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
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
ground and tooke deepe roote VVeepe not here it is sprung into a blade This good Samaritan Christ Iesus contenteth not himselfe to see this wounded woman for indeed she had a wounded spirit and to haue compassion on her but goes vnto her bindes vp her wounds poures wine and oyle into them and takes care for her farther comfort weepe not To teach vs that it is not sufficient for vs when we see any in miserie onely to bee moued with compassion but wee must speake some words of comfort in due season it is the Apostle his rule our tongues must vtter the tender affections of our hearts and our hearts as they are or should bee the ground where mercy must roote must sometimes shew that there is life by sending fourth some buddes into the tongue which is the hearts best interpreter and commonly speakes the language of the heart if the heart conceiue compassion the tongue must vtter weepe not VVeepe not Here comes our Sauiour now and makes good in performance his comfortable doctrine which was in words and promises Blessed are they that mourne hee comes with a towell in his hands and wipes away the brinish teares from the blubbered and furrowed cheeks of this sorrowfull widow and turnes her sadnesse into gladnesse her fasting into feasting her sobbes and sighes into songs and prayses of deliuerance such is the power prouidence and mercy of our gracious Lord and mercifull Sauiour to rayse vp vnto his children in the middest of sorrow sudden and vnexpected comfort But here some sad deiected Christian co-partner with this widow in the same or like cause of griefe may yet refuse to be comforted and iustifie both the cause and act of sorrow for the Prophet Esay complained in his dayes that the righteous man perished and no man considered it in his heart besides it is not found through the whole sacred Storie of our Sauiours life that euer hee was seene to laugh but to weepe often and besides all this woman lost her sonne and therefore a senslesse stupiditie in her not to haue mourned would haue argued not onely want of loue but of nature and humanitie or to haue had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 courage aboue and beyond the strength of nature for how quiet soeuer the morall Doctors haue made themselues yet their rules haue neuer counteruailed all their troubles The wisest and most resolute Moralist that euer was look't pale when he was to taste his poysonfull Hemlocke and why because to grieue at crosses and to feare death is naturall is to bee a man why then doth our Sauiour forbid her saying VVeepe not We must know for all this that the God of nature will haue vs sometime though not to deny yet to curbe nature and grace must teach vs to doe that sometime which nature cannot for courage and constancie against all crosses and then to be least shaken when most assayled commeth from the rules of an higher art then naturall wisedome was euer able to teach Not that grace would make a man not be affectionate as not to mourne with them that mourne and weep with them that weepe for euen this is a lesson which euery man must learne in the schoole of grace but direct vs to moderate the inordinate and ouer-passionate affections of nature that they should not meurne as men without hope for them that sleepe in the Lord. Weepe not Here mee thinkes I am taken with admiration to conceiue in what amazement this sorrowfull soule and all the mournfull company stood to see one silly man and that a stranger to come with such a song of melody into a house of mourning and to present such a dissonant and discording dittie to so dolefull a tune and yet I cannot chuse but admire more how suddenly their sorrow was turned into comfort and mourning into mirth while I consider who it is that sayes vnto her weepe not Vox hominem sonat oh Deus certè the sound of the voyce bewrayes him to be a man but the matter that he speakes mightily declares him to be the Sonne of God God speakes by his Sonne the brightnesse of his glory and the engraued forme of his Person out of his Word vnto all both good and bad but it is not the sound of the voyce of God but the matter which he speaks that argues loue he may speake vnto an enemie as vnto Satan Satan whence commest thou Iob 1. in anger as vnto Adam when he called him to an account Adam where art tbou Gen. 3. He speakes peace to none but to his owne it is vnto them and vnto their soules that he sayes I am thy saluation It is with them that hee doth indent I will be their God and they shall be my people and happy that soule vnto whom in the middest of sorrow Christ shall vtter this comfortable voyce Weepe not The Church of God is compared to a ship sayling on the sea euery Christian is a passenger in this Vessell Christ is the Pilot and Steeres-man he still sits at the Helme let the weather be neuer so foule let the sea and waues of crosses rise one vpon another with neuer such swelling surges yet if my Sauiour say vnto my soule I am thy saluation I will neuer despaire if my steeres-man say vnto mee as vnto his Disciples Feare not O yee of litle faith that little faith I haue shall make me so confident as not to be dismayed if my Sauiour meete mee though not in the flesh yet but in his word as he doth here this comfortlesse widow with a noli flere weepe not though he take away from mee father or mother brother or sister my nearest and dearest comfort in the world I will not mourne as without hope but comfort my selfe in his comfortable promises Thus haue you seene a sorrowfull mother following her dead sonne with tearedewed cheekes a passionate multitude attending this pensiue widow a compassionate Lord stopping their mouthes wiping their eyes and cheering their hearts with a comfortable noli flere VVeepe not But this is not all let me adde something farther then my Text yet not beyond the Text for t' is in the Hystory hee gaue her her sonne aliue againe and thus the blade is growne to an eare from a verball to a reall comfort To teach vs first that it is not sufficient for vs to haue a tender heart and a bemoaning tongue to those that are in want and miserie but our handes must be inlarged our hearts towards poor needy Christians must be so affected that some worke of charitie and mercy might be effected Secondly and for conclusion of all whereas this woman in the depth of her sorrow found comfort and the yong man in the midst of death found life we may learne that both to liue and to liue comfortably are in and from Christ alone But some sorrowfull soule may yet farther obiect and reason that well might this woman receiue a great deale of comfort for shee had the reall and bodily presence of her blessed Sauiour whose very lookes were able to reuiue a drooping and languishing soule and besides to his presence he annexed his Power miraculously raising her dead sonne to life and thereby vnexpected comfort to her selfe but now Christ is ascended into heauen and there shall remaine till his second comming besides miracles are now ceased how then shall I by this example any whit comfort my selfe how shall I expect restitution of my losse restauration of my comfort I answere these doubts proceed but from the weaknesse of our faith shall the eyes of the body minister comfort to the soule and shall not Faith the Eye of the soule doe much more Rubbe but the scales of infidelitie from these eyes and then euen now by faith thou mayest see thy Sauiour sitting at the right hand of God making continuall intercession for thee But why doe I grant that Christ is absent from his Church and children Hee is not as Abraham in the Parable answered Diues They haue Moses and the Prophets so I say wee haue Christ still haue we not his owne promise Loe I am with you to the end of the world Doth hee not daily speake vnto our soules by the Spirit the Comforter and to our eares by his holy word as comfortably as euer hee did vnto this woman when hee sayd vnto her VVeepe not May not wee daily heare him say Blessed are the poore in spirit Blessed are they that mourne for they shall bee comforted Come vnto mee all yee that are heauy laden and I will refresh you and you shall finde rest vnto your soules As for the comfort this woman had by the raising of her dead sonne know that this was but a temporall and short life and when hee badde her not to weepe this comfort was as short if not shorter then the former for certainely afterwards so long as shee liued shee would haue cause to weepe by daily renewed causes of sorrow But wee howsoeuer wee loose our friends now shall one day see a more blessed raising of them neuer any more to bee depriued of their societie and then shall Christ pronounce words which shall bring more durable comfort then these to this woman for then shall all teares bee wiped from our eyes neuer to feele more sorrow Till which time the Lord giue vs grace to liue religiously and to wait patiently FINIS