we must never looks to live a merry day So say I unlesse we can beare the fallings off the falsehood and treachery of a beloved friend we shall never come to possesse pure patience indeed And thus many times when ought befalleth us through our owne default negligence or want of providence we adde unto it the weight of many criminations and oftentimes false accusations against our selves as though it were not heavy enough in it selâ—e to presse us downe unlesse we added thereunto the loade of bitter invectives against our owne negligence and of sharpe censures for our owne faultinesse as being the cause which hath brought upon us those crosses and calamities
his power providence and promised assistance either for our delivery or for strength and patience to indure these wilfull trials We see what the practise of the Saints have been to avoid troubles if they could and with their prayers they have joyned their own lawfull indeavours Thus Moses fled from Pharaoh David from Saul and Absalom Joseph and Mary from Herods cruell persecution Paul from the Jewes at Damascus And as we may pray that our bitter Cups should be removed from us so may we advise with our selves and take counsell of others and labour and indeavour in the use of all lawfull meanes to escape afflictions or to overcome them if we cannot avoid them and this all with a sweet submission to the good pleasure of God desiring that our wills may be even melted into the will of God not mine but thy will be done Obj. But here our soules may object and say that we have known many who have trusted in God and have waited for his help and have fervently called upon him for deliverance have notwithstanding at last died in their afflictions yea and we our selves still remaine under great and grievous miseries and crosses though we have often earnestly sought the face of God and with strong cries and teares have poured out our complaints and depended upon no other for succour and freedome and yet we are not delivered no nor can see no outgate or meanes when we shall escape Ans For answer to our own hearts 't is certain that all Gods children have deliverance out of their afflictions in due time whether it be by life or death that matters not one way or other we shall be delivered now seeing our longest lives are short and momentany being compared to eternity and that happiness which we shall then injoy with God the time of our afflictions cannot be long nor our deliverance farre off although it should be deferred to the day of our dissolution Ah! the comforts of God are well worth the waiting for all our days 2 Gods promises of deliverance from remporall afflictions are not absolute but alwayes to be understood with this condition if it stand with his own glory and our spirituall good for otherwise our freedome from afflictions would be no benefit but the greatest hurt now Gods glory and our salvation often times are more advanced by the continuance then by the removall of our crosses as when God tryeth by them his graces in us that he may afterward crown them and causeth our fight to be so much the more long and dangerous that accordingly our insuing victory may be the more glorious or when God doth use afflictions either for an hedge to keep us from leaping into the forbidden pastures of carnall pleasures or for a fiery Furnace to purge and purifie us from the drosse of corruptions now in these cases it is the greatest freedome not to be freed and Gods greatest mercy towards us when as he continueth us in our temporall misery 3 Let us comfort our selves when God deferreth his promises and continueth our conflict of afflictions after we have long vvaited for help and deliverance by considering that in his good time they shall most certainly be accomplished Gods promises are certain performances his truth is of his essence and it is no more possible that he should faile of his word then that he should deny himselfe and therefore since he hath promised that we shall overcome the World that we shall have strength to endure temptations and have a happy issue out of them that if we suffer with Christ we shall reign with him we may be assured though our way be long and foule yet at last we shall safely come to our journeys end that after our painfull sufferings shall come our glorious raigning and that after our dangerous fight we shall obtain a happy victory and be crowned with eternall glory Saith Bernard we may be secure in fighting seeing we are sure of over coming by flying we may loâ—e the victory but by dying we cannot ah blessed shall we be if we dye fighting because we shall be crowned dying Let the consideration of this comâ—ort us that God no lesse waiteth upon us to doe us good then we to receive it expecting a convenient time when as â—e may most fitly and seasonable extend his mercy in our deliverance and therefore â—aith the Prophet Isaiab 30.18 therefore will the Lord wait that he may have mercy upon us and therefore he will be exalted that he may have compassion upon us we waite when God will and God waites when he may when mercy may be most welcome and deliverance most glorious The fourth circumstance is Davids justifying of God in his way of proceeding behold my Son which came forth out of my bowels seâ—keth my life how much more this Benjamite c. here see that God will never leave correcting that soul whom he meanes to save till he hath brought it downe on its knees and to acknowledg he is justly dealt withall and this David confesseth Psal 119.75 I know oh Lord that thy judgments are just and that thou in very faithfulnesse hast caused me to be afflicted See the change in his dispoâ—ion when Nabal would not answer his expectation when he so excellently acted the part of an eloquent begger he presently was all on a fire vowing revenge not only to him but to all his Family now the case is altered he can indure to be railed on by one that was his subject yea and cursed too and stones and durt flung at him and not so much as a rising thought of revenge and thus we see how fierce David was with the Ammonitish Prisoners he put them to death in cold bloud nay he used great cruelty in their deaths by putting them under Saws and Harrows and Axes of Iron and burnt them alive in fiery brick-kils but afflictions at last made him so tame that not only the rightâ—ous might reprove him but the wicked might reproach him and he is silent or if he speak they be words of patience and submission So let him curse because the Lord hath â—aid curse David he that could not before endure Hanuns affront can now quietly and meekly without defire of revenge indure many opprobrious indignities and be contented that Shimei shall bemire him with the durt of his filthy tongue without the least shew of passion So Ephraim by this meanes is made to confesse his owne untamednesse with teares Jer. 31.18 and Lam. 3. makes a man to put his mouth in the dust and to be of an humble and lowly carriage towards all men doing nothing that may savour of pride contempt or disdaine but rather abasing our selves to our inferiors and even to give our cheeks to the smiters The Lord beareth and forbeareth a long time expecting our amendment and when there is no other remedy then he taketh the rod in hand when gentle meanes would not serve rougher means shall if the shaking of the
last long that love is never lasting which flames before it burns and very rarely is that friendship found with the durability of affection which is so suddainely kindled enduring love is ever built on vertue which no person can see in another at once and therefore by a soft ascension does degree it selfe in the soule If we should tell those our sometimes great friends that their hottest love was never but fained I believe they would not take it well but they must know that love was never sincere that will not hold out length with life and therefore if God have snapt our fingers from such false friends we have the greater cause to be thankfull There will a great deale of sweetnesse flowe from this sower better to be debarr'd of their society altogether then be any more greeved with their falsehood and unkindnesse And thus the malice of enemies and the false fained and sickle love of supposed friends shall all turne for our eternall advantage and therefore though we have poured out many teares over their living Sepulchers yet we may comfort our selves in their losse then injoy their love with a continuall feare of loosing or incurring their displeasure by a Captious exception many times for a meere over-sight or unwilling miscarriage and unpurposed enour though generally we did ever observe them with obsequious love Let us not then be so greevously troubled when we are any wayes wronged belyed railed upon spurned at or trampled upon by the feet of honoured insolency or dunghill Malice slighted contemned and utterly cast off by our bosome friends but in a meeke and patient behaviour let us sweetly seriously and feelingly in our own hearts say this is from God for my good or with Eli it is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good There is a supreame providence wisedome and power which seeth and over-ruleth all their actions and ends that when they are most eager in pursuing their designes doth make them when they thinke least of it to serve him for the effecting of all his counsells and purposes and the furthering and advancing of those his maine ends even his owne glory and our greatest good both here and hereafter 2 not onely the Malice of man but the malice of Satan himselfe that sets them awork shall turn to our good He goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking what soule he may devoure 1 Pet. 5.8 He thrusteth fore at us and so worrieth us with unwearied temptations seeking nothing more then to dishonour God in our overthrow but this like a storme at sea drives us to our port even to the throne of grace by prayers and teares for help against hell 2 Chron. 20.13 When Satan hath fetcht us over to a sin by spells and Charmes of mercy he at length finding us bleeding and dying would make us beleeve there is no mercy for us when having made us sin against the Law he would make us sin against the Gospell also that so mercy her selfe might condemne us but after sin committed he steps in betweene us and God and begs out of our fathers hand therod to beat us for those sins we had never done but through his inticement Now say we we see the devills businesse added to his false-hood surely peace once made with our God we will never be thus cheated againe Ah! how wary shall we be ever after of Satans wiles surely the best of sin is shame and sorrow the forbidden tree will never yeild better fruit 3 Our fins worke our good while we carry this mortall body about us we doe and must carry sin within us Many unavoydable infirmities invincible necessities God in mercy and wisedome will have it to be thus 1 To subdue our pride and presumpion which else would advance it selfe against God 'T is said Deut. 7.22 That God did not drive out the Canaanites from among his people all at once least the wilde beasts should grow in upon them And saith David Psal 59.11 Lord slay not all the enemies of thy Church at once least thy people forget it So God that could at first have taken away all the corruption of our nature and the lusts of our hearts would not least the wilde beasts of pride and security growing in upon us we forget mercy Thus the Lord would not take away the thorne in the flesh of the Apostle Peul those buffettings of Satan but tells him his grace is sufficient for him 2 Cor. 12.8 Alas had we not these infirmities in us how soon like our first parents would we thinke our selves to be Gods Looke upon the Aposile Peter how consident of his owne strength how forward was he in his profession he would be first and singular if all should deny him yet would not he no he would dye first but God let loose but a small temptation the words of a poore filly maid shall so affright him with the seare of death that he will presently deny his Lord and Master nay forsweare him too but this fall did him much good Oâ— How warily did he walke ever after how cautious of his words And when Christ did ask him whether he loved him more then these he had done boasting now onely he pleades the sincerity of his heart Lord thou knowest all things and knowest that I love thee Job 21.17 Thus did Jobs impatiency bring him to the more humility to the more abasing of himselfe Yea to abhorring of himselfe in dust and ashes Job 42.6 So David after his falls he was the more Circumspect over himselfe the more eager against his sins and the more earnest with God by praver against them 2 As these infirmities serve us as to subdue pride and security so to a waken us from our spirituall sluggishnesse to carefull and constant prayer yea to watchfulnesse unto prayer with all perseverance Our infirmities are as it were the coales which Satan bloweth to consume us now when feeling the fire we labour to keep it out and by the contrary blasts of Gods Spirit to quench the flame we enter the combat which nothing else but death can put an end unto When there is no fear of the enemie our weapons rust and we remain unexperienced and what then shall we do in the day of tryal 3 By our falls we are made more pitifully tender towards our brethen whensoever overcome by a temptation because we our selves have been overcome and we cannot tell how soon again Thus when news was brought to a learned and experienced Divine that a professor was soully fallen Alas faith he he fell to day and I may fall to morrow And this the Apostle Paul exâ—orteth Gal. 6.1 It a brother be overtaken yea which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse considering thy selfe least thou also beâ—empted Now many times we doe not know how fraile we are till we fall neither know what is our weaknesse nor what our strength is we see neither how poore we our selves are nor how