deales immediately with the soule himselfe fils it with his wrath no creature in the world is able to undergoe the same None can inflict punishment upon the soule but GOD onely Sathan may urge and presse arguments of discouragement and affright us with Gods displeasure but the inflicting of anger upon the soule issues immediately from the hand of the Almighty Wee must here therefore consider God as a righteous Judge sitting in heaven in his judgement seate taking the punishment of the sinnes of all his people upon Christ there was a meeting together of all the sinnes of the faithfull from Adam to the last maÌ„ that shal be in the world as it were in one point upon him and the punishment of all these was laid on his blessed shoulders who suffered for them in both body and soule But how could Christ bee forsaken of God especially so forsaken as to suffer the anger of his father being an innocent person I answer First the Paschall Lambe was an innocent creature yet if the Paschall Lambe be once made a sacrifice it must be killed though Christ were never so unblameable yet if he will stoope to the office of a surety he must pay our debt and doe that which we should have done If a Princes sonne become a surety though his father love him and pitty him never so much yet he will say Now you have taken this upon you you must discharge it Secondly as in naturall things the head is punished for the fault of the body so Christ by communicating his blessed nature with ours made up one mysticall body and suffered for us But upon what ground should Christ become our surety 1 Because he was able to discharge our debt to the uttermost hee was more eminent then all mankinde having two natures in one the manhood knit to the Godhead 2 Christ most willingly gave himselfe a sacrifice for us 3 He was designed and predestinated to this office yea he was anoynted set out and sealed for this businesse by God himselfe and is not this sufficient ground why he should become our surety especially if we consider 4 That Christ tooke the communion of our nature upon him for this very end that hee might bee a full surety that his righteousnesse being derived to us and our guilt to him Gods wrath might be satisfied in the self-same nature that offended You see in Societies and Cities if some people offend the whole City is oâ—tentimes punished though perhaps many are guiltlesse in it yet by reason of the communion all are punished so likewise a Traitors son that never had any hand in his fathers sinne but behaved himselfe as an honest subject should doe yet having communion with the person of his father being indeed a peece of him is thereupon justly dis-inherited by all Law But how could Christ take our sinnes upon him and not be defiled therewith He tooke not the staine of our sinnes but the guilt of them Now in guilt there is two things 1 A worthinesse and desert of punishment 2 An obligation and binding over thereunto Christ tooke not the desert of punishment upon him from any fault in himselfe hee tooke whatsoever was poenall upon him but not â—ulpable as hee was our surety so hee every way discharged our debt being bound over to all judgements and punishments for us Now wee owe unto GOD a double debt 1 A debt of obedience and if that faile 2 A debt of punishment And both these hath Christ freed us from First by obeying the will of his Father in every thing and secondly by suffering whatsoever was due to us for our transgressions Some Heretickes that would shake the foundatioÌ„ of our faith will grant Christ to be a Mediator to intercede for us and a Redeemer to set us at liberty from slavery c. but not to be a surety to pay out debt by way of satisfaction to God for us Let such remember that Gods pleasure to redeeme lost mankinde is not so much by way of power and strength as by way of justice and therefore Hebr. 7. 22. it is said Christ is become oâ—r sarety and Paul when he became a Mediator to Philemon for Onesimus a fugitive servant did it by way of surety If hee owe thee any thing I will discharge it And Christ Jesus our Mediatour blessed for ever so intercedeth unto GOD for us as that hee fully satisfies his justice for our offences But why was Christ thus forsaken of his Father To satisfie God for our forsaking of him Christs forsaking was satisfactory for all our forsakings of God beloved we all forsâ—oke God in Adam and indeed what doe we else in every sinne wee commit but forsake the Lord and turne to the Creature what are all our sinnes of pleasure profit ambition and the like but a leaving of the fountaine of living waters to fetch contentment from broken Cisternes But Christ was chiefly forsaken that hee might bring us home againe to God that there might be no more a separation betwixt his blessed Majesty and us Some shallow heretikes there are that would have Christ to be an example of patience and hâ—linesse in his life and death and doe us good that way onely Oh no beloved the maine comfort we receive from Christ is by way of satisfaction there must bee first grace and then peace in our agreement with God Sweetly saith Bernard I desire indeed to follow Christ as an example of humility patience selfe denyall c. and to love him with the same affection that he hath loved mee but I must eat of the Passeover Lamb that is I must chiefly feed oâ— Christ dying for my sinnes So every true Christian soule desires to follow Christs obedience humility patience c. and to bee transformed into the likenesse of his blessed Saviour Whom should I desire to be like more than him that hath done so much for me But yet the main comfort I receive from Christ is by eating his body and drinking his blood my soule feedes and feasts it selfe most of all upon the death of Christ as satisfying for my sinnes And what a comfort is it that Christ being our surety hath made full satisfaction for all our sinnes surely wee shall never bee finally and wholly forsaken because Christ was forsaken for us Now wee may thinke of GOD without discomfort and of sinne without dispaire Now we may thinke of the law of death the curse and all and never be â—errified Why Christ our surety hath given full content to divine justice for wrath and law sinne and câ—rse c. they are all linckes of one chaine and Christ hath dissolved them all Now sinne ceaâ—eth wrath ceaseth the Law hath nothing to lay to our charge deaths sting is pulled out how comfortabley therefore may wee appeare before Gods tribunall Oh beloved when the soule is brought as low as hell almost then this consideration will bee
of the same to something that likes it when there is any thing set before the soule having a magneticall force as the Loadstone to draw out the motions thereof we call that desire though for the present it enjoyes it not S. Pauls desire was 1. spirituall not after hapinesse so much as holinesse oh miserable man that I am saith he who shall deliver me from this body of death his desire of death was to be freeed from the body of sinne more than to be taken out of the flesh and his desire of holines to have Christs image stamped on his soule was more than of eternall happinesse nature cannot doe this it s a worke above the flesh for that will not heare of departing but rather bids God and Christ depart from it 2. This desire came from a tast of sweetnesse in communion with Christ and those desires that most ravish the soule in apprehension of heavenly things are ever the most holy S. Paul knew what a sweet communion Christ was 3. It was a constant desire he doth not say I desire but I have a desire I carry the same about me and that carryes mee to a love of Christ and his members 4. It was efficacious not a naked velleity not a wish of the sluggard I would and I would but a strong desire carrying him even through death it selfe to Christ desires thus qualified are blessed desires as where wee soe vapours arise there are springs usually below them so where these desires are there is alwayes a spring of grace in that soule Nothing characterizeth a Christian so much as holy and blessed desires for there is no hypocrisie in them I desire to depart There must be a parting and a departing there must be a parting in this world with all outward excellencies from the sweet enjoyment of the creatures there must be a parting between soule and body between friend and friend and whatever is neare and deare unto us all shall determine in death And there must be a departing also here we cannot stay long away we must we are for another place Oh that we could make use of these common truths how farre are wee from making a right use of the mysteries of salvation when we cannot make use of common truthes which wee have daily experience of Holy Moses considering the suddennesse of his departure hence begged of God to teach him to number his dayes that he might apply his heart unto wisedome Death is but a departing which word is taken from loosing from the shore or removing of a ship to another coast wee must all be unloosened from our houses of clay and bee carryed to another place to heaven Paul labors to sweeten so harsh a thing as death by comfortable expressions of it It is but a sleep a going home a laying aside our earthly tabernacle to teach us this point of heavenly wisdome that wee should looke on death as it is now in the Gospell not as it was in the Law and by nature for so it is a passage to hell and lets us in to all miseries whatsoever Some things are desireable for themselves as happinesse and holinesse some things are desirable not for themselves but as they make way to better things being sowre and bitter to nature themselves as Physicke is desired not for it selfe but for health wee desire health for it selfe and physick for health so to be with Christ is a thing desirable of it selfe but because we cannot come to Christ but by the darke passage of death saith Paul I desire to depart that so my death may be a passage to Christ so that death was the object of S. Pauls desire so farre as it made way for better things I desire to depart and to bee with Christ. To be with Christ that came from heaven to be here on earth with us and descended that we should ascend to be with him that hath done and suffered so much for us to be with Christ that delighted to be with us to be with Christ that emptyed himselfe and became of no reputation that became poore to make us rich to be with Christ our husband now contracted here that all may bee made up in heaven this was the thing Paul desired Why doth he not say I desire to be in heaven Because heaven is not heaven without Christ it is better to be in any place with Christ than to be in heaven it selfe without him all delicacies without Christ are but as a funerall banquet where the master of the feast is away there is nothing but solemnnesse what is all without Christ I say the joyes of heaven are not the joyes of heaven without Christ he is the very heaven of heaven True love is carryed to the person It is adulterous love to love the thing or the gift more than the person S. Paul loved the person of Christ because hee felt sweet experience that Christ loved him his love was but a reflection of Christs love first he loved to see Christ to embrace him and enjoy him that had done so much and suffered so much for his soule that had forgiven him so many sins c. The reason is because it is best of all To be with Christ is to be at the spring-head of all happines it is to be in our proper element every creature thinkes it selfe best in its owne element that is the place it thrives in and enjoyes its happinesse in now Christ is the element of a Christian Againe it is farre better because to bee with Christ is to have the marriage consummate is not marriage better than the contract is not home better than absence to be with Christ is to be at home is not triumph better than to be in conflict but to be with Christ is to triumph over all enemies to be out of Satans reach is not perfection better than imperfection here all is but imperâ—ect in heaven there is perfection therefore that is much better than any good below for all are but shadowes here there is reality What is riches what are the worme-eaten pleasures of the world What are the honours of the earth but meere shadowes of good At the right hand of Christ are pleasures indeed honours indeed riches indeed then is realitie If wee speake of grace and good things it is better to bee with Christ than enjoy the graces and comâ—orts of the holy-Ghost here Why because they are all stayned and mixed here our peace is interrupted with desertion and trouble here the joyes of the holy ghost are mingled with sorrow here the grace in a man is with combate of flesh and spirit but in heaven there is pure peace pure joy pure grace for what is glory but the perfection of grace grace indeed is glory here but it is glory with conflict the Scripture calls grace glory sometimes but it is glory with imperfection Beloved perfection is better than imperfection therefore to be with Christ is
touch some circumstances and then fall upon the point it selfe as 1 The time wherein hee was forsaken a time of darknesse the sixth houre in which there was a darknesse over the whole earth and in the land of Iudea especially Neither had hee darknesse without onely but within likewise his soule was troubled from a sense of his fathers displeasure two Ecclipses seazed upon him together the one of the glorious light of the Sunne the other of the light of his Fathers countenance Hee must needes be in a disconsolate estate and doubly miserable thaâ— is incompassed with such darknesse whatsoever was done to Christ our surety shall be done to all that are out of him blacknessâ— of darknesse is reserved for them As Christ wanted the comfort of light from heaven so those that are out of Christ shall have no comfort from any creature at at the last the Sunne shall not shine upon them the earth shall not beare them they shall not have a drop of water to coole their tongues they were formerly Rebels against God and now every creature is ready to serve the Lord against them when the King is displeased with a man which of his servants dare to countenance him This darknesse being in Iudea did likewise portend the miserable condition of the Iewes here and that eternall darknesse in the the world to come which should be their portion if they repented not Another circumstance may be this God was a great while ere he removed his heavy displeasure from Christ he was three houres in torment And though God delayed him long yet hee said nothing til now by way of complaint wee should beware of darknesse of spirit in trouble God may delay helpe to his dearest children as here he did to his onely Son to perfect the worke of sanctification in them therefore submit to his wil rest contented with whatever hee sends looke to thy Head and Saviour c. But of this more anone 3 His greatest griefe and conflicts were towards his latter end towards the shutting up and cloze of his life though a little after hee saith All is finished yet now he cries out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Afflictions are sharpest toward our Ends. I speake this for prevention of discomfort in those that finde extremities upon them when miseries are extreame helpe is nearest They will either mend or end then the darknesse is thickest a little before the morning appeares and Sathan raged most a little before his casting downe As also to prevent security from seazing upon people take heed of deferring repentance till thy last houres there may be a confluence of many extreamities then upon thee paines of body terrours of conscience Sathans temptations Gods wrath c when all these meete together and the poore soule in its best strength findes enough to doe to conflict with any one of them what an unhappy condtion will that be Oh put not off your repentance to this time But I passe these circumstances come to the point of forsaking it selfe In the unfolding whereof I wil shew 1 In what sense Christ was forsaken 2 In what parts hee was forsaken 3 Upon what ground And 4 To what end all this forsaking of Christ was For the first forsaking is nothing else but when God leaves the creature to it selfe either in regard of comfort or of grace and assistance I will shew you how Christ was leâ—t of his Father and how he was not leâ—t 1 Hee was not forsaken in regard of Gods love for my Father loveth me saith he because I give my life for my sheepe God never loved Christ more then now because hee was never more obedient than at this present 2 Nor in regard of Vnion for there was no separation of his divine nature from the humane there was a suspension of vision indeed hee saw no comfort for the present from God but there was no dissolution of Union for the divine nature did many things in this seeming forsaking that was it which supported his humane nature to suâ—taine the burthen of our sinnes and the wrath of God as also that gave merit and worth of satisfaction to his sufferings 3 Neither was this forsaking in regard of grace as if faith or love or any other grace were taken from Christ Oh no for hee beleeved before he said My God my God Would hee have committed his dearest jewell into the hands of God if hee had not beleeved in him How then was Christ forsaken 1 In regard of his present comfort and joy hee could not else have beene a sacrifice for as wee cannot suffer by way of conformity to Christ unlesse there be some desertion that wee may know the bitternesse of sin no more could Christ have suffered for our iniquities had there not beene a suspension of light and comfort from his gracious soule 2 He was not onely privatively deprived of all joy and happinesse but positively hee felt the wrath and fury of the Almighty whose just displeasure seazed upon his soule for sinne as our surety All outward comforts likewise forsooke him the Sunne withdrew his light from above and every thing below was irksome to him He suffered in all the good things he had body soule good-name in his eyes eares hands c. hee was reproached proached and forsaken of all comforts about him Hee had not the common comfort of a man in misery pity none tooke compassion upon him hee was the very object of scorne But in what part was Christ forsaken In all both in body and soule too as may plainly appeare First because hee was our Surety and wee had stained our soules bodies too offending God in both but in soule especially because that is the conâ—river of all sinne the body being but the instrument Some sinns we call spirituall sinnes as pride malice infidelity and the like these â—ouch not the body yet are the greatest sinnes of all other Secondly if he had not suffered in his Soule the sense of Gods displeasure why should he thus cry out when as the poor theeves that suffered by him made no such exclamation If he had suffered in body onely the sufferings of Paul and Moses had beene more for they wished to be separated from the joyes of heaven out of a desire to promote Gods glory on earth therefore it was hee saith in the Garden My soule is heavy unto death Some will grant that Christ suffered in soule but say they it was by way of sympathie for there are sufferings of soul immediately from God and sufferings by way of sympathie and agreement with the body when as the soule hath a fellow feeling of thâ— torments thereof and so Chrisâ— suffered in soule indeed That is not all beloved but there were immediate sufferings even of his soule also which he groaned under God the Father laid a heavy stroake upon that Hee was smitten of the Lord and when God
thou wilt serve thy selfe of my credit and reputation I will adventure it for thee If thou wilt have my life of thee I had it to thee I will restore it I will not limit thy Majesty come of it what will I leave it to thy wisedome use mee and mine as thou wilt onely be gracious to my soule that it may goe well with that and I care not Thus wee should wholly resigne our selves to the Lords disposall and thereby wee shall exceedingly honour his Majesty and cause him to honour us and to shew his presence to us for our good which hee will assuredly doe if we absolutely yeeld up our selves to him But if a man will have two strings to his Bow and trust him so farre but not so farre so hee may bee kept from this danger or that trouble c. this is not to deale with God as an Omnipotent Creator For hee that doth a thing truely in obedience to God will doe it generally to all his commands so farre as the reason of his obedience reaches his trust extends hee that commits any thing to God will commit all to him he chooseth not his Objects but upon the same ground that hee commits his soule to God when hee dies hee commits his estate liberty and all hee hath while he lives Hee can never relye on God for greater matters that distrusts him in lesser Againe a man that truely trusts God will commit all his wayes unto him hee will take no course but what hee is guided in by the Lord hee lookes for wisedome from above and saith Lord though it is not in mee to guide my owne way as thy Word shall leade mee and the good counsel of thy Spirit in others direct me so I will follow thee Hee that commits not his wayes to God will not commit his comforts to him God must bee our Counsellor as well as our Comforter Therefore the Wise man bids us Acknowledge God in all our wayes and leane not to our owne wisedome Most men looke how safe their counsels are not how holy and agreeable to God is this to trust in him Will God save us at last and yet suffer us to live as wee liâ—t now Deceive not your selves hee that will have his soule saved must commit it to GOD before hand to bee sanctified Againe those that commit themselves aright to God will commit their posterity to him their wives and children c. Why doe not men make their Wils and commit their goods to them Oh but how doe they resigne them how covetous and full of distrust are they I must leave such a childe so much and so much and why I pray you because God cannot blesse him else Oh fearefull Is God â—yed to meanâ—s cannot heblesse with a little as well as with a great deale Is not the earth the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Why must God have so much in hand or else hee cannot inrich and raise up thy Children Oh consider he hath declared himselfe to bee the father of the fatherlesse and lookes to the Widdow in a speciall manner he doubles his Providence there hee provides for all but takes speciall notice of them therefore quiet thy selfe they are in covenant with God and God is thy God and the God of thy seed also therefore if thou wilt commit thy soule why not thy Wife Children goods c. Looke into the course of Gods people in all times those that have left but little with honest dealing God hath blessed the same exceedingly whereas those that have left great matters ill gotten in stead of a blessing have often left a curse and a snare behinde them Why then should men take indirect courses and wound their consciences for worldly pelâ—e Consider 1. thy children are Gods and not thine hee gave them to thee at first and he can provide hereafter when thou artgone thou art the father of their body but he is the father of their soule 2. He provided for them before they were borne doth not hee provide care and affection in the Mothers heart doth not he provide suck in the Mothers breasts and will hee not care for them now they are borne as well as he did before they came into the world it is Atheisme to thinke such a thought Those that commit themselves to God in one thing will doe so in all things otherwise they deceive their owne soules for it is a universall Act that runnes through their whole life Committing is an Action of trust and there is a kinde of entercourse of trust betweene God and a Christian continually Lastly those that commit themselves to God wil be faithfull stewards in whatsoever hee hath trusted them withall Thou committest thy selfe and thy health and estate to God and at length thou wilt commit thy soule when thoudiest unto him very well but what doth God trust thee withall hath hee not trusted thee with a Body and a soule with a portion of goods with place time strength and abilities to doe good Hast thou not all thou hast from God as a Steward to improve for thy Masters advantage If ever thou expectest the performance of what thou hast put in him bee faithfull in that trust which hee hath committed to thee Those that have misused their bodies and wounded their soules in their lives how can they commit theÌ„ to God at their deaths How dares the soule looke up to him when the life hath beene nothing else but a perpetuall offending of his Majesty I beseech you let us learne this wholesome lesson great is our benefit thereby Hee that trusts in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion that cannot bee moved wee may be shaken but shall never be removed The earth is shaken with Earthquakes but the earth keepes its owne Center still Our best peace is in God and our chiefest safety in his protection I laid mee downe to rest because thou Lord watchest over me saith the Prophet and Returne O my soule to thy rest for the Lord hath beene very beneficiall to thee Is it not a good thing to have a sweete security of soule that whether I sleepe or wake whether I bee at home or abroad live or die I have a Providence watching over mee better then mine owne When I yeeld my selfe up to God his wisedome is mine his strength is mine whatsoever hee hath it is for me because I am his What a heaven upon earth is this that a Christian out of a holy familiarity with God can resigne up his soule to him upon all occasions Set heaven and salvation aside what greater happinesse can be desired How sweet is a mans rest at night after he hath yâ—elded himselfe to God by faithfull prayer I beseech you let us bee acquainted with the practise of this duty and labour to bee in such a state as God may owne us and receive our poore soules to himselfe Let us keepe them pure and undeâ—iled
no matter God will pardon all I care not so I may have my wish this is the heart of many gracelesse persons that are not led with heavenly respects But take a Christian and he had rather beg doe any thing in the world than doe a thing unworthy his profession unbeseeming the Gospell or that high calling whereunto hee is called Shall such a man as I doe this hee will not and therefore his care is to take heed of ill workes for then he is sure to have God his friend who hath riches and honour enough for him because the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof this is the care of a judicious wel instructed Christian But marke the Extent from every evill worke Saint Pauls care is not for one or two but that God would keepe him from every evill worke Why so Because he that truly hates one sinne will hate all the kinds of it both come from the same love of God he that loves God as he should will hate whatsoever God hates and have respect to all Gods Commandements as the Psalmist speakes partiall obedience is indeed no obedience at all for he that obeyes one and not another obeyes not simply because of the Commander to yeeld obedience unto him but onely to satisfie his owne corrupt nature picking and choosing what pleases himselfe which belongs not to an inferiour but to a superiour to doe And therefore such make themselves gods in that they single out easie things that doe not oppose their lusts which are not against their Reputation c. and therein perhaps they will supererogate and doe more than they need onely because they will have a compensation with God that he should quit with them for other things I have done that and therefore he must beare with mee in this Oh but there is no compensation here a man is never so straitned but he may escape without sinne there is no pretence will serve but we must abstaine from every evill worke Satan keepes many men in his snare by this and so he hath them safe in one sinne hee cares not therefore he will suffer them to heare read and pray c. holding them fast in one raigning sinne wherein hee will let them alone till the time of some great affliction or death and then he will roare upon them Oh beloved wee cannot provide worse for our owne soules than to cherish a purpose of living in any one sin for that is enough for the devill to hold his possession in us by and at the houre of death to claime us for his owne If wee regard any iniquity in our heart the Lord will not heare our prayers I beseech you therefore let us labour to have cleare consciences freeing our selves from a purpose to live in any sinne that in all our slips and failings we may say with an honest heart My purpose was not to do this but to refraine from wickednesse Againe he speakes of this for the time to come the Lord will deliver me from evill A true Christian is as carefull to avoide sinne for the time to come as to bee freed from the guilt of sinnes past Iudas may desire to have his conscience freed from former sinnes but Indas cannot desire to be a good man for the time to come Nothing argues a good conscience more than this The most wicked wretch that breathes may desire to have his conscience stilled and yet never have any purpose or power to abstaine from sinne but like a dogge after he hath disgorged himselfe returne to his vomit againe True Repentance is a turning from former evills to a contrary good Our griefe no further yeelds comfort of sound repentance then it hath care attending for prevention of sinne according to that which Christ said to the woman taken in adultery Goe and sinne no more and as David prayes Purge me O Lord and cleanse me but withall establish me with thy free spirit for the time to come As if hee should say Lord I know it is not in man to order his owne wayes I desire not the forgivenesse of my sinnes that there by I might with more liberty offend thy Majesty but with pardoning grace I begge preventing grace No false heart can move such a desire as this to God A gracious heart that prayes aright prayes as well that God would preserve him from future sinne as forgive him his former sinnes It is a ridiculous thing of the Papists to make confession of a sinne which they meane to commit as some late Traitors confessed such and such things which they were to act were straight absolved for it So your cursed duelists that will pray and repent when they meane presently to fall one upon another Is this repentance when a man is inveigled with the sin hee meanes to commit and cannot overcome himselfe in the case of revenge Doe these men thinke they repent No certainely repentance is of sinnes past and the carriage of every true Christian is to avoide evill for the time to come Againe it is here a perpetnated Act the Lord will deliver me still from every evill worke whence you see that In every evil worke we are tempted to we need delivering Grace as to every good worke assisting Grace Indeed our whole life if we look upwards is nothing but a deliverance but if we looke to our selves it is nothing but danger and a warfare and therefore wee have need of a deliverance How little a temptation turnes over a great man as sometimes a little winde turnes over your mighty gallies We see this in David and Salomon and if God leave us to our selves even the strongest man in the world how soone is he overturned in the midst of sinsull occasions how ready are wee to joyne with them and betray our owne soules But from the whole take it as it comes from God altogether the truth is thus much that a Christian who is privy to his own soule of good intentions to abstaine from all ill for the present may presume that God will assist him against all ill workes for the time to come I say a Christian that hath his conscience telling him that he meanes to be better and is not in league with any sin may beleeve this for the time to come that God will keepe him from evill workes I speak this because many who are yet sinners thinke it in vaine to strive for they shall never bee better What doest thou talke man hast thou a minde to be better God will meet thee one time or other is thy will at liberty he that gives thee the will will also give thee the deed is not this the Promise that God will deliver thee from every evill worke and therefore away with all discouragements O but There are sonnes of Anak mighty Giants that molest mee my sinnes are as so many Giants to stop my proceeding I shall never beâ— better Say not so nay rather
thou wilt not be better thou art in league with some secret sinne thy heart riseth against those that reprove thee of it thine owne conscience tells thee that thy heart is naught for if thou wouldst set thy selfe to obey God in truth assuredly he would deliver thy soule And therefore the Apostle to prevent such doubts speakes of deliverance from evill workes as comming from God But some may object we sin every day and if we say we have no sinne wee deceive our selves and the truth is not in us You must not understand this Phrase Legally in the vigor of it as that God will deliver us from every ill thought or rising in the heart or from every outward slip and failing c. But by every evill worke the Apostle meanes every reproachfull sinne that breakes the peace of our conscience that swallowes up a mans salvation from such kinde of sins that bring a staine and discredit unto a mans profession that wound his soule and may discourage others the Lord will deliver his he will keepe them from greater sinnes altogether and from being in league with lesser You know in falls there are severall degrees there is a slip a falling and a falling on all foure as we say a flat falling Now God will deliver his children from falling so fouly Nay Sometimes he will deliver them from evill workes by not delivering them from evill workes Hee will deliver from great ill workes by letting them alone in losser ill workes God delivers from evill divers wayes he delivers from falling into ill and he delivers out of ill when we are fallen he delivers from ill likewise by supporting us nay which is more he delivers from ill workes by ill workes How is that How doe Physitians deliver from an Apoplexie â— from a Lethargâ—e Is it not by casting the sicke person into an Ague to awaken that dull sicknesse so God to cure the conscience of a man when he sees him in danger of security by those soule-killing sinnes Pride Covetousnesse Loosenesse Hypocrisie and the like suffers him sometimes to fall into lesse offences to awake his conscience that being rouzed up he may fly to Gods mercy in Christ so infinite is Gods care this way that he will deliver either from ill workes or from the evill of ill workes or if hee deliver not from ill workes yet hee will deliver us from worse workes by those ill workes Austin saith I dare presume to say it is profitable for some men to fall if a man be of a proud peremptory disposition or of a blockish dull and secure nature it is good he should bee acquainted what sin he carryes in his breast where his corruptions are c. that so he may know himselfe and his danger the better I beseech you make use of this to helpe your faith and thankfulnesse when we are delivered from evill workes it is God that doth it The consideration whereof mee thinkes should strengthen our faith against Satan and all his fiery darts and incourage us to set confidently upon any corruption that we are moved to by others or our owne naturall inclination It is Gods enemy and it is my enemy it is opposite to Gods will and it is an enemy to my comfort God will take my part against that which is opposite to him he hath promised me to assist me against every evill worke by his holy Spirit A Christian is a King and hee hath the triumphing Spirit of Christ in him which will prevaile over all sinne in time But some poore soule may object Alas I have beene assaulted by such a corruption a long time in a grievous manner and am not yet delivered from it God doth by little and little purge out corruption as every stroke helpes the fall of the oak the first stroke helpes forward so every opposing of corruption never so little helpes to root it out and it is weakned by little and little till death accomplish more mortification But to proceed God doth not onely deliver from evill workes but preserves us to his heavenly Kingdome We must take preserve here in its full bredth he preserves us whilst he hath any worke for us to doe in this life and when he will have us live no longer he will preserve us to heaven howsoever by death he takes us away yet even then the Lord still preserves us Hee will preserve us in our outward estate by himselfe and by under-preservers for there be many such under God as Angels that are his ministring spirits and Magistrates who are the shields of the earth they may preserve under God and likewise Ministers that are the Chariots and horsemen of Israel and good Lawes c. but God is the first turner of the Wheele we must see him in all other preservers whatsoever And therefore the Apostle in the language of the holy Ghost and of Canaan saith here The Lord will preserve me And rather than a man shall miscarry when God hath any thing for him to doe God will worke a miracle The three men could not be burned in the fire God so suspended the force thereof Daniel could not bee devoured of the greedy Lions c. rather than Gods purpose shall faile that a man should perish before the time that God hath allotted him the Lions shal not devoure and the fire shall not burn God hath measured our glasse and time even to a moment and as our Saviour Christ out of knowledge of this heavenly truth saith My time is not yet came so let us know that till 〈◊〉 houre comes all the Devils in hell cannot hurt one haire of our head And this is a wondrous ground of confidence that we should carry our selves above all threatnings and above all feares whatsoever Thou canst doe nothing except it were given thee saith Christ to bragging Pilate who boasted of his power alas what can all the enemies of Gods people doe except God permit them If a King or a great man should say to an inferiour Goe on I will stand by thee and preserve thee thou shalt take no harme what an incouragement were this Oh but when God shall say to a Christian walke humbly before me keepe close to my word be stedfast in the wayes of holinesse feare not man you are under my protection and safeguard what an incouragement is this to a beleeving soule But put case wee cannot bee preserved from death for so it was here with the Apostle hee dyed a bloody death Why let us observe his blessed carriage in all this and doe likewise I regard not that saith hee doe your worst God will preserve me still So it should be the bent of a Christians soule to come to God with this limitation in his faith and in his prayer Lord if thou wilt not deliver me from suffering ill preserve me from doing ill If thou wilt not preserve mee from death preserve me
farre better And is it much farre better to die that we may be with Christ than to live here a conflicting life Why should we then feare death that is but a passage to Christ It is but a grimme servant that lets us into a glorious pallace that striks off our bolts that takes off our rags that wee may bee clothed with better robes that ends all our misery and is the beginning of all our happinesse why should we therfore be affraid of death it is but a departure to a better condition It is but as Iordan to the children of Israel by which they passed to Canaan it is but as the red-sea by which they were going that way therefore we have no reason to feare death of it selfe it is an enemy indeed but now it is harmelesse nay now it is become a friend amicable to us a sweet friend it is one part of the Churches joynture death All things are yours saith the Apostle Paul and Apollos life and death death is ours and for our good it doth us more good than all the friends we have in the world it determines and ends all our misery and sinne and it is the suburbs of heaven it lets us into those joyes above It is a shame for Christians therefore to bee affraid of that that Paul here makes the object of his desire But may not a good Christian feare death I answer Not so farre as a Christian is led with the spirit of God and is truly spirituall for the spirit carryes us upward but as farre as wee are earthly and carnall and byassed downward to things below wee are loath to depart hence In some cases Gods children are affraid to die because their accounts are not ready though they love Christ and are in a good way yet notwithstanding because they have not prepared themselves by care as a woman that hath her husband abroad and desires his comming but all is not prepared in the house therfore she desires that he may stay awhile so the soule that is not exact that is not in that frame that it should be in saith Oh stay awhile that I may recover my strength before I goe hence and bee no more seene but as farre as wee are guided by the spirit of God sanctifying us and are in such a condition as we should be in so farre the thoughts of death ought not to be terrible to us nor indeed are they Beloved there is none but a Christian that can desire death because it is the end of all comfort here it is the end of all callings and employments of all sweetnesse whatsoever in this world If another man that is not a Christian desire heaven he desires it not as heaven or to â—e with Christ as Christ he desires it under some notion sutable to his corruption for our desires are as our selves are as our aymes are no carnall worldly man but hath carnall worldly aymes a worldly man cannot goe beyond the world it is his spheare a carnall man cannot goe beyond the flesh therefore a carnall man cannot desire heaven a man that is under the power of any lust can desire nothing but the satisfying of that lust heaven is no place for such none but a child of God can desire that For if we consider heaven and to bee with christ to be perfect holines can he desire it that hates holinesse here can he desire the Image of God upon him that hates it in others and in himselfe too can he desire the communion of Saints that of all societies hates it the most can he desire to be free from sinne that ingulfes himselfe continually in sinne he cannot and therefore as long as he is under the thraldome and dominion of any lust he may desire heaven indeed but it is onely so farre as he may have his lusts there his pleasures honours and riches there too if he may have heaven with that he is contented but alas brethren heaven must not be so desired S. Paul did otherwise he desired to be dissolved to be with Christ hee desired it as the perfection of the Image of God under the notion of holinesse and freedome from sin as I said before Which is farre better Againe we see that God reserves the best for the last Gods â—aâ—t workes are his best workes the new heaven and the new earth are the best the second wine that Christ created himselfe was the best spirituall things are better than naturall A Christians last is his best God will have it so for the comfort of Christians that everyday they live they may think My best is behinde my best is to come that every day they rise they may thinke I am nearer heaven one day than I was before I am nearer death and therefore nearer to Christ what a solace is this to a gracious heart A Christian is a happy man in his life but happyer in his death because then he goes to Christ but happiest of all in heaven for then hee is with Christ. How contrary to a carnall man that lives according to the sway of his owne base lusts he is miserable in his life more miserable in his death but most miserable of all after death I beseech you lay this to heart mee thinkes considering that death is but a way for us to be with Christ which is farre better this should sweeten the thinking of death to us and we should comfort our selves daily that we are nearer happinesse But how shall we attaine this sanctified sweet desire that Paul had to die and be with Christ Let us carry our selves as Paul did and then we shall have the same desires S. Paul before death in his life time had his conversation in heaven his minde was there and his soule followed after there is no mans soule comes into heaven but his minde is there first It was an easie matter for him to desire to bee with Christ having his conversation in heaven already Paul in meditation was where he was not and he was not where he was he was in heaven when his body was on earth 2. Againe S. Paul had loosed his affections from all earthly things therefore it was an easie matter for him to desire to be with Christ I am cruciâ—ied to the world and the world is crucified to me c. If once a Christian comes to this passe death will be welcome to him those whose hearts are fastened to the world cannot easily desire Christ. 3. Againe holy S. Paul laboured to keepe a good conscience in all things herein I exercise my selfe to have a good conscience towards God and men c. It is easie for him to desire to be dissolved that hath his conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ free from a purpose of living in any sinne But where there is a stained defiled polluted conscience there cannot be this desire for the heart of man naturally as the Prophet saith
casts up myre and dirt it casts up feares and objections and murmurings and repinings Oh beloved wee thinke not what mischiefe sinne will do us when we suffer it sease upon our consciences when it is once written there with the claw of a Diamond and with a pen of iron who shall get it out Nothing but great repentance and faith applying the blood of Christ it is no easie matter to get it off there and to get the conscience at peace againe and when conscience is not appeased there will be all clamours within it will feare to appeare before the judgement â—eaâ— a guilty conscience trembles at the mention of death Therefore I wonder how men that live in swearing in loosenesse in filthinesse in deboisednesse of life that labour to satisfie their lusts and corruptions â— wonder how they can thinke of death without trembling considering that they are under the guilt of so many sinnes Oh beloved the exercising of the heart to keepe a cleare conscience can onely breede this desire in us to depart and to bee with Christ you have a company of wretched persoÌ„s proud enough in their owne conceits and censorious nothing can please theÌ„ whose whole life is acted by satan joyning with the lusts of their flesh and they do nothing but put stings into death every day and arme death against themselves which when once it appeares their conâ—cience which is a hell within them is wakened and where are they they can stay here no longer they must appeare before the dreadfull Iudge and then where are all their pleasures and contentments for which they neglected heaven and happinesse peace of conscience and all Oh therfor let us walke holily with our God and maintaine inward peace all we can if we desire to depart hence with comfort 4. Againe Paul had got assurance that he was in Christ by his union with him I live not saith he but Christ lives in mee therefore labour for assurance of salvation that you may feele the spirit of Christ in you sanctifying and altering your carnall dispositions to be like his I know whom I have trusted saith he he was as sure of his salvation as if he had had it already How few live as if they intended any such matter as this assurance of salvation without which how can we ever desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ will a man leave his house though it bee never so meane when hee knowes not whither to goe will a man leave the prison when he knows he shall be caryed to execution Oh no he had rather bee in the dungeon still So when there is guilt on the soule that it is not assured of salvation but rather hath cause to feare the contrary can it say I desire to depart and bee with Christ c No they had rather abide in the flesh still if they could for ever for all eternitie therefore if we would come to Pauls desire labour to come to the frame of the holy Apostles spirit he knew whom he had beleeved he was assured that nothing could separate him from the love of God neither life nor death nor any thing whatsoever could befall him 5. Paul had an art of sweetning the thoughts of death hee considered it onely as a departure from earth to heaven when death was presented unto him as a passage to Christ it was a easie matter to desire the same therefore it should be the Art of Christians to present death as a passage to a better life to labour to bring our soules into such a condition as to thinke death not to bee a death to us but the death of it selfe death dyes when I die and I beginne to live when I die It is a sweet passage to life we never live till wee die This was Pauls Art hee had a care to looke beyond death to heaven and when he looked upon death he looked on it but as a passage to Christ so let it bee our art and skill would we cherish a desire to die let us looke on death as a passage to Christ and looke beyond it to heaven All of us must goe through this darke passage to Christ which when we consider as Paul did it will be an easie matter to die I come now to the next words Neverthelesse to abide in the flesh is more needfull for you This is the other desire of Paul that brought him into this straite he was troubled whether he should die which was farre better for himselfe or live which was more needfull for them but the love of Gods people did prevaile in holy S. Paul above the desire of heaven and the present enjoying his owne happinesse Oh the power of grace in the hearts of Gods children that makes them content to be without the joyes of heaven for a time that they may doe God service in serving his Church here upon earth Observe hence that the lives of worthy men especially Magistrates and Ministers are very needful for the Church of God The reason is because Gods manner of dispensation is to convey all good to men by the meanes of men like our selves for the most part and this hee doth to knit us into a holy communion one with another therfore it is needful that holy men should abide in regard of the Church of God their lives are very usefull If we consider good the great benefit that comes by them wee shall easily yeeld to this For what a deale of sinne doth a good Magistrate stoppe and â—inder when there were good Iudges and good Kings in Israel see what a reformation there was Antichrist could not come in when the Romane Empire flourished though now the Romane Empire hinder the fall of Antichrist because Antichrist hath given her the cup of fornication and they are drunke with the whores cup but at the first it was not so Beloved whilest good Magistrates and good Ministers continue in a place there is a hinderance of heresies and sinne c. If they bee once removed there is a floodgate opened for all maner of sin and corruption to breake in at Yea there is abundance of good comes in by gracious persons 1. By their counsell and direction The lips of the righteous feed many 2. By their reformation of abuses by planting Gods ordinances and good orders whereby Gods wrath is appeased they stand in the gappe and stop evill they reforme it and labour to stablish that which is pleasing to God 3. Gracious persons in what condition soever they are cary the blessing of God with them wheresoever they are God and his blessing goes along with them 4. They doe a great deale of good by their patterne and example they are the lights of the world that give ayme to others in the darknesse of this life 5. They can by their prayers binde God as it were that he shall not inflict his judgements they doe a world of good by this way a praying force and
search his heart in regard of corruption Is there any sinne that I am not willing to part with c. Beloved God many times leaves us and not only leaves us but makes our naked conscience smart for sinne oh this is a quickening thing A child of God that is of the right stampe will not indure to be under Gods wrath long oh it is bitter he knowes what it is to enjoy communion with GOD he will not endure it therefore it stirres him up to all manner of diligence whatsoever But is there no difference betweene Christs sufferings and smart for sinne and ours Yes the sufferings of Christ came froÌ„ the vindictive and revenging hand of God as a just Judge but ours proceed from him as a loving Father for God when wee are in Christ is changed hee layeth aside the person of a Iudge having received full satisfaction in Christ he is now in the relation of a sweet father to us Againe there is difference in the measure we take but a taste of the cup sweetned with some fort and moderated but Christ dranke deepe of the same 3 In the end and use the sufferings and forsaking of Christ were satisfactory to divine Justice but ours are not so but only medicinall the nature of them is quite changed they are not for satisfaction for then wee should die eternally disable the satisfaction of CHRIST they are crosses indeed but not curses whatsoever we suffer in soule or body is a crosse but not a curse unto us because the sting is pulled out they are all medicinall cures to fit us for heaven whatsoever we suffer in our inward or outward man prepares us for glory by mortifying the remainders of corruptions and fitting us for that blessed estate 4 All other mens deaths are for themselves as Leâ— saith Singula in singulis they are single deaths for single men but it is therwise here for all the Children of God were forsaken in their head crucified in their head and dyed in Christ their Head Christs death was a publike satisfaction no man dyeth for another let the Papists say what they will only Christ dyed for all and suffered for his whole body And thus much of the first generall that Christ was forsaken The second is this Christ was very sensible of it even to complaint and expostulation My God my God c. Why should it be thus betweene the Father and the Sonne betweene such a Father and such a Sonne a kinde loving Father to his naturall obedient and onely Sonne the word is strong beloved hee was not onely forsaken but exposed to danger left in it being very sensible of the same every word heere expresseth some bowels he doth not say The Iewes have foraken me or my beloved Disciples and Apostles that I made much of have forsaken me or Pilate would not doe the duty of a true Iudge my feete are pierced my Head is wounded my body is wracked hanging on the Crosse c. he complaines of none of these though they were things to be complained of and would have sunke any Creature to have felt that in his body that he did but that which went nearest to him was this Oh my God why hast thou forsaken me I stand not upon others forsaking but why hast thou forsaken me I stand more upon thy forsaking than the forsaking of all others Christ was very sensible of this it went to his very heart But what speciall reason was there that Christ should take this so deeply First of all because the loving kindnesse of the Lord is better than life it selfe as David the type of Christ well said the forsaking of God being indeed worse than death the loving kindness of the Lord is that that sweetneth all discomforts in the world the want of that imbitters all comforts to us If we be condemned traitors what will all comfors doe to a condemned man The want of Gods love imbitters all good and the pre sence thereof sweetneth all ill death imprisonment all crosses whatsoever therefore Christ having a sanctified judgement in the highest degree judgeth the losse of this to be the worst thing 2 The sweeter the communion is with GOD the fountaine of good the more intolerable and unsufferable is the separation on from him but none had ever so neare and sweet a communion with God as Christ our Mediatour had for hee was both God and Man in one person the beloved Sonne of his Father now the communion before being so neare and so sweet unto him a little want of the same must needs bee unsufferable Things the nearer they are the more difficult the separation will be as when the skinne is severed from the flesh and the flesh from the bones oh it is irk some to nature much more was Christs separation from the sense of his Fathers love Those that love live more in the party loved than in themselves Christ was in love with the person of his father and lived in him now to want the sense of his love considering that love desires nothing but the returne of love againe it must needs bee death unto him Another ground that Christ was thus sensible was because hee was best able to apprehend the worth of communion with God and best able to apprechend what the anger of God was hee had a large judgement and a more capacious soule than any other therfore being filld with the wrath of God he was able to hold more wrath than any man else hee could deepest apprehend wrath that had so deepe a taste of love before Againe in regard of his body the griese of Christ both in body and soule was the greatest that ever was for hee was in the strength of his yeares hee had not dulled his spirits with inteÌ„perancy he was quick and able to apprehend paine being of an excellent temperature Was Christ so exceding sensible of the want of his Fathers love though it were but a while I beseech you then let us have mercifull considerations of those that suffer in conscience and are troubled in minde oh it is another manner of matter than the world takes it for it is no easie thing to conflict with Gods anger though but a little It was the fault of Iobs friends they should have judged charitably of him but they did not take heed therefore of making desperate conclusions against our selves or other when the arrowes of the Almighty sticke in us when we smart and shew our distemper in the apprehension of the terrous of the Lord seizzing upon our soules God is about a gracious worke all this while the more sensible men are of the anger of GOD the more sensible they will bee of the returne of his faâ—our againe There are some insensible stupid creatures that are neither sensible of the afflictions they sâ—ffer in body nor of the manisestation of Gods anger on their soule notwithstanding hee followes them with his corrections
yet they are as dead flesh unmoveable therefore Why should I smite them any longer c. saith GOD. This comes from 3 grounds 1 From pride when men thinke it a shame for such Romane spirits as they are to stoope Or from hypocrisie when they will not discover their griefe though their conscience be out of tune Or else out of stupid blockishnesse which is worst of all when they are not affected with the signes of Gods wrath It is a good thing to bee affected with the least token of Gods displeasure when we can gather by good evidence that GOD hath a quarrell against us you see how sensible Christ was and so will it with bee us if wee get not into him betimes we â—hal be sensible of sin one day whether we will or no coÌ„science is not put in us for nought you may stupifie and stifle the mouth of Conscience with this or that tricke now but it will not bee so for ever it will discharge its office and lay bitter things to our charge and stare in our faces and drive us to despaire one day sinne is another matter when it is revealed to Conscience than we take it howsoever we goe blockishly and stupidly on now It is sweet in the temptation and allurement but it hath an ill farewell and sting If wee could judge of sinne as we shall doe when it is past especially when we come to our reckoning at the houre of death and at the day of Judgement then wee would bee of another minde then wee would say that all sinners as the Scripture termes them are fooles But to goe on Christ we see expresseth his sensiblenesse by complaint My God my God why hast thou for saken mee Here some Cautions must bee rendred that wee doe not mistake Christ complaines notâ— of God but to God Was Christ ignorant of the cause of Gods forsaking him No hee knew the cause for his sufferings were intolerable but taking our nature upon him he takes our speech also and expresseth himselfe like to a miserable man having the greatest affliction that ever was upon a Creature The divine nature of Christ stopped the excesse of any passion he was turbated but not perturbated hee was moved with the sinnes of men but not removed hee was as water in a cleare glasse there is nothing but water though you stirre it never so much if there were mudd in it it would soâ—one bee uncleane wee cannot stirre our affections and complain but with a tincture of sinne it was not so with Christ hee knew when to raise and when to allay his affections and though there were much nature in these affections a naturall shunning of griefe and a naturall desire of Gods presence yet here was grace to direct and sanctifie the same for nature sometimes carries grace with a stronger winde more fully when they goe both in one current as here It was grace to have the love of GOD yea it was death to be without it and it was sinlesse nature to desire ease for without sinne nature may desire ease so it bee with submission of it selfe to God For the soule may have divers desires as there are divers objects presented to it when the soule apprehends releafe and ease it rejoyces and is glad but when upon higher considerations and better ends there is paine presented to the soule to doe it good the soule may desire that and upon deliberation chuse that it refused before A man may have his hand cut off and cast his wares into the Sea that hee would not willingly doe yet when upon deliberation he considers I shall save my life by it hee will doe it So Christ by a naturall desire without sin might desire release of paine but when it was presented to him what shall become of the salvation of man and obedience to God then Vpon these considerations that respected higher ends there might be another choice so in things subordinate one to another one thing may crosse another and yet all be good too But you must know this likewise that â—orsaking and to bee sensible of forsaking is no sinne especially when it is not contracted by any sinne of ours it is a suffering but not a sinne and to be sensible of it is no sinne it is rather a sinne to bee otherwise affected God allowes those affections that hee hath planted in us he hath planted feare and forrow in presenting dolorous objects If a man doe not sorrow in objects of sorrow he is not a man after Gods making GOD allowes griefe and seare in afflictions and trouble alwayes remembring it be with submission to him Not as I will but as thou wilt Againe consider Christ was now in a conflicting condition betweene doubting and despaire the powers of hell being round about him Sathan as he was busie about him at the entrance into his office so hee was now vexing his righteous soule with temptations God hath for saken thee and this and that wee know not the malice of Sathan at such a time but certainly the powers of hell were all let loose then upon him The truth is God had a purpose to finish his sufferings presently upon his complaint and because hee will have us all receive what wee receive even Christ himselfe by prayer and opening our desires to him God suffers Christ to complaine and powre out his supplication into his bosome that presently after hee might be released of all seeing hee had now fully satisfied for the sinnes of man The Use of it in a word is this That God having stooped so low to poore creatures to be a father and a friend to them will suffer them familiarly as there is a great deale of familiarity in the spirit of adoption yet reverently to lay open their griefes into his bosome and reason the case with his Maiesty without sinne Why Lord am I thus forsaken what is the matter where are the sounding of thy bowels where are thy former mercies c. There is another kinde of familiarity betweene God and his Children than the world takes notice of yet withall remember they are not murmuring complaints but seasoned with faith and love as here My God my God still whence you see that Christ in his greatest extremities had a spirit of faith There is a question between the Papists and us about Christs faith they will have him to bee a comprehender and a traveller c. indeed hee needed no justifying faith to apply any thing froÌ„ without him because he had righteousness enough of his owne but yet to depend upâ— on God as his Father so hee had faith neither was he alway in the state of happinesse for that distinction is a confusion of the abasemeÌ„t of Christ his exaltatioÌ„ howsoever there was the happinesse of union the humane nature being alway united to the Godhead yet there was not alway the happinesse of visiâ—n he did not see the face of God
of God never departs â—here hee once takes up his loâ—ging there is no question therefore of the salvation of the righteous they are as it were saved already Let this teach us thus much that in all the changes and alterations which the faith of man is subject unto hee is sure of one thing all the troubles and all the enemies of the world shall not hinder his salvation If it bee possible the Elect should bee deceived but it is not possible Oh what a comfort is this that in the midst of all the oppositions and plottings of men and Devils yet notwithstanding some what we have that is not in the power of any enemy to take from us nor in our owne power to lose namely our salvation set this against any evill whatsoever and it swallowes up all Put caâ—e a man were subject to an hundred deaths one after another what are all these to salvation Put case a man were in such griefe that hee wept teares of blood alas in the day of salvation all teares shall be wiped from his eyes Set this I shall be saved against any misery you can imagine and it will unspeakably comfort and revive the soule beyond all But it is here said hee shall scareely be saved This is not a word of doubt but of difficulty it is not a word of doubt of the event whether hee shall be saved or no there is no doubt at all of that but it is a word of difficulty in regard of the way and passage thither so it is here taken which leads mee to a second point that the way to come to salvation is full of difficulties Because there is much adoe to get Lot out of Sodome to get Israel out of Egypt it is no easie matter to get a man out of the state of corruption oh the sweetnesse of sinne to an unregenerate man oh how it cuts his very heart to thinke what pleasures and what profits what friends and what esteeme amongst men he must part withall what a doe is there to pull him out of the kingdome of Sathan wherein the strong man held him before Againe it is hard in regard of the sin that continually cleaves to them in this world which doth as it were shackle them and compasse them about in all their performances They would doe well but sinne is at hand ready to hinder stop them in good courses so that they cannot serve God with such cheerfulnesse and readinesse as they desire to doe Every good worke they doe it is as it were pulled out of tho fire they cannot pray but the flesh resists they cannot suffer but the flesh drawes back in all their doing and suffering they carry an enemy in their owne bosomes that hinders them Beloved this no small affliction to Gods people how did this humble Paul when no other affliction laid upon him Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death it was more troublesome to him than all his irons and pressures whatsoever Besides it is a hard matter in regard of Sathan for hee is a great enemy to the peace of Gods children when they are once pulled out of his kingdome hee sends flouds of reproaches and persecutions after them and presently sends hue and crie as Pharaoh after the Israelites oh how it spights him What shall a piece of dust and clay bee so neare God when I am tumbled out of heaven my selfe though I cannot hinder him from salvation I will hinder his peace and joy he shall not have heaven upon earth I will make him walke as uncomfortably as I can thus the Devill as hee is a malignant creature full of envy against Gods poore Saints so hee is a bitter enemy of the peace and comfort which they enjoy and therefore troubles them with many temptations from himselfe and his instraments to interrupt their peace and make the hearts of Gods people sad all he can TheÌ„ by reason of great discouragement il usage which they finde in the world form wiâ—ked men who are the Devils pipes ledd with his spirit to vexe and trouble the meeke of the earth for though they thinke not of it Sathan is in their divellish natures hee joynes and goes along with their spirits in hating and opposing the Saints of God for indeed what hurt could they doe but by his instigation How are good men despised in the world How are they made the onely Butt to shoot at Alas beloved wee should rather incourage men in the waies of holinesse wee see the number of such as truly feare God is but small soone reckoned up they are but as grapes after the vintage or a few berryes after the shaking one of a City two of a Tribe they have little incouragement from any but discouragements on all sides Besides this Scandall makes it a hard matter to bee saved to see evill courses and evill persons flourish and counten anced in the world Oh it goes to the heart of Gods people makes them slagget at Gods providence it is a bitter temptation and shakes the faith of holy men as wee see Psal. 73. Againe it makes the heart of a good Chrisâ—ian bleed within him to see scandalls arise from professors of the Gospell when they are not so watchfull as they should bee but bring a reproach upon Religion by their licentious lives Yea Gods children suffer much for their friends whose wicked courses are layd to their charge and sometimes even by their friends for whilest they live here the best of all are subject to some weakenes or other which causeth even those that are our inâ—ouragers through jealousy or corruption one way or another to dishearten and trouble us in the way to heaven This likewise makes the way difficult we are too to apt to offend God daily giving him just cause to withdraw his spirit of comfort from us Which makes us goe mourning all the day long wanting those sweet refreshments of spirituall joy and peace wee had before the more comfort Gods child hath in communion with God the more hee is grieved when hee wants it When Christ wanted the sweet solace of his Father upon the Crosse how did it trouble him My â—od my God why hast thou for saken mee How did hee sweate water and bloud in the garden when hee felt but a little while his Fathers displeasure for sinne Thus is it with all Gods children they are of Christs minde in their spirituall desertions And when they have gotten a little grace how difficult is it to keepe it to keepe our selves in the sense of Gods love To manage our Christian State aright to walke worthy of the Gospell that God may still doe us good and delight to bee present with us What a great difficulty is it to bee alwaies striving against the Streame and when wee are cast backe to get forward still and not bee dâ—scouraged
feete carry me to such and such filthy places and abominable courses mine owne heart tels mee that I fight against thee my Creator with those very limbes and weapons which thou hast given me Beloved the conscience of this so stifles the voyce of a wilfull sinner that not withstanding he acknowledgeth himselfe to bee Gods creature yet hee cannot with any comfort plead for mercy at his hand in times of distresse But to a right godly man this is an argument of speciall use and consequence in the midst of troubles he may alleage this and it binds God to helpe him Wee see great ones when they raise any though perhaps there is little merit in them yet they call them their Creatures and this is a moving argument with such to polish their owne worke still and not to desert them Will it not be a prevailing argument with God then for a Christian to pleade with him Lord thou hast raised mee out of nothing yea out of a state worse than nothing I am thy poore Creature forsake not the work of thine owne hands We may see what a fearefull thing sinne is in Gods eye that the works of our hands should make God depart from the worke of his hands as hee will certainely doe at the day of judgement Depart you cursed c. though we bee his creatures yet because wee have not used those gifts and abilities which hee hath given us to serve his Majesty hee will not indure the sight of us in that day But that you may the better practise this duty of committing your soules to God take these directions First see that thou bee thy owne man it is an act of persons free to covenant our soules must bee ours before wee can commit them to God Naturally wee are all slaves to Sathan the Strong man hath possession of us and therefore our first care must bee to get out of his bondage to which purpose we should much eye the sweet promises and invitations of the Gospell alluring us to accept of mercy and deliverance from sinne and death as Come unto mee all you that are weary and heavy laden c. and so cast the guilt of our soules upon God to pardon first and then to sanctifie and cleanse that we may no more returne to folly but lead an unspotted life before him for the time to come It is therefore a silly course and dangerous which poore worldly wretches take who think Lord have mercy upon them will serve their turne and that God will certainly save their soules when as they were never yet in the state of grace or reconciliation with him nor never had any divorce made betweene them and their sinnes and consequently never any league betweene God and their soules to this day Beloved when once a man hath alienated his soule from God by sinne hee hath then no more command of it for the present it is quite out of his power Now when wee would commit our soules to God aright wee must first commit them to him to pardon the guilt of sinne in them when this is done God wil give us our soules againe and then they may truly bee said to bee our owne and not before It is the happinesse of a Christian that hee is not his owne but that whether hee live or die he is the Lords In the second place Wee must labour to finde our selves in Covenant with God that is to finde him making good his promises to us and our selves making good our promises to him For a man cannot commit himselfe to God unlesse hee finde a disposition in his heart to bee faithfull to him There is a passive fidelity and an active 1. Passive faithfulnesse is in the things that wee give trust unto as such a one is a sure trusty man therefore I will relye upon him 2. Active faithfulnesse in the soule is when we cast our selves upon a man that is trusty and depend upon him the more a man knowes another to be faithfull the more faithful hee will bee in trusting of him and thus wee must trust God if ever wee expect any good at his hands and our dependance on him bindes him to bee the more faithfull to us He is counted a wicked man indeed that will deceive the trust committed to him Trust begets sidelity it makes a good man the more faithfull when hee knowes hee is trusted Learne therefore to know thy selfe to be in covenant with God and to trust him with all thou hast traine up thy selfe in a continuall dependance upon him Hee that trusts God with his soule will trust him every day in every thing hee hath or doth hee knowes well that whatsoever he enjoyes is not his owne but Gods and this stirres him up to commit all his waies and doings to his protection esteeming nothing safe but what the Lord keeps He sees it is not in sinfull man to direct his owne steps and therefore resignes up his estate his calling his family whatsoever is neare and deare unto him to the blessed guidance and direction of the Almighty Oh thinkes he that I were in covenant with GOD that hee would owne mee for his and take the care of mee how happy should my condition then be He will likewise commit the Church and State wherein hee lives to God and strengthens his faith daily by observing Gods faithfull dealing with his people in every kinde How behovefull it is for Christians thus to inure themselves to bee acquainted with God by little and little first trusting him with smaller matters and then with greater how can a man trust God with his soule that distrusts him for the petty things of this life They that give to the poore are said to lend unto the Lord and if wee cast our bread upon the waters wee shall finde it againe Beloved hee that parts with any thing to relieve a poore Saint and will not trust God with his promise to recompence it againe but thinkes all is gone and hee shall never see it more c. exceedingly derogates from the truth and goodnesse of the Almighty who hath promised to returne with advantage whatsoever wee give that way Hee hath secret wayes of his owne to doe us good that wee know not of A man is never the poorer for that which hee discretly gives It is hard to beleeve this but it is much harder for a man to commit his soule to God when he dyes with assurance that he shall partake of mercy and bee saved at the last day Againe Take heed of these evill and cursed dispositions that hinder us from the performance of this duty as namely carnall wit and policy and carnall will and affection c. There is a great deale of selfe-denyall to be learned before wee can goe out of our selves and commit all to God ere we can cast our selves into his armes and lay our selves at his feet therefore take heed that wee be not ruled either by our owne
carnall policy or others to knit our selves to that for I beseech you doe but think what is true in all Stories not onely in the Scripture but elsewhere the most infortunate meÌ„ that ever were otherwise wise enough were alwayes too confident of themselves The greatest Swimmers you know are often drowned because relying overmuch on their owne skill they cast themselves into danger and are swallowed up of the deepe Even confidence in wit is usually unfortunate though it bee great let Salomon bee an example you see how hee strengthened himselfe by carnall supports but what became of all alas it soone vanished and came to nothing the Iewes would runne to the reed of Aegypt and that ranne into their hands in stead of helping it hurt them GOD takes delight to overthrow the ripenesse of all the carnall policy of man that advanceth it selfe against his word and Gospell Take heed of confidence in prosperity in wit in strength take heed of whatsoever hinders the committing of our soules to God and alway remember that bonestic is the best policy and that GOD reconciled in Christ is the best sanctuary to flee unto The name of God is a strong Tower saith Salomon the righteous flee thereto and are safe Let Christians therefore have nothing to doe with carnall shifts and politique ends for they have a strong Rocke and a sure hold to goe to the Almighty is their shield Beloved God will bee honoured by our trusting of him and those that will bee wiser than God and have other courses distinct and contrary to him must looke for confusion in all their plots A Christian should thus thinke with himselfe Let God beâ—wise for me his wisdome shall bee my direction his will shall bee the rule of my life hee shall guide me and support me I will adventure upon no course that I dare not commit my soule with comfort to God in Oh beloved if we tender our owne welfare let us shun all unwarrantable courses and adventure upon no action whatsoever wherein we cannot upon good grounds desire the Lords protection It is a fearfull estate for a man to undertake such courses as that hee cannot if hee were surprized by judgement suddenly commit him selfe to God in The throne of iniquity shall not abide with God hee will not take a wicked man by the hand nor owne him in a distressfull time Study therefore I beseech you to bee alwayes in such a blessed condition as that you may without tempting of God in a holy boldnesse of faith resigne up your soules to him A guilty conscience cannot seeke the Lord naturally it runnes away from him peace is not easily gotten nor the gapp soone made up therefore preserve conscience cleare and unspotted if thou wouldest have God thy refuge in time of need Adam when hee had sinned ranne from God Peter when our Saviour discovered more than an ordinary Majesty in his miracles said Lord depart from mee I am a sinfull man It is the worke of flesh and blood to depart from God but when a man goes to God it is a signe hee hath more than flesh and blood in him for this cannot bee done without a supernaturall worke of faith which alone will make a sinfull conscience flie to God and looke to him as a father in Christ and desire him by his Almighty power whereby hee created heaven and earth to create faith in the soule And when thou hast cast thy soule into the armes of the Almighty labour to settle it there and to quiet thy selfe in the discharge of thy duty say thus Now I have done that which belongs to mee let God doe that which belongs to him I will not trouble my selfe about Gods worke but in well doing commit my soule to him and let him alone with the rest Christians should not out-runne Gods Providence and say What shall become of me this trouble will overwhelme mee c. but serve his Providence in the use of the meanes and then leave all to his disposall Especially this duty is needfull in the houre of death or when some imminent danger approacheth but then it will be an hard worke except it be practised aforehand Labour therefore for assurance of Gods love betimes get infallible evidences of thy estate in grace that thou art a renued person and that there is a through change wrought in thy heart that God hath set a stampe upon thee for his owne and that thou hast something above nature in thee then maist thou cheerfully say Father into thy hands I commend my spirit I am thine Lord save mee c. otherwise having no interest in God how canst thou expect any favour from him Oh the sweet tranquility and heaven upon earth which those enjoy who have God to be their friend This layes a heavy prejudice upon Antichristian Religion which maintaines a doctrine of doubting affirming that wee ought not to labour for assurance of Gods favour Oh beloved what deprives a poore Christian soule of coÌ„fort more than this Alas how can a man at the houre of death commit his soule into the hands of Almighty God that staggers whether he bee his childe or no and knows not whether he shall goe to heaven or hell Therfore it should bee our dayly indeavour as wee would have comfort in the time of resigning and giving up our soules to God to gather evidences of a good estate that wee are in covenant with him that hee is our Father and that wee are his children in Christ Jesus For will a man trust his Iewels with an enemy or with a doubtfull friend how can the swearer commit his soule to God how can loose livers and your filthy uncleane wretches that live in continuall enmity against the Lord commit themselves with any comfort unto him They pray Leade us not into temptation and yet runne daily into temptations into vile houses and places of wickednesse wherein they feed their corruptions and nothing else They say Give us this day our daily bread and yet use unwarrantable courses seeking to thrive by unlawfull meanes Beloved a man can coÌ„mit his soule with no more comfort to God than hee hath care to please him If a man knowes such a one hath his Evidences Leases and may hurt him when hee list how carefull will hee bee of provoking or giving offence to such a man Suppose wee knew a man that had the keeping of a Lyon or some cruell beast and could let it loose upon us at his pleasure would wee not speake such a one faire and give him as little cause of discontent as may bee Beloved God hath Dâ—vils and wicked men in a chaine and can if we offend him set loose all the powers of darknesse upon us he can make Conscience flie in our faces and cause us to despair and sinke All our evidence and assurances of 〈◊〉 are in Gods hands 〈◊〉 can bring us into a state â—ll of discomfort and misery and make
and labour to improve our Talents that when we give any thing to God we may say Lord according to the grace I have received I have kept it and therefore now returne it to thee againe Beloved when trouble of conscience comes when sicknesse and death comes what will become of a man that hath not this sweete acquaintance with God hee was a stranger to God in the time of prosperitie and God is now a stranger to him in adversitie Saul was a prophane spirited man hee did not acquaint himselfe with God in the time of his happinesse and therefore in time of distresse he goes first to the Witch and then to the sword poynt So fareth it with all wicked wretches in their great extremities no sooner doth any evill beâ—ide them or the least danger approach them let conscience never so little fliâ— in their faccs c. but presently they goe to cursed meanes and runne upon desperate conclusions Therefore as we desire to die even in Gods armes yeeld up our selves into the very hands of the Almighty with comfort let us daily inure our selves to this blessed course of committing our selves and all our wayes to him in doing good Come and see saith the Scripture Beloved if you will not beleeve me make tryall of this course a while did you once taste the sweetnesse of it how would your drooping spirits be cheared up Let a man continually keepe a good conscience and hee shall bee satisfied with peace at last Suppose hee meetes with danger and opposition in the world this may seeme harsh at the first ô but he shall know afterwards what it is to part with any thing for Christs sake to commit his cause or whatsoever hee hath unto God as to a faithfull Creator Then wee â—aste of God to the purpose when wee put him to it for God will not be indebted to us wee never finde such sweete immediate comfort from him as when wee deny our selves comfort of the Creature for his sake Little doe wee know what times may befall us there is much danger abroad and wee have cause to feare not farre from us It may bee the clouds even now hang over our heads Oh if wee would be hidd in the day of the Lords wrath have no evill come nigh our dwellings let us above all things in the world make sure our interest in Christ and title to the promise Wee should seeke to know God more and then wee would trust him more They that know thy name will trust in thee saith David Oh the blessed estate of a Christian that now he may bee acquainted with God that through Christ there is a Throne of Grace to flie unto I beseech you improve this happy priviledge and then come what will come famine come danger of warre or pestilence c. God will bee a Sanctuary and an abiding place to you A Christian carries his Rocke and sure defence about him I will bee unto them a little Sanctuary in all places saith God What a comfort is it to have a wall of fire still compassing us about a Sheild that our enemies must breake through before they can come at us Hee that trusts in God shall bee recompensed with mercy on every side it is no matter what dangers compasse him though hee be in the midst of death and hell or any trouble whatsoever if he commits himselfe to God in obedience out of good grounds of faith in his Word he shall be safe in the evill day THE TABLE A ABsence of Gods Spirit discourageth us in the way to salvation Part 1. Pag. 111 Affliction necessary 1. 16 17 It happens in the Sunsnine of the Gospell 1. 25 Small ones not regarded make way for greater 1. 27 Our carriage therein must bee good 1. 140 God will deliver his out of all 2. 94 How 2. 95 96 Godly afflicted more than others and why 1. 18 This discovers false brethren 2. 93 Art aggravates sinne 2. 7 Assurance of Gods love is to bee sought betimes 1. 197 Atheisme brings judgement 1. 28 Attributes of God are to be applyed to our selves 1. 17â— B A Christians best things are last Part 1. Pag. 47. Part 2. Pag. 196 Brethren thâ—â— are false discovered by affliction 2. 93 C Calamity in the common calamity the wicked dare not appeare 1. 122 Christianity contrary to nature 1. 145 Children of God are knowne by Gods correcting them 1. 46 The Devill their enemy 1. 107 These must be committed unto God 1. 232 Church of God is his house 1. 5 Why 1. 6 He provides for it 1. 7 Whether the English Church bee Gods house 1. 13 Proved 1. 14 The Church needs purging 1. 15 God clenseth it when need is 1. 17 It should severely punish sinne 1. 23 It is Gods Spouse 1. 80 Impregnable 2. 31 Commonnesse of sinne is a signe that it is ripe 1. 30 Conception of minde is like the body 2. 2 Conscience good feares not death 2. 189 Constancy in sinne to be shunned 2. 7 Correction shewes we are Gods Children 1. 46 Covenant wee must bee in Covenant with God 1. 187 Creator comfort from God as a Creator 1. 168 180 184 D Death is a departing 2. 184 How Paul desired it 2. 186 Not to bee feared by a Christian 2. 192 It may be desired by a wicked man but for some by-ends 2. 194 Our ends must be considered 1. 58 The death of the godly to be lamented and why 1. 209 211 Their deaths a signe of judgment approaching 1. 28. 2. 23 Deliberation in what things to bee used 2. 179 Deliverance we have dayly from God should cause us to glorifie him 2. 151 Desire what 2. 182 Despaire to be avoided 2. 101 Devill an enemy to Gods Children 1. 107 Diligent we are diligent to sinne 2. 7 Disobedience against the Gospell the greatest sinne why 1. 68 How knowne 1. 86 Division 1. 44 in a land is a forerunner of judgement 2. 29 Doctrine we should keepe sound that doctrine which was left us pure 2. 162 Doubting Romish doubting disallowed 1. 198 E End our end must bee considered 1. 58 Enemies to be prayed for 1. 146 147 Enemies of the Church represented two waies 2. 68 Envy snarles at greatnesse when joyned with goodnesse 2. 13 Eternity our desire of Gods glory should be carried to eternity 2. 158 Evill we must not plot to doe it 2. 48 The difference betwixt evill done and suffered 2. 113 Manifestation thereof aggravates it 2. 114 Examination of the grounds of Religion a meanes to escape judgement 1. 40 Examples of Governours prevaile much 2. 163 Experience of Gods care and love exprest we may collect the future â— 201. 2. 1â—â— F Faith it 's efficacy 1. 119 It takes hold by a little 1. 182 Active and Passive 1. 188 It is strengthened by deliverance 2. 129 It is a signe of our interest in heaven 2. 147 Faithfulnesse of God to bee trusted to 1. 177 He is faithfull 1. 171 Wee
had put his hand to the Plough Alexanders opposing because it sprung from extremity of malice towards the profession of godlinesse him he curseth The Lord reward him c. Weaker Christians who failed him from want of some measure of spirit and courage tetaining still a hidden love to the cause of Christ their names he conceales with prayer that God would not lay their sinne to their charge But whilst Paul lived in this cold comfort on Earth see what large encouragement had hee from Heaven Though all forsooke me yet sayes he God did not for sake me but stood by me and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion And the Lord will deliver me c. In the words wee have in Pauls example an expressing of that generall Truth set downe by himselfe Rom. 5. 3. And not onely so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope c. So here affliction breeds experience of Gods mercy in our deliverance experience breeds hope of deliverance for the time to come and both his Experience and Hope stirres him up to glorifie God who was his deliverer so that here offer unto us to be unsolded 1. Pauls experience of Gods loving care of him in his deliverance past 2. His assured hope built upon his experience for the time to come set downe in two Branches 1. The Lord will deliver me froÌ„ every evill work 2. He will preserve mee to his heavenly kingdom 3. The issue hee maketh of both as they flow from Gods grace so he ascribes him the glory of both To whom be glory for ever and ever Amen For the first I finde that most both Ancient and Moderne writers by Lion understand Nerâ— that cruell Tyrant thirsty of blood especially of Christians Some also understand it to be a provetbiall speech to expresse extremitie of danger both which are true but if wee take the words in the just bredth of the Apostles intent we may by Lion understand the whole united company of his crull enemies as David in many places hath the like and by the mouth of the Lion the present danger he was in by reason of their cruell malice Whence observe 1. That enemies of the truth are oft for power alwayes for malice Lions 2. That God suffers his dearest children to fall into the mouthes of these Lions 3. That in this extremity of danger God delivers them For the second his hope built upon his experience both Branches thereof hath its limitation and extent The Lord shall deliver me not from evill suffering but from evill workes this hee could boldly build on he could not conjecture what he should suffer because that was in the power of others but he could build upon this what God would give him grace to doe and so he limits his considence He will deliver me from evill workes and he will preserve me from what from daâ—ger from death no here is the limitation He will preserve me to his heavenly Kingdome He will not preserve me from death and yet he will doe that whilst I can doe his service by my life but sure I am hee will preserve me beyond death to a state of security and happinesse He will preserve me to his heavenly Kingdome And then for the third after his experience confidence and hope wel built as his fashion is when his heart was once warmed he breakes our into thanksgiving in the consideration of Gods favours past and to come his tongue is large thereupon and God hath the fruit of it To whom be glory for ever and lastly he seales up all with the word Amen I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion c. Beloved by nature we are all Lions and nothing will alter us save the effectuall knowledge of Christ Education may civilize but not subdue A Sound knowledge of Gods Truth hath a changing power for when the spirit becomes tender and when the heart which lyes in a cursed estate under and in danger of the wrath of a iust God whose eye cannot spare iniquity unrepented of is cited and affrighted effectually by the spirit of bondage it will cast downe and pull sorrow from the strongst spirit making it melting and tender Againe in this estate when the soule hath felt favour shining upon it when the eye is opened to see the high prerogatives and exceeding riches of Christ when we finde ourselves that we are delivered from the Lions mouth wee cannot but shew that pity to others which wee felt from God our selves Paul thirsts as eagerly after the conversion of others now as ever he did for their blood before The Iaylor also a man by nature custome and calling hardened in the practice of cruelty yet after hee had felt the power of Gods blessed truth shewed forth those bowels of pitie hee felt from Christ which were shut before Let us then be thankfull that God hath changed us from being Lions and with meeknesse submit our selves unto Gods ordinances desiring him to write his Law not onely in our understandings but in our very hearts and bowels that wee may not onely know that we should walke harmelesse and full of good but be so indeed resembling him by whom we hope to be saved in a right serviceable plyablenesse to all duties of love And because our impersect measure of mortification in this life hinders us from a full content in one anothers communion let this make us the more willing to be translated to Gods holy Mount where being purged from all such lusts as hinder our peace and love we shall fully enioy one another without the least falsenesse or distrust then shall wee see totall accomplishment of these promises which are but in part fulfilled in this life That God suffereth his children to fall into the mouth of Lions or into some danger proportionable where in they shall see no helpe from him is a truth cleare as the Sunne The History of the Church in all ages shewes as much Was not Christ in the mouth of the Lion so soone as borne when Herâ—d sought to kill him Did not satan and all the spirituall powers of Hell daily come about him like ramping roaring Lions And hath it not been thus with Gods Church from Abel to this present as appeares by the children of Israel in Egypt at the redsea and in their iourney to Canaan being invironed round about with cruell enemies and dangers on every side like Daniel in the midst of Lions So farre God gave them up to the power of their enemies that the wisest of the Heathen iudged them a forlorne people hatefull to God and men For particular instances see Iob and David so neare as there was but a step betweene them and death Besides God often awakens the consciences of his children and exerciseth them with spirituall conflicts their sins as so many Lions stand up against them ready to teare their
souls Nay rather then those that belong to God shall want that which will drive them unto him God himselfe will bee a Lion unto them as unto Ephraim Hosea 5. 14. which made David pray O Lord rebuke mee not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy het displeasure Of all the troubles which a child of God undergoeth in his way to heaven these bring him lowest when the body is vexed and spirit troubled it is much but when God â—rownes when neither Heaven nor Earth yeelds comfort to a distressed soule no evill in the world is like to this Imagine the horrour and straits of such a soule when all things seeme against it and it selfe against it selfe as neare to the paines of the very damned in hell The reasons of this dispensation of God are 1. because we are so desperately addicted to present things and so prone to put conâ—idence in the arme of flesh that unlesse God driveth us from these holds by casting us into a perplexed estate wee shall never know what it is to live by faith in God alone when all other props are puld away and when the streame of things seeme crosse unto us That God therefore may traine us up to live the spirituall life of the just which is by faith in him when all else faile he suffereth us to fall into the Lions mouth that so our prayers which are the flame of faith may bee more ardent and peircing rather cryes than words Why cryest thou unto me faith God to Moses when was this even when hee knew not what way to turne him It was out of the depths that David cryed most earnestly unto God and Christ in the dayes of his flesh cryed unto God with strong cryes and teares in a deepe distresse and was also heard in that which he feared strong troubles force from the afflicted strong cryes even experience shewes in prosperity and a full estate how faint and cold the prayers and desires of men are 2. Besides it is meet that the secrets of mens hearts should bee discovered for when all is quiet we know not the falsehood of our owne hearts Some over-value their strength as Peter others underprize themselves and of the gifts and graces of Gods spirit in them thinking that they want Faith Patience Love who yet wheÌ„ God calleth theÌ„ out to the crosse shine forth in the eyes of others in the example of a meeke and faithfull subjection The wisdome of God therfore judgeth it meet that there should bee times of sifting that both the Church and our selves may know what good or ill is in us what soundnesse or loosenesse remaines in our hearts When therefore we are wanting in fanning our selves God in love takes the fanne into his hand It is likewife behoovefull that false Brethren may be discovered Afflictions are wel called tryalls because then it is known what metall men are made of whether Pure of Reprobate silver thinke it not strange then when our estate seemes desperate it is but with us after the manner of Gods dearest ones why should we have a severed condition from them Remember this that God as he suffers his children to fall into the Lions mouth so he delivers them out and that hee never leaves his especially in extremity but in fit case of soule to receive the greatest comfort and to render him the greatest glory for then it is knowne to be Gods worke our extremity is his opportunity God will especially shew himselfe at such a time and make it appeare that the Church stands not by mans strength When Christians are at a losse and know not which way to turne themselves then is God nearest hand and careth most for them And this the Lord doth both for the greater shame of those that contrive mischiefe when they make themselves sâ—rest to bring their wicked plots and purposes to passe then their designes are most frustrated As also to draw on others not yet called that they seeing Gods immediate care over his Church and children may come in and obtaine like protection and deliverance The manner how God delivereth his children out of the Lions mouth is divers 1. By suspending their malice for the time as in Noahs Arke the fiercenesse of the wilde creatures was stopt by Divine Power from preying upon the tamer so the Lions mouthes were stopt from preying upon Daniel in the Lions Den. 2. By stirring up one Lion against another as the Persians against the Baby lonians Grecians against Persians Romancs against the Grecians and the other barbarous nations as the Gothes and Vandals against them so whilst Lions spit their fury one upon another the Sheepe are quiet Thus the Turke and other enemies have kept Popish Princes from raging and tyrannizing over the Church to the height of their malice 3. By casting something unto these Lions to divert them another way from their intended prey as when a man is in danger a Dogge is cast unto the Lion Thus when Saul was ready to devoure David the philistines made a breach upon him invaded the Land and turned his fury another way 4. By altering and changing Lions to be Lambes as when Paul was set upon havock and mischiefe God by changing his heart gave the Churches cause to glorifie God for him of whom before they were most affraid 5. God shewes himselfe a Lion to these Lions by breaking their teeth and Jaw-bones striking them with sudden and fearefull judgement as Herod and the persecuting Emperors and as in 88 when God with his foure windes fought for us against the enemies of his truth 6. By making them Lions to themselves witnesse Achitâ—phel Saul and other such like enemies of Gods children 7. Againe God maketh them friends without changing their disposition by putting into their hearts some conceit for the time which inclineth them to favour as in Nehemiah God put it into the Kings heart to favour his people Esau was not changed onely God for the time changed his affections to favour Iacob so God puts it into the hearts of many groundedly naught to favour the best persons 8. Lastly God maketh his owne children sometimes Lions to their Adversaries for the Image of God shining in his children hath a secret Majesty in it and striketh an awe upon wicked men so Pharaoh at length could not endure to see Moses and Aaron any more and Foelix trembled whilst Paul disputed of temperance and judgement Thus we see the Lord knows how to deliver his and can if he will and will doe it in their extremities when is most â—or his glory his peoples comfort and confusion of his owne and their enemies never despaire therefore of thy selfe or the Church of God it shall rather than faile breed in the Lions den Paul salutes the Philippians from the Church in Caesars house a place in appearance little fitter for a Church than hell it selfe what though things seeme