faith If God should leave marks of displeasure upon every one that provokes him and marks of favour on every one that pleases him then we would live by sight and not by faith but now in that time that they shall see themselves to be persecuted and holinesse to be derided and scorned at and the professors thereof to live low in the world and to see wicked men to flourish and thrive and grow great in prosperity of the world and not afflicted as other men but to live in all kind of pleasure that the world can afford and to have more then heart can wish now this doth administer an occasion for the people of God to live by faith Seventhly God doth suffer wicked men to flourish in prosperity in the world for this end because they living in such power and prosperity they are ordered by God for to do God some service in the World So you read that Jehu did God some service in the world he living in prosperity and God did reward him for it for he and his posterity should have the Kingdom for the space of four Generations and for this temporal service God gave him a temporal reward Secondly Then as you are to consider Gods ends in suffering wicked men for to prosper so you are to consider the wickeds end in living in prosperity and in the consideration thereof you will not be troubled at their prosperity and that appears in these particulars First if you consider That outward prosperity it is all the portion that God hath allotted that wicked men shall enjoy for ever they have no other nor shall never have any other portion and happinesse but in this world therefore do not envy their prosperity In Job 9. 24. The earth is given into the hands of the wicked he covereth the faces of the Judges if not where and who is he A wicked man he enjoyes the earth but he doth enjoy no more this is all his Heaven all his Happiness all his Portion all his Comfort he shall have no Heaven to reward and receive him no God no Christ to smile upon him no grace to be crowned with glory nothing is given to them but only the prosperity of this world So Ps 17. 14. David there prayes to God to be delivered from men who have their part in this life and portion in this life whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure God gives them their treasure in this world I but God giveth them none of the treasure of Heaven They shall never see his face they shall never have the light of his countenance no Communion with the Father and with the Son no joyes and comforts of the Holy Ghost no true peace of conscience neither shall they ever enjoy any part amongst those that are sanctified by faith in Christ they have the earth in their hands but nothing of Heaven in their hearts they bear sway in the world who are slaves to the world they rule others at their will who are slaves to the will of Satan they may have the treasure of the world the portion of slaves but they shall never have the inheritance of sons therefore do not envy them Secondly Do not envy their prosperity on this ground because that they have the curse of God that doth go along with all that they do enjoy in the world In Prov. 3. 31. Envy not thou the Oppressor or the man of violence nor chuse none of his waies Why What is the reason because the Lords curse is in the house of the wicked ver 33. So likewise Job 5. 3. I have seen the foolish taking root but suddenly I cursed his habitation Gods curse goeth along with the prosperity of the wicked Do not thou envy that which God curseth although they may have good things from God yet they have never a good thought from God nothing from him but his curse and anger Thirdly Gods end with the godly why he withholds prosperity from them 1. Gods end is that he might give his people better things then outward prosperity in the World he gives good things to them that are evil but better things spiritual and heavenly riches to them that are godly he denieth evil things to his people but he gives them good things God keeps thee empty from the world that so he might fill thy heart with grace and with Jeuss Christ God lets thee enjoy lesse of the world that so he might give thee more of himself God would not geve Moses the land of Canaan a temporal good but God give Moses Heaven a spiritual and an eternal good so God denieth thee outward prosperity to give thee inward grace to have an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ this he will give thee but he will deny outward inheritances in this world he doth cloth thee but meanly with the world that so he might richly cloth thee with the righteousness of his Son he hath a Benjamin's messe a rich portion for his children a portion that lies not in dust and rubbish but in spiritual blessings in heavenly places God doth not fill thy house with lumber but he will fill thy heart with himself he giveth thee little in this world that he might give thee pardon of sin the love of Christ and to give thee Heaven and Glory and whatsoever may tend to make thee to be eternally glorious in Heaven 2. God doth deny his people prosperity in this world because he sees that they can hardly use prosperity well David he was exceeding good when he lay under a low condition and under persecution I but when David came to the Throne and when he grew great and rich and in power then he did heap up more sin then he did before so Solomon what abundance of sin did Solomon heap up not being able to use prosperity so well as he should his wealth did him more hurt then his wisdome did him good When God gives you prosperity in the world it is a hundred to one if you use it well should God give you full gales of prosperity and fill you with the world it would over-turn your little vessel therefore God doth deny you that which he will suffer wicked men to have to their own ruine Prosperity in the world doth destroy more then troubles and bonds and persecution doth more are slain by prosperity in their Chamber then by the sword in the field therefore it is a mercy for God to deny his people that which would doe them so much hurt Use The Use is this If it be so that Gods people are denied of the prosperity of the world O then do not censure Gods people because they are but mean in the world there is an aptness in men to run into two extremes 1. For to justifie men who do prosper in an evil course and 2. To condemn those who do not prosper in the world in a good way First Do not censure those who do
is thy casting down for sin too much because there is no spiritual disease so dark to the soul but there is comfort enough in the Gospel to support the soul under it When God shall call to thee and say Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you Mat. 11. 28. And you to refuse to come to Jesus Christ and refuse and put off comfort from you you are then too much cast down for sin Fifthly Then is a man cast down too much for sin under the waight and sense and sight of sin when that sorrow for sin shall be an occasion to wrong and hurt and to disturbe the body by diseases and thus melancholy men are subjected too much to this distemper and herein they are too much to blame Many there are who make their tears their meat and drink so fill'd with tears that they cannot eat their bread with comfort There are many godly souls so troubled with sorrow for sin that they have no comfort and joy of heart in Job 20. 25. It is drawn and commeth our of the body the glistering sword commeth cut of his gall terrours are upon him Many men lie in the bitterness of their souls that they cannot eat one morsell of bread with joy Job 21. 25. Now God doth not require so much sorrow for sin as to eat out the comforts of a mans life and to disturbe the comforts of thy daies as to be so troubled and disquieted that they cannot sleep by night and not to take comfort in the day As it is said concerning Asaph Psal 77. 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled I cannot speak When it is thus with you that you are so sore troubled so over much cast down it is excessive The Lord hath bid thee mourn not to wrack and crucifie thy body but thy lusts he calls thee to weep out thy sins strength and life not thy bodies strength and life God doth never require nor expect that any man should kill his body to save his soul through humiliation and sorrow for sin Sixthly Men are then cast down for sin too much-when a man is so far and so much cast down under the sight and sense of sin that he hath no mind at all to follow his particular calling now this is a sinful sorrow Sorrow for sin is not only sinful when it taketh you off from duties of godliness and Religion but when it taketh you off from your calling in the world and the reason is this as all Divines say That God doth never require any duty which belongs to our general calling as Christians to be inconsistent with our particular callings as Men Therefore if so be that your trouble of mind for sin hath been such as that it doth make you not to regard your particular calling as men in the world this is not accounted in Scripture a sorrow of sin necessary but immoderate and too much casting down for sin Seventhly They are too much cast down for sin when the amiable and admirable and comforting attributes of God are formidable and terrible to such men when we so think of sin as not to think on the divine attributes of God of the mercy of God of the goodnesse of God of the patience of God of the long-suffering of God of the faithfulness of God when men shall think so of God as if he were all justice all wrath without mercy good men have been overtaken with this fault Job was so Job 23. 15. Therefore am I troubled at his presence when I consider I am afraid of him Here Job tells you of the trouble of mind that he lay under that it made him afraid of God to be troubled at his presence and when he thought of him he was troubled at him One would think that to think on God is a comfort for a man to think that God is merciful to pardon my slong in faithful to keep Covenant with his people bountiful in God to supply his people strength in power to defend his people He is able to save them to the utmost one would think it should comfort one to think so on God But that presence that Moses could not endure to be without that presence Job could not endure to see and the reason was because of his guilt and his fears and doubting within him which cast him down too much And this was Asaph his case I remembred God and I was troubled Psal 77. 3. What the thoughts of God to trouble Asaph yes I remembred God and I was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed He might reason thus with himself I think that this God is a glorious and a terrible God a sin-revenging God and he seeth me and he marketh all my steps and he knoweth all my waies and he will reward all my doings therefore when I thought on God I was troubled at him O but the thoughts of God comforted Davids soul when I thought on thy name I was comforted said holy David Psal 99. 14. I but said Asaph when I thought on God I was troubled and Job when I thought on God on the Almighty I was afraid of him When the attributes of God shall trouble men to think of them and not encourage them and comfort them then is this sorrow too much casting down for sin But then Eighthly When under this sorrow for sin thou canst not look to God and blesse God for common mercies or special grace God gives thee mercies great mercies that thou maiest be rich and follows thee with mercies and blessings and loving kindnesses daily and his faithfulnesse is towards thee every moment and gives thee the world at will and yet for all this God not to have glory from thee shews thou art too much cast down for sin Whereas trouble and humiliation for sin if it be moderate and right it administers occasions to serve God and it doth occasion thee to blesse God and to give him glory for common mercies and special grace it doth occasion thee to glorifie God and draweth out the heart to serve God and to blesse him for the receit of mercies and when mercies have not this effect upon thee and when sorrow for sin worketh not this way it is immoderate sorrow and too much casting down for sin When God gives thee grace to assist thee against manifold temptations and to keep thee from the committing of manifold sins and to help thee against thy corruptions and to give thee grace to establish thy heart and yet not to bring up thy heart under thy sorrow to bless God this is a sinful sorrow If a man be upon his knees he may see heaven above and the earth beneath but for a man to lie flat upon his face he cannot see neither the heaven above nor any creature but only the earth below him So when God brings thee to thy knees for sin then you can see a gracious God
God he lets them see and find by the with-holding of his love and favour and the light of his countenance that there is more real evil in the losse of Gods countenance then ever there did appear seeming good in the committing of sin and in the pleasure of it 3 God may suspend his favour as an act of wisdom to hide pride from men and self-conceitednesse that they may not be proud of their own gifts and graces of the strength and degrees of their graces Job 33. 17 He doth withhold from man his purpose or as in the margent his works hide pride from man why so because a man may be proud in the works that he doth be full of high vain conceiâ—s of himself therefore God doth hide his works that he may hide pride from him this is an act of wisdom goodnes in God 4. God doth it that thereby he might make his people to be more afraid of sinning against him lest the comforts be again eclipsed for I must reason thus before I commit any sin that if I do this I break the righteous Law of God and if I do break his Law God will break my heart and break my peace and shall I make no care of committing a sin against God seeing by the committing thereof I must lie under the sense of Gods wrath 5. Then God doth it to let a man know and find that assurance is not essential to holinesse although the people of God have grace and do believe and have sins pardoned yet the sense of this pardon and the sense of this faith and the assurance of this grace is not essential though there cannot be peace but there must be grace yet it may be where there is not peace there may be a root where there is no faith yet there cannot be fruit but there must be root God will have men know the sense of faith and repentance is a gift of meer liberality 6. God doth it to let men see the difference between heaven and earth God reserves the best to the last God doth not think it fit that men should have constant joy in this unconstant world nor full joy in this empty earth nor lasting joy in this transitory world but he doth reserve that until his people come to heaven should the people of God while they live in this world have the fulnesse of joy and constant comfort they would be ready to slight and never look after that place where is fulnesse of joy they would never desire to be in heaven but therefore God is pleased to mix sorrow with comfort and suspend and hide his face to that end that his people might look after heaven and to let them see the difference between heaven and earth and thus you see that second reason why God doth suspend his favour from his people which is drawn from the wisdom of God Reason 3 The third reason as God may suspend his love and favour from his own soveraignty and from his own wisdom so thirdly he may do it from an act of his justice and lay them under the apprehensions of his wrath God will punish his own people for sin with the suspension of his love and favour Although he will not punish them with hell and in hell yet he will and may punish them with the sense of hell and lay them under the sense of wrath And I shall lay down some particulars how God by an act of justice doth punish his own people for sin with the sense of the want of assurance First God doth punish his people for the sin of grieving his Spirit if you do trouble and grieve Gods Spirit he will grieve trouble your spirits if you send Gods Spirit sad to heaven God will put sadnesse into your spirits upon earth and if you be comforted how can you expect to receive any comfort when you send him away sad that should rejoice your souls therefore when God hath withdrawn his countenance then conclude thou hast grieved his spirit Secondly God may withdraw his love and punish his people for the sin for the carelessenesse and slightnesse that his people have of God and of his fear as children are apt to grow saucy and presumptously malepert and irreverent till the father frown and majeistick austerity takes down their saucinesse so Gods people are like wanton children apt to slight God and his fear and therefore he sees it fitting that we should see his frowns as well as his smiles he will punish his people with the losse of his favour for their sin as well as smile upon them in the light of his countenance God will sometimes brow-beat his own children that they may see the wrinkles of his brows to speak after the manner of men Too much familiarity breeds contempt the Persian Kings shunned familiarity and were seldom seen that they might be more honoured Thirdly God doth it to punish that rigidnesse unmercifulnesse and uncharitablenesse that men have towards others that are troubled in their minds there are many Christians that have obtained the assurance of Gods favour the assurance of their salvation they do look upon others that are filled with fear and trouble of mind and that lye under temptation they look upon them at a great distance and carry no more love and bowels towards them then they do to those that have no grace at all now God for to cure this distemper he doth suspend his favour and withdraw the light of his countenance and let them to lie under doubts and fears that they may learn to pitty those that are cast down and not to be so uncharitable to them not to censure them not to break those bruised reeds Reason 3 I now come to the third reason why Gods people are dejected and lie under the apprehensions of the want of Gods love and favour to their souls it ariseth from the devil it may arise from him and that both from his malice and his subtilty the devil because he cannot make the children of God to dash their souls in pieces upon the rocks of presumption therefore he labours to make them to drownd their souls in the gulf of desperation because he cannot hinder a child of God from going into his masters joy in another world he labors to hinder their masters joy from comming into them in this world the devil he will rather play at small game then at no game at all seeing he cannot keep them from going into heaven it self he will keep heaven from entring into them because he cannot keep you from the having of grace he will keep you as long as he can from having the sence of grace And this is the third reason why Gods people may lye under the want of the light of Gods countenance Reason 4 The fourth sort of reasons why God may withdraw the light of his countenance it is this it ariseth from other men and that partly from good men and
their lust Hosea 13. 6. According to their pasture so were they filled they were filled and their hearts were exalted therefore they have forgotten me Their gold and silver and wool and flax did but cloath enrich and strengthen sins Now beloved wilt thou envy the prosperity of a wicked man wouldst thou envy a man to see him have silken halters and those to hang himself withal God doth give prosperity to wicked men to be as silken halters to hang them everlastingly therefore do not be disquieted though they prosper in the world Secondly Be not disquieted because wicked men have the curse of God with their prosperity this reason Job gives chap. 5. v. 2 3. he calls those men silly men that envy wicked mens prospering in the world for saith Job Certainly I saw God cursing their habitation Beloved it is better to have poverty with a blessing then to have encrease with a curse wicked men have the curse of God with all their prosperity and this reason Solomon gives you why you should not be disquieted Prov. 2. 31 32 33. Envy thou not the Oppressor and chuse none of his wayes for the froward is an abomination to the Lord but his secret is with the righteous the curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked but he blesseth the habitation of the just Though thou seest a wicked man by oppression and grinding the face of the poor become wealthy O do not envy him why because the curse of the Lord is in his house This should be a strong reason not to be troubled at the prosperity of wicked men it is observable of Esau Gen. 27. 28. I will give thee the fatness of the earth and the dews of heaven a large promise yet you read Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Jacob had but a poor staff and Esau had the fatnesse of the earth why thou mayest be poor as Jacob with a staff and scrip and thou mayest be loved with Jacob. And wicked men may have the fatness of the earth with Esau and yet God hate them therefore be not disquieted at the prosperity of wicked men it was spoken of the Caldeans Zach. 1. 15. they were a wealthy Nation God may give you ease in the world and abound with wealth yet saith God I am sore displeased with them he doth mingle his wrath and curse with the abundance of wicked men therefore be not disquieted because wicked men prosper Thirdly Their prosperity doth cost them very dear they lose a soul to get a world they lose heavens glory for earths prosperity it is a dear purchase Wouldst thou envy a man that to purchase his house should lose his life why wicked men to purchase wealth lose their souls I have read of a Souldier that when there was a Law made by the General That none should rob the Country the Souldier robbed a Vineyard took away a bunch of grapes and for example sake was to be hanged and some did envy the man for the grapes saith he envy me not I pay dear for my grapes I apply this you may see wicked men about you to eat the fat and drink the sweet of the Land thou eatest the bread of affliction and drinkest thy tears O do not envy him his wealth is the price of blood it hath cost him dear Fourthly Do not be disquieted because the wicked prosper for this wil put thee in danger to be wicked as the wicked are that man that is troubled because the wicked prosper he is likely to be tempted to become wicked that he might prosper as they do Observe that where the Scripture speaks that good men should not be troubled because the wicked prossper it gives that caution Lest you should be wicked as the wicked are observe Prov. 3. 31. Envy not the Oppressor nor chuse none of his wayes Intimating that if you do envy wicked men that gain by oppression you will become Oppressors and will become wealthy as they are Prov. 24. 11. Be not envious against evil men neither desire to be with them A notable text that David telleth you of what danger he was in because he was disquieted when wicked men did prosper Psal 73. 2. My feet had almost slipt David saw this he did envy them and he had almost fallen into the same sin that they fell into You have a notable passage in the 10. v. Yet a little while and the wicked shall not be yea thou shalt consider his place and it shall not be He tels you of their prosperity in the foregoing verses They are not plagued like other men they have more then heart can wish and what follows in the 10. verse It is but a little while and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be at an end that is because they see wicked men prosper Gods own people return their way and do many times wickedly as they do Beloved to see men that shall break Covenants and deal treacherously to see them successeful and carry all before them if thou dost envy them thou art in great danger to sin as they do and do wickedly as they do that thou mightst prosper as they do Third Question is What Consideration should a man use to reason against these disquietings of Soul because of the prosperity of wicked men Beloved I will name to you six Considerations to allay those disquietings seeing wicked men prosper in the world First Consider with your selves it is a harder matter for godly men to use prosperity well then adversity well you know it is a harder matter to carry a cup of Wine that is brim full without shedding then to carry a cup that is half filled It is harder to carry a prosperous condition well without sin then it is to carry a state of adversity therefore in Scripture those that have been good in adversity have been bad in prosperity The men of Israel were good in Egypt but they were bad in Canaan Deuteronomy 32. even when God had delivered them and given them the Land of Canaan even then they rebelled against God When they waxed fat and plentiful in the promised Land then they spurned against God When David was in a private condition when he was hunted by Saul like a Partridge over the mountains David was a good man but when David came to the Throne then he became adulterous then he became murderous whereas before he was a man of a marvellous strict life therefore the Scripture speaks of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17. 3. that he followed David's first waies intimating that David's first waies were his best waies I have read in Bernard's works chap. 12. B. 2. of considerations all that Chapter treats on this theam Majus periculum à prosperis quam ab adversis that it is more dangerous for a good man to be in prosperity then to be in adversity It is a Note Cornelius A lapide hath on Pro. 1. 32. that the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
not prosper in a good way It is possible that the Church of God that hath God and Christ and the truth and all on their sides and yet not to have victorie for to censure men by this you may by the same reason censure Christ and the Church of old and by the same reason you might justifie the Turk and Pope and condemn Christ if you should passe your censure by the victory and prevailing party for enemies have much prevailed against the Church do not censure because of success and that you may free your selves from this unjust censure take this consideration It is a Metaphor drawn from the Trees the one applyed to Christ the other to Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon in Daniel 4. 22. from verse 4. to 12. mention is made of this vision where the King saw a Tree It was in the midst of the Earth and the height thereof was great ver 10. The Tree grew and was strong and the height thereof reached to Heaven and the sight thereof unto the end of all the Earth the leaves thereof fair and the fruit thereof much and in it was meâ—t for all the beasts of the field had shadow under it and the fowls of the Heaven did dwell in the shadow of it and all flesh was fed of it This is to be understood of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon of his Kingdom which did spread over all the earth Now again it is spoken of Christ in Isa 53. 2 3 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor coneliness in him and when we shall see him no beauty that we should desire him This is the Testimony of this Tree this is meant of Jesus Christ and yet this Tree there is no form or beauty that we should desire it this Tree was nothing comparable to the Kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar for power and greatness and riches in the world and yet Jesus Christ must be a desoised plant So likewise when you see the men of the world for to prosper and to live in prosperity in the world do not censure them that are as low plants in the world poor and low if you doe you must condemn Jesus Christ and the Church of God and the generation of the just Secondly Do not justifie the wicked though they do prosper in the world you must not therefore judge their cause good because they prosper The Papists make their prosperity and successes to be an argument of the truth of their Church and their prosperity to be an argument of their being in the right way Many men make this to be a standing mark and upon all occasions will be ready to justifie evil actions with this Do you not see them prosper all breach of Covenant and all wickednesse and sinful actions they are ready to justifie them because they prosper and none to lift up a hand against them and because they carry all before them this is as bad an action as the Papists they make prosperity to be an argument of the goodnesse of the cause and the truth of their Church When Dionysius had robbed the Church and carried all away that they had he could then say to justifie his action Behold how the Gods favour us he made his prosperity to be an argument to justifie his sacriledge When men have full gales of wind in the prosperity of the World and when they do prosper in an evil course and none to disturbe them and all is well with them and the World at will then can they laugh in their sleeve and think that the God of Heaven doth justifie them in all their actions they have Armies on their side and strength and powers of the World on their side but we have truth on our side and God on our side and though the Church and People of God may be in the dust may be trampled under foot by wicked men yet the time shall come that the Church and People of God shall prevail therefore do not justifie the wicked in an evil way Thirdly Labour to abound in grace as you doe in blessings We read of an Altar made by Moses and also we read of an Altar made by Solomon and that which he made was four times bigger then that which Moses made because Solomon had more riches then Moses had and more peace Moses's was made in the Wildernesse Solomon's in Canaan I may allude to this You that God hath bestowed much riches and caused you to prosper in the World whose estates in the World are four times bigger then others are now God doth require four times more service from you then he doth from others You whose estates are great and come upon you yearly without pains and labour God doth expect that you should imploy your selves to his glory to bring God glory answerable to what is required of you more then he doth expect from handy-craft tradesmen in the world though they must serve God in the performance of those duties which God requires of them they must sequester so much time from their callings and rob their back to serve God and pinch their bellies to do their duties but this is a good exchange to rob their bodies to save their souls It was said of the Athenians the best Land and the best Laws fruntentis uterentur legibus nequaquam they made use of their Land but neglected their Laws take heed your mercies do not make you forget your duties Fourthly Admire not the prosperity of wicked men Haec bona ne putentur mala dantur bonis rursus no putentur summa bona dantur malis Aug Epist 70. these good things that they might not be accounted evil are given to good men and lest they should be thought the onely good are given to wicked men If there be any thing better then other the worst men shall never have them Now grace is the best good in all the World therefore the best men shall have it Now the riches of the World is the worst riches therefore wicked men shall prosper therein Prosperity is not the best good because it is that which God usually doth deny his beloved people and his dear children and bestoweth it on them that are the worst men Now when he shall deny it to his sons and bestow it on slaves it is an argument it is not the best good and thus much for the first Head for which Gods people are apt to be cast down SERMON X. Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him The health of my Countenance and my God Particular 1 I Now come to the Second Particular for which the people of God are cast down and that is because of the calamitous condition of the Church and people of God here in the World However some would hold us in hand that the
temptations do they need some to comfort them The Apostle on this ground bids Christians to comfort one another 1 Thes 4. last v. Comfort you one another c. 1 Epistle 5. â—4 Comfort the seeble minded support the weak be patient toward all men God doth enjoyn Christians this mutual act of love comfort ye one another As it is in an Arch it is so artificially built that though the stones of the Arch do all hang downwards yet one stone doth support another that they do not fall O beloved Christians that are lively stones in Christ's spiritual building you should be as the stones of an Arch that though one stone doth hang downward yet the stones next it should bear it up this makes Solomon say two is better then one for if one fall the other should help him up In this there are three Cautions to be observed First You are not to reveal that sin for which your conscience troubles you to every man but to a man that is experienced Judas when he was troubled in conscience for betraying Jesus Christ it is said that he went to the high Priest and to the Pharisees and confest to them I have sinned in betraying innocent blood why they did not compassionate him So shouldst thou go to some men and complain to them they would jeer at thee and send thee away with a flout and a scoff go to those that are more compassionate most judicious most acquainted with the spiritual state of a Christian Beloved in our bodily infirmities when a man is sick he doth not tell every neighbour he is sick and reveal his infirmity to all but to a Doctor A man in trouble of mind it is not for him to go to every one to men that wants bowels and experience and wants wisedom to speak a word in due season to a wearied heart Many men are like a company of Deer when one Deer is shot all the rest of the head of Deer runs away from the wounded Deer and leaves it to shift for its life when a man is wounded in conscience the arrows of the Almighty sticking in him they think it is a melancholy wound in him and they are shie of him they run away from him O go to those that can shew most bowels of compassion towards you Secondly Thou must not disclose thy particular sin on every slight trouble unlesse thy trouble be very urgent and vexatious in the soul Beloved you do not go to the Chirurgeon for every aking finger and for every slight wound it is not for every slight trouble of mind to disclose thy particular sins consession to another man should never be but when all means thou hast used thy self nothing can comfort thee when thy spirit is troubled with great bitternesse only in a case of urgent necessity must you open your selves to another man Thirdly Following this rule take heed when thou revealst thy mind to any do not deal doubly with that man Men will come sometimes to a Minister and tell him they are troubled in mind but they will not tell what it is that puts a sting into conscience but will open some other thing that is slight and trivial but not open the real thing that doth trouble them the Lapwing will not cry neer her nest but afar off Many men carry themselves so that you shall not find out their nests their beloved sins they wil not reveal and disclose them The eight Rule is this When thou art disquieted for sin then go to God through Christ in prayer to pacifie thy Conscience and speak peace to thy soul when thou art troubled we can speak peace but it is God that gives peace this is one prerogative ascribed to God that he is a God that consorts them that are east down 2 Cor. 7. 6. Nivertheless God that comforteth those that are cast down comforted us by the comming of Titus He is a God that creates peace out of nothing It is very observable in Isa 8. 11. For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand and instructed me that I should not work in the way of this people That when God would comfort the Prophets against the accusations and combinations of the enemies against the Church of God he spake to them with a strong hand the tongue is the instrument of speech not the hand we speak with our tongues we can speak to a man comfortable words but we cannot make you believe them But the Scripture saith God speaks with his hand because he can doe what he speaks his Word is like Christ's Word in the 9. chap. of Mark Christ spake to the Winds and to they were still and there was a great calm Beloved God's word it hath a hand in it it can doe what it speaks O then go to God through Christ in prayer and in having recourse to God There are two Things you are to beg of God in prayer if you would have the trouble of soul allay'd First Beg of God to have a share in the blood of Christ that merits thy peace and to have a share in the Spirit of Christ that works thy peace These are the two main things in prayer to allay the trouble of soul for the guilt of sin First Beg a share in the blood of Christ that merits thy peace Colos 1. 20. And having made peace through the blood of his Cross by him to reconcile all things to himself whether things in Earth or things in Heaven There is peace with God and a peace in thy conscience peace with God and peace in thy conscience it is the certain issue of Christ's Personal treaty with God the Father in Heaven As it was typed under the Law Exod. 12. 23. For the Lord will pass through to spoil the Egyptians and when he seeth the blood upon the lintell and on the two side posts the Lord will pass over the door and not suffer the destroyer to smite you The blood of the Paschal Lamb that did besprinkle the posts of the door of any house it was a pledge that there was peace and safety in that house If thou hast the blood of this Paschal Lamb Jesus Christ sprinkled on the door posts of thy Conscience this will be a sign that there shall be peace and safety in thy house the destroying Angel shall pass over Secondly Next to this beg a share in the Spirit of Christ that works thy peace therefore it is that the Spirit is called the Comforter as well as the holy Ghost He is called the holy Ghost to shew that it is one part of his Office to work holiness in us and called the Comforter to shew that it is one part of his Office to comfort his people and thus I have run hastily over the Directory rules to allay excessive disquiet of soul under the guilt of sin 2. I now come to lay down some Consolatory rules what rules may be giuen to comfort a godly man that is