Read that Mark 15. 19. Isa 57. 4. Mat. 27. 28 29. derision The Pharisees did not onely laugh flear and jear at Christ but they gave also external signs of scorn and derision in their countenance and gestures they blew their noses at him they contemned him as a thing of naught And in ch 23. 35. both people and Rulers blew their noses at him for the original word is the same with that in the forementioned chapter John 19. 12. hee is accused for being an enemy to Caesar Now who can seriously consider of the scorn reproach and contempt that hath been cast upon the name and honour of our Lord Jesus and not sit silent and mute under all the scorn and contempt that hath been cast upon his name or person in this world Fifthly To bee well spoken of by them that are ill spoken of by God to bee in favour with them The tongues of wicked men are like the Duke of Medina Sidonia's sword that knew no difference between a Catholick and a Heretick the lashes of lewd tongues is as impossible to avoâ—d as necessary to contemn who are out of favour with God is rather a reproach than an honour to a man Our Saviour himself restifieth that in the Church and Nation of the Jews they that had the most general approbation and applause they who were most admired and cried up were the worst not the best men they were the false not the true Prophets Luk. 6. 26. Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you for so did their Fathers to the false Prophets Austin feared the praises of good men and detested the praises of evil men I would not saith Luther have the glory and fame of Erasmus my greatest fear is the praises of men Phocion had not suspected his speech had not the common people applauded it Antisthenes mistrusted some ill in himself for the vulgar commendations Socrates ever suspected that which past with the most general commendations To bee praised of evil men said Bion is to bee praised for evil doing so the better they speak of a man the worse and the worse the better The Lacedemonians would not have a good saying sullied with a wicked mouth a wicked tongue soils all the good that drops from it it is a mercy to bee delivered from the praises of wicked men wicked mens applauses oftentimes becomes the Saints reproaches the Heathen could say Quid mali Socrates feci what evil have I done that this bad man commends mee there is a truth in that saying of Senica Recti argumentum est pessimis displicere The worst men are commonly most displeased with that which is best Who can seriously dwell on these things and not bee mute and silent under all the reproaches and scorn that is cast upon his name and credit in this world Sixthly There will come a day when the Lord will wipe off all the dust and filth that wicked men have cast upon the good names of his people there shall be a resurrection Isa 65. 15. ch 61. 7 Psa 68. 13 Mal. 3. 17 18. of names as well as of bodies their names that are now buried in the open sepulchres of evil throats shall surely rise again their innocency shall shine forth as the light and their righteousness as the noonday Psal 37. 6. Though the clouds may for a time obscure the shining forth of the Sun yet the Sun will shine forth again as bright and glorious as ever The Righteous shall bee had in everlasting remembrance Though the malicious slanders and false accusations of wicked men may for a time cloud the names of the Saints yet those clouds shall vanish and their names shall appear transparent and glorious God will take that care of his peoples good name that the infamy calumnies and contumelies that is cast upon it shall not long stick Mat. 27. ult ch 28. 2. The Jews rolled a stone upon Christ to keep him down that hee might not rise again but an Angel quickly rolls away the stone and in despite of his keepers hee rises in a glorious triumphant manner So though the world may roll this stone and that of reproach and contempt upon the Saints good names yet God will roll away all those stones and their names shall have a glorious resurrection in despite of men and devils That God that hath alwaies one hand to wipe away his childrens tears from their eyes that God hath alwaies another hand to wipe off the dust that lies upon his childrens names wronged innocency shall not long lve under a cloud dirt will not stick long upon Marble nor statues of Gold Well Christians remember this the slanders and reproaches that are cast upon you they are but badges of your innocency and glory Job 31. 35 36. If mine adversary should write a book against mee Surely I would take it upon my shoulder and binde it as a Crown to moe All reproaches are pearls added to a Christians Crown Hence Austin Quisquis volens detrahit famae meae nolens addit mercedi meae hee that willingly takes from my good name unwillingly adds to my reward and this Moses knew well enough which Heb. 11. 25 26 made him prefer Christs reproach before Pharaohs Crown That God that knows all his children by name will not suffer their names to bee long buried under the ashes of reproach and scorn and therefore hold thy peace the more the foot of pride and scorn tramples upon thy name for the present the more splendent and radiant it will bee As the more men trample upon a figure graven in gold the more lustrious they make it therefore lye thy hand upon thy mouth But Seventhly The Lord hath been a swift and a terrible witness against such that have falsely accused his children and that have laded Isa 41. 11 Jude 15. their names with scorn reproach and contempt Ahab and Jezabel that suborned false witness 1 King 22. 1. 22 2 King 9 against Naboth had their bloods licked up by Doggs Amaziah who falsely accused the Prophet Amos to the King met with this message Amos 7. 17 from the Lord. Thy wife shall be an harlot in the City thy sons and daughters shall fall by the sword and thy land shall be divided by line thou shalt dye in a polluted land Haman who falsely accused the Jews was one day feasted with the King and the Esth 7. 10. ch 9 10 next day made a feast for Crows The envious Courtiers who falsely Dan. 6. 24. accused Daniel were devoured of Lions Let mee give you a taste of the Judgements of God upon such persons out of histories Caiphas the High Priest who gathered the Council and suborned false witnesses against the Lord Jesus Euseb was shortly after put out of office and one Jonathan substituted in his room whereupon hee killed himself John Cooper a godly man being falsely accused in Queen Maries Act. Mon. daies
aâ— seemeth good in thine own eyes I know the best way to have my own will is to resign up my self to thy will and to say Amen to thy Amen I have read of a Gentleman who meeting with a Shepherd in a misty morning asked him what weather it would bee it will bee saith the Shepherd what weather pleaseth mee and being courteously requested to express his meaning Sir saith hee it shall bee what weather pleaseth God and what weather pleaseth God pleaseth mee When a Christians will is moulded into the will of God hee is sure to have his will But Eighthly and lastly A holy a prudent Silence takes in a patient waiting upon the Lord under our afflictions till deliverance comes Psal 40. 1 2 3. Psal 62. 5. My soul wait thou onely upon God for my expectation is from him Lam. 3. 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly or as the Hebrew hath it silently wait for the salvation of the Lord. The Husbandman patiently waiteth James 5. 7 8. for the precious fruits of the earth the Mariner patiently waiteth for wind and tide and so doth the watch-man for the dawning of the day and so doth the silent soul in the night of adversity patiently wait for the dawning of the day of mercy the mercies of God are not stiled the swift but the sure mercies of David and therefore a gracious soul waits patiently for them And thus you see what a gracious a prudent Silence doth include The second thing is to discover what a holy a prudent Silence under affliction doth not exclude Now there are eight things that a holy patience doth not exclude First A holy a prudent Silence under affliction doth not exclude and shut out a sense and feeling of our afflictions Psal 39. though he was dumb and laid his hand upon his mouth vers 9. yet hee was very sensible of his affliction vers 10 11. Remove thy stroak away from mee I am consumed by the blow of thine hand When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth Surely every man is vanity Hee is sensible of his pain as well as of his sin and having prayed off his sin in the former verses hee labours here to pray off his pain diseases aches sicknesses pains they are all the daughters of sin and hee that is not sensible of them as the births and products of sin doth but add to his sin and provoke the Lord to add to his sufferings Isa 26. 9 10 11. No man shall ever bee charged by God for feeling his burden if hee neither fret nor faint under it grace doth not destroy nature but rather perfect it grace is of a noble off-spring it neither turneth men into stocks nor to Stoicks the more grace the more sensible of the tokens frowns blows and lashes of a displeased Father Though Calvin under his greatest pains was never heard to mutter nor murmure yet hee was heard often to say How long Lord how long A religious Commander being shot in battel when the wound was search'd and the bullet cut out some standing by pittying his pains hee replied though I groan yet I bless God I do not grumble God allowes his people to groan though not to grumble It is a God-provoking sin to bee stupid and senseless under the afflicting hand of God God will heat that mans furnace of affliction sevenfold hotter who is in the furnace but feels it not Isa 42. 24 25. Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the Robbers did No judgement to a stupid spirit a hardned heart and a brazen brow not the Lord he against whom we have sinned for they would not walk in his waies neither were they obedient unto his Law Therefore hee hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battel and he hath set him on fire round about yet hee knew not and it burned him yet hee laid it not to heart Stupidity laies a man open to the greatest fury and severity The Physician when hee findeth that the potion which hee hath given his patient will not work hee seconds it with one more violent and if that will not work hee gives another yet more violent If a gentle plaister will not serve then the Chirurgion applies that which is more corroding and if that will not do then hee makes use of his cauterizing knife So when the Lord afflicts and men feel it not when hee strikes and they grieve not when hee wounds them and they awake not then the furnace is made hotter than ever then his fury burns then hee laies on Irons upon Irons bolt upon bolt and chain upon chain until hee hath made their lives a hell Afflictions are the Saints dyet-drink and where do you read in all the Scripture that ever any of the Saints drunk of this dyet-drink and were not sensible of it Secondly A holy a prudent Silence doth not shut out prayer for It is an old saying Qui nescit or are discat navigare Hee that would learn to pray let him go to Sea deliverance out of our afflictions though the Psalmist layes his hand upon his mouth in the Text yet hee prayes for deliverance vers 10 Remove thy stroak away from mee and vers 11 12. Hear my prayer O Lord and give ear unto my cry hold not thy peace at my tears For I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my Fathers were O spare mee that I may recover strength before I go hence and bee no more James 5. 13. Is any among you afflicted let him pray Psal 50. 15. Call upon mee in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie mee Times of affliction by Gods own injunction are special times of supplication Davids heart was more often out of tune than his harp but then hee prayes and presently cries Return to thy rest O my soul Jonah praies in the Whales belly and Daniel praies when among the Lions and Job praies when on the dunghil and Jeremiah praies when in the dungeon c. Yea the Heathen Mariners as stout as they were when in a storm they cry every man to his God Jonah 1. 5 6. to call upon God especially in times of distress and trouble is a lesson that the very light and law of nature teaches The Persian Messenger though an Heathen as Aeschiles observeth saith thus When the Graecian forces hotly pursued our host and wee must needs venture over the great water Strymon frozen then but beginning to thaw when a hundred to one wee had all died for it With mine eies I saw saith hee many of those Gallants whom I had heard before so boldly maintain There was no God every one upon his knees and devoutly praying that the Ice might hold till they got over And shall blinde nature do more than grace If the time of affliction bee not a time of supplication
quiet for that God that hath taken away one childe might have took away every childe and hee that hath taken away one friend might have taken away every friend and hee that hath taken away a part of thy estate might have taken away thy whole estate therefore hold thy peace let who will murmure yet bee thou mute Sixthly It may bee thy sins have been much about thy near and dear injoyments it may bee thou hast over-loved them and over-prized them and over-much delighted thy self in them it may bee they have often had thy heart when they should have had but thy hand it may bee that care that fear that confidence that joy that should have been expended upon more noble objects hath been expended upon them thy heart Oh Christian is Christs bed of spices and it may bee thou hast beded thy mercies with thee when Christ hath been put to lye in an Luk. 2. 7 out-house thou hast had room for them when thou hast had none for him they have had the best when the worst have been counted good enough for Christ It is said of Gen. 49. 4. Ruben that hee went up to his Fathers bed Ah! how often hath one creature-comfort and sometimes another put in between Christ and your souâ—s how often have your dear injoyments gone up to Christs bed It is said of the babylonians that they came in to Aholah Ezek. 23. 17. and Aholibahs bed of love may it not hee said of your near and dear mercies that they have come into Christs bed of lovâ— your hearts they being that bed wherein Christ Cant. 3. 7 delights to rest and repose himself Now if a husband a childe a friend shall take up that room in thy soul that is proper and peculiar to God God will either imbitter it remove it or bee the death â—f it if once the love of a wife runs out more to a servant than to her husband the Master will turn him out of doors though otherwise hee were a servant worth gold The sweetest comforts of this life they are but like treasures of Snow now do but take a handful of Snow and crush it in your hands and it will melt away presently but if you let it lye upon the ground it will continue for some time and so it is with the contentments of this world if you grasp them in your hands and lay them too near your hearts they will quickly melt and vanish away but if you will not hold them too fast in your hands nor lay them too close to your hearts they will abide the longer with you There are those that love their mercies into their graves that hug their mercies to death that kiss them till they kill them Many a man hath slain his mercies by setting too great a value upon them many a man hath â—unk his ship of mercie by taking up in it over-loved mercies are seldome long-liv'd Ezek. 24. 21. when I take from them the joy of their glory the desire of their eyes and that whereupon they set their minds their sons and their daughters the way to lose your mercies is to indulge them the way to destroy them is to fix your minds and hearts upon them thou mayest write bitterness and death upon that mercie first that hath first taken away thy heart from God Now if God hath stript thee of that very mercy with which thou hast often committed spiritual Adultery and Idolatry hast thou any cause to murmure hast thou not rather cause to hold thy peace and to be mute before the Lord Christians your hearts are Christs royal Throne and in this Throne Christ will bee chief as Pharaoh said to Joseph Gen. 41. 40. hee will endure no competitor if you shall attempt to throne the creature bee it never so near and dear unto you Christ will dethrone it hee will destroy it hee will quickly lay them in a bed of dust who shall aspire to his royal Throne But Seventhly Thou hast no cause to murmure because of the loss of such near and dear enjoyments considering those more noble and spiritual mercies and favours that thou still enjoyest grant that Joseph is not and Benjamin is not yet Gen. 42. 36 Heb. 13. 8 Jesus is hee is yesterday and to day and the same for ever thy union and communion with Christ remains 1 Joh. 3. 9. still the immortal seed abides in thee still the Sun of Righteousness shines upon thee still thou art in favour with God still and thou art under the anointings of the Spirit still and under the influences of Heaven still c. and why then shouldest thou mutter and not rather hold thy peace I have read Jerom. of one Dydimus a godly Preacher who was blind Alexander a godly man once ask'd him whether hee was not sore troubled and afflicted for want of his sight Oh yes I said Dydimus it is a great affliction and grief unto mee then Alexander chid him saying hath God given you the excellency of an Angel of an Apostle and are you troubled for that which Rats and Mice and brute beasts have So say I Ah Ephes 1. 3 4 Christians hath God blessed you with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places hath the Lord given you himself for a portion hath hee given you his Son for your redemption and his Spirit for your instruction and will you murmure hath hee given his gracâ— to adorn you his promises to comforâ— you his ordinances to better you and the hopes of Heaven to encourage you and will you mutter Paulinus Nolanus when his City was taken from him prayed thus Lord said hee let mee not bee troubled at the loss of my gold silver honour c. for thou art all and much more than all these unto mee in the want of all your sweetest enjoyments Christ will bee all in all unto you my Jewels are my husband said Phocion's wife Col. 3. 11 Plutarâ—h in vita Phocion my ornaments are my two sons said the Mother of the Gracchi my treasures are my friends said Constantius and so may a Christian under his greatest losses say Christ is my richest Jewels my chiefest treasures my best ornaments my sweetest delights look what all these things are to a carnal heart a worldly heart that and more is Christ to mee Eighthly If God by smiting thee in thy nearest and dearest injâ—yments shall put thee upon a more thorow smiting and mortifying of thy dearest sins thou hast no cause to murmure God cures David of adultery by killing his endeared childe There is some Dalilah some darling some beloved sin or Psa 18. 23 Heb. 12. 1 other that a Christians calling condition constitution or temptations leads him to play withall and to hug in his own bosome rather than some other As in a ground that lieth untilled amongst the great variety of weeds there is usually some master-weed that is rifer and ranker than all the rest And as it
is in the body of man that although in some degree or other more or less there bee a mixture of all the four elements not any of them wholly wanting yet there is some one of them predominant that gives the denomination in which regard some are said to be of a sanguin some of a phlegmatick some of a cholerick and some of a melancholick constitution So it is also in the souls of men though there bee a general mixture and medly of all evil and corrupt qualities yet is there some one usually that is Paramount which like the Prince of Devils is most powerful and prevalent that swayeth and sheweth forth it self more eminently and evidently than any other of them do And as in every mans body there is a seed and principle of death yet in some there is a proneness to one kinde of disease more than other that may hasten death So though the root of sin and bitterness hath spread it self over all yet every man hath his inclination to one kinde of sin rather than another and this may bee called a mans proper sin his bosome sin his darling sin Now it is one of the hardest works in this world to subdue and bring under this bosome sin Oh! the prayers the tears the sighs the sobs the groans the gripes that it will cost a Christian before hee brings under this darling sin Look upon a Rabbets skin how well it comes off till it comes to the head but then what haling and pulling is there before it stirs So it is in the mortifying in the crucifying of sin a man may easily subdue and mortifie such and such sins but when it comes to the head sin to the master-sin to the bosome-sin Oh! what tugging and pulling is there what striving and strugling is there to get off that sin to get down that sin Now if the Lord by smiting thee in some near and dear enjoyment shall draw out thy heart to fall upon smiting of thy master-sin and shall so sanctifie the affliction as to make it issue in the mortification of thy bosome corruption what eminent cause wilt thou have rather to bless him than to fit down and murmure against him and doubtless if thou art dear to God God will by striking thy dearest mercy put thee upon striking at thy darling-sin and therefore hold thy peace even then when God touches the apple of thiâ—e eye Ninthly Consider That the Lord hath many waies to make up the loss of a near and dear mercy to thee hee can make up thy loss in Mat. 19. 27 ult something else that may bee better for thee and hee will certainly make up thy loss either in kinde or in worth hee took from David an Absalom and hee gave him a Solomon hee took from him a Michal and gave him a wise Abigail hee took from Job seven sons The first and last chapters of Job compared Joh 16. 7 8. c. Act. 2. and three daughters and afterwards hee gives him seven sons and three daughters hee took from Job a fair estate and at last doubled it to him hee removed the bodily presence of Christ from his disciples but gave them more abundantly of his spiritual presence which was far the greater and the sweeter mercy If Moses bee taken away Joshua shall bee raised in his room if David bee gathered to his Fathers a Solomon shall succeed him in his Throne if John bee cast into prison rather than the Pulpit shall stand empty a greater than John even Christ himself will begin to preach hee that lives upon God in the loss of creature-comforts shall finde all made up in the God of comforts hee shall bee able to say though my childe is not my friend is not my yoak-fellow is not yet my God liveth and blessed bee my Rock Psal 89. 46. though this mercy is not and that mercy is not yet covenant mercies yet the sure mercies 2 Sam. 23. 5. of David continue these bed and board with mee these will to the grave and to glory with mee I have read of a godly man who living near a Philosopher did often perswade him to become a Christian Oh but said the Philosopher I must or may lose all for Christ to which the good man replied if you lose any thing for Christ hee will bee sure to repay it a hundred fold I but said the Philosopher will you bee bound for Christ that if he do not pay mee you will yes that I will said the good man So the Philosopher became a Christian and the good man entred into bond for performance of covenants sometime after it happened that the Philosopher fell sick on his death-bed and holding the bond in his hand sent for the party engaged to whom hee gave up the bond and said Christ hath paid all there is nothing for you to pay take your bond and cancel it Christ will suffer none of his children to go by the loss he hath all and hee will make up all to them in the close Christ will pay the reckoning no man shall ever have cause to say that hee hath been a loser by Christ and therefore thou hast much cause to bee mute thou hast no cause to murmure though God hath snatch'd the fairest and the sweetest flower out of thy bosome Tenthly How canst thou tell but that that which thou callest a near and dear mercy if it had been The Lamentations of Jeremiah are a full proof of this continued longer to thee might have proved the greatest cross the greatest calamity and misery that ever thou didst meet with in this world Our mercies like choice Wines many times turn into Vinegar our fairest hopes are often blasted and that very mercy which wee sometimes have said should be a staff to support us hath proved a sword to peirce us how often have our most flourishing mercies withered in our hands and our bosome-contentments been turned into gall and wormwood If God had 2 Sam. 12. 16. continued the life of Davids childe to him it would have been but a living Monument of his sin and shame and all that knew the childe would have pointed at him yonder goes Davids bastard and so This age affords many sad instances of this nature who can think of Tiburn question it and of killing drowning and say how can this bee have kept Davids wound still a bleeding many Parents who have sought the lives of their children with tears have lived afterwards to see them take such courses and come to such dismal ends as have brought their gray-hairs with sorrow to their graves It had been ten thousand times a greater mercy to many Parents to have buried their children as soon as ever they had been born than to see them come to such unhappy ends as they often do Well Christian it may bee the Lord hath taken from thee such a hopeful son or such a dear daughter and thou sayest how can I hold
10. 13. But God is faithful who will not suffer you to bee tempted above that yee are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that yee may bee able to bear it Rom. 16. 20. And the God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly 1 John 2. 13 14. I write unto you Fathers because yee have known him that is from the beginning I write unto young men because you have overcome the wicked one I write unto you children because yee have known the Father I have written unto you Fathers because yee have known him that is from the beginning I have written unto you young men because yee are strong and the word of God abideth in you and yee have overcome the wicked one 1 John 5. 18. Wee know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not that is that sin that is unto death vers 16. nor hee sinneth not as other men do delightfully greedily customarily resolvedly impenitently c. but hee that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not The glorious Exod. 14. victory that the people of God had over Pharaoh and his great Host was a figure of the glorious victory that the Saints shall obtain over Satan and his instruments which is clear from that Rev. 15. 3. Where wee have the song of Moses and of the Lamb but why the song of Moses and of the Lamb but to hint this to us that the overthrow of Pharaoh was a figure of the overthrow of Satan and the triumphal song of Moses was a figure of that song which the Saints shall sing for their overthrow of Satan As certainly as Israel overcame Pharaoh so certainly shall every true Israelite overcome Satan The Romans were worsted in many fights but were never overcome in a set war at the long run they overcame all their enemies though a Christian may bee worsted by Satan in some particular skirmishes yet at the long run hee is sure of an honourable conquest God puts a great deal of honour upon a poor soul when hee brings him into the open field to sight it ouâ— with Satan by fighting hee overcomes hee gains the victory hee triumphs over Satan and leads captivity captive Augustine gives this reason why God permitted Adam at first to be tempted viz. that hee might have had the more glory in resisting and withstanding Satans temptation it is the glory of a Christian to bee made strong to resist and to have his resistance crowned with a happy conquest Sixthly By temptations the Lord will make his people more frequent and more abundant in the work of prayer every temptation proves a strong alarm to prayer When Paul was in the school of temptation hee prayed 2 Cor. 12. 8 9 thrice that is often daies of temptation are daies of great supplication Christians usually pray most when they are tempted most they are most busie with God when Satan is most busie with them a Christian is most upon his knees when Satan stands most at his elbow Augustine was a man much tempted So Bernard Basil Gâ—rgonia Trucilla James Jacob Daniel and a man much in prayer holy prayer saith hee is a shelter to the soul a sacrifice to God and a scourge to the Devil Luther was a man under manifold temptations and a man much in prayer hee is said to have spent three hours every day in prayer hee used to say that prayer was the best book in his study Chrysostome was much in the school of temptation and delighted much in prayer Oh! saith hee it is more bitter than death to bee spoiled of prayer and hereupon as hee observes Daniel chose rather to run the hazard of his life than to lose his prayer But Seventhly By temptations the Lord will make his people more and more conformable to the Image of his Son Christ was much Luk. 4 tempted hee was often in the school of temptation and the more a Christian is tempted the more into the likeness of Christ hee will bee transformed of all men in the world temâ—ted souls do most resemble Christ to the life in meekness low liness holiness heavenliness c. The Image of Christ is most fairly stampt upon tempted Heb. 12. 1 2 2 Cor. 3. 18. Heb. 2. 17 18 souls tempted souls are much in looking up to Jesus and every gracious look upon Christ changes the soul more and more into the Image of Christ tempted souls experience much of the succourings of Christ and the more they experience the sweet of the succourings of Christ the more they grow up into the likeness of Christ temptations are the tools by which the Father of spirits doth more and more carve form and fashion his precious Saints into the similitude and likeness of his dearest Son Eighthly and lastly Take many things in one God by temptations makes sin more hateful and the world less delightful and relations less hurtful by temptations God discovers to us our own weakness and the creatures insufficiency 1 Pet. 5. 8 in the hour of temptation to help us or succour us by temptations God will brighten our Christian Ephes 6. 10 18 Armour and make us stand more upon our Christian watch and keep us closer to a succouring Christ by temptations the Lord will make his ordinances to bee more highly prized and Heaven to be more earnestly desired Now seeing 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3. that temptations shall work so eminently for the Saints good why should not Christians bee mute and silent why should they not hold their peace and lay their hands upon their mouths though their afflictions are attended with great temptations Object 8 Oh! But God hath deserted mee hee hath forsaken mee and hee that should comfort my soul stands afar off how can I bee silent the Lord hath hid his face from mee clouds are gathered about mee God hath turned his back upon mee how can I hold my peace supposing that the desertion is real and not in appearance only as sometimes it falls out I answer First It hath been the common lot portion and condition of the choicest Saints in this world to be deserted and forsaken of God Psal 30. 6 7. Psal 77. and 88. Job 23. 8 9. Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4. ch 5. 6 7. Isa 8. 17. Micah 7. 7 8 9. If God dealâ— no worse with thee than hee hath dealt with his most bosome friends with his choicest Jewels thou hast no reason to complain But Secondly Gods forsaking of thee is onely partial it is not total God may forsake his people in part but he never wholly forsakes them he may forsake them in respect of his quickning presence and in respect of his comforting Psal 9. 4. Gen. 49. 23 24 presence but hee never forsakes them in respect of his supporting presence 2 Cor. 12. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness Psal 73. 23 24. The steps
of a good man are ordered by the Lord and hee delighteth in his way Though hee fall hee shall not bee utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his As the Nurse upholds the little childe c. hand Gods supporting hand of grace is still under his people Psal 63. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee thy right hand upholdeth mee Christ hath alwaies one hand to uphold his people and another hand to embrace them Cant. 2. 16. The everlasting arms of God are alwaies underneath his people Deut. 33. 27. And this the Saints have alwaies found witness David Heman Asaph Job c. Geographers write that the City of Syracuse in Sicily is so curiously situated that the Sun is never out of sight though the children of God sometimes are under some clouds of afflictions yet the Sun of Mercy the Sun of Righteousness is never quite out of sight But Thirdly Though God hath forsaken thee yet his love abides and continues constant to thee hee loves thee with an everlasting love Jer. 31. 3. Where hee loves hee loves to the end John 13. 1. Isa 49. 14 15 16. But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken mee and my Lord hath forgotten mee But was not Zion mistaken yes Can a woman forget her The very Heathen hath observed that God doth not love his children with a weak affection but with a strong masculine love Seneca sucking childe that shee should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before mee Look as persons engrave the mark name or picture of those whom they dearly love and entirely affect upon some stone that they wear at their breasts or upon some ring that they wear on their finger So had God engraven Zion upon the palms of his hands shee was still in his eye and alwaies dear to his heart though shee thought not so As Josephs heart was full of love to his brethren even then when hee Gen. 42. spake roughly to them and withdrew himself from them for hee was fain to go aside and ease his heart by weeping so the heart of God is full of love to his people even then when hee seemes to bee most displeased with them and to turn his back upon them though Gods dispensations may be changeable towards his people yet his gracious disposition is unchangeable towards them When God Mal. 3. 6. puts the blackest veil of all upon his face yet then his heart is full of love to his people then his bowels are yearning towards them Jer. 31. 18 19 20. Is Ephraim my dear Son is hee a pleasant childe for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. The Mothers bowels cannot more yearn after the tender babe than Gods doth after his distressed ones As Moses his Mother when shee had put him into Exod. 2. the Ark of Bul-rushes wept to see the babe weep and when shee was turned from him shee could not but cast a weeping eye of love towards him So when God turns aside from his people yet hee cannot but cast an eye of love towards them Hosea 11. 8. How shall I give thee up O Ephraim c. Here are four several how 's in the text the like not to bee found in the whole book of God I am even at a stand justice calls for vengeance but mercy interposeth my bowels yearn my heart melts O! how shall I give thee up O! I cannot give thee up I will not give thee up Gods love is alwaies like himself unchangeable his love is everlasting it is a love that never decaies nor waxes cold it is like the stone Albestos of which Solinus writes that being once hot it can never bee cooled again Fourthly Though the Lord hath hid his face from thee yet certainly thou hast his secret presence with thee God is present when hee is seemingly absent The Psal 23 4 Psal 139. Gen. 28. 16 Lord was in this place and I knew it not saith Jacob. The Sun many times shines when wee do not see it and the husband is many times in the house when the wife doth not know it God is in thy house hee is in thy heart though thou feest him not thou feelest him not though thou hearest him not Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee or as it may bee rendred according to the Greek I will not not leave thee neither will I not not forsake thee Art thou not now drawn out to prize God and Christ and his love above all the world yes art thou not now drawn out to give the Lord many a secret visit Cant. 2. 14 in a corner behinde the door in some dark hole where none can see thee nor hear thee but the Lord Psal 42. 1 2 3 Psal 63. 1 2 3 yes are there not strong breathings pantings and longings after a clearer vision of God and after a fuller fruition of God yes art thou not more affected and afflicted with the withdrawings of Christ than thou art with the greatest afflictions Cant. 5. 6. that ever befell thee yes Austin upon that answer of God to Moses Thou canst not see my face and Exod. 33. 20. live makes this quick and sweet reply then Lord let mee die that I may see thy face Dost thou not often tell God that there is no punishment Psal 30. 6 7 to the punishment of loss and no hell to that of being forsaken of God yes dost thou not finde a secret power in thy soul drawing thee forth to struggle with God to lay hold on God and patiently to wait on God till hee shall return unto thee and lift up the light of his countenance upon thee yes well then thou mayest bee confident that thou hast a secret and blessed presence of God with thee though God in regard of his comfortable presence may bee departed from thee nothing below a secret presence of God with a mans spirit will keep him waiting and working till the Sun of Righteousness shines upon him If any vain persons should put that deriding Mal. 4. 2. question to thee where is thy God thou mayest safely and boldly answer them my God is here hee is nigh mee hee is round about mee yea hee is in the midst of mee Zeph 3. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty hee will save hee will rejoyce over thee with joy hee will rest in his love hee will joy â—ver thee with singing The bush which was a type of the Church consumed not all the while it burned with fire because God was in the midst of it It is no Argument that Christ is not in the Ship because tempests and storms arise Fifthly Though God bee gone
set an Adder upon it to sting it and if it cry and the flesh swell they cast it away as a spurious issue but if iâ— do not cry if it do not so much as quatch nor do not grow the worse for it then they account it for their own and make very much of it So the Lord by delaies which are as the stinging of the Adder tries his children if they patiently quietly and sweetly can bear them then the Lord will own them and make much of them as those that are near and dear unto him but if under delaies they fall a crying roaring storming vexing and fretting the Lord will not own them but reckon them as bastards and no sons Heb. 12. 8. Secondly That they may have the greater experience of his power grace love and mercy in the close Christ loved Martha and her Sisters and Lazarus yet Joh. 11. 3 5 6 17 hee defers his coming for several daies and Lazarus must die bee put in the grave and lye there till hee stinks and why so but that they might have the greater experience of his power grace and love towar 〈…〉 them Thirdly To sharpen his childrens appetite and to put a greater edge upon their desires to make Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4 Isa 26. 8 9 16. them cry out as a woman in travel or as a man that is in danger of drowning God delaies that his people may set upon him with greater strength and importunity hee puts them off that they may put on with more life and vigour God seems to be cold that hee may make us the more hot hee seems to bee slack that hee may make us the more earnest hee seems to bee backward that hee may make us the more forward in pressing upon him the Father delaies the childe that hee may make him the more eager and so doth God his that hee may make them the more divinely violent When Balaam Numb 22. 15 had once put off Balak hee sent again saith the Text certain Princes more and more honourable than they Balaam's put off did but make Balak the more importunate it did but encrease and whet his desires this is that that God aims at by all his put offs to make his children more earnest to whet up their spirits and that they may send up more and yet more honourable prayers after him that they may cry more earnestly strive more mightily and wrestle more importunately with God and that they may take Heaven with a more sacred violence Anglers draw back the hook that the fish may bee the more forward to bite and God sometimes seems to draw back but it is onely that wee may press the more on And therefore as Anglers when they have long waited and perceive that the fish do not so much as nibble at the bait yet do they not impatiently throw away the Rod or break the Hook and Line but pull up and look upon the baiâ— and mend it and so throw it in again and then the fish bites so when a Christian praies and praies and yet catches nothing God seems to bee silent and Heaven seems to bee shut against him yet let him not cast off prayer but mend his prayer pray more beleevingly pray more affectionately and pray more fervently and then the fish will bite then mercy will come and comfort will come and deliverance will come But Fourthly God delaies and puts off his people many times that hee may make a fuller discovery of themselves to themselves Few Christians see themselves and understand themselves by delaies God discovers much of a mans sinfull self to his religious self much of his worser part to his better part of his ignoble part to his most noble part When the fire is put under the pot then the scum appears so when God delaies a poor soul Oh! how doth the scum of pride the scum of murmuring the scum of quarrelling the scum of distrust the scum of impatience the scum of despair 2 King 6. 33 discover it self in the heart of a poor creature I have read of a fool who being left in a chamber and the door locked when hee was asleep after hee awakes and findes the door fast and all the people gone hee cries out at the window O my self my self O my self So when God shuts the door upon his people when hee delaies them and puts them off Ah! what cause have they to cry out of themselves to cry out of proud self and worldly self and Psal 73. 21 22 carnal self and foolish self and â—roward self c. Wee are very apt saith Seneca utimur perspicillis magis quam speculis to use spectacles to behold other mens faults rather than looking-glasses to behold our own but now Gods delaies are as a looking-glass in which God gives his people to see their own faults Oh! that baseness that vileness that wretchedness that sink of filthiness that gulf of wickedness that God by delaies discovers to bee in the hearts of men But Fifthly God delaies and puts off his people to enhaunce to raise the price of mercy the price of deliverance wee usually set the highest price the greatest esteem upon such things that wee obtain with greatest difficulty what we dearly Act. 22. 28 Cant. 3. 4 buy that we highly prize the more sighs tears weepings waitings watchings strivings earnest longings this mercy and that deliverance and the other favour costs us the more highly wee shall value them when a delaied mercy comes it â—astes more like a mercy it sticks more like a mercy it warms more like a mercy it works more like a mercy and it endears the heart to God like a mercy more than any other mercy that a man enjoyes This is the childe saith Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 27. after God had long delayed her for which I prayed and the Lord hath given mee my petition which I asked of him Delaied mercy is the cream of mercy no mercy so sweet so dear so precious to a man as that which a man hath gained after many put offs Mr. Glover the Martyr sought the Lord earnestly and frequently for some special mercies and the Lord delaied him long but when hee was even at the stake then the Lord gave in the mercies to him and then as a man over joyed hee cries out to his friend hee is come hee is come But Sixthly The Lord delaies his people that hee may pay them home in their own coin God sometimes loves to retaliate The Spouse puts off Christ Cant. 5. 2. I have put off Prov. 1. 23 ult Zach. 7. 13 my coat how can I put it on c. And Christ puts her off vers 5 6 7 8. Thou hast put off God from day to day from month to month yea from year to year and therefore if God puts thee off from day to day or from year to year hast thou any cause to complain surely no thou hast often and long
put off the motions of his Spirit the directions of his word the offers of his grace the entreaties of his Son and therefore what can be more just than that God should delay thee for a time and put thee off for a season who hast delaied him and put off him daies without number if God serves thee as thou hast often served him thou hast no reason to complain But Seventhly and lastly The Lord delaies his people that Heaven may be the more sweet to them at last here they meet with many delaies and with many put offs but in Heaven they shall never meet with one put off with one delay here many times they call and cry and can get no answer Lam. 3. 8 44 here they knock and bounce and yet the door of grace and mercy opens not to them but in Heaven they shall have mercy at the first word at the first knock there whatever heart can wish shall without delay be enjoyed here God seems to say sometimes souls you have mistaken the door or I am not at leasure or others must be served before you or come some other time c. But in Heaven God is alwaies at leasure and all the sweetness and blessedness and happiness of that state presents it self every hour to the soul there God hath never God will never say to any of his Saints in Heaven come to morrow such language the Saints sometimes hear here but such language is no waies suitable to a glorified condition and therefore seeing that the Lord never delaies his people but upon great and weighty accounts let his people bee silent before him let them not mutter nor murmure but be mute And so I have done with the Objections I shall come now in the last place to propound some helps and directions that may contribute to the silencing and stilling of your souls under the greatest afflictions the sharpest trials and the saddest providences that you meet with in this world and so close up this discourse First All the afflictions that come upon the Saints they are the Prov. 3. 12 Jer. 9. 7 fruits of divine love Rev. 3. 19. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten bee zealous therefore and repent Heb. 12. 6. For whom the Lord loveth hee chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom hee receiveth Job 5. 17. Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty ch 7. 17 18. What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him And that thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment Isa 48. 10. Behold I have refined thee but not with silver I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction When Munster lay sick and his friends asked him how hee did and how hee felt himself hee pointed to his sores and ulcers whereof hee was full and said these are Gods Gems and Jewels wherewith hee decketh his best friends and to mee they are more precious than all the gold and silver in the world A Gentleman highly prizes his Hawk hee feeds her with his own hand hee carries her upon his fist hee takes a great deal of delight and pleasure in her and therefore hee puts vervells upon her leggs and a hood upon her head hee hood-winks her and fetters her because hee loves her and takes delight in her So the Lord by afflictions hood-winks and fetters his children but all is because hee loves them and takes delight and pleasure in them there cannot be a greater evidence of Gods hatred and wrath than his Hos 4. 14. 19 Ezek. 16. 42 Isa 1. 5 Nihil est infaelicius â—o cui nil unquam contigit adversi Seneca refusing to correct men for their sinful courses and vanities why should you bee smitten any more you will revolt more and more where God refuses to correct there God resolves to destroy there is no man so near the Axe so near the flames so near Hell as hee whom God will not so much as spend a Rod upon God is most angry where hee shews no anger Jerome writing to a sick friend hath this expression I account it a part of unhappiness not to know adversity I judge you to bee miserable because you have not been miserable nothing saith another Demetrius seems more unhappy to mee than hee to whom no adversity hath hapned God afflicts thee O Christian in love and therefore Luther cries out strike Lord strike Lord and spare not who can seriously muse upon this and not hold his peace and not bee silent under the most smarting Rod Secondly Consider that the trials and troubles the calamities and miseries the crosses and losses that you meet with in this world is all the Hell that ever you shall have here you have your Hell hereafter you shall have your Heaven this is the worst of your condition the best is to come Lazarus had his Hell first his Heaven Luke 16. 19 29 last but Dives had his Heaven first and his Hell at last thou hast all thy pains and pangs and throws here that ever thou shalt have thy ease and rest and pleasure is to come here you have all your bitter your sweet is to come here you have your sorrows your joyes are to come here you have all your winter nights your summer daies are to come here you have your passion week your Ascension day is to come here you have your evil things your good things are to come death will put a period to all thy sins and to all thy sufferings and it will bee an inlet to those joyes delights and contents that shall never have end and therefore hold thy peace and be silent before the Lord. Thirdly Get an assurance that Christ is yours and pardon of sin See my Treatise called Heaven on Earth yours and divine favour yours and Heaven yours and the sense of this will exceedingly quiet and silence the soul under the sorest and the sharpest trials a Christian can meet with in this world hee that is assured that God is his portion wil never mutter nor murmure under his greatest burdens hee that can groundedly say nothing shall separate mee from the love of God in Christ hee will be able to triumph in the midst of the greatest Rom. 8. 33 ult Cant. 2. 16 tribulations hee that with the Spouse can say My Beloved is mine and I am his will bear up quietly and sweetly under the heaviest afflictions In the time of the Marian Act. Mon. Persecution there was a gracious woman who being convened before bloody Bonner then Bishop So John Noyes Alice Driver Mr. Bradford Mr. Taylor and Justin Martyr with many more of London upon the trial of Religion hee threatned her that hee would take away her husband from her saith shee Christ is my husband I will take away thy childe Christ saith shee is better to mee than ten Sons I will