Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	worshipful_a	worthy_a	year_n	36	3	4.1834	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01935	Certaine sermons preached upon severall occasions viz. The vvay to prosper. The vvay to be content. The vvay to vvell-doing. A summer sermon. A vvinter sermon. Vnknowne kindnesse. The poore mans hope. By Iohn Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex.	Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to prosper.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to be content.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to well-doing.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Summer sermon.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Winter sermon.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Unknowne kindnesse.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Poore mans hope.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Oracle of God.	1636 (1636)	STC 12071; ESTC S120526	199,234	334

out of the water thus it fares with an hypocrite saith Iob when he is taken as it were with the Angle of God I meane with some mortall sicknesse that God begins to pull at his soule and twitch it out of his body whether he will or no then quaenam spes where is the hope of the Hypocrite alas his hope is gone The like expression you have Luke 12. 20. God Almighty saith to the rich man Thou foole this night they shall fetch away thy soule as if he had said I know thou art loath to part with thy soule loath to forgoe it but that shall not serve thy turne there will come those that will take it by force and fetch it from thee whether thou wilt or no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall never aske thee leave but shall wrest and wring it I am thee into such a place such a company such a condition as I am afraid to mention I have not now time as the Greekes say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beate this Oake for any more Acornes nor to sift my text for any more observations onely in a word If you desire to die contentedly let your care and endeavour be to live conscionably then let death come when it will it shall be no otherwise than a mid-wife a● Naz. speakes to deliver you and helpe you out of the paines of earth into the joyes of heaven then when you die you shall live when you goe from men you shall goe to God when your eyes are closed on earth they shall be opened againe in heaven Thus according to my weake ability I have done with my text and shewed you the way to be content God of his mercy give a blessing unto it for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be given and ascribed all honour and glory be done and performed all service and duty this day and for ever Amen FINIS THE Way to Well-doing OR A SERMON OF FAITH AND GOOD WORKES Preached in the Chappell of Buntingford in the County of Hartford at the beginning of their publike Lecture By John Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex Printed at London by Thomas Cotes for Thomas Alchorn and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Greene-dragon 1635. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Master John Mountford Doctor of Divinity and one of the Residentiaries of Saint Pauls my most worthy friend and Benefactour Right Worshipfull I Remember a Motto of your owne which was this Lunae radijs non maturesc●t Botrus That the beames of the Moone are too weake and too invalid to ripen a tender grape and bring it to maturitie unlesse the sun also adde his heate and cast his vitall beames upon it How well this sutes with men of my ranke that are Inferioris subsellij sacerdotes J shall not neede to tell you Alas what are all a poore mans labours in the ministry but as the Beames of the Moone some light they may give in a darke place but to ripen any worke for the publike good or to gaine any credit or estimation in the world they are farre too weake and unsufficient unlesse some man of worth that is instar solis in stead of the Suune to so poore a starre will be pleased out of his owne goodnesse to cast some beames J meane some favour and friendly countenance upon him Vouchsafe me therefore your gracious aspect upon my weake endeavours and the God of Heaven preserve your life that you may continue like Eliakim Esay 22. 23. As a fastened naile in a sure place still to doe good workes in Gods Church on earth till you be received up into glory with his Church in heaven Thus prayes Your poore unworthy Servant IOHN GORE THE WAY TO Well-doing Titus 3. 8. This is a faithfull saying and these things I will that thou affirme constantly that they which have beleeved in God might be carefull to maintaine good workes these things are good and profitable unto men NOT to trouble you with any preface it being not Ta●ti not worth the while may it please you to observe in the Text three generall parts which may be reduced to three Heads and bee thus expressed 1. The Preachers direction 2. The peoples duty 3. Every ones desire As thus This is a faithfull saying and these things I will thou affirme constantly there is the preachers direction 2. As many as have beleeved in God must bee carefull to maintaine good workes there is the peoples duty 3. These things are good and profitable unto men there is every ones desire for that which every man desires that which every man aymes and drives at in his calling and in his course of life is to doe those things that may redound to their profit and their good and therein my text complyes with every mans desire assuring them that these things are not onely good and pleasing to God but good and profitable also unto men God hath onely the glory of our well-doing the profit and the good is all our owne In the first generall part observe two particulars 1. A commendation of the text this is a faithfull saying 2. A command to the Teacher these things I will that thou affirme constantly 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a faithfull saying I suppose you beleeve there is not a saying in all the booke of God but it is a true and a faithfull one all proceeding from the mouth of him that is a true and faithfull God a God that cannot lie nor alter the thing that is gone out of his lips yet some sayings in Gods booke are by way of Eminence or of excellence called by the name of faithfull sayings it pleaseth the Holy Ghost himselfe to set that note of dignity upon them either because God would have us in a speciall manner to build our faith and our affiance upon them as if he should say whatever other saiyngs of scripture ye doubt of never make any doubt of these for they are faithfull sayings you may pawne your lives and soules upon the truth and certainetie of them or rather as I take it they are termed faithfull sayings because they are such as doe more neerely concerne the faithfull then any others being purposely directed and intended Omnibus Christi fidelibus to all Christs faithfull people wheresoever for as Saint Paul said of Timothy Phil. 2. 20. I know no man like minded who will naturally care for such matters as these Tell a carnall or a worldly man of faith and good workes surdo canis you doe but as it were tell a tale to a deafe man he minds not what you say if you will talke to such a one you must tell him of the prizes of corne the practise of husbandry the rising and falling of the markets or perhaps some forraine or Domesticall newes then he understands you you speake to him then in his owne Idiome in his owne language but tell

Signe of the Greene-dragon 1635. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Mr. VVILLIAM BIRD Doctor of the Civill Law my most worthy Friend and Benefactor RIGHT WORSHIP WHen J consider the manifold favours and courtesies that J have found at your hands J am ready to say unto my selfe as Ruth said once to Boaz Ruth 2. 10. Quare inveni gratiam Why have J found grace in your eyes that you should take knowledge of me seeing J am a stranger For mine owne part J can impute it to nothing but unto Gods goodnesse and your owne worthinesse And my onely ambition is to make you this acknowledgement 〈◊〉 the world may for though J 〈◊〉 p●●re 〈…〉 N●● 〈◊〉 Ioa●●is●t ●is●t to David 〈…〉 Sam. 24 3. so wish J to you The 〈◊〉 God 〈◊〉 ●●t● your ●●tate how much soever it be an hundred fold and that your eyes may see it and your heart may rejoyce in it all the dayes of your life Thus prayes Your poore unworthy 〈◊〉 IOHN GORE A SVMMER SERMON IAMES 5. 17 18. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not raine and it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeares and sixe moneths And he prayed againe and the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit THe sum and drift of this Text is to set forth the efficacie or rather omnipotencie of earnest and fervent Prayer There be two graces of God in man that may iustly be termed Omnipotent or Almighty graces God himselfe being pleased to shew his Almighty power and goodnes in them and they are Faith and Prayer 1. For the first Mat. 15. 28. O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt What a large unlimited Grant and Patent was this for a poore sinner to aske what she would and have promise of acceptance Mark 9. 23. to him that beleeveth all things are possible Looke what a beleever cannot doe himselfe God himselfe will doe it for him and yet it shal be accounted as his act and deed Phil. 4. 1● I can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Not meaning that he could do all things in generall and at large as to walke on the waters or flie in the aire c. but all things that belonged to his calling all things that concerned his Ministery and all things that pertained to the right way of pleasing God and of saving his owne soule He could pray well Preach well live well he could want and he could abound he could conforme and apply himselfe to all estates whatsoever All this he could doe not by any power or abilitie of his owne but by the strengthning grace and faith and vertue of Iesus Christ I can doe all things through Christ that strengthneth me As on the contrary Our Saviour saith of himselfe Marke 6. 5. that he could do nothing worth speaking of in his own Country 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or mighty w●rk● no worke of wonder in respect of what he could have done onely because of their unbeliefe and marke that it is not said Hee would doe no such workes there but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He could not doe them not that Christ was unable for want of power but he saw it was unavaileable through their lacke of faith For the power of God and the faith of men are like the spirits and the sinewes in the body the one moves and stirres and workes within the other if there be no faith in us there can be no expectation of any power or any helpe from God 2 The other omnipotent grace is Pr●y●r and that you may be assured it is so marke but that expression Exod. ●● 10. Let me alone saith God to Moses that I may conf●●●● them and I will make of thee a great Nation What a word was this to come from the mouth of Almighty God to bid a poore weake creature let him alone it shewes that Moses by his prayer did even as it were ●ver-power the Lord that the Lord had not the power to revenge himselfe on that provoking people as long as Moses interceded for them Such a powerfull man with God was Eliah here in my Text His mouth as a Father saith was Franum Coeli the very bridle of heaven he could even rule the heavens with his prayers as a man rules a horse with a bridle Now least you should thinke he did thus prevaile with God rather by the priviledge of his person then by the vertue of his prayers The Apostle tells us for that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee was a man subject to the s●m● passions that we are and yet his prayer tooke such good effect Eliah was a man subject c. In my Text there are two generall points to be considered 1. The condition and quality of Eliahs person He was a man subject ●o like passions as we are 2. The condition and quality of his prayer that like a two-edged sword it cut both wayes and prevailed in both kindes both to bring a judgement and to bring a blessing upon the people His first prayer like a burning fever entred into the bowels of the earth and scorcht and dried up the Rivers and Lakes and Springs and le●● no moisture in them and so brought a judgement of drought and dearth upon the land His second prayer went up into the clouds above and fetcht an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a heaven-dropping dew a happy and a heavenly raine that moystned and fatned and refreshed the earth againe He prayed againe and the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit 1 The co●●ition and quality of Eliahs person what manner of man Eliah was My text saith hee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man subject to the same passions to the same frailties and infirmities that we are Hence you may observe that no profession of holinesse no practise of piety no degree of grace and sanctification in this life can exempt or free or priviledge a man from common passions and infirmities Eliah was a man of God a mortified and a sanctified man and one of the greatest favorites in the Court of heaven and yet a man subject to passions What shall I neede to multiply examples to prove this point when we know the Apostle affirmeth even of our Saviour himselfe That he was in all things like unto us sinne excepted set but sinne aside whereof his blessed person was uncapeable for as no rust can take hold of burning and ●●aming iron no more could any ●●me or corruption take hold of his pure and precious soule set but that aside and our Saviour Christ was as Eliah is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man subject to the very same 〈…〉 and passion● of anger and feare and sorrow and sadnesse that we are and happy was it for us that so hee was for by this meanes he became as the Apostle saith Heb. 2. 17. Amercifull High-Preist one

the indignation and wrath of God upon him that wronged him or whom God in flaming fire will render vengeance when he comes to judgement And this is the way to be revenged of an enemy But then if a man have a friend that hee wisheth well unto and faine would reclaime him from his evill life David would have him take another course and powre drops of oyle upon his head that is mollifie and melt him and worke gently and kindly upon him by mild rebukes and reprehensions for this may touch his heart but shall never breake his head it may doe him good for his soule but shall never doe him wrong for his life or reputation And this I take to be the meaning of my text The summe of all is this Looke what vertue what excellency there is in the most soveraigne most precious oyles or balsomes for the salubrity and health of the body the very same are to be found in kind and gentle admonitions for the health and welfare of the soule Fitly therefore doth David resemble it to oyle in many respects I will but name them and conclude 1 Quia medetur vulneribus you know that balsom which is nothing else but oyle is a soveraigne remedy specially for a greene wound so is seasonable reprehension a soveraigne cure for one that hath newly wounded his conscience or his credit by sin Wouldest thou doe a spirituall cure upon thy friend let him not runne on till he be festered and rankled with a habit of sinning but take him while the wound is greene Wee see in Genesis that when Adam had sinned God came to him in the coole of the evening the same day and reprehended him for it because God would not have him sleepe one night in his sinne A Candle new blowne out is soone blowne in againe and a wound newly taken is sooner healed if thou would heale thy friend give him this balsome in time 2 Quia expellit venenum there be oyles as sallet oyles c. that are of speciall vertue to expell poison taken inwardly sin is of a poysonfull nature that envenomes and endangers the very life of the soule David compares it to the poyson of Aspes which is the deadliest of all poysons hath thy friend taken poyson hath he baned himselfe by presumptuous sinnes give him this oyle rebuke him lovingly it will either fetch the poyson upward by a penitent confession or drive it downewards and make him prostrate himselfe at the foot of God one way or other it will worke upon him 3 Quia exhilarat fa●i●m Oyle maketh a man have a● cheerefull countenance saith David and it is pitty his words should be perverted and strained to patronize the painting of Icz●bel but my meaning is when a man hath beene gently rebuked by a friend and beene wrought thereby to a kindly repentance to a holy sadnesse and de●ection for sinne and therefore hath in a sincere penitentiall manner even shriven himselfe to his God you would not beleeve what a cheerefulnesse this breeds in a sad heart how light-some he shall be after his former lumpishnesse quasi volitare facit as a Father saith it even carries a man above ground and makes him forget the best of natures comforts 4 Quia penetrat corda There be oyles of that vertue that they will enter thorow the skinne and flesh and bones and worke upon the very marrow that is within Such vertue hath the word of God being powerfully applied and chafed in by the warme and soft hand of a kind and loving friend it will enter into the very secrets of the heart and worke upon the very soule and spirit and doe a cure there where no earthly medicine can take place 5 Quia recuperat moriturum Saint Iames tels us that in the Primitive Church when a man was sicke unto death the Elders of the Church annointed him with oyle which by the miraculous vertue that God gave unto it was a meanes to recover the party from whence the Papists derive their Extreme Vnction which God knowes is but an apish uneffectuall mis-imitation of a miracle which now is ceased in the Church and even then could not be done by every Elder for all had not the gift of healing as the Apostle tels us this is indeed the onely spirituall oyle that we are to apply unto men on their death-beads to speake comfortably to their hearts to work kindly upon their consciences and to prepare their soules for heaven by wholesome admonitions FJNJS THE POORE MANS HOPE A Sermon Preached By IOHN GORE Rector of VVenden-lofts in EESSEX 1635. PSAL. 12. 5. For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needie now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him HEB DDIEV HEB DDIM Printed at Lond● n by Th 〈…〉 for Th●mas Alchorne and ar● to be sold at his shop i●●… Paule●… Church-yard at the signe of the Greene-Dragon 1635. Perlegi hanc concionem eui titulus The Poore mans Hope in qua nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium Tho. Weekes R. P. P. p. Lond. Cap. Domest TO MY VVORSHIPFVLL And most vvorthy Friend M. EDMVND VVOODHALL Chiefe Register of the Perogative Office in LONDON WORTHY SIR I Remember how heartily the Apostle prayed for his good friend Onesiphorus who had ought refreshed him and was not ashamed of his chaine 2 Tim. 1. 16 18. The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus and againe The Lord grant that he may finde mercy of the Lord in that day Now whither that good man were willing to have his name and his goodnesse made knowne to the world J cannot say very likely his modest hashfulnesse would not seeme to desire it But who will blame Saint Pauls good nature that he did not forget the kindnesse of his friend as Ioash forgat the kindnesse of Iehojada nor would smother his 〈…〉 Hazael smothered his Master but remembred 〈◊〉 in his prayers made mention of him in his writings and besought the Lord for mercy to that house where hee had found so oft refreshing In like manner This is all the poore amends that J can make you worthy sir for all your free and noble entertainements to become your Oratour to God your Herald to the world and to requite your courtesies with prayers which 〈◊〉 all never be wanting from Your poore unworthy Friend IOHN GORE THE POORE Mans Hope PSAL. 37. 25. J have beene young and now am old yet never saw the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging their bread THese words are an experiment or an observation of the Prophet David touching the certainety and infallibilitie of Gods Providence and Goodnesse to the righteous and their posteritie Wherein we may take notice of three generall Points 1. The time how long David had observed Gods dealing and dispensation in this behalfe namely from his youth to his age I have beene young and now am old 2. The parties in whom

so swolne with pride that hee should even burst againe take heed of that you whom God hath exalted above your fellowes the Giants in old time were the goodliest men in the world yet they are called in hebrew Naphilem of Naphel to fall because as by their pride and presumption they fell from God so God in his justice tumbled them downe that they fell without recovery into the pit of hell thus as the saying is pride will have a fall but humility shall have a rise Iob 22. 29. When men are cast downe then thou shalt say c. When a man casts downe himself in a voluntary humiliation then God exalts and lifts him up but when in a proud presumption he exalts and lifts up himselfe then God dejects and casts them down it is a good meditation of S. Augustine upon the words of David Psal 138. 6. The Lord is on high and he beholdeth the lowly c. see a strange wonder saith hee God sits aloft in heaven and yet the higher a man lifts up himselfe the further he is from God the lower a man casts downe himselfe the neerer he is to God I will close up all with that divine Epiphonema of holy Bernard Dominus deus qui das gratiam humilibus da gratiam ut simus hum●les O Lord God thou that givest grace to the humble give us grace to be humbled And that for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and the holy Spirit be given and ascribed all honour and glory be done and performed all service and duty from this time forth and for evermore Amen Amen FINIS THE Way to be Content A SERMON Appointed for the Crosse but Preached in the Cathedrall Church of St. PAVL in London on Monday in Whitson-weeke being the 26. day of May Anno Dom. 1634. BY IOHN GORE Rector of Wenden-lofts in ESSEX Printed at London by T. Cotes for Thomas Alchorne and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Greene-Dragon 1635. To the right Worshipfull M. IOHN PENRVDDOCK ESQVIRE One of his Majesties Iustices of the Peace for the County of WILTES My truly honoured Friend Right Worshipfull GOD hath blest you many and sundry wayes with a wise and understanding heart with a prudent and religious wife with sweete and hopefull children with a plentifull and prosperous estate Give me leave as your Chaplaine to God to pray for one blessing more as the Coronis and upshot of all the rest and that is that God would blesse you also as I doubt not but he doth with a contented minde in all these This is the subject of my Sermon and shall be the supplication of my heart so long as ever I shall live to be Your poore unworthy friend IOHN GORE THE WAY TO BE CONTENT PHILIP 4. 11. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content THE last time I was in this place I shewed you the way to Prosper My errant is now to shew you the way to be Content if yon prosper not Which howsoever it may seeme at this time an impertinent and improper Text yet let mee premonish you what a Father said of Benjamins sacke Sacco soluto reluxit argentum When the sacke was opened the silver appeared the silver was in it before but it was not seene nor knowne nor taken notice of till the opening So give me but leave to open my sacke to unfold and enlarge and apply my meditations and then if there doe no silver appeare if there be nothing worthy your observation and use be but you content to heare it and I will be content to beare it For it is indeed a text of Contentation and you shall have God willing a Sermon of Contentment I pray God of his mercy grant that I may so divide it and so dispense it that it may profit and please and give Content both to God and you And so I come to my text I have learned c. In which words I will observe two generall parts which may be reduced to two heads and be thus exprest 1. Disciplina pacis the discipline of peace and that is to learne to be Content 2. Pax disciplinae the peace of the discipline or the profit of this learning and that is It armes a man and enables him to comply with all estates whatsoever I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be Content 1. Disciplina pacis the discipline of peace so the Scripture termes it Esay 53. 5. The discipline of our peace was upon him i Christ was disciplined and punisht for us that wee might have our peace without punishment So some translate that place Psal 2. ult whereas we reade osculamini filium Kisse the Sonne i doe honour and homage to the Sonne of God some render it Apprehendite disciplinam i apprehend his Disciplinē obey his ordinances and submit your selves to his corrections as he submitted himselfe to ours and this in the end will worke for your peace And to say the truth A man can never attaine to a well-setled peace nor grow up to a well-grounded contentation till he have beene some way disciplined by the hand of heaven Heb. 5. 8 it is said of our Saviour Though he were a Sonne the onely begotten Sonne of God full of grace and truth yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered not that he was disobedient before he suffered but the meaning is though he had the habite of obedience before hee never learned the practise of it till then For this lesson of contentment is just like your lessons of Musicke a man can never be said to have learned them till he be able to practise them for you must know that Christians are of two sorts Some are silvestres or onagri like wilde unruly Asses so the Scripture termes them Ioh 11 12. I mean unhumbled untamed unconverted sinners that never yet felt the Yoke of Christ nor the hand of God nor the heavinesse of a wounded conscience these know no other Content but what their sports their Musicke and merry company affords them which is just such a kind of Content as they that have the Itch doe take in clawing and scratching their bodies which pleaseth them infinitely for the present but makes them the sorer and the rawer and the worser afterwards For so all sinfull pleasure ends in paine and if there be not Ingrata recordatio an unpleasing a discontenting remembrance of all such pleasing contenting vanities the soule will rue for it in another place These may fitly be compared to the Lillies which our Saviour speakes of in the Gospel saying that Salomon in all his glory came not neere them now the Lilly as long as it is faire whole and untoucht it lookes beautifull and smells pleasantly but let it be never so little nipt or brused or crusht in a mans hand it lookes ugly and smells worse such are all your joviall Gallants and lascivious youngsters as long

him doe whatsoever seemeth good unto him for whatsoever seemeth good to him cannot but be good howsoever it seemes to us Doe but thus thinke thus beleeve thus conceive of God and that 's the way to be content I have done with the first generall part of my Text which was disciplina pacis the discipline of peace and therein you may learne what a happinesse it is to be Content or as the world signifieth to be selfe-sufficient I come now to the second and that is pax disciplinae the peace of this discipline or the profit of this learning and therein you shall see how I for my part you for your parts and every one for his owne part may doe to attaine unto this happinesse and learne for our owne particulars to be contented with our owne estates My Text you see is generall and comprehensive and doth extend and enlarge it selfe not to any one estate or condition of life but to all conditions and to all estates whatsoever For if contentment consisted or rested onely in nobility and greatnesse what should become of the meaner multitude how should they be Content if it consisted in ease and pleasure how should they be content that worke and labour if in costly apparell and dainty fare what a case were they in that goe poorely and fare hardly In a word if contentment were limited and confined to any one condition if it were included and shut up in any one estate what should become of all the rest But the comfort is that God in mercy hath so divided and dispersed and diffused this grace into all estates of men that in whatsoever state a man is in through Gods blessing and his owne endeavour he may be contented with the poore man as content as the rich man the husbandman as the Gentleman and the subject as content as the King I have learned saith S. Paul like a t●tragonismus or a Die that falls square which way soever it lights In whatsoever state I am therewith to be Content Thus farre in generall I come now to particulars As God charged his Prophet Ezek. 14. 4. to answer them according to their Idols goe no further than their owne case and speake home to that so give me leave to lay before you certaine particular cases of discontent which are or may be your owne cases in particular and when I have answered you according to them when I have satisfied and shewed you how they may be borne with a contented minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have done The cases are fixe 1. Moses case to be crost in ones wife as he was by Zipporah 2. Elies case to be crost in ones children as he was by ●●ophni and Phin●has 3. Iosephs case to be crost in ons reputation as he was by his mistresse 4. Mephibosbeths case to be crost in ones friends and meanes as he was by Ziba 5. The Cripples case Iob. 5. to be crost in ones preferment and hopes as he was for he lay at the poole of Bethesda 38. yeares yet still one or other crost him and stept in before him 6. Hezechias case to be crost in ones departure out of this world to be called to dye as he was at such a time when a man desires most to live These six in my opinion are the principall cases and the chiefest causes that are as Aristotle speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the makers and breeders the provokers and procurers of greife displeasure and discontent I will but strike these severall slints with a touch and away and I hope in God that each of them will afford you a sparke to inlighten my Text and to shew you the way to be content As Jacob when he blest the sonnes of Ioseph Gen 48. blest them with a crosse crossing his armes as you may see by the Text so the greatest blessing that ever came into the world came by a crosse the crosse and passion of our blessed Lord and Saviour and there is no man living so blest of God in this world but he hath some crosse or other to keepe him humble and the most usuall are these 1. Moses case to be crost with a Zipporah with an ill-tongued wife or Abigails case to be crost with a Naball with an ill-conditioned husband we wil put them both together because this crosse is like an Amphisbaena a Serpent with two heads which bites both wayes and stings at both ends and there must be a redresse on both sides or there can be no contentment on eyther As the Poets feigne of Venus that she brought forth a sonne and called his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love this sonne of her● would never thrive nor come to any growth till shee had brought forth another sonne and she called his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as you would say love for love Thus stands the case betwixt a man and his wife they are like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of the one will never grow nor thrive without the love of the other if there be not a reciprocall affection a mutuall endeavouring to give each other content their life will proove rather Conjurgium than Conjugium as one said rather a watfare then a welfare and they shall live in the family as Iacob and Esau did in the wombe and doe nothing but wrestle and struggle for superiority which is a hatefull life both to God and man Well but if it be thus that a man or woman be thus crost what is to be done in such a case I answer there is no way but one and that 's it my Text speakes of onely to learne to be Content But yet there is a course to be taken for that and it is this David tells us in the Psalme that it is God that maketh them that are in one house to be of one heart if therefore any discontent arise in a family the onely way is to have recourse to heaven by humble and earnest prayer and God will worke a peace twixt man and wife Wee see in Genesis as long as Adam and Eve lived at one with God they lived at one among themselves but so soone as they were divided from God by sin they became divided among themselves by discord Adam falls a blaming of Eve and accusing her to God in whom before he rejoyced as bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh So marke it where you will seldome doe man and wife fall out among themselves but first they are fallen out with God and seldome agree except God hath a hand in it The Hebrewes observe that Gods Name Ichovah and mans and womans name Ish and Ishah begin both with one and the same letter now if you takeout the first letter of Gods name from a mans and womans name nothing remaines but Esh which signifieth fire This is the true reason why there is so much fire I meane so much unkinde and unnaturall flames of contention betwixt

His soule was grieved for the misery of Israel thus the onely way to ease our owne soules of griefe or to be rid of any grievous judgement is to Grieve the soule of God that is to humble our selves before him to pray and seeke his face and to turne from our wicked wayes and God will be even grieved himselfe that ever punished plagued and put us to griefe and he will returne as he saith and have mercy on us and will doe us good after he hath done us hurt Here then in a word is the ready way to prevaile with God either for raine or for faire weather or for any temporall blessing whatsoever to doe as Eliah did buckle our very heads betweene our knees I meane prostrate our selves before the face of God in the humblest in the lowliest in the most dejected manner that we can device and if any meanes under heaven will fetch downe mercy from heaven that will doe it Eliah prayed againe and the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit Now to God the Father God the Sunne God the Holy Ghost be ascribed and given all honour and glory be done and performed all service and duty from this time forth for evermore Amen FJNJS A VVINTER SERMON Preached in the Cathedrall Church of St. Pauls in LONDON upon Shrove Sonday last 1634. in the afternoone being a time of extraordinary snow and floods By John Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex Printed at London by Thomas Cotes for Thomas Alchorn and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Greene-dragon 1635. Perlegi has tres Conciones in quibus nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus Contrarium Tho Weekes R. P. Episcopo Lond. à Sacris TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL my truly Honored friend Master Alexander Thistlethwayte Esquyer to whom I owe even my owne selfe Right Worshipfull I Remember how Noahs Dove after some longer stay then was expected returned at length unto the Arke from whence shee was sent with a branch of Olive in her mouth Your worthy Family was the Arke out of which J was sent into these farther parts of Essex and thus long have J beene abroad ere J could finde out an Olive-branch fit to present you with at my returne such as it is I beseech you take it in good part and let it finde as the Authour hath done favour and acceptance at your hands And the God of peace lengthen your tranquilitie and continue to preserve your house and family that it may ever remaine as an Happie Arke wherein both you and yours may successively bee saved Thus prayes Your poore servant and suppliant IOHN GORE A WINTER SERMON Psal 147. vers 16 17 18. He giveth snow like wooll he scattereth the hoary frost like ashes He casteth foorth his Ice like morsells who is able to abide his cold He sendeth out his word and melteth them He bloweth with his wind and the waters flow THE last time I was in this place I preached you a Summer-Sermon out of Eliahs prayer Iames 5. 17. it being then a time of extraordinarie heate and drought I am now come up through Gods mercifull preservation to preach you a Winter-Sermon such as the extremity of the weather and the misery of the waies hath even enforced me to fall upon besides my purpose and intention that so by a kinde of spirituall Antiperistasis your soules may receive some warmth within whiles your bodies are encompassed with so much cold without for this end I have made choise of such a text as will teach us to make good use of all manner of winter weather whether it be snow or frost or Ice or floods or what ever else it be there is still some good use to be made of it if men had but grace to apply their mindes and hearts unto it Which that you may the better doe be pleased to obserue with me foure generall points which may bee reduced to foure severall heads and be thus expressed 1. The providence of God or the care that God hath to cloath and keepe warme the very earth as it were with a Garment of wooll dat nivem sicut lanam He giveth snow like wooll 2. The diligence of God if I may so terme it that in the cold and bitter evenings when we are close and warme by the fire or when wee are at rest and warme in our beds then is our God abroad at worke sprinkling and scattering the hoary or the ashy frost for the health and welfare both of man and beast spargit pruinam sicut cinerem he scattereth or sprinkleth the hoary frost like ashes 3. The severity of God whereby hee returneth men the same measure which they themselves have mete unto others because for the most part mens morsels are like Ice that is they come hardly and coldly and cruelly from them to the poore and hungry therefore God comes home to them in their owne kinde and payes them as it were with their owne coyne and gives them Ice like morsells to be both a remembrance a revenge of their miserable Inhospitalitie proijcit glaciem suam sicut buccellas He casteth forth his Ice like mosells 4. Lastly see the goodnesse and the tender mercy of God that when God seeth the weather is growne to that extremity that people are not able to abide his cold then he hath compassion upon mens infirmities and as it followeth in the text emittit verbum liquefacit c. Hee sendeth out his word and melteth them he bloweth with his winde the waters flow These bee the severall parts and branches of my text of each whereof I will endeavour to speake as briefly and as effectually as God and his good spirit shall enable mee And first of the providence of God in cloathing the very earth Dat nivem sicut lanam He giveth snow like woll 1. The first thing I observe from hence is this that the snow doth not onely come by the course of the planets or by the coldnesse of the Climate or by the vertue of any secondary meanes and causes but it is Donum Dei the gift of God The same God that gave us these soules is he that gives us these snowes to bee a covering and a garment to the naked earth farre bee it from us therefore to murmure or repine or thinke our selves agreeved with God for sending us such snowie weather to hinder our husbandry to pinch our cattell and to spend our stover c. but let us learne of David to give God the glory of all his gifts and sit downe and say as Elie did 1. Sam. 3. 18. It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good for whatsoever seemeth good to him cannot but be good how ever it seemes to us Consider I beseech you wherefore is it that the snow and haile and storme and tempest are bidden and commanded to praise God Psal 148. 8. and thinke with your selves