Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	believe_v	earth_n	maker_n	1,941	5	9.7635	5	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

of piety to God but when the poore and hungry come to them as Christ came to that Figtree hoping to pull some fruite of charity and mercy from them there is nothing to be found but leaves good words perhaps and that is all beleeve it such men are nigh unto cursing and it is Gods infinite mercie if hee doe not blast their estate as Christ did the Fig-tree that it shall never prosper to them nor theirs The other wonder of Christ that did any hurt was that Mat. Chapter eight The drowning of the Swine and yet that was the devils doing Christ onely gave way to these evill spirits which seeke the destruction of man and beast to carry them headlong into the 〈◊〉 as they would carry us too but that God above who stiles himselfe The preserver of men is pleased in mercy to keepe out of their clutches and this was symbolicall too to let us understand how God hates all those that are of a swinish disposition that is all drunken sots that like swine have neither wit nor grace to moderate themselves in the use of Gods creatures and all lazie beasts that mind nothing but their bellies as you know a Swine is one of the laziest creatures that a man can keepe it doth him no worke nor service at all or lastly All hoggish worldlings and miserable muck-wormes of the earth that never doe good till they come to die let all such tremble and feare and call to God for mercy least in his just judgement hee deliver their soules into the hands of those hellish Fiends to carry them headlong as they did the swine into the lake that burneth with fire and brimestone for evermore there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth These are the two severest wonders that ever our Saviour did or suffered to be done as for all the rest looke into the Stories of the Gospel which are the Acts and Monuments of Iesus Christ you shall finde to be all gracious all beneficiall all healing and saving wonders Never any man came to him for sight that went away blind never any came to him for hearing that went away deafe never any came to him for health that went away sicke In a word you shall never finde that ever any man or woman came to our Saviour for any help or mercy that ever went away confounded or disappointed of their hopes Now beloved Christ is the same Iesus still that then he was Coelum non animum as we say though he have changed his place he hath not changed his nature but is still as favourable as indulgent to mankind as ever he was if we doe but as truly seeke unto him for our soules health as they did for their bodies So you see the nature of these wonders is altered from that they were in Eliahs times the severity of the Law suites not with the lenity of the Gospel and we must now imitate our Saviour in works of mercy not follow Eliah in prayers for judgment We see Luk 9. 54. When the disciples fingers itched to be revenged on the Samaritans for their base discourtesie in not entertaining our Saviour Master said they wilt thou that we command fire from heaven and consume them as Eliah did We have a president for it it is a booke case Eliah did so let us doe the like these men deserve it as bad or worse than they with whom Eliah had to doe No saith our Saviour the case is altered ye know not of what spirit ye are the spirit of the Law required severity the spirit of the Gospel requires meekenesse and mercy Farre is it from the good Spirit of Christ and of God to stirre up any mans heart to private revenge not an Eagle but a Dove was the shape wherein that holy and healthfull Spirit made choise to appeare Let us therefore all that are called Christians follow no other president but our Saviour Christs whose onely lesson that ever he set us to learne of him was 〈…〉 and meeke and so doing we shall finde Requi●m animabus 〈…〉 owne soules The third and last reason that may warrant Eliah in praying for a judgement was 3. Necessitas rei the necessity of the thing it self that holy Prophet had spent his strength in vaine Sermon upon Sermon warning upon warning threatning upon threatning and when he saw that nothing would worke them to goodnesse then he prayes for a judgement not in a vindictive way to be revenged upon them but as a desperate remedy knowing that that or nothing would bring them to good as it is said 2 Chron. ult God sent his Prophets rising early and sending them and used all gentle meanes to reclaime them till there was no remedy then he sent destruction In this sence if a man have a child or a friend or any one that he wisheth well to his soule if he be growen to that passe so hardned in sinne that no perswasions no warnings no threatnings will worke upon him I am perswaded it were neither uncharitable nor unpleasing to God if a man should pray Lord smite him correct him lay some medicinall some healing punishment upon him that he may see the errour of his wayes and may returne and repent and so be saved Vpon these and the like grounds I suppose Eliah might with a safe conscience pray for a judgement but then the next question is Why hee should make choise to pray for this kinde of judgement of drought and dearth for want of raine rather than any other I will tell you what I think the reasons may be 1. Because it was an uncontrouleable a convincing judgement if Eliah should have brought any earthly or visible judgement as Sword or Pestilence c. they would have imputed it presently to some secondary meanes and causes now this was a heavenly an invisible judgement the stoppage of the cloudes the detaining of Raine and the burning and scorching of the 〈…〉 judgement from heaven and 〈…〉 needes confesse to be Digitus the 〈…〉 God not Aliqnid humani no handy worke of any mortall man For this was the fallacy which the Scribes and Pharises put upon our Saviour Mat. 16. 1. When they had seene all the miracles and wonders of Christ how hee cured the sicke c. they conceited that these things might be done by slight of hand by art Magicke by Beelzebub or by Conjuration c but say they Shew us asigne from Heaven and then we will beleeve They knew that a Magician or a devill might doe much upon earth but he could doe nothing in heaven therefore say they shew us a signe from Heaven and we will beleeve So here to prevent all misconceites Elias prayed and procures a judgement from heaven and that a convincing a cutting judgement for you must know that the people at that time left off to worship the true God and fell to worship Baall the Sunne the Moone and all the Hoast of Heaven trusting no doubt that these gods of

theirs would by their influence so moysten and fatten the earth that they should not need to be beholding to God for any rayne now quoth Eliah here is a judgement to try your gods withall goe to the gods that ye have served let them helpe now or never if they can doe any thing they can send a showre of rayne if not why doe ye serve them I say it was a convincing judgement Eliah did it on purpose to let them see the vilenesse of their Idolatry what base what impotent what unworthy gods they served that could not helpe their clyents to a drop of raine In like manner whatsoever a man makes his god besides the true one I meane puts his trust in for helpe in time of neede shall at length so deceive him and so befoole him that he shall be forced to confesse as these people did in the end The Lord he is God The Lord he is God 2. Because it was a just and a fitting punishment this people were guilty of spirituall barrennesse and God plagued them with temporall barrennesse No Nation under heaven was so husbanded and manured of God so watered with the dewes of heaven I meane with the meanes of grace and salvation as they were and yet none more unfruitful in every good work Now therefore Eliah fits them with a judgement sutable and agreeable to their sinne hee prayes to God that it might not raine that so their lands might be answerable to their lives and their soyles become as barren as their soules Thus it pleaseth God many times to pay men in their owne coyne to come home to them in their owne kinde and to fit his punishments according to their sinnes That as they that sinne in their goods by misgetting miskeeping and mispending them are many times punished in their goods by losses and crosses by fire by water c. And as they that sinne in their children by misloving or misnurturing them are oft times punished in their children as David was in Absolom and Adonijah so they that sinne in their lands it is just with God to punish them in their lands Salomon tells us Prov. 21. 4. that the plowing of a wicked man is sinne That is strange the husbandry and tillage of the ground is generally held to be one of the most honest the most innocent the most harmelesse callings in the world and so it is of it selfe and yet we see when a wicked man takes the plow in hand when a man goes to his plow with an ill minde and an ill conscience his very plowing addes to his sinnes And it is just with God that that land which is plowed sinfully should thrive accordingly and become as bad and as barren as the owner A fruitfull land doth God make barren for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein 3. Because it was a sensible and a palpable judgement As God Almighty told Cain Gen. 4. 7. that he should be cursed from the earth The Lord knew that Caine cared not to be cursed from heaven and to be banished from the presence of God and branded for a Reprobate but to be cursed from the earth to be cursed in earthly things he being a tiller of the earth that would goe nearest to his heart of any judgement Even such is the disposition of every man of the earth as David termes earthly-minded men they doe not value nor care to be cursed from heaven to be excommunicated out of the favour of God and out of the blessed company of all faithfull people which censure of excomunication if it be rightly carried with a Clave non errante as the Schoolemen speake when there is no errour committed in the use of the Keyes is one of the greatest punishments under heaven But carnall men are not sensible of this and therefore God will punish them in that wherein they are sensible in their wives and children in their corne and cattell c. in such things as are neerest and dearest to them as when David slung his stone at Goliah if he had strucke him upon any part of his harnesse he had never felt the blow but striking him as he did in the forehead which was naked and tender that sunke him presently so it is with carnall men for spirituall judgements they are harnessed their hearts are hardned their consciences are seared they have as the Apostle speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a horny hoofe as it were growne over their hearts that makes them insensible of any spirituall blow that can light upon them Therefore Almighty God knowing in what part they lie naked in what kinde they are tenderly affected namely in their affection to earthly things strikes them there plagues them in that and that ●inkes them like Nabal whose heart died within him like a stone As we see in Exodus how Pharaoh and the Egyptians hardned their heart and out stood all the plagues of Egypt till God plagued them in their children and that broke their hearts So beleeve it they that care not for spirituall punishments for the losse of Gods favour the losse of heaven the losse and perill of their owne soules God will finde a time to punish them in that which they do and shal care for in their corne in their substance in that which is neerest and ●earest ●o th● As he did these Israelites here because they were not sensible of the want of grace God punisht them with that would make them sensible with the want of raine that when they had plowed sowne their land and bestowed all their care and cost all should be in vaine for want of moisture to refresh the earth These or the like reasons I suppose might move Eliah to pray and procure this kinde of judgement By the way if any man desire to know the reason why God is not thus marvelous in the Ministers of the Gospel as he was in Eliah and those other Prophets of the Law why we that are his Evangelicall Prophets cannot doe such wonders in our dayes as they did in theirs Answ though that same donum miraculorum the gift of Miracles be ceased in the Church now that the Gospel hath taken roote as Husbandmen when they transplant a tree at first they set props and staies to shore it up but after it hath taken roote they plucke away the stayes and let it grow by the ordinary influence of the heavens I say though the gift of working wonders be ceased yet miracles and wonders in an another kind never cease but are wrought daily by the Preachers of the Gospel For you must know that the micles under the Gospel are of a differing nature from the miraracles under the Law those were ●cularia miracula as I may fitly call them eye-miracles that were visible and outwardly apparent to be seene but these are Auricularia miracula Eare-miracles secret and invisible wrought in the heart by the Word and Spirit of God entring in at the eare and going

how or which way those senceles inanimate things can performe that honour to their maker unles it bee by the Ejaculations and expressions of the heart and tongue of man which is the onely Lyra animata the living harpe of God to sound forth his prayses and set forth his glory for all his gifts and benefits Alasse those livelesse creatures cannot doe it of themselves but they must doe it by us or rather indeede it is we that are commanded to doe it for them Wherefore else hath God given to man the use of the tongue with language and words to expresse himselfe which hee hath denied to all other creatures besides but onely that Man should bee as it were The mouth of all his other creatures to praise and glorifie God in their sted and in their behalfe If any of us shall thinke much to do so little for our God let us take heede that God doe not doe by us as hee threatned to doe by those Priests Mal. 2. 2. Even to curse our very blessings and to make those things which are blessings in themselves to bee little better then crosses and curses unto us For God can give us blessings with such a tang that the fruition shall differ little from the want as he did to the Israelites when he gave them quailes so God gives many a man children with so little grace that they would have accounted it even a blessing to be barren so God gives many a man wealth with so little comfort that it had beene better for their soules if they had begged their bread so God can give us snow and raine with so little favour that neither we nor the earth shall receive any comfort or refreshment by it Therefore as we desire to doe our selves good and to have and to hold the good will of our heavenly father that he should prosper and blesse his blessings to us then let us in no case withhold from God the Honour due unto his name but returne him some glory for all his gifts for what man will goe into a cold bed to warme it but he lookes for warmth from it againe what man will give his friend a ring but he hopes that he will weare it for his sake or give him a booke but he hopes he will reade it for his sake or give him any token of love but that he hopes he will accept it and keepe it for his sake and shall we thinke that God doth not looke for as much as this at our hands when hee give us snow and frosts c. beleeve it hee doth and therefore if thou hast beene defective this way let me be thy monitour to doe as Pharaohs Butler did Gen. 41. 9. to call to minde thy fault this day and to remember that it is thy part and duty to blesse God for all his blessings as well for those which thou enjoyest in common with others as good ayre good weather c. as for those that thou hast in peculiar and proper to thy selfe hath God given thee health blesse him for it hath he given thee wealth blesse him for it hath hee given thee children and friends and peaceable dayes blesse him for all these but hath hee given thee his good word to instruct thee Hath he given thee his good Spirit to comfort thee Hath hee given thee his good grace to preserve and keepe thy soule Oh blesse him for this above all for hee hath given thee with it that which I pray God of his mercy to give us all Health and salvation in Iesus Christ So much for my first Observation that the very Snow amongst other things is Donum Dei the gift of God He giveth Snow 2. Further more Iob tels us that the Snow is Nuntius Dei the messenger or the servant of God Iob●7 ●7 6. He saith to the Snow be thou on the earth and immediatly upon the least watch-word of God there it falls and lies Thus you shall observe that all the creatures and all the Workes of God both in heaven and earth doe in their wayes and in their kindes shew themselves obedient and dutifull to their Maker except onely man and the devill if God speake to the Windes though unruly creatures they obey him if to the Seas to the Whales to the Lyons c. they obey him if God doe but call for a dearth as the Prophet told the Shunammite 2 Reg. 8. 1. or a famine or for any other judgement they come at the first call and flie upon the world to plague it for sinne you cannot name any creature except man but is ready at the least becke of God to fulfill his Word Ah what wretched creatures are we that can find none in all the world to comply with but the devill that can find no other patterne for our disobedience no other partner in our rebellious courses but we must fetch a president from hell and from the bottomlesse pit Is it not strange that whereas Divines observe that God was never called Lord in Scripture till he had created man as you may see in the first of Genesis where it is said that God created the heaven and earth and God said let there be light c. only God without any other attribute till he had made man and then the text calls him the Lord God at every word to intimate that God hath a speciall Lordship and Dominion over man and looks for more speciall duty and service from man than from all his other creatures I say then Is it not strange that no one creature of Gods making doth so much dishonour and disobey the Lord as wicked wretched man whom the Lord purposely made to honour and obey and doe him service Look to all the other creatures and David tells you they no fooner receive the least word of command from God but presently they fulfill it Psal 148. 8. Praise the Lord ye Dragons and all deepes fire and ha●e snow and vapour fulfilling his Word There be a number of us that are a●t enough to heare Gods Word they have Aures bi●ulas hungry and thirsty eares for that purpose or rather as the Apostle calls it pruritum aurium they have a kinde of itch in their eares which like a Tetter the more it is rub'd the farther it spreads which makes them unsatiable in ●earing the word of the Lord but where shall you finde a man or woman that ●ath any care or makes any conscience to fulfill the Word of God as those creatures doe There be those that will goe a mile or two to heare a Sermon but where shall you finde one that will goe out of his owne doore to doe a Sermon I meane to doe as God would have him that is to repent of his sinnes to reforme his life to follow his calling with a good conscience and to walke with his God with an honest heart which is the principall and the maine of Christianity You know that Hearing is but a

our petitions to the divine Majestie and is never weary of it come when we will he is at leasure to heare us It is a prety observation that S. Augustine makes out of the parable proposed by our Saviour Luke 11. where he that knockt at midnight to borrow bread of his neighbour found all the whole family asleepe onely the master of the house was awake and he answered and opened and gave him that he craved though it was at an unseasonable time Nullus de janitoribus respondit none of all the porters none of all the servants none of all the children made him any answer they were all asleepe onely the master was awake and heard him when hee called Iust so it fares with us when wee knocke and call at the doore of heaven for any mercie none of all the Prophets nor Apostles none of all the blessed Saints departed make us any answer alas they heare us not they sleepe in peace and are at rest from their labours onely God Almightie who is the Master and Maker of that blessed familie hee and onely hee doth heare and answer at what time soever we cry unto him Hee that keepeth Israel neither slumbreth nor sleepeth call when we will God is alway awake to heare and helpe No time unseasonable to seeke God Secondly but more particularly for one that desires to prosper there is a choise time and season to seeke the Lord above all the rest and that is early in the morning 'T is a pretty conjecture that the Hebrewes make upon that saying of the Angel to Iacob Gen. 32. 26. Let mee goe for the morning appeareth I take it the true reason was because Iacob should not be too curious in looking and gazing upon that humane shape wherein this great Angel Christ appeared for he it was that wrastled with Iacob but their conceit is that the Angell which wrastled with Iacob all night desired to depart when the morning appeared because hee was now to goe to the rest of the blessed company and quire of Angels to sing their morning-hymne unto God 'T is but a conjecture but we may apply it thus We all hope to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Angels in heaven let us be like them on earth too and how ever we are imployed at other times when the morning appeares let us hasten to God and aske him blessing every morning as our children doe us and no doubt but God will blesse us the better all the day after Iob 8. 5 6. If thou wilt seeke unto God betimes and make thy supplication to the Almighty surely now he will awake for thee and make thy habitation prosperous I make no doubt but a many of you are early risers that are up before the morning watch I say before the morning-watch i before the day-starre or the Sunne appeare and 't is possible for a man to be early up and never the neere but hee that riseth early to pray and seeke the Lord shall be sure not to lose his labour for he shall prosper the better all the day If thou wilt seeke the Lord c. Yea but there 's a place of Scripture that seemes to crosse and contradict it Prov. 1. 28. They shall seeke me early but they shall not finde me Is the Scripture contrary to it selfe Doth God say in one place If ye seeke me early ye shall finde me and in another place Though you seeke me early you shall not finde me How shall we know which to beleeve which to build upon I answer There 's a two-fold early Gods early and mans early Gods early is to seeke him in the first place Ante omnia adoremus Deum was the old rule before we eate or drinke before we worke or play before we doe any thing doe that first first seeke the kingdome of God and that 's Gods early Mans early is at the beginning of trouble the beginning of sicknesse the beginning of sorrow and then the wickedst wretch upon earth will seeke the Lord but then perhaps he shall not finde him hee that will not seeke him in peace shall hardly finde him in trouble hee that will not seeke him in health shall not easily find him in sicknesse yea though he seeke him early at the very first at the very beginning of it as Ioab fled to the Altar in his perplexity but it saved not his life because he never came at it in his prosperity to offer upon it So that you see if wee take mans early to seeke God we may chance to misse him but if wee take Gods early we shall be sure to finde him You then that desire to prosper remember Gods early the first thing you do in the morning let it be seeke God never thinke your selves drest till that be done let thy soules have a morning draught as wel as thy body I mean a morning prayer to fence it against the infectious ayre of the world Salomon gives the reason Prov. 27. 1. For who can tell what a day may bring forth 'T is a Metaphor taken from a wombe when a woman is in travell who can tell what shee will bring forth till shee be delivered may be a sonne may be a daughter may be a monster so when the wombe of the morning is in travell who can tell what a day may bring forth may be albus may be ater dies may be a white a happy a comfortable day may be a blacke a dismall a dolefull day wee doe not know what a day may bring forth whether judgement or mercy whether good or bad events therefore to prevent the worst 't is good to make sure worke for our owne safetie namely to seeke the Lord in the morning and then come what will come all shall be for the best God will turne it all to good Omnia cooperantur c. Rom. 8. All things worke together for good to them that love God He then that would be prosperous and speed well let him be religious and pray well for he that prayes well can never speed amisse and therefore if you see one that followes his calling and is not followed with Gods blessing it may justly be suspected that such a one restraineth prayer from Almighty God as Eliphaz told Iob in another case Iob 15. 4. Now 't is just with God to restraine prosperity from them that restraine their prayers from him 't is just with God to withhold his blessing from those that have not the care nor the grace to aske it So much for the time and order of our seeking of the Lord. Fourthly where or in what place wee must seeke God Generally wee are to seeke him every where for God is omni-present in all places to be found of them that seeke him faithfully as David saith Psalme 139. 3. Thou art about my bed and about my paths and spiest out all my wayes We little thinke when wee lie downe in our beds as a dogge lies downe in a kennell

downe into the soule Though we cannot command or forbid the raine to water the earth as Eliah did if we can water and mollifie the earthen hearts of men with the supernaturall raine of heavenly Doctrine and make a dry and barren soule beare fruit to God Is not this as great a wonder as the other Though we cannot cause nor command the thunder as Samuel did to terrifie the people for their sinnes yet God hath his Boanerges his sonnes of thunder still that by ratling from heaven the terrible judgements of God against sinne and sinners are able to make the stoutest and the proudest heart upon earth even tremble and quake and fall downe before the presence of God and is not this as great a miracle as that of Samuel to bring an unhumbled sinner upon his knees and make glad to cry God mercy for his sinnes In a word though wee cannot cast out devils out of mens bodies as the disciples of Christ could doe if we can cast the devill out of mens soules by the powerfull Gospell of Iesus Christ is it not as great a wonder Beleeve it brethren the conversion of a sinner to God and bringing of a soule to heaven is absolutely without comparison the greatest miracle the greatest wonder in the world And these be the miracles wherewith it pleaseth God to grace the Ministers of the Gospel therefore ye observe that the Collect for Ministers runnes thus Almighty God which onely workest great marvels c. When a soule is sicke to the death with a surfeit of sinne is recovered and revived againe by that same healthfull spirit of grace which God together with his Word doth breathe into the soule it is so great a marvell so rare a wonder that the Angels of heaven rejoyce to see it I have held you over-long in the former part of Eliahs prayer which brought the judgment heare now in a word or two the Reversing of the judgement and I have done And he prayed again the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit It well becomes the Prophets of God to be mercifull Good Eliah had not the heart to hold the people too long under a judgement when hee saw hee had done enough to humble them he desires God to reverse the judgement As it is observed of the good Angels in the old and new Testament when they appeared to any either man or woman their method and manner was this Primò terrent deinde laetisica●t they first terrified them and put them into feare then presently comforted them and put them out of feare Thus did Eliah with this people thus did Moses with Pharaoh that good man had not the heart to hold wicked Pharoah alway under a judgement but upon the least entreaty made suit to God to reverse it So dealt the Prophet with Ieroboam 1 Reg. 13. 6. when he had smitten him with a judgment and had him at the advantage that his hand was withered Ieroboam was glad to submit and say Intreate now the face of the Lord thy God and pray for me that my hand may be restored me the man of God had not the heart to deny him but immediatly besought the Lord and the Kings hand was restored and became as it was before When a judgement comes then Prophets are in season Abraham is better than a King in this case Gen. 20. 7. 17. Restore the man his own for he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee and ver 17. Abraham prayed unto God and God healed Abimeleeh c. Goe to my servant Iob saith God to his friends Iob 42. 8. and my servant Iob shall pray for you for him will I accept So Act. 8. 24. When Peter had denounced a curse on Simon Magus he was glad to crouch and cry unto him Oh pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me Thus ye see that judgements and plagues will bring Prophets into request men commonly deale with their Ministers as boyes do by Walnut-trees and other fruit-trees in faire weather throw cudgels at us in foule runne to us for shelter In the dayes of peace and prosperity we are past over as superfluous creatures of whom there is little use and lesse neede but when the wrath of God falls on the naked soule when the conscience is wounded within and body pained without then the Minister is thought on I say no more if you desire their prayers and that God should heare them praying for you in your extremity do not slight them doe not wrong them in prosperity Remember how Ahab and all Israel were glad to be beholden to Eliah to reverse their judgment and you doe not know how soone the case may be your owne therefore as you love your soules love those that have charge of them And he prayed againe c. When I looke into the Story 1 Reg. 18. I can finde no direct prayer that Eliah made for raine But I ●iud there a twofold prayer that he made 1. A virtuall 2. A formall prayer 1. A virtuall prayer not for raine but for their conversion Oh Lord saith Eliah bring backe or b●ing home the heart of this people unto thee vers 73. and this includes all other prayers that can be made A prayer for Conversion is a prayer for every thing Ier. 31. 18. When Ep●ratm prayes for conversion Turne thou me and I shall be turned saith God I will surely have mercy upon him c. Such is the goodnesse of God that he will with-hold no good thing be it raine be it plenty be it any thing that is good for them from them that are converted and brought home by true repentance to him Therefore if thou standest in neede of any temporall mercy pray first for conversion and all other good things shall be super-added and throwne in unto thee or if thou prayest for any child or for any friend to doe him good indeed pray for his conversion and thou prayest for every thing that one prayer is instar omnium insteed of all the rest If hee be in an ill way desire God to bring him backe and for future things take no care 2 A formall prayer when he saw that the people were truely humbled and that their hearts were indeed brought home to God insomuch that they cried out with an ingemmination The Lord he is God the Lord he is God then hee buckles his head betweene his knees to shew the humble prostration of his soule and falls a praying to God for raine After humiliation any prayer comes in season Esay 1. Wash ye make ye cleane put away the evill of your doings c. And now come saith God and we will reason together now let us parle now let us confesse now pray and I will heare you Iud. 10. 17. When the Israelites put away their strange gods and turned themselves to the true God by sincere repentance and reformation the text saith

〈◊〉 is that which is made with the ashes of our sinne● to 〈◊〉 and sco●●● our foules That soule which before w●● 〈…〉 or hell with wickednesse and 〈◊〉 of darkenesse being rinsed by repentance and renued by the Spirit of Iesus Christ becomes as cleane and white a● pure and unspotted in th● eyes of God as the driven Snow is in ou●s Take away 〈◊〉 iniquity saith David and th●● 〈◊〉 finde 〈◊〉 when God hath taken away a man● iniquity his sinnes are no more to be found than if they had never beene 〈◊〉 Esay● 16. Wa●● ye make ye cleane put away the evill of your doings from before my eyes c. What then Why then saith God ver 18. Though your sinnes be 〈◊〉 scarlet they shal be as white as Snow though they be red like crimson they shal be as Wooll You know that crimson and scarlet i● so deepe a dye that all the Art under heaven cannot alter it or take it out yet the Lord can make of a Slarlet-sinner a milke-white-Saint God can take out the deepest dies of sinne though they be sinnes in graine and the soule shall become as the Snow or Wooll that was never dipt o● stained Therefore when thou go●●● or lookest abroad in the Winter time and seest the Snow lie white as Wooll upon the ground then reflect upon thy selfe and say O that my soule were of this colour Oh that all the blacknesse and darkenesse the deformity and uglinesse of my sinnes were done away and that my soule were restored to that Candor and whitenesse and bright sincerity that this Snow doth represent Beloved It is not the outward brightnesse and beauty of the countenance and complexion that God regards where there is cor nigrum a blacke base heart within but it is that same decor ab intus that inward intrinsecall comelinesse that David speakes of Psal 45. 14. that makes the King of heaven take pleasure in our beauty Let neither man nor woman therefore boast or be proud of their white Out-side but rather labour and pray for a white In-side that they may be as Moses was said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 7. 20. faire to God for so the Originall hath it wee translate it Hee was exceeding faire but the Greeke signifies Hee was faire to God and when all is done that is the true beauty that commends us to God when the other beauty is withered and wrinkled and cleane gone then doth this I●ve●escere grow younger and better with age Whensoever therefore God sends a Snow doe not thou like a bruite beast onely trample upon it and tread it under foote but make some benefite of it to thy soule and say within thy selfe This is the colour o● my Saviour Revela Chapter 1. verse 14. The Saints in heaven are all of this colour as white as this very Snow in grace and glory Revela● Chapter 7. verse 14. Lord make my soule of the same colour too that I may no longer resemble the devill in being blacke with sinne and iniquity but may resemble the Saints and Angels in being white with innocency and integrity Consider I beseech you why is it said 1 Corinthians 15. That flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdome of God The meaning cannot be that the substance of flesh and bloud cannot inherit Gods Kingdome for then what should become of all the Saints and servants of God whose soules are gone beforehand into heaven while their bodies li● in the must expecting glory but the meaning truely is that the corruption of flesh and bloud cannot come within that Kingdome that is flesh and bloud as it is corrupted and defiled as it is blacked and besmeared and stained with sinne and Satan so it shall never come within the Kingdome of Iesus Christ and of God our heavenly Father but when flesh and bloud shal be washed and cleansed and sanctified by the grace and by the Spirit and by the bloud of Iesus Christ and become as white as Snow then is it come to the right colour then and not till then is flesh and bloud fit for Gods Kingdom● and for the blessed society of the Saints in light So much for the first reason why God is said to give Snow like Wooll for the purity and whitenesse of it 2 Propter 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of it for though the Snow ●e ●●ld and ●●illing to 〈◊〉 it is warme and comfortable to the earth like a garment of Wooll upon the backe of it to preserve and cherish the kindely fruites of the earth that in due time through Gods mercy 〈◊〉 ●ay enjoy 〈◊〉 Reason therfore with thy self if God so cloath the 〈◊〉 which is but scabellum Dei the 〈…〉 God the lowest and basest part of his creation Will ●e not much 〈◊〉 cloath thee O man that art Image D●i the Image of God that carriest the stampe of God upon thy soule as the coine beareth the stampe of the King upon the side surely he that taketh care for Oxen will much more take care for Christians Hee that feedeth the young Ravens that call upon him will surely feede young Infants that call upon him Hee that Cloatheth the grasse of the field which doth him no service will certainely provide cloathing for us if we doe him any service as we ought to doe Remember how God provided for the Israelites when they were in the wildernesse where there was no new apparell to be bought God so provided that the old apparell which they had did neither weare out nor waxe too little for them but their cloathes grew as their bodies grew and their shooes grew as their fee●e grew and the one w●● as lasting and as durable as the other Take no care therefore saith our Saviour meaning no distrustfull care what ye shall eate or drinke or what cloathes ye shall have to cover you Why for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have neede of these things Alas may some say this is but small comfort to tell a poore man be of good comfort for God knoweth thy wants or to tel a sicke man be of good comfort for God knoweth thy diseases or to tell a man that is undone be of good comfort for God knoweth thy losses c. I say this that God knoweth all things were but a feeble Cordiall if so be that the knowledge of God were not as it is accompanied and attended with the helpefulnesse and the goodnesse of God that wheresoever God knowes there is a want he takes a speedie course to relieve and supply it according to that 2 Chron. 16. 6. Oculi domini discurrunt c. the eyes of the Lord runne to and fro throughout the whole earth not harely to see and take notice of what i● wanting or amisse but to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them whose hearts are perfect towards him Doubt not therefore but stedfastly beleeve he that is so carefull to cloathe the earth will have a greater care to cloath thee

grace at the Court we meane he is in great favour there And it is a phrase no lesse usuall in scripture Gen. 6. 8. Noah found grace in the sight of God i. e. hee found favour in his sight and God Almighty saith of Moses Exod. ●3 12. Invenist● gratiam coram me Thou hast found grace in my sight i. d. favour and good acceptance And so the Angel greets the blessed Virgin Luke 1. 28. feare not Mary Invenisti gratiam Thou hast found grace i. e. thou art highly favoured of the Lord. So that the grace of God and the favour of God are as Ioseph said of Pharaohs dreams both one and the same Now the thing that I muse upon is this that the grace and favour of God is thus often if not alwayes exprest in the Bible sub termino inveniendi● under the name and terme of finding It is not barely said of Noah and Moses and the Virgin Mary fuerunt they were in grace and favour with God but Invenerunt they found it this phrase doth certainely seeme to imply as Oleaster well observes that the grace and favour of God is sometimes found as a poore man findes a treasure or a bag of gold non industriâ sed casu not by any industry or paines taking for it but meerely by casualty and Gods providence in it As when Iosephs brethren found their money in their sackes mouthes it inriched them and it ravished them too with wonder and admiration Gen. 42. 28. in like manner when a poore disconsolate wretch shall without all desert and beyond all expectation finde a sensible experiment of Gods favourable goodnesse towards him how can hee chuse but even blesse himselfe and say Lord what am I that such a favour should be cast upon me In a word as Iacob answered his aged father when hee questioned him about the matter of his venison Gen. 27. 20. How is it that thou hast found it so quickly my sonne saith he Because the Lord thy God brought it to my hand In like sort if any shall seeme to question the matter how it comes to passe that some one man findeth favour and riseth to preferment so easily and so quickly over that some others doe which to our thinking deserves it better In promtu ratio the Lord their God brings it to their hand when God brings a blessing to hand the labour is not long to finde it But that by the way I shall here take occasion to resolve you of two questions which doe offer themselves to your consideration the first is this when a man wants the grace and favour of God how shall he doe to finde it the second is like unto it when a man hath found Gods grace and favour at his need how shall he doe to keepe it that hee doe not forfeit it nor loose it againe I will answer you for both in a word Dost thou want the grace of God and fayne wouldest finde it Thou must doe two things for it First thou must depreciari teipsum it is Tertullians word thou must disparage and disgrace thou must humble and abase thy selfe before the face of God for if that bee true which our Saviour saith John 10. 35. non potest solvi scriptura The scripture cannot bee broken then no man living can finde Grace with God but he that is truely humble for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Let one example serve for all and it is a seasonable one for this time that of the blessed Virgin of whom wee spake before the Angel told her as you have heard that shee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 highly or extraordinarily in favour with God for indeede she had such grace as never mortall woman had the like with God to bee made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God and to beare him in her body who in his body bare away the sinnes of all the world to give her owne Saviour sucke it was a favour beyond expression well but whence came this to passe that the Virgin Mary found this favour with God rather then any other virgin in Israel no doubt as our Saviour said in another case many widowes were in Israel in the dayes of Elizeus but to none was the Prophet sent save onely to the widow of Sareptah so many virgins were in Israel in the dayes of the virgin Mary yet to none was the Angel sent but to her onely And why to her and not to them shee that knew it best gives the reason herselfe in her Magnificat which we daily read My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour for why Respexit humilitatem saith shee Hee hath regarded the lowlinesse of his hand maiden It was not then for her lovelinesse but it was for her lowlinesse not for her hansomenesse but for her humblenesse that she found such grace and favour with God above her fellow virgins Other Virgins there might bee that were as chast as she as beautifull as shee and farre more wealthy and gay then she was but no Virgin in Israel nor in all the world was so humble nor so lowly as she was and this was the onely materia struendae misericordiae if I may so speake the matter that Gods mercy had to worke upon that that onely was the foundation and ground worke of all the grace and favour that she found with God In like manner if thou dost desire to bee partaker of the same mercy to finde favour with God as shee did thou must also be partaker of the same humility thou must bee humble and lowly as shee was doe as Benhadads servants did to Ahab 1. Reg. 20. 31. We have heard say they that the Kings of Israel are merciful kings let us goe then and put sackcloth upon our loynes and ropes upon our heads and so humble our selves before him peradventure wee shall finde favour with him that we shall not die but live so thou hast heard that the God of Israel is a mercifull God stand not then upon termes of ease or state if thou lovest thy selfe but goe and humble thy selfe unto him prostrate thy selfe before him pray and seeke his face in the lowliest the dejectedst the devotest manner that possibly thou canst expresse both with thy body and with thy soule and beleeve it for a truth if any thing under heaven bring thee into favour with the God of Heaven that will doe it deprectari teipsum to disparage thy selfe Secondly thou must Appropriare Christum thou must appropriate Christ unto thy selfe thou must shrowd thy selfe under thy Saviours wings thou must sue to God under his protection and patronage and as the Herodians Acts 12. made friendship with Blastus the Kings Chamberlaine to helpe them into favour with Herod so must thou make friendship with Iesus Christ for it is hee and onely he that can helpe thee into grace and favour with thy God Gratificavit nos in dilecto saith the

if thou belongest to heaven Lastly from hence they that are rich in this world may learne in a contrary sence to that of Lucifer to be similes altissimo like to the most high God I meane in goodnesse and tender-mercie we use to say dives quasi divus to intimate that a rich man should be to the poore as Moses was to Aaron in some fence a God Exod. 4. to succour and defend them in the time of need so then look how God above doth in the Summer time refresh the bowels of the earth with raine and in the Winter time keepe warme the backe of it with Snow so should they Philemon-like refresh the bowels of the poore that are pinched with hunger and Dorcas-like provide some cloathing for the backes of the poore that are not able to cloath themselves It is recorded of Iob to his eternall happinesse and honour that the loynes of the poore did blesse him being warmed with the fleece of his flocke Oh what a blessed thing it is to have the blessing of the poore and the blessing of God into the bargaine and all for the offalls of a mans estate Such a man shal be blessed in his name blessed in his person blessed in his posterity God will blesse a charitable minded man men will blesse him heaven will blesse him earth will blesse him all that ever have beene comforted or cloathed by him will blesse him too their backes will blesse him their bellies will blesse him their soules will blesse him his house shal be filled with blessings as a cruell mans house is filled with curses Therefore as David said of the men of Iabez when newes was brought him that they had buried the bones of Saul 2 Sam. 2. 5. Blessed be ye of the Lord the Lord recompence you this mercy So may I say of a mercifull minded man blessed be such a man of the Lord the Lord will surely recompence him mercy for mercy kindnesse for kindnesse and whatsoever cost he hath bestowed upon earth he shall finde it a hundred fold with God in heaven This lesson men of wealth and ability may learne of the very Snow or rather of the God that sends it not to lay all upon their owne backes Sal●●s sylvas as hee said groves and grounds and all to decke up themselves but lay something out upon the backes of Christs naked members that they may heare that comfortable doome at the last day Come yee blessed of my Father for I was naked and ye cloathed c. I had a conceit as I come by the way that the Snow did carry in it a lively resemblance of the state of this world in sundry passages I will but name them and leave them to your consideration 1. As the earth lies warme under the Snow and feeles not the bitter blasts of winde and frost which other poore creatures shrinke and smart for so fares it with the rich men of this world that lie warme with their wealth about them and have no feeling nor compassion of the cold and hunger the miseries and necessities of their poorer brethren So Dives being warme within had no feeling of poore Lazarus without now Dives signifies a rich man and Lazarus in the Originall signifies one qui auxilio destitutus est One that stands in neede of helpe and the intent of the Parable is to shew that the rich are commonly as destitute of pitty as the poore are destitute of helpe the one hath little or no feeling of the other sufferings 2. You may observe how the Snow goes by drifts the Wind fetcheth it off from one place to fill up another many a piece of ground is made naked and bare to fill up some ditch or pile up against some hedge and there it lies to keep those places warme that were warme before Even so doth the wealth of this world goe by drifts the winde of adversitie fetcheth it off from one man to fill up the unsatiable ditch of another man and many a mans meanes like the Snow is blowne cleane away from him and his posterity into the hands of Vsurers and rich Oppressoins to keepe them warme that were warme already to increase their wealth that had too much before just as Nabo●hs Vineyard was blowne away from him and from his children into the territorie and demaines of wicked 〈◊〉 3. Looke how they boyes and other youths toyle themselves in the cold to make a Snow-ball that shall licke up the other Snow and la●● when that is gone so doth many a covetous man toile himselfe in the world and licke up his poore neighbours with hard bargaines and cruell dealings and all this to rowle up himselfe a private wealth which when he hath done is but like a Snow-ball it may last for a time but vix gaudet terti●● heres it is a venture but some unthriftie Heire will waste it and melt it away as fast and as ill as ever his father got it 4. The Snow blindes a mans eyes that when he comes into a darke roome he can scarce discerne any thing Thus are many a mans eyes dazled with the vanities and vices of the world that when hee should come to looke inward into the darke corners of his heart to see how the case stands betwixt God and his soule like the blinded Sodomites he gropes at noone-day and cannot finde the doore of Gods mercy to enter at Salomon saith that gifts blinde the eyes of the wise In the Originall it is Pickim such as have their eyes open the meaning is that corruption and briberie so dazleth many a wise man that though his eyes be open to the world-ward to hell-ward they are blinde to God-ward and to heaven-ward and cannot see into the things that belong to the right way of pleasing of God and saving their owne soules 5. As many a dunghil and many a dirty slough is hid under a drift of Snow that a man can neither see it nor suspect it so is many a base minde many a false heart hid under a faire outside that will make profession and promises of favour and friendship to a man in prosperity but let him be cast or driven upon them in adversitie he shall finde them like a rotten quagmire under a heape of Snow a meanes rather to sinke him than to save or succour him at such a time 6. Lastly as Leontius said once to his sonnes pointing with his finger to his gray-haires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. when this Snow melts there will be a floud so let all old weather-beaten sinners pueri centū annorū as the Prophet speaks Esa 65. 20. that are aged in time and sin but children in grace and knowledge that have feathered their nests in this world and have nothing to take to in the world to come let them beware as he said least a floud of fire brimstone in the infernal lake do follow upō the melting of their snowyheads upon the dissolution of their