bitter lamentations in Germanie fathers mothers weeping for their sonnes that bee not Oh England looke to it that wee drinke not vp the dregges Oh that thou wouldst fast and mourne in publicke Oh that you would each in priuate Here each man wept bitterly for his sonnes and daughters but it was too late they were gone Nay t was not too late though gone teares will waft them home againe those teares that will recouer children will continue children therefore each man for himselfe for his sonnes weepe apart pray fast mourne wiues apart husbands apart children apart stand before the Lord as Iehoshaphat did with your little ones and say Oh Lord spare our Ziklags our houses our sons our daughters spare them from the sword from famine from pestilence from misery and who knowes but that the Lord may yet haue mercie He comforted himselfe or strengthened all is one for the ioy of the Lord is strong Doct. The world is neuer so empty of comforts but that comfort may be found in God though there be somewhat a dearth of comfort in the earth yet Gods house is euer filled in heauen comfort is to bee had when none in earth in God when none in creatures Daniel Dauid Paul thousands would witnesse this if needefull The instance is plaine when Dauid could not comfort himselfe in his wiues nor his children nor his goods nor in any thing vnder the Sunne he could in something aboue the Sunne c. And the Reason is at hand Reason 1. God is the God of all consolation the Spring of comfort if any water t is in the Sea if any light t is in the Sunne if any comfort t is in God there it rests there t is when no where else 2. God is Al-sufficient there the heart finds euery want supplyed euery good thing lodged if the discouragement grow from wants want of power want of wisedome of comfort of helpe there the heart receiues answer in God there is enough there t is to bee had and that freely As God is Al-sufficient to furnish vs with all necessaries so infinite in power wisedome goodnesse to helpe vs against all euils feared or felt It our discouragement grow from euils feared looke vp to him and he can preuent all as you see in Dauid and Esters story and Paul Dauid was neere to killing when Saul was now readie to chop vpon him the Church in Ester was at a low ebbe when the lot was cast Paul when forty had vowed his death Peter when the next day he must dye and but one night houre step betweene death and him yet rescued 2. If afflictions haue ouertaken vs and discouraged vs looke vp againe and see how easily the Lord can take them off this weeke Dauid hath neither wife nor childe nor corne nor cattell and by the next he hath his owne and a great deale more this yeare you see hee is worse than nought for wealth the next a King yea Peter can tell you that imprisonment may be for a night deliuerance ere morning Dauids heauinesse may be your guest this night ioy to morrow Psal 30. 3. If afflictions bee long and strong and thence discouragement looke vp againe and you shall finde 〈◊〉 that after two dayes God will reuiue you and you shall liue in his sight Hee can heale old wounds in a short space as in the captiuity Ioh. 5.5 in the man in the Gospell and deepe wounds with a little tent When Dauid is broken all to pieces his estate to pieces his houshold his army his heart they had wept till wearie of weeping Loe in two or three dayes he can make vp all againe 4 If afflictions bee most biâ—ter and stinging and lasting to our end and therefore discouragement looke vp and see and God can ouer-top all these sorrowes with comfort and sweeten the bitterest cup why hee hath more consolations than there bee afflictions as one abounds so the other Hee hath stronger consolations than afflictions hee can make a Dauid for the present say Psal 94.19 and for the time past T is good I haue beene afflicted and for the future Isah 119. 73. Thou wilt bee my guide to the death and so receiue mee to glorie yea hee can make a Peter sleepe in irons a Paul sing in dungeons Act. 12 16. a Marty reioyce in sufferings Heb 10. Why then if in God may euer bee found that which will answer our wants supply all our griefes there 's comfort still to be had Vse Now then Brethren is not this God worth the hauing You cannot alwaies haue comfort in wealth comfort in health comfort in neighbors in children in wiues these be not alwaies these while they be doe sometime minister matter of griefe yea sometime their life presence doth discourage Esay 20 but in IEHOVA is constant peace constant comfort and ioy to bee found He is constantly good great true c. Oh get him how euer you doe get him and you haue all come what will come he changes not his comforts are sure neuer cease seeking begging hearing conferring till his Image bee set vpon you and your hearts assured of his loue You haue seene the comforts of the world you see how all cisternes faile you goe to the fountaine in the word of God in the house of God in the fauour of God you shall haue comfort in his light you shall see light when others nothing but darkenesse round about Oh then thou that sittest in darkenesse in the darkenesse of temptation in the darkenesse of sinne in the darkenesse of affliction darkenesse of pouertie debt thou that seest no light none within thee none without thee none in thy soule none in thy minde none in thine estate friends c. arise put on beautie come into the light stand vp from the dead dead comforts dead companions dead workes and the LORD shall giue thee life 2. For Saints why doe not they chide themselues as Dauid did and call vpon themselues for comfort Surely Ioy is comely and it is their part to reioyce in God Ob. Oh but how can wee in sad times in the middest of sorrow Ans How did the Apostles they reioyced in the stocks Ob. True in case of persecution but how should we in affliction Ans How doth Dauid he had lost wife child all yet hee comforts himselfe in what when all was gone in God in him was all so long as God stood to him all staide with him Ob. But what if sinne haue haled afflictions on vs Ans Dauid was not cleere yet in God is comfort then comfort because hee is gracious and ready to pardon Ob. Yea but what if the miserie be common not particular and personall Ans Such was Dauids yet hee comforts himselfe Why God can heale a Towne as soone as a man a Shire as soone as a Towne a Kingdome as soone as a Shire Ob. Yea but what if ones ease be despemte Ans So was Dauids to
DAVIDS COMFORT AT ZIKLAG A PLAINE SERMON made in time of dearth and scarcitie of Corne and WORKE By Robert Harris LONDON Printed for IOHN BARTLET at the gilt Cup in Cheape-side 1628. DAVIDS COMFORT AT ZIKLAG 1. SAM 30.6 And Dauid was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning him because the soule of all the people was grieued euery man for his sonnes and for his daughters but Dauid encouraged himselfe in the Lord his God THese words briefly report Dauids distresse at Ziklag which distresse is first in grosse said to be great and then more particularly enlarged from the causes and effects thereof The cause ouer and aboue his prinate losse is the mutinie of his owne people who are 1. imbittered vpon the losse of their children taken by the Amalekites against whom their zeale should haue been greater and thereupon in the next place would haue stoned Dauid as the authour of so much mischiefe Dauid then was in danger of his head hee was like enough to dye by the hand of his friends as a malefactor without tryall and this distresses him Now for the effects Dauid first comforts and stayes himselfe on God who was able to helpe all being the Lord ready being his God Secondly hauing comforted him selfe in God hee consults with God where 1. the meanes on his part is mentioned Gods own meanes 2. the answer on Gods part a direct answer both for the means to be vsed and successe to be expected he should follow and he should certainly speed Wee will not forestall another by any exact enquiry into the words but acquaint you with some generall meditations that haue beene to one and may be to you somewhat vsefull First Doct. 1. this is in sight That the Lord doth sometimes suffer his dearest seruants to be greatly 〈…〉 stressed Men greatly beloued as Dauid was are many times greatly straightned as Dauid was To proue this were to waste time First see When they are chiefly thus distressed secondly Why and as for kinds of distresses we shall touch them in application and so saue time It shall suffice for the present to say that Gods children drink of all waters and haue experience of all afflictions and that chiefly in these times First when they haue left Gods counsels and followed their owne deuices Gods children are neuer worse hampered than in nets of their owne weauing when they will be witty eyther against God or without God then they spinne a wofull threed a Spiders webbe For carnall reason is a very bad counsailor and puts a man vpon euill meanes and none can draw a good conclusion from ill premisses but only God Therfore when Christians haue lost Gods wisedome and his wayes and betaken themselues to their owne wit and wayes they haue plunged themselues wonderfully A man is secure and confident in his owne courses like a childe that leaues his fathers counsaile and followes his owne and the fresh-water souldier that will be a Pilot before hee is fit for a Mariner and thereupon runnes his ship vpon the sands Thus Ionah was greatly distressed when hee would be wiser than God thus Abraham greatly distressed Gen. 20. when he would liue by his wits thus Dauid he had so contriued it that neyther Saul nor Achitophell nor any of them all should touch him and now hee is in all their dangers vnlesse God helpe him out And neuer doe Gods children please themselues greatly in their owne contriuements but thus they speed where they expect great safety they are greatly endangered where much comfort greatly distressed 2 Secondly when they haue receiued great blessings and comforts from God then comes pride and securitie and that 's a forerunner of a fall Great mercies worke great thoughts and spirits in vs and great thoughts make way for great afflictions We will not instance in Nebuchadnezzar Dauid prospered greatly God had set him on high made his mountaine strong his heart grew secure then came trouble Hezekiah was greatly distressed and when was it after great deliuerances and blessings V 〈…〉 iah and Asa the like Mans heart cannot beare a great measure of comfort no more than his head can a great measure of wine therefore eyther God mingles their wine when they take it or presently after or else they be giddy and must be distressed Hence S. Paul after great consolations had great temptations and afflictions 2. Cor. 12. and the blessed Virgin Mary in S. Luke is told of a sword when of a sonne Luc. 2.35 that must through her heart as well as Christ through her loynes 3 Thirdly when they be to receiue some great comfort from God when God hath some great employment or preferment or deliuerance or consolation in store for his children hee makes way thereto by some great affliction of bodie minde state friends c. as men lay the foundation very deepe when they meane to raise the building very high Thus Ioseph was greatly distressed but when when he must be a Prince shortly after thus Dauid greatly impouerished when when shortly after he must come to the Crowne Generally as in darke nights it is darkest towards day-breake so t is with the Saints of God the sharpest fit is euer at the birth when they bee deliuered of their sorrow So God makes his comforts more tastefull and lesse dangerfull to them and therefore first mars them then makes them vndoes them crushes them and then rayses them vp These be speciall times the generall should haue beene first noted viz. When Gods children haue gotten some stocke and strength for the Lord is wise and will not vse an Iron Instrument to thresh out Cummin Esay 28. hee will not lay weight vpon greene Timber but first season it and then employ it after Ioh. 21. Thus while Peter was young hee walked at large but after was distressed Thus for the When. Now Why doth God bring such distresses on his you may partly ghesse by the When. He respects himselfe his Church his particular children in it First God gaines glory many waies by this Reason 1. First his power is seene in their distresses his loue goodnesse truth c. Then the Saints can say with Iob Now mine eyes haue seene thee 2 Secondly Iob. 42.5 then not only present power and mercie is seene but former Wee see what power was vsed in preuenting miserie what mercie in giuing comfort And thirdly then God shall haue their custome and companie Children that care not for Parents in prosperitie will to them in miserie they le come early come euery whit of them Dauid could comfort himselfe in his wiues in his children before but now ail are met in God no wise but God no child nor friend but God now hee goes all one way and now his confessions and prayers bee such as will set out God indeed prayes more and more spiritually than euer c. Secondly Reas 2 God aymes at the Churches good in this 1. whilest shee
The reason is cleere first wee stoope not to God because wee are naturally emptie of Faith wee cannot see him wanting an eye that 's spirituall wee will not because wee expect no helpe from him and it is Faith that makes vs stoope Lam. 3. 2 Wee chafe at man because proude and therefore fretfull and complayning 2. guilefull and therefore rather translate than confesse our faults like children that will rather quarrell with seruants for complayning than themselues for offending Vse 1. Feare this distemper in nature and watch which way our hearts are working in the day of affliction Vnlesse the crosse bee verie immediate our hearts breake out towards men rather than God and wee sooner fret chafe threaten curse than confesse pray submit this is a fearefull sinne beware of it And now lets not speake in the language of the wicked T is long of Dauid therefore stone him t is long of Corne-masters who hold-in corne that there 's such scarcitie therefore downe with them t is long of Inclosers therefore downe with them t is long of hard Land-lords and therefore down with them long of Merchants that transport t is long of some mens pride others wastfulnesse others wantonnesse and so grow bitter against others But say t is long of mee and my fathers house my sinnes haue encreased wrath vpon Israel I haue beene proude wanton wastefull abused plenty murmured c. I haue sinned the sinnes of others in that I haue spoken of them with more delight than griefe in that I haue not wept for them stood in the gap otherwise God would neuer beate anothers sinnes on my backe Thus le ts doe fret at our owne sinnes befoole our selues and not onely so but in stead of chafing at men cast downe our selues before God see the rod and God appointing it that done goe to God as Dauid doth goe by faith goe in the workes of repentance goe for counsaile lye at his foote saying Lord wee yeeld wee yeeld if thou wilt haue vs poore wee will be poore if thou wilt haue our goods houses habitations here we are and we resigne that which wee haue forfeited a thousand times This the onely remedy there 's left vs. We must not spend our time in inueighing against others but in accusing our selues wee must not imbitter our hearts by dwelling vpon the instruments but humble them by looking vp to God and hush them by a free submission or our selues Fretting doth but encrease our miserie subiection and yeeldance only easeth vs and therefore say as they Lamen 3. 22. 40. 2 Comfort if stormes doe not breed thistles and nettles in our ground Comfort if crosses do not draw passions oathes curses repinings raylings but prayers confessions c. from vs. O t is well when being let bloud our veynes send out that which is pure not now that which is blacke poy soned This argues a good constitution yea the finger of God for crosses of themselues are not so much as purgatiue much lesse alteratiue T is grace that changes our complexion and t is as good a signe when crosses take well as when the Word doth If then wee finde that our crosses send vs homeward set vs against our sinnes make vs cry out because wee can forgiue no more beare no more because wee bee so full of wrath passion c. le ts blesse God for this cure for nature chafes moralitie bites it in only sanctitie makes sinne odious stirres vp desires of grace puls downe flesh sets vp God in Christ in short improues the crosse Followeth Doct. Their soules are bitter for their children so the childes miserie is the parents bitternesse T is gall and wormwood to a parent to see his sonnes and daughters deliuered to miserie Reas If there be grace in the parent then the parent sees his owne sinne in the childes smart It grieues a good man to see a beast a stranger bleed for him much more his childe 2 If but nature yet nature is strong in working that hath so mingled fathers and children that in one both are sinitten both bleed and smart both liue and dye together Vse 1. For vngratefull children Think of this your sorrowes are your parents forrowes your shame theirs your paine theirs your losse theirs and if you loue not your selues loue your parents kill not them by your wickednesse fill not their soules with gall who haue fed you with milke Vse 2. Against those that robbe and spoile oppresse defraud and beggar yongue and old the mother and the childe vpon her Oh t is a fearefull sin to ruine houses and townes to lay whole families on heapes to set father mother sonne daughter all on weeping the crye of so manie will surely to heauen the smart of so many will deeply imbitter when children shall crye to parents for bread and they haue it not when they shall call for portions and they haue none for coates and they haue none food and money and they haue none when they shall looke one way on the miseries of their children another way on the vniustice vnmercifulnesse oppression of Land-lords of Creditors and see themselues and theirs for euer betrayed to misery through the default of others Oh this fills the heart with many a bitter thought the mouth with many a bitter curse the father curses the mother curses the sonne curses the daughter curses they lye at God and giue him no rest till hee reuenge them vpon such hurtfull persons and that God that would not haue a bird killed from her yongue will heare these curses and make the earth and stones and walls of mens houses and lands to feele them Oh then doe not robbe kill crush mens sonnes and daughters this will worke bitternesse in others to vs to ours Vse 3. For instruction to vs all Is it so bitter to see our children in misery captiuity then meete the Lord before sentence goes forth lest our soules be made bitter for our sons and daughters should the Lord send the sword amongst vs to our Ziklags and wee should see our daughters rauished our sonnes butchered before our eyes would not this bee bitter Should wee see ones legge off a seconds arme a thirds head a fourth crying to vs hanging on vs would not this bee bitter should wee see the Amalekites in our land our children carried away for slaues would not this be bitter should our children fall in the streets for bread dye for thirst they ready to eat vp vs we ready to chop them to the pot would not this bee bitter Oh how could our eyes behold these things how could our soules digest so great bitternesse Oh le ts now preuent this that we may neuer see or feele it Tell mee not there 's no danger the Word of God is agaiust vs most of those sinnes which haue brought Captiuitie Sword Famine vpon others are amongst vs wee see the Lord hath begunne already and our brethren haue begun to vs in this bitter cup. O the