Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	apostle_n	death_n	sin_n	987	5	4.8284	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93248	The glorious feast of the Gospel. Or, Christs gracious invitation and royall entertainment of believers. Wherein amongst other things these comfortable doctrines are spiritually handled: Viz. 1. The marriage feast between Christ and his Church. 2. The vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe removed. 3. Christs conquest over death. 4. The wiping away of teares from the faces of Gods people. 5. The taking away of their reproaches. 6. The precious promises of God, and their certaine performance. 7. The divine authority of the holy scriptures. 8. The duty and comfort of waiting upon God. / Delivered in divers sermons upon Isai.25 chap.6,7,8,9 verses, by the late reverend, learned and faithfull minister of the Gospell, Richard Sibbs, D.D. Master of Katharine-Hall in Cambridge, and preacher at Grayes-Inne, London. Perused by those that were instructed to revise his writings.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1650 (1650)	Wing S3736; Thomason E599_13; ESTC R206386	119,357	167

sendeth his Angels to fetch them and he helps them in their combat we must not therefore feare overmuch There is a naturall feare of death death wrought upon Christ himselfe God-man not only death but such a death he was to be left of his Father and lie under the sense of the wrath of God the seperation of that soule from the body he tooke upon him was terrible and therefore he saith If it be possible let this cup passe from me that was nature and without it he had not bin true man But that I say is that grace may be above nature death is a time of darknesse it strips us of earthly comforts friends callings imployments but then comes the eye of faith to lay hold on the victory of Christ in time to come when death shall be only swallowed up in victory and then the glorious state to come to which death bringeth us so that here faith must be above sense and grace above nature and therefore I beseech you let us labour for it There be two sorts of men to whom I would speake a little First those that in a kind of bravery seeme to slight death men of base spirits as we call them fooles vain-glorious spirits empty spirits Is there any creature unlesse in Christ able groundedly to slight so great an enemy as death armed with a sting of sinne and attended with hell and damnation The Romish and divellish spirits are terrible but if thy sinnes be not pardoned it is the most terrible thing in the world to die for there is a gulfe afterwards what shall we say then of single Combatants that for vain-glory are prodigall of their lives that for a foule word a little disgrace will venture on this enemy that is armed with sinne and if they dye they dye in sinne And which is the miserable condition of him that dyes in sinne his death opens the gate to another death which is eternall They say they have repented but there is no repentance of a sinne to be committed Canst thou repent of a sinne before it bee committed that is but a mockery of God And what saith the Scripture Is it not the most terrible judgement under heaven to dye in our sinnes A man that dyes in sinne dyes in hell he goeth from death to hell and that eternall I wonder therefore that the wisedome of flesh and bloud should take away mens wit and faith and grace and all so much as to slight death and repentance as if it were so easie Now beloved death is a terrible thing it hath a sting and thou shalt know it if thou hast not grace to feele the sting of it whilst thou livest when thou dyest the sting will revive then thy Conscience shall awake in hell Drunkennesse and jollity takes away sense of sinne but sinne will revive and conscience will revive God hath not put it into us for nought death is terrible if not disarmed before hand And if thou goe about to dye without disarming it before it will not be out-faced It is not an enemy to be scorned and slighted and therefore be Christians in good earnest else leave profession and perish eternally for wee must all dye and it is a greater matter than we take it but if we be true Christians it is the sweetest thing in the world an end of all misery a beginning of true happinesse an inlet to whatsoever is comfortable blessed are they that are in the Lord by faith and them that dye in the Lord their death is better than the day of life Our Birth-day brings us into misery and therefore let me speak to true Christians and bid them be ashamed of fearing death too much which of an enemy is become a reconciled friend This may in the next place yeeld great consolation to those that are in Christ Jesus that death by Christ is swallowed up in victory and the rather because the holy Ghost meaneth more than a bare victory over death Death is not onely subdued but is made a friend to us As Psalme 110. it is said his enemies shall bee his footstoole Now a footstoole is not onely trampled upon but an helpe to rise And so death is not onely subdued but it advanceth Gods Children and raiseth them higher It is not onely an enemy but a reconciled friend for he doth that which no friend in the world can doe It ends all our misery and is the inlet into all happinesse for eternity And whatsoever it strips us of here it giveth us advantage of better in another world It cuts off our pleasures and profits and Company and Callings here but what is that to our blessed change afterward to our praysing of God for ever to the Company of blessed soules and the profits and pleasures at the right hand of God for evermore And therefore it is not onely conquered but to shew the excellency of his power hee hath made it a friend of an enemy and the best friend in the world It indeed seperates soule from body but it joyneth the soule to Christ so that the conjunction wee have by it is better than the separation if the Conjunction makes us partake of our desire I desire to be dissolved saith St. Paul but that is not well translated I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all so that it is not onely not an enemy but a friend and therefore the Apostle makes it our joyncture part of our portion all things are yours Why you are Christs and Christ is Gods what are ours things present things to come life death And well may death be ours because sinne is our enemy that remainder that is kept in our nature to exercise us and humble us and fit us for grace as Austin saith I dare be bold to say it is profitable for some to fall to make them more carefull and watchfull and to prize mercy more so that not only Death but sinne and the devill himselfe is ours for his plots are for our good God over-shooteth him in his owne Bow Hee will give them over to Satan saith the Apostle that they may learne not to blaspheme yet though they have a spirit of blasphemy by the humbling of their bodies they be taught not to blaspheme so that not onely death but sinne and hee that brought sinne into the World the Devill are become our friends This being so it may be for speciall comfort that wee not feare the King of Feares The Devill hath great advantage by this affection of feare when it is set upon this object Death Overcome death and all troubles are overcome who will fear any thing that hath given up himself to God Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life The Devill knoweth that well enough Therefore feare not saith Christ them that can kill the body feare causeth snares saith Solomon snares of Conscience But if a man

Gods children over death Oh death where is thy sting oh grave where is thy victory death is the greatest swallower and yet it is swallowed up by Christ death hath swallowed up all and when it hath swallowed up it keepeth them It keeps the dust of Kings Subjects great and small to the generall day of judgement when death shall be swallowed up of it selfe It is therefore of the nature of those that Solomon speaks of that cry give give and yet is never satisfied like the grave yet this death is swallowed up in victory But how commeth death to be swallowed up Christ will swallow up death in victory for himselfe and his First of all because sin brought in death our Saviour Christ became sinne a sacrifice to his fathers justice for sinne he was made sinne for us he was made a curse for us to take away the curse due to us and sinne being taken away what hath death to doe with us and hell and damnation the attendants on death nothing at all Therefore Coll. 2. upon the crosse Christ did naile the law and sinne and the devill there he raigned over principalities and powers which were but executioners let loose by reason of our sinnes And God being satisfied for sinne the devill hath nothing to doe with us but to exercise us except it be for our good So that he hath swallowed up death because by his death he hath taken away sinne and so the power of Satan whose power is by sinne And therefore it is excellently set downe Heb. 2. 14. He also tooke part of flesh and blood that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devill So Christ by death overthrew Satan that had the power of death because by death he tooke away sinne the sinnes of all and bare our sinnes upon the crosse and was made sinne for us that knew no sinne he is ours if we believe For then Christ is given to a particular man when hee believes Beloved Christ upon the crosse did triumph over all our spirituall enemies sinne and death and all It was a kingdome of patience You know there is a double kingdome of Christ a kingdome of patience and a kingdome of power Christ on the crosse suffering punishment due to sinne overcame the law and the devill and sinne which is the kingdome of patience the kingdome of power he hath in heaven If Christ were so able in his kingdome of patience to conquer our greatest enemies what will he doe in his kingdome of power As Paul reasoneth Rom. 5. If by his death we are saved much more now he triumphs in heaven and appeares for us is he able to convey greater matters to us If Christ in the daies of his flesh did conquer how glorious will his conquest be at the day of judgement Now Christ hath conquered all in his owne person as our head then he will conquer for us in his mysticall body what is now done in his person shall be done in his members In the meane time faith is our victory his conquest over death our victory his victory over all our spirituall enemies is our victory every one that believeth is a conquerour of death though he die because he sees it conquered in Christ his head and as it is truly conquered in him so Christ will conquer it in all his members For as Christ in his naturall body is gone to heaven there to appeare in our behalfe so shall mysticall Christ be wholly in glory he will not leave a finger we shall all triumph over all our spirituall enemies as Christs naturall body is glorious in heaven as our head so shall also his mysticall body be You see then how death is swallowed up by Christ as our surety as the second Adam upon the crosse and truly swallowed up in him and by faith this victory is ours and time will come when in our owne persons it shall be swallowed up in victory This might be inlarged but I haste to make use of it Marke I beseech you how death is swallowed up by Christ in his owne person for our good he gave a great way to death for death seised on him upon the crosse death severeth soule from body death had him in his owne cabinet his grave for three daies nay this great King and tyrant death had a great conquest over Christ himselfe but here was the glory of this victory when death this great conquerour of the world had Christ upon the crosse and in his owne dominion in the grave where he rules and raignes consuming and swallowing up all death was faine to give up all and Satan thought to have had a great morsell when he devoured Christ but there was an hooke in his divine power that catched him that when he thought to have swallowed up Christ was swallowed up himselfe his head was then broken he never had such a blow as by Christ on the crosse when he was overcome being a scorne of the world visibly yet invisibly in Gods acceptation of that sacrifice and in a spirit of faith Christ triumpheth over Satan death was subdued even in his owne kingdome and that makes the victory great Death by seising on Christ without right Christ hath freed us from the evill of death when it had right to us Death hath lost all its right by fastening on Christ and so is become as a Drone without a sting so the great swallower of all is swallowed up it selfe at last by Christ Now for comfortable use of it First let us consider that God oftentimes giveth a great deale of way to his greatest enemies God useth a stratagem of retiring he seemes to retire and give liberty to his enemies but it is to triumph and trample upon them with greater shame he will tread them to dust afterward Christ gave death a great deale of liberty he was crucified and tormented then had to the grave and there he lay And this was to raise a greater triumph over this great prevailer over the world and death it selfe It is continued so in the Church Doth not he give way to the enemies of the Church they may come to say ahah ahah so would we have it Now the poore children of God are where we would have them but then comes suddaine destruction God to make his victory more glorious and more to discover their cruelty comes upon them when they be in the top of pleasure and the Church in the bottome of abasement then God swalloweth up all in victory as Christ did death when it seemed to have bin it selfe victorious This is a very comfortable consideration for if death be overcome when it seem'd to overcome Christ what need wee feare any other enemy Christ hath broken the net as an Eagle or great bird and the rest escape by him You may inlarge this in your owne meditations hee will swallow up death in victory

this is said for the time to come he wil swallow up death but Paul saith it is also past and swallowed up already faith saith it is done and so it is in our head Were it not comfortable now to all true hearted Christians to heare that the Church fareth better and that the enemies were swallowed up for they be but the instruments of this inferiour death let us get the spirit of faith and see them all conquered for certainly they shall have the worst at last He that hath swallowed up death in victory will swallow up all that be the cause of death And therefore the Scripture speaks of these things as past Babilon is fallen as a milstone cast into the bottome of the Sea Get a spirit of faith and wee shall never be much troubled with Babilon for all the enemies of Christ and adherents to that man of sinne must downe and partake of the judgement threatned in the Revelations Heaven hath concluded it and all the policy of Rome and hell cannot disanull it they be already swallowed up to faith and Christ will rule till hee hath put them all under his feet which shall be done not only to destroy them but to raise himselfe higher in giving them up to their confusion Againe if death be swallowed up in victory labour to be one with Christ crucified for union with him begin with union with Christ crucified The first union is with Christ abased and then with Christ glorified And therefore labour to see sinne that brought in death subdued by the power of Christs death in some measure and then wee shall have comfort in his death glorified For in my holy mount death is swallowed up that is the true Church of Christ labour to be members of Christ otherwise death will come as a tyrant indeed armed with a terrible sting in his full force to assaile you It is the most terrible thing to see death come armed with the wrath and anger of God and attended with hell and damnation Labour therefore to be one with Christ crucified to get our sinnes crucified and our selves partakers of his death and then no damnation no feare of death to them that are in Christ they may die but they are freed from eternall death and they shall rise againe even as Christs body rose to glory Get therefore into Christ and desire the power of his death subduing sinne In what measure we grow in that wee grow in boldnesse and joy and whatsoever priviledges follow Christ Againe when wee be in Christ true members of him then let us be thankfull to God for this victory thankfull to Jesus Christ that hath given us victory when wee thinke of death of sinne of judgement of hell of damnation let us be framed as a Christian should Now let him that hath the most terrible and fearfull things in the world as conquered enemies say oh blessed be God for Christ and blessed be Christ for dying for us and by death disarming death of his sting that now wee can thinke of it in our judgements quietly now we can thinke of all these as conquered enemies this is the fruit of Christs death they are not onely enemies but friends in Christ Sinne the remainder of it the guilt of it that bindeth over to damnation is taken away the remainders of it serve to humble us make us feele the power of pardon and to desire another world where we shall be all spirituall so that death is a part of our joynture All things are yours life and death death doth us many excellent services it is a doore and passage to life death is the death of it selfe destroyeth it selfe Wee never truly live till wee die and when wee die we are past feare of death So that sinne dieth misery dieth death dieth though it takes us from comforts and employments and friends here yet it is a change to a better place and better company and better employments and better condition to be in a glorious condition to eternity and therefore wee have cause to blesse God in Christ that tooke our nature and in our nature disarmed our greatest enemy sinne and so disarmed death and freed us from the wrath of of God and hell and damnation Oh we can never be thankfull enough for this Againe if death be swallowed up in victory let us be ashamed of the feare of death because Christ saith he will swallow him up as he hath already in his own person Shall wee be afraid of an enemy that is swallowed up in our head and shall be swallowed up in every one of us If we cherish feare we shew we looke not for an interest in this promise for it is a promise that in this holy mountaine death shall be swallowed up in victory and why should we feare a conquered enemy none will feare an enemy that is conquered Object But how came Christ to feare death and we not to fear Answ Christ had to deale with death armed with a terrible sting with sinne and the wrath of God for sin And therefore when he was to die Father let this cup passe from me But death is disarmed to us He had to encounter with sinne and the wrath of God and death in all its strength But we are not so we are to deale with death like the brazen Serpent that hath the shape of death but no sting at all It s become a drone ever since it lost its sting in Christ Life tooke death that death might take life as he said The meaning is Christs life it selfe tooke death that wee that were so subject to death that we were death it selfe might take life Oh blessed consideration nothing comparable to the consideration of the death of Christ it is the death of deaths And then againe wee are sure of victory it is conquered in our head and shall be in us But you say wee are to conflict with the pangs of death and many troubles meet in death It is true but it is conquered to faith and in Christ our head we must fight Christ traineth us to overcome death our selves by faith and then wee are sure of victory Joyne these two together it is conquered in Christ our head and shall be conquered of us death keeps our dust and must give them all againe Obj. But in the mean time we die Ans 'T is so but we are sure of victory he will protect us in our combate that hath conquered for us we fight against death and the terror of it in the strength and faith of his victory joyne these three together Hee that hath been our Saviour in life will be so to death and not exclusively then to leave us but to death and in death for ever yea most ready to helpe us in our last conflict Indeed to wicked men death is terrible for he sendeth the devill to fetch them out of the world but for these that be his he

excellent society 3 Is a Mountaine 1. Hath strong foundations 4 2. Is in some measure visible ib. Of the Marriage feast between Christ and his Church 5 The Lord of Hosts is the founder of this feast 6 Some of all sorts invited to this feast 1. Iewes 2. Gentiles 7 Christ is the chief dish and greatest chear at this feast 8 Christ and his benefits fitly compared to a feast 8 1. Because all we have in Christ is of the best things 8 2. Much variety in Christ 9 3. Fulnesse and sufficiency is to be had in Christ 10 4. Because there is much company here 11 5. There is rich attire worne at this feast 12 This Gospel-feast was typed out 1. By the Paschall Lamb. 12 2. By Manna 12 3. By the Rock 14 4. By the Jewish festivall 15 A comparison between Christ and Manna 13 The sacrament of the Lords super is this feast specially 15 We ought to be prepared for this feast 1. Get large hearts 16 2. Spirituall appetite 16 Means to get spirituall appetite to this feast 17 1. Sense of sinne 17 2. Purge the soule from sinfull corruptions 18 3. Spirituall exercise and activenesse for God 19 4. Holy company 20 5. Consideration of the danger of Spiritual famine 20 We must get a spirituall taste and spirituall sences 21 1. To relish what is good 22 To disrelish and reject what is evill 22 We must get a spirituall Digestion 23 and wait in the strength of this heavenly feast 23 Consequents of the Gospel-feast are 24 1. Chearfulnesse 25 2. Thankfulnesse 25 3. Iustifying of the wayes of God and Religion 25 Religion doth not make people melancholy 26 A Christian at his worst condition is better than a worldlings best 27 We must labour to have a part and portion at this feast and to honour Gods bounty 28 29 We must bring empty soules unto this feast 32 Connexion between the sixth and seventh verst 33 Of the Vaile that is over mens hearts 35 All men naturally have such a Vaile 35 There is a Vaile over spirituall things for they are hid 35 36. Naturall men 1. Want spirituall sight 36 light 36 2. Are ignorant 3. See not spirituall things spiritually 38 4. Have light without heat 39 5. Are unbelievers 40 Ignorance and unbeliefe acts in every sinne 41 God onely can take away this vaile 42 Men nor Angels cannot remove it 42 43 44 Onely Gods people have this vaile removed 44 Where this vaile is removed there is a Feast 45 We ought to use meanes to have this vaile taken off 46 47 1. By attending upon Ordinances 48 2. By practising what we know 49 3. By praying unto God 50 When the vaile is taken off from the heart then 1. A Christian will wonder at the things of faith 51 2. Desire more and more to know them 51 3. This vaile hath been removed by the Word 51 4. A Christians knowledge is a transforming knowledge 52 Of Death and Christs victory over Death 55 Death is 1. The King of Feares 56 2. Spares none 56 3. Is let in by sinne 56 4. Is attended on by Hell 56 Christ swallowes up death in victory 1. By satisfying for sin 57 2. By his suffering death 59 60 We ought to believe that death is conquered to us 60 We ought to be one with Christ crucified 61 70 We must be thankfull unto God 1. For victory over death 62 2. For benefits by death 62 The slavish feare of Death is unbecomming a Christian 62 63 67. Death is conquered to a Beleever though he die 63 64 Death is terrible to wicked men 64 Duellists foolishly out-brave death 65 Death to Gods children not onely a conquered enemy but is made a friend 66 c. Of Christians Teares 72 Good men are apt to weep 1. For sinne of others 74 75 2. Miseries of others 74 75 We ought to weep 74 and yet to rejoyce 76 God will wipe away all teares 77 78 God is a God of tender mercy 79 Christians are not to bee judged by appearance and by their sufferings 81 Christians have a mixt condition and a mixt disposition 82 There was no sorrow in Paradise and shall be none in heaven 84 Sinne is the greatest cause of sorrow 85 Mourning accepted from them that cannot weep 86 Then a Christians teares are right when 1. They spring from the love of God 86 2. When we weep for our owne sinnes 87 3. When they are secret 87 4. When they are reforming 88 Of the Rebukes and reproaches of Gods people 89 Christ and his members subject unto reproaches 89 90 Wicked reproach the godly from the enmity of 2 seeds 91 Wee must not be scandalls to Religion nor scandalized at the reproaches of it 92 Christ will take away reproaches from his people and will vindicate them 93 Directions how to carry our selves under Reproaches 94 1. Be patient 94 2. Innocent 94 3. Couragious 95 4. Sincere 95 5. Pray much to God 95 6. Rejoyce and glory in them 96 Of the Holy Scriptures 99 God is the Author of them 99 The scriptures sole supreme judge of controversies 100 The Scriptures may be knowne to be Gods VVord by 1. The Majesty of them 101 2. Their mysteriousnesse 101 3. From Reason 103 4. From Experience 101 5. From the witnesse of the Spirit 102 6. From their efficacy 101 1. In warning the soule 101 2. Changing the soule 101 3. Casting down the soule 101 4. Searching the soule 102 5. And comforting the soule The holy Scriptures are and have been preserved from Corruption 103 VVe ought to heare the word as the word of God 104 God will make good all his promises if we believe 105 We must pray for the Spirit that indited the Scriptures that so we may relish them 106 Of Gods Promises and the performance of them 107 to 112 Gods Promises are full and free and spring from his bounty and are our greatest treasure 111 112. We ought to be ashamed of infidelity in Gods promises 105 It is somtimes long between the promise performāce 113 1. To exercise our faith 113 2. To waine us from creatures 113 3. To indeare the things promised 114 4. And to fit us for the enjoyment 114 Of Waiting upon God 115 We have but a tast here of what we shall have hereaft 115 Waiting carries with it all other graces 116 1. Patience 117 2. Long-suffering 117 3. Contentment 118 4. Silence from murmuring 118 5. Watchfulnesse 118 6. Faithfulnesse 118 Want of waiting cause of much wickednesse 119 All is overcome with waiting 120 God will perform his word to all true waiters 121 152 God keeps the time of performance in his own hands 121 God fully performes his promises in heaven 122 123 124 The things hoped for uphold the heart in waiting 125 God will have his people continue waiting 150 1. That we may live by faith and not by sight 150 2. VVhen we are fitted for what is promised wee

and praying and doing good and abstaining from evill the Law of the Spirit of life frees us from the Law of sinne and death I beseech you inlarge these things in your thoughts They bee things wee must all have use of beforehand against the evill day It should bee comfortable and usefull to us all to heare that our enemy our greatest enemy Death is swallowed up in victory And yet there 's more comfort in the Text. THE Fifth Sermon ISAIAH 25. 8. And all teares shall be wiped away from all faces NOt only death shall be swallowed up in victory but God will wipe away all tears from all eyes Religion shall be religion good things shall be good things nothing shall go under false notions all tears shall be wiped away we have now many causes of teares In the world there is continuall raising of clouds that distill into drops of teares had we nothing without us to raise a vapour to be distil'd in teares we are able to raise up mists from our owne mists from our owne doubts and conflicts within As we should weepe for our owne sinnes so for the sinnes of others as wee may see in Jeremy where the Prophet saith Oh that my head were a fountaine of teares that I might weepe continually for the sinnes of my people And indeed good men are easie to weepe as the heathen man observeth they are easie to lament not onely for their own sinnes but the sinnes and misery of another Our blessed Saviour himselfe we never read that he laughed wee have heard that he wept and for his very enemies Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem He shed teares for them that shed his bloud Teares were maine evidences of Christs sweetnesse of disposition as that hee would become man and a curse and die for us and that he would make so much of little children and call all to him that were weary and heavy laden that hee never refused any that came to him Hee that wept specially for the miseries and afflictions this shewed his gracious and sweet disposition And that in heaven he is so full of sympathies in glory that when Paul persecuted the Church Why dost thou persecute me So though he is free from passion in heaven he is not free from compassion from sympathie with his Church And so every child of God is ready not onely to grieve for his own sinnes and the miserie that followeth them but the sins and miseries of others Mine eyes gush out with rivers of teares saith the Prophet David when hee saw that men brake the law of God whom he loved A true naturall child takes to heart the disgrace of his father if we be not grieved to see our father disgraced wee are bastards not sonnes They that make a sport of sinne what are they Alas they have not one sparke of the spirit of adoption they are not children who rejoyce at that at which they should grieve So Saint Paul I have told you often and now tell you weeping there be many enemies of the crosse of Christ When he saw some men preach against and others enemies of the crosse of Christ whose end is damnation hee telleth them of it weeping Wee have cause therefore to mourne for the sinnes of others and for the miseries of others whether we respect God or the Church or our selves First the love of God moveth us to weepe when wee see him dishonored If we love the Church we should mourne for any sinnes that may prejudice their salvation Doth it not pitty any man to see an Oxe go to slaughter to see a man of parts otherwise by sinning against conscience going to slaughter to see an ordinary swearer an uncleane person a prophane wretch covering himselfe with pride as a garment scorning God and the world and all Can a Christian looke upon this see flesh and blood like himself under the Gospell under a cursed condition unavoidable without serious repentance and not be affected with it Can a man see a poore Asse fall under a burthen and not helpe to take it up and yet see man falling to hell and not be affected with it Thus we see wee have cause enough of teares And as there is cause so we should be sensible we ought to take to heart the afflictions of Joseph hee is a dead man that hath not sense in this kinde If wee go to the body and state or any thing about a man there is cause of griefe hath not every member many diseases and is not our lives a kind of hospitall some sicke of one thing some of another But as there is cause wee should bee sensible of it wee are flesh and not stones therefore it is a sottish opinion to be stockish and brutish as if to out-face sorrow and griefe were a glory When our Saviour was sent into the world Christi dolor dolor maximus there were no patience without sensiblenesse away then with that iron that flinty Phylosophy that thinks it a vertue to be stupid And as the Apostle saith Romans 1. 31. without naturall affections He counteth it the greatest judgement of God upon the soule yet they would have it a vertue Why should I smite them any more saith God they have no sense no feeling The proud Phylosopher thought it was not phylosophicall to weepe a proud stoicall humor but Christians desire it And therefore we ought to labour to be more sensible that we might make our peace and reverence the justice of God and be more sensible of him afterwards It is most true that Sapiens miser plus miser the more wise any man is the more sensible of misery And therefore of all men the best men have most griefe because they have most quicke senses they be not stupified with insensibility and resolutenesse to beare it bravely as the world but they apprehend with griefe the cause of griefe And as they have a more sanctified judgement than other men so they have a more wise affection of love and a quicker life of grace where life is there is sense and where there is a cleare sight or cause of griefe there is most griefe Therefore the best men have most griefe because they be most judicious most loving Then they have most grace to beare it out of all others therefore considering there is cause in our selves and in others of griefe continually wee ought to labour to be sensible of it else it were no favour to have teares wiped away So that there is cause of teares and teares is a duty of Christians sensible of the cause both of sinne and misery upon one and another And as it is an unavoidable griefe so it is good wee should grieve we must stoope to Gods course we must bring our hearts to it and pray that since our necessities and sins doe call for this dispensation that we must under correction he will make us sensible of his rod that