owne light and meanes and this is two-fold First the Word of God in Precepts and Promises this is a lanthorne to our feete and a light to our pathes by which God may be discerned whom the darknesse of the world cannot comprehend Secondly such signes of his presence as he hath made choice of to reueale his grace in In the Old Testament beleeuers must seeke him in sacrifices and ceremonies and therein hee gaue them gracious answeres the sacrifices were partly hilasticall or expiatorie and partly Eucharisticall or gratulatory the ceremonies were all typicall and pointed at Christ and the good things to come in him So in the New Testament God hath appointed visible signes annexed to his Word as the publique seruice of him in Spirit trueth the offering vp of our sacrifices of prayer and praise and frequenting of the holy sacraments or ceremonies in all which he will be sought out of these wil not be found God cannot bee seene or found but by his owne light and therefore hee that must seeke him must haue the light of vnderstanding Psal. 14. 2. The Lord looked downe to see if any would vnderstand and seeke after God Thirdly we shall finde God if we seek him not by the eyes of sense and nature but of faith and obedience God being of a spirituall nature cannot bee seene with the eye of flesh which seeth nothing but that which is materiall visible finite and circumscriptible as GOD is not Nay if the soule of man a finite spirit cannot bee seene with the bodily eye much lesse the God of spirits who is infinite and of such puritie as the Angels are not able to behold Neither are wee able to see God or finde him by the eye of our minde as being corrupted with sinne nay neither can seeke him more then the Gentiles of whom it is said that the Lord was found of them that sought him not Isai. 65. 1. For till the sound of the Gospell was carried among the Gentiles and Christ was proclaimed the Sauiour and Messias inuiting them to saluation they neuer asked after Christ but had their mindes darkned alienated from the life of God by the ignorance that is in them Ephes. 2. 3. A dead man cannot seeke the things of this world the lost groat could not thinke of her that lost it no more can a man seeke God before his conuersion it must bee an eye of grace enlightned and cleared by God that can seeke him Seeke and ye shall finde Mat. 7. 7. and Whosoeuer seeke finde Christ speakes thus to his Disciples and the promise is not made to the seeking but to the seeker being a beleeuer in Christ So as the meaning is this Whosoeuer haue beene first sought of God and found of him shall seeke and finde him else Ioh. 6. 44. No man comes vnto me vnlesse the Father draw him Fourthly we shall seeke aright if wee seeke God in Gods manner and that is in foure things First if we seek him in sinceritie of Spirit as Ephes. 6. 18. praying in the Spirit as knowing that we are to deale with God who is a Spirit and in sinceritie because he is a God that loueth trueth in the inward parts This condemnes hypocriticall seeking which is but deceitfull Ier. 29. 13. Yee shall seeke me and finde me because yee shall seeke me with all your heart Secondly in feruency men are commanded to seek for wisedome as for gold treasures how eagerly instantly do men seek after gold and earthly things why no labour can beate them from their desires How much more carefully ought they to seek after spirituall graces and most of all after God himselfe Thirdly in season timely as Psal. 63. 2. Early in the morning will I seek thee that is euery morning the beginning of my worke shall be to looke towards thee I will begin my duties in faithfull inuocating thy help and aide Fourthly in his Sonne seeke him in Christ the onely Mediator For none can come to the Father but by the Sonne Fiftly we shall seeke aright and with comfort if we seeke him in the right ends namely for himselfe not as the Iewes who followed Christ for bread and the belly not to gaine the world by him but to gaine himselfe and his fauour which is better then life Yea to obtaine this be content to seeke him with the losse of all as the Disciples and Martyrs did And then wee seeke himselfe for himselfe when wee seeke his glory in euery thing although to our owne shame and confusion Is this so Doe the godly seeke God in prayer Then it followes that a godly heart findes a want of God For seeking is of a thing that we want fain would haue Ps. 143. 6. My soule desireth after thee as the thirstie lands and the reason is because he knoweth he hath lost God For what need he seek that he hath not lost First in the corruption of his nature he hath lost the cōfortable presence of God which in our innocencie wee enioyed by losing our selues we lost God Secondly in the dayly admissions and commissions of sinne after grace receiued we lose his sight presence For our sinnes separate betweene God vs as a cloud betweene the brightnesse of the Sun and vs. Thirdly a godly man sees the want of God because hee knowes in some sort the worth of GOD without whom the soule is dead grace lost the conscience in torment and heauen turned into hell both here and hereafter The world were not so miserable without a sunne nor the body without breath as the soule without God the Sun of his Church and the soule of the soule of euery beleeuer Fourthly the godly hauing receiued a taste of Gods sweetnesse in Christ and his graces still seeke him for more the more they drinke the more they thirst as Moses the more familiar he was with God the more hee desires to see of Gods glory and here is no sacietie in this life but the more a man hath the more he wanteth and seeth his wants But Fiftly if God depart in displeasure and leaue a sense of wrath in the soule for sinne then the soule findes such want as it cannot sustaine it selfe without him euen Pharaoh will seeke God in trouble and hypocrites in affliction will seeke him diligently in hypocrisie How much more will the godly heart aboue all desires seeke his fauour and one cheerefull countenance from him Of this want and this seeking our Text speaketh Numbers of men neuer finde any want of God they finde the want of health and wealth of friends and meanes many say Who will shew vs any good and a great sort seeke corne and wine and oyle but a few say Lord lift vp thy countenance vpon vs. God forbid we should feele no want of God The carnall man cannot feele the want of Gods familiar presence because hee contents himselfe with the comfort of his
aduersities presse him disease paine him dangers threaten him sense of sinne pricke him conscience of guilt wound him and corruption worke vpon him now is a time of seeking God in his promises now is a time ofneede when a man sees his owne weakenesse now is the time of obedience to that commandement Is any afflicted let him pray And Psal. 50. Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke Now is a time when men lay fast hold vpon God and will not let him goe whereas in the time of peace we hold God but carelessely When Iaacob wrestled with the Angell he would not let him goe till he had blessed him Affliction is as bellowes to our prayer to kindle and blow vp this grace to a great flame and brightnesse Thirdly no godly man will pray to any but the true God in trouble First because euery godly man knowes that whom hee prayes vnto hee makes him omniscient that must see the wants of all men and all the desires of all mens hearts he makes him omnipresent that must receiue all the prayers preferred in all the corners of the world and he makes him omnipotent able to supply all the wants which are made knowne vnto him Secondly the ground of all prayer is the Couenant as Isa. 64. 9. Now O Lord thou art our Father loe we beseech thee behold we are all thy people and Psal. 77. 4. Euery godly man knowes that the Couenant is made betweene God and his people and that all the promises of helpe in the Scripture are his and none else can lay claime to vs but God as Dauid said Psal. 119. Therefore godly men being in couenant with none but God they will pray to none but God Thirdly euery godly man knowes the commandement Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue he knowes that God is a iealous God and admits no corriualls for his glory he will giue to no other see Psal. 27. 8. Fourthly euery godly man knowes that hee must beleeue in him on whom hee calleth Rom. 10. 14. And hence it is called the prayer of faith therefore as he must beleeue onely in the Father Sonne and holy Ghost so he onely calles vpon them Fifthly euery godly man knowes that if the Spirit direct his prayer it teacheth him to call Abba Father and if his prayer be squared to the rule of prayer he must goe to our Father which is in heauen He that is a Iew within hates Samaritane-worship who worshipped they knew not what but hee knowes what hee worshippeth Iohn 4. 22. Well if this be so then no godly man euer did or wil pray to the Angels or Saints or to the Court of heauen for this is an high vngodlinesse and idolatrie for First the Angels know not our hearts directly 1. Kin. 8. 39. Heare thou in heauen in thy dwelling place and be mercifull and doe and giue euery man according to all his waies as thou knowest his heart for thou onely knowest the hearts of all the children of men here we see that it is Gods priuiledge to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if hee onely then not the Angels who therefore are not able to know our wants Secondly the Angels are but fellow-seruants and not gods to be worshipped Thirdly they refuse all religious worship and seruice and honour sauing honor charitatis that is to be loued Reuel 22. 9. See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow-seruant as if he had said If I were God thou mightest worship me Yea but Ioshua fell downe before the Angell and worshipped him chap. 5. 14. It was the Lord himselfe the Captaine of the Lords hoste that is Lord of the Angels and he is bid to put off his shooes as Moses was when God was present Also IOSHVA called him IEHOVA which can agree to none but God IOSHVA non adorâsset sinon agnouisset Deum saith ORIGEN Or lastly IOSHVA was but a man and subiect to infirmities as we are and therefore his action if it had been sinfull may not be our rule Reuel 8. 3. Another Angell came and stood before the Altar hauing a golden censer and much odours was giuen vnto him that he should offer with the prayers of all Saints vpon the golden altar which is before the throne Therefore we must both inuocate them and they offer our prayers to God First by prayers are meant the prayers of the Saints in earth Secondly by the Angell is meant Christ himselfe who elsewhere is called the Angell of the couenant he offers our prayers and the thuribulum aureum the golden censer is corpus eius sanctum and the Altar is himselfe who sanctifieth our prayers as the Altar doth the gift Augustine Thirdly heere is but one Angell to offer our prayers and if it were a created Angell it yeeldeth no ground to inuocate all as the Papists doe naming them seuerally Michael Gabriel Raphael c. Secondly as not to the Angels so neither will a godly man pray to the Saints departed for First Whom haue I in heauen but thee Psalm 73. 25. Whom the Papists will say Abraham Isaac Iaacob and the rest Well but Dauid had none of them Adam Abraham and other godly men were then in heauen yet hee knew not their helpe Secondly the Saints in heauen know not our wants Isa. 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel know vs not If so great Patriarkes saith Augustine knew not what became of the people surely neither did other dead persons know If ABRAHAM and IAACOB know vs not no more doth PETER PAVL the blessed Virgin nor any other of the Saints Thirdly euery godly man will goe to the Father by the Sonne for none comes to the Father but by the Son and There is no Mediatour but one euen the man Christ Iesus 1. Tim. 2. 5. Indeede there is but one Mediatour of redemption but moe of intercession and it is great boldnesse to rush into the Kings presence if way be not made by some of his Councell or Guard Absolom could not come into his Fathers sight but by Ioabs intercession nor Adoniah to Salomon but by his mother First Christ hath performed the whole office of mediation euery way and is our whole saluation and the Scripture was much ouer-seene to omit that distinction if any such were where it had so fit place and necessitie did so vrgently require it Secondly the King hath commanded that we should mediate onely by the Prince and not by any other of the Court or counsell of heauen Thirdly it is a carnall argument from things earthly and ciuill to heauenly and spirituall as in the instance of Ioab and Salomons Mother Fourthly it is but a glosse to vse their distinction seeing euery where they pray the Saints to intercede for them not only by their prayers but also by their
them all things falling out to the best to them that loue God Neither may it be strange that although remission of sinne be the ground of all deliuerances yet all that haue remission of sinne haue not deliuerance from temporall dangers but some of the Saints are hewne asunder tempted slaine burnt hanged and ignominiously put to death For as the subiection of the creatures to vs dependeth vpon our subiection to God and our peace with men vpon our keeping peace with God so our subiection and peace with God here being only begunne and imperfect we must recouer our safetie from the creatures and peace with men but in part and imperfectly But yet that which is wanting here is recompensed with spirituall peace euen here as Ioh. 16. 33. In the world yee shall haue affliction but in me yee shall haue peace and afterward with that peace that is euerlasting First then where God begins our safetie let vs begin it in labouring to feele our inward peace with God which will quiet our hearts in the assurance of Gods prouidence and protection in outward things it will be an easie descent from the greater to the lesse In the want of outward things say to thy selfe God out of his loue hath giuen me his owne Sonne and will hee not giue mee all things with him Shall he giue me heauen and not earth In the want of inward comforts say to thy soule Why art thou cast downe my soule while I was yet an enemie and a sinner God hath reconciled me by the death of his Sonne how should hee now cast mee off being reconciled In bodily dangers what a prop doth this doctrine giue vs Hath my Lord prouided with so much cost so great saluation for my soule and will he neglect to saue and preserue my bodie hee that doeth the greater will not hee doe the lesse In molestation by externall aduersaries What hath my Lord and head foiled the Deuill for me troden Satan vnder my feet and trampled vpon all spirituall enmities for mee and will hee not beate backe the endeuours and vniust practices of my enemies Shall I beleeue the greater and not beleeue the lesse Secondly in receiuing and enioying outward benefits labour to see them all to be the riuers streames of this fountaine for then they be sweet indeed as the streame is then sweet when the head and fountaine is so but if the Fountaine be bitter or poisoned so are the streames For first they are no further mercies then they proceede from mercy and then they be mercies indeed as they are called Secondly else we enioy them by a broken title if not by vertue of the Couenant and euen those creatures are in a kinde of bondage from which God frees them often by plucking them from vniust owners as Hos. 2. 9. Thirdly else we distinguish not our selues from the wicked scarce from the beasts who find and taste the sweetnesse of the creatures as we do but not of GOD in them Naturall men stay in the fruition and delight of the things themselues and can goe no further whereas as the riuers lead vs to the sea so ought wee to bee led by them to the minde of the Lord towards vs in them Fourthly those that delight themselues in the pleasures and delights of things below and want the pardon of sinne are as if a man should drinke off a cup of sweet poyson with much delight but presently or not long after it workes deadly Thy sinne is poyson which thou castest into the cup that the Lord hath made to run ouer Fiftly a little gift with loue and good will is more acceptable then a great deale with strife and grudging If a man can see Gods loue and good will toward him in Christ hee will be content with a little thankefull for a little cheerefull with a little and his portion though very small will bee very precious Sixtly if assurance of remission of sinnes giueth vs such ioy in trouble and affliction that the Saints can reioyce in tribulation Rom. 5. 3. how will it reioyce the heart in the fruition of Gods mercies Oh then how ought we to labour earnestly by the eye of faith to discerne the beames of Gods loue and fauour chasing away the cloud of our sinnes without which all our comforts are but bitter and vnsauorie Thirdly hence gather the priuiledge of Gods children to whom remission of sinnes is sealed vp which is to be secure either from perils or in perils For first once in Gods Couenant and euer safe for the couenant is vnchangeable as God himselfe is an euerlasting couenant Isai. 55. 3. Secondly their afflictions are not punishments of sinne but either tryals or louing corrections the sting of them is gone Thirdly whereas the wicked whose sinne is not pardoned are haunted and vexed with terrours and feare where no feare is a godly man is as bold as a Lyon yea in the presence and sense of danger Iob 5. 22. Thou shalt not bee afraid of destruction when it commeth but shalt laugh at destruction and death For the stones shall be at league with thee and the beasts c. Who would not be exempted from danger or fearelesse in danger as seeing his owne safetie Surely the way is to get the Lords louing countenance vp vpon vs and then we shall be safe Psal. 80. 3. 7 19. Thou art my secret place THe Prophet borroweth a comparison from liuing creatures who being in danger or in chase or pursuit haue their hiding places to defend themselues in the Lyon hath his denne the Foxe his hole the Conie his burrow and the Godly man hath his asyle or refuge but with this difference First the beasts haue their dens caues in the earth wherin they hide themselues but the godly hath his hiding or secret place in heauen Secondly they may be fetcht and hunted out of their hiding places and be destroyed for all them but so cannot the godly who make God their secret place seeing none is able to plucke them out of his hands who is stronger then all Hence we may note that The Lord is the hiding place of the godly in trouble and danger As a man in a storme or showre seeketh shelter so in the stormes of the Church and Common-wealth in which the enemies thunder and roare and seeme to mingle all into one confusion then the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous flye vnto it Psal. 27. 5. In the time of trouble hee hath hid me Psal. 91. 1. The godly is said to dwell in the secret of the most High How is the Lord the hiding place of the godly First by his promise Secondly by his protection First his promise couereth and compasseth his Elect vnder which they are as safe as in a towne of warre Psal. 119. 114. Thou art my shield I trust in thy Word Many were the plots which Dauids enemies impugned him withall
There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Luc. 13. 28. Thirdly in the punishment of sense when they shal be wrapped in that cursed sentence Depart from mee I know you not when they shall be bound hand and foot and cast into torments prepared for the deuill and his Angels which torment is amplified first by the place a prison a lake of fire and brimstone a dungeon for the darkenesse blacker then that of Egypt where shall bee a perpetuall night in a word an hell Secondly by the company the deuill and his Angels with all the rout of reprobates Gods deadly enemies and whom God is a deadly enemie vnto such as they chose for their companions in this world and would not bee separated from now they shall not Thirdly by the exquisitenesse of torment set out by fire and brimstone and that which is most terrible to sense yea not onely outward but inward also described by the worme of conscience which as a gnawing griefe shall eate and fret the heart of the sinner in memorie of ancient and hatefull sinnes Fourthly in sinfull concurrences as hatred of God blasphemie despaire cursings for all the parts of soule and body shal curse the day of their wretchednesse and confusion when the fire of Gods iealousie and his hot wrath shall seaze vpon them Fifthly in seeing all mercie and pittie excluded nay God and his Saints whose affection shall be conformable to his shall reioyce and laugh at their destruction this shall breake the caule of their hearts with sorrow Sixthly in the eternity of their sorrowes the worme within dyes not their fire neuer goes out but the wrath of God abideth vpon the sinner without all remission or abatement without any intermission or release without end or mitigation not one drop of water shal coole their tongue and so long as God is God the smoke of their torment shall ascend vp night and day continually This is Tophet prepared for the wicked in which one word how many sorrowes be there Now the reasons to cleare Gods iustice in all these sorrowes of the wicked are these First where many sinnes are vnrepented of there must needes be many sorrowes euery sinne hauing sorrow enough belonging to it Secondly where an infinite God is offended an infinite law transgressed and an infinite iustice prouoked there must needes an infinite reuenge be returned vpon the sinners head and sorrowes in infinite measure bee conceiued Thirdly Infinite mercie hath been reiected the blessed meanes of saluation neglected and despised good meanes without in the ministerie counsell and example of the godly inward motions of the spirit quenched yea some checks of conscience contemned and some resolutions deaded and vnfollowed All these yet bring on more stripes and sorrows especially in remembrance of hatefull sinnes against knowledge meanes and conscience Fourthly it is now too late to repent when these sorrowes haue beset the sinner on euery side hope of mercie is cut off the Sunne is set vpon him the doore of grace is shut against him now hee can heare no other voice then that Reu. 18. 6 7. Giue him torments according to his sinnes Here is an Ilias an vpheaped measure of infinite sorrow a mercilesse sorrow without sparke of hope or ioy Fifthly now hee sees with horror and despaire that which he would not heare of first that he hath in his whole course piled vp wrath against himselfe Secondly that God whom he thought to be made all of mercy is a God of infinite iustice and a consuming fire and how dreadfull it is to fall into his hands Thirdly that the sentence of death is passed irrecouerably and the heauie doome of damnation for such sinnes as he thought to be lighter then a feather Fourthly that himselfe is a vessell of wrath filled with Gods indignation that shall seaze on him so long as God is God seeing Christs bloud can be shed no more and teares of repentance come now too late a Sea of them is not able to quench one sparke of this fire First then let this be a motiue to restraine all men from sinne seeing it brings such after-claps If there be any that like the Horse or Mule wil not vnderstand nor be perswaded to seeke the Lord but will obstinately persist hardning his heart against the Word for such a man are all these sorrowes prepared Thou that delightest in any sinne open or secret that wilt drinke with the Drunkard sweare with the Swearer and breake the Sabbath after so many admonitions thou that liuest in pride wantonnesse idlenesse vncleannesse contempt of God and his Word and Seruants thou that euery way multipliest thy sinnes remember what Dauid saith Psal. 16. 4. Thou multiplyest and heapest vp thy sorrowes euen wrath and fuell for thy selfe against the day of wrath Thou that canst with a bold face braue out thy sinnes and glorie in that thy hand is strong to practise vngodlinesse and canst triumph when thou canst bring others to thy bent thou shalt one day crie for sorrow of heart and howle for vexation of spirit Isa. 65. 14. and curse the day that euer thou knewest thy Companions and with bitter lamentation shalt waile and gnash thy teeth at thy vnhappy condition and all this in all eternitie Oh consider these terrors of the Lord and be perswaded to turne to the Lord seeke in time thy blessednesse in the pardon of sinne that thou mayest escape all these things Consider the end of all sinne in that one Pro. 5. 3 4. Though it be as an hony-combe in thy mouth the end will be bitter as wormewood And if now thou seest thy danger but wilt runne on headlong vpon all these sorrowes excluded from all pity and mercy say thou wast warned the time commeth wherein thou mayest be pitied but not helped or rather neither pitied nor helped the Iudge hath said it Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me to render to euery man according to his workes Secondly if so many sorrowes and they of this nature belong to euery wicked man then it followes that no sinne is small in it selfe to euery of which all these sorrowes belong Our Text plainely teacheth that they belong not only to Murtherers Theeues Adulterers Lyers Swearers but also to ciuill honest men in the worlds account if they be ignorant of the Word or wayes of God To him that liues obstinately in any knowne sinne that holds on for his profit or pleasure any practice condemned in the Word and in his owne conscience let him be neuer so ciuill sober sociable peaceable and harmelesse all his ciuilitie cannot keepe off these sorrowes if there be not knowledge of God softnesse of heart a teachable disposition and an hungring after Gods mercy in Christ alone aboue all things in the world Where be the Papists that teach some sinnes to be veniall in their owne nature when as all these sorrowes are the wages of the least Rom. 6. vlt.
Rom. 8. 26. Fiftly only they know that Christ is theirs with all his merits and thus attayne the ioy of beleeuing He that sold all to buy the field went away with ioy that he had gotten the field So he that knowes he hath gotten Christ and groweth vp in him as a member in the head and liueth and moueth by him will reioyce in his purchase of naked Christ. How did Simeon reioyce when he had Christ in his armes How much more will a sound Christian who carries him in his heart Sixtly only they sucke and draw their ioy out of the Wells of sound consolation Isa. 12. 3. that is out of the Scriptures which are written that their ioy may be ful 1. Ioh. 1. 4. The priuiledge of Gods testimonies is that they reioyce the heart Psal. 19. 8. These make knowne to vs the things giuen vs of God these contayne the glad tydings of saluation and the precious promises of grace and glorie which belong only to godlinesse here be the deedes and conueyances of their eternall inheritance only bequeathed to children these be the Chariot of the Spirit who yeeldeth no argument of ioy and comfort but from the Word and all ioy elsewhere sought is carnall and presumptuous Seuenthly only they enioy the sweet peace and ioy of a good conscience excusing and acquitting them in the sight of God which it selfe is a continuall feast and makes them glad and cheerefull Prou. 15. 15. This was the true cause of the heauenly ioy which the Apostles in their labours and persecutions enioyed euen the testimonie of a good conscience 2. Cor. 1. 12. Eighthly only they haue the hope of glorie in soule and body which is a fruit of iustification Rom. 5. 3. and a sound cause of ioy We reioyce saith the Apostle vnder the hope of the glory of God and hope maketh not ashamed And not only this but a grounded assurance also that all things in earth which may seeme to darken their hopes shall be turned to the best Rom. 8. 28. All this may be a meanes to bring godly life in request seeing it is the only ioyfull life and none haue indeede any sound cause of reioycing but the godly And here we are to meete with two obiections which terrifie men from godly life that lyes now a dayes like refuse wares vnaskt for and vnregarded First that the world accounteth the slate of Gods children most lumpish heauie and solitarie yea most vncomfortable it thinkes that no ioy nor mirth nor pleasure of their liues belongs vnto them but if once a man beginne in truth to liue godly he must bid a dieu to all mirth and gladnesse and betake himselfe to a mopish heauinesse and sadnesse But this is a grosse and foule deceit of the father of lyes whereby he hath much aduantaged his Kingdom and by a supposed want of ioy exceedingly puts godlinesse out of countenance Yet first true it is that God helpeth and draweth Christian ioy out of godly sorrow and no man can attaine this sound ioy but hee that is soundly humbled at the sight of his sinnes and herein the World sticketh not seeing the powerfull worke of GOD who out of this darknesse bringeth light who soweth light to the righteous and out of this sorrowfull Seed-time brings forth a white Haruest of ioy Secondly because now the heart being regenerate cannot carnally reioyce as before nor in carnall things hauing better obiects and causes of ioy on which it feedeth the stranger that cannot enter into this ioy thinkes he hath no ioy at all onely because worldly ioy is vnsauourie to him in comparison of spirituall Thirdly the World and wicked men set themselues to vnsettle the peace of the godly and doe often disquiet them and will let them haue as little ioy as may bee Yet Notwithstanding all this First the godly euen when they doe not reioyce haue iust cause to reioyce else our Sauiour would not haue pronounced the mourners blessed euen for the present Blessed are they that mourne nor haue said to the Disciples In the world ye shall haue affliction but in mee yee shall haue peace Ioh. 16. 33. Secondly if they sorrow they shall out-grow their sorrow and their sorrow shall bee turned into ioy as Christ promised the Apostles Ioh. 16. 20. The redeemed of the Lord shall returne and come to Sion with praise and euerlasting ioy shall be vpon their head they shall obtaine ioy and gladnesse and sorrow and mourning shall flye away Isa. 35. 10. So Isa. 61. 3. Christ hath appointed vnto them that mourne in Sion beauty for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heauinesse Thirdly our Text teacheth that God would not haue the hearts of his children at any time so possessed with sorrow no not for the most iust causes but that they must support themselues and rise out of it with heauenly and spirituall ioy to which end serue all these commandements so thicke as we say and threefold which were all idle and to no purpose if their liues were still to be led in a lumpish and sowre manner Here therefore I would aduise such as feare God to looke to two things First to prepare their hearts by fulnesse of godly sorrow to be filled with ioy seeing it riseth out of serious sorrow for sinne and out of a broken heart we tune our harpes and musicall instruments to sweete musicke by wresting the strings neither must we as we are too ready to conceiue these two as enemies destroying but rather as constitutiue and conseruing causes one of another Then secondly let Gods people bee aduised to looke into their priuiledges which are such as may well not onely affect but rauish them with ioy and consider of their happie estate and translation into the fellowship of GOD and his Saints and that for these causes first that they may yeelde obedience to Gods commandement both here and elsewhere secondly manifest the presence of the Spirite in their hearts who brings with him peace and ioy and settles the Kingdom of the euerliuing God in the heart which consisteth in these thirdly that they may not onely take away this scandall which Satan and the wicked make aduantage of but also encourage others to get part in the same grace which keepes them in a cheareful and constant course of wel-doing when they see that no trouble nor affliction can interrupt their ioy fourthly without true ioy wee can neuer praise God heartily or serue him chearefully for no ioy in God none in his ordinances none in our dueties of either of our callings but we must needes be lumpish and heauie and soone weary of our prayers and hearing the word and the speciall actions of our calling wherein if we had delight we would not easily be pulled from them but count much time imployed therein as Iaakob did an hard prentiship of many yeeres but a few dayes because of