you the woman Math. 26.10 Math. 26.10 And for Drunkards Swearers Sabbath-breakers and other prophane Livers who are the grand Troublers of our Church and State we may in some Case wish with the Apostle Gal. 5.12 Gal. 5.12 I would they were cut off that trouble you But no more of this Mystically you have heard before how God may delay his now from this frowning Answer given by this Friend within to his Friend without we may further learne that God doth not only delay to Answer the prayers of his Children for a time Myst Doct. but he may sometimes seemingly frowne upon them and be angry with them when they pray unto him and count them troublesome he may enterteyne their prayers with a seeming dislike and distaste as if he had no pleasure in them and seemingly shake them off in anger This the Church complaines of Read at large Lament 3. verse 1-19 So Psal 80.4 c. So Job Lament 3 1-19 Psal 80.4 Job 13 24. 19.11 Psal 88.3.14 John 4.43 chap. 13.24 19.11 the like doth David Psal 88.3.14 Such was his dealing with the Ruler who became a suitour to him for his Son that was sick Christ enterteynes him with a check and reproose for his infidelity and the infidelity of his nation John 4.43 And such was his carriage towards the woman of Canaan who came to him in the behalfe of her little daughter Math. 15.24 25. Math. 15.24 25 26. Look how cunningly Joseph acted the part of an Enemy with his brethren when they came into Aegypt to buy Corne so dealeth God many times with his It is said that Joseph knew them well enough when he saw them but he seemed strange unto them and spake roughly challenging them for spyes and such as came to see the nakednesse of the Land Gen. 42.7 8 9. Gen. 42.7 8 9. So God knoweth his well enough yet seemeth strange and chargeth them many times with grievous crimes when they come unto him whereof they are innocent yet not seriously but tentatively for tryall sake and writeth bitter things against them whereto they make a modest and humble answer as Josephs Bretheren did to him Nay my Lord we are all one mans Sons we are true men thy Servants are no spyes but to buy food thy Servants are come verse 10 11. verse 10.11 Lord we are not such as dissemble and play the Hypocrites with thee we come unto thee in the name of thy Son we are thy Children and come to thy Ordinances for bread c. Joseph layes it hard unto them still and puts them to the tryall of their truth verse 12.14 verse 12.14 And by that wile he gets out of them that which he much longed to heare namely of his Fathers and Brother Benjamins health and wellfare and makes way to have his Brother Benjamin brought into his presence whom he longed to see God presseth hard upon the conscience that he may get out of us what he longeth to heare and loveth to see in us an honest heart Joseph puts his Bretheren altogether in ward three dayes and then delivers all but Simeon whom he keeps in durance that he might bring Benjamin his Brother to him verse 17.21 verse 17.21 Thus dealeth God with us he bringeth us into great straits and as his countenance is severe so his hand is oftentimes heavy on those whom he best loves thereby to bring us to Repentance for our sins Hos 5.15 he shuts us up for a time Hos 5.15 6.2 that we may have opportunity to reflect home and repent and then after two dayes he will revive us and then the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight by chastening of our Bodyes he saves our souls and brings our Benjamin to him our hearts in his worship and service Josephs Bretheren call to mind their cruelty and unkindnesse towards Joseph and upbraid one another for it not thinking that Joseph understood them Gen. 47.21.25 but he understood them well enough and turnes about and weeps yet conceales all and bindes Simeon verse 21-25 Conscience though it may be a while still and seemingly asleep yet affliction will awake it and bring us to an acknowledgment of those sins long before committed and forgotten and then it falls to accusing which God is not ignorant of he heares us and is affected with us but conceales his affection till due time verse 24 Simeon is taken and bound before their eyes verse 24. He shall be left in pawne in fetters the rest shall return with Corne Simeon was bold and fierce as appeares by his cruelty to the Sichemites and seemes to be the chiefe cause of Josephs trouble he is therefore singled out So in that wherein we have offended God will correct and chastife us and as we mete to others it shall be measured to us Mark 4.24 Josephs Bretheren come down a second time to Aegypt to buy Corn Gen. 43.15 they bring Benjamin their Brother with much ado for their Father would not part with him till necessity compell'd they are kindly enterteyned by Joseph who no sooner sees Benjamin but he requires the Ruler of his house to kill and slay for these men saith he shall dine with me Gen. 43.16 verse 16. He feasts them whom former he threatened When we come to God againe if God sees Benjamin with us an honest heart brought into his presence he will make a feast for us beyond expectation This extraordinary favour made Josephs Brethren to feare the more and to cleare themselves to Josephs Steward verse 18 19 verse 18 19 20. 20. A guilty Conscience made them fearfull and suspicious thus we are apt to misconstrue Gods actions his works of grace through our sin and ignorance occasioneth us to feare where no feare is as Judg. 13.22 Math. 14.25 26 27. verse 25 Now Josephs Brethren make ready the present which they had brought for Joseph and present it verse 25. So do the Godly though it be but a little of every good thing a little Faith a little Repentance this God accepts and takes well at our hands though there be but a little of it be it of the best verse 30 Joseph makes haste verse 30. yet he hides his affection till he had brought them to a more sound and serious sight of their sins And therefore after all this their kind enterteynment and mirth when they thought all danger over he beats upon their guilty Consciences by another tryall no whit inferior to the former Hue and Cry is sent after for a stollen cup They are accused of flat fellony they plead their Innocency search is made and the Cup is found in Benjamins sack Gen. 44.6.12 All this was to sift his Bretheren Gen. 44.4 5. and to try their affection to Benjamin verse 12 whether they would stand by him in this his trouble or desert him Thus dealeth God when he seemeth to be
the Rocks such plenty of pease which came to perfect maturity that they abated the prices of the Market Cambd. Brittannia p. 466. and saved the lives of many poor people Cambden relateth when Rochel was besieged in the heat of civil wars in France raysed against the professors of the Reformed Religion and they brought into great extreamity for want of Victualls their store being spent God sent into their Haven such multitudes of shell-fishes daily which cast themselves upon the Shore that the people were therewith relieved during that siege which was no sooner broken up and removed Hist de statu Relig. Reip. in Regno Galliae lib. 11. but they departed also the like kind of fish was never seen there before nor since Merlyn being hid in a haymow in the massacre of Paris was there nourished for a Fortnight together with an egg a day which a Hen that came thither layd by him every morning Dikes Mich. and the Drag p. 266. Melch. Adam Musculus of whom we made some mention before when his wife and Children came and begged bread of him in the time of his banishment to divert his care he fell to verfifying Est Deus in coelis qui providus omnia curat Nunquam credentes destituisse potest No sooner were his verses ended but a Neighbour of his brought him a loafe which supplyed the want of his family Not far unlike to this is that which I have heard from the mouth of a Reverend Divine Mr. Rich. Hunt yet living that there being a great Famine in Lancashire his Father wanting bread for his Family went according to his usuall manner to morning prayer in Manchester Church no sooner was prayer ended but rising to go home casting his eyes in the next Seate there he spyed a great loaf how it came there he could not tell which he with a thankfull heart received and therewith relieved the necessities of his Family Other instances we may give for these are but a few Annotations in the margent of that great volume of Divine Providence of Gods supplying the wants of his by extraordinary wayes and meanes Or if he doth not this yet he hath many ordinary wayes to succour his sometimes by giving strength of body and ability to beare the want If you take away my meate said one in Q. Maries dayes to her bloody Persecutors God will take away my stomack Acts mon. fal 1547. And when the Bishop of Norwich kept Robert Samuell Martyr without meat or drink in the prison two or three dayes together so that he was almost famished he being in a slumber thought he saw one stand in white before him saying Samuell Samuell be of good cheare for after this day thou shalt neither be hungry nor thirsty and accordingly from that time to the time of his burning which was not many dayes after he neither hungred nor thirsted This as the story tells us he said that he related to this end that all men might behold the wonderfull work of God Sometimes againe he doth so blesse the poore meanes of maintenance and nourishment to his as that a little shall go farre so we reade 2 King 4.6 and Math. 14.20 21. Dan. 1. 2 King 4.6 Math. 14.20 21. Five thousand were fed with five Loaves and two Fishes So saith one God hath blest to many the fifth part of their own loafe taken from them so that they and theirs live comfortably with it when the other four parts cannot keep life and soul together Mr. Tho. Fuller in them that have it Or else God will supply their wants with counter blessings of another kind as Spirituall for Corporall eternall 1 Cor. 6.10 Jam. 2.10 for temporall thy losse shall be thy riches And the lesse thou hast here the more is behind for God is a good pay-Master the longer he forbeares the better payment he makes in the end What Lazarus wanted here on Farth he sound in Abrahams bosome Oh! murmur not then repine not distrust not if God comes it is to relieve thee if he stay it is to try thee however his purpose is to do thee good and save thee And is it not better to be preserved in Brine then to rot in Honey Let these things be well disgesied and we shall not judge want to be so terrible as the world imagines nor inferr that we are any whit the lesse in Gods favour because of it Let us labour rather to see the want of Faith and complain of that as the greatest want resting assured that God will rather work miracles when ordinary meanes fail then suffer the Faith of his to sink for want of suppoâ—tation If we know not what to do let us lift up our eyes to him from whom both poverty and riches comes And if thy thoughts be at any time inquisitive as were Isaac's Gen. 22.7 8. Where is the Lamb How shall I do for this or that say to thy soul as Abraham did to Isaac God will provide His Friends are all of his Family and he is worse then an Infidell that provides not for his Family 1 Tim. 5.8 Math. 6.30 saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 5.8 He provides liberally for all his Poultry the foules of Heaven And are not yee much better then they Oh yee of little Faith We have now done with the Indigent we come to his Exigent Text. And shall go to him at Mid-night and say unto him Friend lend me three loaves c. Here we take notice first of the thing wanted secondly of the course taken for the supply thereof The thing wanted was Bread Loaves of Bread What bread whether of Barley or Wheat he mentions not nor is it to the purpose to enquire He instanceth in that rather then in mony or clothing or other such thing Because it is the only necessary thing for preservation of life thence we may infer Want of Bread Literal Doct. is a great want Our Saviour so considers it here had that want been small or triviall he would without question have alluded to somwhat else This want brought Jacobs Sonnes to their witts end they stood gazing one upon another not knowing which way to turn them Gen. 42.1 2. as their Fathers speech unto them imports Gen. 42.1 It threatened death Get you down said he unto them and buy Corne that we may live and not dye verse 2. For want of bread the whole land of Aegypt fainted Gen. 47.13 Gen. 47.13 or as Junius hath it furebat it raged and was well neere madd but whether they fretted or fainted for lack of bread it appeares that they apprehended it to be no small Affliction but a heavie Judgement Indeed it is threatened as a Judgment Levit. 26.16 Deut. 28.51 Ezek. 4.16.17 5.16 14.13.21 and put in the Catalogue of curses that were fearfull Judgements Levit. 26.26 Deut. 28.51 Ezek. 4.16.17 It is one of the deadly Arrowes that are in Gods quiver
supper with their messes of meat that they might know the worth of that good Creature which they spoiled But mystically the Oppressor is a far worse Hunter then these he imployes both arme and braine to hunt the poore out of his habitation Mic. 2.2 It is a good Item that Solomon gives to these Mic. 2.2 Pro. 23.10 11. Pro. 23.10 11. enter not into the Fields of the Fatherlesse i. e. to wrong them and oppresse them For their Redeemer is strong and he will plead their cause Secondly the Locust is another Creature that is an enemie to Corne. Amos 7.1 These devoure the Fruit of the Earth Amos 7.1 every green thing they eate and in hard weather lye under hedges They say of this Creature that it is all Belly which is joyned to his mouth and endeth at his taile Our Monopolists Ingrossers and Hoarders up of Corne and others of that make may be resembled to these Locusts they get commodities into their own hands what Corne they can into their own Granaries purposely to make dearth and so a prey of the poore Such were they that we read of Amos 8.4 5 6. They had hoarded up Corne to make it deare Amos 8.4.5 6. and now the Markets grew quick they must bring it forth in all haste but it was only to make a prey of the poor and needy Had they with Ioseph bought up the superfluitie of plenty to prevent a dearth or had they laid up Gen. 41.47.48 out of the abundance of one yeare to prevent scarcity in another this had been a wise and discreet providence Ioseph by such a Provident care brought it to passe that when a dearth was in all other Lands there was Bread to be had in the Land of Aegypt But when the Markets are unfurnished then to buy up or hoard up to raise the price this is an unlawfull practise Pro. 11.26 and followed with a curse Pro. 11.26 And Gods curse as well as the Poor's follows it We read in Henry the 3d. his dayes of one Walter Grey Stow. Chron. Arch-Bishop of Yorke who in a great dearth had five years Corn hoarded up and fearing lest it should be destroyed by Vermine gave command that it should be delivered to Husband-men that dwelt in his Mannors upon condition to pay as much new Corne at Harvest following But when they came to a great stack of Corn nigh to the Town of Ripon belonging to the Arch-Bishop intending to thresh it out multitude of Serpents Toads Adders appeared in the sheaves so that the Bailiffs were enforced to set it all on fire to consume those venomous creatures that were in it Thirdly the Canker-worme is another devourer and spoiler of Corne Nah. 3.16 that spoileth and then flyeth away saith Nahum To this we may resemble the mercilesse and cruell Landlord who by racking Rents excessive fines imposition of Carriages more than by Covenant was agreed on doth so tenter-stretch the poor Tillager that he is never his own man again Questionles Lands and Rents may be improved so that it be with charitable minds and that the Tenant may both pay his Rent and comfortably subsist by his labours and maintain himself and his in an honest sort Otherwise such Landlords do but grind the faces of the poore chop them small as herbs for the Pot Mich. 3.3 they seethe a Kid in the Mothers milk Mich. 3.3 Exod. 23.19 old and young together in one anothers blood And in raysing their Rents they do their utmost endeavours to raise the Markets for how else can Tenants pay their Rents and in so doing they seek to bring a dearth upon the Land The last of these wasting Creatures is the Catterpillar which in the East was a horned worme with 16. Feete termed by Jeremiah the Rough Catterpillar this was a great spoyler Jer. 21.27 Psal 78.46 105.34 and waster of Corne Psal 78.46 105.34 And such a horned worme is the Depopulatour which abound most in the North-East they throw down whole Villages and instead of one or two hundred Persons who have there lived and comfortably maintained themselves and Families now no more is to be seen then a Sheephard and his Dog These do not only take away the gleanings from the poore Job 24.10 Deut. 24.19 Isay 5.8 Job 24.10 Contrary to the Law Deut. 24.19 but the fields and all Isay 5.8 And such a horned Worme would the Leveller have been in the West who pull'd up hedges removed Land-marks filling up ditches and laying all Common as in the insurrection of Wat Tyler and Iack Straw in the dayes of Richard the second entering upon other mens labours bringing confusion on Families If these Hoggs had not been rung by good laws made against them and just punishment inflicted on them they would as it is thought by this time not only have rooted up Townes and Houses but Churches too And yet it is to be feared that their Rings are broken off for they fall in some places to rooting afresh Thus by these four Creatures the plenty of Corne comes to be wasted and want and scarcity is brought upon us insensibly For what the Palmer-Worme leaves the Locust eats up what the Locust leaves the Canker-Worme devoures and what that leaves is consumed by the Catterpiller All together are enough to devour up the plenty of a Land As these four Creatures swarme in the Kingdom so in our Parishes Townes Villages Families the like kind of Vermine may be met withall How many loose and debauched Persons are there amongst us who by their vitious and sinfull courses bring themselves and theirs to a morsell of bread as First by Whoredome This the wise man observed in his time Pro. 29.7 Prov. 29.3 he that keepeth company with Harlots spendeth his substance Or he that feedeth Harlots for so the words may be rendered and are in some translations for they stick like Horse-Leaches till they have fed and filled themselves and then they fall off when they have emptyed those who fed them So Pro. 6.26 by the meanes of a whorish woman Prov. 6.26 a man is brought to a morsell of bread To a bit or a scrap of it Gods curse is upon a mans estate and labours for this sin Besides it is a costly sin though it be base and brutish and bought at the highest rate the Wife and many Children are not so chargeable as one Harlot is A price she sets on her body none on her soul that she gives away These are like the Palmer-Worm for their gadding and wandering disposition Prov. 11.7 Jude 7. Pro. 11.7 No flesh pleases them so well as strange flesh Jude 7. For such is reserved the Vengeance of eternall Fire Secondly Prov. 23.21 by Drunkennesse Pro. 23.21 the Drunkard and Glutton shall surely come to poverty A punishment threatened to the Drunkards of Judah Joel 1.5 Ioel. 1.5 God brought upon them a time of dearth and famine for abusing
very Loving to us and makes us best welcome he hides his face againe chargeth us with bitter things whereof we think our selves Innocent and stand upon our Justification as Job did till search be made and then we find that in our sacks which we knew not of and would not believe to be there which when we find we stand amazed at And all this God doth to try the sincerity of our hearts and the Truth of our Love to Benjamin and to double our joyes in the end after we have been brought to a thorough Humiliation for our sins verse 14 Back againe they come with rent cloathes they humble themselves before Joseph casting themselves on the ground confessing their sin not this whereof they were accused for therein they were innocent but their cruelty towards Joseph verse 15 16 17 God hath found out the iniquity of thy Servants saith Judah of this all were guilty and confesse their deservings verse 15 -18 thus the Godly make good use of their present sufferings and look back to what they have deserved And then Judah he comes neer to Joseph verse 18. usque adâ—fin cap. craves favour to speak a word in his eare relates all the matter to Joseph as if he had been ignorant of the matter when he knew all as well as himself verse 18. to the end He acquaints him likewise with the danger of his old Father and sadnesse of his complaint at parting offering to be a bondman in his Brothers roome that he might preserve his Fathers Life And thus are we brought by our afflictons to powre forth our hearts before the Lord like him and acquaint him with all that hath happened as though God were ignorant of the businesse when he knowes all better then we our selves can know it After Judah had done thus then Joseph makes known himself Gen. 45.1 c. Gen. 45.1 c. Compassion and joy can be concealed no longer every man must be put out save his Bretheren he discovers his affection tells them he was Joseph their Brother bids them not be affraid but puts them withall in mind of their injury whom you sold into Aegypt yet comforts them with the consideration of what God had done sends for his old Father willeth them to bring all they had away and some live with him in Egypt which they did to all their comforts And the like is Gods dealing with us after he hath tryed us to the purpose brought us to a true sight and sorrow for sin he can refraine no longer Isay 42.14 He saith Isay 42.14 I am your Father whom you have injured and wronged in breaking my Lawes but I have pardoned and forgiven you and prepared an inheritance for you in the Heavens Therefore regard not the stuffe care not for the Lumber and trumpery come up quickly and tarry not the good of all the Land of the Living is yours And thus you see how Josephs dealing with his Bretheren when they came to buy Corne of him is a lively resemblance of Gods dealing with his oftentimes when they come unto him in their Afflictions Use It this be Gods way sometimes to appeare as an Enemy when he intends Friendship let us learne to hope even in a state hopelesse and love him chiding and trust in him killing as Job did Those that are well acquainted with Gods proceedings Job 13.15 know that cherishing ever followes after stripes as Cordialls do vehement Evacuations His Anger ever ends in Love and by it he prepares us for Love His Countenance resembles the picture of Diana at Delphos whose face though it seemed to frowne upon commers in yet it smiled upon them at their going out Examine me O Lord and prove me saith David Psal Psal 26.2 26.2 try my reines and my heart for thy Loving-kindnesse is ever before mine eyes he was to be tryed as Gold is tryed but he builds upon Gods Love If Gods Anger and not his Love had been before his eyes it had been but a fearfull Apparition and a dangerous issue to have gone upon but he saw Love in all and so long he could submit unto any furnace of his heaâ—ing If through those black and thick Coulds that compasse thee and seeme to interpose betwixt thy Prayers and the Throne of Grace thou could'st discerne the bright Sun-beames of Gods favour if thou could'st look beyond the Cloud of afflictions and see the Sun-shine on the other side if when God seemes to frown upon thee and be angry with thee thou could'st by the hand of Faith pluck off that maske and Vizard thou would'st then see a Loving heart through contrary appearances and pick love out of angry speeches Math 15 16 17. Hos 5.15 6.1 as the woman of Canaan did out of Whelp and Dog He hides himself when he meanes to be found he kills himself when he makes alive throwes down when he meanes to build up and intends to ease us of our burthens when he seemes to lay heavier upon us Say then with David when thou lyest under such temptation Psal 42. Why art thou cast down ô my Soul why art-thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God The Reasons rendered of this trouble pretended by the Friend within to the Friend without are now to be examined And they are two first the dore was now shut and it would be troublesome if not dangerous to arise at that time of night to open it Secondly his Children were with him in bed and at rest and it was not fit that he should disquiet them We begin with the first Text. The Dore is now shut There is no fault to be found with that The barr'd Dore keeps out the Thiefe Job 24.16 who in the Night-time breaks into houses which they have marked for themselves in the day And it may teach us a point of Wisdom To shut the Dore against dangers as did Elisha 2 King 6.32 Nature teacheth the brute beast to prevent danger 2 King 6.32 much more should Reason perswaâ—e men unto it and Religion alloweth it and commendeth the prudent man that fore-seeth the evill and avoideth it Pro. 22.3 Use Too too blame then are such as carry not a watchfull eye upon dangers to prevent them before they do come Prov. 22.3 Argus his eyes are to be preferred before Briareus his hands A provident eye for the preventing of future mischiefe is more excellent and usefull then a potent arme for the suppressing of that evill which is befallen us But this man who knockt at Dore at this time of Night came not to steale but to borrow he was no Enemy but a Friend and one that came in a friendly way unto him desiring this friendly courtesie from him and it was his fault to deny him so small a request under pretence of trouble When the Heart is open the Dore cannot be shut As before
bestowed on us and freely given to us Wherefore be not proud of thy Alms nor ascribe any thing to thy own deserving a sin that we are too too prone unto as Israel was Deut. 9.5 32 27. whereof they are often warned to take heed Use 3 And let us from hence be incouraged to come to God notwithstanding the great unworthynesse we find in our selves of any mercy Oh! say some I have nothing am nothing nay worse then nothing stark naught I deserve nothing how can I expect to have my prayers heard Say it be so yet no unworthinesse of our own hinders the mercy of God from us if we seek unto him unfeynedly in sundry examples you may find that none have found so much favour and mercy from God as those who have come unto him in deepest sense of their own unworthinesse so the woman that Christ cured of the bloody issue Mark 5.27 33. Luke 7.6 7. Luke 15.21 Luke 18.13 Math. 15.27 Mark 5.27 33. and the Centurion Luke 7.6 7. and the Prodigall Luke 15.21 And the Publican Luke 18.13 And the woman of Canaan that judged her self to be no better then a dog Who could have deeper sense of their unworthinesse then these and who ever spedd better in their prayers then these It is not in our own name we go to God but in Christs Heb. 4.16 not trusting in our own merits Heb. 4.16 but in Gods mercy which is our merit He that obtaines no more then he deserves will find little heart to pray and may spare the Labour of Thanksgiving which is the next Use we should make of this Point Use 4 Seeing all is given and Praise to your Petitions be thankfull for what you have as well as begg that you have not Psal 50.15 Phil. 4.6 Psal 50.15 Phil. 4.6 we have never cause to pray to God but we have like cause to prayse him We read of one Thales Milesius that having communicated to one Mandrita another Philosopher an admirable discourse of the motion of the Heavens he gave him great thanks for the instruction and asked him What recompence he should give him for the dowment to whom Thales thus replyed O Mandrita it shall be sufficient for me if when thou divulgest this secret tibi non ascripseris sed me ejus repertorem praedicaveris that thou do not ascribe this to thy self but confesse that it was my invention This man requires of man much more justly doth God require this of us and this is all that God requires Deut. 16.12 Deut. 10.12 a poor Rent and return indeed This is the way to have mercis continued to us and to be further trusted with favours as the Trades-man dealeth with his Customers so dealeth God with us pay as you do take up and he will further trust you and pay him in his own Coyn. He that bought in former times any of the Kings Land did pay for it in the Kings money So give God that which is his own for it that is his mercy and to give God his mercy is to give God thanks for his mercy Iosephs Bretheren stood ready with their presents in their hands when they came to Ioseph Gen. 43.25 So must we with thanks Gen. 43.25 when we come to God for any suite God expects it Prayer and Praise should be like the double motion of the Lungs the Ayre that is sucked in by prayer should be breathed out again by praises Call then upon your souls for the performance of this Duty Psal 103.1 2. Psal 103.1 2. forget not all his benefits as much as to say by an ordinary Hebraism forget not any of his benefits What we winn with Prayer let us wear with thankfullnesse and not give God cause to brand us with Ingratitude as he did those Lepers Luke 17.17 18. but one of those ten was the figure Lukke 17.17 18. the rest were as the Cypher saith one and he that returned thanks was a Samaritan too more shame for Gods Israel that God should have the best Tythe out of a strange field And thus much of the Promise which is here made to Asking Aske and it shall be given you Now to the second Term seek and you shall find Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seek Ye As in Asking we employ our tongues so in seeking our eyes both of the body and minde Seeking is an action of diligence and care in endeavouring to find out something that is missing as 1 Sam. 9.3 Luke 2.48 15 8. 2 Tim. 1.17 so that this is a further degree then the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 containes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in it and somewhat more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but a piece of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this hath both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in it it must be done with fervency Something is implyed and something imported in the word That implyed is Doct. All of us are at some losse Math. 10.6 15 24 18 11. Luke 19.20 2 Cor. 4.3 The Scripture speaks of our natural condition as of a lost condition Mat. 10.6 15 24 18 11. Luk. 19.20 2 Cor. 4.3 Three Parables we have Propounded by our Saviour in one Chapter Luke 15.4 9 24 32. all to confirme this one Truth unto us Luke 15.4 6 9 24 32. But what are our losses Alas more then we are able to declare we have lost our God his Love and Favour and with him Heaven and Happinesse Rom. 3.23 24. Ephes 2.12 Rom. 3.23 24. Ephs 2.12 Psal 58.3 Esay 53.6 Secondly we have lost our selves too we are all wandered out of the way Psal 58.3 Esay 53.6 we are all naturally to seek in that Thirdly we have lost all the good we had even our best abilities so that we have no power to do good Rom. 3.12 Rom. 3.13 He spake well that said He which hath himself hath lost nothing but we in losing our selves have kept nothing The Image of God after which we were first Created is lost and that consisted in two things in Conformation and Domination Now there is no Conformity in man with the holinesse and righteousnesse of his Creator and as that is lost so is mans Dominion and Rule over the Creature they rise up against him and will not be subject we have lost our beauty health strength and all externall good things wherewith the life of man was honoured And at last the losse of the soul the greatest of all Reas If you ask me How this came to passe that we are at such a losse I will tell you briefly First this came to passe through Adams defection Unthanfullnesse and Ambition God made man happy Eccles 7.29 but he sought out many inventions through Sathans Suggestions he aiming at a higher estate then that wherein God set him lost all and we his wofull posterity are enforced to sit down by it Rom. 5.12 18. Rom. 5.12 18.