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A60177 Diverse select sermons upon severall texts of holy scripture preached by that reverend and faithfull servant of Jesus Christ, D. James Sibald ... Sibbald, James, 1590?-1650? 1658 (1658) Wing S3718; ESTC R33841 162,247 196

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to speak to us or wee have libertie to speak to him Lastly The consideration of this infinite Greatnesse of God serveth to give us comfort and confidence in all our troubles The Lord useth this argumēt to A●RAHAM to encourage him I am God Alsufficient saieth he walk before me and be upright and I will be thy exceeding great reward so when he sent Moses to the children of Israell to assure them that he was to deliver them out of the Egyptian bondage Hee declared to him his Name which signifieth his greatnesse and commanded him to reveale it unto them thus shal thou say unto them said the Lord Exod. 3 14. I am or Hee that is hath sent me unto you as if he would have said feare not hee hath spoken it who is the great and infinite Being who maketh every thing to bee that he will and giveth being unto all his promises In like manner the Lord reasoneth Isal 40. where he comforteth the fainting hearts of his people even ready to murmure with this consideration of his greatnesse Why sayest thou O Jacob why speakest thou O Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth f●inteth not neither is weary of his understanding there is no searching Hee giveth power to them that are faint and to them that have no might he encreaseth strength Even the youths weary and faint and the young men shall utterly fall But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Thee is no trouble nor distresse against which this infinite greatnesse of God cannot comfort us Are thou weak and thy enemies strong yet remember that the power of this great God of whose greatnesse ther is no end is greater then all thy weaknes or their might Are thou oppressed with the greatnes of thy sinnes Remember that thy sinnes how great soever are small in respect of his mercies who is infinitly great in that as well as in other perfections Are thou perplexed and seest no outgate in thy difficulties Remember the Wisdome of Him that is infinitly great can find out the way In a word His infinite greatnesse can supply us in all our evils and wants Let us therefore seek our comfort hence against the manifold evils which afflict us or are imminent over our heads There is no day almost which bringeth not some evill with it and some tydings that are sorrowfull I shall instance but in one particular the death of your Reverend and worthy Pastor whereof yee lately heard I may truly say The losse of him was not a small losse He was a man endued with singular and excellent gifts especially of Learning and Devotion His Judgement was solid and piercing his Conception was most cleare he was strong in reasoning distinct and sweet and pithie in his expressions and by the diligent use of these gifts highly esteemed at home and famous abroad amongst the best learned as I very well know How comfortable his travels were to you how plainly and perfectly he instructed you how sweetly and powerfully hee exhorted and comforted you from this place I appeale to your own consciences But that which is most of all I am perswaded he had the true feare of God in his heart in his wayes he set him before his eyes and was fervent and frequent in the devot service of him He made not a shew of devotion but God Who seeth in secret I trust hath now openly rewarded him Hee had indeed an apprehension of death a long space before his end and I very well know that he was most earnestly and devotly prepared for it His preparation was fruitfull for God gave him a sweet and calme and holy departure which joyned with integritie of his life assureth us that he is now translated from this valley of teares into his Fathers house and to that City that hath foundations whose Builder and Maker is God For my self I make no doubt at all but that he is with this great God and is now entered into his joy So it is well with him but alace These and the like losses are matter of sorrow and heavinesse to us yet as I said we must not be too much cast down There is comfort against this in all our evils in that infinite greatnesse and sufficiencie of God whereof I have been speaking The Lord grant us confidence in him and that for the merits of Christ Iesus to whom c. A SERMON Vpon the CXXXIII Psalme Jule 22. 1638. A song of degrees of DAVID Vers 1. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie 2. It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aarons heard that went down the skirts of his garments As the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion for there the LORD commanded the blessing even life for evermore THis Psalme is one of the 15. songs of degre● The 1. wherof is the cxx the last the cxxxiv. Why these Psalmes are called particularly songs of degrees it is not certaine Some think they are called so from the fifteen degrees by which they ascended to the temple of Jerusalem whereupon they were sung upon particular occasions Some think they are so called in reference to the ascending of the Jews from Babylon to Jerusalem after their deliverance from captivitie foreseene by DAVID by the light of Gods Spirit But to leave things uncertaine This is certaine that these Psalmes are singularlie excellent and well agreeing to men that are sojourning here and ascending by degrees of pietie and vertue to the heavenly Ierusalem They are full of divine instructions affections wherby we may be directed and inflamed to make progresse and ascend in the way to our heavenly countrey and city In particular this Psalme which of the fifteene is the last except one though short is a most sweet and heavenly song wherin most divinlie DAVID commendeth brotherly love the cōmunion of the saints he representeth the beautie of it most liuelie it is very necessar to all to look thereupon that they who have concord peace may be thankfull to God for it and be carefull to maintaine it that they who have it not may desire seek after it And therfore it shall be fit for us this day to Behold how good how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie Behold saieth DAVID This word calleth us to attention and to the present view and inspection of the beautie of brotherly love He setteth and presenteth it as it were before our eyes and therfore saieth Behold Beside he doth not simply call us
contentions among them that so at least he may overcome them Beside all this our manifold sinnes deserve at Gods hands that he should suffer us to cast away this blessing of Peace and therefore in all these respects we ought carefullie to take heed to it to humble our selves under the hand of God to turne from our sinnes Drunkennesse whoredom profaning of the Lords Day Pryd malice and others our abominations and fervently to pray That the Lord yet would spare his people and 〈◊〉 give his inheritance to reproch and yet of his great goodnes continue peace in our Church in our State and in this citie among ourselves Secondly Observe that in so farre as we are exhorted to Vnitie and Concord which should bee among the saints in the Church of God wee are also exhorted to follow these vertues without which it cannot be obtained nor preserved and to ●lee these vices which fight directly against it or tend to the overthrow of it What are these yee will say I shall give you but two Humilitie and Meeknesse First Humilitie is necessar For by pride cometh contention saith the wise-man Let nothing be done through strife or vaine glorie saieth S. Paul exhorting to unitie Philipp 2. But let each one in humilitie think of another better then of himself So our Saviour saieth Learne of me for I am meek and lowlie in heart Alace if wee had this humilitie our contentions might soon be at an end it would make us think lesse of our own thoughts and not to despyse others Men that are given to trouble would consider that they are also men that they may erre aswell as others To erre in nothing saieth S. AUGUST is angelicall perfection to be deceived in somthings is a thing incident to humane infirmitie but for a man to love his own opinion so that for maintenance of it hee would fall in heresie or schisme is a divelish presumption saith he in his 2. book of Baptisme against the Donatists What came the Word of God from you or came it unto you only saieth S. Paul 1. Cor. 14. 36. Secondly Meeknesse is required Our Lord the Prince of peace requires this also in the place before cited The servāt of the Lord saieth S. Paul 2. Tim. 2. 24. must be gentle apt to teach patient In meeknes instructing them that are contrarie minded if peradventure God will give them repentance The good orthodox fathers of old dealt even so with those that were hereticks schismiticks Optatus Milivitan ' a godly ancient father in his first book against Parmeniā calleth the Donatists brethren albeit these Donatists would no wayes acknowledge him and his fellowes for brethren S. Augustine in his 14. sermon upon the words of the Apostle speaking of them that were infected with the Pelagian errour Wee would gladlie wish that our brethren would not call us hereticks wee call them not so albeit it may be saieth he wee have reason wee beare with them in the bowels of pittie that they may bee healed and instructed They go too farre and it is hard to beare with them and a matter of great Patien●e● Let them not abuse the patience of the Church but be amended wee e●h●rt as friends and do not contend as enemies They reproach 〈◊〉 but wee beare with it They misregard Rules but cannot prevaile against the trueth And thus we have touched how Peace Vnitie should be preserved if in humilitie meeknes we subject our hearts unto it that the peace of God may rule in our hearts To conclude I beseech you to think highly of your Vnitie and to maintaine it carefully and earnestly Yee have seene for a long space blessed be God How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie Yee have found it as a most precious and sweet smelling ointment and as a most refreshing dew and God hath made many blessings to accompany it among you I beseech you to take heed that ye deprive not your selves of this benefit by hearkening to those that would make Division among you As for us that are your Pastors as we have preached truth so wee have preached alwayes this unitie and peace Wee have troubled the peace of none nor have meddled with any that belong not to us Wee are sorie for the divisions that we see elswhere Yee know that God who is the God of peace and love is grieved thereby that good men are displeased therewith that weak ones are offended and that to our adversaries this is great matter of rejoycing Wee heartly wish peace everie where and continually pray for it and are readie to promove it so far as we can with a good conscience But wee must not as it is well said by Gregorie Nazianzene in his 32. Oration affect peace with prejudice of truth that we may be called gentle and meeke Wee can do nothing against the truth but for the truth which wee are most willing to follow and maintaine in love The Lord open the eyes of all that they may see the truth and unite all our hearts that we all with one heart one soule may say Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie The Lord grant this and that for the merits of Christ to whom c. A SERMOM of Thanksgiving Upon LXV Psalme Novemb. 5. 1637. Vers 1. Praise waiteth for thee O God in Zion and unto thee 〈◊〉 the vow be performed 2. O thou that hearest praier unto thee shall all flesh come BEside the ordinarie service of this day wee are by Gods grace to offer to God an extraordinarie sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving for the benefite of Fertilitie wherewith hee hath blessed this yeare For this benefit I say which this land stood in so great neede of and whereof we were likly to be deprived by the tempestuous weather in the begining of harvest For the right performance of this duty I have made choise of a part of this most sweet divine psalme and song of Thanksgiving indyted by God to David and that as some think to be a paterne to the Church of God whereby her praise and thanks should be directed The blessed Prophet shortly compriseth in it the chief benefits bestowed upon man by God First he setteh down benefits spirituall namely the choising of men to be his people the hearing of their prayers the pardoning of their sins the sealing of them with his Spirit by the light wherof they know him and by the sweetnes whereof they are refreshed and satisfied in his house that is his Church 2. He considereth the goodnesse of God in establishing and defending the civill Estate against the furies of the divell and tumults of men that humane societie may be maintained and flowrish in honestie and peace aswell as in pietie 3. He expresseth the benefit of the fertilitie fruitfulnes of the earth redounding to the comfort both of man and beast which
in a most divine manner at length he descriveth In the first verse that I have read The Thankfulnesse of the Church is expressed Praise waiteth for thee c. In the second an excellent benefit is set down for which God should be praised and vowes should be performed to him Praise waiteth for thee c. Praise is the proclaming of the Excellencie of any especially manifested by worthe deeds This David saieth waiteth for God The word rendered to waits signifieth properly to be silent but for the similitude and agreement of silence expect●●●● is rendered here to wai●e or expect And if we so expound the word the sense is That God doth so loaden his 〈…〉 and by 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 every morning furnish such matter of Praise Thànksgiving that praise in the Church continually as it were waiteth on to honour him If wee render the word to be silent as it properly signifieth and which our Interpreters have put on the Margent the meaning is That the benefits of God bestowed upon Sion or his Church are so great and so many that even our Praise through astonishment becometh as it were silent notable to reach to the due commemoration and esteeme of Gods bountie and benefits And indeed so it is The benefits of God toward his people are such and so many daylie and hourly bestowed upon them in generall in particular known and unknown that no minde can sufficiently conceive nor tongue utter them In him wee live move and have out being Hee maketh his sun to shyne and his rain to fall upon us Hee hath endued us with reason and understanding When we were lost he did not forsake us but even when blinded with our own ignorance and wickednesse and so his enemies Hee redeemed our life from destruction and to this effect sent his own Son which the Church now clearly knoweth to bee born and suffer and by his most perfect sacrifice to purge all our sinnes and withall sendeth his Spirit in our heart to guide us through all difficulties till we attaine to the blessed sight and joy of his Countenance Thus he compasseth and crowneth us with loving kindnesse and tender mercies for which if wee had a thousand hearts and a thousand tongues could wee give him sufficiently praise and thanks No Praise it self is forced as it were to stand here astonished and silent And the saints say with DAVID O Lord What shall thy servants say What shall we render unto thee for all thy benefits towards us But where is this waiting of praise and the admiration of it In Sion DAVID had translated the Ark of God unto Sion There was Gods Sanctuary and there was he wo●shipped and therefore Sion here signifieth the Church of God then and in all following ages This is added for great reasons First the PROPHET signifieth that Sion or Gods Church hath reason ought to praise God beyond all others whom hee hath not chosen to be his people for Gods chief benefits are poured down upon Sion It is the perfection of beauty and out of it God shyneth Psal 87. God loveth the gates of Sion more then all the habitations of Iudah It is the City of God and glorious things ar spoken of thee O City of God saieth DAVID in the same psalme Of Sion it shall be said such and such a man was born there The Lord Himself counteth and writeth that such a man was born there saieth DAVID in the place mentioned All the true Citizens of Sion are written in the book of God even in the book of life by his own finger and nothing is so great a matter of Thanksgiving and Praise as that Rejoyce not in this saieth our Saviour that the devils are subjectunto you but rather rejoyce in this that your names ar written in heaven So then in Sion justly should praise wait for God The Citizens of it are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood and holy nation a peculiar people to set forth the praises of him who hath called thē out of darknes unto his marvellous light 1. Pet. 2. 9. Secondly As Sion should so Sion only can praise God righly Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner saieth the Wise-man Ecclesiast 15. IT standeth not so much in the words of the mouth as in the devotion of the heart He that would rightly praise must be affected with that which he praiseth truly believe it haue an inward taste feeling of it Except therfore he hath tasted seen how good the Lord is he cannot praise as he should on the other part God also looketh not so much to the mouth as to the heart of the praiser He respecteth not so much the tongue as the Conversation What availeth it to blesse God with thy mouth and blaspheme him with thy life this is an abomination and therefore it is truly said by holy August that a wicked man cannot praise God The discord of his life from his word marreth all the sweetnesse of his song of praise maketh it unpleasāt ungracious in the eares of God Thirdly As Sion should and onely can so also she will undoubtedly praise God and therefore rightly saieth the PROPHET that praise waiteth for God in her as if he would have said O Lord albeit all other men would hold their peace of thy praises yet Sion or thy church thy servants and saints will not Though other men haue not eyes to see nor minds to consider thy benefits but bury them in ignorance or oblivion yet thy own people will set forth thy praises and magnifie thy Name Hence we may clearly see how necessare is this duty of praise and thanksgiving Gods Worship standeth chiefly in this that we be not unthankefull unto him saieth holy August in his book of the spirit and latter chap. 11. when God first made the world he sequestred one day of every week as for his service so particularly for a thankfull remembrance of the benefit of Creation Under the law he appointed one day in the month to wit the first which was the feast of the new moone for a thankfull remembrance of the benefit of conservation of the world he ordained the feast of the passover for celebrating the benefit of bringing his people out of Egypt The feast of Pentecost for remembring the benefit of giving the Law The feast of Tabernacles for remembrance of protection in the wilderness and commanded that yearly the first fruits of the land should be offered to him be way of thanksgiving Thus under the law the duty of thanksgiving was most necessare and acceptable to God Under the gospel now I may say it is yet more necessar The proper sacrifice of Christiās is the sacrifice of praise thanksgiving every wher vehemently urged in the new Test Our blessed Lord did institute the blessed sacramēt of his body blood giving thanks and for this end that we may give thanks to God as for
and weaknes he saith not all spirits or all that are holy just wel-deserving wealthie or noble but all flesh shall come The poore have accesse aswell as the rich to poure out their heart before God the base aswell as the noble the unlearned aswell as the learned the sinfull Publican aswel as the Pharisee even the sinner I say if he have begun to compt his sin a miserie may come to God and bevaile his miserie and implore his mercie All these I say may come and shall be heard If any man come and is not heard it is because he cometh not as he ought nor seeketh aright Here first consider that latlie we came to God offered up our prayers to him as for other benefits so for a seasonable harvest We have found by experience that the Lord hath heard our prayers though having in them many defects and worthie to be cast back as dung in our faces We have found as the PROPHET speaketh in the end of this Psalme that he hath visited the earth and enriched it with the river of God blessed the springing of it hath crowned the year with his goodnes and hath made his paths to drop fatnes Let us no think that this was from chance or nature but let us with thankful hearts acknowledge it to be as indeed it is the visitation and blessing of God Let every heart and every mouth say Blessed be the Lord who-hath not put back our prayers but notwithstanding of our sinnes hath so visited blessed and enriched vs. Secondly if we would be still partakers of this great benefit let vs be carefull to continue our thankfulnes still There are many things that we stand in need of for which we must pray to him to purge away our iniquities as he saieth in the next verse To still the noise of the sea and tumults of the people to blesse the fruits that he hath given us that his wrath come nor upon us while it is betwixt our teeth Let us therefore that it may be well with us for ever resolve to performe not only this day but also all the dayes of our life our vows of obedience and to praise him with our life aswell as with our mouth As for the earthly blessings which he hath given us as on the one part we should esteem highly of them soon the other part Let us remember they are but the pleadges of better things abyding us in our countrey if his riches be so great toward us in our sojourning what may we expect when we shall sit down in his house at his table to be satisfied with the fatnesse of it If the river of God passing through the earth so refresh us here how shall we be delighted with that river of pleasures which maketh glad the citie of God The Lord grant that our hearts may be there and that we may walk in the way that leadeth into it and that for the merits of Christ To Whom c. FIRST SERMON UPON the Lamentations of JEREMIAH Chap. V. Verse 19. Thou O Lord remainest for ever Thy throne from generation to generation 20. Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever and forsake us so long-time 21. Turne us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned renew our dayes as of old The holy PROPHET having made a pittifull complaint to God of the great desolation that had come upon Sion or the Church of God Ierusalem being taken and burnt the people of God being killed or lead in captivitie he in end shutteth up all and closeth with a fervent prayer Thou O Lord remainest for ever c. In this prayer two things are to be cōsidered First the ground of the PROPHETS petitions Thou O Lord remainest for ever thy thro● from generation to generation Secondly the petitions themselves which are espetially two the first is set down by way of expostulation wherefore doest thou forget us forever and forsake us so long time which includeth this petition Lord forsake us not but restore thy favour to us againe and renew our dayes as of old The second is in the next words turne thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned To returne againe to the first part which is the ground of the PROPHETS supplication and of his hope confidence to be heard it is set down in the first words we have in it three Prerogatives ascrived to God the first that he is UNCHANGEABLE Thou O Lord remainest Sayeth he secondly he ascriveth to him absolute Dominion imported by this that Hee is the Lord and hath a Throne Thirdly Eternity is ascrived both to him and his Kingdome Thou O Lord remainest for ever c. Let us consider these points shortly both in themselves and with a reference to the PROPHETS petitions Thou O Lord remainest c. Here the PROPHET to strengthen his hope the hope of the Church fixeth the eyes of his faith upon the Vnchangeablnes of God thou sayest he remainest The word in the originall signifieth to dwell to abide or sit still importeth when ascrived to God his constancie immntabilitie For clearing of this we are to consider that this is in God in a most excellent manner He is simple Vnchangeable both in his nature and in his decrees or purposes both which are meaned here In his nature at his perfections he is Vnchangeable If any chāge of this kynde could have place in him it should be either from imperfection to perfection or from perfection to imperfection but neither of these can be no new perfection can haue place in him because as we said before in him is the infinite fulnes of perfectiōn which is not capable of any increase o● accession Neither can he change to any imperfection for none of his infinite perfections can be lossed They are one the same with his own nature and being Now his being is necessar for he hath it not from another and therefore as it ever was so it can never cease to be and consequently is Vnchangeable for Vnchangeablnes is nothing else but a necessitie of being that which he was before Thus it i● most evident that God in his nature essentiall perfections is Unchangeable the acquiring of any new perfection being repugnant to the infinite fulnes of being that is in him and the losse of his perfection being contrate to the necessitie or infinit firmnes or stabilitie of his being or Nature Secondly as he is Vnchangeable in his naturall perfections so in his decrees and purposes toward us we often change our resolutions and purposes and the reason is we do not perfectly perceive and consider the good or the evil the conveniencie or inconveniencie of that which we are about therefore when thereafter we find our own errour we change and retraite the will and purpose which we had before This cannot have place in God who from all eternitie hade a most clear sight of all the good
somtimes with hatred somtimes with confidence somtimes with feare somtimes with joy and somtimes with ●orrow The like changes the whole man is subject to his honour his wealth his contentment most changeable while he is here and in end there abideth him a great change from his estate in this world whatsomever it be to an eternall estate in the world to come either in well or in woe If wee ascend to the things above our selves the very heavens are subject unto change The heavens are the work of thy ●ands saieth David They shall perish but thou shall indure yea all of them shall wa●e old like a garment and as a vesture thou shale change them and they shall be changed The heavens shall passe away with a noise saieth S. Pet. What speake I of the heavens The Angels themselves are not exempted from this change or mutabilitie As they came from nothing so may they be changed to it and would be if God did not uphold them and a great part of them have been actually changed from enjoying the favour of God to the suffering of eternal pains They keeped not their first estate saith S. IUDE and therfore are reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse unto the judgement of the great day So all creatures even the most excellent are changeable and this is a maine argument of our continuall humilitie before God and thankfulnes toward him But on the other part God himself is free from all change as we have shewn and it is remarkable that he hath this unchangeablnes joyned with supreame glory and majestie as Chrysost observeth upon the 5. psal Amongst men the things that are most glorious are most commonly changeable the more high wee are wee are the more ready to fall exposed to the more dangers wheras they that are of a low and meane estate are more sure and firme But in God supreame glory absolute immutabilitie are joyned together All things are in him most excellently and with all most firmly And thus we have shewn both that this perfection of immutabilitie is in God and is in him alone Now let us see to what purpose it is mentioned here by the PROPHET It is pertinently considered by the PROPHET in respect of both the petitions presented by him For understanding whereof consider that the servants of God are in one of these two cases either they have not changed frō their due obedience to God or they have and in both the meditation of Gods unchangeablenes is profitable In the first case when we have not changed from the obedience due to God but still continue in his feare and yet are afflicted with many troubles it is most profitable to think upon the immutabilitie of God and it giveth us confidence to say with the PROPHET here Wherefore doest thou forget us for ever and forsake us so long time In such troubles sathan tempteth us with this that God hath forsaken us that if ever he had any love toward us he hath now changed it and therefore hath given us over as a prey to sorrows But our comfort in this temptation is The Lord changeth not but is still the same Sion ●ath said the Lord hath forgotten me and my God hath forsaken m●e There the temptation here the Lords answere Isai 49. 15. 16. Can a mother forget her Child her sucking child that she should not have compassion upon the fruit of her womb● yea She may yet will not I forget thee I haue engraven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me● Where the Lord sheweth that his love to his own is not only most tender as is the love of mothers toward their young children but also most constant and firme He is so far from forgetting them that he hath them ingraven even upon the palms of his hands that they may be alwayes in his sight Again albeit the love of fathers mothers toward their children be tender change not it may be when they are young yet afterwards it will often change especially from that tendernes which it had before but so is it not with God Yee are borne by me from the bellie and from the wombe Isa 46. And even to your old age I am he and even to your hoar hairs will I carry you I have made and I will beare even I will carrie and deliver you And so Gods love changeth not from us at any time but embraceth us at all times alike and maketh him to beare and carrie us as it were still in his armes To this purpose he saith most sweetly in the 54. of Isa The mountains shall depart and the hills shall be removed but my kindnes shall not depart from thee neither shal the covenant of my peace be removed sayeth the Lord that hath mercie on thee To conclude this point no change of our outward estate should make us think that Gods love or purpose towards us is changed if our hearts be sound to him No on the contrare thou may be assured that God who unchangeablie loveth them that fear him is with thee howsoever it fare with thee in outward things Thy friends it may be haue changed their countenance thy riches haue taken the wings of the eagles and flown away thy honour hath left thee thy strength and health have failed thee yet for all this God is the same and the same toward thee and Christ yesterday and to day for ever is the same and will not leave thee for any change that can come if thou leave him not But you will say How cometh it to passe then that my peace is turned into trouble and my joy into heavinesse if God be with me as before I Ans This may stand very well with the unchangeablnesse of his Loue for He ch●stiseth every one whom he loveth and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth Hee will have them whom he loveth to be made conforme to the Image of his Son who went by his Crosse to his Crown and suffered before he hee entered into his glory God can bee with the in trouble aswell as without it and he knoweth how to deliver thee when he thinketh fit And faithfull is he who hath promised that hee will not suffer us to bee tempted above our strength but that with the temptation he will make a way to escape Thus we see if we have continued in Gods feare His Vnchangeablnesse is great matter of comfort to us in all our crosses Secondly Suppose there be a change in us wee have departed from that feare and obedience which wee owe to God in that case the consideration of Gods Vnchangeablnesse serveth to stirre us up to present the second petition of the PROPHET namlie Turne thou us unto thee O Lord and wee shall be turned It is a spurre to repentance If wee have turned away from God the unchangeable God will not look upon us as he did before unlesse we return unto him