who will ever set upon that of which he hath no hopes of accomplishment and who ever will go to God that can go any where else It 's a following lying vanities and forsaking our own mercies a running from the fountain of everlasting waters and hewing out broken cisterns It laies us under a curse and that a dreadful one Jer. 17.5 13. Cursed is he that makes flesh his arm All that forsake thee shall be ashamed and that depart from thee their names written in the Earth than which nothing more sad and dismal A cursed change it is to leave God and go to the Creature such confidence commonly ends in shame and confusion Dependance on the Creature forfeits divine protection it clips the wings of mercy It 's a going out of Gods blessing into the warm Sun Nay the Hypocrites bow which never aims right on at the mark is not only erring and deceitful but often recoils and proves to him deadly and destructive They who repose in humane help do not only miss of the prosperity and safety which by these means they made account to attain to but bring evils on themselves which they both sought and thought to escape and lose the lives they went about so industriously to save And indeed God takes himself highly wronged by this abuse at the hands of his People and will sooner or later say to them as to Israel Judg. 10. Go to the gods ye have chosen and see if they can deliver you See how God threatens them Isa 30.12 15. In returning and rest I would have saved you and ye would not but ye said no we will flee upon horses therefore shall ye flee They who will not rest on God shall be forced to run for all the creature May I not say to you as once Saul to the people revolting to David Can the Son of Jesse give you Vineyards and Olive-yards Can the creature give you souls satisfaction in its fullest enjoyment and can it afford you relief in the day of distress Can these gods of your own making arise and save you Can they chear your hearts when God is frowning succour you when Satan is tempting comfort you when the world is failing Can they give you any peace in an hour of trouble ease under horrours of pain life under pains of death settlement and composure in a day of distraction and confusion have you not sufficiently experienced and so may be effectually convinced of the vanity of the whole arm of flesh That all flesh is as grass that fadeth and the flower thereof that withereth That men of low degree are vanity and of high degree a lye That there is no salvation in Hills or Mountains no help in Princes Senates Armies Navies if God does but blow upon them Have you not by sad and wofull experience known the failure of friends contingency of estates the uncertainty of worldly advancements the moth the worm the dying perishing nature that is in all created comforts and contentments and will ye yet lean upon these weak bulrushes and make his your refuge May not God say to you as once to his People Numb 14.11 How long will it be ere ye believe me Nay may not God justly leave you when ye have first left him and then what will become of you To which of all the Saints will ye turn what will ye do in the day that he comes out to visit Suppose God coming out with the glittering sword in the one hand nay he is come out already and the destroying Plague in the other and fire and famine become his followers whither will ye fly where will ye hide how shall you escape or endure his fierce wrath and burning indignation what will you do in the day of your calamity or where will you leave your glory Well to close this point for I would hope better things of all you that fear God though I thus speak know assuredly that by going from God your Centre unto the Creature you will either run into the mouth of danger like a bird far from her nest never under such danger of the snare you cannot be established but may be as they were Jude 5. for their unbelief destroyed or however you will cut short the arm of mercy and deliverance As impatient snatching at mercy makes it not half so sweet fruits pluckt too soon or raw eaten commonly gripe Jacob had not only a blow but a piece of a curse a deal of turmoil and trouble with his blessing because he would be his own Carver and not stay to receive it at his heavenly Fathers hand and discontented murmurs and repinings against God under affliction cut short of mercy and salvation a sad instance whereof we have in those two prime Leaders of Israel Moses and Aaron Numb 20.12 Because they believed not the Lord to sanctifie him before the eyes of Israel they were not priviledged to lead the Congregation into the good Land So confident reposes in the Creature without God or conjunction of it in our dependance with him will certainly breed in the issue disappointment and destruction and the soul that with Babylon sits Lady-like in its Chair of State and Ease will become a Widow and desolate in one day And which is the great aggravation of the misâ—ry of all such confidence the more we lean and greater stress we lay on any creature-comfort when God comes once to blast it and take it away as 't were by a stroke it will become so much the greater cross and so much affliction we may expect from it as we have had affection to it and placed dependance upon it Put not your trust therefore in man or place your confidence in bare Creatures for whose shoulders an immortal Soul carries too great a burden but Trust in the Lord from henceforth and for ever Let me conclude this with the Prophets advice Jer. 9.23 Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom nor the strong man in his might nor the rich man in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in the Lord And with that of the Psalmist Psal 62.8 10. Trust not in Oppression if riches increase set not your heart upon them But trust in him at all times and finally with that of the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.17 Trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God Fourthly Solamen ministrat This Doctrine comes full fraught with comfort and speaks abundant and matchless consolation to all the People of God who have this Interest in him and exercise dependance upon him as their hope and help The godly man is the only blessed man The World may count and call her darlings happy but no such blessedness to be found as in the fruition of God and derivations from him Blessed he is First In all his Relations and concernments as to his spiritual state and as to his temporal He having an interest in God hath an interest in all that is Gods all his Attributes Relations Promises
deliverances for Jacob. Yea this is a firm coâ—clusion of her faith Isa 33.22 The Lord is oâ— Judge our Law-giver our King he will save 〈◊〉 They are stiled his portion and heritage Isa 54 1â— Deut. 32.9 As he is their so they his portioâ— and he will not suffer that to be wasted and eâ—bezelled His Jewels in comparison of whom aâ— the world besides are but as so much lumbeâ— Mal. 3.17 He will not admit their spoil oâ— plunder His Turtle Psal 74.19 which hath aâ—waies a sympathy with its mates affliction Hiâ— beloved favourites for whom he hath a choicâ— respect and endeared affection in whom hâ— takes singular delight and complacency Psaâ— 18.19 and 60.5 Their heart is set on God and his heart on them and because he loveth them he compasseth them with favour as with a shield Psal 5.12 The apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 Now as the eye is the tenderest part of the body so is the apple of the eye They are his hidden ones for privacy and value worth and excellency more excellent than their neighbours the least meanest of them more worth than all the world a people of whom the world is not worthy Heb. 11.38 His precious ones Isa 43.4 In comparison of whom all other are but vile in his account His holy ones Psal 86.2 which he will not suffer the world to prophane His chosen ones or the people of his choice The Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself and Israel for his peculiar Treasure Psal 135.4 His redeemed ones or the people of his purchase Isa 43.3 which he will in no wise lose either by fraud or violence his Garden or Paradise wherein he delights Isa 58.18 His Vineyard which he both â—â—ters and watches every moment Isa 27.3 〈◊〉 a word his Jacob and Israel against whom â—â—ere is no inchantment or divination Numb 13. â—nd the work of his hands which he will in â—o case forsake Psal 138. ult And concerning â—hich he will not only be intreated but also comâ—anded Isa 45.11 There is a mutual interest â—â—d propriety between God and his People God â—â—th made over himself to them in the Covenant 〈◊〉 Grace and they have reobliged themselves to 〈◊〉 They are said to have surrendred or given â—o themselves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8.5 He shall â—â—â—se our inheritance for us saith the Psalmist â—sal 47.4 They have a stock of prayers going â—â—th God and he hath a stock of mercy and â—ory going with them Their interests are so â—â—ited and twisted together as they cannot be â—â—vered His cause is concern'd in his People â—â—d his own honour highly ingaged upon their â—ccount yea the vindication of all his Attriâ—utes his Power Wisdom Holiness Mercy and Goodness Truth and Faithfulness is obliged in â—heir sublevation which else would be wholly â—â—â—t and utterly impaired in the world They â—re so linked in an holy league and sacred conâ—â—deracy with him That it 's observable in â—heir addresses to him in prayer against their â—nemies they level them as against Gods interest and not their own and all they need request is only that God may be glorified So Daâ—id Psal 83.2 Lo thine enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee have lift up the head He doubts not to call his Gods enemies And so Asa in his solemn supplications put up to God oâ— the approach of that innumerable host against him 2 Chron. 14.11 O Lord saith he thou art 〈◊〉 God let not man prevail against thee Not us buâ— thee As Gods glory is bound up in the samâ— bundle with his Peoples eternal so is it also witâ— their temporal salvation Secondly In respect of the manifold Promise and Engagements he hath made to them Goâ— hath ingaged for their security and bounâ—â— himself for their protection as well as thâ— provision so far as is necessary They are stiled The People of his Covenant Psal 111.12 And thâ— stipulation is mutual They are in covenanâ— with God obliged to his service and devoted tâ— his fear O Lord truly I am thy Servant I aâ— thy Servant saith David Psal 116.16 They are engaged to walk in his waies and to be founâ— faithful And God is a God in covenant witâ— them and as they never leave him so will he never leave them in their enemies hand Psal 37.33 As they defend his glory so will he their intereâ—â— and cause If God be a God keeping Covenant even with them while in lesser things they some times break with him Psal 89 34. Much more will he keep Covenant with them while aâ— they fear him Though salvation be far from thâ— wicked his salvation is with them that fear him And as they are included in a general Covenant so have they entailed upon them many graciouâ— promises of special protection He hath said He will never leave nor forsake them Heb. 13.5 The same promise he made to all Israel Deut. 31.8 and made good to Joshua in person he also accomplisheth to all Believers He will not forâ—â—ke his People or cast off his Inheritance He will have compassion on his dwelling-place he will comfort Sion and chuse Jerusalem They have Gods promise for help and deliverance in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 which is good security They are under a reserved promise under the Judgements of Sword Famine or Pestilence Amos 9.8 Isa 33. Psal 91.10 Which kind of promises though not absolute engagements yet are seasonable directions and comfortable incouragements 〈◊〉 times of calamity and affliction They are alwaies prisoners of hope for by the blood of the Covenant God will send them out of the pit wherein there is no water Zach. 9.11 Covenants of old were confirmed by Sacrifices Psal 50.5 Jer. 34. Et caesa jungebant faedera porca Virgil The Lord Jesus Christ by the blood of his Covenant hath bought outward and common as well as saving and eternal mercies for his People Thirdly In regard of those conditions of obtaining Divine Help which are ever found in them They are under a fitness and aptitude of disposition to receive it There are four conditions or qualifications especially which make them meet for this divine influence which are to be found in them The first is of Humility or spiritual Poverty Psal 34.8 The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and saveth them that be of a contrite spirit He beholds the proud afar off as scorning his tuition but he graciously beholds the humble Isa 66.2 In him the fatherless finde mercy A Father of the fatherless and Judge of the Widow is he out of his holy habitation Psal 68.5 6. The Lord helpeth those that are cast down The Lion puts as it were into his bosome those that bow before him or he down at his feet but tears in pieces them that run away from him or bid resistance to him so generous and noble is his nature and disposition satis est prostrasse And so doâ—s the Lion of the Tribe of Judah he
by thy great power and stretched-oâ—â— arm As he hath infinite wisdom and knows alâ— things so infinite power and can do all things â— he is wonderful in counsel and mighty in working And thus we finde the Church shoring up her reeling and sinking spirits with the stud oâ— his infinite boundless and never failing mercy and compassions Lam. 3.21 This I recall to my mind therefore have I hope Saints hope in his mercy Psal 33.18 The Attributes of God are as so many props and pillars to uphold a falling soul as so many shields which he may bear before him to fence off the strokes of evil When they cannot lay hold on a Promise they may yet lay hold upon an Attribute and though they sit in darkness and see no light yet may they stay upon it One shine of an Attribute in its full lustre and glory is able to dispel in a moment all those mists of fear doubt and temptation which have over-spread the souls Heavens and cause them utterly to vanish Secondly The merits of his Son They are also strong pillars of this hope He is that mighty one on whose shoulders God hath laid his peoples help Psal 89.19 All fell and became a ruinous heap in Adam but is repaired by Christ It hath pleased the Father all fulness should dwell in him the spirit without measure treasures of wisdom and knowledge And all the grace and mercy of God runs through the chanel of his blood whether concerning our eternal or temporal condition He is the Saviour of all but especially of them that believe with him we have all things as being entailed upon him all is yours because you are Christs 1 Cor. 3. ult Through the knowledge of him all things are given us which pertain to life and godliness God supplies all our wants according to the riches of his glory in Christ He is represented to us under all possible names of fulness and excellency to assure us that whatsoever we want may be had in him He is called light life treasure yea the Apostle calls his unsearchable riches Ephes 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unfathomable wealth It 's reported of the Spanish Embassadour that when he had beheld the Duke of Venice's treasury with great admiration as indeed being the richest in the world yet in the end commends his Masters above it which the auditors wondring at and demanding the reason of he gives this answer This treasure though vast hath a bottom but my Masters hath no bottom alluding to the Isles of Mexico c. This is much more true of Christ he hath bottomless treasures of grace and peace wisdom and holiness joy and comfort life and glory bliss and happiness to give out to his members And considering help in the other notion he is also the most proper and adequate object of our hope For him hath God exalted a Prince and Saviour not only to dispense out the gifts of repentance and forgiveness as Kings do on their inauguration daies but also hath raised him up to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and deliverer of his People from the hands of all their enemies The Redeemer that shall come out of Sion to turn away ungodliness from Jacob. He shall raise the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof Act. 15.16 He is called Gods strength Isa 27.5 His neck saith the Spouse in her description is like the Tower of David builded for an Armoury whereon there hang a thousand bucklers all shields of mighty men Cant. 4.4 He is the Saints chief helper the Antesignanus or standard-bearer of the whole Army or as we render it the chiefest of ten thousand under whose conduct himself going in the front before us we may rout Armies of sins fears temptations men and Devils though never so combined or bandied against us Though they compass us about like Bees yet in this name of the Lord may we destroy them He is a security against the wrath of God and against the violence of men also Saith Bernard sweetly ubi tuta firmaque requies nisi in vulneribus salvatoris Every wound of Christ is a City of Refuge to the pursued soul of a Christian The destroying Angel will pass over those who are sprinkled with Christs blood The avenger of blood shall never touch those who are once lodged in this sure Sanctuary and they who have the scarlet thred of his merits tied upon their hearts are certain of delivery from wrath to come and being proximi Jovi are yet procul à fulmine This man saith the Evangelical Prophet of him shall be as an hiding-place from the wind and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rock in a weary Land Isa 32.2 A shelter against colder and battering storms and a shadow under burning and scorchsing heats He comes forth saith the other Prophet that is to be Ruler in Israel from among the least of the thousands of Judah whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord in â—he Majesty of the name of the Lord his God And this man shall be thy peace when the assyrian shall come into the Land strength against or comfort under his oppression This was that the Prophet Zachariah comforts the Church with against the Babylonish captivity Zach. 9.9 11 12. Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Sion Behold thy King cometh unto thee And what follows upon his advent As for thee also by the blood of the Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein there is no water and so directs them to turn to him that strong hold as prisoners of hope Never failed that soul of help who made Christ his hope He never will cast out those which come to him and citius clavem ab Hercule none can pluck his sheep out of his hand Thirdly The relations of the Covenant Whom should a child trust to for help but his Father and the innocent for right but the Judge This is that the Prophet pleads all along in times of calamity and trouble Gods Paternity Kingship conjugal relations The Church alwaies goes to him under these relations of a God a Judge a King a Father an Husband all which are moving his bowels of affection she laies her claim to God as hers on all occasions I am thine saith David save me So the Church impleads her interest The Lord is my portion therefore will I hope in him Fourthly The truth and fulness of his Promises What God hath a tongue to speak is ouâ— duty to have an ear to hear and heart too to believe for what he hath spoken with his mouth he will fulfil with his hand 2 Sam. 7.24 25. Not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you â— Joshua tells the people cap. 23.14 And so Solomon blessing God before
him before we knew him in a way of gracious acquaintance with him and now doubt him when we have had such plentiful experience of him They who know his Name should trust in him Fourthly This laies a just ground for return unto God for all receipts of help and influence from him Grace should ascend where it does descend priviledge asks service What shall I render saith David Psal 116.12 It was charged on Hezekiah that he returned not to the Lord according to the benefit done to him the help afforded him against the King of Assyria 2 Chron. 32.25 But who can give to the Lord or what can man be profitable to his Maker Indeed we have nothing worthy his acceptance all our duties have no further value in them than what grace puts upon them as gilded and enamel'd with his gracious acceptation in Christ so they become only beautiful and precious in his sight But though God expects no full compensation he doth a right and just improvement And there is but a twofold way of improvement By studying the advance of Gods honour and glory and communicating to the wants and necessities of our Brethren First For Gods glory Does the Lord help us it's but reasonable we should help him Let us help him against the mighty but God stands in no need of our help he will maintain his own cause we may let God alone to govern the world yet we finde God himself once asking the question Psal 94.16 Who shall rise up for me against the evil deers who shall stand up for me against the workers of iniquity Who is on my side who The cause and interest of God sometimes is leaning seems falling and though God does not need our help yet he sometime requires it not chusing to act in a more immediate way but like the Master stands and looks on while his men do his work And we may be assured God will take it very heinously if we see it carted for want of putting to our shoulders O let us then be zealous for God and appear for his cause truth and glory appear in our places against sin and for holiness As we would ever have God appear for us at the last day when he comes out against the world so let us appear for God in our day when the world are going out against him With what face or confidence dare we look God in the face at judgement and desire him to stand then by us when our consciences shall accuse us Time was when we would not stand by him or venture any thing for him and tell us withall that he that denies Christ before men he will deny before his Father in Heaven Secondly For our Brethrens supply As we have received so let us communicate Communicate to other poor souls that need our help When converted our selves we ought to strengthen our Brethren The world is for use not for enjoyment grace for both We are not owners only Stewards of those talents God hath concredited and he will expect an account of us according to our receipts ought to be our disbursements and never did any soul lose by his layings out for God but he sufficiently reimbursed him The liquor of mercy is on purpose put by God into broken Vessels that it might run out to others We should do what in us lies to hand Christ and Grace those gifts of God to our Brethren our Lamps should be filled with Oyl that others might borrow of us at least light from us It was Jobs commendation that he was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame he fed them with his morsels cloathed them with his raiment harboured them in his house Job 31. It 's much more our duty to endeavour the illumination of blind minds and recovery of lame souls and help them by the crutches of our prayers tears and counsels who cannot as yet step without them If our neighbours beast be in the ditch we ought to help him out and much more his soul when about plunging into Hell When one neighbours house is on fire all the neighbour-hood will contribute their best ability to quench it and shall we not lend our helping-hand to extinguish the flames of divine wrath which our Brothers soul hath already kindled upon him and wherein he is like to burn else to all eternity And as graceless sinners stand in need of our help so oftentimes do comfortless Saints they are weary and heavy laden and would be glad of a lift at their burden To a man afflicted pity should be shown of his friend No truer sign of grace than a compassionate sense of the wounds of a troubled conscience and no surer sign of a desperate mind devoted to destruction than a want of sympathy with them The end God comforts us is that we may comfort others 2. Cor. 1.4 And he expects being our selves converted we should strengthen our Brethren we should not be cisterns to keep all in but conduits to let run out our gifts graces and experiences to others It 's the rarest Art in the world to comfort afflicted consciences every Christian should endeavour to be well skill'd in it By distributions of grace and comfort to others we shall become gainers and lose no more than the Sun does of light or the Fountain of water by affording us their beams and streams Virtus eundo crescit Natural motions may spend but this spiritual increaseth It 's pity the talents of grace should ever lie dead by us and such holy usury and improvement alwaies brings in the greatest increase and largest revenue And indeed a Christian hath no more grace than he well improves for Gods glory and his own and others good And as we must communicate to others souls so to their outward conditions too that need our help Feed the hungry cloath the naked As we have opportunity do good to all men with such sacrifices God is well pleased Charge them saith the Apostle that are rich that they be ready to distribute And he that hath this worlds goods and seeth his Brother need and hath no compassion on him how dwelleth the love of God in him The merciful is blessed and he shall finde mercy but let him never expect mercy from God that hath no mercy for man God will one day shut his heart as close as ever he did his purse and straiten his bowels to him as he did his bounty to his Brethren The bill at the last day runs in negatives and God will cause both the gallant and worldly muck-worm shortly to know that he gave them estates not to lay out on their backs and bellies and monies not barely to trade with and treasure up for their followers but to do good with in their generations by acts of piety and charity as occasion was offered them Christ will go on the other side from their Souls another day who now passed on the other side with a bare naked view of their Brethrens bleeding
to bring light out of darkness and Heaven out of Hell Gods ways are often in the Deep and his paths hidden and unknown Thou hidest thy self O God of Israel the Saviour The Devil first comes with the sweetest and at last with the sharpest God on the contrary makes a sad beginning but a blessed and comfortable end ye have seen the end of the Lord. God indeed usually comes to the wicked first with a blessing and last with a judgement but to his people first with a judgement and last with a blessing The wicked have the top of the Cup of mercy but the dregs of that of wrath The Saints sip of the Cup of wrath but have the bottom of that of mercy Now the further off the approaches of mercy are the more invisible The Prophet speaks of the Interstitium between the Law and the Gospel that it should be a day half dark and half light Zech. 14.8 And 't is alwayes darkest and coldest a little before break of day We are no competent Judges of divine operations God was in that place and Jacob knew it not we often fear a Devil of fury when there 's nothing but an Angel of mercy and look not on that side of the Picture which hath the face of a beautifull Virgin but the other that hath the affrighting look of an ugly and deformed Monster Manoah when God came to visit him thought he came to murder him when God comes to comfort us then we are well-pleased but let him come to humble refine and purge better and reform us then we cry out Undone We are sensible when he gives us fuller assurance but not when he works in us more holiness So let Christ appear in his glory in his Church let him give her a Year of Jubilee then her Children lift up their heads but let him appear in the prefiguring signs and shake all Nations come with Fire and Sword then mens hearts tremble for fear and scarce is faith to be found in the Earth But the infinitely wise God hath private Channels and Conveyances of grace which are not a whit less sure because more hidden and secret And thirdly not presently As God works not according to our modell so he takes his own time That leads to the second He alwayes observes not nay seldom or never our time Christ would do nothing before his hour came It is not for us to know the times and seasons which God hath reserved in his own Power All things shall not do at present work together for good take the whole piece when finisht and it will appear excellent God hath an appointed time which once come mercy shall stay no longer Exod. 12. ult The very same day Israel went out of Egypt by their armies In that instant Daniel was praying the seventy weeks being determined comes a Dove with a Letter in its wing an Angel flying to him with intelligence of the return of their Capâ—iviâ—y There is a set time when he will have mercy on Sion God sent his Son in the fulness of time When the Ammorites sins be full he will judge them though it be four hundred years first he had not forgotten them one day with him is as a thousand and a thousand years but as yesterday as a Watch in the night And when Gods peoples graces be at the full he will then come and save them He gathers his fruit when once ripe God does not alwayes ride post or mercy come on the wing but though it be long first it shall surely come at last and the longer in coming the better and more welcom mercies soon ripe are soon rotten soon gotten soon lost but those which cost us dear and are the fruit of many prayers tears and sorrows and results of much faith and hope waiting and patience are sweetest and surest our Benjamins and most beloved darlings God hath bound himself by promise to his people for the thing but not for the time and he does not therefore observe the soonest but the seasonablest time nor so confider our need as not also to respect our fitness and so his own glory He can work when he pleaseth Nullum tempus occurrit Regi and if he does not when we desire it 's but a just requital for as his time was not ours in coming to him so 't is but equal our time should not be his in coming to us But yet his delaies are no denials and mercy may be nearest when it seems furthest off Faith knows Gods time is the best and is willing to stay for its portion till he pleaseth to pay it alwaies saying Not mine but thy will be done If God comes not ad horam he will ad salutem the longer the Physick remains in the body of the Patient the more effectual will be its operation And the longer the vessel of prayer be gone the greater lading it brings with it when it once comes home Hasty births commonly miscarry and how sad a case will it be to lose a mercy or have it spoiled and have half a mercy instead of it for want of a little longer waiting The Souldier will be vexed to purpose if he delivers the Castle when as if he had staid but a few daies longer relief had come certainly What gat Saul by posting the Sacrifice before Samuel came It might have cut him to the heart if it did not to think that had he waited but a few daies longer he had saved both his life and his Kingdom Impatience hath lost or impaired many a mercy God will grant our patient sober submissive requests but never in mercy our restless and too importunate desires These make him often give us royal favours in anger and let his wrath enter our souls while yet our meat is in our mouths The Church had learnt better manners than to be so hasty so quick and snatching Isa 26.9 In the way of thy Judgements have we waited for thee It 's too great a boldness to make our watch a rule for Gods Sun our seeming distructions often usher in our deliverance and our too great haste for deliverance oft proves our destruction But thirdly We may say our case is sad our misery great we are under sore trials and temptations have met with many disappointments so as we have no hope our case is desperate our disease is grown incurable To which I answer the sadder our condition the more hope The greater mans misery the more Gods pity and deeper our affliction the higher his affection It 's the more honour to God to work when others have thrown it up and the greater glory to this heavenly Physitian to do the cure when 't is grown opprobrium medicorum the scorn to all others God delights to come in at a strait to know his People in a day of adversity To stay till all our power be gone our hope perished and we have given over praying seeking waiting hoping and expecting and given up all for lost