that God may doe at his pleasure because he is the Lord of life to giue it and continue it Dauid saith vnto God With thee is the well of life And to him also pertaines all power ouer death to hastē it bring it forward The same Prophet saith of the same God To the Lord God belong the issues of death This maner of remoue by death it is not lawfull for thee to desire much lesse by thy hand to further either in the death of thy selfe or of thy troubler If God be pleased to doe it for thee either in remouing thy troubler from thee or in remouing thee from thy troubler it is euery way a worke of his mercy toward thee If God by death remoue the troubler from thee it is his mercy to thee When God by death had remoued Absolom that had greatly troubled his father and made him flie from Ierusalem then was that domesticall trouble at an end and Dauid returned in peace to Ierusalem That remoue of the trobler by his death was Gods mercy to the troubled So likewise if God by death remoue thee from thy troubler that also is Gods mercy to thee for so he giueth thee rest as the Prophet Esay speaketh saying The righteous perisheth and no man considereth in his heart and mercifull men are taken away and no mā vnderstandeth that the righteous are taken from the euill to come This is also Gods gracious mercy deliuering him from trouble But for thee to be an actor in these things it is altogether vnlawfull God hauing giuen to thee a commandement to the contrary Thou shalt not kill Dauid would neuer so be eased of his troubler Saul he would not doe it himselfe nor suffer others to doe it though he often had opportunity but waited on the hand of God saying to Abishai that would haue smitten him while Dauid and he stood by Sauls beds side As the Lord liueth either the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to die or he shall descend into battell and perish the Lord keep me from laying mine hand vpon the Lords annointed And at last he was eased by Sauls death without laying his hand vpon him it is the remedy of tyrants and bloud-thirsty persons to seeke ease of their troubles by procuring the death of their troublers And it is the remedy of faithlesse desperate men to ease them of their burden of troubles by remouing themselues from their troubles and troblers by their death So did Saul Ahitophel and Iudas Those men that so remoue themselues and others cast not their burden vpon the Lord who is the giuer of life but cast it vpon the diuel◅ backe and themselues withall who was a murderer from the beginning But if a remoue for thine ease may be effected by shift of place that may both be desired and vsed without sinne Isaack sent his sonne Iacob away from his brother Esau when Esau in his anger had sworne to slaie him Dauid fled from the hand and Iauelin of Saul and shifted for himselfe by remouing from place to place and he conueied all his fathers house into the land of Moab from Sauls reach The Lord Iesus oftentimes withdrew himselfe from the fury and rage of the Iewes And he gaue his disciples a rule for times of persecutiō saying when they persecute you in this city flie vnto another And many honest men haue remoued their habitations to auoid ill neighbours and to be out of the reach of too neare troublers And many haue purged their houses of vnquiet spirits both children seruants as they might doe when they could not amend them in the house But yet I must tell you that if children and seruants increase the burden of thy domesticall troubles this turning them out for thine ease must be the last remedy that must be vsed and all other meanes for their amendment must first be attempted because children and seruants are not sent of God into thine house only for thy pleasure and ease but they are committed vnto thee to be brought vp vnder thee and to be trained by thee to grace and good behauiour And that is a thing that thou must looke vnto somewhat more then only to thine owne quiet that thou maist be able to answer God for their soules If any member of the body be diseased and out of temper putting the head and whole body to paine a man will not at the first cut off that member but first he vseth all meanes to cure it and doth with much patience endure the weaknesse of it and will suffer a blind eie rather then plucke it out of the place and a lame hand rather then cut it of and a sore leg rather then let the sawe come to it and that shall be the last worke if he doe it at all And children and seruants are members in the body of thine house therefore he is but a bad head and gouernour that presently because children and seruants are troublesome that thrust them out of dores to seeke their ease By remouing them must be the last attempt But if other attempts first made by thine own authority and wisedome then after by the counsel of neighbors and friends and lastly by the power and countenance of the magistrate will doe no good vpon them but they persist in their wickednesse and proue incurable to the hurt of thy selfe and others in thy family Then the eie the hand and the foot that offendeth may be cut of If children or seruants or any other that may be turned away be as tender and deare as thine eie as seruiceable as thine hand as necessary as thy foot let them depart The whole is to be respected before a part the head before a member Thus God may be pleased to shorten thy sorrow by a remoue and shift of place between thy troubler and thee If God be pleased to continue thy trouble long all the former aduises must be practised as time affordeth opportunity because thou know st not what happy houre of thine ease God hath set downe in his good purpose And those two common rules of patience and praier must neuer be neglected And for the mittigating of thy sorrow vnder that burden consider these things that follow and they will bring much ease vnto thy mind First that it is the common condition of all Adams children in this world to haue troubles as Iob speaketh most truly Man that is borne of a woman is of a short continuance and full of trouble And if it be common to all without exception of any how great how godly soeuer thou shouldst be too delicate to desire to be exempted Secondly in a more neare manner it is common to all the Saints of God to haue troubles in this world more then the wicked by reason of the enmity that the wicked world beareth to the godly being vnto them a step-mother while like a naturall mother
that may fall vpon vs as for example Ioseph was sould vnto strangers and imprisoned in Aegypt the men of Zeklag were spoiled of all that they had in their absence with Dauid Abiathar of the house of Eli was cast out by Salomon from being Priest vnto the Lord warre and famine and the anger of Princes yea many inferior causes breed many calamities the only sure way of casting our burden vpon God is to acknowledge the worke of God in our calamity patiently to beare what he laieth vpon vs and heartily to pray vnto him for succour That wee ought to acknowledge Gods worke in our calamity and patiently to beare his pleasure Iob doth teach vs saying Shall we receiue good things at the hand of God and not receiue euill Surely we doe neuer deserue any good at the hand of God and wee doe continually deserue euill what reason then haue we to desire euer to receiue good that we neuer deserue and neuer to receiue euill that we euer deserue Patience therefore in bearing the calamity that God laieth vpon vs doth well become the sonnes of men And that in our calamity wee ought to pray vnto God if wee would haue him to ease vs of our burden is so cleare that wee neede no proofe for it What man is hee religious or profane beleuer or vnbeleuer that doth not in his calamity remember God looke vp to heauen and pray to God the Mariners in the ship whereinto Ionas was entered when he fled from God when the storme vpon the sea was sore and the tempest proued a calamity vnto them so that they threw the wares out of the ship into the sea to lighten the ship for safty of their liues without instruction they could then according to their knowledge of God fall to praier For so it is written The Mariners were affraid and cried euery man vnto his God Though it be not generall with all men being in calamity and misery to beare it patiently yet it is generall with all men in calamity and misery to pray for ease So that a religious man being burdened with any calamity needeth not so much to be taught that it is fit for him to pray as hee needeth to be comforted by being put in hope that God will in due time answer his praier as surely he will if he be called vpon in the name of his beloued sonne For so hath the Lord Iesus assured vs saying Verely verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer yee shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you Let him pray therefore vnto God the father in the name of the Lord Iesus and patiently attend the Lords leisure and in due time he wil haue mercy vpon him This is when any calamity is fallen vpon vs to cast our burden vpon the Lord for our ease If it be the feare of death that is thy burden and perhaps with regard vnto others that shall be in some danger by thy death as wife children seruants and others that haue their education and maintenance vnder thee First the burden of feare of death is made easie to a godly man by many considerations in al which he casâ—…eth his burden vpon the Lord. First hee will consider that it is common to all Adams posteritie Aâ—… Dauid being ready to die saith vnto his sonne Salomon I goe the way of all the earth therefore death ought not to seeme fearefull to thee that is common to all Secondly hee will consider that hee cannot die before the time appoynted of God that gaue him life and assigned from euerlasting the certaine length of it as Iob saith Is there not an appoynted time to man vppon earth And shall any desire longer life then the giuer of life alloweth Or shall any be grieued to resigne his life into the handes of him that gaue it Thirdly hee will consider that the end of life shall bee the end of trouble vnto him that his death shall bring him rest from all troubles as the Spirit of God from heauen hath proclaimed saying ' Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their labor Rest and ease from weary labour is obtained by our death and departure out of this life Fourthly hee will consider that the sting and danger and all bitternesse of death is taken away by the death of Iesus Christ and death vnto the Saints is made the gate of life the Apostle saying O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. Lastly for his ease of feare in the approach of death yea for the filling of his heart with all true comfort in death that he may rather desire and long for then any way feare the houre of his death he will consider that his death shal be the gathering of him vnto Christ his redeemer as the Apostle saith Desiring to bee loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all For while we liue in the world we are absent from the Lord and we walke by faith and not by sight But when we depart this world wee are gathered vnto him to dwel for euer with him And that is performed which hee promised saying Though I goe to prepare a place for you I will come againe aud receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also By these considerations is the burden of the feare of death made easie to a beleeuer and in all these considerations doth hee cast his burden vpon the Lord for his ease If hee therefore feare his owne death because others shall want him his wife shal be a widow his children shal be fatherlesse his seruants shal be orphanes and many shall misse him that now haue a helper of him and for their sakes rather then for himselfe hee is afraid to die This burthen is to bee cast vppon God by commending them vnto his prouidence who giueth food to al flesh because his mercy indureth for euer and who is the keeper of Israel that neither slumbereth nor sleepeth And that hee may doe this the more comfortably for the ease of his heart let him remember that the Lord saith All soules are mine both the soule of the father and also the soule of the sonne are mine He that created thee and had a care of thee as the worke of his handes to maintaine thee created also thy wife thy children thy seruants and thy poore friends and therefore hath also a care of them as the worke of his hands to maintaine them And hee that gaue his Sonne for thee to redeeme thee and therefore had a fatherly care for thee to doe all things for thy preseruation and saluation did also giue his Sonne for them to redeeme them and therefore also hath a fatherly care of them to doe all
of his quiet and content and thereupon he comforted his heart and would not continue in heauines for that that could not be helped So that it is to a right vnderstanding man ground enough to build content and quietnesse of heart vpon that God hath done his worke which thy sorrow cannot reuoke But for the further quieting of thy minde know that thy dead shall liue againe as the Prophet Esay saith Thy deadmen shall liue with my body shall they rise There is a day appointed of GOD wherin they shall returne out of the dust againe and liue againe in their bodies then glorified Yea know that for thy comfort that thy dead doe now liue and howsoeuer their bodies lie without life in the graue yet their soules do liue and shall liue for euer with God And with these considerations of the present life of the soule and the future life of the bodies the Apostle would haue wise Christians comfort thēselues ouer their dead and not giue way to their affections to mourne without measure saying I would not brethren haue you ignorant concerning them which are asleepe that ye sorrow not as others which haue no hope For if wee beleeue that Iesus is dead and risen euen so them which sleepe in Iesus God shall bring with him For this say wee vnto you by the word of the Lord that wee which liue and are remayning in the comming of the Lord shall not preuent them which sleepe For the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a showt and with the voyce of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God And the dead in Christ shall rise first Then shal we which liue and remaine be caught vp with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the aire and so shall wee euer bee with the Lord. Wherefore comfort your selues one another with these words Let them mourne for their dead that know not the hope of the dead and suppose them extinct that are departed but let them which in the schoole of Christ haue learned what is the condition and hope of the dead how their soules doe presently liue with Christ and that their bodies also shal be raised vp in glorie at the last day Let them reioyce in the behalf of their dead and throw off that burden of sorrow which is so heauy vnto them And thus much for the second branch of secular troubles namely for domesticall troubles and the casting of that burden vpon God CHAP. X. THe third branch is of troubles more remote hauing a beginning further of when those by whom thou art wrōged are not of thy family neither of thy kindred neere acquaintance nor neighbours but strangers of another kinred family or habitation yet hauing so much knowledge of thee acquaintance with thee as to make thee the marke of their malice and obiect for their enuy and euill hearts to worke vpon And those for whom thou art grieued are not of the same house stocke village or country with thee yet because they are men and haue fellowship with thee in common nature or because they are christians and haue fellowship with thee in the same common religiō thy hart is grieued by way of compassion to heare of the calamities that are hapned vnto them And these remote troubles and griefes may happen to him that hath peace in his own house liueth quietly with his neighbours and louingly with his friends and hath comfort and ioy in their health and prosperity The rules giuen for domesticke troubles are also very sitting for these first therfore arme thy selfe with patience quietly suffer till God send ease And for the confirming of thy patience consider that the harts of all mē being in the hands of God these should neuer haue had any will to offer the wrong if God for some holy cause had not stirred them vp as he is said to haue stirred vp troublers to Salomon when he fell to idolatry Then the Lord stirred vp an aduersary vnto Salomon euen Hadad the Edomite c. And therefore though thou grudge to beare at the hands of men yet beare with patience and humility the good pleasure of God who knoweth when and how to make thee amends Dauid with this consideration confirmeth himselfe in his patience saying I should haue bin dumbe and not haue opened my mouth because thou didst it Saint Ierome reades it I haue been dumbe and will not open my mouth Tremellius reades it I am dumbe and doe not open my mouth The meaning is that either he should haue kept silence or he had kept silence or he did keep silence or was resolued hereafter to keep silence or else altogether for time past present and to come he held himselfe bound as by way of duty in his trouble to be mute and dumbe from murmuring raging and all works of impatiencie vpon this only reason because thou didst it that is because he knew it to be the handy worke of God And vnto patience adde praier for though it becommeth a godly man in his trouble to shut his mouth against all words of murmuring yet it becommeth him not to shut his mouth in the time of trouble against words of humble praier For by silence from murmuring it is manifest that God is feared and his pleasure approued but by silence from praier it is manifest that God is neglected and his helpe little set by In these troubles therefore and in all troubles it is a principall point of casting our burden vpon God to seeke his helpe by praier And the same consideration of Gods deed in stirring vp the aduersary that serueth to shut our mouthes against words of murmuring serueth as strongly to open our mouthes for words of humble praier That childe that bearing the fathers displeasure in the fathers displeasure suffering want of some wonted case doth refuse to make request vnto his father for the withdrawing of his displeasure and the restoring of wonted liberty especially being by the father commanded to make request and assured by his fathers promise that when he doth make request all shal be forgiuen that childe plainly appeareth to beare too big a heart against his father And a wise father not willing to be contemned of his child wil not restore his child to his wonted grace and liberty till he humble himselfe and intreat his father Euen so that christian man that hath displeased God and who hath not iustly deserued his displeasure and feeleth vpon him the hand of his displeased God in troubles that these remote enemies stirred vp of God doe put him vnto and doth not humble himselfe and pray vnto God for his fauour and ease seeing God hath both commanded him to pray and hath also promised to heare him helpe him when he praieth that man shews a heart ouer swolne against his God and God in iustice can doe no lesse then denie to send him reliefe so long as he refuseth to intreate
the power of God to saue that is the instrument by which hee powerfully saueth Though therefore thou hast not power to settle thine own hart by giuing saith vnto thy selfe yet thou hast no cause to be discomforted for by praier vnto God and by study in the word of GOD it is obtained at his hands These are the conditions betweene God and man which God requireth where he forgiueth sins three in number One that concerneth most directly thy selfe that is repentance renewing thy heart to hate sinne and to loue vertue and reforming thy life to slie sinne and practise vertue A second that concerneth most directly thy brother that is charitie and compassion to forgiue vnto him the wrongs done vnto thee to comfort him and to doe good to him as thou wouldest that God should forgiue vnto thee the wrongs that thou hast done vnto him that God should comfort thee and doe good vnto thee A third that concerneth most directly God himselfe reuealed vnto vs in his sinne Iesus Christ namely our faith that wee neither thinke basely of the mercy of God nor of the merite of Iesus Christ as if there were some person that it could not releeue and thy selfe that person and some sinne that it could not do away and thy sinne that sinne And now maiest thou vnderstand what it is that causeth so many to perish in their sinnes and how it commeth to passe that so few are saued when yet without exception of any sinne the Lord Iesus commandeth and by commandement giueth leaue to aske and hope to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinne and likewise without exception of anie sinne God the â—…ather of our Lord Iesus Christ promiseth to forgiue sinne First they haue no caâ—…e of repentance to forsake sinne yea with delight they dwell in it liue in it and die in it and they will rather forsake God and renounce heauen then leaue their pleasant and gainfull sinnes Secondly they haue no care of charitie and compassion to their neighbour they regard not the rest the credit the prosperitie the peace and safetie of their neighbour and being full of pride of wrath and furie they prosecute the least wrong till they be reuenged Thirdly they regard not to know how ample the Lords mercie is and the death of Christ and doctrine of saluation are foolishnesse to them they pray not for faith and they stoppe their cares against the word of God And hereby it commeth to passe that they perish in their sinnes not that their sinnes are so great that they cannot bee pardoned or God so mercilesse that he will not pardon them or Iesus Christ so defectiue in his mediation that he hath not done and suffered enough to discharge them but themselues are so carelesse so prowd so contemptuous so desperate that they will not leaue to sinne they will not loue their neighbours they will not know God but they will goe on in their courses like them whom Ieremie complaineth of saying They are all adulterers and an assembly of rebels and they bend their tongues like their bowes for lies but they haue no courage for the trueth vppon the earth for they proceed from euill to worse they haue not known me saith the Lord. This is the cause why they perish And here maiest thou vnderstand how to reape the benefit of the leaue that Christ hath giuen thee by his commandement to aske forgiuenesse of thy sins how to reape the benefit of the promise that God hath giuen thee to grant forgiuenesse of sinnes First forsake the sinnes that haue been so chargeable vnto thee and hauing already found the reckoning to be so heauy vnto thee diet no more at the Ordinarie of fleshly lusts where the soule must pay for it in hell and the inheritance waste that God hath dearely bought for thee And finding how great need thou hast of mercie and forgiuenesse to keep thee from being eternally miserable Learne to bee tender hearted toward thy brother and afford him thy forgiuenesse that thou maist obtain the same measure of mercy at the hands of God And let it bee the chiefe of thy daily studies to vnderstand more cleerely then yet thou dost how infinite and boundlesse the mercie of God and the merit of Christ his bloud is In the word of God thou shalt finde these things And while thou are occupied with desire in these studies faith in the mercies of God will grow apace and in a short time bring thy conscience to that happy quietnesse that S. Paul speaketh of saying Being iustified by faith wee haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Thus is thy feare growing from the multitude of them that perish and from the small number of them that are saued notwithstanding the commaundement of Christ giuing leaue to aske forgiuenes and the promise of GOD offering forgiuenesse shewed to bee an idle feare if thou wilt haue care of these conditions vpon which God granteth forgiuenesse of sinnes CHAP. XXII BVT heare againe the afflicted conscience breaketh out into grieuous complaintes and faith If these be the conditions required where sinnes are to be forgiuen I must neuer looke to grow vnto any agreement with God for the forgiuenes of mine for I haue not one of these three things in me For first I want repentance sinne aboundeth in me and whether I hate it or no I cannot tell though I know I haue no cause to loue it that proueth now so grieuous vnto me And secondly I hold my selfe to be void of loue to my neighbour I feare least I shall enuie other men their happy peace of conscience and their happy hope of saluation and that standeth not with loue And sure I am that I haue hurt them oft with the vniust act of my sinne and haue grieued and offended them with the vngodly example of my sinne And these things haue no agreement with loue And as for faith of all three it is furthest off If dispaire could obtaine forgiuenes of sinne I should soone speed for I am not far from that but if saluation must be apprehended by saith I am most far from it for I haue litle or no faith the present feare that I am in is directly opposite to faith This is the miserable condition of this burden that they which are pressed with it doe quickly apprehend and too well remember any thing that may increase their feare but they are dull too apprehend and doe soone forget any thing that might giue them comfort If this troubled sinner could but remember while the three conditions were spoken of what was said vnto him why hee should not be discomforted at the hearing of these conditions as if they or any one of them did breed impossibilitie of obtaining forgiuenes of sinnes he would not now make this fâ—…uolous obiection But let vs helpe his memorie that when God shall be pleased to looke gratiously vpon him his feare may be remoued for the ease
I haue prouoked him to anger and by his iust sentence I must not liue Also I haue spent the daies of my life on earth so wickedly that I must liue no longer There the earth is ouer-loaden with my transgressions and refuseth to beare the burden of them And as for the life of heauen it were folly and madnes in mee yea it were shameles presumption in me to hope for any fruition of iâ—… I know no other place of life but these two earth where life is mortall and heauen where life is immortall and heauen will not admit me to liue there and the earth hath indured my life too long Therefore I must die This is the sentence of God The Prophet Ezekiel saith The soule that sinneth it shall die And the Apostle Saint Paul saith The wages of sinne is death Who can controule this iudgement of God who shall open his mouth against it I doe my selfe approue it And therefore I am become my selfe an enemie to mine owne life yea heauen doeth abhor it the earth doeth loath it it must not continue to the offence of God and his Angels to the greefe of the Church and all true members of it And therefore I â—…hat heitherto haue had no care to serue and glorifie God wiâ—…h the continuance of my life will yet at the least and at the last serue and glorifie God with the end of my life intending to be the executioner of Gods holy sentence vpon my selfe So shall I cease to sinne any longer against God As the dead cannot praise him so the dead can not blaspheme him and as they haue no place to doe well so I thinke they haue no place to doe euill and by such course I shall deliuer my selfe from this violent temptation I shall obtaine an end of my feare Doth not Iob say of death and of the graue The prisoners rest together and heare not the voice of the oppressor there are small and great and the seruant is free from his master There shall Ireâ—… hauing put off this heauy burden What greater oppressour can there be then an accusing and condemning conscience And there he saith I shall not heare the voice of the oppressor O place to be desired O sweet graue I long to be laied vp in thee and am I not a seruant and a slaue to sinne is it not now a most cruell and tyrannous master to me and there I shall be freed from his tormenting power This being so iust in regard of God so full of aduantage and ease vnto my selfe it must be done it shall be done and I must doâ—… it yea I wil doe it disswade mee not from so iust and so gainefull a course wherein I am resolued O malice of Satan this is thy voice this is thy counsell in all the former obiections wherein thou hast beene a medler thou hast shewed thy selfe but in this thou exceedest thy selfe Hee that knew thee not before by this obiection may know thee to be as saint Peter calls thee A roaring lion that walketh about seeking whom hee may deuoure Heereby thou maiest be knowne to be as S. Iohn calls thee the great dungeon that olde serpent called the diuell and Satan which deceiueth all the world In this temptation thou seekest to deuoure but the prey shall be plucked out of thy iawes in this thou thinkest to deceiue but thy dangerous falshood shall be discouered and auoyded The victorious Lion of the tribe of Iudah the roote of Dauid shall rescue and deliuer his seely sheepe The Serpent that was lifted vp vpon the crosse shall bâ—…uise thine head and heale the wound that thou like a fiery serpent hast made The Lord rebuke thee Satan The Lord tread thee downe vnder the feete of this afflicted sinner and that shortly But thou O sorrowfull sinner hearken to the councell of God let not the serpent that deceiued our first parents deceiue thee stoppe thine eare against his lying words and be ready to heare what shall be taught thee in the name of God God saith by the Prophet Heare your soule shal liue Heare that thy soul may liue Thou art vrged to desire deser ued death thou art vrged yeldest with thine owne hands to hasten his death Thy resolution to hasten it seemeth to be grounded vpon these reasons First thou hast wronged and prouoked to anger the Lord of life and therefore deseruest in his iustice to die Secondly thou hast burdened the earth the place of mortall life with thy sinnes and art not worthy to liue any longer vpon the face thereof and then to thinke that thou maiest liue in heauen the place of immortal life thou holdest to be shamlesse presumption Thirdly thou holdest thy life to be loathsome it is so to thy selfe because it is offensiue to God and to his Angels to the church and members thereof Fourthly because thou hast not serued and glorified God by the continuance of thy life thou wilt serue and glorifie him by hastening the end of it Fistly thou hast multiplied sinne all the daies of thy life and thou thinkest that thou shalt cease to sin if once thou be dead Lastly whereas thy life is full of feare sorrow and bitternesse thou thinkest by death to be freede at once from all These are the reasons vpon which thou groundest thy resolution to hasten thy death with thine owne hands they may preuaile as reasons with them whom God hath left in the power of him whom the Lord Iesus calleth a murtherer from the beginning But whosoeuer remaineth in the protection of the Lord and giuer of life to him these allegations cary not the estimation of perswading reasons oâ—… if they beare any such estimation with them yet God wil nâ—…uer suffer them so to preuaile that they shal take effect but he will preuent their execution as â—…e did with the affrited Gaoler of Philippiâ—…â—…hom â—…hom being ready to fall vpâ—… his sword when he perceiued the effects of the earth-quake and feared that his prisoners were â—…led the mercifull GOD preserued him by the voice of Paul My heart trembleth to thinke of this obiection and it breaketh out beyond the bounds of my conceit that thought the precedent obiection to haue beene the height of Sathans malice and of this poore afflicted sinners danger But this exceedeth all height heere is extremity of malice in the tempter heere is extremity of danger in the tempted If the Deuill preuaile in this temptation hee xedeth not to vse any other And if the â—…ner giue place to this temptation it is â—…othing worth to 〈◊〉 and ouer come â—…lother In answering this temptation â—…il first examine the point that he saith â—…is resolued vpon and then the reaâ—…ons vpon which hee groundeth his resolution The thing that he is resolued vpon is â—…o cut the threed of his own life in plain â—…ords he intendeth to kill himselfe In the whole history of the Bible that conâ—…neth the
but thou thy selfe thinkest absurd for others and yet thou thinkest it reason for thy selfe But God himselfe denieth this argumēt to be of any strēgth while he saith or commandeth the prophet in his name to say Say vnto them As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue turne you turne you from your euill waies for why will you die O yee house of Israel Is not God the Iudge Is it not hee against whom thou saiedst thou hast sinned and deserued death and therefore must die It shall be granted that thou hast sinned It shall be granted that by that sinne thou hast deserued death but where is that must where is that necessity of dying that thou speakest of when God saith it and sweares it by his life who liueth euer that hee desireth not the death of a sinner Thou dreamest of some inexorable seuerity in God and some ineuitable necessity of death in the sinner God saith no to both There is no such seueritie in God Hee is farre from vrging that desires not the death of a sinner And there is no such vnauoidable danger to man while God doth offer him the way of life euen then when he hath by this sinne deserued death saying As I liue I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue Seest thou not the vanitie of this first Argument where of trueth afforded the premisses for thou hast sinned against god and thy sinne deserueth death But errour danger death and the diuell drew in the conclusion against trueth for there is no necessitie seeing God the Iudge requires no such death As I liue I desire not the death of the wicked and contrary to that conclusion sheweth a way of life to his mind more ag◅eeable to the sinner more safe But that the wicked turne from his way and liue returne this argumēt to the diuel that lent it thee it may be retorted vpon him in full strength For he hath sinned against God and by his sinne deserued death and therefore must die for God desireth the death of wicked angels hauing shut them vp in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the last day and hath not shewed vnto them any way of life But for thy selfe learne to argue better and frame thy argument so that God may allow of it I haue sinned against God therefore I must repent I must turne from my waies vnto God and learne to walke in his waies And againe my sinne hath deserued death therefore I must turne from my waies that I may liue for God hath sworn◅ that he desires not the death of a sinner but that the sinner turne from his wicked way and liue These Conclusions are inferred according to Gods will who desireth both thy conuersion from thy former sinnes and also thy saluation contrary to the merit of thy sinnes saying Turne you turne you from your euill waies for why will you die Oyee house of Israel These conclusions haue holinesse in them agreeable to all the commandements of God whereas thy former conclusions inuite to murder contrarie to GODS commandements and these conclusions containe life and saluation in them according to all the promises of God whereas thy former conclusions containe death and destruction contrarie to his promises If by thy former sinnes thou hast incurred the iust displeasure of God This manner of reasoning that I haue taught thee shews thee how to recouer his loue and liking and if thy former sinnes haue brought thee into the danger of death this maner of reasoning that I haue taught thee shewes thee how to recouer life and saluation Throw therefore thy foolish reason I haue sinned and therefore must die in the face of him that framed it for thee and remember euer that comfortable speech of God As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way liue And frame thy Arguments by the direction of this word I haue sinned against God therefore I must turne from my wicked waies And my sinne against God hath deserued death Therefore I must turne from my wicked waies so shal I liue this māer of arguing being as thou seest agreeable to Gods word is both pleasing vnto God and safe for thy selfe Thy second reason grounded as thou thinkest vpon iustice is this I haue loden and ouer charged the earth with the burden of my sinnes it groneth vnder that burden and can no longer beare it therefore it must bee eased by the remouing of me And forasmuch as I haue beene the man that haue laied this load vpon the earth it is meete I should also be the man to remoue it This latter part of thy reason that thou shouldest be the man to remoue the burden that hast beene the man to lay on the burden I hold to be most reasonable he that did the wrong ought to make the mends But let vs agree of the true burden that hath beene laid on by wrong and must be remoued by right That burden thou speakest of in the first part of thy reason wherein thou arguest thus I haue loaden the earth with the burden of my sinnes which it can no longer beare therefore I must by death be remoued Doest thou not behold and see an error in this arguing yea a wicked and most deceitful fraud of Satan seeking subtilly to destroy thee while in the antecedent of thy argumēt thou speakest of the burden that presseth the earth thou namest thy sins and they indeed make the earth to grone and when thou commest in the conclusion of thy argument to speake of remouing this burden thou ◅aiest nothing of remouing the sinne but speakest altogether of remouing thy selfe thy sinne is the burden and thou concludest not to remoue the sinne but to remoue thy selfe If a man wounded by another and desirous to be healed should apply his meanes to the party that made the wound and not to the wound it selfe doest thou not see that man that made the wound may bee remoued and the wound remaine still as dangerous as it was at the first but if he apply his meanes to the wound that was made the wound shal be healded and so remoued the man that made it remaining still Thy case is altogether like it thou hast giuen the earth a wound by the burden of thy sinnes if the meanes for the easing of the earth be applied not to the sinne to take away it but vnto thee to take away thee thou maiest be remoued but the guiltines of thy sinnes shall remaine vnto iudgement But if meanes be rightly applied to take away the sinne the earth is eased of her burden and thou also remainest in safetie thy argument therefore should be framed thus The earth groneth vnder the burden of my sinnes therefore these sinnes must be remoued Hee
this point that death which he calleth poenam vitiorum and supplicium peccator is the iust paine of wickednes punishment of sinners should become as hee calles it arma virtutis and iusti meritum the armour of vertue and merit or happines of a righteous man hee saith this commeth thus to passe non quia mors bonum aliquod facta est quae antea malum fuit not because death is now become a good blessing that before was an euill curse Sed tantam Deus fidei praestit it gratiam vt mors quam vitae constat esse contrariam instrumentum sieret per quod transiretur in vitam that is but God did afford so much grace vnto faith in his Son that death which is knowne to be contrarie to life should be made the instrument or way by which we might passe into life So that death comming by the order of God to a man prepared by faith in Christ that neither through impatience hasteneth death before his time nor through loue of this world or ignorance of his future happinesse cowardly shrinketh desiring to liue beyond his time death comming to such a man in this maner deliuering him from his present short and sufferable troubles leaueth him in a blessed and happy condition absolutely freed from all troubles for the second death hath no power ouer him and he is presently receiued into glorie To him pertaine these words of Christ He that heareth my wordes and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life As the beleeuing thiefe passed from the Crosse to Paradise and as soone as he was deliuered from his present trouble entred into eternall glorie and neuer felt eternall troubles so euery beleeuer when God calles him out of this world from earth passeth to heauen as Lazarus did from his houell into Abrahams bosome and death leaueth him in a most happy state For Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord euen so saith the spirit for they rest from their labours No more trouble no more dāger no more sorrow shal come to them But death doth not prooue so beneficiall to all For when a wicked man dies whether hee perish by fire as did the Sodomites or perish by water as did Pharao and his Egyptians or be swallowed vp of the gaping earth as was Korah and his company or were stoned to death as was Achan or be slaine with the sword as was Ioab or perish of some foule disease as did Herod or die a faire death in his bed as the greatest number do or fall by his owne hand as Achitophel and some other did howsoeuer he come to his end with honour or reproach with ease or with paine the wicked man by death though deliuered frō the troubls of this life yet is left in a most wofull estate being ledde into the depth of all miseries For from the earth they passe to hell from short to eternall from tollerable to vnsufferable crosses from trobles mixed with comforts which also in their bitterest condition may bee indu◅ed and ouercome with some little patience to troubles mixed with no comforts making euen the remembrance of that sweet name of comfort to be a new addition of discomfort and which giue no place for the least measure of patience to abide with them Of the end and endlesse condition of the wicked when death hath fetched them from hence the Prophet speaketh in the Psalme Surely thou hast set them in slippery places and castest them downe into desolation How suddenly are they destroied perished and horribly consumed as a dreame when one awaketh O Lord when thou raisest vs vp thou shalt make their image despised There prosperity before death is slippery as Ice there is no firme standing vpon it and when death commeth that seemeth to giue ease and end of some intermixed troubles they fall with violence and there fall is remedilesse they perish in it and remaine miserable for euer whatsoeuer conceit they nourished of lasting and continued ease it becommeth like a dreame which proueth idle when the dreamer awaketh Iob speaketh excellently of the wretched condition vnto which death bringeth the wicked saying How oft shal the Candle of the wicked be put out and there distruction come vpon them Hee will deuide their liues in his wrath they shall be as slubble before the wind and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away God will laie vp the sorrow of the father for the children when hee rewardeth him he shall know it his eies shall see his distruction and he shall drinke of the wrath of the almighty for what pleasure hath he in his house after him when the number of ◅is moneths is cut off This good man Iob knew something in what condition death leaueth a wicked man when it hath fetcht him out of this world then is he deliuered vp to the violent storme of Gods iust indignation the stubble is not more easily nor more confusedly scattered then hee then commeth the reward of all his wickednesse hee was a doer before from that time hee becommeth meerely a sufferer then the fury of the almighty ceazeth vpon him his daily drinke shall bee nothing else but the wrath of God his pleasure after his death is altogether ended and eternall woe lighteth vpon him Let vs not stand onely vpon sentences which may perhaps bee esteemed as lawes which great men easily breake thorow and delude Let vs looke into the acts of God and consider his reall proceeding wee haue a notable example commended vnto vs by our Sauiour Christ to whom the father hath committed all iudgement and therefore hee should not bee ignorant of Gods carriage He remembreth a great man a rich man which was cloathed in Purple and fine linnin and fared wel and dilicately euery day His welth and great estate could not protect him from the stroke of death that made an end of him and so of the troubles of his life if his life were acquainted with any But in what case did death leaue him our Sauiour telleth vs in these words The rich man died and was buried and being in hell in torments hee lift vp his eies and saw Abraham a farre off and Lazarus in his bosome then he cried and said father Abraham haue mercy vpon me and send Lazarus that hee may dippe the tip of his finger in water and coole my tongue for I am tormented in this flame but Abraham said sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure and contrariwise Lazarus paine now therfore is he comforted and thou art tormented Ther was his answer stoping his mouth leauing no place for any further hope of any good While he liued he was wel if any thing were a little amisse it was fully recompenced with many pleasures in the end he died and in that death his troubles if he had any ended and his
sinne that is called blasphemy against the holy Ghost is a pardonable sinne though certainly worthy of a thousand damnations According to that saying of Christ in the gospel Verily I say vnto you all sinnes shal be forgiuen to the children of men and blasphemies wherewith they blaspheme Secondly that the Lord Iesus Christ hath commanded him and by his commandement giuen him leaue to aske forgiuenesse of sinnes and hath drawen for him a forme of petition by which to craue that forgiuenesse of our heauenly Father when he taught him in the Gospel to say Forgiue vs our sinnes for euen wee forgiue euery man that is indebted to vs. Thirdly that God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is rich in mercy to all that call vpon him hath promised both to forgiue and to forget all our sinne and iniquity In thosâ—… gracious words recordâ—…d by Ieremy I will forgâ—…ue their iniquity and remember theiâ—… sinnes no more Fourthly the condiâ—…ions to bee obserued on our part which God requireth where hee forgiueth sinnes and vpon which hee doth most assuredly forgiue sinnes haue beene shewed to be these three First repentance bringing forth in vs amendmeÌ„t of life according to that saying oâ—… the Lord in Ezekâ—…el Iâ—… the wicked will returne from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawfull and right hee shall surely liue and shall not die all his transgressions that he hath committed they shal no be mentioned vnto him but in his righteousnesse that he hath done he shall liue Secondly loue vnto our brother in forgiuing vnto him whatsoeuer wrong he hath done vnto vs according to that saying oâ—… the Lord Iesus in the Gospel If yeâ—… doâ—… forgiue 〈◊〉 their trespasses your 〈◊〉 Father 〈◊〉 also forgiue you Thirdly saith in God expecâ—…ing at his hands that mercy that he hath promised to grant and exâ—…cting it in and 〈◊〉 his sonne Iesus Christ his sonâ—…e Iesus Christ his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the promises of God are yea and amen According to that most precious saying of the Lord in the Gospel Uerily verily 〈◊〉 to you whatsoeuer yee shall aske thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my name he will giue it yâ—…u These are grounds of truth giuing hope vnto vs that the burden of accusing thoughts may bee cast off and turned vpon God for the case of the poore sinner The rules of aduiâ—…e in obseruing whereof this burden is cast vpon God and the neglect whereof hindereth the caâ—…ling of this burden vpon God are these First that without deniall excu sing or extenuating of his sinne he doe ingenuously and fully confesse vnto God his sinne saying with the Prophet in the Psalme Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight For hee that seeketh by any meanes to hide extenuate or excuse his sinne before God as if he had not offended or had not deserued wrath by his offence shall not bee pardoned but he that freely confesseth shall finde fauour Salomon saith in the Prouerbs He that hideth his sinnes shal not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shal haue mercy Secondly let him patiently beare and without all murmuring the stroke of Gods hand which his confessed sins conuince him to be most worthy of and let him say with the Church I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him For murmuring impatience prouoketh God more The Prophet saith thus of God With the froward thou wilt shew thy selfe froward But patience winneth fauour at Gods hands for deliuerance The Apostle Peter saith Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time Thirdly he must now hate sinne that hath bin so chargeable vnto him and inquire after the will of God and do it As Saint Peter likewise teacheth vs saying amend your liues and turne that your sinnes may bee done away For hee that continueth with delight in sinne shal neuer finde fauour but heapeth vp more wrath vnto himselfe against the day of wrath the Prophet saith Him that loueth iniquity doth his soule hate A fourth aduice is that hee haue compassion vpon his fellow seruant and forgiue the offences of his brother putting from him all purpose of seeking reuenge for iniuries receiued As Saint Paul aduiseth saying Forbearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell to another For he that hath no pitty vpon his brother and exacteth satisfaction of him shall finde no pitty with God and shall be solde to pay the vttermost farthing of his owne debt As the Lord Iesus hath plainly said If ye doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your father forgiue you your trespasses A fifth aduice is that he inâ—…orme himselfe daily more and more of the mercy of God merits of Iesus Christ by searching the Scriptures that doe beare witnesse therto that he may by this meanes grow to beleeue in God whereunto the written word affordeth great helpe for the saying of Iohn is true of all the Scriptures These things are written that yee might beleeue And without faith that staieth our mindes vpon God in the merit of his son there is no accesse vnto God as wee are taught by the Apostle saying Without faith it is vnpossible to please God Lastly he must with sighes and grones with humble and harty praiers solicite the maiesty of God continually that he will be pleased to respect him with fauour and to forgiue his sinnes as the Prophet Hosea teacheth vs saying O Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him take away all iniquity and receiue vs graciously so will wee render the calues of our lips The neglect of this duty of praying to God is esteemed to be a marke of a wicked man For of them whom he calleth workes of iniquity the Prophet saith They call not vpon God In these â—…ew rules of confession patience repentance loue faith and praier standes the right casting of this burden vpon God These things let him practise constantly and God will ease his wearied conscience And thus haue we declared what burdens are heere meant and what it is to cast euery such burden vpon God Which things vnderstood wee haue the Prophets meaning in this precept of our text Cast thy burden vpon the Lord That is in al thy trouble seeke helpe and deliuerance at 〈◊〉 hand depending vpon him CHAP. XXXII NOvv wee come to the promise of recompence folowing in these words And he shal nourish thee hee will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer The rules of holy counsell giuen vs of God are alwaies inriched with liberall promises of his blessing that wee may know that it is not in vaine to harken to his voice nâ—…r either dangerous or
with the balme of comfortable words heale the wounds of our grieued soules It is the saying of S. Austin Good men euen in this life affoord vs no small comforts for if pouerty pinch vs if sorrow make vs sad if paine in our body afflict vs if banishment or any calamity vex vs if good men be present which know how to reioyce with them that reioice and to weepe with them that weepe and in conference to speake healthful things vnto vs those sharpe things are made maruellously gentle those heauy things are made easie and those aduersities are borne and ouercome For in a good man that hath bowels of cōpassion it is most true that one saith aegrotanti animo medicus est oratio his words will heale a grieued mind Thus much of the person instructed CHAP. 4. NOw we come to the instruction Cast thy burden vpon the Lord and he shall nourish thee he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer This instruction consisteth of two parts the first is a precept of aduice the second is a promise of recompence The precept is in these words Cast thy burden vpon the Lord The promise is in the rest and he shall nourish thee he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer This promise giueth assurance of mercy from God according to our want and desire and the precept directeth vs a sure course to seeke and speed of that wanting and desired helpe In the precept Cast thy burden vpon the Lord for the better vnderstanding thereof it will be good to consider first what this burden is secondly what it is to cast this burden vpon God These things vnderstood the precept is vnderstood The name of a burden is familiar many poore men liue by bearing burdens and know wel the meaning of that name when they feele the waight vpon their shoulders But here it is vsed in a borrowed sence for any thing that is heauy to the mind breeding feare care and griefe of which burdens there is great plenty in the world and euery man high and low at one time or other is faine to play the porter and beare some of these burdens some more heauy and some more easie but euery man some For order sake we may endeauour to bring these burdens vnto certaine heads vnder which if not all for this fruitfull world breedeth new burdens daily yet the most may be comprehended And because in some of these burdens we haue immediatly and at the next hand to doe with worldly matters and with men in things belonging to this life in others we haue immediatly and at the next hand to doe with spirituall matters and God himselfe in things belonging to our soules and the life to come therefore I will diuide them into secular and spirituall burdens The secular burdens shall againe be reduced to fower rankes whereof the first shall be the burden of worldly cares when a mans charge is great and his maintenance small and he taketh care how to pay his debt how to get meat and clothes and other necessaries for him and his which burden is made heauy vpon vs sometime by the immediate hand of God sending times of dearth and losses by fire and water and other waies sometime by other men as by oppressors deceiuers theeues bad debtors false seruants and riotous children sometime it is increased by our owne fault through idlenesse through plaie through foolish bargains through daintinesse of fare costly apparell and other courses of riot And this burden may be called the burden of the multitude The second ranke shall be of domesticall troubles either in thy selfe thy family thy kindred or thy habitation For where there is wealth at will and that way no cause of care yet Iob may languish being full of diseases Dauid may haue a scornfull Michol to his wife Abigail may haue a churlish Nabal to her husband Rahel may mourn for her children because they are not the sonne may be riotous and disobedient the daughter may be dishonest and between Amaon Absolon and Thamar the father of the family may haue griefe enough seruants may be vnfaithfull and perhaps maintaine factions thy kindred may be vnkind or fall into some calamity and thy next neighbour may bee thy neare and great enemy or thy house may bee visited with sickenesse so that thy trouble shall breed euen in the nest of thy rest in thine house at thy table in thy bed and in thy bones and there and from thence shall thy vexation grow where and from whence thou didst promise thy selfe comfort A third rank of these burdens shall be troubles more remote growing from enemies and occasions further of For many men haue peace at home ioy in their obedient and louing wiues comfort in their dutifull and sober children content in their trusty and faithfull seruants and sweet fellowship with their kind neighbours so that their home and habitation is their happy paradise and yet their estate may be vndermined by oppressors and deceiuers their names may be disgraced by liers and slanderers and their liues brought into danger by blood thirsty and malicious enemies and they touched with the calamities of their brethren abroad A fourth ranke of these burdens shall be the difficulties following the duties of our callings For though it be our honor and our crowne to performe the duties of our callings yet they grow diuersly to be burdens vnto vs sometime when more is required at our hands then wee are able to performe either by the fault of other men when we are called vnto publique seruices before we be ◅ipe and fit for them or by our owne great fault when we either couetously or ambitiously intrude into callings that we are insufficient for seeking the reward and honor of the place without regard of the seruice to be done in it Sometime we are sufficient and also painfull and yet either God denieth successe to exercise vs therby or men oppose against vs as Elimas did against the preaching of Paul Sometime men are sufficient diligent and effect the seruice laudably but enuious men misinterpret and misreport their doings as the Pharisies did the workes of our Lord Iesus Christ and in stead of praise they are rebuked and reprooued and in stead of deserued and expected reward they are in danger of punishment In all these cases the duties of our callings in themselues honorable yet become heauy burdens vnto vs. Vnder these foure heads I suppose all secular and worldly burdens may be comprehended There are other burthens wherein we haue to doe immediatly with God in things that belong to piety to peace of conscience to the life to come Those may be reduced to two heads The first head and ranke of these burdens are our sinfull lusts our inbred corruptions and infirmities and the law of sinne in our members rebelling against the lawe of our mind whereby it commeth to passe that
cause vnquietnes Parents must be honoured and Children must be cared for though in some things they grieue vs and God may amend them at the last if wee in the meane while bearing patiently their infirmities continue our duety to them and our prayers for them If it be Masters or Seruants that cause vnquietnesse the Seruants in patience must bee subiect to their Maisters with all feare not only to the good and curteous but also to the froward they can not shake off their Maisters while the dayes of their seruitude continue and the maisters in patience must do vnto their seruants that which is iust not omitting any meanes whereby they may reforme them and in the end the master hath power to ease himselfe of an incurable euill seruāt by dismissing him If it be neighbour against neighbor that causeth vnquietnesse this rule teacheth not to render euill for euill nor rebuke for rebuke but contra◅iwise in patience to blesse and to doe all good offices in neede whereby thou shalt haue peace in thy heart howsoeuer thy neighbour bee disposed to contention And if thy home-trouble be painefull sickenesse either vpon thy selfe or vpon some of thy houshold or some other neare and deare vnto thee this rule teacheth thee whatsoeuer other meanes for recouerie of health be vsed to beare thy visitation meekely humbling thy selfe vnder the mighty hand of God in euery thing If thy trouble bee the death of any whose life thou didst desire this rule will teach thee knowing the death of the righteous to bee vnto them the beginning of true life to giue glorie to God with a quiet mind This patience in all things will giue thee ease of thy burden according to the saying of our Sauiour Take my yoake on you and learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest vnto your soules This is one common rule A second common rule in all these troubles pertaining to the right casting of them vpon God is that we pray vnto God crauing his helpe who for ought wee know hath therefore layed these troubles vpon vs because we haue been negligent in prayer that now feeling sensibly in our sorrow our neede of his helpe wee might amend our old negligence and fall to praier And surely whether God did send our troubles for that cause or no yet this is most sure that prayer is a most profitable course for the easing of our trouble which God commandeth with promise of ease saying by the Prophet Call vpon me in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee And the Saints haue alwayes vsed it with happy successe of ease As the Prophet testifieth saying These called vppon the Lord and hee heard them So did Iacob when returning from his vnckles hee heard that Esau was comming forth against him with foure hundred men hee said thus vnto God I pray thee deliuer me from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau for I feare him lest hee will come and smite mee and the mother vppon the children And according to his desire God deliuered him from his feare for his brother and hee met in peace and departed one from another in peace so did Moses when the Aegiptians pursued the Israelites and the Israelites feared the Aegiptians before the red Sea The Lord fayd vnto Moses Wherefore criest thou vnto mee for Moses in his heart prayed earnestly vnto God and God did deliuer him from his feare opening a passage for the Israelites thorow the waters of the red Sea and drowning in the floud the Aegiptians that presumed to follow so that Israel sawe the Aegiptians dead vpon the Sea banke Wee neede not stand vpon particular examples hauing a generall rule that neuer fayleth the Prophet saying The Lord is neare vnto all that call vpon him yea to all that call vpon him in trueth hee will fulfill the esire of them that feare him he also will beare their crie and will helpe them Now seeing the saints doe thus in their troubles pray vnto God for ease and do thus at the hands of God obtaine ease when they pray in their troubles it is euident that to pray vnto God in our trouble is a worthy rule of casting our burden vpon God in all domesticall yea in al whatsoeuer troubles And let no man say there is no need in these troubles to trouble God with our praiers because he knoweth both what we suffer and what himselfe hath determined to do for these reasons thou oughtest the more gladly to pray because God doth vnderstand thy want before thou complaine and is determined to succour before thou intreate him thy labour with such a God cannot be in vaine And this know thou hast great imploiment for thy praiers in these and such like troubles First thou hast neede to offer vp praiers vnto God for thy selfe that he will giue thee patience and wisedome to demeane thy selfe aright vnder these troubls that thou maiest neither be a murmurer against God grudging at those troubles nor increase thy troubles by dealing indiscreetly and frowardly with them that are the causers and occasion of thy troubles nor maiest erre and be wanting in vsing good remedies to heale and reforme them that are the causers of thy troubles And if thy domesticall trouble be sicknesse in thine owne body how necessary it is to pray vnto God to giue thee patience to send thee health to forgiue thy sins and to prepare thee for death when Iames the Apostle exhorteth to reioice for temptations and to continue in patience till patience haue her perfect worke because these things require an extraordinary wisedome he further aduiseth vs to pray vnto God for that wisedome saying If any of ◅ou lack wisedome let him aske of God who giueth vnto all men liberally Giuing to vnderstand by that aduise how necessary it is in the time of trouble to vse pra◅er for thy selfe that thou maiest demeane thy selfe patiently and wisely to glorifie God in thy trouble to profit by the same trouble and not to increase the same but safely to grow out of it and to recouer peace and health Secondly thou hast need to offer vp praiers vnto God for them by whose meanes thou art troubled or for whose sake thou art grieued Sometime thou art vnkindly vsed either by thy husband or wife either by thy parents or children or such as haue stept into the roome of parents and children and haue those names by law giuen them not by nature due vnto them or else by thy master or seruant or by some friend or neighbour For these thou hast great cause to pray vnto God that he will giue them better minds and let them see their fault with mislike of it and see what becommeth them to doe and giue them a heart to doe it If they continue in their frowardnesse shall they not continue to be troublers vnto
things for their preseruation and saluation so that thou maiest most safely commend them to his mercie And let him remember what the Prophet hath said of God pertaining particularly to this griefe as if it were intended for his ease in this case He is a Father of the fatherlesse and Iudge of the widdowes euen God in his holy habitation So that thou shalt not leaue thy wife without a husband thy children without ◅ father thy seruants without a maister and thy poore friends without a helper when thou commendest them to God He will be all in all vnto all and euery one of them And therefore in this griefe remembring Gods prouidence thou castest thy burthen vppon GOD and easest thine owne heart when thou commendest them vnto him And if it be not thine owne sicknesse death or calamitie that grieueth thee but the sicknesse death or calamitie of some other neere vnto thee as of thy husband or wife thy parents or children thy maister or seruant or some neighbour or friend that was neere and deare vnto thee with commendation of thy compassion that ought indeede to stretch it selfe to all these and further also for the seruants of God must not be without naturall affections This is in the case of their sicknesse and calamitie to cast thy burden vpon the Lord first to minister what help and comfort thou art able vnto them both with good words and also with reall seruices that they recouering the sooner out of their sicknesse and calamitie thy heart may the sooner bee freed of that griefe that thou sustainest for them And in this ministring of comfort and help vnto them thou seruest the Lord and becommest the meanes and instrument of his mercie to the afflicted Therefore it is saide of the woman of Shumem Elishaes good hostesse that her sicke sonne sate on her knees till noone that is shee was grieued for his sicknesse and with a most willing heart gaue him the best help and comfort that shee could Hence grow all those workes of mercy that the Lord Iesus saith hee will remember and reward when hee commeth in his glory Hence commeth the feeding of the hungry the refreshing of the thirstie the clothing of the naked the intertaining of the stranger the visiting of the sicke and releeuing men in bonds Hence grow all these works of mercy namely that men and women of tender hearts which haue bowels of compassion in their bodies are grieued to behold the want the miseries and calamities of others and doe ease their owne hearts by vsing all meanes to ease the others calamity so casting in a most sweete maner the burden of their owne griefe vppon God who will certainely comfort them that labor to comfort his afflicted ones Vnto this rule pertaine all the precepts of ministring to the necessities of the Saints But because while thou art thus casting the burdē of thy griefe vpon God by vsing all good means to relieue them for whom thou art grieued Because I say they are not presently freed from their calamitie nor thou from all thy sorrow conceiued for their sakes therfore vnto this diligence of helping and succouring the miserable if thou wilt soundly and fully cast thy burden vpon God patience must be added and praier patience to beare quietly their sicknesse and calamities whom thou louest for the Lords sake that hath appoynted it so glorifying him in all his workes and prayer to intreat the God of mercie to remember in his mercy those thy miserable friends and to raise them vp whom he cast downe Heere remember Dauid praying for his sicke childe Daniel praying for the returne of the captiuity the Centurion praying for his sicke seruant and the Church praying for Peter imprisoned I will insteed of all examples adde the precept of the Apostle Paul making patience and prayer the chiefe rules of obtaining ease of all burdens saying Let your patient minde bee knowne to all men the Lord is at hand be nothing carefull but in all things let your requests be shewed vnto God in prayer and supplication and giuing of thankes Thine owne diligence in shewing mercy and helping thy patient attendance vppon God with thy faithfull prayer for the asflicted are the mean◅ of casting thy burden vppon God when thou art grieued for the sickenesse and calamities of others But if it bee the death of some deare friend that thou art grieued for wherein perhappes thou thinkest thy griefe remedilesse because thy dead can not liue agayne euen for this verie cause oughtest thou to beare the death of thy friend quietly because thy dead cannot liue againe And herein wee haue Dauid an example of godly fortitude vnto vs who hauing a childe sicke did while it yet liued afflict his soule For it is written Dauid be sought GOD for the childe and fasted and went in and lay all night vpon the earth Then the Elders of his house arose to come vnto him and to cause him to rise from the ground but hee would not neither did hee eate meate with them Thus while there was hope of remedy he gaue way to the sorrow of his heart But it followeth On the seuenth day the child died and the seruants of Dauid feared to tell him that the childe was dead for they said behold while the child was yet aliue we spake vnto him and hee would not bearken vnto our voyce how shall wee say vnto him the childe is dead to vex him more But when Dauid saw his seruants whispered Dauid perceiued that the childe was dead Therefore Dauid said vnto his seruants Is the childe dead And they said hee is dead then Dauid arose from the earth and washed and annoynted himselfe and changed his apparell and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped and after came to his owne house and bade that they should set bread before him and hee did eat His sorrowing ended when hee once sawe that there was no hope of enioying any longer the company of his childe Now this course seemed to his seruants a new and strange kind of philosophie that he should mourne in the danger of death and yet reioyce or at least comfort himselfe with any content in death and therefore his seruants saide vnto him What thing is this that thou hast done thou diddest fast and weepe for the childe while it was aliue but when the child was dead thou didst rise and eate meat And what reason had hee for this strange and vnwonted behauiour Hee said while the childe was yet aliue I fasted and wept for I said who can tell whether God will haue mercy on me that the child may liue but now being dead wherefore shall I now fast can I bring him againe any more I shall goe to him but he shall not returne to me Behold the same thing that maketh thee to mourne namely that thy dead shall not returne to thee the same consideration Dauid made the ground
of some in hell shall be more tollerable then of some others but thereby they vnderstand rather those gripes of conscience that prouoke prayers supplications strong cryings and teares out of a heart beset and straightned with fierce accusations a conuinced conscience feared condemnatioÌ„ these assaults they say shall be more hard against the conscience of him that siuned against knowledge in a presuming manner then against the conscience of him that sinned of ignorance in a weaker manner that is yeelding rather out of his weaknes then daring out of his pride for it may be alledged for the ignorant man that if he had knowne such a thing to be euill in the sight of God he would not haue done it No such thing can be said for him that presumed against knowledge for such an one sheweth contempt of God and of his reuealed will which the ignorant man cannot be charged with all hee groneth only vnder the burden of humane errour and frailty but the other lieth vnder the burden of malice and presumption Therefore when our afflicted man pressed distinctly with some particular sinnes findeth that they were the sinnes of his ignorance let him not thinke himselfe thereby free for to be ignorant of that which is our duty required of God is of it selfe a great sinne and if his ignorance be affected ignorance as in them that refuse to be taught and contemne the meanes of knowledge when God doth offer them such ignorance differeth little or nothing from malice But let him pray vnto God in hope and let him plead before God his ignorance not as an excuse much lesse as a iustification of his fault but as a motiue by which the Lord is often led in his free mercy to forgiue sinnes And for the incouraging of his heart let him remember the examples of them to whom vpon their â—…epentance and conuersion to God mercy to the forgiuenesse of their sinnes of ignorance hath beene granted Peter in a sermon of his made vnto the multitude that came together to see the lame man whom he and Iohn had healed chargeth them with a grieuous sinne saying You denied the holy one and the iust and desired a murà erer to be giuen you and killed the Lord of life whom God raised from the dead where of we are witnesses This was a great sinne to kill the sonne of God and to make more reckoning of and to shew more fauour vnto a knowen murderer then to the Lord of life that came to saue them But this their fact he saith was of ignorance And now brethren I know that through ignorance you did it as did also your gouernors For though the lews were very maliciously bent against Iesus yet many of them knew him not to be the Lord of life and to be the holy one of God neither did they persecute him in that name Therefore doth Saint Peter saâ—…e vnto them in the same Sermon Amend your liues and turne that your sinnes may be done away Heere is mercy offered and assured vnto them that amend their liues and turne to God namely this mercy that all their enormious sinnes and euen among the rest their sinne in refusing the Lord Christ and putting him to a shamefull death should be forgiuen and the rather because they did it ignorantly And memorable is the example of the blessed Apostle Paul His sinne was persecutioÌ„ against the name of Iesus Christ his proceeding in it was furious without all compassion raging both against men and women that called vpon that name and casting them into prison in all places where he could finde them and had power against them In such sort that hee became famous or to speake more truely infamous for his cruelty so that Ananias in Damascus could say to the Lord Iesus of him Lord I haue heard by many of this man how much euil he hath done to thy Saints in Ierusalem moreouer here hee hath authority of the high Priests to bindâ—… all that call vpon thy name And yet this man had his sinnes forgiuen and was receiued into fauour and had all the degrees of holy honour done vnto him that can be done vpon earth to any among the followers of the Lord Iesus For first he was called to the knowledge and faith of the Lord Iesus and was made a true beleeuer Secondly he had honour not only to belieue in him but also to suffer for his sake and was made a true confessour and marter Thirdly he was also an excellent instrument to draw other men to the knowledge and faith of Iesus and was made a teacher and an Apostle And all this was the more freely done to him because when hee was a persecurour hee finned of ignorance and knew no other but that it was lawfull and holy for him to doe so Heare what himselfe saith of that matter I thanke him that hath made mee strong that is Christ Iesus our Lord for he counted me faithfull and put me in his seruice when before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor an oppressor but I was receiued to mercie because I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe Ignorance and vabeleese are not things pleasing ro God by their vertue and merit obtaining forgiuenes of all the sins growing out of them neither doth the Apostle remember his ignorance and vnbeleefe obtaining his pardon as out of worthinesse of them rather know them in themselues to be grieuous sins deseruing hell as fully as any notorious sinne that issueth from them but he that sinneth out of ignorance more easily findeth fauour then hee that sinneth against knowledge For the sinne of the ignorant man hath not in it like euidence of rebellion against the reuealed will of God as the sin of him that hath knowledge As the words of the Lord Iesus shew spoken to some of the Pharisies If ye were blind ye should not haue sinne that is if yee wanted knowledge and were blind in your vnderstanding your fault should not bee so great so notorious so blame-worthy as now it is by reason of your knowledge There is therefore though no merit of fauour yet much hope for him that can say truely in his heart vnto GOD Lord thou knowest that blindly and ignorantly I ranne into this sinne not knowing that it was against thy will and so odious in thy sight And this is for him that is distinctly charged with particular sinnes and findes that hee committed them out of ignorance a doore of hope in which these examples may incourage him to digge by prayer wherein if hee doe truely and with a right penitent heart humbly and earnestly trauell he casteth the burthen of his sinnes vpon God and shall finde case CHAP. XV. BVT say it was sinne against knowledge and thou hadst warning giuen thee many times to take heede of that same sinne and warning by the word of God so that thou couldest not but know that to doe so as thou didst was a
of Hezekiah his father it is likly that he had been carefully taught and that his father did no more leaue him without counsell at his departure out of life then Dauid wheÌ„ he was ready to die did leaue his sonne Salomon When the dayes of Dauid drew neare that he should die he charged Salomon his sonne saying I goe the way of all the earth be strong therefore shew thy selfe a man and take heede to the charge of the Lord thy God to walke in his waies c. Thus out of his care did he not cease while there was life and strength in himselfe to teach his sonne his dutie to God And of Hezekiah it is testified that hee did vprightly iâ—… 3. the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Dauid bad done therefore it is not likely that either in the time of health or in the time of his sickenes hee neglected the instruction of his son that should succeed him It must needes bee therefore that Manasses sin was against knowledge euen in his childhood much more afterward Sure it was with full freedome of his will euen with a high hand of whom it is thus written He did euill in the sight of the Lord like the abhomination of the heathen whoÌ„ the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel for he went backe built the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken downe he set vp Alters for Baalim and made groues and worshiped all the hoast of Heauen and serued them Also he built Alters in the house of the Lord where of the Lord had said in Ierusulem shall my name be for euer And he built Alters for all the hoast of the heaueÌ„ in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he caused his sonnes to passe through the fire in the vallie of Benhinnom he gaue himselfe here was full sway of his owne will to witchcraft and to charming and to sorcery and he vsed them that had familiar spirits and soothsayers he did very much euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him c. Here was a man violent headstrong yea mad and furious in his sinne and not in small but in the greatest sinnes not onely against the second table but much more against the commandements of the first table in all kindes of idolatry and all vngodly profanations and yet hee found fauour at the hands of God who first brought him to repentance by 〈◊〉 and then forgiuing his sinne restored him to peace The history wherof is thus recorded The Lord brought vpon him the captaines of the hoast of the King of Ashur which tooke Manasses and put him in fetters and bound him 〈◊〉 chaines and caried him to Baâ—…ell And when he was in tribulation he prayed to the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his father and praied vnto him and God was intreated of him and heard his praier and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his kingdome then Manasses know that the Lord was God Now after this he built a wall without the Citie of Dauid on the west side of Gihon in the valley euen at 〈◊〉 entry of the fish-gate and compassed about Ophet and raised it very high and put Captaines of war in all the strong Citties of Iudah And he tooke away the strange Gods and the image out of the house of the Lord all the Alters that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord and in Ierusalem and cast them out of the Citie Also he prepared the Altar of the Lord and sacrificed thereon peace offrings and of thankes and commanded Iudah to serue the Lord God of Israel Consider seriously this example weigh therein on the one side the sinne of the man on the other side the mercy of God In Manasses thou shalt see the height of thy sinne equalled if not exceeded and in God thou shalt see mercy exceeding all sinne And where such mercy appeareth what should make the sinner doubt of finding fauour while he seeketh it with a true purpose of leauing his sinne and true faith and hearty praier I might ad herevnto the example of that theefe that was crucified at the same time with the Lord Iesus vpon his right hand to whom making his paier to Iesus in these words Lord remember me when thou coÌ„mest into thy kingdome The Lord again mâ—…de him this answere ful of most rich mercy this day thou shalt be with me in Paradice This man liuing among the people of Iudah could not be ignorant of the commandement of God forbidding theft therefore his sin was against knowledge And making a trade of theft thereby to maintaine himselfe there was no violence offred to his will but freely willingly and with choyce he followed that course and was euen a couenant seruant of sinne reaping with delight the wages of iniquitie in the spoile that he made of the inocent And yet he found fauour and had his sinne forgiuen him and entred into life Who shall then dispaire of the mercy of God Saint Ambrose calles the historie of this man â—…ulcherrimum affectandae conuersionis exemplum A most Godly example to moue men to turne to God And these examples let our afflicted sinner consider seriously They are writtâ—…n for our instruction in them hee shall espie an hole in the wall of hope which will proue a dore of mercy for him to enter if he dig by hearty paier And for the further confirmation of his hope Let our afflicted sinner know that there is only one kinde of sinne vnpardonable and he shall find the sin that he is charged withall not to be that sin therefore to be pardonable And this is no small incouragmeÌ„t to know his sin how great so euer yet to be pardonable when a sicke man vnderstandeth his disease that will be mortall to him if hee neglect it yet to be curable if he looke to it in time apply apt medicines vnto it hee will take much comfort in that knowledge thenceforth he will diligently seek for remedy And so must our afflicted sinner when he shal vnderstand his sinne to be such as may be forgiuen comfort his soule with that consideration and thenceforth diligently vse the meanes that God our Phisition prescribeth and the effect by the mercy of God wil be health peace saluation Now that sinne that is vnpardonable is called in the Scripture blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Whereof our Sauiour speaketh in these wordes saying Verily I say vnto you all sinnes shall be forgiuen vnto the children of men and blasphemies wherewith they blaspheme but he that blasphems against the Holy Ghost shall neuer haue forgiuenes but is culpable of eternall damnation Which sinne if wee consider the circumstances of the place where the Pharises are charged with it especially as that matter is recorded by Saint Mathew in his twelst
had commanded Moses to goe toward the sea to lift vp his rod and streich out his hand vpon the sea that a way being opened in the diuided waters Israel might goe thorow he said Behold I will harden the hearts of the Aegyptians that they may follow them and I will get me honour vpon Pharao and vpon all his host vpon his Chariots and vp on his Horse-men Then the Aegyptians shal know that I am the Lord when I haue gotten me honour vpon Pharao vpon his Chariots and vpon his Horse-men And how was this honour gotten but by destroying those wicked men for after they were entered in betweene the waâ—…ts at Gods commandement Moses stretched forth his hand vpon the sea and the sea returned to his force early in the â—…ning and the Aegyptians fled against 〈◊〉 but the Lord ouerthrew the Aegyptians in the middest of the sea So the water returned and couered the Chariots and the Horse-men euen all the hoast of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them there reâ—…ained not one of them Heere was honour gotten by the destruction of the Aegyptians But marke how he speakes of it I will get me honour vpon Pharao and vpon all his Host. Hee got it they did not giue it him they had no intent to doe him honor and to make his name glorious but he tooke it hee wrought it out for himselfe by his mighty power in their destruction hee made himselfe â—…nowen to be a iust a mighty and vpright God that giueth to euery man according to his workes and respecteth to mans person and is able to bridle tyrants and to cut of the vngodly whatsoeuer they be Thus he glorifieth himselfe by winning the praise of a holy iust and omnipotent God when he cutteth off the wicked and bringeth them down into destruction They that perish had no intent to glorifie him nor may they looke for any thankes or reward in regard of the glory that God hath by them for they neuer studied to yeeld him any such praise he wonne it altogether against their minde and purpose And so in thy case if thou shouldest persist in thy vngodly purpose and shouldest out of thine owne daies by killing thy selfe thy frowardnesse and wickednes should turne to his praise his iustice should appeare to his great glory But to thee no thankes nor reward should be due as if thou haddest intended and laboured to bring glorie to his name for what hast thou doâ—…e that thou canst thinke agreeable to his will and worthy of his acceptation and reward Did he euer giue thee any authority to take away the life of any shew thy commission and warrant from God that thy obedience and care to set vp Gods praise may appeare in thy lawfull and warrantable action Many trespasses of subiects deserue death and it is the Kings honour that wickednesse in his people be punished but is it lawfull presently for a priuate man to kill that trespasser because hee hath iustly deserued death he that doth it without authority and warrant from the King shall hee not bee culpable of murder If authority be giuen thee it is thy praise to doe iustice if thou haue no authority that act of iustice will be thy sinne it will bee iustice to him that is slaine but it will be murder in thee that diddest take away his life So howsoeuer thy sinne doe deserue death yet if thou kill thy selfe without authority and God neuer gaue authority nor wil giue to any to kill himselfe thou sinnest presumptuously and insteede of honouring God doest dishonour him first in committing wickednesse and secondly in preuenting the noble honour of God which he might haue won in forgiuing thy sinne Gods glory is sought and often wrought by aduenturing thy life in his seruice yea by loosing thy life in his seruice this hee often requireth and euer rewardeth Therein a man truely sheweth that he preferreth Gods glory before his owne life Thus the Prophets and Apostles and all holy Martyrs haue glorfied God by aduenturing first and loosing at last their liues in his seruice It is their comfort their glory their saluation so to yeeld vp their liues to the seruice of the giuer of it But Gods glory is not sought nor wrought by them that in their discontent and impatience grudging at the troubles that hee hath laied vpon them and despairing of his helpe to support and deliuer them doe kill themselues because they will not suffer Therein they truely shew themselues enemies of Gods glory grudgers at Gods will preferring euen to the losse of life their owne wil before Gods will their owne vniust will refusing to beare the correction of God before his iust will in correcting them Can there be a more proud a more wilfull a more wicked and obstinat opposition against God then this that a man shall say I wil die before I will indure this at Gods hands and after to doe it because hee may not haue his will against God Neuer any Prophet neuer any Apostle or holy man euer did so There is no comfort nor glory in it but dispaire horror and eternall confusion in it This therfore is a most false and wicked reason Thou shalt truely glorifie God if thou amend thy life thou shalt but dishonour and offend him in ending thy life Thy second reason grounded vpon supposed aduantage is this Thou thinkest that by cutting of thy life thou shalt sinne no more And to cease from sinne thou holdest to bee very pleasing vnto God and so it will proue beneficiall to thee This reason is full of fraude For first where thou thinkest that after death thou shalt sinne no more I deny it to be true in all men otherwise then thus that they can no more sinne after the manner of this world they cannot betweene death and the resurrection giue their members that laie leueles in the graue and turue to dust As weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne Ahabs false Prophets being dead can lie vnto him â—…o more Ioab being dead can murder â—…o more the swearer the adultery tho thief being dead can with their tongues blaspheme no more with their hands rob spoile no more nor pollute their members by vncleannesse any more but doth it follow therefore that they sinne no more is not the hatred of God sin impatiency in suffering deserued damnation is it no sinne can any imagine that damned soules haue laied off al maliciousnesse and that those men that while they liued and were called vpon to serue the Lord were allured by many blessings giuen and by promise of many more were threatned with Gods iudgements and felt also some fauourable and easie corrections would yet neuer hearken to the voice of God would neuer loue him neuer feare him neuer cease from sinne neuer regard to amend their waies but continued obstinate and died in their ignorance stubbornnesse malice and all their sinne can any imagine that these assoone as they are
So did the Apostle Paul wish vnto himselfe when hee expressed his minde in these words Desiring to be loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all And the same Apostle speaking of the death of all the faithfull saith in this wise Wee know that if our earthly house of this Tubernacle be destroied wee haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens Here is the change of the soules dwelling from a ruinous house on earth to an eternall house in heauen Afterward the same Apostle saith Wee are bold and loue rather to reâ—…one out of the body and to dwell with the Lord. Here is the change of the soules company on earth it conuerseth with mortall men in heauen it dwelleth euer with the immortall God This is all the hurt that death can doe vnto vs if this were to be called hurt it bringeth the body to rest in the graue and it bringeth the soule to present glorie with God and all the dangerous deadly and killing power that originally it had by any confederacie with sinne all that is taken away by the death of Iesus Christ. And if it were sometime to be feared as a poisoned serpent of the olde serpents brood yet it is so spoiled by that serpent that was lifted vp vpon the crosse that it hath neither tooth nor sting nor any poison left to hurt any beleeuer Heare to this purpose the words of Saint Paul O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. Death therefore cannot be hurtfull to the beleeuer And if while he liue he take such order and find such fauour that God will be pleased in Iesus Christ to send him a discharge of his sinnes by faith in his sonne he hath no cause after death to feare the reuiuing of his accusation though the legions of lying diuels whose malice makes them accusers of the Saints before God should altogecrie out against him as Saint Paul teacheth vs saying Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. Thou hast no cause to feare death or any thing that followeth death if while thou liue thou returne to God and recouer his fauour in Iesus Christ for there is full discharge against accusation condemnation both in this life and after this life in the free loue of God and most meritorious intercession of our Lord Iesus Christ. CHAP. XXXI THE storme is ouer our afflicted sinner by this time seeth no cause any longer to dreame of terrifiing death and were it not that one dâ—…am of bitternes disseasoneth the comforts of life that God hath lent vnto him he should grow to some reasonable temper But one thing hee hath cause to complaine of and let vs heare him that we may vnderstanding his griefe be the better able to helpe him Hee telleth vs of a heauie case his sleepe he saith is not quiet but mixt with fearefull dreames at his table his minde taketh in more sad thoughts then his mouth doeth bits of meate the voice and face of his old acquaintance and former friends doeth now reuiue his greefe so oft as he doeth either see them or heare them the fairest roomes of his house which he had trimmed vp for his delight if hee come into them doe strike him with grieuous terrour and all those things that hee delighted in before are new matter of sorrow and heauines vnto him and it is his onely content though without to sit alone in darknesse This hee taketh to be some curse of God folowing him and an euident signe of Gods iust and fearefull anger following him for what should make Gods good creatures other mens comforts to be discomforts to him but the onely displeasure of God To this I answer that it is very likely that it is so and will continue to bee so with him so long as this burden of accusing thoughts lies heauy remaining vpon his wounded conscience It is a very kindly effect of it that hath growen out of it and wil vanish with it Thou sleepest catest with a wounded heart and hence it is that while thou sleepest and eatest thou still feelest the smart of thy wounded heart Thy ancient friends and former woonted delights appeare vnto thee now when thou art not fit to take pleasure in them as before time thou didst and that maketh thee at the present to be the more troubled thinking vpon thine old liberty now lost And the things prepared for thy pleasure while thou wert capable of pleasure in the contrary disposition of thine heart bent altogether to feare and sorrow doe now bring â—…orth a contrary effect vnto thee euen increase of sorrow And a desire of shaddow and solitarienesse though they be hurtfull doth follow a grieued minde as Ieremy saith of the man that beareth the yoke in his youth Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath borne it vpon him And this desire of darknesse and solitarinesse either is an effect of mortification in him that is crucified to the world seeing the world crucified to him or else it groweth partly out of shame and partly out of anger that things are in no better tune and vpon the recouering of thy peace and ceasing of thy temptation this trouble will certainly vanish away In the meane time giue place to this griefe as little as thou canst and striue to reioyce in the Lord and in the good blessings hee hath bestowed vpon thee pray him that bestowed good things vpon thee to giue thee a free heart to take comfort in his guiftes that thou maiest be prouoked to praise his name And withall craue and vse the counsell and helpe of some learned and skilfull Physician for there is somthing in this griefe that hath neede of his iudgement and diligence And the God of hope fill thee withal ioy and peace in beleeuing that thou maiest abound in hope thorow the power of the holy Ghost Amen And now after some delay in answering such obiections as the vnquiet soule hath made out of his grieuous feare let vs grow vnto a conclusion concerning this burden of accusing thoughts and let vs gather together briefly orderly the scatterd grounds of hope that this burden may be cast off when God shall be pleased to giue his blessing and the scattered rules of aduice that teach how to cast it vpon God And for grounds of hope that this burden of accusing thoughts may bee cast off vpon God for the sinners â—…ase it hath beene shewed and proued First that his sinne not being that
fruitlesse to follow his direction When the Lord Iesus said to one that talked with him This doe so giuing him direction there followes a promise in these words And thou shalt liue assuring him of good successe in following his commandement And vnto all the precepts instructions and aduises of almightie God as noting the sure successe that followeth the keeping of them may the words of the Prophet bee added If yee consent and obey yee shall eate the good things of the land That is if ye will hatken to the voyce of God and do what hee commandeth he will prosper your wayes and you shall liue comfortably in the land that hee hath giuen you to dwell in For all the precepts instructions directions God giues are precepts instructions directions of holines iustice and wisdome that can not either hurtfully or fruitlesly mis-leade vs. The wicked say to God Depart from vs for wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies who is the Almightie that wee should serue him and what profit should we haue if we should pray vnto him and the Prophet Malachie chargeth the wicked of his time to haue spoken stout words against God in this manner Yee haue said it is in vaine to serue God and what profit is it that we haue kept his commaundements and that wee walked humbly before the Lord of hostes Therefore wee count the prowd blessed euen they that worke wickednesse are set vp and they that tempt God yea they are deliuered this is the opinion of the wicked that the commandements instructions and directions of God carry with them no assurance of good successe they can deuise and appoint more safely and more profitably for themselues But God saith to the righteous that hearken to his courses and follow his commaundements that when hee hath done according to justice and goodnesse both to the one sort and to the other then shall you returne and discerne betweene the righteous and wicked betweene him that serueth God and him that serueth him not Gods iudgement shall make a sensible difference betweene them while the wicked miscarry and perish that despised his counsel the godly prosper that follow his counsell For of all the counsel and of all the commandements of God the Prophet Dauid saith By them is thy seruant made circumspect and in keeping of them there is great reward For when a man doth honour GOD by his obedience as a iust commaunder and a wise aduiser then out of his goodnesse hee furthereth and strengtheneth that good successe that dependeth vpon his rule Hearken then vnto the voyce of God follow his holy direction and all things shall goe well with thee But let vs looke to the words of this promise And he shall nourish thee hee will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer The promise hath two parts The whole is deliuered by Dauid in such words as might most fittely answer to those burdens that at that time lay most heauie vpon his owne soule that as hauing recouered comfort to himselfe heâ—… structeth others to seeke the like so instructing others how to winne their comfort hee might together confirme his owne more and more Now the burthens that at that time were most heauy to Dauid were two first pouertie and want of necessaries for him and his followers secondly a great fall from the honour that he lately enioyed in Israel His pouerty appeareth plainely in the historie of his troubles When Ionathan by his arrowes gaâ—…e him warning to slie he left all that hee had and came in bare estate to the house of Ahimelech the Priest and of him obtained the sword of Goliah for hee brought not with him for haste so much as a weapon of his owne and certaine loanes of shew bread for him and for his men From thence he fled to Achish king of Gath but durst not staie there Then came he into the wild countrey of Iuda a place of no plenty there his number increased daily to the increase of his necessitie and the inhabitants became his enemies not relieuing his want but betraying him and his haunts to Saul Where while he stayed there fell out a notable thing that sheweth how pouerty pinched him There was a certaine rich man named Nabal that sheared his sheepe and prepared great cheere for his shearers To him Dauid sent tenne yoong men with this message giuen to them Goe to Nabal and aske him in my name how hee doth and thus shall you say for salutation Both thou and thine house and all that thou hast be in peace wealth and prosperitie Behold I haue heard that thou hast shearers now thy sheepeheards were with vs and wee did them no hurt neither did they misse anie thing all the while they were in Carmel aske thy seruants and they will shew thee Wherefore let these yong men finde fauour in thine eyes for wee come in a good season giue I pray thee what soeuer commeth to thine hand vnto thy seruants and to thy sonne Dauid This petition to beg from a churles dinner fauoureth of no great abundance and when he was repulsed of Nabal and his yoong men returned empty bringing nothing to him from Nabal but churlish words he became sodainly inraged and armed foure hundred men and went that euening with them with resolution to slay the churle and all that belonged to him before the morning which hee had certainely done if hee had not beene met and staied in the way by Abigail the prudent wife of Nabal Now wee knowe what maketh the lion to roare and the wolfe to be furious euen hunger when they seeke for their prey And had not Dauid beene at that time a hungry lion if his state without touch of want could haue borne that repulse of Nabal hee could neuer haue resolued vpon so violent and cruell a course This historie most clearely sheweth that at this time a heauy burden of a poore estate pressed his soule Therefore in setting downe this promise hee vseth words of incouragement to others that agree fittely with his own condition and serue conueniently to confirme his owne hope And as hee was poore so also he was fallen from the honour that hee lately enioyed in Israel and in a manner lay deiected at the feete of his enemies to be trampled vppon For hee had beene a great man in the Court of Saul and in the eyes of all Israel First in his Fathers house and in the middest of his brethren by Samuel sent of God hee was annointed to be King in Israel Secondly when the euill spirit sent of God to vexe Saul did inuade him and he was in the fits of his furie then Dauid was sent for to the Court and plaied on his Harpe before Saul and procured him ease and a ceasing of his fits for the euill spirit departed from Saul Thirdly when a battell was betweene Israel and the Philistims and there came forth daily out of the hoste
of the Philistims a mighty man named Goliah of the town of Gath and defied Israel from whom al the people fled then Dauid accepted the Philistims challenge and slew him and put away the shame from Israel for which honorable fact the women praised him in their Song sayâ—…ng Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his tenne thousand Fourthly Saul made him a captaine ouer a thousand men and whithersoeuer Dauid led them forth he behaued himselfe wisely and valiantly for the Lord was with him and made him to prosper and all Israel loued him Lastly Saul gaue him one of his daughters to wife and hee became the Kings sonne in lawe and hee did eate meate at Sauls Table and Ionathan Sauls sonne made a true league of amitie with him and all the gallants of the Court regarded him Such had beene the standing of Dauid in a loftâ—… height of honour And now from this height of honour he was fallen low into contempâ—… before his enemies For from his house his wife his deare 〈◊〉 Ionathan from the Court the Cittie and the Tabernacle from his honourable office companie and estate hee was glad to she and to slie into the wildernesse into woods and caues and holes to hide his head where the company that he had resembled the place in basenesse For besides those of his fathers house there gathered vnto him men that were in trouble for their euill deeds that brought them within danger of law men that were in debt and owed more then they were worth and durst not shew their heads men that were troubled in mind oppressed with sorrow affrighted with feares this was his companie as it were the skumme of the people a rout of lawlesse ones He was in the Kings displeasure and the Kings eares were euer open to all malicious and slanderous reports made against Dauid and vpon euery discouerie of Dauids abiding in any place Saul was euer running forth with his armie against him Thus was he fallen from that height of honour in which sometimes hee stoode And the promise of Gods helpe and of ease from God that hee giueth to them that cast their burden vpon GOD hee deliuereth and putteth downe in such words as are fitly answerable to his owne present condition fallen into such disgrace hee will not suffer the righteous to fall for â—…uer that while he giueth to other men a rule how to recouer comfort in their afflicted estate hee might withall confirme his owne conceiued comfort more strongly CHAP. XXXIII BVT forasmuch as he deliuereth this promise for the incouragement of others let vs so handle it as that others may see their interest in it And hee shall nourish thee he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer This promise falleth of it selfe into two parts the first is in these words And he shall nourish thee the seis in these words He will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer The first part of this promise meeteth with the burden of pouertie and want in this present world and therefore may be called the poore mans promise who doeth not looke high about the point of nourishment and doeth not complaine except he feele some want thereof In the poore mans house are not heard the complaint that great men make as that the King frowneth vpon him and hee is forbidden to come into his presence that his child is stollen from him and meanely maried against his liking that hee hath lost a great estate by the wracke of such a ship by the breaking of such a tradesman and by the falsehood of such a seruant These â—…nd such like are the complaints of great men and neuer heard in poore mens houses but their complaints are commonly these I am not able to pay my debt I am not ready to pay my rent and I feare to be cast into prison for the one and to be throwen out of my house for the other I haue no prouision against the colde winter nor money in my house to make prouision the raine beates in at euery corner of my house and I am not able to repaire it my wife my selfe and children want both meate and clothes and winter comes on vpon vs and these hard times affoord much expence and little getting charitie is become cold and her benummed hands now giue no almes Iustice also is growen very sleepie and scarce holdes vp her head to reckon with the labourer and to giue him his hire and how wee shal be fed clothed and nourished I can not tell These are the poore mans complaints and this promise meeteth with these complaints and assureth nourishment and therefore it may very well be called the poore mans promise For the truth of this promise that God will nourish them that cast their burden of want vpon him that is attend reuerently in well doing vpon his hand for maintenance it appeareth plainely by the Lords bountie hee gaue vnto Adam and vnto his posteritie all the fruites of the earth and all the hearbes of the field hee gaue vnto Noah and to his sonnes all liuing things that breede and liue either in the aire or vpon the land or in the sea this large grant is registred by Moses saying The feare of you the dread of you shall be vpon euery beast of the earth and vpon euery foule of the heauen on al that moueth on the earth and vpon all the sishes of the sea into your hands are they deliuered euery thing that moueth and liueth shall be meate for you as the greene hearbe haue I giuen you all things Heere is prouision inough feare not want the great depths of the sea the spread plaines of the earth and the vast compasse of the aire are Gods store houses filled with foode and prouision of all kindes for thee so that there must be no fish in the sea no fowles flying through the aire neither hearbe fruit nor beast vpon the face of the earth if there be no foode for thee Yea all liuing creatures must want foode before man can want foode because euen all those other creatures are appointed and giuen to man to be his foode But thy present pouertie maketh thee to say thou fearest not but God will alwaies send inough for all but thou seest that craft couetousnes and oppression gather such superfluous aboundance into some mens hands that thou art afraid lest that out of that sufficient store that God doeth send for all thou shalt not be able to get a sufficient portion for thee and thine Thou confessest that God in this world as a great Lord in his familie maketh prouision and allowance fully and plentifully but men as vnfaithfull stewards make vnequall diuisions and some haue to much to serue euen their intemperate and immoderate lusts and others haue too little to serue euen their necessarie vses and therefore though thou fearest not but God will send yeâ—… thou fearest how thou shalt get sufficiencâ—… To
true and God often lets his wrath fall heauily vpon his elect for their sinnes To that end heare the words of Gods Church speaking to the malignant company of her enemies that reioice at her trouble I will look vnto the Lord I will wait for God my Sauiour my God will heare me Reioice not against me O mine enemie though I fall I shall arise when I shall sit in darknes the Lord shall be alight vnto me I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him vntill he plead my cause and execute iudgment for mee then will hee bring mee forth vnto the light I shall see his righteousnes The Church confesseth that she bare the wrath of God shee confesseth that that wrath fell vpon her for her sinnes and therefore promiseth to beare it patiently because she bare it iustly and she takes not that wrath of God for any euidence of reprobation neither ceaseth to esteeme her selfe the chosen of the Lord that shall inherit his fauour And therefore she exerciseth her faith in looking vp vnto the Lord and out of faith promiseth her selfe all gratious respect with God in her praiers shewes her selfe rich in hope that God himselfe will in due time plead her cause and bring her out of the darknes of her trouble into the light of ioy and so magnifie his loue and fauour to her that her aduersarie the malignant congregation shal be ashamed Therefore certainly God doeth often let his wrath fall vpon the elect for their sinnes and the manifest strokes of Gods wrath cannot bee said to be infallible euidences and signes of reprobation as our afflicted sinner affirmeth to his owne great hurt And if hapily vpon hearing of these things thus spoken his diseased mind should begin to cauill and to say that if other iudgements and strokes of Gods wrath be not euidences of reprobation yet that iudgement and stroke of wrath that is fallen vpon him is a plaine euidence of reprobation his iudgement being accusing thoughts a wounded conseience the most heauie of all Gods iudgements whereof Salomon saith A wounded spirit who can beare it For that stroke is the beginning of intolerable punishment it is the very gate of hâ—…ll iâ—… is that worme that shall liue euer in the bosome of the damned it is euen no other then hell vpon earth And why shold God set a mans sinnes against him in so terrible a manner as hee doeth in this temptation but because his meaning is to condemne vs for our sinnes aforehand to let vs see that hee shall doe it most iustly our sinnes being so many and solothsome against this cauill and for the remouing of this offence from his heart I will adde this vnto that that hath been already spoken that God doeth lay euen this particular stroke of his wrath namely a wounded conscience in the sight of sinnes vpon his elect and therefore that wrath is no euidence of reprobation The prophet Dauid bore this stroke of Gods wrath whereof he speaketh thus Thine arrowes haue light vpon 〈◊〉 and thine handlyeth vpon me there is nothing sound in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones by reason of my sinnes for mine iniquities are gone ouer my head and as a weighty burden they are too heauie for me Here was a stroke of the wrath of God fot he complaineth that Gods hand was heauie vpon him and that Gods arrowes had pierced him and it was not a weake stroke or slight touch but forcible and fearefull so that it made the whole man languish and for the anguish of his soule his body also was consumed and oppressed with paine and feeblenes so that neither in his flesh nor in his bones remained any soundnes And what stroke of Gods wrath was it but euen this particular stroke of accusing thoughts and of a wounded conscience by reason of sinnes that were so heauie a burdthen that the vexation of them was his consumption and was Dauid vpon whom this stroke of wrath fell was hee a reprobate if he were he was such a reprobate as the Lord Iesus Christ was and no other nor otherwise whom the builders refused cast aside as vnfit for the building but God made him the cheefe corner stone as Peter saith This is the stone cast aside of you builders which is become the head of the corner So in the kingdome of Israel Saul Doeg and other busie doers despised and cast aside the sonne os Ishai but God did chuse him to build the kingdome of Israel This therefore is most certaine that euen this stroke of Gods wrath when hee setteth our sinnes in order against vs is no more a signe of reprobation then any other stroke of Gods wrath whatsoeuer This part therefore of his obiection when he calleth himselfe a reprobate is a bold and desperate speech wherein he shews himselfe presumptuous against GOD and vncharitable against himselfe and whether he be a reprobate or not hee ought not to pronounce himselfe to be one the name of reprobation hauing reference vnto the vnknowne and secret counsell of God not vnto the knowne and manifest sinne of man And though our sinnes deserue reprobation Gods wrath falleth vpon them that are reprobate yet neither the sinne that wee are guiltie of nor the wrath that is fallen vpon vs for that sinne though it be this particular stroke of a wounded conscience can be said to be arguments of reprobation And whereas he saith that we deuise answers to his obiections that cary shew of strength among men but those his obictions are vnanswerable before God and our deuised answers before him will be of no vertue Let him know that the answers which wee haue made to his obiections are all grounded vpon the word of God by which word hee shall iudge all men and all the causes of all men As the Lord Iesus saith The word that I haue spoken it shall iudge in the last day And therefore our answers being grounded vpon that word shall stand as rules of trueth before the iudgement seat of God when all the obiections that he hath made growing onely from feare and from a weake heart distempered with a temptation of vnbeleefe shal be found to bee of no force And with this assurance of the sufficiencie of our answers wee waite to heare what he can further obiect why he may not hope for the forgiuenes of pardonable sins seeing Iesus Christ by his commandement hath giuen him leaue to aske forgiuenes of sinnes and God the father of our Lord Iesus hath promised to grant forgiuenes of sinnes as hath before out of the word of God beene truely declared CHAP. XXVII A Fresh assault this afflicted sinner maketh vpon vs and against himselfe for this fierie dart is not easily quenched And againe he obiecteth most vnkindly saying My sinne deserueth death and I must die I haue wronged the Lord of life