have heard of Christs addresses to relieve them and upon a mistake the increase of their feares though not of danger And thus farre hath Christ exercised their graces discovered their corruptions now begins the rise of their comfort and deliverance Christ can neither deferre their deliverance nor conceale himselfe any longer And therefore it followes But straitway Jesus spake unto them saying Be of good comfort it is I be not afraid a Quomodo solemus trepidos compellara qui nos ex voce agnoscere possunt ego sum Jansen As the mother sometimes speakes to her childe in the darke of the night when it is afraid Peace child do not cry 〈◊〉 it is I thy mother be not afraid So doth Christ here speak to his Disciples when they were in their childish feare of a ghost b Alloeutus statim cos voce illis non ignota fignificat quis sit Chem. Peace be of good comfort It is I your Saviour be not afraid They deserved reproofe but he pitties their weaknesse In this Text Christ doth apply himselfe to the cure of three severall distempers under which they laboured 1 They were in feare of a Ghost 2 They were in feare of their danger of being swallowed up of the waves 3 They were even out of hopes of preservation and deliverance See here how Christ doth apply himself to the cure of these three distempers 1 To settle them aright in their misapprehension that he was a ghost he tels them It is I. 2 To quiet their hearts in the feare of the danger of the waves He saith It is I be not afraid 3 To comfort and strengthen their hearts in assurance of deliverance he saith c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem est consolamiui fiduciam habere Be of good cheere or beleeve be of good confidence It is I. This in a more generall way is observable in the Text. In particular cast your eye upon these foure things 1 Look upon the way which Christ takes to settle comfort incourage his Disciples in their fears dangers misapprehensions He spake unto them 2 Looke upon the incouragement it selfe which is double 1 Be of good cheere 2 Be not afraid 3 Looke upon the ground of this incouragement It is I Be of good comfort It is I be not afraid 4 Observe the time when and that is in the first words straightway But straightway Jesus spake unto them c. We will begin with the first The way Christ takes to settle comfort and incourages them Iesus spake to them But to what Them doth he meane to all in the ship or only to his Disciples If to all that might have been as bad as a ghost to some to tell them it was Christ Guilty consciences wicked men are ready to say with their father Art thou come to torment us before the time At the best it could be little comfort to those who had not an interest in Christ who had not Christ their friend Well might they thinke as Ahab sometimes said to Eliah Hast thou found me oh my enemy 1 It was spoken to the hearing of all 2 But to the comfort chiefly of his owne Doct. The same word of God may be spoken to the hearing of all but to the comfort of a few Christ spake to the hearing of all in the ship but yet to the comfort of his Disciples And yet we cannot but think the rest of the Passengers and Mariners might receive some comfort by it so far as they understood who it was that spake The newes of a Saviour to a man in misery is some comfort though as yet the man is not able to cleere his interest in him And it might be the more to them now because they were in the same ship with the Disciples and therefore like to be shaters with them in their deliverance Doct. It is good to be in the ship with the people of God though it be on a stormy and troublesome sea The Mariners found this to be true They were in the ship with them and therefore did partake of the common salvation It is good to be in good company in a good cause though you meet with many difficulties in it If any salvation come you shall be sure to heare of it there It is better to be on a stormy sea with the people of God then to be without them upon the shore you see that here They had not only their bodies but their soules saved too as you may conjecture charitably by the sequell of the story Verse 33. Againe in that the whole ship was saved for a few Disciples in it we learne Doct. That God may have mercy upon many for the sake of a few God would have spared Sodome for ten righteous persons Ierusalem for one Ier. 5.1 d Credit mihi Pii homines sunt civitatum sacre fulcra columna quibus se motis subrutis nihil nisi perditio Aug. Beleeve me saith Augustine holy men are the pillars of a Common wealth which being taken away we can look for nothing but ruine Eliah was called e Quia praecibus suis populum non aliter ac curru ab inimicis liberavit Aug. The Chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof f Luther dum in vivis esset multas precibus suis calamitates a patria sua advertâ—bat semovit Luther is said to be the pillar of Germany who by his prayers did keepe back and helpe off many miseries upon them It is said Numb 14.9 Feare not the people of the land for they are bread for you their defence is departed from them The Lord is with us feare them not their defence is departed from them It is in the Margin Their Shadow The Rabbins say That this was Job and as long as he lived he was a shadow and defence to Canaan that they could not enter but now being dead they might goe in and enter they were all bread for them for their defence is departed from them Wicked men look upon Gods People as the Troublers of a Kingdome of a City of a Parish when yet God saith they are the Defence the Shelter of them The whole Ship was saved for a few Disciples in it nay a whole Ship for one Paul Acts 27. God hath oftentimes Mercy upon many for the sake of a few But wee proceed JESUS spake unto them This is the way that Christ took here to incourage and comfort the hearts of his people He spake unto them They were in a sad condition before Christ spake but now their souls revive Doct. A word from Christ is able to raise up and encourage the drooping spirits of Gods people in trouble I say Though the hearts of Gods People lie low in trouble and sorrow yet one word of Christ is able to raise them and revive them You see here The Disciples were in a sad condition before even at their wits end for feare g Quantaris
y ipsum esse reputant quem locutum fuisse ad moysen noverant that Divided the Red Sea I that made the World I that took your nature I that came down from heaven for you I that am your Saviour It is the Voice one who is 1. Your Saviour Able to save in the greatest troubles and pressures no trouble can be above my power or my skill 2. Who not onely can But Rejoyceth to bring Salvation to his people It is my proper work and my heart is in it nay 3. Who came on purpose to save and deliver you And therefore this must needs be Incouragemet to them They knew his Power they knew his Love they knew his Nature they knew him to be z Tolle meum Tolle Deum their Saviour and that was Comfort And that they went out upon his errand by his Commission and therefore there was comfort enough Though he said no more It is I CHRIST opposeth this against their fear of the Tempest and against the thoughts they had of a Ghost It is I you think me a Ghost i. e. One who comes to destroy you But It is I That is enough to settle you There are Three Doctrines this holds out to us Doct. 1. a Vnum idem que verbum Christi credentibus est salutiferum incredulis vergit ad damnationem aliis odor vitae aliis mortis Chem. The same word of God may be a Terror to some and a Comfort to Others A Saviour of Life to some and of Death to another 2. Cor. 2.16 To the one we are a Savour of life to life to the other the Savour of death unto death Doct. 2. The appearance of Christ to the Soul in any sad Condition is a Resurrection from the dead Doct. 3. The presence of CHRIST in any trouble calamity or distresse is Comfort and incouragement to the Soul We cannot insist upon all these which we have named we will therfore contract our selves and give you these two in one Doct. The presence and appearance of CHRIST to the Soul in any sad condition is to the Soul as a Resurrection from the dead We will shew the truth of this in four sad conditions the Saints are exercised with And then give you some short application 1. In times of Humiliation for sin When the Soul hath lien Bedrid in sorrow been overwhelmed in the depths of Humilation for sin and hath been even broken and shattered in peeces with fear and consternation of Spirit for sin An appearance of Christ to the Soul now is full of comfort When CHRIST shall come Riding upon the wings of a Promise into the Soul When he shall come displaying all his Glory the Riches of his Grace And shall say to the Soul as he did to Moses Exod. 34.6 The LORD The LORD GOD Mercifull and Gracious pardoning iniquity transgessions and sins c. Exod. 34.6 Oh! It is beyond my power to expresse or of us All to conceive How much the Soul is now Enamored on him How much the Soul is now Revived As before in this condition he appeared as a Ghost to terrifie so now he appears as a Saviour to comfort them And Luther makes this appearance of Christ to answer to their former apprehension of him The truth of this that I have said you may read in Job 33.10 To the 27. ver Where the Soul is in a sad condition for sin in the 19.20.21.22 And upon the discovery of Christ how is the Soul raised 24.25 2. In Times of Temptation When a poor soul hath been long buffetted with Satan and Held down with his bloody Carnall reasonings When the Soul hath been long on the stormy troublesome sea of temptations And CHRIST shall at last apear Conquering the strong-man Rebuking the storme overcoming Satan Oh! who can expresse how welcome such a sight of CHRIST Such an Appearance of CHRIST is to the Soul This is a Resurrection from the dead you have it typyfied in Abraham who after the battell with the four Kings Melchizedeck comes to meet him with Bread and wine strength and comfort which shewes us that our Melchizedeck after all our spirituall battels are over will meet us with the choycest of his comforts This is that he promiseth Rev. 2.17 To him that overcometh I will give the hidden Manna and the white Stone and a name in it which no man knoweth but he that hath it As after Christs temptations were over the Angels came to minister to him so will Christ after all our conflicts meet us with refreshments and proportion our Comforts to our Conflicts In times of desertion when a man hath been upon the black seas of desertion and hath long laboured under the sad sense of Gods withdrawments and at last Christ comes in walking upon the sea breaking the dark and thick cloud and shining into the soule who can now expresse the heats warmths revivings that this appearance yeilds to the soule Oh the claspings the imbracings the loves that passe betwixt the soule and Christ Will you see this set downe Cant. 3.4 Christ had withdrawne himselfe for a season And ah then what sadnesse All the world was like a feast without an appetite a Paradise without a Tree of Life She makes inquisition Heare 's not of him Runs to Ordinances and would be glad to have the least starre of direction to carry her to him in this sad condition while she is in the pursuit of Christ At last Christ appeares to her soule And read there how her heart was revived I have found him whom my soule loveth I held him and would not let him go untill I had brought him into my mothers house The like you have of Iob he had been a long time in a dark and deserted condition you may read his complaints every Chapter Verse c. is but the sad pauses and pathyes the afflicted breathings of his soule At last God appeares and who can tell his joy who is able to expresse the ravishments of his heart I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eyes see thee And certainely his heart was filled with as much soule-advancements as self-abhorrence Iob 45.5 4. In the time of outward trouble when we are in some sad heavie close affliction when we are upon beds of sicknesse when in prison when in dangers Oh! then a visit of Christ in prison a discovery of Christ in danger a manifestation of Christ upon the bed of sicknesse it is worth a world to the soule So it was to the Three Children in the fiery furnace Dan. 3.24 25. When the fourth appeared the presence of whom was like the Son of God So it was here to the Disciples when they were in this danger on the sea and Christ appeared to them none can expresse how their hearts leaped for joy what heights of rejoycings after those depths of trouble Thus you see the appearance of Christ in any sad condition is such
Though you are not able to command the Spirit which like the wind bloweth where and when it listeth yet set your selves in his presence spread your Sayles that if a wind come you may have the benefit of it But this all of God Here is a multitude here this day if your hearts be right know this Christ will not send you away without some refreshment Had he respect to the bodies of men when a multitude were come together that he would not send them away after their long continuance with him in his Ordinances without some refreshment lest they fainted in the way certainely he will have more regard to the soules of men What are the faintings of the body to the faintings of the soule But further While he sent the multitude away It may be here demanded why Christ should send them away had it not been better for them to have continued with Christ to have followed him in his temptations to havn attended upon him in the work of his Ministery why doth he send them away There is good reason 1. He would not over-drive them hee would not continue their exercises above their strength he would lay no more wood on than there was fire able to kindle hold them no longer in duties than there was strength to carry them on Jacob slacked his pace because of the weaknesse of his little ones Christ proportions the exercises of duty to the strength of the people 2. Or secondly Christ sends them away would not suffer them to continue and goe with him because he would not put them to difficulties above their strength to goe through he knew if they were to follow him they might quickly be weary 8 Matth. 20. for the foxes had holes and the birds of the ayre had nests but the sonne of man hath no place where to lay his head When the children of Israel came out of Egipt God would not lead them by the way of the hills which was the nearest way but by the way of the plaines which was much about And upon this ground because of the Philistims lest the difficulties they met withall in their first setting out might discourage them and make them think of their returnes again to Egipt And upon the same ground God doth spare men for a time in the wayes of grace and doth not exercise vong beginners as hee doth those who are growne Christians Till the Disciples were got from the shore till they were got to the midst of the sea they met with no storms As I shall shew c. 3 Or else Christ would have them now go home having fed their bodies and refreshed their soules to meditate upon those things which they had heard One Sermon wrought downe to the Spirit is worth many heard too many who are great feeders a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicuntur qui exalimento quod assumunt non augescunt nec nutriuntur but little nourishers they want digestion This is not to feed upon Sermons but to devoure Sermons when they are not digested into nourishment our nourishment doth not so much lye in feeding as in digesting You may by that increase the bignesse of your heads your knowledge but not nourish the leannesse of your hearts your affections It is monstrous in nature to have the head bigger then the body so in grace to increase knowledge only and not practise If all time were spent in feeding where were the time for working you feed to work Your present affections that are exercised raised in hearing wil vanish fall againe if you do not work all downe in meditation and digest them into your nature or your nature into them the good word whereby the stocke changed into the nature of it Too many that neglect the hearing of the word at all and some that think that this is all that is required when this is but a preparatory service a service subservient to another hearing to obeying preaching to practise I will not cast water upon your affections quench any spark of Gods kindling b Folia haec sunt non fructus Aug. you do well to heare you do well to heare often oh but adde meditation to hearing practise to preaching when you have heard a Sermon then go live a Sermon 4. There may be another reason yet why Christ sent them away that they should now go about their lawfull occasions take care of their families and benefit their relations make their households better for that they had received Two things hence observable 1 The duties of our generall calling though they are far to be preferred yet they must not altogether justle out the duties of our particular Christ sends them away to their homes after he had refreshed them 2 Absolute duties towards God must quicken us to and in our relative duties towards man It is said of Jacob when he had beene conversing with God that he plucked up his feet and went cheerefully on in his way The duties of godlinesse are no hinderance but a furtherance to us and an inablement of us in our particular duties towards man When we have beene with Christ in a day we must labour to returne home better husbands better wives better parents better children c. Absolute duties towards God must quicken us to and inable us in our relative duties towards man After Christ had been in the Temple saith the Text he went home and became obedient to his parents the being in the Temple was no cause why Christ was obedient it is said after not by way of causality but in order of time But our being with God and converses with him do inable us to performe these duties to man which God requires So much for the 22 Verses We come to the next 23. Verse And when he had sent the multitude away he went into a Mountaine to pray and when the evening was come he was then alone And here now appeares one great reason why Christ dismissed his Disciples and the multitude concealed before he went to pray You have three things considerable 1 The order when he had sent the multitude away 2 The place he went into a Mountaine 3 The end to pray 1 We begin with the first viz. The Order When he had sent the multitude away First Christ dismisseth the multitude and then goes to be alone Christ had no need of his helpe c Ipse Christus non laboravit illo vitio ut avocamentis vel impediretur vel languesceret illius oratio sicutnos tamen nobis in exemplum secessum quaerit Chem. in loc he could be alone when he was in company he could converse with God without distractions either sinfull or naturall But this Christ did to teach us Doct. That when we are to have to do with God to dismisse the multitude you are to discharge your selves of the multitude of your affaires the multitude of your imployments cares thoughts c. If you dismisse not these before
enough nor humiliation and supplication unlesse to these you joyne reformation 2 Chron. 7 14. If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turne from their evell wayes then will I heare from heaven he mercifull to their sins and heale their land Marke you it is not one of these but all of them the words are not to be read disjunctively as if one would serve the turn but copulatively all or nothing You read this in 10. Iudg. 10. c. that Israel humbled themselves prayed too yea and prayed earnestly but for all this God was giving them up into the hand of their enemies till they set upon the work of reformation too as you see 15 16 verses and then the Lord was grieved for the misery of Israel 4. Be mighty in prayer with God this day Mighty necessities doe cal for mighty strivings wreslings with God These are speciall times of seeking And special times of seeking should be times of speciall seeking of God But seek him humbly seek him fervently seek him cordially c. And God will be better to us than our prayers he will doe for us above what we aske or think 5. Enter into solemne Covenant with God against them This is the great duty of the day and proper for it when you have bin humbled for them then covenant against them But be sure you covenant with God as he doth with you that is covenant with him in Christ desire him to be surety for thee otherwise thy bond is nothing worth There is yet another thing observable from the time of their danger It is not presently upon their setting forth they had for some time a prosperous voyage but now the storme ariseth Doct. That God doth not use to exercise such as are but young beginners with difficulties I told you in the beginning it is said of the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt that God would not lead them by the way of the hils though the nearest way but by the way of the plains though much about and he himselfe gives this reason Because of the Philistims that is lest the difficulties they met withall at their first setting out might have discouraged and disheartned them in the way It is said of Iacob that he slackned his pace because of his little ones God will not over-drive his people and put them to exercises above the strength of grace received Upon this ground is that speech of Christ Old bottles will not beare new wine c. That is he would not exercise young beginners with austerities of religion but would forbeare them till they had gotten more strength the dayes will come when the bridegroome shall be taken away then they should fast when the bridegrome was taken away he will then give them in those dayes a more plentifull and abundant measure of his spirit and then they should be able for these works Vse And what a comfort is this to the Saints though God do exercise you yet he will not put you to exercises above the measure of grace received You doubt now how you shall be able to undergoe difficulties for Christ how you shall lye in prison how dye for Christ and you perplex your hearts with this from day to day you seare if you should be called upon difficulties you would recoyle and fall back you are never able to go through such conditions And indeed those of Gods souldiours which have beene most fearfull in garrison have been most valiant in the field those who have suspected their hearts most who have been most humble fearfull and jealous of themselves have proved most resolute and valiant when God hath called them upon service Where others who have been selfe confident before have shrunk in the dayes of tryall As the story of Dr. Pendleton will tell you who when Saunders a Minister came to him and told him his feares the jealousies of his own heart to undergo Martyrdome to burne for Christ he answered that he would rather lose every drop of grease he had being fat then deny Christ but yet the poor man stood to it when he renounced it c. But besides take this for thy comfort in the middest of thy jealous and mis-giving thoughts that either God will not bring thee upon trials upon sufferings or if he do he will give thee strength to go through them And therefore though I would have thee to maintaine an humble jealous feare such a feare as makes thee go out of thy selfe yet beware of sinking discouraging feares such as dis-inable for service seeing God hath undertaken if he call thee forth upon difficulties to give thee a spirit strength to walk through them And so much for the second particular the time of their danger We now come to the third The danger it selfe And that is set out in four particulars 1 They were in the midst of the sea 2 They were tossed with waves 3 The winde was contrary 4 Christ was absent We will begin with the first They were in the midst of the sea But the ship was now in the a Navis in medio mari jam erat hoc enim in altum jam conscenderat pro fundissimum fluctibus ventis gravioribus obnoxium Pareus midst of the sea There were two great ends for which Christ sent his Disciples to sea 1 To exetcise their graces 2 To declare his power And the middest of the sea was the fittest place for these Christ chose the middest of the sea as the fittest place to exercise their graces and to declare his own power Doct. That when Christ doth intend to exercise the graces of his people hee plucks them from the shore he brings them into the deep You see here Nihil nisi pontus aether Christ suffered them to be pulled from the land on one side and a contrary wind to blow on the other side b In medio mari significat periculi magnitudinem Brugenâ— so that they were now in the midst of the sea and here he exerciseth them when faith hath nothing to do but look upwards when none but God to relye upon then it looks fully and rests firmely upon him Faith cannot act till it act alone When men are in the deepe there is no way but to cast anchor upwards there is no bottome but in heaven which is the best bottome when it is the only bottome We say the Loadstone will not draw while the Adamant is neare it nor faith rest fully on him while it hath dependancies here below b Optimi sumus cum infirmi sumus It s hard to make that man all in God who is something in any thing here below The reliefes of creatures do often hinder us in our relyance upon God and therefore God is forced to weaken the arme of flesh that he might strengthen the arme of faith 2 Cor. 1.9 1 Tim. 5.5 Zeph. 3.12 You know
him but as he hath revealed himself in his Word And though you are not able at present to evidence him such a God to you as he hath manifested himself in his Word yet by faith conclude him so when you cannot cleer him so Thus Job did so Job 13. These things hast thou hid in thy heart Job 10.13 yet J know that this is with thee though I cannot see it yet I doe beleeve it though I cannot cleer it yet I doe conclude it And thus the Church 36. Esay 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father Isa 63.16 She will not be reasoned out of her faith she will hold the conclusion of faith against all the evidence that sense and reason can bring to the contrary This is with Ulysses to bind our selves fast to the mast and not suffer our selves to be charmed away to the destruction and undoing of our own souls And these are the three times that Christ seems to appear as a Ghost to his own people Now there are foure times Christ appears as a Ghost to wicked men 1. When he comes with his Fan in his hand to purge and reform his Church men look upon Reformation as their destruction And think Christ comes to destroy them when he comes to reforme them men may sometimes look upon that as the greatest evill which yet is intended for their greatest good It is the Speech of Augustine upon this place That there shall be such troubles shall arise about the fourth watch a little beiore the end of all things that men shall look upon Religion shall I say because of the troubles that it raises when it comes to be setled in its Power and Glory s Res Christiana phantasma videtur they shall look upon Religion as a Ghost Not because Religion will hurt them but hurt their sins How justly may that be applyed to us now which was spoken of Israel When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Israel did appeare So it is with us when the Lord would heale us and reforme us then doth the iniquity of men the malice the pride the hatred of the purity of Ordinances then doe all these â—ppeare What is the ground of all this trouble among us now why are so many up in Arms * Vitia nostra quia amamus defendimus but to keep out Christ in the Power and purity of his Ordinances Reformation is now the Ghost that hath frighted them into Arms men that are afraid they run unto their weapons so they frighted with the Ghost of Reformation get up weapons put themselves in armes to oppose it So long as Reformation is looked upon as an enemy it shall finde enemies enow though indeed it is an enemy to nothing but their sinnes A second time when he appeares as a Ghost to them t Haec in est nobis perversitas ut quae vere mala sunt non timeamus ea quae nocere ne possunt formidemus Musc in loc when he comes to reform their Persons then they cannot away withall they fear holinesse love sin that which should be object of hatred is object of love and that which should be object of love is object of feare they cannot brook holy wayes they will not subject to the Lawes of God they cannot part with their sins take away their sins take away their best friends they have been wicked and will be wicked They thank God they are no Changlings Indeed not to change in a good way is commendable but to be unchangeable in a bad way is damnable To be unchangably evill is to be as Divells are for ever sinfull and for ever miserable First cleer your way to be good and then glory in our unchangeablenesse A third time when Christ appears as a ghost to them and that is when they lie upon the bed of sicknesse the bed of death Oh then Christ is terrible when a man shall lye upon his death bed u Vadeo nescio quo ens entium miserere mei Animula vagula biandula quae nunc Abibis in loca de Adriau dicitur and connot tell what shall become of his soul to all eternity when a man shall say as once a great person did in the same condition I cannot live I dare not dye he knows not what shall become of him to all eternity when he shall behold his friends weeping over him but cannot helpe him his relations and comforts leaving him his riches not able to relieve him his sinnes presented and set in order before him and a displeased and wrathfull God ready to destroy him Oh here God appeares as a Ghost indeed You made bug-beares w There shal come in the last dayes scoffers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such as shall make childrens play of all the terrors of the Lord 2 Pet. 3 3. childrens play and scoffed at all the terrors of the Lord before but now they appeare reallities to you The precepts of the Law were a ghost to you in your life and the terrors of the Law are now a ghost to you at death the comforts of the Lord were a ghost to you before and just it is the terrors of the Lord should be a ghost to you now 4 A fourth time and that is at the day of judgement when Heaven and Earth and all the world is on fire then shall Christ appeare as a Ghost indeed full of terror to every wicked and ungodly person We reade that the wicked at that day 6 Rev. 16.17 shall call upon the mountaines to fall upon them to hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe for the day of wrath is come and who shall be able to beare it In their thoughts they were better able to beare the weight of Rocks of Mountains on them then the sight of Christ so terrible will Christ appeare to ungodly men at that great day Vse Oh then knowing the terror of the Lord we perswade you Christians as you would not have Christ to appeare as a Ghost to you terrible at the day of death terrible at the day of judgement let him not appeare as a Ghost to you now * Optima securitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him not appeare terrible to you in his word in his worship in his lawes in his truth If Christ be a terror to you now in these wayes assure your selves he will be a terror to you hereafter Be willing then to receive Christ in his truth in his worship wayes c. Bid him welcome in your houses your hearts if Christ be not a terror to you now if you can brook with strict and exact walking if you can brook the power and purity of his ordinances he will never be a terror to you hereafter This is all I shall say of the second the Disciples thoughts and apprehensions of Christ We come to the third and that is the effects of these
trouble such as never was since there was a nation And at that time thy people shall be Delivered p Tunc maxime populus dei affligitur cum propinqua est salus Baez It is a time of Deliverance but a time of shaking And therefore this is that we must expect that God should increase our troubles when he comes to remove our troubles Object Yea but you will say were our troubles at the height then we could with more comfort bear them but we feare though high they are not yet at the height how should we therefore be satisfied in that Ans 1. When you are at the height of your graces of your faith hope patience when you can believe no further hope no further It is said in respect of the great trouble Luke 8. Luke 18.8 when he cometh he shall not finde faith in the earth these were at the height indeed if they had been wound any higher they had crack't the Musician will winde his strings to the height but not overwinde them so God he will exercise but not destroy our graces 2. When our enemies are at the height of their sins and at the height of their rage and cruelty Exod. 15.9 10. when wicked men are at the top of their pride they are neerest ruine when the iniquity of a man is full when sin is finished it brings forth death when the Epha is full when the harvest is ripe then will God put in his sickle c. Deut. 32.35 3. VVhen we are brought to the lowest 1. In Passive Humiliation 2. Active Humiliation when mens eyes are bigge with teares their hearts with sorrow then is Gods mercy big with deliverance God doth use to bring in a full tide of Comfort when we are at the lowest ebbe of trouble when the streame is dry when the channell of second Causes doth not run then will God arise and have mercy on Sion there is hope in thine end Jere. 31.16 17. when wee would have thought there was an end of hope when the stock of hopes was spent c. yet then a time of hope Esay 33.7 8 9. In the mean time it is rather our worke to doe our present duties then to busy our selves and indeed increase our present troubles by seeking to take the elevation of them our troubles are high but how high God will rayse them before he doth deliver us it is not in man to tell It is our comfort he will either lessen the burthen or strengthen the back either lessen our troubles or increase our strength to beare he will not suffer us to be rempted above measure and he knows our measure what wee are able to beare For the present let it be our work to lessen our sins as God increaseth our troubles to heighten our duties as God doth heighten our difficulties to be healed by our troubles healed of our pride unthankfulnesse c. And you shall then quickly see that God will turne all your troubles into healing So much for that doctrine There is yet something more observeable When they saw him they were troubled q Timorem timori addit non periculum periculo Christ addeth feare to feare but not danger to danger They were in no lesse danger before though now in more fear r Quanquam opinione errore deteriores fuerint tamen non reipsa Cartw. There was now more feare but before more danger their dangers were lessened though their feares were increased D. Mens feares may be increased when yet deliverance is neerest Opinio mali affligit ubi nihil est mali Musc in loc Again D. God may be in a way of deliverance when yet he seems to be in a way of destruction But we have done with the first the effect of their apprehension of Christ ad intra they were troubled Wee will speak a word to the second the effect ad extra s Tantus terror illos invasit ut velut impotentes facti Exclamant Brugens they cryed out for fear heere was terrour and clamor They cryed out for feare For feare of what why 't was for fear of Christ t Christus in spectrum transformant tunc timent Musc they thought him to be a Ghost and therefore cry out for feare But admit it had been a Ghost yet why should they feare why should they cry had it not been easier to have driven him away by prayers then by feares by beleeving then by crying u Praecibus potius diaboâ—um pellemus quam terroribus in dulgeamus Isay 29.16 It is more easy to drive away Sathan by prayers then by fears It is said in the 26. Esay 16. they powred forth a prayer when their chastisement was on them w 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In cantatio mussitatio Submissa oratio Buxtorf the word doth signifie a charme as well as a Prayer prayer is the best charme to conjure down the devill It is our weaknesse to be afraid of Satan and our wickednesse too Satan could not doe thee so much hurt if hee killed thee in the place though indeed he cannot touch a hayre without permission as he doth if he prevaile with thee to be afraid of him Many are afraid of Satan when they are praying who yet are never afraid of him when they are sinning Indeed when they sinne they serve the devill and therefore think he will not hurt them But when they pray they serve God and then they feare him because now they know they doe displease him Nay too many weak and timerous spirits of Gods people who are too much afraid of him if they be alone in their Chambers Closets and if it bee darke they dare not stay though they be in duty if they doe yet they stay with feare and trembling And indeed thou hadst better to feare and tremble in duty than to suffer thy feare to cause thee to leave off a duty The best way to conquer the devill is to stand to it He is the greatest coward because the greatest sinner resistance conquers him he dares not stand out one charge thou x Rom. 7.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Super superamus Wee over overcome over-over-comes if thou doe but hold up weapons against him Art thou in duty doth Satan trouble thee art thou afraid yet hold on prayer Satan is more afraid of thy prayers than thou canst be of his feares Thou tormenst him more by prayers than he can doe thee by fears And therfore hold up thy heart thou runst into danger if once thou goest out of duty better thou hadst to dye in the place in believing and praying than to preserve thy self if this thou could doe by flying and withdrawing Certainly hee comes into Satans power who seeks to escape it by flying and not by beleeving by fearing and not by praying Let us then take heed of this We are too apt to it with the Apostles here to act our feare when we are called forth to
vocis Christi verbi divini Musc Plus uni cum verbum animos coroborat quam eximium miraculum Musc but one VVord from Christ settles them Are we in troubles of Conscience labouring under the apprehensions of Gods wrath for sin It 's but One Word speaking and thy soul shall be comforted It 's but one word from Christ Thy sins be forgiven thee And Conscience is at peace all troubles are gone Are we in Desertions Doth Christ withdraw himself from us It is but one word from Christ It is I and the soul is again h Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia eum quietum aspicere quiescere est Bern. revived As it was with Mary in the losse of his Bodily presence She wept and would not be comforted Nay though Angels did labour to comfort her yet they could not It is not all the Angels of heaven that are able to confort a drooping soul Christ but speakes a word to her Mary And her heart leaps Rabboni My Lord So is it with a soul that hath lost the spirituall presence of Christ It is not all the comforts in heaven and earth can comfort the soul in the absence of Christ what is Gold in the absence of God! What is the creature in the absence of the Creator All the world is but like a Feast without an Appetite a Paradice without a Tree of Life Nothing can fill up Christs room in the soul The Presence of no comfort can make up the absence of Christ yet one word from Christ one smile from heaven And the soul is revived Speak but the word and thy servant shall be whole saith the man in the Gospel So Speak but the word and this dead heart shall be raised this dejected heart shall be comforted this broken heart shall be bound up this sad heart shall be cheered c. Are we in outward troubles and Calamities why it is the Word of Christ that doth stay us that doth cheare us that doth support us that doth comfort us Psal 94.19 In the multitude of my perplexed thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul Certainly the comforts from his Word Yea saith he I had perished in mine affliction but that thy Word did support mee Psal 119.50.92 The Word is full of Counsell full of Comfort full of Support full of Help to a soul in all his Troubles Therefore hath God left us a Word that it might be as a School to instruct us a Star or Sun to guide us a Rock to support us a Cordiall to comfort us a Tower to secure us and Armory to defend us in the evill day The Word is as full of comfort as the times are full of terror the dayes are full of trouble but the Promise is full of comfort And it never speakes more comfort to the Saints then when the times speak most trouble Vse Let this then direct us whither to flie for comfort now in these times of Trouble Even to the Word of Christ Enquire what VVord of comfort Christ speaks now to his Church in this day of Trouble and listen to it live upon it It is our fault that the Noyse of our Troubles and feares doe hinder us from hearing what Christ saith in his VVord to comfort us It is said of the children of Israel Exod 6.9 that when Moses came to speak Deliverance and Comfort to them and told them that God sent him to that purpose to deliver them yet saith the Text The children of Israel hearkened not to Moses for Anguish of Spirit and for cruell Bondage So it is with us Our Feares and our Troubles and Vnbeleevings carnall reasonings cry so loud in our eares that wee cannot hear the Comfort that God doth now speak to us out of his Word Object But you will say Did Christ speak to us as hee did to his Disciples heere then we might be comforted in our troubles Ans Christ doth speak to us as he did to them VVhat did he say to them but he saith to us also now All we read was but this Be of good cheere It is I Be not afraid He did not say He would save them Hee would helpe them nor that hee would preserve their ship cease the storme deliver them out of Trouble and Danger onely hee saith Bee of good cheere It is I I that am your Saviour your Lord your Master I that sent you out All the rest was the work of their Faith Their Faith made out the rest even their Confidence in him Now I say This and more then this doth Christ say to us now in our Trouble How many words of Christ have wee for this Bee of good cheer Joh 14.1 Luk. 12.32 Isay 41.13 Isay 43.5 Let not your hearts be troubled Fear not little flock Fear not thou worme Jacob I. I that am your God your Saviour your Deliverer in times of Trouble your Rock Refuge Shield It is I whose cause you undertake whose glory is concern'd And therefore we may reason out the rest as well as they and where is now our Faith That man is deafe that heares not Christ say thus much now And doth Christ say this where then is our Faith to rest upon him oh that this word might beget faith and this Faith might again strengthen it self in this Word Object But you will say Had wee a perticular Word of Christ that God would now deliver England wee could then finde a Bottom of Comfort though our conditions lay farre lower then they are But wee want that Therefore are we oppressed with feares Ans You have as much Word for the deliverance of the Church now as the Disciples had for the Preservation of the Ship Yet they beleeved the one resting only upon the Nature of a Saviour without a word and why should we doubt of the other though we had no word There may be a Resting upon Gods Name for a mercy Though you have never a Promise for it Isa 50.10 Hee that walketh in darknesse and sees no light no light of any Promise to tell him how things shall be Yet let him trust upon the Name of the LORD and stay himself upon his GOD. There is Trust without Promise He that Rests upon the Name of the Lord that is his Mercy Goodnesse Truth Love Rests upon that which is the spring of all the Promises the ground and foundation whereon the Promise stands and that into which all the Promises are resolved viz. The Name of God Psal 62.8 The Prophet exhorts to trust in God And upon what Ground He alleageth no Particular Promise but tells you of Gods Generall Nature Ver. 11. God hath spoken that Power belongs unto God And Ver. 12. And unto thee belongeth Mercy And thereupon hee trusteth God was Powerfull and able to Deliver And God was Mercifull and ready to help and thereupon he trusted And have not we as much for a Ground of our Faith as This You read Psal 33.18.19 The Eye of the Lord is
faithfulnesse truth Ignorance of the power of God of the mercy truth of God is the ground of all our unsteadinesse in depending on him Psalme 9.10 They that know thy Name will trust in thee If you will eye God more men lesse converse more with Heaven lesse with earth If you will have to do more with his word lesse with workes if you will shut the eye of sense and open the eye of faith You shall be more able to depend on him Thus we come from the generall view to the incouragement it selfe in particular which you see is doubled Be of good cheere be not afraid Be of good cheere That 's the first It seemes their spirits were much sunk their hearts cast downe And there was great ground if any thing below might be a ground to cast downe mens spirits They were first in the midst of the sea 2 Tossed with waves 3 The winds contrary 4 In the darke of the night and 5 Christ was absent God may exercise his people with such oppressing difficulties Doct. that their spirits may faile and their hearts may even be ready to sink under them It was so here with the Disciples It was so with David I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul And this ariseth not so much from the greatnesse of our straits as from the lownesse of our spirits under them We are too big in our successes and too little in our losses we are too high when things go well and too low when things go ill Men that are proud in successes are sure to be as base in losses We are apt to extreames Hard it is to be nothing in our selves when things goe well and all in God when things go ill but this lessen we must learne otherwise we shall be as unstable as the times themselves live and dye according to successes of things Labour for steadinesse of spirit get to be setled in unsetled times get to be fixed on God be as a Rock in the Sea Though the waves move the sea rises and fals yet the rock abides that stands firme where it was So let us It is said of a beleeving man He shall not be afraid of evill tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112.7 But we shail passe this There is something more offers it self from the words Be of good cheere The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies three things 1 Courage r 2 Forti animo estote Be of good courage 2 Comfort ſ 2 Consolamini Be of good comfort 3 Confidence t 3 Fiduciam habete Juxta vulgarem versic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Be of good confidence u Firmam animi fiduciam requirit Musc Beleeve Have faith in God The same word that signifies comfort signifies confidence To shew us that all comfort in God in times of trouble doth arise from confidence in God in the time of trouble No more confidence then you have no more comfort you have We have so little comfort in our trouble because we have so little confidence We want comfort the reason is because we have misplaced our confidence God hath blasted our carnall confidences that he might be our only stay now in times of trouble While we have others to go to we will not go to God whiles we have Bulwarkes of our owne we will not take Towre in God Whiles we have any thing else to rest on wee will never anchor on the Rock Would you have comfort from the Name from the Attributes of God Would you have comfort from the Promises from the Covenant of God Let God have confidence from you and you shall have comfort from him Assure your selves so much confidence as you lay upon God so much comfort you shall have from God But yet there is something more observable from the word Be of good cheere be of good courage be of good confidence You see before Christ wold allay the tempest without he applies himself first to quiet the tempest within There was as great a tempest in the ship in the hearts of the Disciples as there was in the sea Isay 57.20 Their hearts were like the sea casting up nothing but mire and dirt doubtings feares and unbeliefe Here was the greatest tempest w Non primum res adversas tollit ut postea suos quietos reddit sed contra Musc Christ applies himselfe to lay this to quiet their spirits before he did quiet the sea And this for three reasons 1 Because that this was the root of their troubles even their lownesse of spirit their diffidence and distrust in God All the troubles without had not troubled them if they had not had an unbelieving distrusting heart within Hence Musculus upon this place x Timor non habet causam ex rebus adverfis sed ex diffidentia animi imbecilitate Musc Feare doth not arise so much from troubles without as distrusts and weaknesse within 2 Because the greatest trouble was that within The other did but in danger the body this the soule The minde was most oppressed y Mentes afflictorum solumodo fiducia pacificantur Musc and therefore Christ applyes himselfe that the minde might be first relieved Bono animo estote Be of good comfort Christ applyes himselfe first to succour that part that doth chiefly labour under any trouble and that is the minde If once the minde be set right the heart cheered strengthned troubles will easily be borne 3 Because till their hearts were raised up to believe they were not fitted to receive mercy God loves to put his people into a posture for mercy before he bestow mercy on them They were not in fit posture for God to work till he had raised up their hearts to beleeve and expect It s an observation that z Nunc vero etsi opportur num erat ferendi auxilii tempus quando Christus apparuit tamen in illorū exercitationem salutem distert quae in manu habuit Calvin Calvin hath upon this Verse Although it was now a fit time for Christ to helpe yet the tempest is not laid because his Disciples were not yet awaken'd to pray and beleeve in his mercy Therfore faith hee wee must know it is not without cause that God doth often times deferre that helpe which he is ready to bestow God loves to have his people in a posture of mercy before he doe bestow it Hee would lay the tempest within the storme in their soules he would lay their fearfull unbelieving thoughts and put them on to believe to hope to expect to pray for mercy before they had it The mercies God bestowes upon his people he is willing should come in a believing praying way therefore doth God shut his hand sometimes and with-hold his help that we might believe And here is work for faith And therefore doth hee make obstructions in the breast of the promise that we should suck that we should
to satisfie their unbelieving hearts their feares were above all the security God tendred as you see in the sixteenth verse and you see how God meets with them Take another place in Isay 7. You may reade of a confederacy between the King of Assyria and the King of Israel to come up against Iudah and Ierusalem And in the second Verse you read how the hearts of the men of Judah were moved even as the trees of the wood are moved with the winde Now in this their feare and danger God sends a Prophet to them to tell them he would bee their security if they would trust on him the third and fourth Verses Be quiet fear not neither be fainthearted I will helpe you Verse 7. But notwithstanding all this their feare prevailed against their faith whereupon God sends the Prophet againe in the tenth Verse and bids the King Ask a signe either in the depths below or height above That is if he desired to have his faith confirmed by any visible signe either in Heaven or Earth God would condescend so farre to the weaknesse of his faith to afford it to him but yet his feares prevailed against his faith and against all the security God offered and he puts all this off very cunningly Verse 12. I will not ask a signe neither will I tempt God One would thinke he spake well he would not tempt God in asking a signe he would beleeve on his bare word doth not Christ blame the Scribes and Pharisees for asking a signe but it is one thing to aske a signe when God doth not offer it and meerly out of temptation too as the Scribes Pharises did another thing to refuse a signe when God tenders it and that for the confirming of their faith That hee spake wickedly The 13. verse tels you Is it a small thing to weary men but yor will weary God also Indeed the meaning is he will not tempt God That is he will not trust God hee would not trust on Gods promise Gods security he would run to the arm of flesh provide the best means for his own safety for he would not trust on Gods security hee would rather trust to the provision feare could make then to the provisions faith could finde in God * In periculis non bebemus otiose pendere a divino auxilio sed omnia facere quae sunt in nostra potestate Quamvis credamus in Deum faciamus tamen quae facienda sunt ne praetermittentes ea Deum tentare videamur Aug. Sometimes we tempt God in trusting upon God in the neglect of means and sometimes we tempt God in the trusting upon means in the neglect of God so did he See 2 King 16.5 to the 10. verse And so you see feare is a heart infeebling sin it betrayes the succours which God tenders God and all God is too little to secure an unbelieving man 6. It doth gratifie the enemy our feares are our weaknings the enemies strengthnings 1. Our weaknings I say feare is an army in battalia against it selfe the heart doth arme the head and the head useth all its enginery to batter the heart the heart makes use of the head to heighten a danger and that againe layes battery against the heart to lessen that Hee needs no enemies without who hath a fearefull heart within how can he stand out against enemies from without that is not able to stand against it selfe This is the nature of fear where courage lessens difficulties and makes great things conquerable such a spirit looks through a lessening glass and sees great dangers to be small the heart still riseth above the difficulty This is the nature of feare it looks through a multiplying glasse and makes small dangers great and unresistable Assure your selves feare will make a man weake amidst all the provisions of strength your forts are nothing if you retaine your feares you will be naked in the midst of armes weak in the midst of strength fear is an armory of weapons against it selfe It is our weaknings 2. And it is the enemies strengthening your feares are their courage and your courage their feares It is said in Iudges 2. That Israels sin was Eglons strength so our sin of feare is the courage and strength of our adversaries you weaken your selves and strengthen them you disarme your selves and arme them you unweapon your selves and put weapons into their hands to destroy you It is a dangerous sin and therefore God would not suffer such to goe to war they were unfit for wars Deut. 20.8 there were two qualities that were to be casheered malitia molities wickednesse of life and fearfulnesse of heart the one makes our enemies weapons successefull and the other makes our owne uselesse 7. It is a sin that indangers our forsaking of the Cause of God Solomon saith 29 Prov. 25. Prov. 29.25 The fear of man worketh a snare if once base feare get the possession of the heart what snares wil they not expose a man unto I will name some to you 1. They will make a man shie to acknowledge the Cause of God You see Nicodemus and many of the Iewes of whom it is said They believed but durst not confesse him for feare of the Scribes and Pharisees 2. Fear will make a man-decline and bawk the Cause of God the Rulers were afaid to acknowledge Christ because of the Romans if they had done so the Romans would have come and taken away their place and nation 3. Fear will blind the understaning hinder us from decerning good from evil and evil from good It is a Maxime Sin in the affection will breed Error in the understanding a corrupt heart will cause a corrupt head feare in the heart will cause darknesse in the minde It is a hard thing for a man under the power of any sinfull passion either by-assed with corrupt affections or blinded with corrupt passions to judge of the truth and justnesse of any cause though it be never so evident Men in feare are apt to judge those things good which yet are evil and they themselves would so acknowledge if they stood upon even ground if the feares and dangers had not got the hill of them And I believe this is a great ground of mens judgings in these times They think if they should acknowledge things as they are they should be at great costs for the present and run great hazards for future and therefore they will rather smother the Light and Evidences they have then let in more to their danger and cost Thus our enemies make us drive their mills with our owne breath and doe their worke with our own hands a fair policie Pyrrhus used to say of Cyneas That he had gained more Cities with his eloquence then he himself had done with his sword It is wisdom to expect most venom where there is most Art the Spider hath much Art but yet a great deale of poyson 4. The fourth snare that this