gladnesse there was not one feeble person and Egypt was glad Psal 105. 37. The Church had a great storme for 70 yeeres in Babylon when they sate by the rivers of Babylon and wept to remember Sion Psal 137. 1. but in the end a great calme when they had leave to returne then were their mouthes filled with laughter and their tongues with ioy Ps 126. 1. The Church had a great storme in the daies of Ahashuerosh when Haman had procured they should all be destroied then was fasting and mourning but in the end a great calme when Haman and his sonnes were hanged and the Iewes had Purim Great persecution in the daies of the Apostles but in the end God gave the Churches rest throughout Iudea Samaria and Galilee and the word of God increased and the number of disciples multiplied in Ierusalem exceedingly The Ecclesiasticall story witnesseth that howsoever God hath sometimes yea for a long time exercised his Church and people with hot cruell and bloudy persecutions yet in the end rebuking persecutors by death or otherwise as you have heard he hath given his Church peace and turned the tempest into a great calme For the outward estates of particular persons we have gracious promises I will not faile nor forsake thee Which though particularly and personally made to Ioshuah yet the Apostle teacheth every man how to make it his owne by the application of faith Call on me in the day of thy trouble and I will heare and deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me David saith Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth out of all Psal 34. 19. And the Apostle saith God is faithfull who will not suffer his to be tempted above that they are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that they may be able to beare it And Christ promised to turne his disciples sorrow into ioy which in all ages he hath most graciously performed to his servants yea commonly in this life As Ioseph endured a great tempest when his brethren sold him his impudent mistresse falsly accused him his master cast him in prison he endured hunger and cold and the iron even entred into his soule but there came a great calme when the King sent and delivered him the Prince of the people let him goe free made him ruler of his house yea set him over all the land of Egypt and every one cried Abrech before him Great was the tempest that godly Mordochai endured when proud Haman so despised and intended mischiefe against him having set up gallowes to hang him thereon but there came a great calme when the King commanded Haman to put on him royall apparell which the King useth to weare to set him on the horse the King used to ride on and set the crowne roiall upon his head and proclaime before him Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King will honour Great was the tempest that David endured in that long time that Saul persecuted him and by all meanes sought to take away his life hunting him as a partridge upon the mountaines that he confesseth the flouds of ungodlinesse made him afraid and he said in his infirmitie I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul but there came a great calme when Saul being slaine David was anointed King and died full of daies riches and honour Iob endured a great tempest when hee lost all his goods children and health but there came a great calme when all was restored double unto him againe Many a man hath endured a great tempest of povertie sicknesse ache imprisonment disgrace and God hath sent a great calme of wealth health ease liberty honour Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men What great and grievous conflicts have the learned Bishops and Fathers in their times had with Heretikes Athanasius and Hilarie with Arrius Basil with Eunomius Tertullian with Hermogenes Origen with Celsus Augustine with Faustus Pelagius Petilian Cyprian with Novatus yet painfully rowing with the Oares of Gods word these Doctors overcame all those boisterous and contrary winds and waves and used it as a proverbe After weeping commeth laughter and after banishment commeth Paradise After a tempest a calme Great also are the Internall tempests whereof Gods children have experience in their soules mindes and consciences but God hath promised most gracious calmes For a moment in mine anger have I turned away but with everlasting compassion have I imbraced thee Heavinesse may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Yea the meeke shall be refreshed with abundance of peace Psalm 37. 11. And these promises God hath in all ages most graciously performed David had a great tempest in soule when hee complained That all Gods waves had gone over him and hee had beene vexed with all his stormes Yea he had suffered from his youth up the terrours of God with a troubled mind But there was a great calme when he said Now returne to thy rest O my soule the Lord hath well rewarded thee and againe Thou hast delivered my soule from death mine eyes from teares and my feet from falling awaked at midnight to sing praises and called for his Lute and Harpe to awake Iob had a great tempest in his soule when hee complained God did write bitter things against him made him possesse the sinnes of his youth and Gods terrours came in battell ray against him but he had a great calme when hee k 〈…〉 Redeemer lived and would trust in God though he killed him and God gave him double all that he had There was as great a tempest in Ionahs soule as in the sea when he said I am cast out of thy sight and his soule fainted within him but hee had a great calme when the fish vomited out Ionah on the drie land and hee paid his vowes and sacrificed unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving Oh many and great are the trials of Gods children in this kinde till the Lord rebuke Satan fearefulnesse distrust heavinesse c. and then sweet are the mercies and comforts wherwith the Lord refresheth their soules Oh then Art thou full of heavinesse mourning and sorrow in thy soule which maketh thee as a Pellican Owle in desart and Sparrow on house top alone thou minglest thy drinke with teares thy conscience doth rage in sight of sinne and sense of divine anger say as David did Oh my soule why art thou cast downe and why art thou so disquieted within mee still trust in God the storme will over and God will send a gracious calme But
his doctrine as himselfe hath said The workes that I doe beare witnesse of me that the Father hath sent me And againe If I doe not the workes of my Father beleeve me not but if I doe though â—â—â— beleeve not mee beleeve the workes Now if wee compare this with the other Euangelists it will appeare that Christ had taught the people many things in parables and therefore went purposely to the sea that he might by miracle there as it were seale the truth of that doctrine which he had taught and delivered for as our Saviour asked Philip Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat did it onely to prove him for he himselfe knew what he would doe So our Saviour knew what he would doe on the sea and for what worke he purposely went thither at this time The fourth and last was the triall of their faith who having been now some good time with him he would make triall of their proficiencie as God tried Abraham not that God was ignorant what was in Abraham or Christ ignorant what was in his Apostles but they were ignorant what was in themselves and presumed they had more faith than they had wherefore it pleased our Saviour Christ by bringing them into this danger on the sea to let them see the weaknesse of their faith and by doing such a miracle strengthen it and make them in all future dangers to rest more stedfastly on his Almightie power and not feare any evill by water or land In whom we may behold and learne for our instruction what is the Lords usuall manner of dealing with his Disciples No Schoole-master doth make that triall of his scholars of their proficiencie that God maketh of his concerning their profiting and growth in Knowledge Faith Repentance Patience Zeale none shall be long in his Schoole but he will trie them either by sicknesse of bodie discomfort of soule losses crosses dangers by water or land false doctrine evill example one way or other All that live godly shall be sure of their trials The Apostle saith That is no strange thing yea as the Apostle Paul saith They that are without correction are Bastards and not sonnes So they that are without trials are Bastards and not sonnes all Gods children are partakers thereof you cannot be ignorant of the great trials of Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioseph Moses David Iob the Children of Israel in the wildernesse it is our common condition and therefore good counsell that Syracides giveth My son if thou come to serue the Lord prepare thy soule for temptation Thou canst not be long with Christ on the land but hee will have thee into the ship thou must to the storme and yet all for the best in regard whereof Saint Iames hath pronounced Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him And Saint Peter saith Our faith being tried and found more precious than gold that perisheth shall be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ Oh if the graces of God as Knowledge Faith Patience Humilitie Zeale doe appeare in excellent measure as they did in Abraham Iob David and others specially the holy Martyrs how greatly is it for Gods honour and their true comfort and happinesse but if these be very weake and feeble in us and humane frailtie exceedingly appeare yet how profitable is it to know our wants as for those Apostles to know how weake their faith was that so they might walke in greater humilitie and pray the more earnestly Lord increase our faith Wherefore be not afraid of the storme if thou beest sound at the heart it shall be for thy good which made David so pray Examine me ô Lord and prove me try my reines and my heart And againe Search me ô God and know mine heart try me and know my thoughts marke well if there be any way of wickednesse in me For howsoever David knew his integritie yet the heart of man is deceitfull above all things who can finde it and he desired to know if his faith were weake or any wickednes lay lurking in any secret angle and corner of his heart as holy Iob suspected himselfe Though I were perfect yet will I not know that is justifie mine owne soule and S. Paul in jealous humilitie confesseth I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby iustified he that iudgeth me is the Lord Thus in an holy humble jealousie we should be glad to know if there be any weaknesse or wickednesse in us The manifestation whereof in his Apostles was a principall motive to leade them to the sea and into this storme For a conclusion of this first point let it be observed for ever remembred that my Text saith Christ is the first that entred into the ship He sendeth not his disciples to sea and himselfe standeth fast on shore but He first entred into the ship The greatest comfort to the Church of God in generall and every Christian in particular is that Christ is present with them in all their troubles and dangers God spake to Moses out of the burning bush And this is it which he hath so often graciously promised As to Moses when he sent him to speake to Pharaoh and deliver his people Certainly I will be with thee and the like to Ioshua As I was with Moses I will be with thee all the daies of thy life I will not faile thee nor forsake thee and unto Ieremie Speake all that I have commanded thee and feare not their faces for behold I am with thee to deliuer thee yea the promise is made to all Gods people When thou passest thorow the waters I will be with thee and thorow the riuers they shall not ouerflow thee when thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee And againe Because he hath set his love upon me I will be with him in trouble I will deliuer him and bring him to honor Ps 91. penult And Christ his promise to all his disciples is Loe I am with you alwaies even unto the end of the world and for confirmation thereof appeared to IOHN walking in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks whose corporall presence gave Peter such boldnesse and comfort that he presumed to walke upon the waters towards him yea the assurance of his spirituall presence gave David such courage that hee said I will not feare to goe thorow the valley of the shadow of death for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe comfort me But on the other side Gods absence and departure is most grievous and fearefull specially in times of danger and distresse as when God was angred by the golden
The Heathenish Mariners in Ionahs storme did cry every man to his god In nothing were the Gentiles more sottish than in this the multitude of gods and goddesses and ascribing particular tutelar gods to particular places Babylon had Belus Egypt Isis Athens had Minerva and Ephesus Diana the Caldeans had Baal Sidonians Ashteroth Ammonites Moloch or Milcom Moabites Chamos Syrians Rimmon and the Philistims Dagon Yea the Elements had their severall gods to rule over them As the Heaven had Iupiter the Aire Iuno the Sea Neptune and Hell Pluto The times of the Yeere had also their gods As Maia and Flora of the Spring Ceres of Autumne Pan was the god of Shepherds Aeolus of Winds Apollo of Fruit Bacchus of Wine Smiths had Vulcan Physitians Aesculapius Souldiers Mars yea and Harlots had Venus Yea for every purpose and occasion yea every sicknesse or disease they had a god to call upon Alas to what purpose should I fully discover the madnesse of the Papists who in this if it were possible outgoe the Gentiles having for every Country Place Calling Creature Disease some Saint or other to call upon Our Disciples are better taught Poperie was not then hatched nor this point of Invocation knowne in the Church for 300 yeeres after for it was 300 yeeres after Christ that the Fathers used this Argument against the Arrians Christ is invocated therefore Christ is God they doe not in this storme call upon Aeolus or Neptune Saint Nicholas or Christopher no nor Noah Moses Ionah or any other who had beene in danger of Seas and waters before but they come to Christ the true and only Lord of Sea and Land and all Whose example let us follow To pray to any other than the true God hath no commandement commendation promise nor warrantable example in all the Scriptures of God To pray to dead Saints is a dishonour to the living God and as great offence to make a new as to denie the true God God hath commanded Call on me in the day of thy trouble Christ hath taught us to pray Our Father which art in heaven David renounced all other Whom have I in heaven but thee Who are Peter or Paul Samuel or Moyses Gabriel or Michael or the Virgin Mary her-selfe though more excellent than they all yet who are any or all of these that we should give them divine honour of Adoration Invocation or Intercession Nay howsoever the Papists doe plead it as a matter of honour and say in denying this we dishonour the Saints it is not so we give to the blessed mother of God and all the glorified members of Iesus Christ all honour bounded with modestie and sobrietie and never any learned Protestant did with tongue or pen out of Pulpit or Presse once touch the hem of their garments to deprive them of the least reverence which the word of Truth hath taught us to give and specially consisteth in thankfull commemoration and carefull imitation of their renowmed vertues but to pray unto them in our wants and necessities is to give them such honour as is due unto God And if Olympias the Mother of Alexander the Great wrote to her sonne when he stiled himselfe the sonne of Iupiter not to doe it for feare of procuring the envie and displeasure of Iuno I dare say it is a matter not only displeasing to God but to the Angels and Saints themselves Did an Angell here on earth refuse that Iohn should bow the knee of his bodie to him and charge him See thou doe it not I am but thy fellow-servant worship God and will they be contented now that the knees of mens hearts be bowed and prayers powred out unto them No no if it were possible for them to heare such unlawfull prayers of men they would with both hands as we say put them from them and labour to purge themselves Not unto us Lord not unto us but to thy Name be such honour ascribed Shall prayer which one of their best Writers saith doth comprehend the whole worship of Religion and Piety shall this be given to creatures Oh keepe your soules unspotted of such a sinne when yee pray pray as the Disciples here by their examples have taught you pray unto God who only is able and willing to heare and helpe you Thirdly what doe they being come to Christ doe they sit leane or lie downe and dispose themselves to sleep with him No but as in the storme the Ship-master awakened Ionah so in this storme the disciples awakened Christ or as the word signifieth they raised him up Yea the word in many places is used where mention is made of the resurrection as Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up and Many bodies of Saints which slept arose and If Christ be risen from the dead how say some among you there is no resurrection of the dead In which and many other places and specially in that Chapter to the Corinthians the word of my Text is used and not improperly for what is deep fast and sound sleep but the image and brother of death Now Christ was in a fast or dead sleep as we have heard and therefore the Disciples are said to raise him as it were from the dead For the letter it is probable that they awakened him very turbulently and irreverently for their feare was great and faith small Their words as we shall heare bewrayed a great deale of passion and as death is of all fearefuls the most fearefull to nature so doth it dispense with ceremonies and complements and take away all respect of persons What are the clamours vociferations and cursitations of men in perill of drowning We need not inquire of Seneca Virgil Ovid and other Heathen for the Psalmist witnesseth saying They are even at their wits end and cry to the Lord in their trouble and in Ionahs storme the Mariners being afraid cried every one to his god and cast out their wares Howsoever then at other times the Disciples carried themselves in words deeds and gesture humbly dutifully courteously yet feare of death now made them forget themselves and offer violence with tongue and hand they cried with their tongues and at least jogged him with their hands never ceasing till they had awakened and raised him But I leave the letter The word being fully opened in mysterie affordeth us two singular and usefull instructions and specially for these times the former from the Disciples awakening the latter from the Master awakened in them importunitie in him opportunitie They awaken him suddenly hee awakeneth seasonably they awaken him violently hee awakeneth voluntarily For the first From this Example of the Apostles wee learne to be importunate with God in our praiers and never give over till we do awaken him and that he doe heare arise and helpe us Christ is fast on sleepe the disciples come unto him and
and all that know not God doe behold it and thus to looke upon it is fearefull It is true that many Heathen men have seemed very valorous and have contemned it but it was rather rashnesse and desperate madnesse than true valour or courage The Prince of Philosophers himselfe hath said not only that Death is fearefull but of all evils the fearefullest What need we their testimonies when the Scripture it selfe is so cleare Iob calleth it The King of Terrors And the Apostle saith Without Christ all men through feare of death are subject to bondage Oh it is the enemie of Nature separater of soule and bodie most loving twinnes depriver of all earthly comforts which so sarre depend on life as it ceasing they also cease to be David saith When men die they must leave their wealth and honour to others God asked the foole Whose shall these things be And Abraham gave Dives begging but a drop of water a cold answer Sonne remember thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things Wherefore it is impossible for any man utterly ignorant of Christ and only seeing Death thorow the glasse of Nature but he must needs feare and either die sullenly or desperately The second glasse wherein death is seene I may with reverence to Gods providence call the glasse of Fortune as the goods of this world are called the goods of Fortune and in this glasse death appeareth more fearefull than in the former Circumstances doe greatly increase the feare of death as if a man be young healthy lustie and in strength of nature bloud runnes fresh in the veines and marrow in the bones Quanto natura fortior tanto dolor acerbior The sweeter the conjunction the more bitter the separation Also if a man be in high place of honour or great hope of preferment If a man be rich and have all things at his hearts desire how fearefull are such to die Oh death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liveth at râ—st in his possessions to the man that hath nothing to vex him that hath prosper it iâ— in all things Oh death how bitter is thy remembrance to him that with Peter thinketh it is good to be here that hath much to leave and little to hope for Againe a violent death more fearefull than that which is naturall and according to the meanes of violence and instruments of execution fearefull to die by the hands of man more fearefull to die by the mouths of wilde beasts but of all most fearfull to die by raging fire waters Which thing an Heathen Poet hath excellently expressed I feare not death but drowning a miserable kinde of death Againe to die suddenly and specially when God sheweth some token of anger doth wonderfully increase the feare of it This made such a cry thorowout all Egypt when at midnight their first-borne were slaine I doe not judge such as die suddenly and extraordinarily by water or land The wise man hath taught us not to judge of any mans estate before God by outward things God knoweth whose case it may be I am sure it hath beene the case of such as the holy Scriptures assure to have beene godly as Eli Ionathan Iosiah Sampson The Apostle saith Nothing can separate the Saints from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus not death not manner of death Sudden death to Gods children is but like the translation of Henoch and Elias which was in a moment yet let me say againe though we judge charitably of such yet to be suddenly and unlooked for surprized of death with any note of divine anger is both fearefull to the parties themselves and others For though we know we must die and ought alwaies to be ready yet who so prepared especially in times of health and prosperitie but hath many things to set in order And seeing all dependeth upon the last act the whole life being but as a levelling and drawing death as the discharge of the arrow our mother Church hath godly taught us to pray if it be his blessed will to deliver us from sudden death and to give us time of repentance and preparation with understanding memory hearing and speech to the last breath Did not Lot know that his wife should die Yes but to him and all that shall heare the storie it is fearefull that shee was suddenly turned into a pillar of salt Aaron well knew that his sonnes must die but to see two of them Nadab and Abihu consumed at once by fire from heaven it did strangely astonish him Iob knew so much too but to heare that all his children were suddenly destroyed with the downefall of their eldest brothers house wherein they were feasting made him rise and rent his clothes Yea and David knew so much and comforted himselfe after the death of another saying I shall goe to it but it shall not come to me But when he heard of the sudden death of his sonne Absolon it made his heart even turne and ouer-turne within him he never so bitterly lamented any thing as that Oh my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne Come we to our disciples They see death in the glasse of Nature and it is fearefull they see it in the glasse of their Fortune they are now in middle age strong and lustie in great hope of preferment by their Master and striving for supremacie and who shall sit on his right hand and who on his left in his kingdome death commeth upon them suddenly robbeth them of all they now are or hoped to be they have not leisure to set themselves or houses in order nor bid wife and friends farewell not leisure to swallow their spettle nor say their praiers but shortly and abruptly for life they are like to die by waters and become meat for the fishes and that by such a sudden and raging storme as if heaven meant to destroy them so as now their feare is much increased and they cry out Lord save us we perish The third is the glasse of the Law which representeth death as the wage and punishment of sin the demonstration of Gods displeasure and the gate of hell when all the curses and maledictions of God come fully and for ever to be powred out Oh in this death appeareth most fearefull and like that dreadfull and terrible strong beast which Daniel saw in his Vision which had great Iron teeth and ten hornes and devoured and brake in peeces and stamped the rest under feet Good Lord how greatly are the wicked and all guilty sinners affrighted at this sight of death Saul being a wicked man having a guilty conscience no sooner saw death at hand through this glasse but he fell straight-way all along upon the earth was exceedingly afraid and there was