from the holy commandement delivered vnto them I will not compare the true Christian to a tree in the kingdome of Congo called by the Portugalians f Arbor tristis The sorrowfull tree because it neither buds nor blossomes nor brings forth fruit but in the night and in the day is without fruit flowers or leaues as if it were dead for the Christian is like vnto the Palme-tree which is greene both day and night though his godlinesse shineth more brightly like a Diamond in the night of his aduersitie then in the day of his prosperitie But well may I compare those painted Christians to the herbe called Heliotropium or Turnesol be cause it turneth with the Sunne both arising and going downe For so long as prosperous dayes shine vpon them they follow Christ who is t Mal. 4.2 the Sun of righteousnesse But if to put his children to a triall of their faith he hide himselfe for a little while in a darke night of persecution forthwith they turne their backes vnto him and forsake him Great and wailefull is their losse Neverthelesse the Church findeth in it a great gaine in weeping for them matter of ioy for her selfe For what are they but super fluous and vnprofitable u Ezech. 5.1.2 haire of the mystical body of Christ which he burnes with fire or scattereth in the wind when he taketh a rasour to trimme the head and the beard of his Church but x Ezech. 22.18 brasse tinne yron lead drosses which are euaporated vanish away in stincking pestilent smoak when y Mal. 3.3 the refiner and purifier of the sonnes of Levi taketh his gold and his siluer to melt and purge them in the furnace of triall but the scum which the Cauldron of the Church casteth out when it seeths and bubbles at the fire of persecution but a Psal 1.4 chaffe which the winde driueth away when the Lord taketh b Mat. 3.12 his fann◠in his hand a broome to sweepe and purge throughly his floare but c Ioh. 15.1 the fruitlesse branches of the true vine which the heavenly Vine-dresser takes away and casts into the fire of his indignation but d August in Epist Iohan. tract 3. Non de carne mea praecisi sunt sed pectus mihi premebant cum inessent c. ill humours which lay heavie vpon the stomacke of the Church but noisome and rotten deiections which shee avoyds into the iakes of the world when the Physician of the soule hath giuen her to drink a bitter potion in the cup of tribulation When such filthy excrements are euacuated she is not so grosse so swollen and puffed vp as she was but shee is more healthful Finally what are they but like vnto woodden legs or to a Creple-mans staffe which when he is cured of his disease he casteth away and not only looseth nothing of his owne but also receiueth a benefit and thankes God that they are not more behoouefull vnto him CHAP. V. 1 OVr first comfort in heaven is that wee shall be without sinne 2 The second that we shall be free from all miserie 3 The third that our faith and hope shall bee changed into the reall possession of the thing beleeved and hoped for 4 What shall bee then the blessednes of our soules 5 And of our bodies 6 Eternall life more fully described by seven circumstances 7 Then the wicked shall see the glory of Gods children who also shall see the torments of the wicked and praise God incessantly 8 Exhortation praier I. AS at the marriage e Ioh. 2.10 in Cana of Galilee all the wine was good but that which was given last was the best so all those comforts whereof I have spoken are most excellent but the last which God giveth to his children at the last day of their lives and which he shall fill to them in the unmeasurable bowles of his infinit mercies at the last day of the world surpasseth them all Our comfort and our blessednes is now that our sinnes are forgiven us our comfort our blessednes shall be then that we shall be without sinne f Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours Their first their last their most continuall and toilsome labour is their sinne from it they rest And therfore the holy Apostle g Rom. 7 24 desired to die that his blessednes which consisted onely in forgivenesse of sinne by death might bee changed into the blessednesse of abolishment of sinne for then there shall bee no sinne because there shall bee no inticement no allurement to sin h Rev. 21 27 There shall in no wise enter into the holy City any thing that defileth Nothing is able to defile us but sinne and therefore to it wee shall say in that day Get thee hence stād without i Rev. 22 15 For without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie What is sinne but a lie What is a sinner but a lover but a maker of lies But within are they of whom it is written k Esay 60.21 Thy people shall be all righteous they shall inherit the land for ever the branch of my planting the work of my hands that I may be glorified O Lord l Psalm 118.9 20 open to me the gates of righteousnes I will go into them and I wil praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter I wil praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation II. Our comfort and our blessednes is now that when m Rev. 17 4 the Whore of Babylon drinketh unto us in the cup of her abominations and fornications not the health but the death of our soules God strengtheneth us with n Esa 11.2 the spirit of might which maketh us to say to him o Psalm 73.27 28 Loe they that are farre from thee shall perish Thou hast destroied all them that goe awhoring from thee but it is good for mee to draw neer to God I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare al thy works Our comfort and our blessednes is now that when our enemies make us to drink great bowles of salt teares in stead of wine we drink stoutly and are not drunk and stagger not any way from our profession when they bait us they cannot abate us when they presse us they cannot oppresse us when they cut the thread of our mortall life vvee rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory because we know that God will knit and fasten our soules to the thread of immortalitie which his owne hands have spun Our comfort our blessednes will be then that p Rev. 21 4. God shal wipe away all teares from our eyes and there shal be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shal there be any more pain q Rem
immortalitie and shall not returne unto earth againe Our water shall be glorified with impassibilitie and shall not be subiect to any passion or sufferings which may hurt and grieve us Our aire shall have such agilitie and promptnesse * Aug de Civit. dei lib 22. cap. 30. Certe ubi volet Spiritus ibi protinus orit corpus that it shall quickly carry the body wheresoever the soule will have it to go Our fire shall be beautified with the most wonderfull light of all fairenesse If the x Exod. 34.29 30. skin of Moses face after he had beene fortie dayes with God in MouÌ„t Sinai shone so brightly that the people was afraid to come nigh him how brightly I pray you shal shine the bodies of the Saints when they shal be transported by the holy Angels unto Mount Sion and enlightened with the glorious light of the face of God shining upon them night and day world without end The Lord Iesus himself saith that y Mat. 13.43 the righteous shall shine foorth as the Sunne in the kingdome of their father And the holy Apostle saith that z Phil. 3.20 21. wee looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may bee fashioned like unto his glorious body In his transfiguration which was but a praeludium of his glorification a Mat. 17 2. his face did shine as the Sun his rayment was white as the light If such was the glory not onely of his body but of his raiment also when hee was upon earth how wonderfull and glorious is his body now in heaven And if our bodies are to be like unto his in glory what hart can conceive what speech can expresse the greatnes of that glory How radiaÌ„t glittring shall then be the beams of the glorious bodies of all the Saints together when each of us shall bee so glorious So then saith S. Bernard allegorizing the words of the psalm a Psalm 72.19 The whole earth shall bee filled with his glory b Bern. ibid. So will GOD fill our soules when in them shall bee perfect science perfect righteousnes perfect ioy So the whole earth shall bee filled with his glory when the bodie shall be incorruptible impassible nimble and fashioned like unto his glorious body VI. But what is all this that I have said or can say of eternall life It is as if I should paint the fair light of the Sun with the blackest coale O the last comfort of the Christian man how blessed art thou ô blessed life of them that hunger and thirst after thee how comfortable art thou for the thing which we shall enjoy in thee for the meanes for the measure for the time for the certainty for the place for the companions of that coÌ„fortable blessednes of that blessed comfort The thing shall bee God himselfe c Ber. Deus omne bonum summum bonum God who is all goodnes God who is the soveraigne good Now wee make our mone with David and say * Psalm 42.2 23. My soule thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appeare before GOD But as Lyranus saith upon the sixt chapter of S. Iohn Is status est vita aeterna ut faciat tuÌ„c Deus ut videamus quod credidimus manducemus quod esurivimus habeamus quod amavimus desideravimus Eternall life is a state wherein God will make us to see that which we beleeved to eat that for which wee were hungry to have that wch wee loved and desired The means shall be no means wee shall enjoy him by himselfe immediately As Saint Iohn saith that d Rev. 22 22 23 hee saw no Temple in the heavenly Ierusalem for the Lord God Almightie and the Lamb are the Temple of it and the City saith he also had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it the Lamb is the light thereof The measure shall bee e Luke 6 38. good measure pressed downe and shaken together and running over given into our bosome For f Bernard Deus futurus est intellectui plenitudo lucis voluntati multitudo pacis memoriae continuatio aeternitatis nam quicquid olim inchoavit praeparavit gratia tunc absolvet perficiet gloria God shall bee to our minde fulnesse of light to our will multitude of peace to our memory continuatioÌ„ of eternity then whatsoever grace hath begun in us glory will make it perfect The time shall not be g Aug. in Mat. sor 17Vbi sunt dies bow nec multi sed uâ—â—s Dies ille nescit ortum nescit occasum illi diâ—â— non succedit crastinus quia non pracedit tum besternus many daies but one A most wonderfull day A day which hath no rising no setting A day which is not followed by another because another day is not gone before it h Psalm 30.5 Weeping soiourneth in the evening but singing commeth in the morning We are now in the evening of our misery and therefore weeping sojournes journes with us wee shal be then in the morning of our felicity Then i Mal. 4.2 the Sunne of righteousnes shall arise unto us Sunne whereof the Prophet saith k Esay 60 20. Thy Sun shall no more goe downe neither shall the Moone withdraw it self for the Lord shall bee thine everlasting light the daies of thy mourning shall bee ended The place shall be new heavens and a new earth wherin dwelleth righteousnes If this heaven which we see enamelled with so many bright glistering starres be so glorious if this earth which is diapred with such a pleasant and profitable diversity of so many creatures and is inhabited by sinners be so faire how glorious will the new heavens bee how faire will the new earth be which are prepared to be the blessed habitation of righteous men The certainty shall be most certaine l Aug. do civ Doi l. 12 c. 13. Quomodo enim vera beatitudo est de cuius nunquam aeternitate confiditur for that cannot be true blessednes of the eternity whereof we are not assured The companions shall bee all the blessed Angels and all the Elect who then shall knowe one another even as in the transfiguration m Mat. 17 4 Peter knew Moses Elias whom before hee had never seen the n Luke 16 23 rich man being in hell knew Lazarus in Abraham's bosome VII O wonderfull dispensation of the justice and mercies of the Lord our God! o Chrysost in ep ist 3. ad Cyriac. Episc The tyrants and persecuters shall see know God's deare children whom they martyrized and p Sap. 5.4 5. whose life they accounted madnesse and their end disgrace infamy Seeing and knowing them they shall groane with anguish of spirit and say with the sobs of too too late repentance q Psal 144.15
such disciples of ryot are an ample Commentary u Eccles 3.12 There is nothing better for a man than to reioyce and to do good to himselfe in his life and also that every man should eat and drink and enioy the good of his labour it is the gift of God This was the Philosophie of another rich man in the Gospell x Luke 16 19 who was clothed in purple and fine linnen and fared sumptuously everie day and ere hee was aware was buried in the bottomelesse pit of hel where one drop of that sweet water wherein poore Lazarus doth swim would bee more welcom to him to cool his tongue than all the deceiving pleasures which hee enjoyed during the flying dayes of his short life That is the place ordained to all his school-fellows where then if not till then they shall condemne all their former courses and with Salomon y Eccles 2.2 say of laughter It is mad and of mirth what doth it VIII Oh that the force of reason could move them if they will not be moved with the authority of Scriptures How can riches bee mans blessednes a Aug. de mor. Eccles cathol Hominis optimū deterìus esse quà m ipsae homo non potest Mans blessednesse cannot bee worse than man himself Are not the best riches worse than the worst man What are they but b Hab. 2.6 thick clay as Habacuc cals thē which c Bern. Qua possessa onerant aemata inquinant amissa cruciant if ye possesse they are a heavy load unto you which if yee love they defile you which if yee lose they are a crosse unto you Surely if they could speake they would say d Thom. 12a q. 2. art 1. in conclus Man is not made for us but wee are made for man as it is written e Psal 8.6 Thou hast put all things under his feet Therefore man is our end and blessednesse but wee are not the end wee are not the blessednesse of man How can honour bee mans blessednes f Arist 1 Aethic c. 5 Blessednes is in him who is happy but honour is not in him who is honoured it is rather in him who doth honour Moreover g Thom. ib. art 2. in conclus honour is given to some excellencie there is no excellencie to be compared with blessednes whereof all kinde of excellencie is a part wherefore honor is a publike testimony rendred to blessednes is not so good as blessednesse is The same may bee saide of glory of good fame which follow mans blessednesse such as he may have in this world but are no part of it How can h Ibid. Art 4. Power and Authoritie bee mans blessednesse Is it not particular to some few And among all men are there any so vexed with troubles without with cares and griefe within as such men are In blessednesse there is no care no vexation of spirit but full content Who will say that i Ibid. 6. Conclus mans reasonable and immortall soule cannot come to blessednesse but by wallowing like a sow in the muddye pleasures of the mortal body They like Scorpions have stinging tailes as Salomon who knew them better than any man saith affirming that k Pro. 14.13 the end of mirth is heavines I might run through all the faculties and gifts both of body and soule and shew you that blessednesse is not in any of them apart nor in thē all together but that which I have said is sufficient to convince all them which hold for Principles and Maximes of their faith that blessed are they that are rich that are full that laugh c. and cry Woe woe woe unto them that are poore that are hungry that mourne c. CHAP. II. 1. Iesus Christ curseth them which laugh c and calleth them blessed which weepe 2. Three necessarie properties required in blessednes 3. They cannot be found but in God alone 4. Our blessednesse is the vision or fruition of God 5. What men are not blessed 6. Who are blessed I. SEe now iudge that God hath not said without a pregnant cause to such men 1 Esa 55.8 My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my wayes higher than your wayes and my thoughts than your thoughts For our Lord Iesus Christ in the Gospel of S. Luke curseth them whom they doe blesse and cryeth m Luk. 6.24 Woe unto you that are rich woe unto you that are full wo unto you that laugh now On the other part hee blesseth them whom they curse saying n Luk. 6.21 Blessed bee yee poore for yours is the kingdome of God blessed are ye that hunger now for ye shall be filled and in my text Blessed are ye that weepe now for ye shall laugh or as the words are in S. Matthew Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted These sentences are paradoxes and giddie conceits to the world but to the Church they are Maximes of truth and propositions more firme than the heaven which o Iob 37.18 is strong as a molten looking-glasse and more immoveable than the earth which p Psal 104 5. God hath founded upon her bases that it should not be remooved for ever For they were conceived in the breast of God the Father who is wisedome it selfe and were pronounced by the Sonne of God who is the substantiall word of the Father even q 1. Ioh. 5.20 the true God and eternall life Let us then be deaf to the hoggish sayings of men but let us I pray you let us this day and all the dayes of our lives listen seriously to our Lord Iesus Christ saying that those which weepe and mourne are blessed and shewing that their weeping shall be turned into joy because they shal be comforted O then give care to the wisedome of God teaching you by me this day what persons are blessed that thereafter he may cheere up your hearts with the most comfortable doctrine of the comforts wherein their blessednes consisteth II. Blessednesse is to bee considered eyther in the obiect or in the fruition and enioying of it The obiect of it is all good things that a godly mans heart can desire By good things understand not any of those visible creatures of God which we now enioy for r Rom. 14.17 the kingdome of God the possessing wherof is our blessednesse is not meat and drinke that is it consisteth not in any outward thing but is righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost proceeding from things more excellent as it is written ſ 1. Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him This then is their first propertie that they are not of this world Moreover they must be eternall and exempt from all alteration and corruption
a Feast of mourning let everie man NOW drinke to his brother every woman to her sister full cups of tears When the people of Israel were rebuked of Samuel for their sinnes t 1 Sam. 7.6 they gathered together to Mizpeh and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day said there Wee have sinned against the Lord. Lo how busy lo how forward they were to draw water for the clensing of their sacrifices and for the purifying and washing of their bodies or as some Doctors allegorize the words lo how contrite they were making of their harts wels of godly sorrow and going thither with the bucket of faith to draw up to the eyes tears of repentance for bewailing of their sinnes And what had they done They had worshipped strange gods and set up among them ASTAROTH u R. David Kimchi in lib. radicum which was the god of their sheep their fathers had done the like And when the Angell of the Lord rebuked them of that sinne x Iudg. 2 4 5 they lift up their voice and wept and called the name of that place Bokim i. weepers and they sacrificed there unto the Lord. O how many strange gods doe wee worship What are our self-love our ambition our filthy lusts our envie our hatred our pride but strāge gods to whō we offer most abominable sacrifices al the hours of the day Our covetousnes our insatiable desire of cattel of sheep of the Mammon of unrighteousnes is our Astaroth yea an Idoll so much worse than Astaroth in that wee worship it not openly but privately not in the face of the world but in the face of God not in temples of stone but in the temples of our hearts which God hath dedicated to his owne service How many Samuels how many Angels hath GOD sent unto us to reprove us of so many sinnes and wee are heer assembled as Israel in Mizpeh to acknowledge confesse our sinnes O then dear brethren and sisters let us first look up to the infinite Majestie of God whom wee have offended and let us afterwards looke downewards to our selves who are the offenders y Iob 4 19 Wee dwell in houses of clay our foundation is in the dust wee are crushed before the moth Houses of clay earth and dust wormes which are the meat of of wormes sin against God and shall wee not mourne shall wee not draw teares from our hearts shall wee not command our eyes to pour them out NOVV before the Lord shall wee not NOVV wash with them our reasonable sacrifices the calves of our lips which wee are come hither to offer up unto God shall not this House of God bee this day Bokim unto us shall wee not NOVV cry to heaven with weeping mourning Wee have sinned against the Lord David sinned but one night and b Psalm 6.6 hee was weary with his groning every night hee made his bed to swim hee watered his couch with his teares If I say of many of us that we sin every night and every day I thinke that I shall not lie Oh then shall we not weep this one day David when he wept cried to heaven c Psalm 51.1 2 3 Have mercie upon mee O God according to thy loving kindnesse according to thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash mee thorowly from mine iniquitie and clense mee from my sin What moved him to cry so loud and in crying to pray for mercie For saith hee I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me Because he acknowledged his sinne therfore he wept If wee knew how hatefull our sinnes are to God we would weep we knowe them not we feele them not wee cast them still behinde our backs wee never bring them before our eyes therefore we weep not Oh how horrible shall bee that day wherein shall bee fulfilled that which GOD saith d Psalm 50.21 I will reprove thee and set them in order before thy eyes The Lord in his mercy preserve us from the terror and horror of that day Hee will doe it if by the weeping of this day wee prevent the weeping of that day if as Daniel did e Dan. 9 3 c. wee set our face unto the Lord God to seek him by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes if as he did wee confesse that wee have sinned committed iniquity and done wickedly our Kings our Princes our fathers and all the people of the Land if wee acknowledge as hee did that if GOD should deale with us as hee dealt with his people of those daies righteousnesse should belong unto him unto us confusion of face if as hee did we joyne deprecation to the accusation of our owne sins and confession of our owne deserts crying f Ver. 19 O Lord heare O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and doe Where are the women of joy which through grief for their sin wash Christ's feet with their teares as g Luke 7 37 one woman of that kinde did once How many alas how many Publicanes yea worse than Publicanes doe swarme in the Church Shall ye finde one among a thousand who dare h Luke 18.13 not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven for shame who smiteth upon his breast which conceived sin in him who with words interrupted with sighes and carried into heaven with a swift flowing stream of teares cryeth to God God be mercifull to mee a sinner as the Publicane in the Gospell did Wee are all prodigall sonnes what do we all but feed swine but feed upon swines provender but cherish in our selves our filthie lusts but delight in sin Nevertheless which of us all commeth to himself returneth to his Father and saith Father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne i Luke 15 15 as once a prodigall sonne did k Mat. 26 75. Peter denied Christ but once and against his heart and yet he excused not his fault but wept for it bitterly Are wee not of the crue of those of whom the Apostle writes that l Tit. 1.16 they professe they knowe God but by their workes they deny him beeing abominable and disobedient and to every good worke reprobate Would to God we were not But we are and yet our hart is glad our faces shine our cheeks are dry our eyes are hardned like Pumice-stones and we weep not Think yee that Saint Paul could write to the Romanes without vehement sighing how m Rom. 7 19 the good that he would hee did not but the evill which he would not that he did We are of a disposition much disagreeing unto his The evill that we would we do not but the good which wee would not that wee doe Through feare of punishment wee abstaine often from the evill which wee like to doe and through love of praise or of some reward we do sometimes the
the midst of them they have not knowne the Lord. But who vvith Iesus Christ whose actions are our instructions is grieved for the hardnes of their hearts Shall the sinnes of idolaters wring one teare out of our stony heads when our owne sinnes are increased above the haires of our head and are heavier than the sand of the sea and yet wee look on them with dry eyes as if all their muscles were withered and without sap Let us I pray you let us begin NOW to weepe because untill NOW we have not wept let us tune upon the strings of our hearts a dolefull song of heavie mourning because wee have not knowne in this peaceable Kingdome the things belonging to our peace CHAP. VII 1 THey that weep not for sinne are constrained to weep for the punishment of sinne 2 He that weepeth not in affliction is a desperate sinner 3 Godly men weep in affliction 4 In our afflictions wee must weep to God I. FOr x 1. Cor. 11.31 if we would iudge our selves we should not bee iudged If wee could once sorrow if sorrow wrought indignation in us indignation feare fear desire desire zeal zeale revenge by weeping for our sinnes and abstaining from sinne then wee should never weep for the punishmēt of sin but if wee weep not when wee should weep y Gen. 4.7 sinne lieth at the doore and the punishment thereof shall make us to weep when wee would not weep a Eph. 5.4 Let no man deceive you with vain words for because of these things because of fornication of uncleannesse of covetousnesse of filthy and foolish talking and other vices which are but too too common in our Churches commeth the wrath of GOD upon the childen of disobedience I am not a Prophet nor the sonne of a Prophet to say to you as Ezechiel writ to the Iews b Ezech. 7.5 6 7. An evill an onely evill behold is come An end is come the end is come it awaketh against thee behold it is come The morning is come unto thee O thou that dwellest in the land the time is come the day of trouble is neer Yee see it come upon your brethren for whom ye fast should weepe NOW Are they not as honest as godly as religious as ye are Therefore say not with the profane Iews c Esa 28.15 Wee have made a covenant with death with hell are we at agreement When the over-flowing scourge shal passe thorow it shall not come unto us for we have made lies our refuge under falshood have wee hid our selves Apply rather to your selves that which Christ who cannot lie said to the Iewes of d Luke 13.2 the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices and of those eighteene upon whom the Towre in Siloe fell that they were not sinners above all the rest of the people And therefore except ye repent yee shall all likewise perish II. When affliction is comne I need not exhort you to weep for it To that nature will be to you a most perswasive preacher The heart must bee harder than a Stithie if it sorrow not the eyes must be dryer than a potsheard if they weep not in affliction The Iewes were come to the height of sinne when the Lord checked them for hardnesse of heart in their oppression saying e Esay 22 12 13 14 In that day did the Lord GOD of Hostes call to weeping to mourning and to baldnes and to girding with sackcloth and behold ioy and gladnes slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine and ye say Let us eat and drink for to-morrow we shall die Such a sinner in that was their King Achaz who in the time of his distresse did trespasse yet more against the Lord. He was ever king Achaz ever like himselfe never better but rather worse This hardnesse of heart is a neere cousin to the irremissible sinne for God said to these stony-hearted sinners Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die III. I hope there is none so wickedly disposed amongst you all for I deeme there is none amongst you but hee will sorrow weep and mourne when the hand of God is heavie upon him we are all of one metall Iob saith that in his afflictions f Iob 3 24 his roarings were poured out like the waters hee g Iob 30.28 31. cried his harp was turned into mourning and his organe into the voice of them that weep The like wee haue heard of many others with the refutation of the indolence and unsensiblenes of the Stoicks IV. But if ye do nothing but roare but cry but weepe and mourne when yee are chastised what doe yee that your dogges will not doe will they not cry and howle when they are beaten Teares if they bee alone are no more regarded of God than the howling and yelling of beasts which will roare when they are hardly used Weepe then as the Saints have alwayes wept When your eyes run downe with teares and your eye-lids gush our with waters let your prayers runne up to heaven with them to powre them out into the bosome of God Weepe as h 1. Sam. 1.10 Hannah wept who beeing in bitternesse of soule prayed unto the Lord and wept sore Weepe as the children of Israel wept for when the children of Beniamin had destroied of them fortie thousand men i Iudg. 20 23 26. they wept before the Lord. Weepe as Iob wept when k Iob 16.20 his eyes powred out teares unto God Weepe as David wept who when he was swimming in his teares said l Psal 55.17 Evening and morning and at noone will I pray and cry aloud and hee shall heare my voice Weepe as Hezekiah wept m 2. Kin. 20.2 3. He prayed unto the Lord and wept sore n Esa 38.84 Hee chattered like a crane or a swallow hee mourned as a dove his eyes failed with looking upward his praier was O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me CHAP. IIX 1. WE must weepe also for the desolation of the Church 2. As David and Ieremiah did 3. Great desolation of the Churches by the last troubles 4. Their present state most pitifull and lamentable 5. Examples to moove us to weepe for them I WHen yee have thus wept for your selves remember that ye are not for your selves onely consider that yee belong to the mysticall body of our Lord Iesus Christ the mēbers wherof are disperst through the whole world and print in your minds the most reasonable commandement of the holy Apostle o Rom. 12.15 Weepe with them that weepe Weepe for the Church as the holy men of God have wept for it They mourned for the evills past for the evills that were present and for the evills that were to come II. When David heard the tydings of the overthrow of Gods people by the Philistins p 2. Sam. 1.11 12. He and all the men that were with him
mourned and wept and fasted untill even Made not Ieremiah lamentations for the desolation of Ierusalem and when his eyes were dryed up when his eye-lids were so withered that heavinesse and sorrow could find no water to squeese out of them did he not then wish did hee not theÌ„ cry q Ier. 9.1 O that my head were waters mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people III. Deare brethren there is no man beyond seas in those places where the warre was but he may say as truely as Ieremiah saide in his Lamentations r Lam. 3.1 I am the man that hath seene affliction by the rod of the Lords wrath who as Å¿ Ier. 15.3 he had appointed over his Churches their foure kinds the sword to slay the dogges to teare the fowles of the heaven to devoure and the beasts of the earth to destroy so hath hee brought those fierce and pitilesse executioners of his justice upon his people t Lam. 2.21 Hee hath slaine in the day of his anger he hath killed he hath not pitied Chast women and honest matrons were defiled and murthered shamefac't and pure virgins were most vilely deflowred the young men were put to death by the sword sucklings were pulled away from their mothers breasts and cast into the rivers or dasht against the stones the principall men of towns were hanged the faces of Elders were not honored their bodies which had beene Temples of the Holy Ghost were given to bee meate unto the fowles of the heaven and unto the beasts of the earth as if they had beene dead dogs Populous townes are now heapes of stones where defenced and strong cities were nothing is to be seen but ruines That which was thought impossible to be atchieved in fifty yeares by all the sleight and might of the enemies was begun and finished in fiftie dayes u Esa 4.26 The Lord hissed unto them and they came upoÌ„ the Churches with speed swiftly None was weary none stumbled amongst them their horses hoofes were like flint the wheeles of their charriots were like a whirle-wind Their roaring was like a Lyon they laid hold of the prey and carried it away safe and there was none to deliver So on them was accomplished that which Isaiah prophecyed once against the Iewes and which was fulfilled The head of those armies might have written about the Embleme of his unlooked-for victories the posie which Iulius Caesar carryed graven in the table of his triumph of the Parthians VENI VIDI VICI I came to them I saw them I overcame them Is there any head so frozen and hardned with unsensiblenesse but it will NOW melt and flowe over with teares at the naming only of the great breach which hath beene made in the Church of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ IV. There was never wound so weil healed but the cicature remained O how great is the scarre of this wound Alas alas when shall it bee closed up Behold and consider the present state of the Churches of the Palatinate of Bohemia and of many moe Is it not NOVV most miserable and a sorrowfull subject of a tragicall lamentation and shall wee not weepe NOVV V. x Iob 30.25 Did I not weepe saith Iob for him that had evill dayes was not my soule grieved for the poore O how evill are Novv the daies of our distressed brethren and shall not wee weepe for them NOVV O how many rich men have beene turned into their shirts how many are now poore that were wont to relieve the poore and shall not our soules bee grieved for them NOVV y 1. Sam. 4.20 21 22. Phineas wife was not so gladded because she had borne a sonne as she was deadly wouÌ„ded with displeasure because the Arke of God was taken At that tydings shee called her sonne Ichabod that is to say Where is the glory and nothing at all regarding him shee saide in her mourning and lamentation The glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken So weeping so mourning so bemoning not so much the death of her beloved husband as the taking of the Arke shee gave up the ghost The true Ark of God is the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ Gospell which a Rom. 1.16 is the power to every one that beleeveth The Philistins have taken the Arke Antichrist hath againe smothered the Gospell the glory is departed from the Churches the abomination of desolation is alas alas set up again in the houses of the Lord swarms of drones humming and buzzing make an unknowne and most unpleasant noyse where the word of the Lord was wont to bee preached his Name to be taâ—â—ed upon his praises to be sung If men hearing NOW these wofull tidings will not weepe NOW shall not women who are more sensible of injuries and sooner pricked with sorrow mourne and weep NOW even NOW Nehemiah was more sorrowfull for the desolation of the City of Ierusalem than he was joyfull for all his credit and favour with the great King When hee heard that the people of God which was returned from the â—â—ptivity of Babylon b Neh. 1 3 4. was in great affliction and reproach that the wall of Ierusalem was broken down the gates thereof burnt with fire he sate down wept mourned certain daies and fasted and praied before the God of heaven The king wondred to see his countenance thinking his royall favour more than sufficient to cheer him up and to make his heart glad But hee answered c Neh. 2.3 Why should not my countenance bee sad when the Citie the place of my fathers sepulchres lieth waste and the gates thereof are consumed with fire This is the present state of many bretheren where they are suffred to live they live in so great affliction and reproach that death would bee welcomer unto them than life Their towns are dismantled their houses are turned into cotages they that had something are by the oppression of garrisons brought to little or nothing If there bee not at Artaxerxes Court a Nehemiah to weep a few daies let us who are no Courtiers weep this one day for them let us weep NOW David said of his enemies that d Psal 35 12 13 14. they rewarded him evill for good seeking to deprive him of his soule But as for me saith hee when they were sicke my clothing was sackcloth I humbled my soule with fasting and my praier returned into mine owne bosome I behaved my selfe as though hee had beene my friend and brother I bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother Was that holy mans charity so fervent that hee wept for his foes and shall ours bee so cold that wee cannot finde one teare to shead NOVV for our friends e Iohn 11 35 36 Iesus wept for his friend Lazarus vvho was dead and stinking Then said the Iewes Behold how hee loved him Our
others which have no hope he forbiddeth you not to be waile your dead for it is impossible to fight against the motions of nature Did not u Gen. 23.2 Abraham the father of the faithfull mourne and weepe for Saâ—ra Did not x Gen. 50 1.10 Ioseph weepe upon his dead father and kisse him did not all his sonnes bury him with a very great and sore lamentation Did not y Num. 20.29 all the congregation of Israel mourne for Aaron thirty dayes Did a Deut. 34.8 they not weep for Moses as many dayes Did not David weepe for b v 2. Sam. 1.17 Saul for x 2. Sam. 3.32 Abner and for his sonne y 2. Sam. 18.33 Absalom and did not our Lord Iesus Christ a Ioh. 11.35 weep for Lazarus Did not b Act. 8.32 the devout men of Ierusalem make great lamentations over Steven Did not c Act. 9.39 the Christian widdowes of Lydda weepe for Dorcas when she was dead V. The thing which the Apostle forbiddeth is weeping such as is the weeping of the Gentiles which is immoderate because they have no hope One of them seeing hee must needes pay the last tribute to nature go the way of all the earth as he was dying made an heavy mone for his soul saying d Spartiani Adrianus Animula vagula blandula Hospes comesque corporis Quae nune abibis in loca Pallidula rigida nudula Nec ut soles dabis iocos O my restlesse my gentle my sweet soule soule which hast been a friendly guest and companion of my body O how wanne how cold how bare and empty is the place whither thou must now goe neyther shalt thou hereafter make me merry The rest had no better hope if they spake not so they thought no lesse But we know that e Ioh. 5.24 hee that beleeveth in Christ hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life therefore we must not weepe for our dead immoderately as Gentiles doe but moderately as Christians doe In f Ier 9.17 18. Ieremiah his time there was an heathnish custome among the Iewes Praficae mulieres to hire mourning women who were accustomed to take up a wailing for their dead and that g Chrysost ad Popul Antiochen homil 69. 70. profane custome was in the Church in S. Chrysostomes dayes It is now banished out of the Church But that w eh we doe is not much unlike unto it wee teare our faces with our nails we pull the haire out of our heads we rend our clothes wee yell wee roare wee howle like beasts and shew indeed that wee are without hope so great hypocrites or that we consisider not what wee are doing Chrysostome said that h Ex ostentatione potius ambitione inani gloria sunt c. there is more ostentation ambition and vaine glory than true sorrow in such weeping for a man may weep bitterly in his closet and not make such a shew Yea in such weeping there is great shame and great offence offered to our most holy religion For how shall we speak of the immortality of the soule to them which beleeve no such thing how shall wee perswade them to beleeve i Tertull. de Resurrect Carnis Fiducia Christianorum resurrectio mortuorum the rising again faith of Christians when by such yelling wee make them to beleeve that death is as horrible unto us as unto them for they heed not what we beleeve but what we doe And how shall we our selves contemne death if wee shew so great impatience when our friends die IV. Hearken then and learne how to weep for the dead doe yee consider death as it is k Rom 6.23 the wages of sin Weep Consider it also as it is through Christ l Ioh. 5.24 a passage to life and weep not Doe ye consider how your dear friend whom ye loved so tenderly is by death become so ugly and loathsome that ye are constrained with m Gen. 23.4 Abraham to bury him out of your sight lest he become suddenly a stinking carrion Weep CoÌ„sider also that through Christ his grave is made a Doctor unto him and weepe not Doth experieÌ„ce make you to say that by and by he shall bee dust and ashes Weepe But send for faith and it will tell you that though hee sleep now in the dust of the earth n Dan. 12.2 he shal awake to everlasting life according to the comfortable saying of Christ to Martha o Iohn 11 25 26 I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeveth in mee though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and beleeveth in me shall never dye For in that blessed day of the resurrection of the righteous Christ p Phil. 3.21 shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Heer is the comfort of your faith The Pagans speaking of a dead man were wont to say q Scal. Castigat in Festum verbo AbitioneÌ„ FUIT He was because they were without hope for the time to come But your r Rom. 5 5. hope which maketh not ashamed teacheth you to say ERIT He shall be They said also m Tert. de testimonio animae adver Gent. c. 4. Abijt iam sed reverti debet Hee is gone but he will come again not shewing that they had any hope of the resurrection as Tertullian deemed but seeking Euphemisms fair words having a sense repugnaÌ„t to their mind to shew that they esteemed all dead men to be lost In that same sense they said VIXIT He did live and therefore they called him n Ibid. Cúm alicuius defuncti recordaris miselluÌ„ vocas cum miserable If yee consider your dead brother as departed out of this life because of sinne say He did live and weep but knowe ye not that o 1. Sam. 25.29 his soule is bound in the bundle of life with the Lord his God Therfore say VIVIT Hee liveth say Hee is blessed and weep not p Rev. 14 13 For blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Beleeve yee not that they are past from death to life Wherefore then weep ye Will ye bee injurious to our Lord Iesus Christ Will yee deny the vertue of his death Will ye forsake the merit thereof Knowe yee not that his death is to us which beleeve the death of our death and the life of our life Then weep not O but he was my loving husband she was my vertuous wife thou hast had some losse weep but thy losse is their gaine They are gone to the marriage-supper of the Sonne of God and it is written Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage-supper of the Lamb. These are the true sayings of God Therefore weep not Alas hee was mine onely sonne the heire of all my goods and now alas to whom shall I leave them
of the Sonne of God wherein he washt by faith and was made cleane of the incurable leprosie of sinne So then if ye aske by whose satisfaction merits ye obtaine eternall life the Scripture answereth absolutely that it is by the onely satisfaction and merits of our Lord Iesus Christ o Act. 4.12 Neither is there Saluation in any other for there is none other Name vnder heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued VII But if we aske to whom this saluation is giuen That is another question where vnto the Scripture maketh another answere and faith as Elizabeth said to the Virgin Marie p Luk. 1.45 Blessed is she that beleeued q 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in Christ are Yea and in Christ are Amen vnto the glory of God And r Gal. 3.14 we receiue the promise of the Spirit through faith Neither haue we any other hand to receiue Christ who is promised vnto vs but faith Therefore it is written that ſ Eph. 2.8 by grace ye are saued by faith And because our last and principall blessednesse is our saluation it is also written that they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham t Act. 15.9 The hearts are purified by faith Therefre it is written u Math. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart The heart by faith is broken and bruised with the sense of sinne and with x 2 Cor. 7.10 godly sorrow for sinne Therefore it is written y Math. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit Faith looketh vp to heaven with a weeping eye Faith calleth vpon God with prayers steeped in teares Faith stretcheth soorth to the throne of grace hands dipped in the bitter and salt waters of repentance And therefore it is written Blessed are they that mourne If faith did not repent sigh weepe pray repentēce weeping sighing prayer should be sinnes For a Rom. 14.23 whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne So the teares of Esau were sinnes So when David prayeth against the wicked man b Psal 109.7 Let his prayer become sinne he teacheth vs that prayers of wicked and vnbeleeuing men are sinnes for to such men c Tit. 1.15 nothing is pure but euen their mind and conscience is defiled And what can come from such a puddle but filth and stincking putrefaction h Gal. 5.6 Faith worketh by loue and is rich in good workes Therefore it is written l Psal 1.2 blessed is the man whose delight is the Law of the Lord m Psal 119.1 Blessed are the vndefiled in the way n Psal 128.1 Blessed is euery one that feareth the Lord c. Yee see what persons are blessed And what qualities are required in you if you desire to be partakers of blessednes The first must be faith For o Heb. 11.6 without faith it is impossible to please God From faith springs forrow for sin repentance weeping prayers good workes p Eph. 2.10 which God hath prepared that we should walke in them All those which are adorned and inriched with those good qualities are blessed but the cause wherfore they are blessed is the merite of Christ Iesus in whom they beleeue by whom they pray for whom they weepe and by whose spirit they are lead in the way of the Lord doe good workes For to them q Zech 12.10 that mourne in Ierusalem Zechariah saith that r Zech. 13.1 there shall be a fountaine opened for sinne and for vncleannesse what are not their eyes a fountaine To weepe for sinne they may be To blot out and abolish the slaine of sinne they cannot be The only side of Christ which was pierced in his death was made a fountain of bloud to wash in it the sinnes of all them which to weepe for their sinnes make of their heads a fountaine of teares VIII Therefore when ye read in the Homilies of the Doctors of the Church either auncient or moderne that teares are a satisfaction for sinne that they wash it away and blot it out and many such hyperbolicall speeches yee must vnderstand them f Cum graeno salis with a graine of salt as the Iurisconsults speake of some sayings of their Doctors and know that either they speake of satisfaction giuen to the Church or attribute to the effect that which is proper to the cause which is frequent amongst orators and in speeches gilt and beautified with Rhetoricke Consider that in my text blessednesse is attributed to them which weepe not to weeping to the tree not to the fruit to the worker not to the worke And when yee seeke the causes of your blessednesse looke not downeward to your selues but vpward to the mercie of God and with a sincere heart and true mouth follow the holy Apostle and say t Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs with al spirituall blessings in heauenly places in Christ u Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things To whom be glory for euer Amen If yee remember this distinctiō betweene the qualification of the persons which are to be saued the causes wherfore they are saued as also the chāging of attributions when the effects are honoured with the glorious titles which belong to their causes ye wil not easily be seduced with Papistry nor troubled with som speeches which the Doctors vttered hyperbolically which the Papists wrest vnlearnedly which ye must vnderstand x Rom. 12.6 according to the proportion of faith soundly CHAPTER II. I. ALl our comforts are called Life and wherefore II. Item wherefore that life which is our onely comfort is called euerlasting III. What eternall life is IV. T is imperfect in this world and perfect in the world to come V. He that hath not the beginnings of eternall life in this world shal neuer come to the perfection thereof in the world to come I. BVT to leaue of disputing against Papists which is not fit for this day wherin we are assembled to dispute against our owne sinnes and to let alone the hyperbolicall speeches of Doctors let vs come to Christs comforts wherin our blessednesse consisteth Our Blessednesse in holy Scripture is called Life Euerlasting T is called Life not because we shall act liue and moue by it as we doe now during our abode in the earthly tabernacles of our mortall bodies but because it is a most glorious happie and blessed estate our soueraigne good and felicitie the full perforformance of all our desires the longed-for wish of our vnsatiable hearts the center and last resting place of all the agitations of our stirring and vnquiet soules There is nothing that man loueth better then life For how can he loue what can he loue if he liue not Life is the spring of loue life is the enioyer life is the vser of all the things which we loue As we cannot loue without life So life
assigneth not blessednes vnto them but vnto the forgiuenesse of sins Therefore let vs cry after him with sweet Bernard i Bernard in Cantica Ser. 23. O solus vere beatus cui non imputauit Dominus peccatum O the onely O the true blessed man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne For who is without sinne None no not one ALL haue sinned and come short of the glory of God Neuerthelesse who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect T is sufficient to me in stead of all righteousnesse to haue God alone propitious vnto me because to him alone I haue sinned What 's oeuer he hath decreed not to impute vnto men is as if it had neuer beene non peccare Dei iustitia est Hominis iustitia indulgentia Dei Not to sinne is the righteousness of God The righteousness of man is Gods indulgence Gods mercifull fauour whereby hee forgiueth sinne is my blessedness IV. This was the iudgement of a man who had beene an adulterer and a murtherer Such also was the iudgement of a woman whom the Scripture calleth k Luk. 7.37 A Sinner She came to the Pharisees house where Christ was The Pharisees of all men were most affectionate to the Law l Gal. 3.24 The Law is a pedagogue to Christ m Rom. 10.4 who is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth See the wisedome of the woman when shee is in the Pharisees house shee goeth not to him who taught who beleeued that man is saued by the righteousness of the Law She said in her heart with David n Psal 51.3 I acknowledg my transgression my sinne is euer before mee I haue transgressed the Law I find no good workes in my life which hath bin so lewd that I dare not trust in it Therefore O Pharisee I am come to thy house but not to thee Thou speakest of perfection of righteousnesse thou preachest of rewards thou bragst of merites I cry to my God o Psal 130.3.4 If thou Lord shouldest marke iniquitie O Lord who shall stand But there is forgiuenesse with thee that thou mayest he feared My misery is my sinne my blessedness is his mercy I haue need of forgiuenesse I come to craue mercy I haue hoised the sailes of my faith towards the only haven which God hath ordained for sinners I flie to the port of Salvation where the stormie windes of the law tearing asunder the mountaines and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord blow not where the still and small voice of the Gospel refresheth the conscience which thirsteth after thee O my God like a drie land I am come ô Pharisee to him who p 1 Tim. 1.15 is come into the world to saue sinners of whom I am chiefe He is in thy house He is not of thy house So she thought so hâ—â— hart spake Out of hand she runneth to her Sauiour And to apply to her with the alteratioÌ„ of two words that which S. Chrysostome hath written of the woman of Canaan * Chrysost tom 2. Ex varijs in Matthaum locis homil 16. See the wisedome of the woman Shee intreats not Iames shee prayeth not to Iohn shee goeth not to Peter shee looketh not to the company of the Apostles shee sought not a Mediatour In stead of them all she tooke repentance with her for companion which was to her in stead of an aduocate and so she goeth straight to the Soueraigne Spring for this saith she is he come downe from heauen for this hath hee taken our flesh for this was he made man that I may be bold to goe vnto him In the heauens aboue the Cherubims tremble before him the Seraphims feare him and here below a Whoore goeth vnto him She speaketh not she cryeth not with her mouth as the Woman of Canaan did q Mat. 15 22. Haue mercy on mee O Lord thou sonne of David Her humility spake for her She stood at his feet behind him Her godly sorrow for sinne cryed aloud vnto him She washt his feet with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head Her loue was a most ardent prayer She kissed them she anointed them with oyntment each of those actions was a sensible prayer O Lord O sweet Iesus haue mercy on mee Thou art come into the world to haue mercy on sinners O sonne of God haue mercy on me Thou hast taken our flesh thou art become that which I am to haue mercy on sinners O sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon mee Thou art still that which thou wast thou art become that which thou wast not Now thou art both in one person O Immanuel O God and man haue mercy on me Woman what ayles thee What cause hast thou to weepe Iudge by Christs answer to her weeping prayers what was the cause of her praying teares r Luk. 7.48.50 Thy sinnes saith he are forgiuen For her sinne she wept because her sinne was her misery Her sin was forgiuen her because forgiuenesse of sinne was her felicitie Simon the Pharisee made vnto him a feast of flâ—sh filled vnto him cups of wine The Lord had no stomacke for Simons meate no thirst for his drinke This woman like vnto Å¿ Gen. 27.9 Rebecca who could make sauourie meat to Isaac such as he loved knowing that t Ioh 4.34 his meat and drinke was to comfort and to saue repenting sinners filleth vnto him a bowle of teares mingled with faith and he pledgeth her in u Psal 116.13 the cup of salvation saying vnto her Thy faith hath saued thee Goe in peace Deare brethren if this day wee weepe as this sinner did our fasting will bee feasting to Christ our teares will be his drinke If we cry to God as David did x Psal 6.1.4.8 O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Returne O Lord deliver my soule oh saue me for thy mercies sake The Lord will come and speake to our soules and wee shall returne home saying with David Depart from mee all ye workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping V. I say if ye pray so the Lord will heare you If ye weepe so the Lord will comfort you If yee trust not in the prayers one of another If ye rely not vpon the prayers of the Church but if euery one pray for himselfe Heed what I say I doe not forbid you to pray and to weepe one for another for I haue taught you that the Saints did weepe and pray when their brethren sinned did not God say to Iobs friends y Iob. 42.8 Goe to my servant Iob and offer vp for your selues a burnt offering and my servant Iob shall pray for you for him will I accept He commanded them to goe to Iob whom they had offended and to require his prayers He commanded them also to offer vp for themselues a burnt offering to teach vs three most profitable lessons The first that
not reioyce in them III. If we had no other share lotted vnto vs but afflictions how could we subsist and what should become of our hope Therefore Iesus Christ said to his Disciples y Iohn 16.20 Verily verily I say vnto you that yee shall weepe and lament but the world shal reioyce yee shall be sorrow full but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy Consider how turned into ioy First the Apostle saith z 1 Cor. 10 13 God is faithfull who wil not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that yee may be able to beare it And how often hath God made such a way to his afflicted Church How often hath beene fulfilled that which Dauid saith a Psal 34.6 This poore man cryed and the Lord heard him and saued him out of all his troubles How many examples might I produce of Gods most wonderful deliuer āces whereby the sorrow of his children was turned into ioy and the day of their mourning and fasting into a good day of feasting and of gladnesse as in b Ester 9.19 22. the time of Queen Esther Leaving other examples whereof I haue spoken else where let vs consider one which cannot be yet worne out of our memories I speake of the Churches of France The wind with most horrible noice blowed vpon vs whole stormes of bullets and firie raine The sea wrought and of a plaine became high mountaines which we could not ouerswim Her flouds swelled her billowes roared her proud and outragious waues gauesuch blowes against the small skiffe wherin Iesus was asleep and redoubled them with such swiftnesse violence that neither could the shipper direct nor the steeresman stand at the rudder nor the mariners resist Thē our eares and our eyes hauing nothing before them but monstrous cries of roaring voyces but vgly darknesse but terrible images of desolation and death Then seeing our little boat ready to be driuen vpon the Rocke of destruction Then nothing being left vs but feare but dismaidnes but despaire of safetie but expectation of a loath some end we ran to the Lord who was a sleepe and awoke him crying as the Aposties did when vpon the tempestuous Sea they were a type of the Church c Matth. 8.25.26 Lord saue vs we perish Then d Fsal 121.4 the keeper of Israel who neither slumbers nor sleeps arose Then he spake to the windes and they spake no more he rebuked the waues of the Sea and they leuelled their mountaines they sleeked the furrowes of their angry browes they changed their wrinkles into smoothnes their crookednesse into euennesse their roughnesse into a faire plaine He made the storme a calme and when we could not be in a harder plight as being without hope to escape he directed our course to a more safe pleasant hauen then that which is nigh vnto the Citie of Lasea called c Act. 27 8. the Faire hauens So we arriued to the harbour of grace to the port of peace to the vnlooked for but much desired hauen of tranquillitie and quietnesse This was the fruite this was the effect of our humiliation of our fasting of our mourning and prayers in France Vndoubtedly the same cause shall bring foorth the same effect in the Palatinate and other parts of Germanie They haue a longer winterthen we had T is now their sowing time and now they sow in teares Their haruest shall come then shall be accōplished that which is written f Psal 126 5. They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy g Psal 147.9 God heareth the voyce of the young Rauens which cry and will he not heare the voyce h Luke 18.7.8 of his owne elect which cry day and night vnto him I tell you saith Christ that hee will auenge them speedily i Psal 14.7 O that the Saluation of Israel were come out of Sion when the. Lord bringeth backe the captiuitie of his people Iacob shall reioyce and Israel shall be glad IV. Secondly God hath a time ordained for his deliverances which the scripture calleth k Ps 69.13 Isa 49.3 an acceptable time Till that time come the Lord sweetneth the bitter gall of bodily tribulations with the honey of his spirituall comforts As Christ said to his Disciples l Ioh. 16.22 Now yee haue sorrow but your ioy no man taketh from you For euen then the comforter m Rom. 8.16 the Spirit of adoption beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the children of God And that comfort is so great that when wee weepe wee weepe for ioy and say with the Apostle n 2 Cor. 1.5 As the sufferings of Christ abound in vn so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ T is a wonder to behold the true Christian in the time of his trouble and distresse Men seeke to bring him downe to the ground but hope lifts him vp aboue the skie As when David said o Psal 94.18.19 My foot slippeth the experience of Gods wonderfull assistance made him to say forth with Thy mercy O Lord held me vp In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soule When men haue done what they can to overcome him with bitter iests with sharpe stripes and cruell tortures he overcometh them with patience And in him is verified that which the Apostle said p 2 Cor. 4.8.9 Wee are troubled on euery side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despaire persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but not destroyed As q Plin. histor natural l. 12. cap. 25. the Balme which of all liquors hath the sweetest and most pleasant smell distills not from the Balsame tree till it be pricked So the most precious graces of the Spirit of GOD wherwith the foules of truely religious Christians are beautified their faith their zeale their patience their constancie their contempt of the world their earnest desire of heauēly things flow neuer so aboundantly as when the sword of perse cution makes in them a deepe incision Therefore the Lord hath troden the Virgin the daughter of Iudah as in a Wine-presse and he hath pressed and wrung out of her the most excellent liquor of her faith hope and charitie which before was hid in the grapes and vnder the faire skin of a peaccable profession V. On the other part t is a monstrous spectacle to behold then the ficklenesse and inconstancie of counterfeit professors who fearing the weight of GODS Wine-presse conueigh themselues away from vnder it and doe euen as if one who desires to be esteemed an honest man when he seeth robbers and way-layers comming to the company where he is did troupe and ioine hands with them to take his friends purse or life from him to saue his owne r 2 Pet. 2.21 It had beene better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteonsnesse then after they haue knowne it to turne