they not cover thy nakedness defend thy body keep thee warm and distinguish thee in respect of sex and condition Therefore be content 7. And lastly Consider If you be cloathed with Christs Righteousness and have upon your souls the graces of his blessed Spirit you are better cloathed then he that goes in Scarlet wanting this spiritual apparel Christ with his Righteousness and the graces of his Spirit in Scripture is compared to a garment Psal 45.13 14 Isa 61.10 Mat. 22.11 12. Rom. 13.14 Gal. 3.27 Ephes 4.24 The white Raiment so oft mentioned in the Revelations as Rev. 3 18. 4.4 6.11 7.9 13. what is it but Jesus Christ imputed and applied to the soul Christ with his graces in which the soul of a Beleiver is invested Rev. 19.8 Believers are candidati invested with the white Robes of Christ's Righteousness This spiritual Garment doth most beautify a Christian as the Apostle shews 1 Pet. 3.3 4. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold or of putting on of apparel but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price And again 1 Pet. 5.5 be cloathed with humility Humility is a garment becoming any Christian soul The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illigare et innodare significat Mr. Leigh's Crit. Sacra in vocem It signifies to â—ye or bind together or to tye knots as delicate and curious women use to do of Ribands to adorn their heads or bodies as if Humility was the knot of every Vertue and ornament of every Grace And St. Paul adviseth 1 Tim. 2.9 10. That women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefastness and sobriety not with broidred Hair or Gold or Pearls or costly Array but which becometh women professing Godliness with good works St. Cyprian writing to the Virgins of his time said of them Quaerentes ornamenta monilium perdiderunt morum That they looked so much after Jewels they lost the Ornament of Vertue and good Manners No such Jewels as Meekness Humility Chastity Sobriety c. See a chain of Graces becoming any Christians neck 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7. Salvian saith Salv. l. 7. de gub Dei pe 235. Quid Deus a nobis exigit quid praestari sibi a nobis jubet nisi solùm tantummodò fidem castitatem humilitatem sobrietatem misericordiam sanctitatem quae utique omnia non onerant nos sed ornant These graces will adorn not burthen us Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another c. Col. 3.12 13. If these graces be in you and abound you have no cause to complain though your outward apparel be but mean But you say You shall be slighted and disrespected Answ Indeed this is too much the guise of the world Prov. 14.20 The poor is hated even of his neighbour but the rich hath many friends Donec eris faelix multos numerabis amicos Nullus ad amissas ibit amicus opes Ovid. It is with us usually as with a Sun-dyal you know in a cloudy day the Sun-dyal is not lookt upon nor are we respected if a cloud of adversity overshadow us Tempora si fuerint nubila solus eris But let such consider for their comfort 1. Consid It hath been the common Lot of God's dear servants to be disrespected Job's friends like leaves from trees dropt off from him when the winter of adversity drew on See Job 12.4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour The just upright man is laughed to scorn And Job 16.20 My friends scorn me So Job 19.13 to 20. So David Psal 109.25 I became a reproach saith he unto them when they looked upon me they shaked their heads by way of derision Psal 22.7 So Psal 119.141 I am small and despised So it was with the Apostles 1 Cor. 4.10 13. They were defamed and made as the filth of the world and off-scouring of all things So those Worthies Heb. 11.36 Had tryal of cruel mockings Nay Christ himself our Lord and Master was despised See Psal 22.6 I am a worm and no man a reproach of men and despised of the people It is spoken Prophetically of Christ So Isa 53.3 He is despised and rejected of men And Phil. 2.7 He made himself of no reputation Nay God himself is despised Exod. 5.2 Pharaoh said Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go So Job 21.14 15. They say unto God Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes What is the Almighty that we should serve him And what profit shall we have if we pray unto him So Psal 73.9 Wicked men set their mouth against the Heavens Melancton said right Nullum hominem tantum sustinere malorum quantùm contumeliarum Deus Our betters then by far are far more despised than we are or can be 2. Consid God hath an hand in all reproach and disrespect that we meet with David under curses and great disrespect from Shimei saw God's Providence in it and was patient 2 Sam. 16.10 Let him curse said he because the Lord hath said unto him Curse David And again vers 11. Let him alone let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him c. But where did God bid him Answ Not by his revealed Word for that forbidds cursing especially a Magistrate as David was Exod. 22.28 Eccles 10.20 but as some observe by a secret act of Providence disposing of Shimei's malice to chastise David for his sins and hasten forward his own destruction as it did afterwards in Solomon's days 1 King 2.44 That God hath a hand in the disrespect we meet with will farther appear Psal 44.9 Thou hast cast us off saith the Church and put us to shame So vers 13. Thou makest us a reproach to our Neighbours a scorn and derision to them that are round about us And again vers 14. Thou makest us a by-word among the heathen a shaking of the head among the people God himself tells us Isa 43.28 I have given Jacob to the curse and Israel to reproaches Submit therefore your selves to God as St. James speaks Jam. 4.7 3. Consid God layes upon you scorn and disrespect for your good David was patient under disrespect not only because he saw the hand of God in it but likewise because he thought God would do him good by it as you may see 2 Sam. 16.12 It may be saith he that the Lord will look on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day God hath several good ends in suffering thee to lie under disrespect As 1. For the Tryal and Exercise of Christian Graces as Faith Patience Constancy Courage Sincerity Zeal Humility
breaking no more doth righteousness the rich workmanship of God's blessed Spirit Ephes 2.10 preserve any man from mouldring to dust Moses Joshua David Job Daniel c. are dead and gone Dorcas that woman full of God works and almsdeeds which she did fell sick and died Acts 9.36 37. Holiness is no armour of proof to keep off the dart of Death The shield of faith and brest-plate of righteousness which are able to resist the fiery darts of Satan Ephes 6.16 yet are not able to defend a man from the dart of Death The best persons are not persons priviledged from the arrest of Death that surly Sergeant 2. Consid God can raise up other good men in their stead A Phoenix may arise out of the ashes There may hopeful branches come in their stead Uno avulso non deficit alter Aureus simili frondescit virgâ—metallo Virgil. See 2 Epist of John 1st 4th verses compared That Elect Lady that worthy Matron honoured for her wealth and liberality to the poor had Children constantly professing the true Religion and living according to it who might succeed her in works of charity and piety Buxtorf floril Heb. p. 204. The Jews have a saying Quandò occidit Sol vir illustris utilis oritur Sol viz. alius similis ipsi That never doth there die any illustrious man but there is another born as bright on the same day To which they accommodate that place See Mr. Patricks Serm. on Psa 90.12 Eccles 1.5 Nay they observe further that he makes some Star or other arise before the Sun be set as Joshua began to shine before Moses his light was darkned And before Joshua went to bed Othniel the Son of Kenaz was risen up to judge Eli was not gathered to his fathers before Samuel appeared to be a most hopeful youth and among the other sex they also note that Sarah was not taken away till Rebeccah was ready to come in her stead Furthermore we find in Scripture how Elisha succeeded Elijah Eleazer Aaron Haggai and Zechary supplyed the loss of Daniel and Christ arose in John Baptists stead And hopeful Timothy in the room of Paul the aged Consider then that others as good and useful in their generations may succeed in their stead 3. Lastly consid The happiness that a good man is estated in at death The righteous like Stars though they set in one place yet they rise in another These trees of righteousness are translated into the Coelestial Paradise so that though they be not with us yet they are with God If we truly love them we cannot but congratulate their feasts of joy their rivers of pleasures their palms of victory Dr. Stuarts Cathol Divin pag. 158. Aug. Manuals c. 7 de gaudio their robes of majesty their crown of glory O vita vitalis vita sempiterna sempiternè beata ubi gaudium sine moerore requies sine labore sanitas sine languore opes sine amissione perpetuitas sine corruptione In heaven there is life indeed an eternal blessed life where there is joy without sorrow rest without labour health without sickness riches without loss everlastingness without corruption Even Balaam saw the happy condition of such as dye in the Lord which made him cry out Let me dye the death of the Righteous and let my last end be like his Numb 23.10 Let us not then weep immoderately for those from whose eyes God hath wiped away all tears Let us rejoyce in their joy as we are commanded Rom. 12.15 and not weep as though we envied their happiness Indeed we have great loss when good men are taken away but let us not look altogether upon our loss but likewise on their gain and let the one at least counterballance the other 14. And last Apology answered Another cryes out 14th Apology answerd This Friend or Relation of mine lived an openly profane wretch and he died without any shew of penitential sorrow As he lived sottishly so for ought I could see he died securely I fear he is a damned creature and this troubles me Answ This complaint usually Parents take up over their wicked Children And if Parents have the least spark of grace or true love to their Children they cannot chuse but grieve to see their Children cut off in their wicked courses Sad it is to consider that their Children should be companions with Divels that their own flesh and blood should be fuel for the fire of Hell Indeed this is just matter of humility but not of discontented sullenness mourn under it you may but you must not mourn immoderately or murmur through discontent To this end let Parents consider 1. Consid Many of Gods dear Servants have had wicked Children Our first Parents Adam and Eve as Divines generally observe had laid hold on that promise Gen. 3.15 and were renewed by faith and repentance yet they had a very wicked Son their first-born Cain was an hypocrite and a murderer Gen. 4. So Noah a just man and upright in his generation and one that walked with God Gen. 6.9 had a cursed Cham. Gen. 9.22 Abraham whom God boasts of Gen. 18.19 had a persecuting Ishmael Gen. 16.12 Gal. 4.19 Isaac a good man had Esau a prophane wretch Heb. 12.16 Jacob who wrestled with God in prayer and prevailed Gen. 32.28 had Simeon and Levi as well as Joseph and Benjamin Samuel one devoted to the Lord when he was old made his sons Judges over Israel but they walked not in his wayes but turned aside after lucre 1 Sam. 8.3 David a man after Gods own heart had not only Salomon that was beloved of God but likewise incestuous Amnon ambitious Absalom and treacherous Adonijah 1 King 1.5 Josiah that good King left wicked sons behind him Jehoahaz 2 King 23.30 31 32 and Jehoiakim vers 34 36 37. so Jer. 22.18 Many more examples might be brought out of Scripture to prove this but in a point so clear and known to be too true by daily experience let these suffice Be content then thy case is not singular Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris 2. Consid Gods servants have been patient when God hath before their eyes cut off their children in their wickedness When Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord by fire from the Lord as with lightning they were destroyed Livit. 10.1 2. And how doth their Father take it See vers 3. Aaron held his peace either because his grief was so great as that he could not vent himself in answerable expressions Curae leves loquuntur ingentes stupent or rather he held his peace being convinced of the justice of divine vengeance for Moses had said to Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the People I will be glorified So old Eli's sons were sons of Belial they knew not the Lord 1 Sam. 2.12 though indeed being educated by their godly Father they
her Son was dead to call your sins to remembrance 1 King 17.18 May be your sin might be foolish Indulgence or too much Fondness you loved your Relation too much and therefore God took him or her away that you might not commit spiritual adultery which you do when you bestow that love and delight upon the Creature that is due to the Creator Psal 73.27 God there threatens such as go a whoring from him He will not suffer such behaviour in those whom he hath marryed to himself Hos 2.19 God is a Jealous God Exod. 20.5 And as a discreet Wife if she perceives her Husband to be in love with her Maidservant will presently put her away that she may be chief in her Husbands affection So if God loves us he will take that away which steals our affections from him Privat bonis aut liberis nimium amatis ut desiderium bonorum praestantiorum atque coelestium magis in eis excitat He deprives us saith Paraeus Paraeus in Gen. 37. chap. of Children or some such outward good things which we love too much that he may thereby excite us to love better things more Or your sin might be worldly-mindedness you were it may be over-worldly in providing portions for such or such a Child Salvian ad Ecles Cathol lib. 2 pag. 380. Quae insania est ô miserrimi ut haeredes alios quoscunque faciatis vos ipsos vero exhaeredetis God saw thee well nigh lost in a croud of worldly cares and therefore took away thy Child that thou mightest sit loose to the world and mind heavenly things God is a gracious Father as one saith wisely tempering the Cup for his Children lest they should surfeit on worldly enjoyments which they might easily do if they were not mixed with occasions of sorrow Or it may be thou didst not think sufficiently on thy latter end as God requires Deut. 32.29 We are ready to say with Peter It is good for us to be â—ere Mark 9.5 God therefore took away a near Relation which speaks as Dalilah to Sampson The Philistines be upon thee Sampson Judg. 16.9 So thy dead friend speaks to thee thou hast a mortal Body Death is at the door By this means God teacheth thee to number thy dayes and apply thy heart to wisdom as Moses prayed Ps 90.12 Or lastly God it may be took away thy Friend to humble thee and prove thee to try thy Obedience to exercise thy Faith and Patience as in Jobs case James 5.11 Thus as the Author to the Hebrews Heb. 12.11 No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of Righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby So that this crossing of us is to do us more good at our latter end Deut. 8.16 Moses with his Rod wrought wonders Exod. 4.17 And God teacheth us many admirable and excellent Lessons with a Fescu made of a Rod Job 6.8 9 10. Mic. 6.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nocumenta documenta Well then as a Patient refuseth not from his Physitian a bitter Potion or from the Chyrurgeon a corrhoding Plaister because it makes way for healing it is in order to a Cure So loss of Friends though of all outward losses most bitter yet should be taken patiently because it is a Medicine to heal spiritual Maladies See Isa 27.9 Me-thinks this consideration should make us not only submit but rejoyce under such losses Consid 5 Fifthly consider God is still with thee Psal 46.1 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble So Psal 90.2 From everlasting to everlasting thou art God Though Friends forsake us through unavoidable mortality yet an Eternal God is still where he was he keeps his standing He can supply the place of Father Mother Husband Wife Son or Daughter for he is an All-sufficient God So it is in the Original Gen. 17.1 In him there is all excellency beauty comfort and good of the creature in a most superlative and glorious manner sufficiently eminently transcendently so that every loss is made up in him as Philip said Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us John 14.8 and St. Paul saith Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need There is sweetness enough in God to sweeten all outward bitterness so that though the Conduit Pipes through which mercies were conveyed unto us be taken away yet the Fountain runs still entire in God Hagar we read had a Fountain by but her blubbering eyes kept her from seeing it Gen. 21.17 18 19. God the fountain of happiness is still with thee and thou maist have daily recourse to him and therefore wipe thine eyes and â—â—â—t contented God saith to his People what the King of Israel did to the King of Syria I am thine and all that I have 1 Kings 20.4 Let us then under loss of Friends comfort our selves in the Lord our God and say with David Psal 18.46 The Lord liveth and blessed be my Rock and praised be the God of my Salvation When Creture-crutches fail we have the Rock of Ages to rely upon Therefore Rejoyce in the Lord and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 Consid 6 Sixthly consider Thou deservest greater losses and crosses than those thou meetest with Thy sins are far heavier than thy sufferings The shower of misery and trouble that befalls us through loss of Friends was raised by the ascending vapour of our sin Nehem. 9.33 So Psal 39.10 God corrects man for his iniquity and therefore Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin Lam. 3.39 Why doth vain man fret as though his sins cast not one mite into the treasury of his sufferings Whereas indeed his sufferings are less than his sins As Ezra said Thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve Ezr. 9.13 And as Zophar told Job Job 11.6 Know that God exacts of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth So David Psal 103.10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Quamvis aspera adversa patiamur minora patiamur quà m meremur Quid querimur Salv. lib. 4 de gub Dei pag. 114. quod dure agat nobiscum Deus multò nos cum Deo duriùs agimus Exacerbamus quippe Deum impuritatibus nostris ad puniendum nos trahimus invitum The fire of Gods wrath is not proportionable to the fuel of our sins whilst we live in this world Let us then bear the indignation of the Lord because we have sinned against him Thus the Church resolves Mich. 7.9 Let us not murmur that it is so bad but rather admire at Gods goodness that it is not worse with us Consid 7 Seventhly consider The many undeserved favours which God confers upon thee He might have taken away all thy Relations whereas he hath left several to chear thee And therefore as Jonadab said to David Let not my Lord suppose that they have slain all
Sylvanus 1 Pet. 5.12 a faithful Brother as I suppose so our knowledge of others sincerity is but opiniative no certain knowledge But suppose I say he was really gracious and so might have persevered unto the end as these Scriptures shew Psal 125.1 Isa 40.31 41.10 Jer. 32.39 40. Mat. 16.18 24.24 John 10.28 29. 13. 1. Rom. 8.33 34. Rom. 11.29 Col. 3.3 2 Tim. 2.19 1 Pet. 1.5 1 Joh. 2.19 27 compared Jude 1. yet he is not the less mortal for being the more gracious Nay God usually takes them away the sooner from this miserable sinfull world which is not worthy of them Heb. 11.38 Dr Abbot Lect. 28. on Jonah p. 594. Sudden glories saith a learned Doctor decay suddenly fruit soonest ripe is soonest rotten when the greenness freshness and shade is extraordinary fear some worm which may gnaw as it did Jonah's refreshing Gourd We know sweetest fruit is soonest gathered Thus the Child Abijah dies young because in him was found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam 1 King 4.12 13. Those that are good betimes are apt Scholars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which having quickly learnt the lessons of Christianity God their Master hath set them have leave to go home the sooner God gathered thy Child betimes because it was ripe betimes We reade Mark 4.29 how the husband-man when the fruit is ripe immediately puts in the sickle because the harvest is come so God puts in the sickle of death when Children are ripe and fit to be taken away We judge him to blame who when his fruit is ripe doth not gather it And shall we blame God for taking away relations when they are fit for him And whereas you say He might have come to great preferment 1. Consider this is very uncertain Many times men of great worth pass their dayes in obscure privacy Salvian lib. 4. de Gubern Dei pa. 114. and men of least desert are highly promoted Si bonus est quispiam quasi malus spernitur si malus est quasi bonus honoratur Haman the Agagite one base by birth and base in life like a dunghil vapour was extracted to an high place of dignity by the influential Sun-shine of his Princes favour and in the mean time godly honest loyal-hearted Mordecai notwithstanding his good service is forgotten Esth 6.1 2 3. till almost too late to remember him 2. Consider Those that are in favour may he present lie under a cloud Favour is deceitful Prov. 30.31 The Court is like Glass or Ice cum maximè splendet frangitur when it shines brightest then it is the brittlest It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.3 vain-glory It carries vanity in its name Joab who was once the greatest about David is by David's appointment designed to execution 1 King 2.5 And Haman even now mentioned that was so great a Favorite with Ahasuerus the King is by the King appointed to be hanged on an high Gallows Est 7.9 10. a just punishment for his ambitious climbing 3dly and lastly consider Your Child is highly preferr'd by Death He is possessed of Heavenly preferment which as far exceeds earthly as the shining of the Sun in its Meridian Lustre doth the shining of a Candle Our Saviour tells us there was not a greater then John the Baptist yet he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater then he Luke 7.28 The least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater then the greatest on Earth for he is above a state of Ignorance Misery and Mortality Joseph was highly preferr'd by Pharaoh who committed to him Despotical Government over all Egypt Gen. 41.40 c. David Esther and several others of Gods dear Servants come to great preferment here on Earth but what is this to the preferment of thy dear Child who shines as the Sun in the Kingdom of his Father Mat. 13.43 He is in the Presence-Chamber of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Surely thou hast no cause to weep except it be for joy that thou wast the Parent of such a Child Who as one saith whilst he lived was the joy of Glorifyed Angels Luk. 15.10 and being dead encreaseth the number of Glorifyed Saints But saith another This was an onely Child 5th Apology answered I had but one onely Son or Daughter to delight in to leave mine Estate unto and to bear my Name And God hath taken him or her away from me Surely the Lord hath dealt bitterly with me Answ Indeed Scripture Spectacles represent it as a sad loss to lose an only Son or Daughter Judg. 11.34 1 King 17.12 17 c. 2 King 4.20 27. compared Jer. 6.26 Amos 8.10 Zach 12.10 Luk. 7.12 13. Luk. 8.42 I have read of one * Mr. Hausteds Serm. on Luke 19.41 42. who being found weeping and the cause of his grief being demanded answered Filius unicus habilis pollens ingenio Adolescens An onely Son a pritty witty young man and being able to go no further had his faltring halting speech made up by a stander-by Obijt diem is dead which he for the greatness of his grief was not able to pronounce himself An only Child is our Darling as we translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 22.20 Unicam meam And the loss of an only Child must needs be sadly resented because it is our Darling or most dearly beloved the stream of parental affection like a River not parted into Chanels is not divided amongst other children but runs whole and entire towards one object But consider under this sad tryal a few things 1. Consider The greater the Tryal is the greater is the commendation to bear it chearfully It is a sign thou art a great Christian when thou canst bear patiently great Tryals A Wasp if not cross'd puts not forth its sting the most waspish and peevish person can carry it calmely and gently while Providences of God please him but to carry it patiently and evenly under great tryals is admirable When Alexander met with great troubles he would say here is a tryal for the mind of Alexander he is truly Magnanimous that holds up his Spirit under great afflictions Magnus est animus qui se Deo tradidit Sen. Job met with great tryals ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mr. Duport in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 1.18 p. 6 7. Semper enim malum malo fulciebatur Sicut quando crebri sibi invicem superfusi sunt Ponti fluctus longi antè quidem alius alius verò post One affliction followed on the back of another as wave after wave the Sabeans took away Jobs Oxen and Asses Lightning kild his Sheep the Caldaeans carried away his Camels and which was the fluctus decumanus the last worst and greatest wave of all the rest the wind blows down the house upon the head of his Children yet for all this see his
as my Husband my Wife my Father my Mother my Brother my Sister my Son my Daughter my Friend c. Whereas the truth is they are not ours but Gods he is the absolute owner of them he made them and hath freely lent them to us without any certain time or date or promise of continuance and what is lent freely we cannot deny but may be call'd for most justly at the pleasure of him that lent it May not God most justly say as the Owner of the Vineyard to the murmuring Labourer Mat. 20.15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own Well then we hold our Friends non jure sed gratis not by a juridical right but upon favour and courtisie and if we enjoyed our Relations some time we should be thankful to God that hath lent them to us so long rather then murmur that he takes them so soon St. Jerome comforting Paula for the death of her Daughter Bresilla said Durum quidem sed tolerabile quia sustulit ille qui dederat It was a heavy loss but to be born patiently because he took that gave at first This comforted Job when amongst other things he had lost his Children Job 1.21 22. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Job considered that God had taken but what he gave at first and so doth thankfully resign up his losses to him Consid 3 Thirdly consider God hath a hand in death of Friends Psal 31.15 My times are in thy hand saith David times of plenty and times of poverty times of health and times of sickness living times and dying times are in the hand i. e. of the disposal of God He measures time of life in what proportion he pleaseth to some he gives a large piece to others a small remnant Job 7.1 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth Here he puts it by way of question but Job 14.5 There he puts it out of question and takes it for granted That mans dayes are determined the number of his moneths are with thee O Lord thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass So that when a Friend departs that 's the time that God hath appointed So it is said of David Acts 8.36 After he had served his own generation by the will of God fell asleep c. Will of God may be annexed to his falling asleep as well as serving his generation he dyed then by the will of God and was gathered to his Fathers and saw corruption Job saith Job 30.23 I know that thou wilt bring me unto death and to the house appointed for all living Naomi said when she was deprived of her Husband and two Sons in a strange Land The Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me and the Lord hath testifyed against me and the Almighty hath afflicted me Ruth 1.5 20 21. compared So Moses speaking of the frailty and shortness of mans life saith Thou turnest man to destruction and sayest Return ye children of men Psal 90.3 Gods dixit is his fecit as in the first Creation he said Let there be light and there was light Gen. 1.3 So God here saith Return i. e. he makes them to return viz. to their Original The Body to the earth and the Spirit to him that gave it Eccles 12.7 So David tells us God takes away mens breath and then they dye and return to their dust Psal 104.29 God indeed is the orderer and ordainer of all conditions 1 Sam. 2.6 The Lord killeth and maketh alive he brings down to the grave and bringeth up So Isa 45.7 I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Our Saviour tells us not a Sparrow falls to the ground nor a hair from our heads without the overruling providence of God Mat. 10.29 30. Here is Argumentum a minore ad majus If not a Sparrow a bird of small price and account or an Hair which is no essential part but made for convenience and ornament if these fall not to the ground without the will of our heavenly Father surely a Friend cannot dye but God wills it Let us then at loss of Friends patiently submit to Gods will The Heathenish Idolaters were loth to cast Jonah overboard but when they had cast lots and found it to be Gods will it should be so they patiently submitted 1 Jonah 13.14 Let not Heathens outstrip Christians Let us say with Christ John 18.11 The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it See Jobs carriage Job 1.20 21 22. He fell down and worshipped not murmured he charged not God foolishly by railing as though he dealt unjustly with him but saith The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken He saw the hand of God in whatever befel him and this was a strong pillar of supportment to his drooping spirit It is no striving against the stream or current of Gods powerful will Job 9.4 Isa 45.9 Let Gods authority over thee prevent impatience in thee God who doth what he will and will do what he pleaseth Psal 115.3 So Psal 135.6 He takes away and none can hinder him who will say unto him What dost thou Job 9.12 Say then when a Friend is dead Truly this is a grief yet I must bear it Jer. 10.19 And as Seneca saith Aequum est ut patientèr feras quicquid corrigere est nefas It is but fit to bear that patiently which we cannot remedy Consid 4 Fourthly consider God intends it for thy good Psal 119.68 Thou art good O Lord and doest good So vers 75. I know O Lord that thy judgments are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me So Psal 145.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Misericors The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy or according to Orig. merciful in all his works Plutarch in his Epistle consolatory to his Wife on the death of a Child amongst others hath this Argument We must always think well of what the Gods do Christians should consider that God in the saddest passages of his providence aims at their good Though indeed his ways be sometimes hidden yet they are alway just When clouds and darkness are round about him then righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his Throne Psal 97.2 Though his Providences sometimes seem to cross his Promises yet in the conclusion you shall see all things work together for good as Physick works for the good of the Patient Rom. 8.28 Every Rod like Jonathans 1 Sam. 14.27 hath Honey at the end of it All things even loss of Friends work together for good to those that love God We read how Sampson fetch'd Honey out of the carcase of the Lyon Judg. 14.8 9. So may we find or fetch good instructions from the Carcase of a deceased Friend God it may be took away such or such a Relation as the Widow of Sarepta said when
the young men the Kings Sons for Amnon onely is dead Now therefore let not my Lord the King take the thing to his heart 2 Sam. 13.31 32 33. If God hath taken away but one relation at a time let us not lay it to heart to grieve excessively seeing he continues to us several other Relations whom he for our sins might justly have deprived us of Besides God might have taken away our health wealth yea life it self and sent us to Hell It is of the Lords mercys that we are not consumed because his compassio is fail not They are new every morning great is thy faithfulness Lam. 3.22 23. Look round about thee and thou canst not chuse but see many precious mercies that thou still enjoyest And thou shouldst be thankful for what thou hast rather than repine at what thou hast lost Lot had most of his goods which he had not time to remove and his Sons in Law consumed in a fearful fire from Heaven and his Wise turned into a pillar of Salt before his eyes a fearful spectacle as you may read Gen. 19. Yet he counted it notwithstanding his great losses a great mercy that he had his life spared Vers 19. Behold now thy servant hath found grace in thy sight and thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my Life And Job whose case as to outward losses was far worse than thine thought himself bound by the good to endure the bad Job 2.10 What Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil It was a fearful miscarriage in Rachel who under the want of Children cryed out to her Husband Gen. 30.1 Give me children or else I die She had no desire to live or she would die of discontent and grief under the want of Children It was a great weakness in Jacob that having so many Children left and living in so great honour and plenty yet took the supposed death of his Son Joseph so impatiently that he refuseth to be comforted Gen. 37.34 35. resolving to go to the grave mourning And no less excusable was Jonah who having his Gourd smitten grows wonderfully impatient Jonah 4.8 9. Whereas he might have thankfully reflected upon his late deliverance out of the Whales-belly Shall the want of one thing that we prize deprive us of the comfort we should take in the rest we do enjoy Shall great mercies sink to the bottom and be buried in Oblivion and light miseries swim on the top and be always thought on with repining grief God forbid If man do us but a small courtesie we usually are thankful but if God load us as he daily doth with his benefits Psal 68.19 we make light of that load and forget him What ado we make with a little misery and how little we make of much mercy A little misery afflicts us much and much mercy affects us but a little God help us I have read somewhere of Alcibiades an heathen that being told of one that had stolen half his Plate said chearfully I have cause rather to be thankful that he hath stolen no more than be troubled that he hath took so much A shame it is for Christians to think so much of what they have lost as quite to forget the mercies they do enjoy To such we may apply that speech of Absalom to Hushai Is this your kindness to your friend 2 Sam. 16.17 Or as it is Deut. 32 5 6. Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise c. To end this our condition here on earth is checker wrought and like the Pillar of the Cloud Exod. 14.20 It hath a light part as well as a black mercies we have as well as miseries Do not then stand alwayes poring on thy afflictions but likewise be pondering on thy mercies as the one will keep thee humble so the other thankful Consid 8 Eighthly Consider The invalidity of Weeping If we could shed rivers of tears and each tear were a Pearl yet it would not redeem our departed Friends from the Prison of the Grave If you could weep as one saith Aqua fortis Dr. Walker Funr Serm. on Luk 7 12 13 â— 14 â—â—râ—gia nulla retrorsum your tears would not dissolve the chains of death 2 Sam. 14.14 We must neeeds die and if once dead We are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up again Death is a strict door-keeper all that pass out that way the door is shut on them they shall never return viz to converse more with us in this world or to enjoy those worldly comforts they once had and by death have lost See Job 7.9 10. So Job 10.21 and 14.7 8 c. and 16.22 So Psal 39. last vers All our groans sighs sobs and pittiful out-cries cannot awaken them out of the sleep of Death They shall never awake tâ—ll â—hey be awakened by the shril noise of the 〈◊〉 Trâ—mp Me-thinks I hear God saying to those that weep immoderately at death of Friends as Judas did in another case Ad quid perditio haec Mat. 26.8 What needs all this waste Tears are a pretious water let them not be prodigally poured out and all to no purpose into your friends Grave reserve them for an ingredient into Prayer Repentance c. Let David be your Pattern in this He prayed for his Child while living He fasted and wept for said he Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me that the Child may live but now he is dead wherefore should I fast and thus afflict my self Can I bring him back again I shall go to him but he shall not return to me 2 Sam. 12.22 23. The Child being dead he wipes his eyes and rests contented Sen Consol ad Polib c. 23. Parcamus lachrymis nihil proficientibus And again saith Seneca Desinat dolor qui perit He would have us not weep immoderately at death of Friends because tears do not profit nor can recal the dead Consid 9 Ninthly consider The evil that comes by discontent and immoderate weeping 1. It is extreamly afflictive to a man A discontented man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a self-tormentor he erects his own cross Luke 21.19 In patience possess your souls So that by impatience we are dispossessed of our souls we are turned our of our understanding peace and comfort while Passion playes the Tyrant At such a time Reason and Judgment those superiour faculties of the soul are degraded and Fancy and Phrenzy step up in their room making a very Bealam within our own bosom It is called The yoak of affliction Lam. 3.27 Now you know fretting and vexing makes the yoke gaul and pinch the more An impatient person is an Hercules furens or like the man in the Gospel possessed with the Devil Mark 5.2 3. He wounds and vexeth himself none can bind him Nay as one observes he is worse than the Daemoniack there for he was among the
12.9 10. He is cast out Ejectione firmâ and shall never re-enter He sets not his ugly Paw upon the pavement of Heaven The tempter enters not into this Paradise for Rev. 21.27 There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth 3. From Spiritual desertions The Church like the Moon hath her spots and therefore sometimes her Eclipses so long as she wanders in this Planetary world See Isa 50.10 The Prophet there intimates unto us that A Child of God may walk in darkness and see no light So it was with David Psal 22.1 with Asaph Psal 77.7 8 9. with Heman Psal 88. with Ethan Ps 89.46 So it was with Jonah Jon. 2.2 4. Nay it was thus with Christ himself Mat. 27.46 And thus to want the sense of Gods favour must needs be troublesom Psal 30.7 Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled So Psal 104.29 So Cant. 5.6 My beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone saith the Spouse and then it follows my soul failed Egressa est anima mea She was as it were without her soul whilst without the sence of Gods favour But Death frees Believers from such desertions They shall be for ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 There shall be no more suspensions of the light of God's countenance no more eclipses of his savour never cloud more shall interpose betwixt Heaven and their souls but the Sun of Righteousness shall shine upon them with perpendicular rayes of comfort to all eternity 4. From evil Company It is a sad affliction to live amongst the Wicked Psal 84.10 so Psal 120.5 Wo is me saith David that I sojourn in Mesech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar And Isaiah sadly complains Isa 6.5 Wo is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips Sad indeed it is to live amongst them for their wicked manner of living is an heart-break to the Righteous Psal 119.136 Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law And St. Paul could not speak of their sins without tears in his eyes Phil. 3.18 And before this Lot was vexed with the filthy conversation of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2.7 8. See Mr. Leigh's Crit. Sac. in vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat oppressus fatigatus graviter afflictus We translate it vexed but according to Orig. He was laboured against He laboured under it as under a burden he was even tired out under their wicked courses Besides the Wicked load the Righteous amongst whom they live with calumnies raylings revilings scoffs jears taunts c. if they run not with them to the same excess of riot see 1 Pet. 4.4 like the troubled Seas they 'l cast forth mire and dirt upon them Isa 57.20 Thus the old world dealt with Noah that Preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 So David was abused for his goodness Psal 69.12 he tells us he was spoken against he was the Drunkards song and v. 19. Lord saith he thou hast known my reproach and my shame and my dishonour mine adversaries are all before thee See the complaint of the Church Psal 44.14 so 79.4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours a scorn and derision to them that are round about us No wonder it is thus with the servant when it was so with the Lord and Master Christ himself was set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as old Simeon said Luke 2.34 He was set for a sign that shall be spoken against To end this The Righteous are the mark at which wicked men shoot their Arrows even bitter words but Death takes them out of their company and from the reach of their malice See Job 3.17 There the wicked speaking of the Grave cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest 5. From bodily Aches and Diseases The body here is the receptacle of innumerable distempers St. Austin tells us de ipso corpore tot exstant morborum mala De Civit. Dei lib. 22. c. 22. ut nec libris medicorum cuncta comprehensa No Book that ever Physicians wrote contains a perfect Narrative of all distempers Many distempers daily arise unknown to our fore-fathers One alas lies languishing through a Consumption another's tortured with the Stone another with the Gout another burnt with a Feaver another complains under Head-ach Tooth-ach c. some lie under one distemper some under another So that as one alludes to the speech of our Saviour Luke 17.37 Where the body is there sicknesses and sores as so many Eagles are preying upon it And some by reason of these distempers lie under so great misery that they wish for death but it comes not and would be glad and rejoyce exceedingly if they could find the grave as Job tells you Job 3.20 21 22. Some with Job ch 7.3 4. Possess months of vanity and have wearisom nights appointed for them when they lie down they say When shall we arise and the night be gone And they are full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day And again v. 13 14. saith Job When I say my Bed shall comfort me my Couch shall ease my complaint as sick people think to change their pain with changing their place then thou scarest me with dreams and terrifiest me with visions so that what with frightful dreams when sleeping and evil thoughts whilst waking the sick man takes little rest in his resting-time and finds little ease in an easie bed but now Death frees them from all pain Rev. 21.4 There shall be no more sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain Death frees Believers from heats and colds from hunger and thirst Rev. 7.16 17. or any thing else that is painful to the body It is the best Physician curing them of all bodily distempers 6. From troublesome works of Calling Man at first before the fall was to labour Gen. 2.15 Adam was not to live an idle life but to imploy himself like a Gardener in pruning and dressing the trees and herbs of the Garden c. But this labour would not have been a toil but a recreation to him had he not faln into sin For weariness and sweat came as a curse upon him for the commission of sin Gen. 3.17 18 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread c. By sweat we understand all manner of labour whether of body or brain and this he was doom'd unto because he ate of the forbidden fruit What is Mans diet now but bread of carefulness got with the sweat of his brows what disquieting projects hath sinfull man to get worldly things what riding up and down what digging and delving toyling and moyling is there in the world some taking pains in one calling some in another and all to get oyl to maintain the lamp of life but after death there is no such working Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord they
Lion and out of the paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine And elsewhere having experience of Gods goodness towards him since he was taken out of his Mothers Belly he is encouraged to hope in God in all straights that may befal him See Psal 22.9 10 11 and Psal 63.7 Because thou hast been mine help therefore in the shadow of thy Wings will I rejoyce So the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.10 God delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us So do you conclude God hath maintained me and mine he doth still maintain us and we trust he will yet provide for us You then that have found God so loving and faithful cast your care on him 1 Pet. 5.7 and be content how mean so-ever your condition be And Whereas you say You must leave your former habitation I answer It is indeed very sad when we are turned out of our houses the places of our birth and constant abode Great wailing there was in Sion when the Inhabitants thereof were cast out of their dwellings as you may read Jer. 9.19 Yet for your comfort 1. Consider Your betters have been sore put to 't for a dwelling-place Moses was forced to leave the place of his habitation Exod. 2.15 and after called one of his sons Gershom For he said I have been a stranger in a strange Land v. 22. So the Israelites wandred in the Wilderness in a solitary way they found no City to dwell in hungry and thirsty their soul fainted in them Psal 107.4 5. David was often in an unsetled wandring condition Psal 56.8 Thou tellest my wandrings He was an Exile as you may reade 2 Sam. 15.13 14 c. So the Jews lived in Babylon being taken captives as you may read Psal 137. So the Apostles 1 Cor. 4.11 Even unto this present hour saith the Apostle we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffetted and have no certain dwelling place So those Worthies Heb. 11.38 Wandred in Deserts and in Mountains and in Dens and in Caves of the Earth Nay Christ himself the Lord of all did so far humble himself for our sakes that he complains Mat. 8.20 The Foxes have holes and the Birds have nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head Thou deservest far worse then these did and yet thy condition is not a quarter so bad as theirs was 2. Consider Your betters have been content with a very mean dwelling place Abraham the Father of the Faithful and Heir of the world for so he is called Rom. 4.11 13. yet sojourned in a strange Country dwelling in Tabernacles Heb. 11.9 so did Isaac his son and thus did Jacob the son of Isaac This Jacob as well as the rest was a rich man and a good man too for the Sunshine of prosperity did not put out the Fire of his devotion yet dwelt in a tent a poor moveable habitation Gen. 25.27 Jacob was a plain man dwelling in Tents Jonah the Prophet made him a booth and set under it in the shadow Jon. 4.5 Dr Abbot on Jona 4.5 Lect. 27. p. 570 It was as a worthy Bishop observes but a silly house a cottage or a cabben or such a place as beggers do sit in by the way to ask alms of the passengers There was not any Harbinger to take up his lodging before him no carriages to convey his tents and bedding for him no train to make all decent but poor Prophet he is glad to get a shroud for his head although a sheep-coat thatch'd or covered with reed had been better 3. Consider God's gracious presence makes the meanest habitation a Paradise Jacob as he went to his Uncle Laban being benighted for the Sun was set tarried in a certain place probably some Field and the ground was his bed and certain stones his pillows and the Heavens his canopy oh how sweet were his dreams God graciously appearing to him as you may read Gen. 28.11 c. Paul and Silas sing in prison like two Birds in a Cage Acts 16.25 Moses wisely chose rather to abide in the Wilderness with Gods gracious presence then to go to Canaan without it Exod. 33.15 God's gracious presence can make thy sleep sweet unto thee Jer. 31.26 and make thee dwell in safty Psal 4.8 in a mean as well as in a better habitation 4. Consider God sets to all men the bounds of their habitation as you may see Acts 17.26 God is the great Landlord for Psal 24.1 The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof the World and they that dwell therein He turns out his Tenants when he pleaseth out of one house into another Other Landlords do but act under God Be content then to be at Gods finding say with David when forced to flee and leave his former habitation 2 Sam. 15.26 Behold here am I let God do to me as seemeth good unto him 5. Consider God aims at thy good Because they have no changes saith the Psalmist Psal 55.19 therefore they fear not God God changeth thine habitation that his fear might dwell in thine heart See what is said of Moab Jer. 48.11 Moab hath been at ease from his youth and he hath setled on his lees and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel neither hath he gone into captivity Therefore his taste remained in him and his scent is not changed God then by unsetling thee would keep thee from setling on thy lees It had been better with Moab had he been disturbed and hurried from place to place as Israel was he had been freer from filthy setlings 6. Consid If you belong to God he dwells in you by his blessed Spirit as these places shew 1 Cor. 3.16 2 Cor. 6.16 Eph. 2.22 Psal 132.13 14. If we love God and our neighbour Joh. 14.23 1 Joh. 4.16 If we believe in Jesus Christ Eph. 3.17 1 Joh. 4.15 If we have respect to God's Commands 1 Joh. 3.24 God dwells in us and we in him And this is a greater priviledge than to dwell in the most glorious Palace without the inhabitation of his blessed Spirit 7. Consid If you belong to God he is a dwelling-place to you Psal 9.9 The Lord also will be a refuge to the oppressed a refuge in times of trouble see Psal 46. per totum God was David's shelter in the time of his Exile see Psal 61.2 3 4. And Moses cryes out Lord thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations Psal 90.1 Dr. Hammond in Psa 90.1 This Psalm was penn'd by Moses or by some other in his person when the Children of Israel were sorely afflicted in the Wilderness in a wandring unsetled condition So Isa 25.4 God is there said to be a strength to the poor a refuge from the storm a shadow from the heat And Isa 32.2 Christ is there prophesied of to be as an hiding-place from the wind and a covert from the tempest
c. 1 Pet. 4.12 2. To wean thee from the world We love to stay where we are much made of God suffers thee to meet with disrespect that as Aloes laid to the Breast of the World it might wean thee from it See Dr. Hamond on that place 3. To drive thee to prayer Psal 69.12 They that sit in the Gate speak against me and I was the song of the drunkards Grave men that sit in the seat of Judicature and as one would have thought should have had more wit and vain men that spend their time in drinking excessively both sorts despised him but how doth David behave himself under this disrespect see v. 13. But as for me my prayer is to thee O Lord in an acceptable time See the like carriage in the same person under the like disrespect Psal 109.2 3 4. 4. And lastly God suffers thee to lie under disrespect to make thee walk circumspectly David walkt so because he had many enemies watched for his halting as you may see Psal 27.11 Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies So Psal 56.5 6 13. compared Thus you see God in his providence orders it for good So that we may say with Luther Mihi maximè prosunt qui mei pessimè meminerunt Lutherus pascitur convitijs Scornful enemies if we have hearts rightly to improve the affliction are our best friends though not intentionally yet eventually 4. Consider To complain of disrespect from the world is unsutable to a Christian and that in three respects 1. It is unsutable to a Christian's Spirit It is below the magnanimous spirit of a Christian to take notice of worldly disrespect Noah met with much disrespect from the Old World yet he binds their jeers taunts and reproaches as a Crown to his head and advanceth couragiously forward in the race of Christianity When the Senate had informed Augustus of some reproachful words and bad usage towards him he replied non tantum habemus otij I am not at leisure to mind such trivial things He thought it not worth while to take notice of worldly disrespect Let not Christians for shame come short of Heathens 2. It is unsutable to a Christians Profession They profess themselves not to be of this World Phil. 3.19 20. and therefore no wonder that they are disrespected by the world John 15.19 so 1 John 3.13 Marvel not my Brethren if the World hate you Believers confess they are Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth Gen. 47.9 1 Chron. 29.15 Heb. 11.13 14 15. Strangers look for no great respect being from home in a far country Strangers are content with mean usage they know they shall be much made of when they are in their own country 3. It is unsutable to a Christians practice Wicked men are desirous of vain-glory witness Phaeroh Haman Herod c. but for the Righteous the more holy the more humble and the less they care for worldly respect A vessel upon the water the more it fills the more it sinks the weightiest ears of corn bow down their heads the lowest Ezra cryes out Ezra 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God for our iniquities are encreased over our head and our trespass is grown up unto the Heavens So wise Agur confesseth he is more brutish then any man Prov. 30.2 So Isaiah confesseth he is a man of unclean lips Isa 6.5 And Daniel cryes out Dan. 9.8 O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face because we have sinned against thee So Paul that eminent Apostle counts himself less then the least of all Saints Ephes 3.8 and of sinners the chief 1 Tim. 1.15 True Godliness dryes up all ambitious humours The righteous have their eyes open to see their wretched vileness sinfulness nakedness worthlesness they are conscious to themselves of many sins committed before conversion and many frailties since conversion and they are so far from wondring at that disrespect they meet with that they wonder they are no more disrespected 5. Consid If you serve the Lord you are not without respect Sin puts vileness upon the person that is great in the worlds esteem Dan. 11.21 Nah. 1.14 A wicked person is called a vile person Psal 15.4 Sin renders a man vile and contemptible and makes him as Jacob said to Ruben Gen. 49.4 that he cannot excell But Holiness renders a man honourable The Righteous are the only excellent Psal 16.3 so Prov. 12.26 The Righteous is more excellent then his Neighbour They are called Vessels of Honour 2 Tim. 2.21 They are Vessels brim-full of honour But more particularly if you serve God 1. God himself respects you Isa 43.4 Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee He calls them his Jewels Mal. 3.17 They are Hephzibah the Lord's delight Isa 62.4 God respects their Persons though never so poor Psal 40.17 I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinketh on me So Psal 138.6 Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect unto the lowly And as their Persons so their Prayers are precious Cant. 2.14 Let me see thy Countenance let me hear thy Voice saith Christ to the Church for sweet is thy Voice and thy Countenance is comly So Psal 34.15 17. He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer So Psal 106.43 44. and Mic. 7.7 My God will hear me saith the afflicted Church And as their persons and prayers so their tears are precious God bottles them up Psal 56.8 so Psal 126.5 They that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy Yea their very death is precious Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Thus you see they that honour God are honoured by God according to his promise 1 Sam. 2.30 so Psa 5.12 Thou Lord wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with ashield Tantus quisque est quantus est apud Deum Being then Gods favourit value not the worlds frowns 2. Good Angels respect you as they rejoyced at your conversion Luke 15.10 so they now flock about you to do you good Psal 34.7 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them So Psal 91.11 so Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring Spirits speaking of the Angels sent forth to minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation The Righteous have Angels for their Life-guard 3. And lastly Good men respect you they speak well of you pray to God for you and are ready to relieve you according to their ability Psal 15.4 a good man honoureth them that fear the Lord. So Psal 16.2 3. My goodness saith David extends not to thee but to the Saints that are in the Earth and to the Excellent in whom is all my delight So Psal 119.63 I am a companion saith he of all them that fear thee and keep thy Precepts The
Apostle makes mention of Love to all the Saints Ephes 1.15 Col. 1.4 Phil. 5. A true Believer loves a Saint in Rags as well as a Saint in Robes He loves God's Image as one saith though hung up in never so poor a frame To be partial in affection and to have the Faith of God in respect of persons is at large forbidden James 2.2 3 4. c. Well then consider though wicked men slight thee yet God the blessed Angels and Saints have thee in great esteem 6. And lastly Consider If you belong to God you shall shortly be invested with Heavenly glory Sometimes God's dear Children after great disrespect meet with much honour in this world as Joseph David Daniel and others did but if they miss of it here they shall be sure to have a Crown of Glory hereafter Rom. 2.6 7. God will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal life So v. 10. Glory Honour and Peace to every one that worketh good They shall be as the Angels of God in Heaven Mat. 22.30 they shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Mat. 13.43 What made St. Paul so patient under all indignities he met with but the thoughts of his future Glory for saith he Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us therefore as it is Rom. 5.2 Rejoyce in hope of the glory of God You say You have many Children to provide for Answ Indeed it is a sad condition to have Children and little left to maintain them with It was one of the greatest outward curses David could ban the enemies of God withal Psal 109.9 10. Let his Children be Eatherless and his Wife a Widow let his Children be continually vagabonds and beg Let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places But consider for your comfort 1. Consider God feeds other creatures and their young God provides for all creatures they live upon his bounty Psal 104.27 28. All wait upon thee that thou maist give them their meat in due season that thou givest them they gather thou openest thy hand they are filled with good So Psal 145.15 16. Psal 147.9 he giveth to the beast his food and to the young Ravens which cry Job also takes notice of God's providing for the Ravens young ones Job 38.41 Some say that the Raven Mr Gore in his Serm. on Ps 37.25 when the young ones are new hatched flyes away and leaves them destitute of Food and there they lie in the nest croaking and crying ready to starve for want of sustenance but God takes pity upon them and creates a Worm out of their excrements which crawleth into their mouths and so feeds them and keeps them alive How true this is I know not I rather think otherwise that the old Ravens go abroad to seek food for their young who in the mean time cry for hunger in their nests and God gives food to the old ones to carry it to their young And when the old ones will no longer feed them being able to fly themselves they wander for lack of meat and God gives it to them It is one of our Saviour's Arguments to beat down distracting care for worldly things Mat. 6.26 Behold the Fowls of the Air he saith not those about the house that are fed by the hand at or about the barn-door but those of the Air which fly about and no man provides for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them Are ye not much better then they God feeds the Sparrows then fear not ye are of more value then many Sparrows Luke 12.7 Nay ye are better then Sheep Mat. 12.12 better then Oxen whom God takes care for 1 Cor. 9.9 10. Now if God take care of more contemptible creatures and their young surely he will provide for rational creatures and their Children whom he hath made but little lower then the Angels and put all other creatures under their feet Psal 8.5 6 7 8. We have an usual saying he that sends mouths will send meat Lect 30. on Jonah p. 629. Surely as Dr. Abbot saith God never made a belly but he made meat for that belly he never framed a back but he made cloaths to cover it 2. Consider God is said in Scripture to be an helper of the Fatherless poor and friendless God indeed is called the preserver of men Job 7.20 and he preserveth all men but for the comfort of the poor he is said to be their helper Psal 10.14 The poor committeth himself unto thee thou art the helper of the fatherless So Psal 107.9 he satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness So Luke 1.53 he filleth the hungry with good things So Psal 146.9 The Lord preserveth the Stranger he relieveth the Fatherless and Widow So Hos 14.3 In thee the Fatherless findeth mercy 3. Consider God hath promised to help such Psal 132.15 I will satisfie her poor with bread saith God So Isa 41.17 18. When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them I will open Rivers in high places and Fountains in the midst of the Valleyes I will make the Wilderness a Pool of water and the dry-land Springs of water So Isa 49.15 66.13 so Jer. 49.11 Leave thy Fatherless Children I will preserve them alive and let thy Widows trust in me God in these and the like places engageth as it were under hand and seal for their necessary provision God hath as it were entered into bond for the better security of the poor And therefore the poor that belong to God should conclude with David Psal 27.10 When my Father and my Mother forsake me either through unnatural cruelty or unavoidable mortality then the Lord will take me up He 'l be my Guardian and take care of me for Tit. 1.2 he that cannot lye hath promised so to do 4. Consider God oft times raiseth up for his Children unexpected help God put it into the mind of Pharaohs Daughter to pitty poor drowning Moses and nurse him at her own charges as you read Exod. 2.5 6. c. Distressed Naomi met with a friendly Daughter-in-law whose name was Ruth Ruth 1.16 17. She loved her and was better to her then seven Sons Ruth 4.15 And Ruth met with Boaz whose kindness was great towards her When Esters Father and Mother were dead Mordecai bred her up as his own Daughter Ester 2.7 And in process of time she became a Queen God hath in his hand the hearts of all even the greatest and can turn them whithersoever he will Psal 106.46 Prov. 21.1 he can raise thee up friends to relieve thee
whom thou thinkest not of fresh supplies are coming though thou seest not from whence 5 Consider When outward expectations fail then God usually helps God doth not help his People presently out of their straits because he would humble them wean them from the world make them prize his mercy the more when it comes and give him the sole praise of all to whom it is due Therefore do not think that God hath forgotten thee and utterly forsaken thee because things go cross to thine expectation and thou growest poorer and poorer Mans extremity is many times Gods opportunity God came to Isaac's relief in his greatest necessities Gen. 22.14 When the Israelites were much oppressed and cryed to the Lord Cum duplicantur Lateres venit Moses Exod. 5.9 by reason of their hard usage God raiseth up Moses to be their deliverer Exod. 3. When Sampson was ready to die for thirst God brings water out of a jaw bone for him Judg. 5.18 19. When Elijah was in great want God made the Ravens creatures likely to devour him Prov. 30.17 his caterers to provide food for him 1. â—in 17.6 When the Israelites were in great straits in the Wilderness he brought Manna out of the Clouds and Water out of the Rock Neh. 9.15 Psal 114.8 And David tells us when he was brought low God helped him Psal 116.6 130.1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee O Lord. The Lord saw him sinking all the while and when at the bottom he helps him Sinking Peter cryed out Lord save me Mat. 14.30 31. And Christ gave him his helping hand Ubi humanum defuit ibi incipit Divinum auxilium When outward helps fail then God begins to work When the water was spent in the bottle God leads Hagar to a Well Gen. 21.15 19. compared And when Wine was spent at a Marriage-feast Christ turned Water into Wine as you may see John 2. beginning When all is spent God can relieve thee some way or other Though we see no way to get out of our straights yet God can break a bar of brass or bow of steel and give an happy issue as he caused Peters Chains to fall from his hands and the Iron-gate to open of its own accord Acts 12.7 10. Therefore be not discouraged under your greatest wants but rely upon God who can do more abundantly for us above what we can either ask or think Ephes 3.20 Christ in the dayes of his flesh had compassion on the multitude which had nothing to eat and would not send them away fasting lest they should faint by the way and therefore wrought a Miracle in their behalf Mark 8.1 2 3. c. Surely now he is ascended into the Heavens he is as compassionate as ever Heb. 4.15 16. and if you seek unto him you shall find mercy and grace to help in time of need You say What course to take for maintenance you know not Answ Our Saviour would not have you too solicitously careful for the things of this life as you may see Mat. 6.25 to the end of that chapter So St. Paul adviseth to be careful for nothing Phil. 4.6 he there forbids a distracting distrustful care Yet the same Apostle to Timothy saith 1 Tim. 5.8 If any man provide not for his own and specially for those of his own house he hath denyed the Faith and is worse then an Infidel q. d. such an one hath neither Religion nor Humanity in him I shall therefore with what brevity and plainness I can shew you what to do that you may have maintenance for your selves and such as belong to you Take these following Directions and put them into speedy practise 1. Direct Be much in prayer Pray to God that he would direct thee what course to take Prov. 3.6 In all thy wayes acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Pray to God for his blessing upon thine endeavours It is God that giveth thee power to get wealth Deut. 8.18 so Psal 127.1 2. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it It is vain for you to rise up early to sit up late to eate the bread of sorrows You may toil and moil and fare hardly but except God bless your endeavours you shall not thrive in your estates Benè orâsse est benè laborâsse They that pray well are most likely to work well and to have greatest success in their business they go about A chet is no let saith the proverb Movers lose not any time which they spend in whetting or grinding of their sythes Our prayer in the morning saith * Mr. Fuller's Com. on Ruth 2.7 a worthy Divine sets an edg on our dull souls and makes our minds to undertake our labours with the greater alacrity and I may add with better success We read how Ruth going to glean in Boaz's field tarried a little in the house Ruth 2.7 Probably saith the former-quoted Divine to say her Mattins to do her Devotions commend her self with fervent prayer unto the Lord to bless her and her endeavours the day following as indeed God did So Abraham's Servant prayed for good speed in a weighty undertaking and how successively things fell out you read Gen. 24.12 c. Our Saviour hath taught us to pray dayly for our daily Bread i. e. outward maintenance Mat. 6.11 Moses in the behalf of himself and God's people prayed for a blessing upon their labours Psal 90.17 Establish thou the work of our hands upon us it is in the old translation Prosper thou the work of our hands upon us yea prosper thou our handy-work They that pray most are likely to prosper best See Ps 34.6 This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles So v. 10. The young Lyons do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing So vers 17. The righteous cry and the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles So Psal 107.4 5 6 9 compared Thus the Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him Lam. 3.25 2. Direct Labour diligently in some honest calling God would have men to get their livings this way Gen. 3.19 Prov. 6.6 7 8. Eph. 4.28 1 Thes 4.11 2 Thes 3.10 11. These places shew God expects we should labour in some honest calling and those that do so may expect to thrive in their estate Prov. 10.4 The hand of the diligent maketh rich Prov. 13.11 Wealth gotten by vanity i. e. by vain courses as by gaming cheating lying wantonness c. shall be diminished but he that gathereth by labour shall encrease So Prov. 22.29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business he shall stand before Kings he shall not stand before mean men This shews that such many times come to great preferment 3. Direct Trust and rely upon the Lord. God wonderfully provides for such as these places shew Psal 33.18 19. Psal 34.22
Salv. de Gub Dei l. 7. p. 273. prosperity makes few men better it makes many men worse But more particularly I shall mention several sins that plenty and prosperity expose men to As 1. To Pride Psal 73.2 6. compared It is there said of prosperous wicked men Pride compasseth them about as a Chain They glory in their pride as proud men do in a chain of gold so 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded 2. To creature confidence So 1 Tim. 6.17 we must charge rich men that they be not high minded so that they trust not in uncertain riches which they are apt to do thus did Doeg Psal 52.7 and the rich Farmer Luke 12.18 19. 3. To oppression see Psal 73.3 4 5 6 7 8. So Amos in his herds-mans dialect calls the rich and great ones of Samaria Kine of Bashan they were fat and frolick and did gore their inferiours Amos 4.1 Hear this word ye Kine of Bashan which oppress the poor which crush the needy So Jam. 2.6 Do not rich men oppress you 4. To uncharitableness cruelty contention I put them together for they are nigh of kin Rich Nabal was churlish and uncharitable to fainting David and his company 1 Sam. 25.10 11. so the rich man denied Lazarus relief Luke 16.19 20 21. Pity it is yet usually so it is that the more men have the more they would have and the less they 'l part with Yea they are not only uncharitable but cruel too Psal 73.6 Violence or cruelty covers them as a garment So Prov. 18.23 The rich answereth roughly They are rough in their speeches and carriage to the poor So Jam. 5.6 Yea have condemned and killed the just speaking of the rich men v. 1. Who so given to Law-suits Quarels and Contentions as the rich Whilst the Families of Abraham and Lot were not so great there was peace and quiet but so soon as they and their possessions were encreased they grew contentious Gen. 13.7 8.9 Wealth parted those whom neither Adversity nor Famine nor Exile could part asunder So Jam. 2.6 Do not rich men draw you before the Judgment-seats 5. To Luxury and Intemperance Luke 12.19 The rich Farmer sung a Requiem to his soul Soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many years Eat drink and be merry So Luke 16.19 Dives fared sumptuously every day So Isa 56.12 and Amos 6.4 5 6. 6. To Lust and Uncleanness This sin the rich Sodomites were much addicted to Gen. 19.4 5. They burnt in lust and followed strange flesh Jude 7. Where there is no want usually there is much wantonness Jam. 5.1 5 compared Ye have lived in pleasure on the Earth and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter 7. To Security Psal 30.6 In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved So Jer. 22.21 I spake unto thee in thy prosperity but thou saidst I will not hear So Prov. 1.24 31 compared 8. And lastly To contempt of God his Word and Judgments As Exod. 5.2 Job 21.14 15. Psal 55.19 Prov. 30.8 9. Amos 6.3 You see what abundance of sins rich men are exposed to These sins and more that might be mentioned are waiters in ordinary attending greatness God therefore by taking away such a Friend and bringing you into a poor condition would prevent or cure in you such sins as prosperity and plenty exposeth us unto God like a skilful Goldsmith casts his Children into fiery tryals to purge away their dross of sin as you may see Isa 27.9 48.10 Prov. 25.4 Sphinx Philos p. 311. Fiery tryals make pure Christians Job 23.10 Magna est miseria à peccatis non retrahi To go on in sin without controul is miserable O blessed poverty that starves our sins 2. Consid As God brings you into poverty for the purging out of sin so for the exercise of grace Poverty like a File brightens the Graces of Gods Spirit in his Children and makes them shine forth to the World I shall name several Graces that Poverty is a means to set a work As 1. Faith In Poverty God saith Let the Widows trust in me Jer. 49.11 so Zeph. 3.12 I will leave saith God in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor People and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. 1 Tim. 5.5 She that is a Widow indeed and desolate trusteth in God So Jam. 2.5 God hath chosen the Poor of this World rich in Faith God by pulling away the pillow of creature-comforts teacheth you to rest on him alone As the Israelites in the Wilderness lived by Faith for their daily bread Exod. 16.19 c. Deut. 8.3 When we have little and know not how to get more then to depend on invisible bounty is a true and noble act of Faith 2. Prayer 1 Tim. 5.5 She that is a Widow indeed and desolate not only trusteth in God but continueth in supplications and prayers night and day David being brought low and refuge failing him he prayed earnestly to the Lord Psa 142.4 5 6. Affliction sets Prayer at work as Psal 107.6 13 19 28. so Jer. 31.18 Hos 5.15 so Isa 26.16 They poured out a prayer saith the Prophet when thy chastening was upon them Before they dropt out a prayer now and then a prayer as water drops through the Limbeck but in affliction they poured them out as water is poured out plentifully in rainy weather thorow the spout In Poverty people pray more earnestly and frequently for their daily bread 3. Thankfulness Man usually is unthankful Generale firmè est omni homini Salv. de Gub. Dei l. 1 p. 35. ut Deo semper ingratus sit But rich men most of all unthankful like Hogs eating up the Maste but never looking to the place from whence it comes But when God brings them into Poverty then they prize his creatures and him that sends them Qui non agrotat nescit quantum valet sanitas saith Jerom. As a sick man prizeth health so an hungry man prizeth plenty Those that have the shortest Meals usually have the longest Graces Poor people like birds sip a little and look upwards 4. Heavenly-mindedness Rich-men whose God usually is their Belly mind earthly things Phil. 3.19 but poor Christians as the Apostles were have their conversation in Heaven v. 20. The Prodigal when he ate husks with swine and was in great want he thinks seriously of returning to his Father's house Luke 15.14 c. St. Paul in Poverty is willing to be gone Phil. 1.23 Waters of Affliction as the Waters to the Ark mount us nearer Heaven Some never look Heaven-wards but when God casts them on their backs I mean reduceth them to poverty and misery God then dams up outward comforts that the stream of our affections may run faster another way 5. Humility God led the Israelites through the Wilderness to humble them Deut. 8.16 God sees a Wilderness a desolate condition may
of the World out of a confused Chaos and made Clay and Spittle likely to put out sight a means to recover it this God I say can bring it to pass that what thou thinkest will undo thee shall be a means to promote thy eternal good Oh the admirable harmony of Divine Dispensations in reference to mans Salvation To shut up this you know several herbs have several qualities some of them very bitter yet if a skilful simpler have the mixing of them he will make you a pleasing and wholsom sallade so there are many interchangable passages of Providence and some of them very bitter to flesh and blood yet divine Wisdom and Goodness will so order the matter that they shall in the end be both pleasing and profitable Jam. 1.2 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations For vers 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Indeed we read Psal 36.6 Gods judgements are a great deep And again Psal 77.19 Gods way is in the Sea and his path in the great waters and his footsteps are not known Which words some apply to the bringing of his People through the Sea and the waters returning to their course of which you read Exod 14.28 29. Others apply the words to the interchangable passages of Providence in reference to his Church the administration of the World and of every mans Salvation And so Rom. 11.33 How unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out Gods wayes are many times cryptical full of Meanders we cannot trace them they are a compendious heap of intricacies oft going contrary to mans judgment and expectation and to our apprehended rules of common right Yet all his wayes are judgment that is justice and equity for he is a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he Deut. 32.4 Much may be above us because our ignorance is such that we cannot see a reason of his wayes but nothing is unreasonable or evil that proceeds from an holy wise loving and just God I end this with that of the Psalmist Psal 25.10 All the pathes of the Lord how rugged and severe soever to flesh and blood are mercy and truth to such as keep his Covenant and his testimonies They may seem cruelty but indeed they are mercy though thou can'st not see it for the present yet thou may'st hereafter Another crys out 7th Apology answered This relation of mine dyed in the best of his age in the prime of his strength in the acuteness of his parts his Sun set at noon-day he fixed a Period where we made account of a Comma hoping at least half the Sentence of his Life was behind but it was broken off in haste and this troubles me Answ We do not much lament the death of Old persons because we know they could not live long Every mans Life as one saith is a Lease and an old mans Life is an old worn Lease ready to drop into the Land-Lords hand We expect a Taper should go out when the Wax is spent but to see the Lamp of a friends Life extinguished in its brightest and strongest lustre This troubles us But 1. Consid 'T is ordinary for man to dye in his full strength Job 21.23 24. One dyeth in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet his breasts are full of milk and his bones are moistned with marrow c. King Edward the 6th that hopeful Prince fell asleep before noon and was laid untainted in the Bed of Honour So that good King Josiah died before he was 40 years of age as may be gathered from 2 Chron. 34.1 Nay Christ himself was cut off before he attained one half of the age of man described by Moses Psal 90.10 Nay David tells us Psal 39.5 Every man at his best state whether of age or honour is altogether vanity It being so ordinary for man to dye at or about the vigour of his age it should be the less troublesom 2. Consid If thy Friend had lived to old age what is that but an age of misery a stage of vanity an hospital of Diseases The dayes of Old Age are called Evil dayes by the Wise man Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evil dayes come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them q. d. The dayes of old age bring so many aches and troubles along with them that if they be lengthened into years yet a man can find no pleasure or content but whole years together shall be full of weariness and sorrow Nay the very strength of the years of an Old man is labour and sorrow saith Moses Psal 90.10 Old people are oft-times a trouble to themselves and others 3. And lastly consid Thy Friend must at last have died Man's Life is by some fitly compared to a Lamp which may be soon extinguished by some fall or violent blast but if it escape these there is but a set proportion of oyl which will soon be consumed and then it goes forth of its own accord The Clock though it goes slowly strikes surely at last And the Sun in the longest day of its perambulation at last goes out of sight He that walks longest over the graves of others comes at last to his own So that if thy Friend had not died now he must have dyed some other time And if another time why not now Another cryes out 8th Apology answered This Relation of mine was loth to die he died comfortless desperate words idle vain talk unseemly gestures and speeches proceeded from him and this troubles me Answ Was your Relation loth to dye 1. Consid Many of Gods dear Children have at some time or other been loth to depart So was David Psal 55.4 5. and Psal 102.24 And Hezekiah Isa 38.1 And Peter out of a sudden apprehension of death and fear of it denyed his Lord and Master The Godly cease not to be Men by becoming Christians as men they are sometimes afraid of Death which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malum corruptivum destructive to nature God hath imprinted saith a Dr. Abbot Lect. 6. on Jonah p. 126 127. judicious Divine a passionate love betwixt the soul and the body that they grieve to leave one another So that the spirit may be willing yet the flesh is weak What man is he whom God's Spirit hath not in a great measure mortified that feels not in himself oft-times an horror and a quaking to think of his dissolution 2. Consid Thy Friend though he might fear the pain of death yet he might rejoyce at the gain of death as many a man desires the Haven yet trembles at the voyage The pangs of death might a little affright him yet being dead if a good man let us not question his happiness Christ
may read Heb. 11. that Chapter is a little Martyrology ver 35 36 37. how some were tortured scourged stoned sawn asunder slain with the sword c. Mr. Fox or Mr. Clark in his Martyrology will tell you that many Martyrs had their skins pulled off joynts racked bodies torn in pieces c. willing to endure for Christ's sake what the wit of man could invent or cruelty impose Now God might have called thy Friend to such a death which would have been far more sad cruel and painful as to outward appearance Well then consider God might have delivered thy Friend into the hands of cruel man which would have been very sad as appears by David's speech 2 Sam. 24.14 but God cast him on a soft Bed amongst Friends who did carefully attend him and minister unto him 3. Consid The greater thy Friends pain was the more fervent prayers were put up for him You find David in Psal 38. lying under God's afflicting hand what servent ejaculations he sent up towards the Throne of Grace So Asaph Ps 77.2 In the day of his trouble sought the Lord. So Jesus Christ in his Agony prayed more earnestly Luke 22.44 Great Miseries make the loudest Eccho's in the ears of Mercy And as the afflicted party himself so all that saw him or heard of his misery would be ready to pity and pray for him Methinks the sad groans of a dying Friend are sufficient to dissolve an heart of stone into prayers and tears especially godly Friends would pray fervently for him And these are most likely to prevail for Jam. 5.16 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much That Ship saileth the surest to the haven of Heaven which is driven with the breath of godly mens prayers 4. Consid The greater the pain was the shorter was the continuance of it Dolor si gravis brevis si longus levis We reade how Aeneas kept his bed eight years and was sick of the Palsie Act. 9.33 We read of one that had an issue of blood twelve years Mat. 9.20 and had suffered many things of many Physicians and had spent all that she had and was nothing bettered but rather grew worse Mark 5.26 So John 5.5 there we read of one that had an infirmity thirty eight years Now if thy Friend's pain had not been so great he might have continued still a burden to thee and to himself but the greatness of his pain hastened death which put an end to all trouble and grief his great pangs and struglings as throes of a travelling woman made way for deliverance And therefore 5. And lastly Consider Thy Friend is now at rest Rev. 14.13 Let them die of never so cruel a death if they die in the favour of God they are blessed for they rest from their labours It may be thou grievedst but little whilest thy Friend laboured for rest and wilt thou grieve much when he rests from his labours Whilst thy Friend was ground with the Stone or burnt up with a Feaver and rouled upon his bed without sleep thou hadst cause to weep and it was thy duty to sympathize with him Rom. 12.15 but being dead he is at rest Isa 57.2 for death to a Child of God is but a sleep Joh. 11.11 12 13. so Act. 7.60 and being buried he hath laid his head upon the lap of his mother for so the Earth is called Job 1.21 to be awakened again at the last Trump to the everlasting comfort both of soul and body And shall we now weep Surely this sorrow is unseasonable We prayed or else we were to blame whilst our Friend was in pain that God would deliver him and therefore when God by death hath put an end to all his pain we should give thanks to God and rejoyce rather than weep The Church our careful Mother hath taught us as much in the Funerals of the Dead We give thee hearty thanks for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our Brother or Sister out of the miseries of this sinful world Another cryes out 10th Apology answerd This Eriend of mine dyed of a sad mischance he fell into the Fire or Water or was kill'd of Lightning fell off a Horse or Cart or was shot in War or otherwise or he was kill'd by Thieves or wicked men c. or he fell suddenly sick groan'd sigh'd dyed And this troubles me that he dyed such a sudden violent and untimely death Answ From sudden death i. e. from death not thought-of and so not provided-for good Lord deliver us not only for our own sakes but for our Friends sakes too they 'l take it the less sudden it is the more patiently See how sadly Jacob takes the supposed death of his son Joseph upon the sight of his bloudy coat he too rashly concluded his son was dead that he was devoured by some cruel beast Significans inâ—ternum animi dilacerationem seu moestitiaeÌ„ And the Text tells you Gen. 37.33 34. He rent his cloaths in token as Pareus saith upon the place that his heart was rent through with sorrow and he put on sackcloth a coarse and sorry stuff which was the usual Mourning-Weed in those times And he refused to be comforted Thus his father wept for him for Joseph who dyed as he thought a sudden death David himself proclaimed a solemn and publick Funeral-Mourning for the death of Abner who was cowardly and suddenly slain when he did least suspect it by one that pretended peace and friendship And David himself laid aside his Royal Dignity and attended the Corps joyning with the People in that sad Consort as you may reade 2 Sam. 3. towards the latter end of the chapter So David weeps excessively for the space of three whole years because his son Amnon dyed so unnaturally untimely unexpectedly being kill'd by Absalom 2 Sam. 13.28 c. And we reade how the true Mother of the living Child had rather her Adversary should have the comfort of her Child than that it should dye a violent and untimely death 1 King 3.26 And in that appeared both the truth of her affection towards it and that she was the true Mother of it v. 27. Job hearing the heavy tydings of the sudden death of his Children could no longer contain but vents his grief in words being more affected with the sudden loss of his Children than all the rest of his Goods Job 1.18 19 20. But for your comfort 1. Consid It hath been the lot of some of Gods dear Servants to dye so Thus righteous Abel was suddenly butchered by his brother Cain Gen. 4.8 So old Eli though indeed he had his failings in not correcting and severely punishing his wicked Sons 1 Sam. 2.23 c. and 1 Sam. 3.13 as he should have done being chief-Magistrate as well as Parent yet questionless was a good man as may be gathered from sacred Story and the manner of his death was sudden he fell off from his seat backward and
for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel that is power and providence determined before to be done Wicked men that kill our friends they are God's Sword or his Hand God works by them Psal 17.13 14. Old Eli saw Gods hand in the violent and untimely death of his two sons Hophni and Phineas and he took it patiently 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seems him good Say then with Job whose Children were violently cut off Job 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Septuag inserts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it pleaseth the Lord so come things to pass blessed be the Name of the Lord. Another cries out 11. Apologie answered My Friend died of the Plague that loathsom disease and there was no funeral solemnity but he was carried forth like some sorry carrion and buried I know not where may be in some sorry pit and this troubles me Answ God lately in our dayes Anno Domini 1665. sent a fearfull Plague amongst us There dyed at London as appeared by the weekly Bill above eight thousand some weeks The Metropolis of this Nation hath been as it were plowed up and sown thick with dead Corpses Great pits were digged where the dead lay together as Sampson said of the slaughtered Philistines by heaps upon heaps Judg. 15.16 A sad time God knows they had Bells sadly toling People sadly sighing crying dying I believe many to this very day have sad thoughts of heart for the loss of dear friends and think they were not buried like Christians because there were no Funeral solemnities I shall therefore to chear up such answer the particulars Did your Friend dye of the noysom Pestilence for so it is called Psal 91.3 1. Consid Gods dear servants have lain under such distempers Hezekiah was sick unto death 2 Kings 20.1 Some think he had the Plague vers 7. there is mention made of his Boyl which some conceive did arise from the Plague Job laboured under a Plague sore Job 2.7 He was smitten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an angry burning Boyl insomuch that his skin was broken and became loathsom Job 7.5 So David cryes out Ps 39.10 Remove thy stroak away from me some render Plagam tuam thy Plague which is a fearful stroak from God Indeed God promiseth Psal 91.3 c. To deliver his people from the noysome Pestilence But this as other promises of outward blessings is a conditional promise God will deliver his People if he sees it makes most for his glory and his Peoples good But God sees it good for them to dye of the Plague which though a sad affliction in it self is a means to hasten their glory God sent a fearful sickness amongst the Corinthians some think it might be the Plague because they did not receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper with due preparation 1 Cor. 11.30 and yet they were chastened of the Lord saith the Apostle that they should not be condemned with the World v. 32. Godly Junius and his Wife died of the Plague as some report The Plague that hot burning distemper if God send it to his Children so that they dye of it like Elijah's fiery Chariot is a means to convey them more speedily to Heaven 2. Consid The Plague as all other sickness cometh by Divine Appointment See Exod. 15.26 Numb 14.12 16.46 Deut. 28.21 2 Sam. 24.14 15. Ps 39.10 The Plague is an Arrow of God's shooting a Messenger of God's sending And as the Centurion in the Gospel said to his under-Souldiers Go and he goeth Come and he cometh Do this and he doth it Mat 8.9 so God gives this Messenger charge whither it shall go how far it shall advance what execution it shall do and it faithfully obeys him Therefore say with David Ps 39.9 I was dumb and opened not my mouth he means murmuringly impatiently c. because O Lord thou didst it 3. Consid God prizeth his People let them die of what distemper soever Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints He likes them not the worse for dying of the Plague 4. Lastly Consider They are happy let them dye of what distemper soever if they dye in God's favour Rev. 14.13 Their souls for the present are happy and at Christ's second coming their bodies shall be glorious 1 Cor. 15.43 The body though sown in dishonour is raised in glory Bodies spotted through sickness shall then be made beautiful bodies and all their deformities be done away Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Mat. 13.43 For Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall these also appear with him in glory Was there no Funeral Solemnity Answ It hath been an ancient custom to attend at the Funeral of Friends De Civit. Dei lib. 11. c. 13. St. Austin saith Non contemnenda sunt abjicienda Corpora Defunctorum Bodies of deceased Friends are not slightly and contemptibly to be cast away And again he saith Antiquorum Justorum Funera curata sunt De Cura pro Mortuis Exequiae celebratae Sepultura provisa The Funerals of good men were formerly celebrated with great solemnity Abraham takes care for the Funeral of his Wife Sarah Gen. 23.3 4. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the Cave of Machpelah where his Wife lay Gen. 25.9 10. Jacob made Joseph swear to perform his Funeral Rites Gen. 47 29 30 31. and accordingly it was done with great solemnity Gen. 50 7 8 c. So all Israel lamented Samuel and buried him 1 Sam. 25.1 And David spake it to the commendation of the men of Jabesh-Gilead those loyal and grateful Subjects that they shewed kindness to their Lord Saul and buried him honourably 2 Sam. 2.4 5 6. so Jehoida was buried honourably 2 Chron. 24.15 16. so much people accompanied the Widows son of Naim to his Burial Luke 7.12 And devout men carried Stephen to his Burial and made great Lamentation over him Act. 8.2 Our Saviour Christ who was alwayes moderate in his expences and would have the fragments gathered up that nothing might be lost John 6.12 yet admitted Mary's costly Oyntment because against his Burial Mat. 26.7 c. Indeed it is promised as a mercy to have decent Burial Job 5.26 Thus God promised Abraham that he should be buried in peace and in a good old age Gen. 15.15 And it was promised Abijah 1 King 14.12 13. that all Israel should mourn for him and bury him for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the Grave because in him there was found some good thing c. and it was accordingly performed ver 18. so the like was promised to Josiah 2 King 22.20 and he was peaceably buried though kill'd in War 2 King 23.29 30. It is a part of humane misery to be without decent Burial and it is threatned as a judgment on the Wicked
had a notional knowledge of God and his Laws yet they had not a spiritual practical saving knowledge You may read of their wickedness and how God threatned to cut off Eli's posterity Samuel tells him this sad news 1 Sam. 3.11 12. What saith Eli vers 18. It is the Lord let him do what seems him good Job's Children were no better than they should be they used to feast much and Job was afraid lest they should sin much at such a time Job 1.5 he feared lest at such a time of feasting they should offend God as we are apt so to do by excessive mirth immodest gestures luxury intemperance forgetfulness of the poor c. or by having irreverent thoughts of God and at a feast his Children were suddenly swept away by a great wind in the midst of their jolity vers 18.19 Yet see Jobs patient carriage vers 20 21 22. He charged not God foolishly but thought well of him and his providence notwithstanding the manifold miseries that befel him 3. Consid Weeping though never so excessive cannot recall them either from the gates of death or hell Incestuous Amnon being slain when drunk 2 Sam. 13.28 David bewailed him for a great while together vers 37 38 39. but as you may there read David at last ceased mourning because it would not fetch him again He was comforted concerning Amnon seeing he was dead 4. Consid God is glorified even in the destruction of the wicked Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of evil So Job 21.30 God got himself glory by wicked Pharaoh Exod. 9.16 So Exod. 14.4 17. Moses told Aaron even now mentioned that God would be glorified and this made Aaron hold his peace when his sons were cut off in their act of sin Levit. 10.3 See Rom. 9.21 22 23. 5. Consid If thy Child had lived longer he might have been a greater grief and burthen to thee He might with the Prodigal have spent thy substance in riotous living Luke 15.13 30. and so he would have brought shame to thee for he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his Father Pro. 28.7 Yea thy whole family might have fared the worse for him he might have taken such courses as would have brought him to the gallows which would have been a greater shame and grief to thee nay farther yet if he had lived longer he might have gone about to take away thy life from all which frights fear and shame God by cutting him off hath delivered thee It was sure a great weakness in David so pathetically to lament the death of Absalom 2 Sam. 18.33 who went about to take away his life 2 Sam. 16.11 and was a continual grief and vexation to him 6. Consid If he had lived longer he would have multiplied his sin here and sorrow hereafter Impenitent wretches as it is said of the Crocodile quà m diu vivit crescit daily add something to their stature in sin Job 36.13 The hypocrites or as it is in the Orig. Prophane men in heart heap up wrath So Isa 1.5 Why should ye be smitten any more ye will revolt more and more Jer. 9.3 They proceed from evil to evil and they know not me saith the Lord. 2 Tim. 3.13 Evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse It was a sad curse wherewith David did imprecate some of God's implacable enemies Psal 69.27 Add iniquity unto their iniquity q. d. Give them over to a Reprobate sense as a punishment of their incorrigibleness that so they may encrease their sin here and sorrow hereafter Such as these do treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 They do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heap up wrath in manner of a treasure which you know encreaseth by daily addition Forbearance we say is no acquittance God suffers some to run their race to the utmost length as the Amorites were suffered to make up the full measure of their offences to the full Gen. 15.16 He lets some wicked men live become old c. Job 21.7 but it is for their greater punishment at last For God will more severely punish these Psal 50.21 These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest saith God to the impenitent wicked wretch that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Confusion will cover that mans face whose sins God sets in order before his eyes Lasa patientia fit furor The longer the hand is in lifting up when it strâ—kes the greater will the blow be when it falls The Water-course the longer it is stopped the more violently it breaks foâ—th The Justice of God as one saith whilst dormant is crescent and though couchant will be rampant Psal 50.22 Consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces saith God and there be none to deliver you Well then consider if thy Child had lived longer it might have been worse for him 7. And lastly consider If he be damned who can help it Religion cannot be conveyed to Children as House and Lands c. it descends not from Father to Son John 1.12 13. What the Apostle speaks of Ministers may be here applied 1 Cor. 3.6 7. Paul may plant Apollos water but God gives the increase so then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the encrease The Husbandman may plant and sow yet he cannot bring down the early and latter rain to bring seed to perfection So Parents may instruct reprove exhort correct pray for Children and go before them by good example but it is God that must reform them It is God that quickneth such as are dead in trespasses and sins as we are all by nature Eph. 2.1 2 3 5. Regeneration is Creation-work v. 10. which is only proper to God A Parent can but shew the way wherein a Child should walk It is God that must draw him that way Cant. 1.4 John 6.44 It is God that delivers from the power of darkness and translates us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Col. 1.13 It is he that effectually calls us out of darkness into his marvelous Light 1 Pet. 2.9 It is God that gives Faith Phil. 1.29 Ephes 2.8 He gives Repentance Act. 5.31 2 Tim. 2.25 He sanctifies us Jude 1. He saves us Eph. 2.5 8. Rom. 8.30 Well then if we have done our duty and yet fail of our end and desire viz. the conversion of our Children or any other Friends and Relations let us rest contented assuring our selves 1 Cor. 3.8 Every one shall receive his own reward according to his own labour not according to our success but according to our labour We may say Liberavimus animas we have freed our souls from the guilt we might have contracted through negligence Ezek. 3.18 19 20 21 And so the Will of the Lord be done Why should we vex our selves for what
who or what can create trouble Job 34.29 Indeed it is a sad case when we are without our Friends and God too But if we have made our peace with God whatever storms come we know where to cast Anchor and put in for Harbour See Psal 46.1 2 3. God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though the Mountains shake with the swelling thereof Selah We find 1 Sam. 30. beginning of that chapter David was greatly distressed Ziglag was burnt his two Wives amongst others taken captives and the People looking upon David as the chief cause of all their loss and misery spoke of stoning him But David v. 6. encouraged himself in the Lord his God God being his God he chears up And no wonder for all that is in God is for that man's good that hath an interest in him and if this will not satisfie I know not what can Wherefore as it is Job 22.21 Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace thereby much good shall come unto thee 5. Direct Acquaint thy self with the Word of God The two Testaments are two breasts of Christian Consolation The Word of God is more precious than Gold sweeter than Honey Psal 19.10 119.72 It quickens and comforts the soul as you may read Psal 119.25 50 54 81 82 92 111 verses so Rom. 15.4 the Apostle mentions the comfort of the Scriptures Especially hoord up or have in readiness Scripture-promises which are as so many clusters of sweet Grapes growing on the Vine CHRIST John 15.1 2 Cor. 1.20 and Faith presseth out of them the Wine of Consolation What the Jews write falsly of their Manna that it had omne delectamentum and was suiting to every mans palate we may most truly say of the Promises of the Word that they are very sweet and suitable to Christians in every condition that such as are heirs of them may have a strong consolation Heb. 6.16 17 18. As bladders they keep Christians from sinking when cast on the waters of affliction The Cloud of Calamity can never be so great and spreading so black and dismal but they whom the Spirit of God perswades of an interest in the Promises may see some Sunshine through it Well then read plentifully the Word of God Let it dwell richly amongst you Col. 3.16 especially have recourse to Scripture-promises such as I have before-mentioned pag. 89 90. and from thence as the Bee gathers Honey from several flowers so you may distill the sweet Spirits and Quintessence of Christian-Consolation 6. Direct Be much in the exercise of Faith A Ship resteth quiet when Anchor is cast notwithstanding the winds and waves that beat against it So a Christian being anchor'd on God by Faith is at rest amidst the manifold afflictions he meets with Abraham Job David and such like Scripture-Worthies that lived much in the exercise of Faith could undergo patiently great tryals Peter sunk not before his Faith began to sink Mat. 14.31 One that is rooted and built up in Christ and established in the faith as that expression is Col. 2.7 such a one I say is not easily overturned and unsetled but is like that House built upon a Rock and the rain descended and the flouds came and the winds blew and beat upon that House and it fell not for it was founded upon a Rock Mat. 7.24 25. True Faith puts to flight vain fears and needless troubles Joh. 14.1 Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me It is not a little that can disquiet a strong Christian that lives in the exercise of Faith 7. Direct Study the Art of Self-denyal That man that hath learnt to deny himself is likeliest to bear his cross according to that of our Saviour Mat. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross Take heed of self-reasonings of conferring with flesh and blood that cannot away with trouble Gal. 1.16 Take heed of self-will get your will melted into the very will of God Crosses can be no crosses to that man that submits his will to the will of God 8th and last Direction Pray to God to give you Patience A very worthy * Dr. Abbot on Jonah 4.2 Lect 25. p. 522. Divine whom I have often quoted upon occasion saith If there be any thing which may appease sorrow and ease the grieved heart oppressed with the feeling of temporal occurrents or wounded with the want of spiritual consolations it is to have recourse to the Throne of Grace and there with watred eyes and cheeks bedewed with tears to lay open those grievances which breed sorrow unto us And again he saith The burthen of affliction is best supported with this firm underlyer of Prayer See what Christ saith John 16.24 Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full And the Apostle prescribeth instant continuance in prayer as a means to make us patient in tribulation Rom. 12.12 So Phil. 4.6 7. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God And the Peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus God is stiled the God of all Comfort 2 Cor. 1.3 The God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5.10 from whom comes every good and perfect gift Jam. 1.17 and in particular he is called the God of Patience Rom. 15.5 Therefore go to him whose grace is sufficient for you and whose strength is made perfect in weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 pray him to put under his everlasting Arms Deut. 33.27 and plead that promise in prayer Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right-hand of my Righteousness God there promiseth to strengthen to help to uphold not with either hand but with the right-hand which is the stronger hand of the two Manum fortior est dextra If God put under his helping-hand you may bear any burden he layeth upon you Multorum manibus grande levatur onus St. Paul tells us Phil. 4.11 I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content How came he to learn this hard lesson Why Christ was his Teacher and Assistant Ver. 13. I can do all things saith he through Christ which strengthneth me O then pray for patience and get others too to pray for thee The more company the more cry and the likelier to prevail Mat. 18.20 Joyning of hands in prayer makes us stand the surer St. Paul prayes for the Colossians that they might be strengthened with all might according to his glorious Power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness Col. 1.9 11 compared
this he had said to God Job 10.2 Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me When God takes away Relations he testifieth against you as he did against Naomi who had lost her husband and two sons Ruth 1.5 21 compared that something in your lives hath been displeasing to him God oft-times visits the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children Exod. 20.5 34.7 2 Sam. 12.14 1 King 15.29 30. Isa 14.21 Parents may by their sins provoke God to bring upon their children a temporal but not an eternal death for Ezek. 18.20 The soul that sinneth it shall die Indeed all persons as well Children as Parents ow a death to God if not by reason of actual yet of original corruption that is in them Psa 51.5 Rom. 5.12 Yet God many times takes away Children and other Relations not having an eye so much to their sins as to the sins of parents and others that provoke God to inflict a penal evil Well then pray to the Lord to discover to thee thy sin which provoked him so soon to take away thy Friend Psal 4.4 Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still When others are a sleeping do you be a thinking what sins you were guilty of that might cause God to deprive you of such a Relation Search into God's Word and see for what sins God usually punisheth with loss of Friends Now God might take away thy Relation for such sins as these 1. Thy sin might be undervaluing thy Friend May be thou didst not prize him according to his worth and now God will teach thee the worth of him by the want of him You would not follow his good counsels reproofs example c. and therefore God might because you did not work by it put out this burning and shining Light It may be you dealt by him as the Philistines did by Sampson make sport with him and a laughing-stock of him and therefore God took him away Or 2dly Thy sin might be overvaluing thy Friend You might over-love him too much rejoyce in him or trust in him too much God breaks the Conduit-pipes when you forget the Fountain Gustavus the renowned King of Sweden said God would take him away because he was too much admired and his words were too true a prophecy Indeed hopeful Children godly Relations they are Jewels Mal. 3.17 but if you take them and make a golden calf of them and idolize them God may justly break them to pouder as Moses dealt with the golden Calf Exod. 32.3 4 20 compared So Hezekiah brake in pieces the brazen Serpent that Moses had made when he saw the people give divine worship unto it 2 King 18.4 When you make Idols of Friends and Relations bestowing that love joy and delight upon them which is due to God he may justly break them to pieces Jonah took more delight than he should have done in his refreshing Gourd and that hand that sent it sent a worm to destroy it Fond Parents like foolish Apes kill their young ones with imbraces Or 3dly Thy sin might be foolish indulgence Eli was too indulgent towards his Sons 1 Sam. 3.13 his Sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not or according to the Original frowned not upon them he was too gentle in his reproofs and corrections as you may see 1 Sam. 2.22 c. and God threatned that all the encrease of his house should die in the flower of their age and his two sons Hophni and Phineas should in one day die both of them ver 33 34. And accordingly it came to pass 1 Sam. 4.17 So David too fondly affected Absolom and he lived to see him come to an untimely death Or 4thly Thy sin might be undutifulness to thy own Parents Absalom even now mentioned had once three sons as you may read 2 Sam. 14.27 but he lived to see them all buried as you may gather from 2 Sam. 18.18 Absalom was an undutiful child seeking to take away the life of his Father and God takes away his childrens lives Or 5thly Thy sin might be Lasciviousness or Wantonness You read 2 Sam. 12.14 The Child gotten in Adultery dieth Solomon loved many strange women 1 King 11.1 and he left but one son behind him as we read of in Scripture Rehoboam by name v. 43. and he no wiser than he should be as you may reade 1 King 12. Or 6thly Thy sin might be Bloodshed or Murder God threatned Ahab's posterity for his murdering of Naboth 1 King 21.21 so God threatned David for his murdering Uriah 2 Sam. 12.9 10. that the Sword-should never depart from his house and he lived to see two of his Children slain incestuous Amnon 2 Sam. 13. and rebellious Absalom 2 Sam. 18. Or 7thly Thy sin might be Oppression See Job 27.13 14 15. God there threatens that the Sword or Famine or some such sudden and fearful Judgment shall sweep away the Oppressors Children So Amos 4.1 2. There is the posterity of Oppressors threatned God may most justly take away the lives of their Children who take away the livelihood of others Children It is seldom seen that a covetous griping Oppressor or Usurer leaves many Children behind him For these and some other sins mentioned before God may suddenly deprive us of dear and near Relations Now what saith Conscience doth it not fly in your face and tell you that you have been guilty of some one or more of these sins With Pharoah's Butler call to mind thy fault this day Gen. 41.9 And having thus found it out 2. Confess it to God be deeply humbled for it and pray heartily for pardon thereof Say as Josephs Brethren did Gen. 42.21 We are verily guilty concerning our Brother Let your uncircumcised hearts be humbled and accept of the punishment of your iniquity as the Expression is Levit. 26.41 Turn sorrowing for your Friend into sorrowing for your Sins that have deprived you of his sweet society We find 2 Sam. 24. David sin'd in numbering of the People and God punisheth him in lessening the number of them See what David doth vers 10. His heart smote him after he had numbred the People and he said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done And now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy Servant for I have done very foolishly No sooner was David convinced of his sin by the testimony of his Conscience acted by the Spirit of God but presently makes his humble addresses to God confessing his sin and heartily bewailing his folly he prayes to God for pardon thereof vers 17. David seeing the People smitten by the destroying Angel he cries out Lo I have sinned and I have done wickedly but these Sheep what have they done David knew very well that the People were not without their faults justly deserving this and a greater judgment yet reflecting upon his sin as an occasion of this judgment he endeavours to acquit them taking the fault wholly upon himself and
forbidden Fruit he should surely die Now we know Adam did eat Gen. 3. and the threatning took effect for after that he had eaten every day some part of his life was gone The wise Man tells us Eccles 3.2 There is a time to be born and a time to die What no time to live Truly it may be the wise man thought this life-time was so short that it was not worth taking notice of or it may be he would give us to understand that all the while we live we are in a dying condition An Heathen by the dim candle-light of Nature had a glymps of this for saith Seneca Quotidie morimur quotidiè enim demitur aliqua pars vitae Vita hominum dum crescit decrescit dum augetur minuitur Cylind as a Candle you know is no sooner lighted but begins to waste it is not the last blaze that spends it but it spends all the while it burns So an Hour-glass is no sooner turned but presently the Sand begins to run out The longer a man lives the less he hath to live Oh did we but see the Glass of our Life running many of us would see but little Sand remaining Well then let your going to the House of Mourning and following the Corps to the Grave mind you of your mortality that God will shortly bring you to the Grave The House appointed for all men living Job 30.23 15th and last Use Lastly Let death of Friends put us upon preparing for Death Seneca said Aetate fruere mobili cursu fugit Use time while you have it He meant it not in that sence in which the merry Greeks and voluptuous Epicures take it 1 Cor. 15.32 Let us eat and drink for to morrow we die But he would have us to imploy our short time in doing vertuous actions Labour that the Temple of Grace be erected in your souls before the Temple of your bodies be pulled down I have read how Peter Waldo about the year 1160. a Merchant of Lyons Mr. Fuller in his Holy War rich in substance and learning was walking and talking with his Friends when one of them suddenly sell down dead which lively spectacle of mans mortality so impressed the soul of this Waldo that instantly he resolved on a strict reformation of life which to his power he performed Mr. Dugard in his Serm. on Ps 89 48. pag. 39. Ribad de vita Fr. Borgia lib. 1. c. 9. It is likwise reported of Sir Francis Borgia a Spanish Courtier That having been at the Funeral of the Empress and considering how little a Grave had devoured all earthly Greatness he said when he came home Augustae mors mihi vitam attulit The death of the Empress hath brought me life and forthwith he became a wonderfully reformed man So when Friends die and we return from their burial let us resolve to lay aside worldly vanities and return home more grave and serious Let us set our House and Souls in order Luke 12.40 Be ye therefore ready for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not As we know not the time of our general so neither of our particular judgment It is good for us to stand upon our watch Mar. 13.32 and to improve all our opportunities both of doing and receiving good that so we may be as the wise Virgins Mat. 25. having Oyl in our Lamps Grace in our Hearts and may be fitted and prepared to meet the Bridegroom of our Souls when ever he cometh Now because preparation for Death though last mentioned is a chief and principal use that we should make of death of Friends I shall therefore somewhat enlarge upon it and shew you in the next Chapter wherein it consists CHAP. II. Shewing wherein preparation for Death consists NOW preparation for Death consists in these following Particulars 1. In praying unto God 1. Dir. Praecandos Confess thy manifold sins at the Throne of Grace and pray to God for pardon thereof Moses David Daniel Paul and other good men mentioned in Scripture were conversant in this duty of Prayer Our Saviour himself in the dayes of his flesh offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and tears Heb. 5.7 The * Per miserere mei tollitur ira Dei Publican confessing his sins and most humbly suing out the pardon of them went away justified Luke 18.13 14. How did Christ remember the Thief upon the Cross praying to him Luke 23. 42 43. Jacob was frequent and prevalent with God in prayer Gen. 32.28 even when he was old and weak he humbly presented his devotion to God Gen. 48.31 Heb. 11.21 Stephen that saw Heaven opened Acts 7.56 as he lived so he died praying Abel rediv in life of Luther and Erasmus vers 59. Luther he died praying and resigning his Spirit into Gods hands Erasmus breathed out his Soul in these Ejaculations Mercy sweet Jesus Lord loose these Bands How long Lord Jesus How long Jesus Fountain of Mercy have mercy upon me c. Bishop * Dr. Bernard in life of B. Vsher Usher he died like Mr. Perkins who expired with crying for mercy and forgiveness Pray then to God that he would pardon your manifold sins and fit you for death say with David Psal 39.4 Lord make me to know my end and the measure of my dayes that I may know how frail I am Pray with Moses Psal 90.12 Dr. Abbot on Jonah 4.2 p. 521. So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Prayer rightly performed as a learned Doctor saith is the best Sacrifice which the Soul can send up into Heaven 2. Preparation for Death consists in bewailing our sins 2. Dir. Peccata deplorando We should be like Doves of the Valleys all of us mourning every one for his iniquity as the Prophet speaks Ezek. 7.16 A broken and contrite heart saith David O God thou wilt not despise Psal 51.17 The words are a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he means God highly prizeth a broken and contrite heart under the sence of sin St. Bernard saith Qui non plangit peccata non sentit vulnera He is not sensible of his spiritual wounds who doth not bewail his sinful condition And again saith another Father St. Austin Gravissima peccata gravissimus lamentis indigent Great sins call for great sorrows David saith Psal 6.6 All the night make I my bed to swim I water my couch with my tears and Psal 38.6 I go mourning all the day long so that night and day he mourned for his sins And Peter having sin'd he went out and wept bitterly Mat. 26.75 The crowing of the Cock was a Monitor of his fault And some say he never heard a Cock crow after but he wept bitterly for his offence in denying so shamefully as he did his Lord and Master St. Paul complains of a Body of Death Rom. 7.24 * Tertul. lib. de Panitent c. ult
Eternal Judgment Heb. 6.2 If Felix trembled to hear of judgment to come as you may read he did Acts 24.25 How will wicked men tremble when Christ comes to execute Judgment upon them as you read he will Eccles 11.9 12. last vers 2 Thess 1.7 8 9. Jude 15. Wicked men will then cry to the Hills to fall upon them and hide them from the face of him that sits upon the Throne c. Rev. 6.16 17. They would then count it an happiness to be able to die but alas They shall seek for death but they shall not find it and they shall desire to die but death shall flee from them Rev. 9.6 So then wicked men shall rise again but it will be to their everlasting shame and misery Dan. 12.2 They shall come forth to the Resurrection of ◠Damnation John 5.29 And they shall have bodies to be tormented in which Devils have not and they shall be miserable as long as God is happy and that is to all eternity and for ever Mat. 25.46 These shall go away into everlasting punishment Sinner and Hell-fire shall never be parted This word never breaks the heart of a sinner and gives new life to those insufferable torments which exceed all expression or imagination When ten hundred thousand millions of Ages are past the misery of the damned is as fresh to begin as it was the first moment they entred upon it If there was any hope of an end 't would something ease the heart but Eternity is intolerable O Eternity Eternity Eternity Methinks the dreadful terrors of Eternity should strike fire out of a Flint and make the hardest heart to melt into tears for sin and quicken the dullest soul to Godliness Death which is the end of all things Ex hoc momento pendet Aeternitas shall bring Man to a condition that shall never end Vegetative and sensitive Creatures when once dead they have no more a Beeing But Man when this life is ended shall live again and that to eternity either in bliss or misery Where are mens wits or what think they on that they do not prepare Wherefore Courteous Reader as David said to Solomon in another case so say I to thee 1 Chron. 22.16 Arise and be doing and the Lord be with thee Amen FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epaphroditus's Sickness AND RECOVERY In three Sermons The First Preached at St. Michaels in Coventry upon the 14th day of December in the morning being the Lecture day And the two other Preached the Lords Day following being the 18th of the same instant in the same Church Anno Dom. 1670. By Thomas Allestree M. A. Rector of Ashow in the County of Warwick I was brought low and he helped me Psal 116.6 The Lord hath chastned me sore but he hath not given me over unto Death Psal 118.18 Nè umbrâ quidem corporis nedum vivo ac sano corpore dignus est quisquis usque adeò Stoicus est factus ut vitam ac sanitatem corporis quâ utraque ad gloriam Dei uti poterit non sentiat donum esse divinae munificentiae sed susque deque faciat sive sanus sit sive aegrotet vivatne vel moriatur Musculus in Psal 102.3 4. LONDON Printed for the Author Anno Dom. 1671. To the Right Worshipful Mr. Thomas King Mayor with the Aldermen his Brethren and the rest of the Inhabitants of the City of Coventry The Author wisheth continuance of health with increase of grace and peace SIRS THese three following Sermons though conceived elsewhere were first brought forth in your Ancient Honourable City The subject matter of them is seasonable for these sickly times Though you in your City as I am informed by * Mr. Feak and Mr. Wanley your present Ministers those who have best reason to know have been this last year as healthful as at other times a mercy which you can never be too thank-full for yet the Towns and Villages about you yea the most part of this Nation I hope you are sensible of it have been sorely visited with sickness I therefore at the importunity of some Friends thought good to make these Notes publick The Word preached is too soon †Vox audita perit sed litera scripta manebit forgotten and reacheth but to few but Printed may be seen by many and perused at pleasure I hope these Sermons that found acceptance with many when Preached will being Printed find the like acceptance with the sober Christian You have that here presented to the eye which was delivered to the ear for I have made little or no alteration onely I have inserted several Latine Sentences which I did not mention in the Pulpit partly because I would avoid the suspition of vain-glory and partly because they would have taken up too much of that little time alotted every Sand of which we should frugally improve to the profit of the bearer You that understand Latine may read these Quotations to your better satisfaction You that like them not because you cannot understand them may over-look them These Sermons like the Author come forth in a plain dress My desire was not with elegant cadencies of words to please an itching ear but with plain Scripture-evidence to affect an honest heart And strong-lines could not reasonably be expected from one so weak as I then was being but lately recovered of a grievous sickness Well dear Friends whatever they be I humbly present them to your acceptance as a testimony of my thankfulness and to shew how willing I am To serve your Souls in what I may T. Allestree Ashow March 27. 1671. Epaphroditus's sickness First Sermon PHIL. 2.27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death but God had mercy on him THE Philippians to whom St. Paul wrote his Epistle were Inhabitants of Philippi which was a chief City of Macedonia and a Colonie Acts 16.12 It was the Metropolis of that part of Macedonia and a Roman Colonie whose Inhabitants came from Rome to dwell there vers 21. * Musculus in Phil. 1.1 Coloniae sunt gentes ad terram aliquam habitandum missae saith Musculus It was formerly called Crenida 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the fruitful Fountains that issued from the Hill on which it was built Eò quòd circa collem cui inaedificata fuit uberrimi Fontes promanarent Muscul in Phil. 1. v. 1. Some * Itinerarium totius sacrae scripturae p. 539. say there were veins of Gold found close by it Philip King of Macedon Father of Alexander the Great caused it in the year before Christ 354. to be reedified and enlarged and then after his own name called it Philippos or Philippi Hanc Philippus Rex Macedoniae munitiorem reddidit propter vicinos Thraces ac in nominis sui memoriam Philippus vocavit Muscul Muscul in Phil. 1.1 It was enriched with many priviledges much Gold found there but it was not so happy in that as in Pauls praying
healed of it but afterwards he felt many bad motions and sinful lusts stirring in him then he earnestly desired God to return to him the Head-ach again rather than suffer the peace of his Soul to be disquieted with those lusts So that you see bodily Pains and Diseases are sent by God to prevent or purge out sin But more particularly God sends sickness to prevent or purge out these following sins to name a few 1. Pride See 2 Cor. 12.7 Some by the Thorn in the flesh understand some extream pain as the Head-ach so Theophilact Some refer it to the Iliaca Passio or Wind in the small Guts See Mr. Leigh's Annot. on 2 Cor. 12.7 so Aquinas Some to the Gout or pain in the Stomach as Nazianzene and Basil are said to interpret it These or the like bodily Distempers may be well compared to a Thorn in the flesh because they are as painful to the body as if a Thorn or Splinter was thrust into the flesh This Thorn was sent o let out the wind of Pride Lest saith the Apostle I should be exalted above measure Job under his sores and sickness and other afflictions that God exercised him with confessed his vileness and abhord himself in Dust and Ashes Job 40.4 42.6 2. Worldly-mindedness God sends sickness to withdraw their heart and affections from things here below and to cause them to mount up and aspire more unto Heaven The best are apt to fall in love with this wretched world as Peter said Luke 9.33 Master it is good for us to be here God in sickness makes his servants willing to remove They see Riches and Friends cannot ease them of their pains and therefore they desire to be gone Phil. 1.23 and to be translated into the new Jerusalem where no Inhabitant shall say he is sick Isa 33.24 3. Security In health and prosperity the best are apt to forget God As David said Psal 30.6 7. In his prosperity I shall never be moved Lord by thy favour thou hast made my Mountain to stand strong but when God did hide his face and left him to the dangerous assaults of his Enemies or fury of some sickness then he was troubled and cryed to the Lord and pleaded with him in prayer as you may read in the following verses 8 9 10 11. When he casts his people on their backs in a sick-bed then especially they look upward 4. Insensibleness of others sufferings under sickness Most men are insensible of the sufferings of others like those voluptuous Epicures as if unconcerned in others miseries they are not affected with their Brethrens calamities Amos 6.3 4 5 6. Even the best are too too stoical herein whilst in Health not sufficiently sensible of the miseries that others lie under by reason of sickness But when God hath visited us with sickness then we pity those that lie under the same or the like sufferings The Poet Virgil brings in Dido speaking thus Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco She being in misery did pitty those that were in misery David whom God had much exercised with sickness had learnt to pity others as you may see Psal 35.13 14. 5. Unthankfulness We do not whilst we are healthful and strong rightly prize health nor are we duly thankful for so great a mercy Carendo magis quà m fruendo We know the worth of things best by the want of them As God threatned to take away Corn and Wine and Oyl from Judah because she did not know i. e. thankfully acknowledge them to be Gods good Gifts Hos 2.8 9. So God many times deprives his People of health that they may learn to prize it the more and to improve it more to his glory when he sends it again 6. The sixth and last sin that sickness sent by God is a means to purge out or prevent is Forgetfulness of Death Jerusalem in prosperity remembred not her last end Lam. 1.9 The best of us in times of health too too seldom think of Death which made Moses cry out Deut. 32.29 O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end God therefore sends sickness which is Ante-ambulo Mortis the fore-runner of Death to mind them that the King of Terrors is not far off they at such a time expect Death and look upon it as that which will certainly come Abel Redivivus in his life Bishop Andrews said oft in his sickness It must come once and why not here David in sickness saw the vanity of Man in his best state Psalm 39.5 Surely every man at his best state is altogether vanity Selah And vers 11. he warbles it over again on his doleful Harp Surely every man is vanity Selah So Moses under God's afflicting hand Psalm 90.7 saw the frailty of Man's life and therefore prayed vers 12. So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Thus you see God sends sickness for the purging out or preventing of several sins in his People 2. The other end that God hath in such passages of his providence towards his Servants is for the tryal and exercise of their Graces Affliction is sent to try us Psal 66.10 11. Jer. 9.7 1 Pet. 4.12 It is both the Touchstone and Whet-stone of Grace A Feaver or some such like Distemper is as a fiery Tryal to try the truth of God's Graces in us and to set them awork in so much as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 12.10 I take pleasure in infirmities for when I am weak then am I strong When he was weak in Body he was strong in Grace But more particularly God sends sickness to try and exercise these following Graces 1. Faith and Hope I put them both together for they are nigh of kin The Apostle speaks of God's suffering his People to be in heaviness through manifold temptations that is afflictions for the tryal of their Faith as you may see 1 Pet. 1.6 7. Job's Faith was seen and set awork under his sufferings Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him It is Faith indeed to trust in that God that seems to frown So hope is seen and set awork in a tempest It is compared to an Anchor Heb. 6.19 whose use is best seen in a storm 2. Patience In times of affliction there is matter for patience as well as faith to be exercised about Rev. 13.10 so 2 Thess 1.4 The Apostle saith Tribulation worketh Patience Rom. 5.3 He means It occasions the exercise of Patience James 5.11 Ye have heard of the Patience of Job saith Saint James Ye had not heard so much of his Patience had it not been for his sickness and such like afflictions which God exercised him with Sickness is the School of Patience 3. Love to God Jer. 2.2 I remember thee saith the Lord the kindness of thy youth the love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me in the Wilderness in a Land that was
assaults as other mens frequently are So vers 5. They are not in trouble us other men neither are they plagued like other men This stumbled him as you may read afterwards but at last he recovers himself having made his resort to the Sanctuary of God vers 17. He learned out of his Word that God governed all things wisely and had Judgments in store for them as you may read vers 18 19 20. God lift them the higher that their fall might be the greater Tolluntur in altum Ut lapsu graviore ruant So then though wicked men sleep securely in sin yet their damnation sleepeth not 2 Pet. 2.3 When they say Peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travel upon a Woman with Child which comes suddenly certainly and painfully and they shall not escape 1 Thes 5.3 The wicked shall be turned into Hell Psal 9.17 Jesus Christ will come upon these with a vengeance and they shall be punished with everlasting destruction as you may read 2 Thess 1.7 8 9. I end this with that of David Psal 11.5 6. The Lord tryeth the Righteous but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth Upon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup. They shall be continually drinking the bitter cup of divine fury There shall be no Lucida intervalla no respite no breathing fits as the Righteous have here in their sickness but their pains shall be continual without either intermission or mitigation Vse 3 3. This consideration should keep us from censuring those for the greatest sinners that are in this kind the greatest sufferers Indeed we live in a censorious Age. The World judgeth those most wicked that are most afflicted we are apt to conclude that God hates those most whom he visits with most sickness Thus the Barbarians dealt with Paul who seeing the venomous Beast hang on his hand said among themselves No doubt this Man is a murderer whom though he hath escaped the Sea yet vengeance suffereth not to live Acts 28.4 Thus David's Enemies by the sharpness and violence of his Distemper concluded God was become his Enemy * Verbum Belial effusum est in ipso i. e. punitur divinitùs ob scelus aliquod commissum Muscul in locum Psal 41.8 Job's three Friends were to blame to accuse Job for an Hypocrite because God had sorely visited him with sickness he calls them truly Forgers of lies and Physitians of no value Job 13.4 They forged lies both of God and Job and like unskilful Physitians applyed Corrasives instead of Cordials And elsewhere he calls them Miserable Comforters Job 16.2 They came as Comforters freely offering themselves he sent not for them Job 2.11 But they were pitiful ones in that sence that Job calls them Miserable comforters for by their censures and bitter speeches instead of lessening they did encrease his burthen instead of easing they did aggravate his grief And God himself was highly displeased with Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar in as much as by their perverse disputings and false reasonings they had wronged even God himself Job 42.7 8 9. Let us then know that God's dear Children as Epaphroditus a dear Servant of the Lord here did may lie under great afflictions and dear affections at the same time Job 1.8 and 2.3 Job even now mentioned whom God boasts of again and again as a None-such for piety was smitten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 2.7 with such an angry burning Boyl as God plagued the Aegyptians with Exod. 9.9 10. and after threatned to punish a rebellious people with Deut. 28.27 If Job had measured God's displeasure by the sadness of his Distemper he might have concluded indeed that God had hated him and cast him off but upright Job doubted not of God's favour under his saddest tryals We read of one Lazarus the Brother of Mary and Martha John 11.3 that was in his extream sickness beloved of Christ And we read of another Lazarus Luke 16.20 who was poor and pitiful lying at the rich mans gate full of sores yet after death carried by Angels into Abrahams Bosom vers 22. Let the words of the wise man shut up this Eccles 9.1 2. No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them All things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked c. Vse 4 4. Let this consideration keep us from weeping immoderately when Godly Friends depart this life They are freed from those sicknesses and pains which here they groaned under Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their labours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from pain and pains-taking The World to them is as Aegypt to the Israelites a place of pains and sorrow Exod. 3.7 When they die God wipes away all tears from their eyes See Rev. 21.4 There shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things as sin sickness c. are passed away If the dead in the Lord could speak they would say to surviving Friends that follow them to the Grave with sorrowful hearts as Christ did to the Daughters of Jerusalem that followed him to his crucifixion sorrowing Luk. 23.28 Weep not for me but weep for your selves and for your children Ye are in the Valley of Tears toss'd upon the Waves of a troublesome World subject as to sin so to sickness and sorrow But as for us we are at the Haven of Eternal-rest Weep not for us but weep for your selves and your Children Indeed did we but seriously consider the manifold miseries that God's dear Servants are subject unto whilst in this World we would give thanks rather then murmer when God by death sets them free The Church in the Funerals of the Dead hath taught us as much We give thee hearty thanks for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our Brother or Sister out of the miseries of this sinful World 5. and last Vse But fifthly and lastly for I hasten This consideration me-thinks should put Christians upon sympathizing one with another This God calls for Rom. 12.15 1 Pet. 3.8 see Heb. 13.3 Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them which suffer adversitie as being your selves also in the Body In the Body that is say some as Members of the same Body Rom. 12.5 for so believers are Ephes 5.23 30. so Col. 1.18 they are Members of Christ's Mystical and Spiritual Body And as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 12.25 26. The Members should have the same care one for another and if one Member suffer all the Members suffer with it So then if we take it in this sence you are members of the same Body and therefore ought to sympathize one with another Others there are that by this expression being your selves also in the body understand it thus as being
your selves living Creatures 2 Cor. 12.2 Dr. Hammond in Heb. 13.3 Natures Frame not being as yet dissolved you are in the same frail humane estate subject to all that befalls any man and therefore you should be affected towards them as though you personally shared in their sufferings Do not then Christians stand as Stoicks or stocks as unconcerned with others sicknesses and sorrows Put your selves as it were in their condition and do as you would be done by be as pitiful to them as you would have others be to you if you were in their case You know not how soon sickness may befall you and so you stand in like need of help If you stay at home sickness may steal upon you if you travel abroad it may pursue you as it did Epaphroditus who being far from home fell sick and his sickness was grievous for he was nigh unto death Epaphroditus's Recovery Second Sermon PHIL. 2.27 but God had mercy on him ON the last Lecture-day I made an entrance upon this Text and we spoke to Epaphroditus his sickness I shall this day God willing speak of his recovery which the Text clearly holds forth unto us In which I observe two parts which I intend to prosecute as time shall give leave 1. Epaphroditus's Physician and that was God 2. The Cure wrought by him Had mercy on him The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to pity or have mercy upon sō think it hath dependance upon the Hebrew Name of God Elohim because it is the property of God to shew mercy Now mercy in God may be thus defined Misericordia est quâ propensus est Deus ad succurrendum suis creaturis in aliquâ miseriâ constitutis iisque reipsâ succurrit Wendelin It is an attribute or property of God whereby he is inclined to help his creatures in misery and doth really help them So that Homo lapsus Man considered as a sinner and in misery is the object of it And as * In Psal 6.2 Musculus saith Misericordia Dei est unicum omnium afflictionum refugium The mercy of God is the onely refuge for afflicted persons to have recourse unto Epaphroditus this faithful Servant of the Lord did much partake of God's mercy God had been merciful to him with pardoning mercy sanctifying mercy and had he died God had crowned him with saving mercy he had been freed from Hell and enstated in everlasting happiness But the mercy my Text speaks of is temporal mercy God delivering him from the great pain and peril he was in by reason of sickness * Estius in locum Eripiens eum periculo sanitati restituens quod quidem beneficium misericordia vocatur quatenus est miseriae cujusdam remotio And Calvin Calvin in locum saith Exprimit morbi gravitatem ut clariús eniteret Dei bonitas in redditâ sanitate Paul first mentioned the grievousness of his sickness that the goodness and mercy of God might more perspicuously appear in his recovery Deus misertus est ejus i. e. misericorditer illum erepit Misericordiam Dei pro opere misericordiae Dei ponit saith Musculus Muscul in locum It was mercy then in God to preserve his life and restore him to health Hence I take up this point of Doctrine which being so clearly implyed must not be passed by without taking notice of viz. Doctr. That Life and Health are Mercies David in sickness prayed to God for health Psal 6.2 Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak * Muscul in Ps 6.2 Ergo sentit miserum esse morbo confici O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed Est itaque sanum esse pars faelicitatis ac pro dono Dei habendum Muscul And Ps 103.3 4. we find David there looked upon Gods healing his bodily diseases and redeeming his life from destruction to be a mercy as well as pardoning his sin Job though sometimes under the raging heat and fury of his Distemper cursed the day of his birth and wished God would cut him off yet at other times when he was more himself he looked upon life as a mercy see Job 10.12 He there asserts his life to be an act of divine favour and the preserving his Spirit viz. from departing out of his body to be a fruit of divine providence which he calls a Visitation Jacob prized his life as you may gather from Gen. 32.11 c. fearing his Brother would take revenge on him as he threatned to do Gen. 27.41 he prayeth to God and useth lawful policy to save his life So Mordecai and Esther tender'd their lives and the lives of the Jews Esther 4.13 14. 7.3 Hezekiah wept sore when the Sentence went forth that he should die and not live Isa 38.1 2 3. And David cryed out Psal 102.24 O my God Musculus in Psal 102.24 take me not away in the midst of my dayes Naturale est agnatum omnibus ut dierum suorum plenitudinem consequi cupiant ideòque agrè in medio vitae cursu migrent ex hoc saeculo Muscul The Devil spake truly in that lyars sometimes may speak truth Job 2.4 Skin for Skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life Men will part with Money Cattels Land Liberty and what not to preserve life as they did Gen. 47. Yea men will part with some members to preserve life Immedicabile vulnus Ense recidendum est nè pars sincera trahatur I end this with that of the wise man Eccles 11.7 Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sun But some may object and say Object 1 If God send sickness for good ends to his People as for the preventing and purging out of sin and for the tryal and exercise of Christian Graces surely it was no mercy in God to deliver this good man Epaphroditus from it Answ Sickness in it self is a fruit of sin and so a judgement and curse it is a blessing onely to such as have a sanctified use of it It was sanctified indeed to Epaphroditus and so wrought for his good as Physick for the good of the Patient Heb. 12.10 but as it brought pain it was grievous and so his deliverance therefrom may be truly called a mercy Estius in Phil. 2.27 Quatenus est miseriae remotio as it removed his pain and rendered him more serviceable to the Church Object 2 But how can Epaphroditus 's Recovery here be called a Mercy when Death is far better than Life to Gods Children which made the Apostle himself in the former Chapter Phil. 1.23 desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which saith he is far better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multo magis melius which may be thus rendred in English More better by much Had it not been far better for him to have been at the Haven of Rest than to be as it were by a cross wind kept back
sickness but Epaphroditus did not regard his life to supply the Philippians lack of service towards Paul Heming in Phil. 2.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat perperam consulere uti faciunt qui se in apertum vitae periculum conjiciunt Epaphroditus was willing to hazard health and life to supply St. Pauls wants And as Hemingius saith Hoc facere in loco pro Christo non est stultitiae aut imprudentiae sed verè coelestis sapientiae c. Thus to hazard life is not folly but true wisdom And as Musculus saith of Epaphroditus's sickness Muscul in Phil. 2.27 Id omnium erat optimum quòd in tà m pio verè Christiano opere incidit in hanc morbum beati sunt qui hoc mortis genere auferuntur ex hoc saeculo It was best of all that he fell sick in so good a work and happy are all they that die thus in the Work of the Lord Rev. 14.13 I end this point with that of our Saviour John 12.25 He that loveth his * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Hom. 66. Luk. 14.26 more then is fitting more then Christ his Church or Truth shall lose it in another World but he that hateth his life in this World loving it less for that 's the hatred here meant Gen. 29.31 then the Truth and Church of Christ shall keep it unto life eternal So much for this time Epaphroditus's Recovery Third Sermon PHIL 2.27 but God had mercy on him Dearly Beloved I Handled in the morning a Doctrine implyed which was this That life and health are mercies And in handling that Point as a Divine though TheologoruÌ„ minimus I shewed you Viam rectam ad vitam longam the true way to health and long life according to the Scriptures I shall not trouble you with repetition of what I then delivered because I have much matter before me and I would willingly finish this Text at this time I come then to the last and chief Point these words import which is this That God doth sometimes graciously recover or mercifully restore his People though they be grievously visited with sickness That God that knockt off Peters Chains and released him from Prison brought forth this Epaphroditus who like a Prisoner was confined to a sick Bed with few Attendants about him That God that ruleth the raging of the Sea Job 38.11 and stilleth the Waves thereof when they arise as it is Psal 89.9 put a stop in his due time to the fury of his Distemper We read of Dr. Willet that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in his Journey from London he was forced to take up his lodging at Hodsdon in Hertfordshire having by a fall from his Horse broken his right Leg there being sick he continued God's Prisoner about nine dayes together and died It pleased God as my * Abel Redivivâ—â— in life of Dr. Willet Author speaks who hath appointed to every man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own proper and peculiar kind of death and without whose providence not a Leaf falls from the Tree so to dispose of this Godly mans death that as a Pilgrim here on earth he must die in an Inn He was carried thence by Coach to his Town of Barley where he was Preacher and there buried He fell sick not far from home yet recovered not to go alive thither But Epaphroditus who fell sick at Rome above six hundred miles from Philippi through God's mercy was restored to health and returned to his People who were not a little comforted at the sight of him Now that God doth sometimes deliver his when nigh unto death is clear 1. From Scripture Texts see 1 Sam. 2 6. so Deut. 32.39 so Job 5.18 19. Eliphaz speaking of God saith He maketh sore and bindeth up he woundeth and his hands make whole He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee So saith David Psalm 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the Righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all So Psal 68.20 He that is our God is the God of Salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad salutes Bythner according to the Original it is Salvations in the plural Number because he delivers several wayes and at several times and is the God of all manner of Salvation Temporal Spiritual and Eternal and then it follows * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exitus i e Domini est educere a morte Bythner in locum Unto God the Lord belong the issues from death in most deadly dangers he oft-times sends in help 2. The Point is clear by Scripture-Examples God recovered Hezekiah who was deadly sick 1 King 20.1.5 So he did Job yea and David oft insomuch that he describes God by this Periphrasis Psal 9.13 Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death That is from the power of death E portis mortis i. e. è potestate mortis sumiter enim porta in Scripturis pro magistratu potestate quòd in portis solerent exerceri judicia Muscul Muscul in Psul 9.13 in loc So Psal 116.6 I was brought low and he helped me So God delivered Paul from deadly dangers as you may gather from 2 Cor. 1.8 9 10. Thus it was with Epaphroditus in my Text who being sick nigh unto death the Lord had mercy on him Significat quod attinebat naturae vires actum fuisse de vitâ illius ideóque quòd sanitatè restitutus erat singulari fuisse ope ac virtute Dei factum Muscul Muscul in Phil 2.27 Vbi humanum deficit ibi incipit divinum auxiliums Many thousands in this Nation who have been sick even unto death both in the apprehension of themselves and others have been raised up again by God as so many Acts and Monuments of his mercy I therefore cease any farther proof of this known Point and shall proceed to give you the reasons of it And here for your profit I will take the Proposition into two parts and accordingly to each give in the Reasons of the Point and then I shall put them together again and make application of the whole The first part is this God is the Deliverer of his People And the chief Reasons why he doth deliver them I conceive to be these three 1. Because he is related to them and they to him He is their Husband Head King Master Father c. and they are his peculiar People his Spouse Members Subjects Servants Children and what not that speak thâ—m a People near and dear unto him Surely then as Samuel said 1 Sam. 12.22 The Lord will not forsake his People for his great Names sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his People 2. Because of his Promises of deliverance which he hath made to them See Psal 41.3 Psal 50.15 Isa 41.10 1 Cor. 10.13 These are precious Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 which God hath given to his People and in
knowing Nihil est omnis Medicorum ars opera cura diligentia nisi Deus virtute suâ det sanandi efficaciam that the Prescriptions and diligence of best Physicians are of no worth and efficacy without God David thus praying unto God was healed by him Psal 30.2 3. O Lord my God I cryed unto thee and thou hast healed me So Psal 116.3 4 6 8. compared So Hezekiah by prayer unto God had his deadly sickness removed and life prolonged Isa 38.2 Hezekiah having received a message of death turned his face towards the Wall and prayed to the Lord. But why towards the Wall either because by this means he withdrew himself from company his eyes from such objects as might distract and disturb his devotions or as others say Because there was but one single Wall between the Bed of the Kings of Judea and the Altar of God See Caussin's Holy Court p. 1 Juxta parietum Templi Salomon extruxit palatium and they used to pray with their faces towards the Temple 1 King 8.35 48. Dan. 6.10 Psal 5.6 Hezekiah thus turning himself toward the Wall over against the Temple and praying fervently to God was healed as you may see vers 5. Prayer is that which God directs his People unto in sickness and such like straits Psal 50.15 Call upon me in time of trouble and I will deliver thee Job 33.26 He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him So Jam. 5.13 Is any man afflicted let him pray Quest But if God send sickness and for good ends unto his Children is it not a sin in them to pray God to remove it and to heal their bodily Distempers Answ No All flesh naturally desires health and preservation of life And Grace in God's Children doth not abolish but rectifie Nature Deus hoc carni naturaliter dedit ut sanitatem Musculus in Ps 6.2 ubi plura i. e. conservationem sui cupidè petat Piis hanc naturam fides non adimit sed dirigit So then God allows us to pray to him for health so we do it with submission to the good Will of God as Christ prayed three times to his Father in his agony Mat. 26.39 O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt and with a resolution to serve him better if he spare us Pray then that God would be pleased to have mercy upon you in your sickness and to ease you of your pains and restore you to health and bless the means you use in order thereunto if it be his blessed will And as you ought to pray your selves so you should get others Ministers and good People to pray for you see James 5.14 15 16. God hears the prayers of his People and oft-times for their sakes lengtheneth the life and outward prosperity of the wicked God spared Zoar at the request of Lot Gen. 19.20 21 22. Those that sayled with St. Paul in the Ship had their lives spared for his sake see Acts 27.24 for saith the Angel of God to Paul Lo God hath given thee all them that sayl with thee Orig. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will give thee as a favour no less then two hundred threescore and fifteen Souls vers 37. were saved in extremity of danger for Paul's sake and at his request Get then others especially the Godly who are God's Favourites to pray for thee No doubt but Paul was a constant Sollicitor at the Throne of Grace in the behalf of Epaphroditus who lay sick nigh unto death and God had mercy on him 2. Relie confidently upon God Though we make use of the Physitians Directions yet we must not trust in them but in God for means and second causes work by his continual influences and receive their ends from his eternal order As the Psalmist saith Psal 127.1 Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it So except the Lord cooperate means and second causes which receive their being and efficacy from God are vain and ineffectual Faith was required in all those under the Gospel whom Christ cured Mat. 9.2 Luk. 8 48. As we must not neglect means so neither must we trust in them nor relie upon them which if we do it is the ready way to render them useless see Jer. 17.5 6 7 8. He that puts his trust in the Lord saith the wise Man Prov. 28.25 shall be made fat q. d. shall be lusty and well Relie then upon God's mercy for deliverance He that highly esteems of God is high in Gods esteem 3. Be merciful your selves to others in misery if you would find mercy from God when you are in misery Psal 41.1 2 3. Blessed is the man that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble the Lord will preserve him and keep him alive The Lord will strengthen him on the bed of languishing thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness Prov. 11.25 See likewise Isa 58.6 7 8. After he had spoken of works of charity he adds Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily So Mat. 5.7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Epaphroditus went a long and perillous voyage to minister to the Apostles wants Phil. 2.25 30. and when he was sick nigh unto death God had mercy on him 4. Lastly Be deeply humbled for your sins This humiliation consists in confessing your sins with grief of heart and putting away the sins you have lamented and if we do thus we shall find mercy in sickness David in sickness confessed and lamented his sins with a sorrowful heart as you may read Psal 32.4 5. 38.3 4 5 18. so Psal 41.4 Heal my Soul saith David under sickness for I have sinned against thee What a plea is this Heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee Doth God delight in mens sins Is he thereby allured to do them good One would think as Musculus Muscul in Psal 41.4 saith Magis faceret ad impedimentum quà m ad causam impetrandae sanitatis this should be rather an hindrance then furtherance to his cure But the truth is God who loves not sin yet loves to see sinners confess and bewail their sins and if we do so and withall forsake them we shall find mercy in sickness as David did for Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sin shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy If sickness be epidemical Exod. 23.25 Deut. 7.12 15. a general humiliation is a means to remove it Levit. 26.40 41 42. so 2 Chron. 3.14 God sends sickness for sin if sin be removed he 'l remove his stroak but he will not take off the Playster so careful he is till the Wound be throughly cured and corruption purged out Sins are as so many Scotches in the way that hinder the Charriot Wheels of a Deliverance from moving
best for us to pay our Vows Deut. 23.21 Eccl. 5.4 5. we are perjur'd persons truce-breakers if we do not Defer not to put into action what God's Spirit in sickness put into intention Do as David did when he was brought low God helped him Psal 116.6 God delivered his soul from death v. 8. See his resolution v. 9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living He devoted himself to God's Service v. 16. Truly O Lord I am thy Servant I am thy Servant And he likewise resolved to pay his Vows v. 14. so v. 18. so likewise Psal 66.13 14. I will go into thine house with burnt-offerings I will pay thee my Vows which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble Let health strength life soul and body the products of Gods mercy be presented to his service Rom. 12.1 I end this with that advice which Christ gave to one whom he cured John 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee 3. Apply your selves to God in future straits pray unto him trust in him Thus did David Psal 116.2 Because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live So v. 17. I will call upon the Name of the Lord. So Ps 56.3 What time I am afraid I will put my trust in thee for v. 13. Thou hast delivered my soul from death So Ps 63.7 Thou hast been my help therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce See 1 Sam. 17.37 so 2 Cor. 1.9 10. We had the sentence of death saith the Apostle in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raised the dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us It is good Scripture-logick as * Mr. Reyners Praecepts p. 266. one saith to draw conclusions of confidence from premises of experience Such then whom God hath restored to health when God casts them again into the Prison of a sick-bed let them be still Prisoners of Hope as the expression is Zach. 9.12 Suffer not Faith to flag and Hope to hang wing Lam. 3.26 It is good that a man should both hope and patiently wait for the salvation of the Lord. 4. Sympathize with others that are in misery If God have had mercy on thee go thou and have mercy on others Be not straitned in your bowels as some in the Church of Corinth were 2 Cor. 6.12 Oh pity and pray for such as are in sickness and misery and do them all offices of love and kindness that may be Not only God calls for this but the Law of friendship calls for it Job 6.14 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend But yet Job's friends dealt very unfriendly with him as you may see v. 15. whom he compares to a Brook which in open weather when people have least need of water promiseth refreshment but in cold weather is frozen up and in hot weather is become dry so that the weary Travellers fall short of their expectation So you may find him complaining how he was forsaken of all Relations Job 19.2 c. insomuch that he begs their pity upon the account of friendship v. 21. Have pity upon me have pity upon me O ye my Friends for the hand of God hath touched me here is another Argument for if you touch or strike upon the string of an Instrument other strings move too When God strikes another with sickness we our selves should be moved with compassion towards them the sicknesses and miseries of others call for your help Jos 10.6 Acts 16.9 As the Father said of Lazarus's sores Quot ulcera tot ora so many sores so many mouths calling for the rich mans help Yea though they be their enemies you should pity them as David did Psal 35.11 12 13 14. Though compassion begin at the heart yet it should proceed to the hand and mouth help them with your counsels and prayers and purses too Sic mens per compassionem doleat ut larga manus affectum doloris ostendat What the good Samaritan did Luk. 10.30 c. By which passage our Saviour would teach us to have pity on those whether friends or enemies acquaintance or strangers that stand in need of our help v. 37. Go thou and do likewise The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies Alms comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies Pity Alms should be a fruit of pity 1 Joh. 3.17 If you who have known what it is to lie under sickness do not pity such folk who should if you do not who will 5. Lastly Give God the sole praise of all let him have the glory of the cure for to him it belongs and it is a piece of sacriledge to rob God of his due We should not give nor should any man take to himself the glory of a cure Neither Peter nor John Act. 3.12 Paul nor Barnabas Act. 14.11 c. durst take to themselves the glory of a cure Every Physitian should say as the King of Israel in another case said to the Woman crying out to him for help 2 King 6.26 27. If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee The best Physitians can do nothing without Gods assistance Simples are but simple things without the blessing of God upon them Who put medicinal qualities into Drugs but the God of Nature Whence had the Physitian his skill to find out the quality of the Distemper and apply sutable means but from the God of Wisdom Jam. 1.5 Christ said Mat. 4.4 Man lives not by bread alone c. Nor is man recovered by Physick alone without Gods blessing Ps 107.18 19 20. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat and they draw near to the gates of death then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble he saveth them out of their distress he sent his Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions It follows v. 21. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men Quest But may we not thank our Physitian Answ Yes and you are too blame if you do not Ingratitude is an odious sin Gen. 40.23 compared with Gen. 41.9 It is one of the sins that makes the last times so perillous 2 Tim. 3.2 The Heathen thought you could not give a man a more odious title then to call him ungrateful Ingratum si dixeris omnia as though it was a compendium of all vices and indeed it is a decompounded sin Ahasuerus was too blame to forget loyal-hearted Mordecai so long who had been a means to save his life till it was almost too late to remember him He was to be commended for conferring civil dignities upon him afterwards as you read he did Esth 6. Let such as are unthankful to Physitians and to such as are a means to save their lives from destruction go to School to those Barbarians Acts 28.8 9 10. from whom they may learn lessons of Civility They honoured Saint Paul who healed many amongst them of many Diseases with many honours and when he with the rest of his company departed they laded them with such things as were necessary Well then you may and ought to thank them as Instruments but remember that God is the supream efficient They are to be rewarded and respected for their pains and care with us but God alone is to be praised for the Cure wrought upon us God is the Fountain they are but as Pipes to convey God's mercies to us Let us then give God the praise of all as the Angels sung Gloria in Excelsis Glory be to God on high Luk. 2.14 And as Christ hath taught us Mat. 6.13 For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever Amen That Woman in the Gospel cured of the Distemper called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glorified God as you may read Luke 13.13 There were ten Lepers that lift up their voices and said Jesus Master have mercy on us Luk. 17.13 Yet being cleansed there was but one of them that turned back and with a loud voice glorified God vers 15. But Christ took notice of their ingratitude v. 17 18. There was but one of ten that returned to give thanks 'T is ten to one if God cure us but we prove ungrateful Oh let us not in sickness pray for mercy and in health forget to return thanks for the receit of mercy Non sonet illud tantum miserere Deus sed sonet etiam laus gratianum actio pro accepta illius misericordia Muscul in Phil. 2.27 David was much in praising God for delivering him from deadly dangers as the Psalms testifie Psal 30.1 3 4. 86.12 13. 103.3 104.33 116.6 12 17. 118.14 146. v. 1 2. So Hezekiah being recovered pens a Song of Thanksgiving Isa 38.9 c. Oh my beloved extraordinary mercies call for more then ordinary thanks Exod. 12.42 Communicate your experiences Psalm 66.16 Tell others of the cures God hath wrought Joh. 5.15 Mar. 5.19 The tongue is called our glory Psal 16.9 Let your glory sing praise to God and not be silent Psal 30.12 Wherein is your tongue a glory if not in setting forth the glory of God I end all with that Doxology of the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS