and pleasure he will not only deliver them from the lightest and least burthensome but also from the most tormenting and diresom yea from all and every one of them For though great are the troubles of the Righteous yet the Lord will deliver him out of all Which words present us with these Two Considerations First The condition of the Righteous man upon earth or the Religious person presented to us in Sables with ashes sprinkled on his head his garments rent his heart broken himself a companion a man and friend of sorrows Great are the Troubles c. Secondly We have a confident assurance of this mans delivery from this his forlorn estate The Lord will deliver him out of all We begin with the State of the Righteous upon earth Job 14.1 Man that is born of a Woman hath but a short time to live and is full of misery saith that picture of patience and Landschape of misery Holy Job who took the heigth of other mens miseries by surveying his own afflictions for though he was an upright man one who had an awful reverence for the majestie of Heaven and that combining with his love caused him to shun all occasions and appearances of evil yet still as he endeavoured to avoid all the tempting evils of sin the evil of afflictions pursued him close at his heels for he was filled to the brim with the very Gall and Bitterness of Sorrows How was he sequestred from all the Blessings of this Life plunder'd of his Earthly Goods robb'd of his Children the little models of himself and from the hands of an ill-advising Wife delivered into the hands of Satan to be buffeted and scourged at his pleasure Few and evil have been the days of my life saith the Patriarch Jacob one of the chief Darlings of God Gen. 47.9 yet what a large draught did he drink of the Cup of salt Tears of afflictions How was he banished from the knees of his aged Father from the bosom of his loving and tender-hearted Mother What an inveterate enemy to him was his Brother Esau who forced him to travel into a strange Country only accompanied with his Staff and his Scrip almost clad with no other Garments than the sable-weeds of wo having no other Bed than the cold Earth to rest his wearied and tender Limbs no other Canopy than that of Heaven no other Pillow than a Marble-stone which like a kind-hearted Host did by its weeping seem to commiserate the hard misfortune of this unhappy Pilgrim who after all this was constrain'd for meer maintenance to serve a Pagan in a strange Land for many years Yes and as we have seen the afflictions of this pious man in his own person so we may track the footsteps of them in that of his Off-spring for they were the Coheirs not only of his substance but also of his sorrows But to discourse of all their troubles crosses and tribulations would make your ears undergo an Egyptian Tyranny whilst we passed through this Wilderness of wo. This then shall suffice that they walked through the Red-Sea of affliction before they arrived at the Promised Land of Canaan verse 3. Nevertheless these People were Gods own chosen Inheritance or to use the Prophets expression the Friends of God and greater favourites in the Court of Heaven Notwithstanding which Zech. 13. the Wisdom of Heaven thought it convenient to purifie them in the Furnace of Afflictions the more gloriously to adorn them with those Spiritual Ornaments which can render them most amiable in the Eyes of the great King But amongst all who have suffered affliction who ever met with more hardships than David For he being a Type of Christ was always hedged about with the Cross as Christ was contemned of his Country-men so David of his Brethren As Christ fled into Egypt so David unto Gath As Christ received Food of Women so David of Abigail As Herod persecuted Christ so Saul persecuted David Yes and the wrath of the King created a number of Enemies insomuch that though he was annointed he could not reign and when he reigned his reign was but a Warfare The Philistines against him the Amorites against him the Edomites against him yea and Absalom too for whom he would have died rose up against him His Son who was his darling prov'd Traitor unto him and Viper-like sought to deprive hin of life who gave him breath Is it strange then that David affirms Great are the troubles c. But perhaps some may confess 'T is true whilst Religion was clouded and the Law had shadowed the brightness thereof men were overspread with calamities and troubles but so soon as the Son of Righteousness arose he dispersed not only the mists and obscurities that were under the Law but also that gloominess of sorrows which had seized on mens spirits and since Christ is come and hath preached the Kingdom of the Gospel our days are the Halcyon and weather Sun-shine To which I answer If we take a prospect of the troubles of the Righteous under the Law we shall conclude it was but a little Cloud which arose like the Palm of a mans hand in reference to those Storms and Tempests which have united and spread themselves over the face of the whole earth under the dispensation of the Gospel for in temporal blessings and earthly felicities the Law hath the preeminence For in the time of the Law God promised to Moses Deut. 9.14 for a reward of his faith and obedience to make of him a great Nation But the blessed Jesus saith My Flock it is a little one In the time of the Law Gen. 15. Abraham the Father of the faithful was blessed with the promise of plenty and abundance All the Land which thou seest to thee will I give it and to thine inheritance for ever yes and our Royal Prophet cou'd say that the Righteous shall possess the Land Ps 37.22 nay a little after he testifieth that he had observed for many years together yet never could see the Righteous forsaken and 25. v. or any of their Seed begging their Bread for in those days Prosperity did seem as it were entail'd on none but the Righteous Person But since Christ came to settle the Gospel in the World Tempora mutantur and the blessings of the godly are of a contrary die and complexion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed are you when persecuted for Righteosness sake Mat. 5.10.11 and blessed are you when men shall revile you and speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every thing that isevil of you for my name sake We must through many Tribulations enter the Kingdom of God Acts 14.22 Heb. 12.6 7. So agin Whom the Lord loveth he scourgeth and chastneth every Son whom he receiveth We are therefore a Spurious Offpring and no true Children of God if exempt from afflictions Quos Amo arguo castigo Those who are my Darlings and Favourites whom I honour with the
the Sun was placed in the Firmament of Heaven that the whole World might be cherished by the influence of its heat and light yet how many are there to whom it is not much beneficial for are there not some of so reserv'd and melancholy a disposition that they are more affected with darkness upon which account they creep into Grots and Holes to hide themselves from the glory of his Beams In like manner light came into the World and was offer'd up for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Catholick good of all but some loving darkness rather then light keep themselves baricadoed from his benign influence resisting the light of faith for otherwise he should not perish but have everlasting life Heb. 5.9 which is best interpreted by that curt yet full expression of St. Paul he is the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him The Kingdom of Heaven is shut up against none though some are so unhappy as to exclude themselves for they are so far degenerated into Brutes that neither the dreadful apprehensions of an angry God a consuming fire or Worm that never dyes can frighten them into obedience or can the invitatory Charms of Holy things allure them thereunto or lastly can the modest shame of a base and ignoble action move them for like ill-distempered bodies they convert all wholsome food into their own corrupted humours saying unto God depart from us we desire not the knowledge of his ways who is the Almighty that we should serve him or what benefit accrues to us if we pray to him First they abhor the knowledge of his ways and commandments because they are contrary and speak against their works Secondly They refuse submission to his power perswading themselves he is not Almighty because sentence is not executed speedily but he is Merciful Long-suffering and Gracious And then lastly They will not pray unto him because they would ask that which is so repugnant to his supreme wisdom and goodness that they know he will not answer their petitions So that in short it is through themselves they perish and come not to bliss and glory because they decline the presence of God shutting up all the avenues of faith and charity through which he should come in unto them For God hath engaged his word not to be inexorable and the Creator hath protested and sworn that it is far from his thoughts to delight himself in the destruction of his Creature For can the charity of a grave and sober person upon earth pray for the conversion and salvation of all Nations and what shall the charity of Christ be limited or will they ravish him of his goodness No verily he would have none to perish but upon their submission he will embrace them with the arms of his mercy receive them for his own Children by Adoption give them the blessings of eternal life and make them partakers of his everlasting Kingdom Seeing then this was the end and drift of Christs Incarnation seeing God hath dealt thus graciously with us what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness How ought we to esteem and love him who so esteemed and loved us that he thought not his life and bloud too dear for us How ought we toesteem our selves since God hath thought us worthy to be esteemed of him Let us remember this and know that we are men How ought we to take heed that we neither spot or soil that flesh wherein God hath manifested himself For what are we the better that God hath given us his Son if there be not a mystical Incarnation in our hearts and his Nativity our spiritual Birth-day that being born anew Christ may dwell in us and we in him Was it not his purpose to be like us that we might be like him was he not born of a poor Virgin to teach us to be meek and lowly did he not take upon him the form of a Servant to teach us we must not Lord it over them who are beneath us How little did he value the pomp and grandeur of the World to set our affections on things above how contented was he in a mean condition to teach us not to take care for to Morrow How courteous was he to the meanest Clients to teach us humanity and brotherly kindness how liberal was he of doing good to teach us to be diligent in relieving the necessity of the Indigent How patient was he in suffering the the mockeries and scoffs of the ruder multitude to teach us not to pay evil for evil how patient was he amidst the sad tortures and pangs of the Cross to teach us not to repine at the chastisements and corrections of Heaven How little did he fancy the applauses of men to teach us not to court popularity or be fond of the praises of men How absolutely did he resign up his Will to the Will of his Father to teach us in every state to say Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven In a word how did he lay down his Life in full hopes of a glorious Resurrection to teach us to say Though after my Skin worms destroy my Body yet in my Flesh shall I see God whom I my self shall behold and not another These are the Beauties of Jesus to be equally admir'd and practised by us This is a Transcript of the Deity which we must carry always in our hearts for by the copying of it Christ knows who are his Let us then endeavour to follow our Exemplar as close as we can in these steps of his Holy Life Let us not slight that Love which is gone to prepare us a place in his Fathers House Let us make all things conspire to proclaim his Glory Let us conceive Christ in our heart by our believing and hearing his word and let us bring him forth in our life by giving all diligence to practice and perform it Let us look on the Mercy of this day as an hopeful assurance that God will never end his Love and good Will towards Men till he hath brought us thither where Jesus is Let us earnestly beseech him to guide us in those steps whereby he did ascend from Earth to Heaven Let us desire him so earnestly to subdue our Wills to His that it may be our Meat and Drink to perform his Heavenly Pleasure Which that it may be more effectually wrought for the Eternal Interest of us all let us fall down and say in sincerity of heart ALmighty God who hast given us thy only Begotten Son to take our Nature upon him and as this day to be born of a pure Virgin Grant thas we being regenerate and made thy Children by Adoption and Grace may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit through the same Jesus Christ our Lord To whom with the Father and Holy Ghost be ascribed all Honour Glory Might Majesty and Dominion now and evermore Amen FINIS
makes no serious reflexion on his ways when the hand of God presseth him sore This was the case of the Israelites for when he slew them Ps 78.34 then they sought him early Nay when God chastens man for sin will it not make him to bind himself by most solemn vows and promises that if he will remove this burthen from his Shoulders he will utterly renounce those sins which have made him so miserable and live hereafter in a stricter observance of his commands What multitudes had infallibly perished had not afflictions preserved them from it This is that Shepherds Crook whereby God returns his wandring Sheep to the Fold Thus the Prodigal Son was brought back again to his Fathers house he had never thought of the great plenty in his Fathers Family had he not been constrained to feed on Husks Thus the Prophet Jonah when he was in the belly of the Whale poured forth his prayers unto God Thus Susanna cryed unto the Lord in her distress And thus the Disciples in a Storm implor'd the assistance of Christ Master save us we perish What School more proper for the instruction of men then that of affliction when his Judgments are in the Land the Inhabitants of the world shall learn Righteousness for those evils he inflicts upon others are warning-peices for all For as the indulgent Mother loves not to behold a mote on the face of her beloved Infant but will immediately wipe the same away So neither can our heavenly Father endure the least blemish of sin on the Souls of his dear Children but will presently cleanse it with the water of affliction If thou sin to day he will afflict to morrow For great are c. The Third Reason why the Lord visits us with afflictions is to make tryal whether with the Silver-smith we had rather make Shrines for Diana and well paid for our labour then to erect Temples for the worship of a crucified Jesus to meet with his Cross for our pains Yes and thus the goodly fellowship of the Prophets and noble Army of Martyrs were tryed who were so far from denying the truth that they did couragiously abide the stroak of death and choose to loose their lives in tribulation For this Rod and this Staff comforted them with the hopes of their deliverance from the servitude of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Children of God This was that which comforted these defenders of Christianity that whereon they cast their eye in the midst of all the unexpressible tortures the powerful witty malice of the World was able to inflict With what incomparable violence were their Souls separated from their bodies Nevertheless when mortal members yielded to the Sword of Persecution then they beheld though with an eye drenched in bloud and tears the bright glory which attended them Yes and saw as in a mirrour the Thorns of those prodigious sufferings disposed into Lawrels and Crowns There the Proto-Martyr St. Stephen saw the Stones which pelted him into Heaven as so many Rubies and pretious Stones to adorn that Crown which was to begirt his Brows By this fiery tryal of Persecution are the Children of God and Sons of Belial distinguished for the former will become red with bloud to preserve devotion but the latter will betray it for they depart from God in the time of Tribulation Many may with that Rock St. Peter make solemn Protestations to follow Christ and stick close to him but when they come to Pilat's Hall the faint blasts of a Virgins breath will shake the Rock and stagger their resolution But he who follows Christ for the Miracles and not for the Loaves who courts Religion for her Beauty and not for her dowry will not be ashamed to confess his Master though he is most certainly assured to be mounted on Gibbets and undergo the most rigid Tortures power is able to invent Tribulation is Vertues Furnace the stouter and more masculine it is the more it glittereth in affliction This is that rich Diamond which can endure the Wheel whilst all other things are like Pebbles somewhat glittering but little worth Let any one judge how noble and glorious a spectacle it is to behold an invincible courage counterbuffl'd with Storms and Tempests on whom it seemeth Heaven would burst and fall in peices Is it not admirable to behold him amidst the ruins of the World and threats of the Air always standing like to a great Brazen Colossus valuing them at no higher rate then Mists and small Flakes of Snow because he is compleatly taught that in the School of Vertue we learn to despise temporal pleasures and to trample on those vanities which others have so much laboured and hunted after Here we are taught mortification and the exercise of those godly and Heroick Actions which give the Soul an antepast of Heaven in this mortal life and an enfranchisement from the fear of death Jovinian a King having two Vessels of Wine in his Pallace the one sweet the other sowr Decreed that whosoever would tast of the sweet wine should first drink of the sowr whosoever in like manner would drink of those Rivers of Pleasures streaming at Gods Right Hand must not refuse to pledge Christ first in his bitter cup of afflictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Get thee behind me Satan Mat. 16.23 for thou art an offence was the rebuke the Son of God gave St. Peter when he would have disswaded him from suffering both the most cruel and ignominious death of the Cross and then assembling his whole Colledge of Disciples together solemnly declared that as they had been the companions of his life so also must they go share with him in his sorrows as he so they likewise must suffer when the Bridegroom is gone the Children of the Bridegroom must weep as well as fast For what can be more rude and unhandsome what can we stile more unbecoming and undecent than to see the head crowned with Thorns and the Servants enwrapped with softness To see our Jesus in his Agony and Good-Friday-apparel and our selves in our jollity or Easter Robes To see Christ toyling under the burthen of the Cross and we dancing in our Sports To see him drinking Vinegar and Gall and we pleasing our foolish appetites To see Christ of his Cross make a Ladder to ascend his Throne of Glory and we to stand here with folded arms To see him travailing through Briars and Thornes and we unwilling to tread on any thing but Roses Is not this as incongruous as to see Princes walking on their feet and Servants riding on Horseback Is not this as great a disunion as to see the Master in Russet and the Servant in Purple faring deliciously every day If therefore we desire to spell out our names amongst his Servants we must learn Christs Cross over and not be ashamed of his Livery the Purple Robe but must tread the path marked out with that bloud shed for our Redemption For observe that
endless miseries they may wander many years in the Tents of Kedar where there is nothing but blackness and darkness not the least glimmering of joy yet still he will bring them at length to the Mountains of joy and gladness Thus the Prophet assureth us He gives them beauty for ashes Isa 61.3 the oil of joy for mourning and the garments of gladness for the spirit of heaviness 'T is the method of Heaven to place mourning before joy as Night before Day I will smite and I will make whole First the punishment then the blessing Who would have thought when the Israelites were Forty years in the Wilderness they should ever have came into the Land flowing with Milk and Honey Who would have thought when Jonah was cast into the Sea to have met him again preaching at Nineveh who would have thought when Nebuchadnezzar was grasing in the Forrest to have seen him again governing in Babel who would have thought when Joseph was on Prison to have seen him advanced Lord over Pharaoh's house who would have thought when Job was in the Dunghil that he should be happier and richer then before his misfortunes These are the great acts of mercy which make the faithful sing with Miriam the Lord hath triumphed valiantly Exod. 15.21 did not the fire that insatiable and gluttonous Element loose its devouring nature when the three Judaean Youths were cast into the Chaldaean Furnace though it consumed their enemies who threw them in yet it hurted not them but caressed them with amorous embraces as if they had been flames of love insomuch there was neither an hair of their head perished nor the smell of fire upon their cloaths for thou O thou mighty God of Jacob didst deliver them Nay thus he brought Jacob from Exile thus he delivered St. Peter from the hands of King Herod and all the expectation of the Jews Why art thou then afraid O my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me O still put thy confidence in God for he will deliver thee When Herod sent forth his Troop of Horse to slay the poor innocent Infantry of Bethlehem to the end he might destroy him who was born King of the Jews tydings came at last to Mary and Joseph in Aegypt that he was dead who sought the young Child's life Even so when our Banishment and Sickness bondage and scarcity are fully compleated Tydings shall come that our troubles are dead Exod. 34.6 and the heart shall dance and sing that Song of Moses The Lord the Lord Strong Merciful and Gracious Slow to Anger but abounding in Goodness and Truth The same hand that woundeth cureth it is God who maketh the wound and bindeth it up He smiteth and the powder of his mercy maketh it whole Had David put a stop and period at troubles discoursing of nothing but Rods than might have the Righteous have complained I have cleansed my heart in vain but as there is a flux and reflux of the waters of the Sea so are there the ebbings as well as the flowings of sorrows here lies Joseph in the Prison and Jeremiah in the Dungeon Job in ashes Jacob in the Field David in the Wilderness and Abraham in Exile Daniel in the Den and the three Children in the Furnace but at last comes the year of Jubilee and the Prisoners of hope are no longer in Chains Zach. 9.12 but freed from Captivity and Thraldom Upon which account they are stiled Prisoners of hope because they may confidently rely upon God to deliver them for rather than Elijah shall starve the Ravens shall feed him rather then Jonah shall drown a Whale shall swallow him up if the Glutton be cruel and pitiless doggs shall be kind and compassionate For can a Mother commiserate the trickling tears of her crying Infant and will the Father of mercy be obdure to thee are the tears of an infirm Lazaro so eloquent and Rhetorical that they will force compassion from the beholders eyes and will not thy wounds seconded with the intercession of a crucified Jesus move the God of Heaven doth he cloath the Lilly and the Rose which neither spinn nor toyl with such beauty and glory and will not he adorn thy head with hallowed flames which was environed with Thorns for the maintaining of his Truth and Religion hath not God promised to deliver thee and will he break his Vows Is not a martyred soul a friend of Gods and is he wont to forsake his Favourites did he not once speak peace unto thee and is it usual for him to recall his words Nay in a word did not he smile upon thee when thou wert in the greatest agonies and are his smiles deceitful Rest satisfied therefore and quiet thy self with the rich expressions of his love and full assurance of obtaining the promise to set with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God We are not healed so soon as we are bruised but our deliverance is deferred for a while to see how patiently we demean our selves waiting the Lords leisure as it is said of the Prophets Vision though it tarry Hab. 2.3 wait for it for it will most assuredly come it will not tarry and so in the text Ps 55. though the Righteous have troubles yet they are not everlasting ones and so again he will not suffer the Righteous to fall for ever Whilst the Righteous are in trouble they seem as it were in a trance dead for a while but at length they shall come forth as Lazarus from the grave mourning may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning how shall this therefore content the afflicted soul that he shall be delivered when made perfect through tribulation How may this cordial revive a wounded and drooping spirit making it to burst forth in the expressions of David By this I know that thou favourest me Ps 41.11 for my enemies dont triumph over me When old Eli heard the sad threatnings of God against him the destruction of his Family the loss of the Priest-hood the cutting off both his Sons in one day all which were afflictions of the heaviest nature neverthe less the sole consideration that it was the Lord 1 Sam. 3.18 made him cry out Let him do what seemeth him good If an excess of joy be ever allowable certain it is when we fall into divers temptations of tryal otherwise Mirth what meaneth it and laughter it is madness Is the Lilly less fair or the Rose not so odoriferous and fragrant when environed with thornes neither is the Spouse of Christ his Church less beautiful and comely because she is militant and always in warfare Why art thou then afraid O my Soul or why dost thou repine at adversity especially since God hath laid it as the foundation at least medium to eternal felicity art thou poor alas how canst thou want if God be with thee or the rich what have they in possession when God is afar off St. Paul
tells us how the Hebrews with joy sustained the rapine of their goods Heb. 11.16 because they knew there was a more durable treasure and incomparably better inheritance prepared for them What is it therefore which troubles thy repose dost thou bewail the loss of a Parent Relation or Friend Oh consider with thy self he was not born to live always and perhaps like the Righteous was snatched away earlier from the evil to come Moreover If you truly love God as who cannot but love that which is nothing but essential purity it self How canst thou be afflicted at the dissolution of a man since if he perish not to God he perish not to thee and we must not be sorry as men without hope Why art thou then so sad oh my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me dost thou groan under the pressures of an infirm constitution remember with thy self we should not covet to enjoy life but according to the tenour of its grant we breath under constellations which by their variety of influences create variety of humors and distempers and if this be convenient for the good of the universe shall not private respects and particular interests give place thereunto shall I murmur against my God in grumbling at my sickness or rather ought I not thankfully accept it as a present from the most merciful and benign parent ordained either as a chastisement of my sins or tryal of my vertue and blessed is that sickness whose pains lead to salvation blessed is that war which ends in everlasting peace What is it then which makes thee thus disconsolate do the Walls of a Prison affright thee lift up thy eyes unto the Hills and view those immense spaces above the Heavens designed as a praemium of thy Restraint for the deprivation of a little fresh air and some other contentments depending on liberty what spiritual entertainments mayst thou hope to enjoy when Angels are recorded to have accompanied not only St. Peter but also Paul and Silas in the Prison there thou art free from envy and detraction opprobries and calumnies for where is that malice Oh! where is that cruelty will rage upon the prostrate however where is that wise Marchant who Trafficks for so rich a Pearl so great a purchase and will not venture something on the score of persecution Courage then O my soul and welcome the vexations of hunger cold bonds and imprisonments whips or scourges ship-wrecks or nakedness the perils of the Sea City or Wilderness as boni genii good Angels sent from God to minister for them Heb. 1. ult who are Heirs of Salvation For what saith the sincere Christian Nebe 6.11 with Nehemiah shall such a man as I lye shall such a man as I recant am I a child of God and shall not I fight his battels am I a Christian and shall not I fight under the Banner of the Captain of our Salvation how hath Solomon branded me for a Coward Pro. 24.10 and my strength small if I faint in the day of adversity How can I want comfort in the midst of adversity and trouble Pro. 15.15 when a good conscience is a continual Feast With what confidence therefore will I rely upon my God! Isa 28.16 how patiently will I wait the Lords leisure because faith maketh no hast I will pride my self in my Chains and will not be troubled at diseases for though this Sickness may be unto the first yet not unto the second death I will not flatter the Judge out of fear what man can do unto me for whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe Pro. 29.25 Shall I betray the cause when God hath appointed it to try me shall I offend my bretheren when St. Paul had rather die than be guilty of being a stumbling block unto any Rom. 14. shall I charge my Conscience when its wounds are more intollerable then the tortures of the body shall I apostatize from my profession and turn from the faith when at my enrolment a member of Christ I so solemnly covenanted with him to maintain it unto my lives end No I will valiantly resist the temptations of the three Cardinal enemies of my Salvation the World Flesh and the Devil let my Friends tempt me like Job's Wife let my Flesh flatter me like Eve let my Persecutors bribe me like Balak let them who suffer with me revolt and abandon me yet like Joshua I will still serve the Lord Josh 24.14 and though every one be offended because of Christ yet will I never be offended for he is instead of comfort health and liberty unto me How great were the troubles of Joseph yet the Lord did deliver him out of all how many were the afflictions of Abraham how many were the sorrows both of David and Job yet thou O my God didst deliver them and therefore thou canst and wilt deliver me for thou art my Castle and strong Tower of defence Oh! hast thee to deliver me that my enemies may not triumph over me yet if thou dost not I will follow the examples of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego and will not do evil to escape danger For shall I shrink at this when Christ hath done so much for me Oh! the blewness of the stripes and ghastliness of the wounds Oh the pricks of the thorns and piercings of the Nails all which and much more he patiently submitted to to excuse me from the misery I had justly deserved and what shall I deny my Saviour sopoor a kindness so small a request as to do something for him who hath done all things for me shall he give me his heart and his bowels and shall not I return him the same Is there a flame in him and no spark in me no reflecting of a Sun-beam or repairing of the Stream into the Ocean No with Hester if I perish I perish for I am purposed to observe his righteous judgments If my Purse suffer my mony doth but perish if my body be imprisoned my pleasures do but perish if sickness attend me Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me whole In whatsoever state or condition therefore I am as Holy David so will I comfort my self in the Lord my God 1 Sam. 30.6 this is the Staf on which I will lean for though earthly Crowns are made of Gold yet heavenly Diadems are made of the thorns of tribulation I will not therefore look for pleasures in my way till I have passed the narrow Gate and am arrived at the place where there shall be no more hunger thirst or cold but all tears shall be wiped from our eyes and the Robes of Scarlet washed white in the bloud of the Lamb who sitteth on the Throne for ever and ever To Whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be all Honour Glory Might Majesty and Dominion now and for evermore Amen GODS LOVE TO LAPS'D MAN John 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his
Merciful Father that the perfect Image of this thy Son may be so formed in our hearts that we may live the life of Christ serving him in righteousness and holiness all the days of our Pilgrimage here that we may not defeat the ends of his death but strive to compleat the joy of our Lord. To which end we see God spared not his Son but a Manger is his Cradle behold the Bread of life appointed for the Provision and nourishment of our souls he came to fetch home the lost Sheep and to cure and heal the infirm and weak He came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance And what shall we rob our selves of our share in this so glorious an enterprise shall we ruinate the purposes of Christ in delivering us out of that misery wherein we were so unhappily plunged For had not the Father sent him on that errand how had we been broken in peices like a Potters Vessel Whips Scourges and Scorpions had been our portion had not a Rod sprung from the Root of Jesse to save Sinners from the lash Let us then return our thanks to this Redeemer of Israel and say O blessed Jesu who about this time was born of a pure Virgin we return thee our praises and thanksgivings for that thou would be pleased to subject thy self to the miseries of flesh that flesh might be capacitated for the joy of eternal bliss It was our gluttony O Bread of Life which caused thee to hunger our intemperance O fountain of living water which caused thee to cry out I am athirst thou wert made as we are that we might be made as thou art with all the powers and faculties of our souls and bodies we return thee all honour and praise singing with the heavenly quire All glory power and dominion be ascribed to the Lamb and him that sitteth on the Throne for ever and ever Amen And so I descend in the Second place to consider their quantity whom God so loved that he gave his only begotten Son for them God so loved the World He did not give his Son for some choice and select persons only the glorious Son of Righteousness did not dart his radiant beams on the Land of Goshen only but he arose with healing in his wings over the superficies of the whole earth that all mankind might receive benefit by his influence For by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the text is meant all the world both Jew and Gentile and so St. Paul useth it saying that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself 2 Cor. 5.18 now what is signified by reconciling the Word is interpreted by St. Paul Rom. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole Creation or all the Gentile World in opposition to the Jewish Enclosure not all the creatures absolutely but all men of all sorts particularly those Gentile Idolators mentioned by the same Apostle whom he stiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you who were alienated and strangers to God hath he reconciled to himself Colos 1.21 for he sent him into the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to save all men that were lost to ave all men that were lost to heal the smarting sores not of some few polluted souls only but of all descended from the loyns of Adam For by Adams offence God had concluded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things all his posterity under the guilt of sin Ephes 1.10 and therefore to satisfie his Justice and to manifest his Mercy he hath given us his Son that in the dispensation of the fulness of time he might gather into one all things both which are in Heaven and Earth where is intimated no more then the people who dwell under the Canopy of Heaven For though the mercy of God and the Merits of our Saviour hath so confirmed and established the Angels in their Stations of glory that it is impossible for them to fall and slide away yet this cannot be said to be by Redemption but by Christs gratious uniting them to God so that I conceive the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot refer to them but only to men because Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did not come to take hold of reduce or reconcile the Angels but only mankind for the Angels in Heaven never fell and therefore what need had they of a Reconciliation so that the Apostle only endeavours to explain to us that Christ is the universal Redeemer of Man-kind of the Gentiles as well asof the Jews which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an act of free undeserved mercy imputable to nothing but Gods meer grace For by our Original depravation we became prone to do evil and are not able to think a good thought insomuch the most righteous of the Sons of men had need of a Saviour to make an Attonement and Expiation for them For the Royal Prophet informs us God looked down from Heaven Ps 14. and none did good no not one Shall the disease then he epidemical and common to all and shall not the cure be the same shall Eves transgression be capable of ruining and destroying all and what hath not Christs all-healing bloud virtue enough to save all Is God a respecter of persons or if we do well shall we not be accepted is not he willing that all should come to salvation why do the Church stile Adams sin an happy sin if our Redemption and the Merits of Christs Sacred Passion was not extended to all even the greatest criminal and highest offendor if he seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him whilst he is near For as by the offence of one Rom. 5.18 death came upon all men unto condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life whence it is clear the remedy brought to us by Christ reached as far as the disease How doth St. John entitle him a Sun which giveth light to every one that cometh into the World John 1.9 There is none overshadowed with so dismal a Cloud of sins who may not if they will take in the rays of his mercy the blackest soul may find the bloud of Christ ready to cleanse her stains and exchange them for a pure die of innocencie if she can with a sincere heart and tongue cry out Have Mercy upon me O God For by the bloud of Christ is conveyed to all men a capacity of Salvation but if they neglect so great Salvation and afterwards come to perish it is through their own default in misusing his gracious endearments and proving refractory to his commands For this is a faithful saying 1 Tim. 1.1 and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners Sinners indefinitely without the exclusion of any And so again He tasted death for every man Heb. 1.9 and is risen again for their Justification that is as verily as all men have sinned by