children so the Lord doth them that fear him For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are but dust Parents are wont to be most tender to their weak and sickly Ones others can make a better shift And shall not he that puts these Bowels into them towards theirs have them much more within himself to His What tho' a Mother Should forget her sucking babe Esa 49.15 and such a Worse-thing-than-a-Brute is found sometimes in Humane shape God will not cannot do so We read that suffering Saints are said to Glory in tribulations And Glorying is no sign of Grieving and Repining How should impatient Lamentations be able then to keep their Ground When light afflictions and for a moment work a far more exceeding and external weight of glory This is the 1st Argument And the 2d will prove like unto it Arg. 2. Distresses should not raise great Storms and Tempests in the pious Soul because our First and second Birth do both dispose us to them As we are Men and Christians they are the Lot appointed for us And ought we not and therefore to be quiet under them How great 's the Folly to be so disturbed at what is not to be avoided Man now is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward as we heard at first was spoken by Holy Job And all Men know neither Art nor Force can make the Flames descend but they are always mounting upward That is the Nature of them Wherefore to be Impatient under Trouble is to be quarreling with the Almighty Majesty by whom a Humane Body and a Rational Soul is bestowed on us And so there is Ingratitude and Rebellion link'd together Thus to requite him that brought them out of nothing by meer Bounty and by the same hath made them capable of injoying all things and the best of all His blessed self for ever if they will be ruled by him And for the second Birth it commonly hath the throws and pangs of a travelling Woman and often worser far General Experience makes a proof of this However in growing up unto Maturity there is no escaping of Adversity Through much tribulation saith St. Paul we must enter the kingdom of God We must 't is necessarily and unavoidably so Heaven is on high and it is hard to climb an Hill a steep and long one especially The Lungs will labour Feet will faulter and Bones will ake in doing it Were there no Difficulty in our way to Glory and we met no Troubles in our Travel thither we might indeed be called and accounted Christians but how we should be really so I mean Legitimate Children unto God is hard to manifest and may very well be doubted from the holy Apostle's words who saith Heb. 12.5 6 7 c. My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom his father chastneth not But if ye are without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are you bastards and not sons Let now a distressed Christian seriously ponder this and let him not stagger through Vnbelief and 't is not possible for Discontent to keep its post any longer in his Heart Let him be strong in Faith and this will turn his Crosses into Crowns and make what 's bitter to the outward relish sweetly to the inward Man Now if ever the Apostle's words will be certainly verified with the upright tho' afflicted Person We faint not but tho' our outward man should perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 Earth's Darlings and who have their portion only in this life cannot avoid a world of Miseries and shall Heaven's Off-spring be disorder'd at abiding what both Grace and Nature hath prepared for them Especially since Truth it self hath plainly told them That their Affliction is but a certain Token of God's Affection Now surely there is no reason for Repining but occasion rather of Rejoycing Arg. 3. Impatience is so far from doing service to us in our Sufferings that it makes our Case a great deal worser than it was before and bringeth many and very evil Inconveniences with it Imagine that under a sore Distress we should make hoarse our throat with crys Impatientes non efficiunt ut a malis eruantur sed ut mala gravior a patiantur S. Aug. de Patient cap. 2. and drown our bed with tears and crack our brain with cares and break our heart with sighs and groans what would the Upshot be of all this pitiful Passion Would such a Course so void of Reason and Religion prove an effectual Relief unto us Would the loss of Livelihood be hereby repaired A bodily Sickness be recovered The Life of a deceased Friend again restored Or any Calamity whatever be removed or so much as eased Alas poor silly Creatures as we are what do we else by such a Procedure but plainly imitate the folly of the Fly when 't is intangled in the Spider's Web She makes a Noise and is greatly Fluttering and hampers herself thereby the faster in that Net and becomes a sooner Prey to him that spread it Methinks we are resembled fitly by the corded Beast whose head the Axe and heart the Butcher's Knife hath struck which the more it struggles silly Wretch the faster letteth out its lood and life therewith together Such is the natural Issue of Mens Impatience They look for peace and there is no good for a time of healing and behold trouble The Benefit which they promise proves a Dammage to them Undoubtedly a manifold Mischief flows from hence How can the Offices of Love and Service be discharged as they ought to be unto Relations by a Mind disordered and unhing'd by this Distemper Expect as soon a Man that hath a Palsie or is Bedrid should fetch you Food or make your Fire Beside it so affects the Body that sometimes Death itself is quickly call'd unto it always the Seeds thereof in lingring Sicknesses are deeply rooted in it And how untuned the Soul must necessarily be and bar'd its acting with spiritual life and vigour is very easily understood The griefs and cares and fears are apt to usher in Despair but certainly drive out Faith and Hope and Love To conclude he that is thus captivated cannot be capable to pay due Homage to his God How should he as becomes him fear his Threats obey his Precepts trust in his Promises and rejoyce before him with Thanksgiving I will say but this Impatience and Murmuring under the Hand of God is a great Affront unto his blessed Majesty and cannot be well taken by him Nay he hath often set the Marks of his Displeasure on it I will pass by that which * Exod. 16 7 8 c. Numb 14.27 c. Moses once and again hath recorded thereof remembring you only of the Apostle's
Tydings whoever they were would be beautiful in our Eyes Were we so sensibly affected as we should be with our weak Faith chill Love faint Hope earthly Mind and strong Corruptions the Opportunities for quickning Graces and killing Lusts now neglected if not despised would be more welcome to us and be with greater Diligence improved by us But if a Form of Godliness without the Power be all we mind so 't is with thousands as that will easily serve with Men tho' not with God so 't is no marvel that our sorry Humours and not serious Conscience steer our Course for us Well Manna lies abundantly about our Tents at present but it may so happen I 'm sure our Sins deserve it that such Scraps as these now reckon'd only worthy to be thrown under Table may e're long be accounted Dainties Black Clouds are over us Distresses near us Grim Death most certainly is not far from us O that we may be Wise and husband so that little inch of Time yet left in true Christian Praying Hearing Reading Meditation and holy Walking that we may be prepared for a Blessed Eternity This is the hearty Desire of Your Souls Faithful and Truth-telling Friend W. H. ERRATA PAge 4. l. 9. for 3dly r. 2dly p. 10. l. 29. after thought a Period p. 15. l. 23. r. Impatience p. 18. l. 10. r. afflicted for affected p. 20. l. 23. after them Coma. p. 33. l. 5. r. Blood p. 39. l. 19. after it r. self p. 41. l. 5. after Bar r. thereto A Practical Discourse ON The Severest Providences c. PSALM XXXIX ix I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou Lord didst it MAn is born unto trouble saith holy Job as the sparks fly upwards which constantly is the nature of them And to the certain truth of that Assertion Towas Cities and Courts in Pagan Tunkish and Christian Countries do ever and anon bear ample Testimony For there is neither Quality Age nor Sex of Mortals can plead a Priviledge to be exempted thence But of all other Men the truly Pions have the most cause to expect their share therein and least reason truly to complain thereof That blessed Book whereto they are not strangers as others are informs them that it is their Lot to have their Evil things here and their Good hereafter But the mean while 't is far from justifing their raising Mole-hills into Mountains and making of their Troubles a great deal worser than indeed they are Nay it condemneth justly and severely Laying the Products of their own Follies to the Fault of God as if he dealt not fairly by them when in truth 't is they fall soul upon themselves both in the bringing and the bearing all they suffer Now having often seen this guilt too much abroad and being myself more than once so it hath seemed meet to the Righteous Providence in danger of plunging into the same Gulf I held it necessary for the Common Interest of Christianity as well as my own to make Enquiry after and to sind out the means whereby good People may recover from and not relapse into a case so dangerous My thoughts then being once upon Enquiry soon lighted on this welcome Text. And truly 't is an excellent Remedy which also I nothing doubt will prove successful where 't is duly used The Use whereof I think should be according to the Method my following Discourse prescribeth Context The Psalm doth plainly manifest that its Author David was labouring under a very sore Distress Vid. Chrys Calv. Pâ—â—c Mâ—nis c. Whether it arose from bodily Sickness as some have thought or the Rebellion of his Darling Absalon as others are of Opinion or from any other Cause as many might be gues'd at since none 's expres'd to make strict Search about it would savour more of fruitless Curiosity than of useful Industry and in the Issue leave us at Uncertainty too This he that runneth through the whole may quickly read as written there in Capital Letters That there was such a Storm from whencesoever it rose that had like to have shipwrack'd all It seems as if the Rigging were torn in peices the Hull shrewdly shatter'd and the Fraight likewise in manifest jeopardy to perish in the Deep The Afflicted in Spirit Soul and Body to all appearance receiv'd no little Dammage by the same For Proof whereof 't were very easy to offer several Instances from the Psalm would it not be too tedious particularly to insist upon them However something must appear in viewing of the Parts thereof which are these two in general 1. The Psalmist's Procedure with himself under his great Affliction and that in the two first Verses resumed also in my Text. 2. The Effects of that Procedure with himself upon him in the following Verses even to the end 1. As to the former The course he takes as you may read is to seal his Lips and silence his Heart too That not a Word might slip from thence to shew one discontented Thought towards God there Thus he stops his Mouth and stills his Mind at once that no Complaint or any Murmure might be with him against the Divine Providence for the severer Methods used towards him But yet Good Man herein it hapned unto him as it sometimes may to the best Archer in the World who to prevent his Arrow's falling short levels so high that he over-shoots his Mark. For the Holy Psalmist also though to his Grief doth over-do his Work for a little while He held his peace from good but thence his sorrow was stirred Verse 2. latter end But the sault is soon amended by the new Aim he takes As will be seen by 3. The Fruit of his thus dealing with himself which truly was not to be repented of And 't was two fold 1. Internal All Complaints and Repinings too against God's Justice being stifled his Meditations are set warm at work upon his Mercy Those raise his passionate Desires after him and they force their passage through his Lips unto him His heart was hot the fire burnt and then his Tongue stood still no longer Verse 3. Then spake I with my tongue saith he Thus comes the other Effect 2. External viz. Hearty Prayer unto the just and gracious God made up of three particlar Petitions first and then a general one as the Conclusion 1. He begs particularly 1. For an affecting Sence of his Frailty and Vanity Make me to know mine end c. Verse 4. And pleadeth humbly for Success herein to Ver. 8.2 Then for pardon of his sin Ver. 8. Deliver me from all my transgressions c. Using my Text for furtherance of his Suit And lastly He prays Deliverance from his Afflictions also Remove thy stroke c. Ver. 10 11. urging for pity both the Load that lay upon him and his and all others Inability to stand up under Divine Displeasure 2. He concludeth with a general Supplication for a gracious Answer to his former Petitions and
and if we will be good Souldiers must we not follow and be like unto our Leader O how unlikre him do we acquit our selves who court this World which he so scorn'd and trampled on and pamper the Body which he made drudge of to the Soul and in God's service Is' t probable at this rate when Poverty Sickness Persecution or Death assault and how near any of them may be to us who can tell we should be dumb and open not our mouth submitting quietly to his Father's Hand as he did constantly At least let 's labour to tread in his Apostle's steps keep under our body as it were by Club-law and bring it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.27 that the vain Fancies and sond Appetites there may be restrain'd and curb'd and our Souls may fasten and abide on what will fully satisfie them and never can be rifled from them Direct 3. Lay not thy treasure up on earth but in the heavens Matth. 6.19 Excellent Counsel of our blessed Lord For where the Treasure is there will the Heart i. the Man himself be also And if a Man hath once his Heart viz. his Love Delight Desire and Hopes as high as Heaven with God and Jesus Christ above he can't be so concern'd with any Disaster here below as to be disorder'd greatly by the same As he that looketh down from some high Steeple sees every thing beneath him but as a small and little matter so Earthly Good and Bad must necessarily seem to one whose Conversation is in Heaven 'T is certain that there are those Mountains in the World whose tops will be serene and clear and calm when Thunder Storms and Lightning threaten to mix Heaven and Earth together at the lower parts thereof Could we take off our Affection from things Below to set and always keep them upon what 's Above how should we live as in a constant Sun-shine Nihil erus sentit in nervo cum animus in caelo est Tert. ad Mart. cap. 2. When Pestilence Famine Sword should range the Earth when Poverty Sickness Death should knock at our own Doors how little would the Disturbance be unto us Poor Archimedes was so intent upon his Mathematical Studies that he knew not when his City was storm'd and taken And verily as Christian that gets his Heart full bent towards Heaven will find the distracting Hurries of the Earth slip over him with but little observation by him The holy Apostle Paul was certified by the Holy Ghost in every City he pass'd through that bonds and afflictions waited for him at Jerusakm and yet he faith none of those things so much as moved him Acts 20.24 The Joy in finishing his Course and the Reward after it made even his life it self tho likely to be lost but a little matter with him We are very sure that Moses refused being a King's Grandson and chose rather an afflicted state with the People of God than sinful Pleasures in a Prince's Court valuing the Reproach for Christ as a Better Estate than the Exchequer of Egypt Heb 11.24 25 26. But what was that which betrayed so wise and good a Man into such a Paradox in the World's Opinion Why let them think so still but his Judgment was truly Orthodox notwithstanding For he had respect unto the recompence of reward Verse 26 fin And sure to be Heir apparent unto the Crown of Egypt deserves not to be compared with an undoubted Title to God's Kingdom And the Delights in Heaven are so surpassing that all Earthly Joys are not insipid only but nauseous fulsome Carrion and Poison to them Which having his Heart affected with by a Believing Prospect thereof what was 't to him to throw off the Courtier and take up the Clown Nay worse To skulk and hide a while for scaping of those Blood-hounds that were hunting after him And at the last to flee his Country and abide those many dangers and distresses that attend a Banish'd Outlaw Seculi hujus quem non decipit prosperit as non frangit adversit as S. Aug. de verb. Dom. Serm. 42. All that the Earth could do against him you see how little 't was unto him because his Treasure was in Heaven he had respect to the recompence of reward Were Christians heartily making after him although they should not fully overtake him how light and easie would their many great and heavy Burdens lye upon them To conclude The Author and Finisher of our Faith for the Joy above that was set before him endured the pain and despised the shame of the Bloody Cross whereon he suffer'd Heb. 12.2 And would the Christian duly look to Christ he surely would be like him much more than he is Direct 4. Lastly Let Sin be more uneasie and be sure thy Sufferings then will be easier far Wert thou worse able to endure Corruptions thou would'st be better to abide Afflictions When once Iniquity is our greatest Burden all others will be little felt The very reason why Distresses sometimes triumph is because we have not made a Conquest over our Transgressions They are these that bring Tribulations to us and make them sit more heavy on us when they are come Guilt is a most heavy Load to an Awarkened Mind although Another's Eye should not be able to espy so much as a light Feather on its back But the weight must needs be much increased when Actual Punishment cleaveth unto Guilt Whether the good Woman of Zarephath's words spoken to the Prophet Art thou come to call may Sins to remembrance and to slay my Son 1 King 17.18 do not imply that a fresh cognizance took by Conscience of her faultiness towards God had imbittered the Affliction to her tho it seem probable I will not determine But it is very plain that This added Chains as I may call them to the Confinement of Joseph's Brethren For their open Confession is We are verily guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not hear THEREFORE IS THIS DISTRESS COME VPON VS Gen. 42.21 Whence it must follow would we be more Innocent we should be less Unhappy most certainly our Misery would pinch and gall us less What made our blessed Lord so Easy Patient and Submissive in those worst of Evils upon him Verily because He had the best of Souls within Him No Sin had ever thouched it and how should Sorrow fetch Blood from it O let us grow in Grace and then our bitter Cup shall have no Dregs to touch our Lips Those are reserved for the Graceless Ones to wring them out and drink them up Ps 75.8 But thriving Christians tho' they must have Burthens shall not sink under them Such wait upon the Lord to purpose and so renew their strength They are enabled to walk without fainting and run and not be weary Isa 40.31 Wherefore abound ye in the work of God and your labour will not be in vain 1 Cor. 15.58 Not only by a more diligent Attendance on all Ordinances but especially about increasing Faith inslaming Love confirming Hope perfecting Patience and setting and keeping the whole Heart on Heaven This would advance the Spirit to its due Soveraignty and reduce the Flesh to just Subjection And what can bring Disorders then This will draw back Sin 's Fuel and then its Fire goeth out of itself But the neglect hereof is throwing off our Armour instead of girding it close about us and then we are easily Shot ands fall Meer Nature with all the strength that Reason brings it proves a weak Creature at the last however But Grace and when like David waxing stronger and stronger overcomes all Difficulties in the way to Glory And tho' a Pharoah be behind a Sea before and a Wilderness on both sides it will bear up the Soul until it see the Salvation of its God The Sum of all my Advice is this 1. Make sure of Saving Grace and being Right at Heart 2. Be not indulgent to the Flesh nor fond upon thy Earthly Tabernacle 3. Lay not thy Treasure up on Earth but in the Heavens and let thy Heart be with it there 4. Lastly Let Sin be more Uneasie to thee and thy Sufferings will be easier far Grow but in Grace and thou shalt Out-grow all Grief that can possibly seize thee here For Then thou wilt be the fullest Eccho to the Psalmist I was dumb I opened not my mouth because c. FINIS BOOKS Printed for and Sold by J. Salusbury at the Rising-Sun over-against the Royal-Exchange in Coruhill THE Harmony of the Divine Attributes in the Contrivance and Accomplishment of Man's Redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ by William Bates D. D. The Changeableness of this World with reflect to Nations Families and particular Persons with a Practieal Application thereâ—f to the various Conditions of this Mortal Life by Timothy Rogers M. A. A Mirror for Athiests being some Passages of the Life and Death of the Right Honourable John Earl of Rochester written by his own Direction on his Death-bed by Gilbert Burnet Lord Ep. of Sarum An end of Doctrinal Controversies which have lately troubled the Churches by Richard Baxter The Certainty of the Worlds of Spirits fully evinced by unquestionable Histories of Apparitions and Witchcrafts Voices proving the Immortality of Souls by Richard Baxter The Protestant Religion truly Stated and Justified by the late reverend Mr. Richard Baxter prepared for the Press sometime before his Death Whereunto is added some account of the learned Author by Mr. Daniel Willams and Mr. Matthew Sylvester The Christian's Coverse with God or the Insufficiency of Haman-friendship and the Improvements of Solitude in Converse with God with some of the Author's breathings after him by Richard Baxter Recemmended to the Readers serious Thoughts when at the House of Mourning and in Retirement by Mr. Matthew Sylvester The Mourners Memorial in two Sermons on the Death of the truly Pious Mrs. Susannah Soame with some account of her Life and Death by Timothy Wright and Robert Fleming