man leane it will runne into his hand Secondly as this woman was wealthy and of good esteeme so shee was a widow shee had beene before a married woman and as shee had participated of those blessings which attend VVedlocke so shee had many times felt those cares which are incident vnto those who haue the care and charge of a Family and being made a mother felt no doubt the trueth of Gods sentence I will greatly encrease thy sorrow in sorrow shalt thou bring foorth thy children and yet to adde more vnto her griefe and which may seeme the greatest griefe of all her husband one halfe of her selfe dyes and that not in his old and decrepit age when all his pleasure was gone and life it selfe growne to be but labour and sorrow but in the flower of his youth and not long after his mariage which probably may be gathered by this that hee left but one onely sonne and this our Sauiour calles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a yong Stripling all which must needs make her widow-hood the more grieuous widow-hood in it selfe beeing a crosse great enough insomuch that the Prophet Dauid reckoneth and puts it among his Imprecations and curses on Gods and his enemies Let his children bee Psal 109. fatherlesse and his wife a Widow So the Prophet Ieremie Lam. 1. 1. Lamenting and bewailing the miserable estate of Ierusalem speaketh thus How doth the citie remaine solitary that was full of people Shee is as a widow And Chapter 5. 5. Wee are fatherlesse without fathers and our mothers are Widowes yet all this while she beares these crosses manfully she yeelds not vnto thē shee breakes not into open weeping but comforts her selfe calling to minde those many and sweet promises and comforts made by God vnto VVidowes for God hath promised to defend the fatherlesse and widowes The Lord your God is God of gods which doth right vnto the fatherlesse an Widowes And Psalme 146. 9. The Lord keepeth the Stranger he releeueth the fatherles and Widowes Yea the Lord commits the care of them vnto Magistrates charging them and all others Ex. 22. 22. You shall not trouble the widow nor the fatherlesse childe yea the Lord out of his loue and care towards them appoints part of the Tythe for their reliefe Deut. 14. 29. Hee would haue them to bee remembred in their Feastes Hee menaceth a curse against him that Deut. 27. 29. wrongeth the widow Cursed be hee that hindreth the cause of the stranger the fatherlesse and VVidow And Ieremie 5. 25. hee reckoneth the neglecting of the widow one cause of the destruction of the people VVith these and many other promises which shee found in Scripture no doubt but shee did continually comfort her selfe in her widow-hood that though shee were yong yet she did not affect a second marriage and besides shee tooke it as a pledge of Gods great fauour vnto her that hee had giuen her a sonne to bee a stay and a comfort vnto her in her widow-hood But see to adde yet more vnto the complement of her miserie God who knowes how to giue vs tearesto drinke in measure and knoweth best when he hath laid sorrow affliction enough vpon his children leaues not the widow thus As not shee so neither are wee worthy to know whereunto wee are reserued This her yong sonne dyes who was the light of her eyes and the ioy of her life To shew vnto vs thus much by the way that not onely old men must but the yongest that is may die wee are no sooner come into the world but wee hasten out of the world The pace of death is soft and sure and euery man is a dying man till he be dead And therefore wee must so set our mortality before our eyes as to thinke euery day our last day and labour carefully to redeeme the time ill past because so vncertaine is the time of our abode But what had this yong man done thus vntimely to bee cropt off in the budde of his yeeres Hee was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very yong man as his tender yeeres could not patronize good counsell and want of grauitie giue authoritie to his person to be a president of vertue so it is likely he was not yet misled by the errors of youth much lesse could hee haue beene a ring-leader vnto euill Or why should we lay sinne to his charge when the holy Ghost layes none but rather charitably yea confidently perswade our selues that hee that was now about to doe so much for his body had before done much more for his soule Happily God tooke him away that hee should not see the euill to come And truely if the mother had rightly considered this it had beene a cause rather to mitigate then any way to exasperate or aggrauate her griefe that God had so timely thus well prouided for her son that though she had lost a sonne yet heauen had found a Saint and though hee had beene neuer so deare and precious in her eyes yet to haue reioyced that shee had layd vp her treasure in heauen Had hee beene an vnnaturall Cain a prophane Esau a proud aspiring Absolon an vsurping Adonijah this might haue redoubled her griefe to consider that from her loynes a chip should haue beene hewen to make a fire-brand in hell But to haue a godly yong Iosiah to be taken away in his tender yeeres that he might not see the euill to come might cause her rather to magnifie his mercie then to whine vnder the rod of correction And heereof should all parents make a comfortable vse when at any time God shall deale with them in the like case by remoouing their hopefull yong plants from out of his nursery of grace heere and transplanting them into his Orchard of glory in heauen there to flourish as Palmes for euermore But had this her sonne bin taken away in his infancy her sorrow had been the lesse shee had sustained paine and sorrow in bringing him into the word care and feare in his nurture and education and now that shee thought to haue receiued some comfort in him for whom shee had often both wearied and disquieted her selfe behold he dyes Thus it pleaseth God many times to deale with his dearest children to lay affliction after affliction putting into all their cups of comfort and contentments bitter drams of sorrow griefe Whence wee may learne first how vncertaine a thing it is to expect any certaine comfort in this world we are all subiect to vicissitude change and alteration We must not expect any perpetuity of felicity here lest wee should forget to looke after any other heauen then heere on earth Doe not we see by experience that kingdomes haue their declensions and Crownes and Scepters their crosses and shall priuate and particular persons expect greater stability Secondly it must teach vs how to entertaine comforts when God sendes them euen as the Apostle bids vs the world so to vse them as though
wee vsed them not So to resolue of them as if to morrow we were to take our leaues of them As crosses and afflictions are not of the nature of those diseases which men shall haue but once and therefore wee are so to take our leaue of them to day as to morrow to expect their returne so on the other side those comforts which men enioy in this world are not perpetuall residensaries but euen like man himselfe of short continuance their dayes are but a span Psalm â—9 6. long they are alwayes in transitu suddenly vanished and gone and therefore we must resolue no otherwise on their company then of passengers and trauailers heere to day and to morrow no more seene Yea but this was not all it was not only the fruit of her body that was thus vntimely cut off but it was her onely sonne the holy ghost emphatically ad des that shee was a widdow and this was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her onely begotten sonne shee neuer had any other Solum hunc in doloribus nouerat solum suis lactauerat vberibus neither had she any hope of more for her husband was dead and this onely son left vnto her as a pledge and remembrance of her husbands loue the sight of whose louely face she vsed as Saul did Dauids musicke to driue away the vexing spirit of sorrow and griefe yea more she was not onely hereby destitute of comfort but altogether hopelesse of posterity for this her sonne was bacculus senectutis stirps generis ramusculus successionis and now the inheritance was left for â—â—â—â—ng on to inherit Was not heere cause of griefe I might say almost of despaire T' is true yet happily God did deale thus with her euen because it was her onely sonne thereby to punish some sinne in the mother it may be she had taken too much delight in this her sonne and therefore God caused her to sustaine much sorrow for him dead whom happily liuing she did too much affect her motherly care was turned into an ouer-prized indulgence now God makes that her greatest crosse wherin she expected greatest comfort because shee made that her pride which should haue beene her care The most louely flowers of hearts-delighting ioy eftsoones proue the vntimely and vnexpected seedes of bitter sorrow and God willing to weane our childish affections from that ouer-weening opinion we haue of earthly delights many times so brings to passe that in the fruition of what things our ioy hath abounded in the losse of the same our sorrow should much more abound But let not mee heere lay open a pit of despaire for any afflicted soule nor adde sinne to her sorrow the holy Ghost layes none to her charge then why should I but rather say with our Sauiour Neither did this yong man sinne nor this widow but that the workes of God might be manifest Iohn 9. 3. in them as hereafter wee shall heare Only let this teach vs Christian wisdome so to temper our affections in a godly mediocrity and so dispose order our loue and delight in earthly things that it neuer carry vs beyond Religion beyond our selues so shall we make the yoke of Gods afflictions easie vnto vs so shall wee with a great deale of patience part with our greatest and most endeared delights Well admit this was inflicted on her as a punishment for her sinne why was not shee strooken with death her selfe that as liuing she could not expect many crosses so being dead might neuer feele more sorrow No doubt her loue was as great to this her only sonne liuing and her sorrow for him dead as euer was Dauids to Absolon when hee cryed Oh my sonne Absolon 2 Sam. 18. 33. my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had ayed for thee Had it been in her owne election shee would haue redeemed her sons life with the losse of her owne But God deales many times with his children as wife Tutors vnto Princes children strike them whom they most affect and though hee doeth not correct them in his wrath and furie yet he chooseth so to smite the smart may longest remaine By this time I thinke you haue heard of a miserable Her a distressed widdow and you may wel ioyne with her and she with Eliah It is enough O Lord take my soule For 2 Kng. 19. 4. it is not to bee doubted but while her sonne lay sicke on his death bed the mother sate dayly on or by the bed with sad fighes with feruent and deuout prayers soliciting God that now it was high time to put to his helping hand and to bee mindful in the performance of those most gracious promises that he had made vnto widdowes that now it was seasonable to make good that doctrine which the day before he had deliuered in words Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted but yet she is not heard her sonne dies By whose death shee was plunged into such a depth of griefe and almost swallowed vp in a gulfe of despaire that now shee could no longer conteine but needes must breake foorth into open weeping manifestly shewing thereby that either the promises of God were vaine and of none effect or that shee was cast off and forsaken of God and so his promises did in no wise appertaine vnto her for these two widdowhood and want of issue were accounted among the Israelites to be two great curses Yet more her misery was so great that it moued all the Citie to commiseration for they went out with her vnto the graue and now there was no hope of any effect of Gods promises touching comfort to this mournefull widdow VVhence we may learne that God doth suffer his children many times to be so much crushed vnder the yoke of affliction and outward crosses in this world that not onely to the eye of men they seeme to be forsaken but euen in themselues they feele no comfort find no hope Thus was Dauid many times so heauily burdened that hee seemed vnto himselfe as though hee were forsaken Hath the Lord forgotten to be mercifull hath he shut vp his mercies in displeasure for euermore So our blessed Sauiour himselfe when hee was in the flesh felt the hand of his Father so heauy vpon him that it made him in the bitternesse and anguish of his soule to cry out My God my God why hast thou forfaken me This is the doing of the Lord and it may seeme maruailous in our eyes vntill we consider the reasons which may be reduced to these three heads First because extremities are the best tryals of a Christians faith ordinary crosses as they are common so is it more facile to beare them To hope well when we see no danger or to beleeue Gods promises when we see them either alreadie performed or at least a probable and likely meanes to effect them it is easie any man can doe it but to hope when we see no hope of safetie and to beleeue
Gods faithfulnesse when wee see no other meanes but as to rayse children out of stones to fetch water out of a flintie Rocke to hold out a three yeeres famine with an handfull of meale and a little oyle here indeed is a true hope and a noble tryall of a strong faith for hope that is seene is no hope and faith grounded on or guided by the blind leader of carnall reason is no faith Thus God tryed Abrahams faith in that great extremitie when he commanded him to offer vp his onely sonne Thus was Iobs faith patience and constancie tryed by those extreme crosses on his bodie goods and children God dealeth with his children as Fencers with their scholers they first begin with woodden cudgels after they goe to weapons with blunted edges and points and last of all as they grow in skill and to put their skill to the tryall they play at sharpe and many times fetch blood So God inures his children first vnto pettie crosses and so inflicteth greater and greater at last hee will strike with the sharpe and draw blood from their soules onely to try what proficients they haue beene in the schoole of faith and patience Secondly because hee would make the deliuerance the more ioyfull when it doth come for the greater are our afflictions the greater shall be the waight of glory and the more welcome vnto vs as the Apostle speaketh concerning sinne in the godly so it is true concerning affliction God many times so bringing to passe that where sorrow hath abounded there ioy should much more abound So that afflictions they are but preparatiues to greater comforts Vintners we see oftentimes set before their guests that haue dainty palates brinish and salt meates that so their wine may haue the better taste and relish So because it is mans nature too slightly to esteeme of the mercies fauours and comforts of God as either to forget or to extenuate and lessen them hee doth many times giue them full cuppes of bitter sorrow to the end that they may the more highly esteeme and prize his mercies and fauours when he bestowes them Thirdly God seemes to leaue his without all hope of comfort because they should ascribe all the praise and honour of their deliuerance vnto him onely Man is of a dogged nature as in aduersitie like the dogge that snarles and bites at the stone and neuer lookes to the hand that threw it so in prosperitie when wee fare well and obtaine any blessed and comfortable deliuerance from any euill wee are readie presently to share glory with God saying This haue I gotten by my care industrie and wisedome or else attribute it vnto second causes and neuer looke vp vnto God to giue him the glorie But let vs know that God is a ielous God he will not part stakes with any man and therefore he will many times suffer vs to sinke so low that all meanes in the world shall faile before he will raise vs vp to the end we may acknowledge that God is aboue and beyond all meanes The vse of this shall be none other then those words of Saint Peter Dearely beloued 1. Pet. 4. 12. thinke it not strange concerning the fierie tryall which is among you to prooue you as though some strange thing were come vnto you but put on Iobs resolution Though the Lord Iob 13. 15. slay me yet will I put my trust in him Thus haue you seene a tragicall scene of sorrow personated and acted in and by a miserable and mournful widow lamenting the losse of her onely sonne now we are come to make it end in a ioyfull plaudite while we looke vpon Christ her mercifull comforter for hee seeing her hath compassion on her and sayth vnto her VVeepe not Wherein wee may obserue these parts 1. The time When the Lord saw her 2. The authour The Lord 3. Two antecedent causes of of her comfort first Christ his omniscience or prouidence hee saw her and this I may call the seed of her comfort secondly his mercy he had compassion on her and this I may call the ground into which it was cast and where it tooke roote 4. The comfort it selfe which is first verball onely Weepe not and here it is sprung into a blade Secondly reall for she receiued her sonne againe as the History sheweth and thus it is growne to an eare When the Lord saw her Was there a time when Christ did not know her miserie no Christ knew before hee came to see her and by his Almighty power whiles her sonne lay vpon his death-bed could haue preuented his death and his mothers sorrow but he deferres it vntill this time to teach vs this lesson That God alone best knowes when to wound and when to heale when to kill and when to make aliue when to afflict with sorrow and when to send comfort we are not to limit God to times and seasons nor yet to prescribe vnto him when wee should haue deliuerances from dangers and comfort in crosses and afflictions My times saith Dauid that is times of prosperity and aduersity are in thy hand that is to order and dispose according to thy wisedome to thy good will and pleasure And therefore though the Lord may seem a long time not to giue audience nor yet to behold the afflictions of his Saints yet there wil come a when a time that will bring comfort vnto them The Lord Heere is the Author All true sound comfort comes from God in Christ and from him onely is to bee expected hee is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort it is hee that sendes comfort in afflictions yea life in death it selfe by his power and mercy hee sweetens the bitter waters of death with the wood of his Crosse making that which is seene as though it were not so that though he hath not taken away death it selfe yet he hath taken away the tyrannicall power of death insomuch that through him wee may insultingly say Oh death where is thy sting Christ is the true hearbe of grace which doth mitigate if not wonderfully sweeten all those cups of gall and vineger which are the portion and the potion of the children of grace here before they can be the children of glory in heauen The Vse whereof is first to stirre vp euery one of vs to seeke onely vnto God for comfort and to satiate and delight our selues onely in him as in the God of all comfort and consolation If hee send vs comfort if he be the rocke vpon whom wee build our consolation no affliction can discomfort vs no feare can afright vs nor death it selfe can dismay or appall vs vnto him therefore and onely to him let vs seeke for comfort Secondly heereby is discouered and reprooued the vngodly practise amongst many now adayes that in the time of sorrow in stead of going to God for comfort they runne a cleane contrary way to the deuill They will goe to an Ale house to drinke