vpon vs and make vs as worthy to be beloved in and through thy Sonne Christ Iesus that Sonne of thy loue as we haue beene for our long peace and prosperitie of all the Nations of the earth admired even so be it Lord so be it This is the first and generall Remedie which a Nation must vse for the removall and preventing not onely of the Plague but of any other judgement whatsoever namely true repentance which stands in sorrow for sinne and reformation 2 Chron. 7. 13. 14. Ierem. 18. 7. 8. Isa 1. 19. 20. Iere. 14. 11. 12 of life If yee consent and obey yee shall eate the good fruits of the Land but if yee refuse and be rebellious yee shall be devoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Now if so be I cannot prevaile with the whole Land then I turne to you that feare the Lord I hope to haue audience in your eares If yee cannot prevaile for others yet make sure of your owne soules learne to hide your selues to build an Arke for the safetie of you and yours But yee will say how may that be done I answere 1. If yee would not partake with the Plagues of the times be not pertakers of their sinnes Come out of her my Revel 18. 4. people saith God be yee not partakers of her sinnes least yee also be partakers of her glagues if yee will needs sinne with them looke to be plagued with them Deut. 4. 3 4. Those that went with others after Baal peor were destroyed but those that cleaved to the Lord were kept aliue Zeph. 2. 3. Seeke yet the Lord all yee meeke of the earth which haue wrought his iudgement seeke righteousnesse seeke lowlinesse if so be yee may be hid in the day of the Lord his wrath The way to be hid in the day of the Lord his wrath is to seeke after lowlinesse to carry our selues meekly and to walke humbly the lowest shrubs are safest from stormes to seeke after righteousnesse to walke circumspectly and warily shunning the sinnes of the times even more then the Plague it selfe to keepe our selues vnspotted of the world to saue our selues from this froward generation the infection of sinne is farre more dangerous then the infection of the Plague that indangers the body onely this indangers soule and body for ever how should we shunne it therefore How had we need to abstaine from all appearance of evill not onely from the flesh but from all the garments spotted with the flesh the more wicked 1 Thes 5. 22. Iude. 23. the times grow the more holy we should grow the more iniquitie abounds the loue of many waxeth cold the more blamelesse and zealous in good duties we should striue to be like bright orient starres the deeper they goe in the darke night the brighter they shine thus Noah shined in his generation Though Aegypt be full of darknes yet let Goshen be light though Israel play the harlot yet let not Iudah sinne We are Christians we professe our Hos 4. 15. 2 Cor. 6. 14. 15. 16. 17. selues to be children of the light let not vs therefore haue any fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse but reproue them rather let not fornication or any other vncleannesse be once named amongst vs let not vs defile our garments Revel 3. 4. 2. It is not sufficient that we partake not with the sinnes of the times but we must mourne for the sins of the times we must take a view of the abominations committed in Sion and worke our hearts to such a sorrow as may make our eyes to gush out rivers of teares because men keepe not God Psal 119. 136. his law then God will wonderfully preserue vs As he preserved iust Lot out of Sodome when it was consumed with fire 2 Pet. 2. 7. brimston from heaven because his righteous soule was vexed from day to day with the vncleane conversation of the Sodomites There was a marke set vpon all the true Mourners in Sion that when the Angell of the Lord came to smite they might escape so Ezek. 9. 4. Ieremy because he wished his head a fountaine of teares Iere. 9. 1. that he might weepe day and night for the sinnes of his people see how the Lord preserved him alone when all the rest Iere. 39. 11. 12 were carried into Captivitie these things are written for our learning 3. We must mourne for our owne sinnes and labour to forsake them It is sayd of Iosiah that because his heart melted 2 King 22. 19. 20. at the Law read both for his owne sinnes and the sinnes of his people and he humbled his soule before the Lord that therefore he should be put to his graue in peace and his eyes should not see the evill that God would bring vpon the Land So if like good Iosiah our hearts even melt within vs and we humble our soules vnfeinedly before the Lord for our sinnes God will worke wonderfully for vs and we shall find gratious experience of his goodnesse towards vs if God spared Ahab for his counterfeit humiliation and would not 1 King 21. 27. 29. bring the evill in his dayes how much more will he spare those that humble their soules before him in truth And as we must grieue for our sinnes so we must forsake our sins he that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper neither in soule nor body he lyeth open to all dangers but he that confesseth and Pro. 28. 13. forsaketh them shall find mercy God will be mercifull to his soule and preserue his body He that walketh vprightly walketh safely saith Salomon he that laboureth to the vttermost of his power to cleare himselfe from all sinne to purge his heart from all hollownesse not cherishng any one beloved sinne to be vpright in his way walking in all the Commandements of God without rebuke such a man is a safe man he is sure nothing can hurt him It availeth nothing to burne Iuniper to smell to Wormewood to take somwhat in a morning and to vse many outward meanes against the Plague so long as our soules are not severed from our sinnes it is this inward vncleannesse that is the cause of that outward the Plague-soare of sinne wherewith our soules are infected causeth the Plague vpon the body sever your sinnes then from your soules if ever yee meane to keepe the Plague from your bodies say to these menstrous cloathes Get yee hence Fourthly We must trust in God for safety and deliverance though we may vse all good and lawfull meanes yet we must not rest in the meanes but goe to God for his blessing and depend vpon him for the successe The Lord Nahum 1. 7. is good and a strong hold in the day of trouble he knowes all those that trust in him he knowes that is he approues of them after an especiall manner He is a strong hold to such in the day
TWO PRECIOVS AND DIVINE ANTIDOTES against the Plague of Pestilence or any other judgement incident vnto vs. Giving excellent Instructions and Comforts vnto all that well vse them in time of Neede The first prescribing holy Preservatiues against this or any other PLAGVE Written by a Christian and charitable well-willer vnto his Countrey The second Setting downe sweete Consolations for such as be visited by the Plague Written by a famous learned and faithfull Pastour vnto some of his flocke in the time of their visitation LONDON Printed for NATHANAEL NEVVBERY 1625. An Antidote against the Plague or any other Iudgement incident to this NATION IT is sayd of Laish that they Iudg. 18. were a secure people and dwelt carelesse poore silly soules they never dreamed of any harme till the beesome of destruction came and swept them all away It is sayd likewise of the old world that they Mat. 24. 38. eate they dranke they married and were given in marriage they gaue themselues wholly to iovialitie and mirth living so here as if they should haue lived here for ever never considering that the reioycing of the wicked is short and the ioy Iob. 20. 5. Iob. 21. 13. of hypocrites is but for a moment That they spend their dayes in mirth and iollitie and sodainly goe downe to the graue they lay in a dead sleepe drowned in a deepe securitie till a fearefull Gen. 7. and vniversall Deluge came out from the Lord and drowned them all onely waking Noah was wonderfully preserved in the Arke I would I could not say of our Nation as it was sayd of Laish wee are a secure and carelesse people I would these Scriptures were not this day fulfilled in our eares but alas it is more then manifest wee are a Nation drowned in securitie this is the fruit of our long prosperitie wee are at ease in Sion wee sit every man vnder his owne vine and vnder his fig tree therefore we sing a Requiem vnto our soules and say We shall haue peace though we walke after our owne lusts wee shall never be mooved Soule take Luk. 12. 19 20 thy rest thou hast much goods layd vp for many yeares eate drinke and take thy pleasure let thy heart cheare thee be ioviall and merry but alas poore soules they never consider that this night their soules shall be taken away from them That for all these things the Lord will bring them to iudgement they Eccles 11. 9. put farre from them the evill day But in this sleepie and drowsie age I doubt not but there be some waking Noahs who if they cannot prevaile for others yet at least build an Arke for the safety of their owne soules in this cold and frozen age doubtlesse there be some zealous Moysesses who stand in the gap between God and his people and hold Gods hand from smiting by their vncessant prayers though Aegypt be full of darkenesse yet there is some light in Goshen some that shine as lights though the whole world lye in darkenesse though the world be full of folly and the most part runne on as fooles and are punished yet questionlesse there be some prudent men that learne to foresee the evill to come and hide themselues Prov. 22. 3. God hath given to this Nation of ours many a faire warning as loath to smite till needs he must he hath sent his Ministers early and late to thunder in our eares yet except we doe repent we shall all likewise perish judgement will come he hath set our neighbours house on fire as a beacon to giue vs warning I meane the judgements that haue befallen our brethren beyond the Seas he hath sent many small judgements before as forerunners of that great one to come as little gunshots before the great murthering peece It hath beene told vs before that if we repented not God would doe such a thing in England that whosoever should heare thereof both his eares should tingle thus the Cockes crowed before the storme but we regarded it not God hath now sent a fearefull plague amongst vs as another warning more heavie then the former and if this cannot moue vs to repent we may still looke for heavier for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it I will yet punish them Levit. 26. seven times more and if that will not doe seven times more the Lord will not cease to smite so long as wee cease not to sinne he hath more scourges then one if the present Plague will not doe famine shall if famine will not doe the sword shall vtterly cut vs off from being a Nation I beseech yee my brethren consider it even with teares I beseech yee what a woefull spectacle will it be to see our streetes swim with the bloud of vs all to see our women ravished and their little infants dashed against the stones to see the cursed and abominable Masse set vp in our Churches to see all turned topsie turvie vpside downe whose heart doth not yearne and even melt within him to thinke on these things oh consider the fearefull desolation that befell Ierusalem Lamentatiō the whole Booke and the grievous calamities comne vpon our brethren beyond the Seas they were God his people as well as we oh that we could be warned by other mens harmes Quest But what haue I done sayth England that such things as these should befall mee Answ Behold thou hast requited the Lord evill for good God hath given thee the glorious light of his blessed Gospell to be Preached plentifully for threescore yeare together he dispelled the mists and clouds of Popery and superstition and caused this cleare light to shine he hath committed to thee his statutes and his covenants he hath not dealt so with every Nation he hath given thee many great and glorious deliverances the like never heard of especially those of the Gunpowder-Treason and Eighty-eight then thou didest promise better obedience he hath given thee long peace and quietnesse no noise of Warre hath beene heard in thy streetes he hath given thee plentie and prosperitie a land flowing with milke and hony even all that heart can wish he hath made thee even a Mirrour and a Wonderment to the whole world for his manifold blessings But how hast thou now requited thy God O England 1. with ignorance not onely compelled but affected Light is come into the world but men loue darkenesse rather then light 2. with contempt of the Gospell a crying bloudy sinne a sinne never heard of among the Iewes 3. with Blasphemy of all sorts swearing forswearing taking God his great and dreadfull name in vaine nothing more rife even in the mouthes of children that can but newly speake 4. with prophanation of the Sabbath spending it in sports and idle pastimes In thee is secretly cōmitted that cursed sin of Idolatry in thee is Atheisme drunkennesse rioting feasting when the Lord calls for fasting in thee are disobedient to parents contemners of authoritie despisers of
of trouble Psal 33. 18. 19. Behold the eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him and vpon them that trust in his mercy to deliver their soules from death to preserue them in famine Psal 91. 1. and so forward Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most High shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almightie I will say vnto the Lord O my hope and my fortresse he is my God in him will I trust surely he will deliver thee from the snare of the hunter and from the noysome pestilence He will cover thee vnder his wings and thou shalt be safe vnder his feathers his truth shall be thy shield and buckler Thou shalt not be afraide of the pestilence that walketh in the night nor of the Plague that destroyeth at noone day Thousands shall fall beside thee ten thousands at thy right hand and yet it shall not come nigh thee And why all this Because thou hast sayd the Lord Vers 9. is my hope and hast set the most High for thy refuge Yee see then the wonderfull safetie of that man that makes God his confidence The name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous Prov. 18. 10. runne vnto it and are exalted Great is the safetie then of righteous persons of such as haue gotten God to be their God in Christ and stay their whole affiance in him God will be vnto them a Tower a Castle a rocke of defence a safe refuge to fly to in time of neede He will be their hiding Ierem. 16. 19. place He will keepe them safely vnder his wings till Psal 32. 7. the indignation be passed over He hath an Arke for vpright Noah when he meanes to destroy with a vniversall Genes 7. Deluge an whole world of wicked ones He hath a Zoar for righteous Lot when he meanes to consume filthy Sodome Genes 19. with fire and brimstone from heaven For the Lord knoweth how to deliver the righteous out of tentation and to reserue 2 Pet. 2. 9. the wicked vnto iudgement Therefore I conclude with that of David Psal 73. 28. It is good for me to hold me fast by God and to put my trust in the Lord God it is time for the chickens to runne and shrowd themselues vnder the wings of the henne when the storme begins once to arise 5. The fift and last remedie is to betake our selues to our prayers and teares to cry mightily vnto the Lord to wrastle with him as Iacob did this is that which holds God his hands from smiting so long as Moses his hand is lifted vp Amalek cannot prevaile I beseech yee therefore all yee that wish well to this our Sion pray for the peace of Ierusalem giue the Lord no rest but cry againe and againe he loues to be importuned the prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it Iam. 5. 16. be fervent Pray pray pray therefore cry and say O Lord we know not what to doe onely our eyes are vp towardes thee what shall we say vnto thee O thou preserver of men we are even ashamed and confounded to lift vp our eyes to heaven wee haue sinned exceedingly wee our Rulers and Governors Prince and people we haue all sinned our sinnes are gone vp as an heavy loade too heavy for vs to beare heaven and earth even groane vnder the burthen of them they cry mightily for vengeance but heare the groanes of thy servants let their cryes be lowder in thine eares heare the pleadings and intercessions of thine owne sonne for vs his bloud cryes louder for mercy then our sinnes can doe for judgement had it not beene for that we had all long agoe perished and beene vtterly consumed O thou the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble why art thou as a strāger in the land as one that passeth by to tarry for a night Why art thou as a man astonied as a strong man that cannot help Ierem. 14. 8. 9. Yet thou O Lord art in the middest of vs thy name is called vpon vs forsake vs not Hast thou vtterly reiected Iudah Hath thy soule abhorred Sion Why hast thou smitten vs that we cannot be healed We looked for peace and behold no good for health and behold trouble wee acknowledge O Lord our wickednesse and the wickednesse of our fathers we haue all sinned doe not abhorre vs for thy names sake cast not downe the throne of thy Glory remember and breake not thy covenant with vs we haue no helpe but of thee thou art our God therefore saue vs oh be favourable vnto thy Sion build thou the walles of Ieresalem Psal 51. 18. so shall we praise thy name for ever and teach all ages to keepe praises for thee in store Oh giue salvation to thy people out of Sion Psal 53. 6. when thou shalt restore againe the captivitie of thy people then shall I acob reioyce and Israell shall be glad But if ye cannot prevaile for others yet at least aire your owne houses with daily and fervent prayers and that will be a notable meanes to keepe them from the present infection or if it please God to lay it vpon you notwithstanding yee haue faithfully vsed all these meanes then I dare boldly affirme yee shall finde greater refreshings Psal 94. 19. from God then your afflictiō can afford you griefes howsoever it will but rid you out of a valley of 2 Cor. 1. 5. misery into everlasting glory Consider what I say and the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things FINIS A Letter full of sweete Comforts for such as are visited by the PESTILENCE GOD the Father of mercies which hath so loved vs to giue his onely Sonne for vs before he gaue vs either children or our selues be mercifull vnto you my deare hearts in the Lord Mr. A. and Mrs A. my bowells in the Lord and so fill you with his superabundant grace that you may say It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted The Lord Psal 119. Iob. 1. hath given the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. Amen Hearing of the Lords mercifull visitation of you and yours I was not a little affected neither hath any particular losse since this hand of God hath been on the Cittie though of friends and neere kindred more pierced my heart with griefe then this of yours Which seeing the Church which hath called me to a publike Ministery permits me not in presence privatly to signifie I beseech God to direct my pen to write somwhat for your comfortable application of Gods correction to your soules health It had much affected me to see the succession of crosses in your imprisonment your wiues long sicknesse with manifold danger of life c. And on Thursday last I was very inquisitiue of Mr. D. touching your wife and her delivery for I had thought shee had beene sent into the country because such is now the fashion and her time
God his messengers disdainers of equalls in thee are murtherers even Soule-murtherers contentious persons whoremongers adulterers in thee is Bribery Oppression Vsury Simony fraud and cousenage Iustice and Truth is perished from thy Land in thee is lying tale-bearing false witnesse-bearing covetousnesse pride idlenesse fulnesse of bread deepe securitie even all the sinnes of Sodome in thee are many professors that make a shew of godlinesse but deny the power of it in thee are Lukewarme Christians These are the sinnes vnder which the Land groaneth Doest thou thus requite thy God O foolish people Shall we not thinke now that the Lord hath a Controversie with England Shall I not visite for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soule be avenged on such a Nation as this Let me alone that I may destroy them at once Heare O heavens hearken O earth I haue nourished vp children Isa 1. 2. 3. and they haue rebelled against mee the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but my people haue not knowne mee sayth the Lord Ah sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquitie a seede of evill doers why should they be smitten any more they fall away more and more I take no delight to vpbraid mine own Nation or to defile mine own nest but for Sions sake I cannot hold my tongue let me perish if I see my Country perish and giue them not warning Wherefore I beseech yee my deare brethren all true hearted Englishmen in the bowells of Christ Iesus who died for vs and shed his owne heart bloud for vs as you regard your owne soules bodies and estates as yee wish and desire the peace and prosperity of this our Sion dally with the Lord no longer God will not be alwayes mocked turne now at the last vnto the Lord with all your hearts turne yee oh turne yee why will yee die seeke the Lord whilest he may be found call vpon him whilest he is neere draw neere to God and he will draw neere to you Oh that I could even weepe over this Land as our Saviour did over Ierusalem and say O England England thou that reiectest my Prophets and despisest those that are sent vnto thee how often would I haue gathered Luk. 13. 34. thee together as a henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and yee would not wherefore thy house shall be left vnto thee desolate oh that thou wert therefore now wise yet in this thy day to consider those things that belong vnto thy peace least at length they be hid from thine eyes Woe to thee O England Mat. 11. 21. if the great workes which haue beene done in thee had beene done in Tyre and Sidon in Sodome and Gomorrah they had repented in sackcloth and ashes long ere this And thou London London which art lifted vp to heaven for abundance 23. of spirituall meanes shalt be brought as low as hell except thou repent wherefore I beseech yee againe againe for Christs his sake for the Gospels sake for your Countreys sake for your owne soules sake be entreated Repent repent Search even search your selues O nation not worthy to Zeph. 2. 1. be beloved before the decree come forth and yee be as chaffe that passeth on a day looke into your liues consider your wayes goe apart and seriously aske your soules What haue we done Let your mirth be turned into mourning your feasting Dan. 9. 19. into fasting weepe and lament bitterly for your sins cry mightily for mercy even as for life and death cease to doe evill learne to doe well wash you make you cleane put away your sinnes from before God his eyes rent your hearts and not your garments amend and change your wayes bring forth fruits meete for repentance that so yee may get the sword againe into his sheath which is alreadie drawne out and will giue every one of vs our deaths wound except we repent and may quench that wrath which is already kindled and will burne hotter and hotter and never cease vntill it haue vtterly consumed vs if in time we quench it not by the teares of true repentance wherefore now prepare to meete thy God O England It is more then high time to repent deferre no longer if the last blow be once strucken that is cut it downe even vtter desolation there will then be left no place for repentance Oh that I could therefore perswade you but it is not I it is the Lord that must doe it now Lord doe thou perswade Iapheth for wee cannot Turne thou vs vnto thee O Lord of hostes make thy face to shine and wee shall be saved convert vs vnto thee and we shall be converted renew our dayes as of old Lord thou longest for our conversion thou standest waiting and crying Wash thine heart O England wilt thou not be made cleane oh when Ierem. 13. 27. will it once be Lord cleanse thou vs and we shall be cleansed wash thou vs and we shall be whiter then snow cause vs to come vnto thee why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy feare O Lord thou art our Father we are the clay Isay 64. 8. thou art the Potter we are the worke of thine hands oh destroy not the worke of thine owne hands frame and fashion vs and make vs such as thou wouldest haue vs to be spare thy people O God spare thy people and be jealous for thine inheritance why shall the people say Where is their God O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord consider and doe it deferre not for thy name sake for thy Christs his sake pittie the desolations of thy Sion of the Cittie where thy name is called vpon Wilt thou O Lord forsake for ever Why is thy wrath thus hot against the sheepe of thy pasture Our sins indeed testifie against vs that we are a rebellious stifnecked people we lye downe in our shame and confusion covereth vs thou art righteous and iust when thou iudgest but we are a perverse and froward generation we would not heare when thou calledst but stopped our eares like the deafe Adder therefore thou maist now iustly laugh at our Prov. 1. 26. 27 destruction and mocke when our feare commeth but there is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared we beseech thee in wrath remember mercy haue mercy vpon vs according to the multitude of thy compassions oh Lord saue vs or els we perish Comfort vs according to the dayes that thou hast afflicted vs Returne O Lord how long and be pacified towards thy servants Continue still to be our God and let vs be thy people remoue thy judgements which lye heavie vpon vs and destroy vs not vtterly for thy names sake Make vs all to turne to thee from the highest to the lowest by speedie and vnfeined repentance that so thou maist not vtterly cut vs off even head and taile roote and branch in one day but maist still delight to doe vs good to multiply thy blessings
of deliverance I thought had beene expired long since But I heard God had shewed his power in her weaknesse and gaue her which had long agoe given the sentence of death vpon her selfe two children which the Lord blesse and make his owne daughters and heires before I heard that God had smitten one of the former He gaue two before he would take one and made her able to beare two at once which in long time had been scarsly able to beare her selfe that he might make his goodnesse and his power knowne He I say to shew his goodnesse gaue two for one yea gaue one for all his owne Son for our selues and for our sons and daughters to purchase vs to be the sonnes and daughters of the Lord Almightie But 2. Cor. 6. he gaue him first to suffer then to reigne that he might lead the way to vs for the servant is not greater than his Lord the sonne himselfe learned obedience by the things which he suffered And he that made the world by his Word was made a man for vs that he might suffer for vs Heb. 5. 3. in our nature fulfilled all the righteousnesse of God and yet suffered all the vnrighteousnesse of men even to that bitter that shameful death of the Crosse which God himselfe had Gal. 3. 13. mystically cursed and he was made a curse for vs that we might be made heires of blessednesse His Crosse figured in that tree cast into the bitter waters of Marah takes away Exod. 15. 25. the curse from death and all afflictions in vs and ours and makes them sweete doth season and sanctifie them to vs and vs to them His presence doth still change water into Ioh. 2. wine if we make him our chiefe guest and like Elisha's sticke makes the heaviest iron to swim the heaviest heart 2 King 6. 6. Psal 25. 1. Iob. 19. 25. most cast downe with sorrow to sing I lift my heart to thee I know that my Redeemer liveth made Iob to liue in the middest of manifold deaths and spoiles and made him a gainer in by all his losses Though they assailed him all at once and all the children and substance which he had gotten all his life before were in one day taken from him yet he lost not himselfe by impatience he blessed God which had given him himselfe a gift that could not be lost and as men in cold windie weather gird their garments closer to them so he proceeded in courage and said Though he slay me yet Iob. 13. 15. Rom. 15. 4. will I trust in him Thâ—se things are written for our learning that thorow patience and comfort of the Scriptures we may haue hope Yea tribulation brings forth patience patience experience Rom. 5. 3. experience of his deliverance from or in manifold troubles as Davids deliverance from the Beare and the Lyon 1 Sam. 17. made him bold on the Philistine experience I say brings forth hope even that hope which never makes ashamed The Israelites were not in Canaan presently after their deliverance from Aegypt but walked thorow a tedious and irkesome Wildernesse where was neither harvest nor pasture nor sweete waters but their very food and raiment were miraculous provision Yet did not God faile them and hath promised never to faile nor forsake vs he which led Heb. 13. 5. them by a piller of a cloud and fire hath given vs his word to be with vs to the end of the world That history of the Israelites Mat. 28. 20. is a mysterie of every true Israelite his living by faith as it is often written the Iust shall liue by faith We now are travellers thorow the Wildernesse of the world to our heavenly Canaan and for our spirituall life we finde the world as crosse as they did the Aegyptians Amalekites and Amorites our flesh is as distrustfull as those which lusted for flesh in that desert and the Devill watcheth all occasions to mutinie and rebellion all that we see from our entring the red Sea till we be passed over Iordan from Baptisme to death is against vs yet our faith lookes on him which is Heb. 11. 27. Heb. 11. 1. 1 Ioh. 5. 4. Ephe. 6. invisible and is the evidence of things not seene This is the victory that overcometh the world this is the shield which quencheth the fiery darts of hell to beleeue in Christ crucified that God hath given him to vs and for vs and wtih him all things this crucifieth the flesh with all her distrustfull lusts and imaginations makes vs deny our selues Mat. 16. 24. our wills our vnderstandings husbands wiues liues livings all and to say to God with David loe we are here doe 2. Sam. 15. 26. with vs as seemeth good in thine eyes Should the Wheat say to the husbandman why doest thou wound me with the sickle why doest thou beat and bruise me with the flaile why doest thou grind me in the Mill and put me after into the hot Oven We are Gods wheat and before we can be manchet for the Lords Table wee must likewise passe troubles in the flesh Yea it is comfortable to vs because God doth thus shew himselfe our Father and that he doth Heb. 12. 5. 7. 8. esteeme vs as sonnes and not as bastards for iudgement here beginneth at Gods house he doth vs conforme vs to his own 1 Pet. 4. 17. Rom. 8. 29. sonne Christ he doth thus prepare vs as souldiers by traynings and skirmishes to the battell with death it selfe yea to the victory to the crowne he doth thus shew power in weaknesse and makes vs conquerors over sinne and Satan Neither doe men sow their corne and seeds till the ground Iere. 4. 3. Mat. 13. 22. be digged or plowed nor is Gods seed like to be profitable till the fallow of our hearts be turned vp by the plow or spade of affliction Heaven will make amends for all and the afflictions Rom. 8. 18. of this present life are not worthy of the glory which shall be revealed These light afflictions which endure but for a moment worke out vnto vs that farre most excellent and eternall weight of glory Courage then courage my hearts comfort 2 Cor 4. 17. your selues your Captaine Christ lookes on and sees your sufferings and fightings in the flesh nay he it is which thus trieth you these crosses are his permission yea his CoÌ„mission without which no plague can strike a stroke to the poorest sparrow no not to the haires of our head all which are Mat. 10. 29. 30 numbred yea he which striketh vs or ours with his rod knoweth how to succour them that suffer and are tempted having beene tempted himselfe with greater sufferings he was Heb. 2. vlt. Esa 53. 4. 5. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 21. wounded and buised and was made sin for vs before he would wound or buise vs for our sinnes Yea indeed all these blowes are intended to