an appointed time that God hath set downe with himselfe in heaven when and wherein his mercy shall appeare on earth for our recovery and till that time we must wait as David saith Psal. 123. 2. As the eyes of a servant wait on the hand of their masters and the eyes of a mayden on the hand of her mistresse so doe our eyes waite upon the Lord our God untill that he have mercy upon us Marke that same donec misereratur untill hee have mercy that is though God shew thee not mercy this day nor to morrow nor the next day may bee not till a long time after yet let not thy heart be dismayed but let thy soule truely wait upon God untill hee shew thee mercy let him shew it when he will In the meane time know thou art under the hands of a wise and gracious God who measures every dram of sorrow that thou feelest who will not only be about thy bed but will ever make all thy bed in thy sicknesse and will so establish and under prop thee with his Grace that though thy body lye in paine thy soule shall lye at case though thy outward man consume and melt away for very heavinesse yet that same Interior cordis home as Saint Peter speakes the inner man of thy heart shall bee so strengthned with might and armed with patience and guarded with peace that neither paines of death nor the powers of Hell shall ever be able to prevaile against thee In a word if ever it shall please God to cast thee downe upon that same Lectum languoris that bed of languishing which David speakes of Psal. 41. 4. for that wee all must make account of though we now lie and laze upon our beds the time may come that wee shall lye and languish on our beds wishing as they did in Deuteronomy when 't is morning would God it were evening and when 't is evening would God it were morning If ever such a dolefull time should happen to thee I pray God of his mercy looke graciously upon thee and say unto thy bleeding soule as he did once to that forlorne Infant Ezech. 16. 6. Dixi in sanguinibus c. when thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live if God doe but say thou shalt live though thou wert in thy blood though thou wert in thy grave his Word shall fetch thee for his Grace if it stand with his glory is sufficient to heale thee 4. The last and chiefest thing whereunto the Grace of God and nothing else but Gods Grace is sufficient is Adsalvandum to save the soule of every one that hath it The Apostle calls it The Grace that bringeth salvation {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Tit. 2. 11. for as the wickednesse of man bringeth destruction so the Grace of God bringeth salvation to every soule that entertaines it Saint Paul is direct Ephes. 2. 5. By Grace yee are saved whether it bee meant of the Grace of God within us which our Saviour compares to Salt Mark 9. 50. Habete salem in vobis c. have Salt in your selves and peace with one another because as Salt preserves the flesh so doth Grace preserve the spirit from corruption and rottennesse in sinne or whether it bee meant of the Grace of God that is over and above us I meane his favour and loving kindnesse which lightneth upon us from Heaven as we pray in our Liturgie let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust is in thee Take it either way it holds good and true for by the one we are prepared for salvation by the other salvation is prepared for us the Grace of God within us prepares us for salvation the Grace of God over us prepares salvation for us so both wayes 't is our happinesse By Grace to bee saved It was Gods mercifull promise Deut. 11. 12. Mine eyes shall bee upon this Land from the beginning of the yeare to the end thereof Such is Gods goodnesse where hee bestowes his Grace such a care hath God of their soules that his eie is upon them from the beginning of their conversion to the end of their salvation and as his eye is upon them to watch over them so his hand is with them to conduct them in the right way of pleasing God and of saving their own soules Deut. 33. 3. All his Saints are in thy hand as a Father leads his childe so doth God lead his Saints by his Grace and by his good Spirit from all things prejudiciall to all things profitable to his service and their owne salvation To conclude this point because as the Schoolemen say well Ad singulos actus desideratur Gratia a man hath neede of Grace to every action that hee takes in hand and that he can doe nothing well without it let us all desire of God as it is in the Collect That his speciall Grace may evermore prevent and follow us first that God would prevent us with his Grace to put into our hearts good motions good thoughts and good desires and secondly that it may follow us too as the water of the Rocke followed the Campe of the Israelites to the Land of Promise 1 Cor. 10. 4. so that Gods Grace may follow accompany and goe along with us in this world and never leave us never forsake us till it hath brought us to the end of our Faith which is the salvation of our soules according to that Psal. 109. ult. Dominus ad dextram c. the Lord is at the right hand of the poore to save him from all them that would condemne his soule where note that hee doth not say the Lord is at their left hand which is as I may terme it the lazy hand to save men in their negligent and idle courses But he is at their right hand which is the working hand to save all them that work for their salvation and carefully use the meanes to save themselves which thing if thou make a conscience to doe though thy sinnes and thy enemies should conspire to condemn thee Thy God and his Grace will be sufficient to save thee And so at length I am come aboard the last and long desired part of my Text which containes the application of all in particular which hath beene spoken and delivered in generall drawne out of the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} My grace is sufficient for thee so that as it is said of our Saviour Mat. 21. 45. that his Doctrine was so punctuall and clapt so close to the consciences of his Auditors that the Pharises knew he meant them So by that time I have done with my Text neither will I bee long in doing it I trust you shall perceive that Gods meaning was to you when he spake to Saint Paul and told him that His Grace is sufficient for him Briefly then see what Paul was and say what thou art
shall he doe to finde it the second is like unto it when a man hath found Gods grace and favour at his need how shall hee doe to keepe it that hee doe not forfeit it nor loose it againe I will answer you for both in a word Dost thou want the Grace of God and faine wouldest finde it Thou must doe two things for it First thou must depreciari teipsum it is Tertullians word thou must disparage and disgrace thou must humble and abase thy selfe before the face of God for if that bee true which our Saviour saith Ioh. 10. 35. non potest solvi scriptura The Scripture cannot bee broken then no man living can finde Grace with God but he that is truely humble for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Let one example serve for all and it is a seasonable one for this time that of the blessed Virgin of whom wee spake before The Angel told her as you have heard that shee was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} highly or extraordinarily in favour with God for indeed shee had such grace as never mortall woman had the like with God to bee made {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the Mother of God and to beare him in her body who in his body bare away the sinnes of all the world to give her owne Saviour sucke it was a favour beyond expression well but whence came this to passe that the Virgin Mary found this favour with God rather then any other Virgin in Israel no doubt as our Saviour said in another case many widdowes were in Israel in the dayes of Elizeus but to none was the Prophet sent save onely to the widow of Sareptah So many Virgins were in Israel in the dayes of the Virgin Mary yet to none was the Angel sent but to her onely And why to her and not to them shee that knew it best gives the reason her selfe in her Magnificat which we daily read My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour for why Respexit humilitatem saith shee Hee hath regarded the lowlinesse of his hand-maiden It was not then for her lovelinesse but it was for her lowlinesse not for her handsomenesse but for her humblenesse that she found such grace and favour with God above her fellow Virgins Other Virgins there might bee that were as chaste as shee as beautifull as shee and farre more wealthy and gay then she was but no Virgin in Israel nor in all the world was so humble nor so lowly as she was and this was the onely materia struendae misericordiae if I may so speake the matter that Gods mercy had to worke upon that that onely was the foundation and ground-worke of all the grace and favour that she found with God In like manner if thou dost desire to bee partaker of the same mercy to finde favour with God as shee did thou must also be partaker of the same humility thou must bee humble and lowly as shee was doe as Benhadads servants did to Ahab 1 Reg. 20. 31. We have heard say they that the Kings of Israel are mercifull kings let us goe then and put sackcloth upon our loynes and ropes upon our heads and so humble our selves before him peradventure wee shall finde favour with him that we shall not die but live So thou hast heard that the God of Israel is a mercifull God stand not then upon termes of ease or state if thou lovest thy selfe but goe and humble thy selfe unto him prostrate thy selfe before him pray and seeke his face in the lowliest the dejectedst the devotest manner that possibly thou canst expresse both with thy body and with thy soule and beleeve it for a truth if any thing under heaven bring thee into favour with the God of Heaven that will doe it depreciare teipsum to disparage thy self Secondly thou must Appropriare Christum thou must appropriate Christ unto thy selfe thou must shrowd thy selfe under thy Saviours wings thou must sue to God under his protection and patronage and as the Herodians Act. 12. made friendship with Blastus the Kings Chamberlaine to helpe them into favour with Herod so must thou make friendship with Jesus Christ for it is hee and onely he that can helpe thee into grace and favour with thy God Gratificavit nos in dilect◠saith the Apostle Ephes. 1. 6. Hee hath brought into grace or hee hath made us accepted in his beloved Sonne Gratiam pro Gratiâ saith Saint Iohn elsewhere Ioh. 1. 16. Wee have received Grace for Grace that is for the Grace and favour that Christ hath with God wee also are received into grace and favour with him For otherwise as Elisha told the King of Israel 2 Reg. 3. 14. As the Lord liveth were it not that I regard the presence of Iehosaphat I would not looke toward thee nor see thee So stands our case with God wee are of our selves such vile bodies as the Apostle rightly termes us who shall change our vile bodies I meane so foule and so full of corruption and lust and sinne so odious and abominable in the holy eyes of God that as the Lord liveth were it not that God doth regard the person the presence and the prayers of Jesus Christ our true Jehosaphat he would not looke to us nor see us but that as he saith himselfe This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased There come we into favour and marke that he doth not say This is my beloved Sonne which pleaseth mee well but in whom I am well pleased which intimates a further matter unto us namely that our blessed Saviour doth not onely please God his Father for his owne part but that God in him and for his sake is well pleased even with them that are in themselves as the Prophet speakes even vessels wherein there is no pleasure Ier. 22. 28. Thou therefore that desirest to get into favour with thy God flatter not thy selfe in thy owne eyes thinke not that God will accept thee for thy owne person or for any other personall qualities or abilities that are in thee but as Iacob shrouded himselfe under the garments of his elder brother and by that meanes got him the blessing of his Father so doe thou shroud thy selfe under the garments of thy elder brother in Heaven I meane as the Apostle speakes Labour to be found of God not having on thy owne righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of Christ by faith Say as Tertullian doth Mihi vendico Christum mihi defendo Iesum claime thou thy part stand thou for thy right in Jesus Christ and as thou art a Protestant so make this protestation before God and the world that thou hopest for grace and mercy not by any merits or deserts of thy owne but meerely by the merits and by the spirit by the death and by the Blood of Iesus Christ This is another infallible way for a man to finde the Grace
upon himselfe after he hath bestowed them Nay to come neerer yet the very money that is in our purses or coffers whether we keepe it close to hatch a purchase or put it out as the Lion puts out his claw to rend and gripe the poore needy borrower wheresoever God findes it hee claimes it for his owne Hag. 2. 8. The Silver and the Gold is mine and as little conscience as men make of their gaines they must one day be accountable to the Lord How they got it how they used it and how they wasted it All this is to let us understand to whom wee are beholden for our Lands for our goods and for whatsoever else we inherit or injoy in this world even to the Father of lights as Iames termeth him Iam. 1. 17. from whom both {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} both gifts and goods and all descend unto us therefore as in the sacrifices of old whosoever had the flesh God had the fat so whosoever hath the goods of this world let God have the glory for his they are and from him we have and hold them But there is one thing in my Text for which we are more beholding to God then for all the rest and that is for His Grace other things though they come originally from God yet they come mediately by the meanes of other instruments by Parents or Friends or Benefactors but Grace is a thing that comes solely and onely and immediately from God as there was no corne to be had in Egypt but from the hand of Ioseph so no grace to bee had on earth but from the hand of God Hee is the God of all Grace as Saint Peter truely stileth him there is no grace whatsoever that is wanting in man but there is a gracious supply to be had in God which made David as it were in a rapture to cry out and say Oh taste and see how gracious the Lord is Psal. 34. 8. First taste and then see because as a man can never truely tell the sweetnesse of Honey till hee have tasted it first so can hee never truely see nor perceive nor understand how gracious a God the God of Heaven is till he have first had a taste of Gods Grace and an experience of Gods favour in himselfe and for his own soule Tast then and see how gracious the Lord is Gracious in his Throne for it is the Throne of Grace Heb. 4 16. gracious in his spirit for it is the spirit of Grace Zach. 12. 10. Gracious in his Word for it is the Word of Grace Act. 20 30. and above all gracious in himselfe for Hee is the God of Grace yea {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5. 10. And therefore dost thou desire wisedome Hee is the God of that Grace dost thou want patience hee is the God of that too dost thou stand in need of Faith or Hope or Charity he is the God of all these Oh what a gracious God doe we serve and what gracelesse beasts we are if wee serve him not seeing hee hath grace sufficient for all his servants My Grace saith God is sufficient for thee In a word then forasmuch as all Grace is of God that He and none but He hath the disposall and the dispensation of it to whom hee pleaseth take I beseech you into your consideration these briefe advertisements following 1. Ne deficias doe not faile of it It is the Apostles owne caveat Heb. 12. 15. Looke diligently least any man faile of the Grace of God God for his part is so gracious that he denyes his grace to none but offers it and I may say gives it to every one that will but aske and accept it as the Scripture saith of Araunah 2 Sam. 24. 23. when hee offered King David his Oxen for a sacrifice and his threshing instruments for wood to burne them the Text saith All these things did Araunah as a King give unto the King whereas we know he did not give them because David would not accept of them but his will was to have given them and that the Holy Ghost accounts as a gift and so recordeth it In like sort God offers his grace in the Word and Sacraments his will is graciously and freely to bestow it if sinfull men were but like-minded to receive it and to make themselves capable of so great a mercy by desiring it It was Gods owne proposition to his owne Sonne Psal. 2. 8. postula a me c. desire of mee and I will give thee the heathen for thy inheritance c. If hee that was sole Heyre of Heaven and Earth haeres ex toto asse as the Romans used to stile them could no otherwise come by his inheritance but by way of petition to desire it afore he had it much more so is it with us where no desire is looke for no gift no prayer no grace Wee see in Esay God makes a gracious promise to his people that he would put away all their sinnes and take them all into his favor as though they had never sinned but marke the condition for all these things I will be sought unto saith God So though God offer his Grace to men hee will not force it upon them against their wills hee will have them sue for it hee will have them desire it or they may thanke themselves if they goe to hell without it and God may justly complaine of them as David did of Naball 1 Sam. 25. 21. All is in vaine that I have done for these men Seeing then there is no backwardnesse in God to make deniall of his grace but he is willing to bestow it upon all that are desirous to imbrace it Oh be not wanting to thy owne mercy ne deficias doe not faile of it 2. Seeing that Grace is the Lords nè superbias be not proud of it doe not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as Saint Iames his word is chap. 3. 5. doe not magnifically lift up thy selfe above thy brethren whose graces are not so eminent as thine but rather as the eares of Corne and the boughes of trees the more they are laden with fruit the lower they hang to the earth so the more god hath laden thee with his graces and favours be thou so much the more lowly in thy owne eyes and thinke not scorne to doe as thy God does who though his Glory bee above the Heavens saith David Psal. 113. 6. yet hee doth Abase himselfe to behold the things that are in the earth and as the more direct the Sunne is over us the shorter and lesser is the shadow so the more that Gods grace is over thee and in thee the lesser let the shadow of pride bee seene to come from the for consider saith the Apostle What hast thou that thou hast not received or what is that thou canst properly call thine owne but
mendacium peccatum lying and sinne as our Saviour said of the devill Iohn 8. when hee speaketh a lye hee speaketh de suo of his owne God never put that into him so for thy sinnes thou must thank thy selfe or rather indeed beshrew and blame thy selfe for they are thy owne but if thou hast any grace or any vertue in thee thanke God for that for it is not thine it is the Lords seeing then thou art but a Tributary to God and hast nothing that good is but what thou art beholding and must be countable to the Lord for it nè superbias bee not proud of it 3. Seeing Grace is the Lords to bestow on whom he pleaseth nè invideas doe not envy it let not thine eye be evill because God is good nor thinke the worse of another man because God is better to him then unto thee for Gods grace is his owne he may give it to whom he will When God shall take off his grace and of his good Spirit as Samuel said to Saul shall give it to a Neighbour of thine that is better then thou what cause hast thou to be envious at this and not rather to humble thy selfe and thinke that as Daniel told the King chap. 5. 27. God hath weighed thee in a ballance and found thee minus habens wanting to God and to thy selfe and therefore hath justly with-holden his favour from thee and given it to one that will use it better for his glory and for the Churches good farre be it from any child of God to cherish in his breast the spawne of that old serpent the Divell for envy is no better as the learned have well observed there is so neere a resemblance betwixt an envious man and the Divell that in the Booke of God the one is taken for the other so the Divell is called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} an envious man Mat. 13. 28. an envious man is called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a devill Ioh. 6. 70. How farre better would it become us in this respect to be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} like the Angels of Heaven who now at Christmas time when they saw that our Saviour would in no wise take their nature which was farre better then ours but tooke our nature upon him which was farre worse then theirs and which was most of all and would have gone most against our stomackes commanded them to worship it Heb. 1. 6. they were so farre from envying or taking offence at this as that elder brother did in the Gospel when the younger was received to grace after his riotous course that even then they sung an Anthem for the joy of our happinesse and even to this day Saint Peter tells us 1 Pet. 1. 12. they doe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} stoope downe as it were in duty and love to honour the mystery of Christs incarnation and to admire the Grace and favour of God to mankinde In a word then seeing that the honouring of Gods grace wheresoever it lights is a quality so Angelicall and the contrary so diabolicall let it bee thy practice evermore to reverence him that hath it to judge thy selfe unworthy of it seeke it in Gods name and get to be partaker in it but in any case ne invideas doe not envy it 4. Seeing that Grace proceedes from so holy a Fountaine as is the Lord ne Abutaris doe not abuse it doe not vitiate nor staine it with sinne as Lot entreated the men of Sodome Gen. 19. 8. that they would not abuse the Angels of God seeing they were come to shelter themselves under the shadow of his roofe So let mee entreate you all in the Name of Christ that you would not abuse the graces of God seeing they are come from Heaven to take shelter and harbour in your breasts and bosomes The Apostle speakes of some Iud. 4. that turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and that 's a woefull kinde of Alchymie as one saith singularly well would he not esteeme that man prodigally foolish and mad that would spend all his time all his stubstance and all his industry to find out a perverse Philosophers stone that should turne all the gold it touched into lead and drosse even such are they that pervert the grace of God and turne it into wantonnesse into lasciviousnesse into all manner of scurrility and deboistnesse and never lin till they have made a poyson of an Antidote and baned themselves with that which would have beene their blisse Lucerna Dei inspiritu hominis saith Salomon Pro. 20. 27. The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord it implyes that a man naturally walkes in darkenesse which is full of errour and full of terrour till God in mercy set up a candle in his soule I meane endues him with knowledge and grace from heaven that he may shew him the path of life and to avoid the snares of death Now you know that a candle naturally burnes upwards if you take it and turne it the wrong way and hold it downewards it dyes and goes out alone so fares it with {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Graces and gifts of God as Wit and Wisdome Knowledge and Learning and all these are the candles of the Lord and are purposely given us to light us up to heavenward but if wee take Gods candles and hold them downeward turne them the wrong way and apply and abuse them to sinne it is much to bee feared the light of God will goe out and thou shalt be left at the length in a place of utter darkenesse Therefore as thou tenderest the favour and good-will of God and the eternall welfare of thy owne soule deale not with the Graces of God as Iehu dealt with Iehorams messenger 2 Reg. 9. doe not turne them behinde thee and make them serve against their owne masters but remember that if the sonnes of Iacob would not endure to have their sister abused Gen. 24. ult. how dost thou thinke thy God will endure to have his grace abused and to be prostituted to every sinne In a word as Ruben said to his distressed brethren Gen. 42. 22. did not I speak unto you saying Sin not against the child and ye would not heare Oh bee not you like them monitoribus asperi so carelesse and regardlesse of divine admonition but remember that you have beene spoken unto that you have beene warned of God not to sinne against your owne soules in this too common kinde but if the Lord have betrusted you with his grace labour to cherish it and as the Apostles word is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 Tim. 1. 6. to blow it or stirre it up as we do a dying fire to kindle and quicken it by the use of good meanes but in any case ne abutaris abuse it not 5. Lastly seeing thou hast to doe with the grace and favour of God ne