exceedingly merciful as sometimes to disgrace a base colour or to make a colour that is perfect indeed to appeare more beautifull and orient wee set by it another that is nothing so glorious and good But to our purpose I say howe comfortable is that of Isaiah 41. where the Lord commaundeth his ministers to comfort yea to comfort his people and to seeke out for them and to speake such things vnto them as may delight and affect their heattes and to proclame vnto them that the set time is accomplished that their iniquitie is pardoned and that they haue receiued double at the Lords hands for all their sinne And this is yet further made plain by this that though al the word generally be the obiect of our faith teaching vs indeed what wee should beleeue and do for Gods glory heer and our endlesse glorification els where yet the principal props and stayes of our consciences for comfort consolation indeed are no where els to befound but in the gracious and sweet promises contayned therein which also is manifest euen by the very practise of God himselfe euery where propounding them to an afflicted and distressed heart as the principall and peculiar remedie against the sicknes of our soules that way In the 103. Psalme he saith that look how much more high the heauens are ouer the the earth so much doth his goodnes preuaile vpon them that feare him Againe he remooueth our sinnes as farre fromvs as the East is from the West By two fit similitudes taken froÌ„ things that are subiect to our fight amplifying the grace and mercie of God opposing the same against our transgressions And in Isaiah 1. he saith thus Though your si nes were as skarlet they shall be as snow and though they were as crimosin yet they shall be whiter than wooll And fearing least men woulde not willinglie come how doth he there intereat vs saying Come now I pray you and let vs reason the caus together as though he should say let vs friendly conferre of the matter If you will but lend and bend your care and be touched with the true sense of my righteousnes and your owne sinnes I promise faithfully that I will for mine own mercies sake put away all your transgressions whatsoeuer though they be neuer so great or grieuous That shall not let my worke in you my mercy shall surmount all yea your misery if you soundlie turne shall magnifie the greatnes of the abundant riches of my mercy The newe couenant that God maketh with his people in the 31. chap. of Ieremie and to the end that we might know it indeed to be a promise of the new testament it is repeated by the Apostle Heb. 8. how comfortable and full of sweet promises is that After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inwarde partes and write it in their heartes and I will be their God and they shall bee my people and they shall teach no more euery man his neighbour and euery man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them vnto the greatest saith the Lord for J will forgiue their iniquity and will remember their sinnes no more And if the olde testament be so plentifull what shall we thinke of the new which doth as of purpose propound and handle this point or question Christ himself saith Mat. 7. Aske and it shall be giuen vnto you seeke and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened vnto you And in the 7. of Iohn in the last and great day of the feast he stood crying out said He that beleeueth in mee as saith the scripture out of his belly shall flow riuers of water of life and in the 12. of that Gospell He that beleeueth in me yea though he were dead yet shall he liue and whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer die Is not that of the same nature which hee speaketh of in another Euangelisst The whole need not the Physition but they that are sicke I am not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance And what may we think of that which is alleaged in the 12. of the Gospell after Mathewe out of the prophet Isaiah A bruised reed shall he not breake and smoking flaxe shal he not quench till he bring foorth iudgement vnto victory Out of Paules epistles wee haue spoken somewhat before in the first point of doctrine that was gathered out of this text yet take one or two In the 2. to the Corinth chap. 6. he saith We are the temples of the liuing God as God hath said I will dwel amongst them and walk there and I will be their God and they shal be my people Yea I will be a Father vnto you and ye shall bee my sons and daughters saith the Lorde almighty And the same Apostle deliuereth a notable promise with a glorious comfortable preface prefixed before it also 1. Tim. 1. This is a true saying and worthy to be receined of all men that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am the chief May we not of these and thousandes such like say as the Apostle Peter doth that most great precious promises are giuen vnto vs that euen for that end which he expresseth there namely that by them wee shoulde bee partakers of the diuine nature whilest we fly the corruption that is in the world thorow lust Are not these great promises and may iustly bee so called because they proceed from the great God propounde vnto vs great and excellent matters May wee not esteeme them precious not only for the raritie and excellencie of them but also because they vnderprop our precious faith Are wee not made in a double respect by them partakers of the diuine nature 1. that as in regard God is ioyfull and chearefull we are also become comfortable and replenished with spiritual ioy 2. That as be ceaseth from sin and is continually occupied in well doing so we learne thereby in our measure and maner to die the death of sinne and to liue the lâ—fe of righteousnes What other men may think I know not but to me it seemeth that God thus in his worde setting promises against sin mindeth nothing els but to shew that as sin is it that most stingeth the conscience so the meane to heale that byting as if it were the brasen Serpent set vp to cure the bytinges of fierie Serpents to bring comfort against the same is the promises of God propounded vnto vs in the word and selt in our hearts by faith And this is so plaine and euident a truth that euen there where God seemeth most to terrifie I meane in denouncing the threats of his law or iudgments against sinne he yet thinketh vpon not only his mercy in himselfe but as it is manifested vnto men he euen there either plainly expressing promises of blessing grace and fauor or els
second is a weighty reason ioyned to those exhortations or commādements the better both to proue the truth of that Christ had said and also the more effectually to perswade vs to walke in the obedience and practise thereof and this reason is comprehended vers 30. True it is indeed that the reason doth more specially concerne the latter exhortation or commandement as we shall shew hereafter if God will Howbeit it may not improperly also in some sort and sense be applied and referred vnto the first But because this is not a poynt greatly materiall now we wil let it passe and proceede to more necessary matter Now concerning the exhortations or commandements they are according to the number of the verses in which they are contayned two And yet if I bee not deceiued both of them tending to one ende namely by calling men to come vnto Christ and to learne of him to minister comfort of conscience to them that were heauie harted And yet we must not thinke that they are needles tautologies or mine repetitions but serue as to expresse Christs singular loue towards afflicted persons he vrging them as we see againe and againe so to let vs vnderstand in the doubling and trebling of these sweete and comfortable exhortations or commaundements that it is no easie thing to comfort a wounded spirit and that a broken and troubled heart doth not by and by though gladly it would admit and recelue comfort For if that were so one exhortation commaundement call or promise would suffice but rather that euen for their mind that is true in them that is said in the Prophet Ieremiah and is repeated in this Euangelist chap. 2 Rahel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not And yet further betweene these two exhortations or commaundements I make this difference that in the first he calleth vs simply without any other respect than of our owne miseries and his mercies to come vnto him for releefe And in the other he calleth on vs or commandeth vs to learne of him and to profit by our comming and not to bee as bad schollers that haue very good teachers or maisters and yet learne little or nothing from them And we are further to marke that in deliuerie of these exhortations or cōmandements Christ obserueth this order First he putteth downe the exhortation or commandement it selfe as ver 28 Come vnto me alye c. ver 29. Take my yoke vpon you c. And then addeth promises full of comfort and consolation as I will refresh you in the end of vers 28. and againe Ye shall find rest vnto your soules the last words of verse 29. which our Sauiour Christ presseth as wee see by doubling of them not so much to expresse the infinite treasure of spirituall ioye that is in him as to assure vs that comming at his call we shall haue that in great measure and plenty bestowed vpon vs that shall ease our smart But all these things with many other moe we shall see more plainely and vnderstand more fully in the particular exposition of the words themselues as they lye in the text and in the obseruation of doctrines arising out of them To them therefore we come Verse 28. It is saide Come vnto me In this verse two things contained First the exhortation or commandement it selfe in these words Come vnto me c. Secondly a promise adioyned as for our greater incouragement to well dooing so for the better assurance of it in our hearts in these words And I will refresh you or make you to rest and find ease In the exhortation or commandement we are to consider the person exhorting or commaunding which is Christ comfortably saying Come vnto me and the persons exhorted or commaunded in these words all ye that labour c. who are described by adiuncts or attributes setting out their miserable estate and they are two to wit labouring and being heauy laden And indeede the promise following respecteth also these two persons that is to say Christs person promising to refresh and the labouring or heauy laden who are to be refreshed The word Come whether it be of exhorting or commaunding doth not comprehend in it either readines willingnes or power of them that are called as of themselues as the Pelagians in former times supposed and our popish aduersaries haue dreamed of late because we know the scripture saith it is God that worketh in vs both the will and the deede according to his good pleasure and we beleeue that to be true that our Sauiour Christ himselfe testifieth saying No man can come vnto mee vnles the Father draw him but rather the singular care and loue of the caller and that not so much for his owne glory who in the death and destruction of men can get will get himselfe a name as for our good who when we thinke no such thing no nor of our owne good neither being distressed in spirit for then commonly we are eyther dull and heauy hearted or else thorow feare are grieuously cast downe and disquieted in our selues doth yet notwithstanding call vpon vs and to vs willeth vs to goe or come not to others for then we might imagine eyther that he had no power or will in himselfe or that he meant to shift vs off besides they eyther cannot or will not yeeld vs reliefe if we should repayre vnto them but vnto himselfe yea to himselfe alone and no others with him for so much doe I take these words vnto mee to import And that this is the true meaning indeede both places of Scripture and reasons drawne from religion doe plainely proue In the xiiii of Hosea the Lord by the Prophet speaketh thus vnto the people O Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God as though he should say to him onely and to none other besides or with him To the same end yea and worthy to be noted as seruing also for confirmation and exposition of all the words of this very verse tendeth that which Christ himselfe saith Isaiah 55. which no man doubteth to be an euident prophecie of Christ and the graces that we shall finde in him if with a liuely and stedfast faith we labour to lay hold of him Encline your care come vnto me heare and your soule shall liue I wil make an euerlasting couenant with you euen the sure mercies of Dauid And so much indeed must Christs words import both there and here or else we shall see a more dangerous consequence than we thinke of For if any were to be respected besides him or ioyned with him in that worke of spirituall ioy then were he not God all-sufficient because if any were ioyned with him he were not sufficient of himselfe and if he were not the God of all comfort as well as the Father of mercies he were not God indeede and so our fayth the grounds of the word or Christian religion should be shaken Besides if it were so
that bee thus throwne downe and humbled vnder Gods mighty hand for that is presumptuous against the Lord and vncharitable towards men And another vse may be made of this point as in regard of the faithfull themselues who minding too much their owne sinnes and by meanes there of miserie and vnworthinesse in themselues iudgements from God against them for the same many times make their owne mouthes meanes to expresse fearefull thinges against their owne soules as for example no man in so wofull taking as I I feare I am a castaway or els why should I thus bee tormented And these thinges I doubt not but they deliuer from a heart that feeleth as much as the mouth expresseth Howbeit I say what art thou that takest the Lords office into thy hands and deliuerest these hard and heauie things and that not against other men which were indeed vncharitable but euen thine own selfe which is vnnaturall Tell me I pray thee May blindnes so farre preiudice mens iudgements that it shall hinder them from beholding their owne and other mens states and shall it not obscure thine owne also yea and that euen concerning thy selfe and touching thine owne present state But further knowe this O man that sometimes greatnes and continuance of griefes maketh the best of Gods Saintes to say as much against themselues as thou doest and yet for all that bee in neuer a whit the worse case Dauid in the xxii Psa crieth out My God my God why hast thou forsakē me And yet euen thē he was neare vnto God yea deare vnto him also or els he coulde not haue called vpon God and that in such particular maner applying him to himselfe as hee did neither would the Lord haue so graciously graunted him his requestes And why should not this be thy state rather than the state of a damned or reprobated wretch To vphold thy heart thou hast something euen the sanctified examples of the people of God but to depresse thee so aboue measure thou hast nothing but imagination and conceit either of that which is not in God or if it bee is not in him to that ende that thou supposest or els of that which is not in thy selfe or if it be is not in that measure and quantitie or to those ends that thou imaginest Besides I beseech you consider that it is one thing what men speake of themselues according to their present feeling either of sinne in their soules or the wrath of God against them therefore which many times may be more thā is eyther meete or true another what God is in his owne nature what he himselfe saith of them God is exceedingly good merciful and is not indeede bound to ratifie euery sentence of mans mind or mouth which he vttereth either against his owne soule or against others I hope no man is sure I am no man can be rightly perswaded that any particular person is more than the whole Church And yet God no otherwise approoueth the Churches iudgement to ratifie it in heauen than they on the earth bind according to his will And why should it be otherwise as in regard of particular persons Haue they better priuiledges than the whole Church hath if it bee so let them produce a lawe not of the twelue tables amongst the Romans but of the ten commandementes amongst the people of God or else there is no credit to be giuen O my brethren it fareth in the diseases of the minde as it doth in the sicknes of the body Many a man yea skilfull Physitions take them to be at deathes doore when God giueth afterwards long life On the other side some blesse themselues in their owne heartes and thinke all is well when death sodainely seizeth vpon them leadeth them to the graue and hell Remember I beseech you what was said before out of the 28. of the Prouerbs Blessed is the man sayth the Lorde there that feareth much continually This state and condition of ours whensoeuer or wheresoeuer it pleaseth God to exercise vs therewithall is a principall argument vnto vs that God woulde not haue vs perish with this wicked world hee by this as by other meanes thorow his grace making vs able thus to iudge our selues And indeede to haue such a fearefull and checking heart of our selues for sinne past or for feare to fall into it hereafter is one plaine difference betwixt the godly and vngodly who are seldome or neuer this way touched at the least with comfortable effect And therefore let the afflicted soule gather consolation to his conscience and correct his iudgement for surely that which he taketh to be bitter as gall or wormewood is by the Lord himselfe and not by the voyce of man to be proclaymed to bee sweete as hony or the hony combe The promise specified in the last wordes of this verse commeth nowe to bee looked into Out of which gracious and sweet promise we may learne two things One that the fulnes of all spirituall ioy and comfort is to be found in Iesus Christ and no where else which because it is the same that hath bin handled heretofore wee will but onely touch and put you in mind of it not standing vpon it because it is done already And indeede though the point be excellent and would be handled againe againe yet because the time passeth away we are to come to other points we will say no more Onely let the faithfull conscience looke well vnto it and prouide his comfort this way or else let him know he shall neuer be comforted indeede The other is this that if a man will find sound cōfort indeede he must be wel acquainted with the promises of the word This doctrin as others is both gathered out of this place cōfirmed by it as may appeare by this that our Sauior Christ is here so plentiful in the promises I will refresh you yee shall finde rest vnto your soules which course also he obserueth in many other places I wil haue mercy and not sacrifice and againe I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And most sweete is that in the third chapt of the Gospell according to S. Iohn God so loued the world that he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Neyther is this his practise onlie but the spirit also in all the writings of the old and new Testament is large this way and speciallie in that euangelicall prophet Isaiah as we may see by the manifold promises contayned therein and speciallie in three or foure chapters together as 53.54.55 c. But amongst the rest how comfortable is that of chapt 41. from whence euen vnto the end of his prophecie almost hee doth nothing els but publish promises and confolations amongst which howsoeuer hee doe sometimes intermingle terrour and threatning yet he doth it to no other onde but to make the mercies of God more
of a thing that is not remembred For our owne parts let vs know that as Sathan laboureth to root out of our hearts generally all the seede of the worde that thereby keeping vs in blindnesse and ignorance hee maie make vs runne riot at his pleasure so especially he trauaileth either to hinder vs from receiuing or hauing receiued from making good vse of the sweet comfortable promises of the worde the verie matter if I may so saie and a speciall meane I am sure of our spirituall comforte For the redressing and repressing also of which enormities in vs a godly man that is in some sorte ignorant should laboure to abound in the knowledge of them as he that is forgetfull should refresh his memorie by often reading meditation and cōference in them and that not onely by and with his owne heart but euen by other men also and they that want feeling of them should looke vnto Iesus Christ in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen and should be much and often in the vse of all the meanes wherby Christ is become ours as the word sacraments praier sasting c. But aboue all they should regard and labour for the holie spirit to be shed abroad in their hearts both to make all these things before named powerfull in them and to pledge vp also the truth and certaintie of the promises themselues because it is the carnest pennie of our adoption and inheritance That so sith sathan there laboureth to assault vs most and shake our faith as in that behalfe wee might thither bring all our aides and defences as they doe that are in a besieged hold and so we better made able not onely to indure the assault but to driue our foes with their forces from our gates walles And hee or shee or they whosoeuer that can do this they maie wel assure their hearts that howsoeuer they maie now then or for a while be buffeted beaten yet they shal neuer be vanquished or ouercome because he that is in thē with them for thē by himself his blessed spirit and all other effectuall meanes of consolation and comfort is stronger greater than al. Secondly it is verie fit and meet for confutation of a conceit that riseth vp in mens minds yea is deliuered also by the mouthes of some specially our popish aduersaries who tell vs that this propounding of comfort in the promises of the Gospell acquainting the people therwith maketh mensecure carelesse But herein surely they shew themselues blinde blockish as who haue not yet learned to distinguish betweene a thing good in it selfe and mans corruption abusing that which is good They may by the selfe same reason abolish all the other parts of the word and disanull or euacuate the sacraments because infinite thousands in the world abuse them to the increase of sin and licentiousnesse in themselues yea if they will or can make frustrate Gods grace because manie turne it into wantonnes and say sith is this true that where sin hath abounded there grace hath superabounded therefore let vs continue in sinne that grace maie abound And if for or in outward things we should reason as they doe and haue it followed that so is deliuered we might easily bring all disorder and confusion into the world and ouerthrowe the whole course and rase of mankinde Some abuse drinke to drunkennes and other some meate to gluttonie and gourmandise therefore there must be no vse of meate and drinke what is this els but to starue the excellētest of Gods creatures man I meane Many abuse apparell to pride and puffing vp It were best therefore to haue men goe naked which what were it els but to become or bring in new Adamites Diuers turne magistracy authoritie into tyrannie and therefore with the Anabaptists away with all ciuill authoritie and gouerment which what were it els but to bring in Anarchie worse than tyrannie by much But to the point indeed The promises of themselues and in the seruants of GOD bring forth no such effect For as they are deliuered for the comfort and consolation of them that are afflicted and mourne in Sion as may appeare in euerie place where they are alledged namely in the two first verses of the 40. chapter of Isay and tend indeede to manifest Gods loue and mercy that so in the truth and performance of his word wee might bee well assured that nothing should put an eternall separatiō between him and vs that hath loued vs so tenderly and giuen vs such gracious promises of truth life So surely the doctrine euery where adioyned to those promises in the word doth plainely shew that God meaneth not to make men secure and carelesse thereby or would haue them to inferre anie such thing thereupon And therefore when in the latter end of the sixt chapter of the second epistle to the Corinth hee had alledged manie promises of peace goodnes he beginneth the seuenth Chapter thus Seeing thē wee haue these promises dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all fi lt hines of the flesh the spirit and finish our sanctification in the feare of God And the like he doth in the second chapter of the second epistle to Timothy saying The strong foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale the Lord knoweth who are his but withall let euery one that calleth vpon the name of Christ depart frō iniquity And let this suffice for these wordes of the 28. vers with the rest I cannot proceed because we haue been somewhat long and as I am wearie in my selfe so am I loath to bee troublous or tedious vnto you God may be pleased hereafter to giue both occasion time and place to pursue these things and to finish the residue In the meane while it shall not bee amisse in a word or two to apply that hath been saide to our persent assemblie and causes thereof and so to shut vp this exercise The causes that haue moued vs thereto are great grieuous iniquities preuailing vpon al euery one of vs the heauie rod of penurie and scarsity that ouerfloweth the land warres and rumors of warres and the same intended and threatned against vs both outward and inward at home and abroad To diuert or turne away the punishments for our sinnes and the iudgements that wee confesse and acknowledge we haue iustly deserued therefore no outwarde thing will serue though it bee neuer so great glittering or seeme neuer so pleasant or painefull but soundnes of heart and humble walking with our God in all our waies and all the dayes of our liues To this we haue been exhorted and prouoked by manifolde good meanes and namely by propounding singular comforts and consolations which the Lord hath vouchsafed vnto vs the better to meet with our backwardnes from approching to him wee being sometimes discouraged from doing of that dutie by his almightie greatnes and excellencie and sometimes let from it by the consideration of our owne base and vnworthie estate But yet sith hee hath so louingly and fatherly called vs and for our better incouragement giuen vs gracious promises let vs drawe neere with a true heart in assurance of faith our inward parts being pure from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water And so no doubt the punishments wee presently feele shal be remooued the feare of our foes at home and abroad shall be put farre away and wee shall not need to dread the curses of that Balaam of Rome not the vaunts and attempts of that proud and persecuting notion of Spaine nor of anie other our enemies bodily or ghostly because that our consciences being quieted with the comforta blefeeling of all Gods fauours and specially of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and the saluation of our soules wee may comfortably say as the saithfull that haue gone before vs haue done I will not bee afraid for ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about Nay though I should walke in the valley of the shadow of death I will yet feare none ill for thou art with mee thy rod and thy staffe they comforte mee Yea that wee are perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Now let vs pray that God would giue a rich and plentifull blessing in our seuerall hearts to al the good things that haue been deliuered vnto vs at this time and let vs humbly intreat him to make them profitable in vs not onely for this present but for all the daies of our liues to his glorie and our euerlasting comforte thorowe Christ FINIS