which oftentimes brings shame because men hope for that they neuer attaine Rom. 5.2.5 But this hope of the glory of God following iustification maketh not ashamed for such persons neuer misse of that they hope for Thus many strings hath a good man to his bow and euery one helpes to further his selfe-satisfaction If a threesold cable cannot be easily broken how shall an eightfold So many graces of Gods Spirit linked together in one soule cannot but make it able to satisfie it selfe if need bee without helpe of others For each of these hath his seuerall force and therefore as being ioyned together they are the stronger so each one putting forth his owne vigour what cannot be done by one is done by another As the Physitian ioynes many things in one potion that what one thing cannot helpe another may so God ioynes many graces in a good mans soule that where one grace cannot giue him satisfaction for the present another may There is not any truth of GOD so vndeniable but many things may bee yea many things haue beene by erronious spirits obiected against it So this truth of GOD so honourable to God and so comfortable to man hath not wanted many engines to batter it yet it will stand inuincible First Obiect 1 it hath beene obiected that Gods seruants haue beene so farre from giuing satisfaction to themselues that they haue beene glad to begge of others food and other necessaryes for their satisfaction So Dauid was faine to send to Nabal for food for himselfe and his men and was shamefully denied 1. Sam. 25.4 c. So Lazarus was forced to begge of the Rich-man the crummes that fell from his Table and was cruelly starued by his denyall Luke 16.21 A man would thinke that Nabal were better able to giue himselfe satisfaction then Dauid and the Rich-man then Lazarus How can this stand with selfe satisfaction I answere a good man may bee without many outward comforts but yet hee hath an internall contentation Answer which hee can oppose against all outward wants and vphold himselfe against them all If Dauid haue none of Naballs victualls yet he and his men shall bee prouided for If Lazarus dye for lacke of the Rich-mans crummes yet hee dyes contentedly and is by Angells conuayed to eternall happinesse There bee many things which a good man hath not but there is nothing which hee wants For he that is well contented with what hee hath Diues a Dinus quia vt Deus nihil indigere videtur Varro de ling. Lat. lib. 4. Locuples est qui paupertati suae aptus est et paruo se diuitem fecit Sen. ep 108. cannot bee said to want any thing that hee hath not A Rich-man therefore that hath enough for all vses is called in Latine Diues from Diuus a God because like to God hee seemes to stand in need of nothing Let Seneca the heathen man tell how a poore man may be rich and a man of a meane estate wealthy He is wealthy whose mind is fitted to his pouerty and who hath made himselfe rich hauing but small possessions If a heathen man could thus teach a poore man how to make himselfe rich much more may the Scriptures informe him Who counts the Apostles of our Lord and Sauiour poore though they had forsaken all and followed Christ when hee sees how rich they were in fayth and miracles but especially in sweet contentment Let S. Paul speake for the rest Hôs mêden echonâ—es câ—i pania catâ—chontes 2 Cor. 6.10 and say what the Apostles were as hauing nothing and yet possessing all things Shall we count the Angels and blessed Spirits in heauen poore because they haue no meate nor drinke nor apparrell The Saints had more apparrell when they were on earth and more food yet they were much poorer then they are now in heauen where they haue none But to mount vp to the example of examples who can deny God himselfe to be rich For euery beast of the Forrest is his Psame 50.10 and the cattell vpon a thousand hills All men receiue all their treasures from him yet he himselfe heapeth vp no gold nor siluer A good man then that is most like God of all his creatures somewhat resembles his Maiesty in this that he can be rich although he lay vp no money His internall contentment makes him wealthy although externall things flow not in so plentifully to him as vnto others Secondly it may bee obiected Obiect 2 that good men in their passions doe by their words and outward gestures declare that they are not internally satisfied The trembling of their bodies doth in imminent perills bewray the feare of their mindes The teares issuing out of their eyes in calamityes falne vpon them publisheth to others the greefe of their harts How far then are these from selfe-satisfaction We deny not Answer but a good man may be troubled with greefe or feare for a time He hath not changed his nature but is as sensible of misery as he was before His body is as tender his heart as melting as any mans els Besides the same substance of nature which likes not to be afflicted he hath the same corruption of nature in some part remaining which makes him too sensible of worldly vnkindnesses and too lyable to Satans temptations and wiles No maruaile then if at some time the Diuell doe beguile him and vrge him so that he shew forth his imperfections to the world and his discontent vnto his neyghbours But yet wee say though the troubled channell of his owne imperfections clog his heart for a time yet is there pure water of Gods grace therein sufficient to giue him satisfaction without going to other mens riuers if he doe but recollect his owne forces he hath matter enough to satisfie him within him although his troubled spirit cannot discerne for the present how to vse it A while after when his passion is as an ague fit vanished away then can he by meditation recall his wandring thoughts bring them into order and settle them by the helpe of his patience and innocency and other forenamed vertues lodged in his owne brest by the finger of God So then for all this bullet the fort of selfe-satisfaction cannot be pierced Thirdly Obiect 3 it is obiected a godly man cannot subsist neither naturally nor spiritually in this life without the helpe of Gods creatures If he want food he will be starued If he want drinke he will be choaked If he want apparell he will be chilled to death What needed God to haue made so many creatures for mans vse if they were able to giue satisfaction to themselues For his spirituall state what comfort could he haue to come into Gods Church if water in baptisme did not assure him of the pardon of his sinnes What hope could he haue of heauen if Bread and Wine in the Lords supper did not assure him that Christ dyed for him and that by fayth in
while wee are busy with the world abroad wee bee not betryed by our owne flesh within In a besieged Citty it is not vnusuall while the besiged resist an assault made at one side of the Towne for some false traitour to let in the enemy on the other side and toruine the Citty So while wee thinke our selues safe against the allurements of the world wee are often betrayed by the corruption of our owne flesh They are fooles that worke themselues troubles yet whence come all our troubles but from our owne backeslidings and whence come our defections but from our carelesnesse Wee haue a vigilant enemy who neglects no occasion of aduantage let vs bee as watchfull for our owne preseruation least God being prouoked by our negligence giue vs ouer to our spirituall enemy to bee ruined A breach is not healed at that cost it might bee preuented Though there may be a recouery yet some skarres of infamy and infirmity will be remaining Fourthly it sounds terrour to them that after examination are forced to set downe for the summe of their accounts For consternation That they are backsliders Their owne waies will be their owne ouerthrow there is no neede of great Politicians to ouer reach them with some subtill deuise to the ouerthrow of their honours liues or estates they themselues will lay snares for themselues and digge pitts with their own wickednes to bury their fortunes in with themselues There needs no great and mighty men whose hatred and power may bring downe backesliders they fal with their owne waight We haue corrupted our selues internally by our defection and internall corruption workes externall destruction A rotten Apple needs not bee crushed the inward putrefaction will bring it to nothing though no hand touch it A wounded body needs no Sword to kill it nor no poison to destroy it it hath that within that will bring it to the graue A decayed House needs not bee pulled downe by the hands of worke-men it will fall of it selfe for want of reparation An high Empire ouergrowne in terme and territories needs no outward foes to put an end to it Ciuill warres and home bred vexations setled in the veines of it will lay it low enough So is it with Apostataes There needs no forraine art nor force to vndoe them they daily further their finall ouerthrow How euer it goe with them in this world their owne consciences can tell them it will neuer goe well with them in the world to come Goe to now yee backsliders weepe and houle for the miseries that shall come vpon you Iames 5.1 Fiftly finding our selues in so ill a condition let vs betimes recall our selues For reuocation It is not good to ride too farre out of the way It will aske the more labour to come in againe Wee doe not terrify men with their euill conditions to vexe them but to draw them out of it Let vs consider from whom wee are slidden it is from GOD to whom if wee doe not returne wee can neuer expect safety in any other Hee will destroy vs for fayling him others cannot saue vs for cleauing to them It is sufficient that others seeke our ouerthrow let vs not seeke our owne While we liue in this world we haue liberty to returne to God and opportunity to seeke the Kingdome of God But if we slide away more and more from God in this world we can haue no accesse to God in another world The traueller that knowes he is out of the way needes no great perswasions to goe in againe The sicke man that knowes his disease to be dangerous wants not many arguments to vrge him to bee studious of his owne recouery If wee were as sensible of spirituall errours and diseases as wee are of temporall small Rhetoricke would serue to draw vs backe from our backslidings Our estate is naught now but it is like to be much worse hereafter and which is no small addition to our misery we know not how soone we shall bee most miserable there may bee but a minute betweene vs and death there cannot bee aboue a minute more betweene death and hell How long then will you runne on toward your owne damnation Returne returne to Gods fauour least yee perish in his anger Remember whence yee are fallen and repent before the candlesticke of your life be remoued and ye left in perpetuall darknesse Reuel 2.5 Sixtly it is not sufficient for vs to recall our selues For reclamation but a needfull deede of charity when wee haue recalled our selues to reclaime others At least to endeauour to reclaime them for the successe is to be expected from God Wee see the danger of defection they see it not the sight of it makes vs to returne to God let vs striue to make others to see their misery too that they also may returne from their backslidings They that haue beene cured of the Goute or Stone are no niggards of their knowledge but easily communicate the same vnto others It is our blessed Sauiours command to S. Peter Luke 22.32 that when he should finde himselfe conuerted hee should strengthen his brethren It is Dauids promise Restore vnto mee the ioy of thy saluation Psa 51.12.13 and vphold me with thy free spirit Then will I teach transgressours thy way and sinners shall bee conuerted vnto thee Christianity teacheth vs to liue in a communion of spirituall and temporall comforts and counsailes Which communion requires not onely that we be liberall to them that want bodily meanes but also to aduise for the best such as want spirituall directions If wee haue erred and recalled our selues let vs not thinke all the worke done Wee are a Body the hand hath not done his owne part in pulling a thorne out of it selfe it must pull it out of the foote also Heauen is not prepared for vs alone we must endeauour to leade others thither with vs. And thus much for the first part of the Text the portion of backsliders The portion of obedient children followes in the conclusion of the Text. And a good man shall be satisfied from those things that are within himselfe Good men haue matter enough within their owne soules to giue satisfaction to themselues in the greatest dangers that can befall them Hence come those admirable boastings of Dauid Psalme 16.8 I haue set the Lord alwaies before mee because he is at my right hand I shall not be moued Though his owne strength might faile him yet he knew God could not The Lord is my light and my saluation Psalme 27.1 whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I bee afraid His owne store might faile him in a famine though he had a kingdome his own art might disapoynt him though he were wiser then his enemies if the pestilence came As the silly sheepe then thinkes himselfe safe vnder the shepheards protection when the wolfe layes for him so doth hee
vnder Gods in greatest perils The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want Psalme 23.1.4 Yea though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me And least it might be thought to be his case alone hee ioynes others with him that feare God Psam 46.1 2 3 God is our refuge and strength a very present helpe in trouble Therefore will wee not feare though the Earth bee remoued and though the Mountaines bee caryed into the midst of the Sea Though the waters thereof roare and bee troubled though the Mountaines shake with the swelling thereof Selah A very high straine indeed and worthy of a Musicall note of Eleuation Hence come S. Pauls triumphes He knew hee had enough within him to vphold him what euer outwardly happened in the world I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities Rom. 8 38.39 nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. An Apostolicall height yet such a pitch as may bee attayned by priuate Christians whom S. Paul ioynes with himselfe in the body of this triumph Many are the gifts and graces that God hath enriched a good mans soule withall Among those many diuers there are that are giuen him to giue satisfaction to his owne soule though I deny not but sundry other internall indowments are bestowed on him to enable him to honor God and to do good to men by his actions while the earth affords him a dwelling place and till heauen be ready to receiue him God deales with him as a father with his tender child whom he bestowes great breeding vpon to his no little cost partly to make his life profitable to others and partly to make it comfortable to himselfe Thus God furnishes his Children with abundance of graces that they themselues may haue cause to blesse God for such as giue satisfaction to their owne soules and others for such as bring profit and benefit to them Let vs now view the particulars and bring into a list such graces as shine inwardly and enable Gods seruant to satisfie himselfe Meanes of selfe satisfaction The first iewell that God bestowes vpon the soule of a good man is peace of conscience I put it in the first place because it yeelds most comfort Peace of conscience This can satisfie a man inwardly whatsoeuer befals him outwardly in the world His conscience being naturally vnsetled hath led him through all the conditions that euery man passed through in this world Hee lookes backe to the state of Creation Hee viewes it as a state of innocency and a condition of felicity But saith the conscience what is that to thee Adam was innocent and happy but by his fall hee hath made thee sinfull and miserable There is as little comfort in thinking of lost happines as in a staruing man ruminating vpon his lost Gold and perishing It doubles the greefe in our selues to thinke wee haue beene happy in our first parents Seeking rest in the state of Creation and finding none at length his thoughts fasten vpon the estate of corruption The former was a good but is a lost condition The latter is a bad one better lost then found yet easily found but not easily lost This is his naturall condition This makes him hang downe his head with heauinesse At length a third condition offers it selfe vnto his consideration a state of reconciliation to GOD by the blood of Christ His conscience cannot deny hee hath sinned but God in the Gospell offers him pardon for all his sinnes in Christ This Offer hee hath applyed to himselfe by a true faith Now the plaister applyed hath healed the wound His transgressions are remoued from him Psalm 103.12 as farre as the East is from the West His conscience now is at peace within him His soule is ioyfull It is secured from the wrath of GOD what need it feare the wrath of men Hee finds peace from Heauen hee feares not warres on Earth Rom. 5.1.3 Thus being iustified by faith hee hath peace with GOD through our Lord Iesus Christ And this peace makes him to glory in tribulation Psa 91.1.5.6 Now doth he dwell in the secret place of the most high and therefore shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almighty Now plagues and dangers are not so terrible to him as before because he knowes none can hurt him whom God loues and protects A ship at Sea playes it the midst of stormes there are no trees to shelter it no anchores can hold it Nothing cannot can secure it that is without it all the safety it hath is from within If it be well ballanced it may escape So is it with the shippe of mans conscience When GODS wrath smites vpon it like a storme and the world blowes vpon it like a tempest no honours can quiet it no tiches can pacifie it If any thing keepe it from sinking it must bee the inward peace of a good conscience this assures him of Gods loue and that giues him satisfaction The soule was made according to Gods Image nothing then can satisfie it but God himselfe according to whose Image it was created Take a seale and ioyne it to waxe the stampe or image that is left in the waxe cannot be filled but with the same seale againe Neyther can Gods Image in man be fully satisfied but by the fruition of God himselfe Mans nature sayth S. Augustine although it be mutable yet it may obtaine blessednesse by cleauing vnto the highest God who is the onely vnchangeable good To make it happy it must haue satisfaction for all the defects of it Aug. de ciu Dei lib. 12. cap. 1. Now all the world is not sufficient to satisfie the necessities of the soule God onely can doe it The same Father in his Confessions presseth the end of mans creation to shew what onely can giue him satisfaction Thou hast made vs sayth he O Lord Fecisti nos ad te et inquietū est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te Aug. Coufess l. 1. c. 1. for thee and our heart is restlesse till it rest in thee This was Cyprians counsell to Donatus to seeke for satisfaction not from the world without him but from his owne conscience within him There is but one pleasing and sure tranquility one solid firme and perpetuall security if a man withdraw himselfe from the tempests of this disquieting world being surely setled in a safe hauen and lift vp his eyes from earth to heauen and being admitted to Gods fauour and in his mind now neerest to his God glories to find within his owne conscience whatsoeuer others deeme high or great among worldly commodities Nihil appetere tam nihil desiderare de saeculo potest qui
saeculo maior est Cypr. ep 2. He can now couet nothing he needs desire nothing of the world who is already greater then the world Now as he need desire nothing that the world hath who is at peace with God so need he feare nothing that the world can doe against him for God can supply him with what the world denies him and can protect him against what the world threatens him with Thus is hee by Gods fauour in despight of all the world able to giue satisfaction to himselfe The legacy that our Sauiour left vnto his Disciples was peace Ioh. 14.27 Non pax temporis quia exponendierant mul tis tributationibus sed pax pectoris et paxaeternitatis prima in praesenti secunda infuturo Lud. vita Christi part 2. cap. 77. fig. 6. Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you What that peace was let Ludolphus declare Not peaceable times in this life but a peaceable heart leading to eternall life As when the mind is troubled with the sense of Gods anger all the world cannot pacifie it gold and siluer please no more then strawes friends are but miserable comforters we languish inwardly notwithstanding a world of outward comforts so when the conscience is pacified with the sweete perswasion of Gods fauour all the tribulations of the world cannot daunt that heart but like the Bee it can come abroad and taste the commodities of summer and feede it selfe with the honey it hath gathered biding within the hiue when the winter stormes with her tempests By this meanes hee enioyes the benefits of all outward comforts and can fustaine himselfe with his inward peace in the midst of all outward crosses The second fauour wherewith God graces a good mans soule to enable him to satisfie himselfe is the testimony of Gods Spirit Testimony of Gods Spirit This confirmes and assures vs of the former peace with God It breeds also vnspeakeable ioy in the apprehension of Gods fauour That reioycing we haue in tribulations in hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2.3.5 proceede from the holy Ghost which is giuen vs. The summe of the testimony of Gods spirit within vs is to perswade vs fully of Gods loue and fauour to vs in Christ So S. Paul instructs vs. It is the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom. 8.15.16 The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Now what better newes can the Spirit of God bring to vs then the tidings of Gods fauour Dauid preferres it before his being Psal 63.3 Thy louing kindnes is better then life This testimony internall of Gods fauour to the soule is able to sustaine a man against all outward force and malice They that haue store of foode and rayment of weapons of munition being lodged in a strong hold feare not the enemy without though he be very powerfull No more need a good man feare troubles Hee that hath store of gold and siluer within his coffers cares not though he want brasse or leaden mony So hee that is warranted by Gods Spirit that God affects him neede not care much though he want health or wealth or other worldly comforts Thus Gods Spirit dwelling in him makes him able to satisfie himselfe howeuer it goe with others A third blessing that helpes the seruant of God to vphold himselfe Memory is his memory This is the chest of the soule wherein she lookes vp all her treasures It is the retentiue faculty of the mind wherein the instructions it hath formerly read or heard are registred The vnderstanding without this is like a prodigall it receiues many rents but spends all Or like the weake stomacke that takes food but is not nourished by it because it cannot hold it to feede vpon it S. Augustine compares the memory to a barne wherein things seene are laid vp for future prouision Thou seest something sayth he and perceiuest it with thine eyes Aug. in euang Ioh. Tract 23. and commendest it to thy memory and that which thou hast committed to thy memory is there laid vp within in a secret place as it were in a barne as it were in a treasury as it were in a certaine closet or inward garden The memory then is much beneficiall to the settling and satisfying of a good mans minde meanes of further comfort may be kept from him The Scriptures and creatures may be denyed to his eyes sermons and friends maybe kept from his eares but what is lodged in his memory can neuer be taken from him by the malice of persecutors there may he read in the darkest dungeon without a candle Two things there are that may stagger the satisfaction of a good man in time of trouble The one is the doubting of Gods power to deliuer him in regard of the greatnesse of his afflictions The other is the questioning of Gods will because of the greatnesse of his sinnes The memory helpes to giue satisfaction to both these doubts To the first it answeres by precedents Memoria animae nostrae quasi columna est notae huic in scriptae bonorum exempla Greg. Nyss Tract 2. in The memory according to Gregory Nyssen is the pillar of the soule the memorials written in it are the examples of good men So the godly Iewes perswade themselues that God can doe wonders for them because hee hath done them for their fathers O God say they wee haue heard with our eares and our fathers haue told vs what workes thou didst in their daies in the time of old Psal cap. 4. Psalme 44.1.2 How thou didst driue out the heathen with thy hand and plantedst them Psalme 119.58 how thou didst afflict the people and cast them out So Dauid cheares vp himselfe and rouzes vp his spirits I remembred thy iudgements of old O Lord and haue comforted my selfe Thus the good mans memory tells him what God hath done for others and his reason informes him that he can doe as much for him If he should be tempted to doubt of what God hath done for others yet he cannot doubt of such great acts as God hath done for himselfe Thus Dauid armes himselfe against the Gyant The Lord that hath deliuered me out of the pawe of the Lyon 1. Sam. 17.37 and out of the pawe of the Beare hee will deliuer mee out of the hand of this Philistine Thus S. Paul strengthens himselfe from his Asian deliuerance 2 Cor. 1.10 God deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that hee will yet deliuer vs. Thus he perswades himselfe strongly of Gods power to free him from other inconueniences by reason of his Romane deliuerance I was deliuered out of the mouth of the Lyon And the Lord will deliuer me from euery euill worke 2 Tim. 4.17.18 and will preserue me vnto his heauenly Kngdome So the goodmans memory assists him against all doubting of GODS power To
esse post seculum Caeterùm nullus ijs dolor est de incursatione malorum praesentium quibus fiducia est futurorum bonrum Cypr. ad Demetr s 15. Rom. 8.18 2. Cor. 4.17 Epict. Ench. c. 79. O Lord if thou be thus good vnto them that follow thee how good wilt thou be vnto them that ouertake thee Hee lookes forward to the heauenly end of all worldly troubles and concludes with Cyprian He feeles it a punishment to be crossed in the world all whose ioy and glory is in the world He mornes and laments that it goes ill with him in this life with whom it cannot goe well after this life But they greeue not for the inuasion of present euills that haue a confident expectation of future happinesse Thus S. Paul teacheth his Romanes I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be reuealed in vs. Thus hee instructeth his Corinthians Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for vs a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory So then our good man collects that farre more certainely from Scripture which the heathen man collected from nature Tyrants may kill me indeed but they cannot hurt me Hee sees that temporall euills may stand with his eternall good Yea hee sees they are not euill in themselues simply but rather in mens estimation So could the naturall or rather morall Philosopher say Men are troubled not with the things that befall them On ta pragmata alla ta perton pragmaton dog mata 1â— but with those opinions which they haue of the things For example Death is not euill els would it haue appeared so to Socrates also but our opinion of death is that which makes it euill Hence it is that a good man endures sicknes and death quietly which much perplexeth a wicked man So Cyprian labours to perswade the Gentiles that crosses appeared far otherwise to the Christians then to them because there was an infinite difference in the bearing of them Thinke ye that we beare aduersity equally with you when ye see that the same crosses are not borne alike by vs and you â—ypr ad Demet. s 16. Thus patience furthers selfe-satisfaction by turning away many crosses and making others easier to bee endured The seuenth helpe that a good man hath to helpe to satisfy himselfe withall Innocency is his innocency which though it be not compleat in action yet it is in intention And it is a great comfort in all crosses A good man is oftentimes crossed by them of whom hee hath deserued no hurt but rather much good Hence ariseth a world of inward comfort in outward crosses Heerewith Dauid comforts himselfe before the Lord against the slanders inuented by Sauls followers beleeued by Saul himselfe and very costly to Dauid Psal 7.3.4.5 O Lord my God saith hee if I haue done this if there be any iniquity in my hands If I haue rewarded euill vnto him that was at peace with me yea I haue deliuered him that without cause is mine enemy Let the enemy persecute my soule and take it yea let him tread downe my life vpon the Earth and lay mine honour in the dust Heerewith Iob comforts himselfe against the vnkindnesse of his friends GOD forbid that I should iustify you Iob. 27.5.6 till I dye I will not remoue my integrity from me My righteousnesse I hold fast and will not let it goe my heart shall not reproach me so long as I liue And else where Iob. 31.35.36.37 If mine aduersary had written a Booke Surely I would take it vpon my shoulder and binde it as a Crowne to mee I would declare vnto him the number of my steps as a Prince would I goe neere vnto him Yea in sicknesses and afflictions that come from God innocency is a great comfort witnesse Hezekias prayer in his great sicknesse neere vnto death I beseech thee O Lord remember now how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart 2 Kings 20.3 and haue done that which is good in thy sight Sinne is the very sting of afflictions He sayth Chrysologus Qui innoc entiae creditum seruat paenitentiae non soluit vsuram Chrysol ser 167. Clem. Alex. strom 1.6 that keepes the debt of inocency needs not pay the vse of penitency It is a signe of peace within when a man slights afflictions without Witnesse Clemens Alexandrinus It is the glorifying of a boasting soule indeed but yet it comes from a good conscience to be able to discourse against those troubles that come vpon vs. Innocency is a testimony to our consciencs that our afflictions are not punishments inflicted vpon vs by GOD for our sinnes but trialls of our pacience tending to our greater glory Thus the good man comforts himselfe from his innocency both against mortall men and also before the immortall God The last grace of GOD that giues a good man to inable him to satisfie himselfe is Hope Hope This satisfies the soule of a good man for the present because it perswades him vpon good ground that it will goe better with him hereafter So that although now it bee not so well with him as hee could wish yet because hee knowes it will bee better hee rests satisfied S. Augustine compares hope vnto an Egge For hope sayth hee hath not yet attained the thing it selfe And an Egge is something but it is not yet a chicken Beasts then bring forth yong ones but Birds bring forth onely hope of yong ones Aug. â—e ver Dom ser 29. The hope then of a good man is somewhat and hath some ability to giue him satisfaction for the present though it be not so much nor cannot so well satisfie as the glory he hopes for hereafter It is a morsell to stay a good mans stomacke till the feast of the Lambes mariage be ready where he shall bee fully satisfied Peraduenture it goes not well with him now but it will goe well with him one day and this thought vpholds him Thus louing Ionathan comforts deiected Dauid Feare not for the hand of Saul my father shall not finde thee and thou shalt be King ouer Israel and I shall be next vnto thee and that also Saul my father knoweth 1 Sam. 23.17 So the good man knowes and his aduersaries are not altogether ignorant that heauen is prepared for him and therewithall he satisfies himselfe A yong Prince brought vp vnder tutours and disciplined by meaner men then himselfe yet rests satisfied because he liues in expectation of a Kingdome So doe Gods Princes being exercised by wicked men looke vp to heauen and quiet themselues Moses lost his honours in Egypt and his pleasures to suffer afflictions with the Israelits Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches Heb. 11.26 then the treasurs in Egypt for he had respect to the recompence of the reward There is a hope of worldly preferments
him he may attaine life euerlasting How can he be sayd to bee able to giue satisfaction to himselfe that hath neede of so many creatures for the stay of his naturall and spirituall condition For answere hereunto Answer we must take notice 〈◊〉 a godly man can be safe and may be saued without these helpes But God hath giuen him these for to make his passage the more comfortable His creatures hee hath afforded him both for aliment for his naturall life and props to vphold his fayth for the comfort of his soule If he want Gods creatures for the vpholding of his naturall life he knowes that eyther God will vphold him without these for Man liueth not by bread alone Math. 4.4 but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Or else God will take him to his heauenly Kingdome where he shall need none of these If he be denyed the Sacraments he knows that God can saue him without them so he haue true fayth in Christ He knows Gods couenant is good though no seale bee set to it It is not in Gods couenant as it is in mens Seales are not set to for feare of any vnfaythfulnes in God that promiseth but because of the weakenes of our fayth in giuing credit to Gods promises The good man then well weighing Gods power and Gods promise can vphold himselfe in the want of bodily foode and Sacraments Lastly it is obiected Obiect 4 that a good man cannot giue satisfaction to himselfe for then all gouernment in Church and Commonwealth would be ouerthrowne A good man cannot liue peaceably without the helpe of the Magistrate Nay he needs the helpe of Princes more then other men because the world hates him and his religion forbids him reuenge by reason whereof euery wicked man will play vpon him and shew himselfe ready to oppresse him 1 Tim. 2.2 Therefore S. Paul teacheth vs to pray For Kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlines and honesty Moreouer a good man cannot liue well without Ministers to instruct him in Gods will To this end God hath appointed Pastours and Teachers for the building vp the Saints till we come to perfection of knowledge in Christ that wee may not be carried about with euery wind of doctrine â—phe 4.11 12 13 14. Without these politicall and ecclesiasticall helpes a good man cannot subsist How can this stand with selfe-satisfaction Answer True it is a good man receiues much comfort from both these and blesseth God for them with all his heart Yet hee can satisfie himselfe also without them As in the times of persecutions by heathnish Emperours when such were depriued of their liberty shut vp in dungeons denied the benefit of subiects and the freedome of the Gospell preached nay if both were his enemies the Magistrate seekes the ruine of his body and the Minister of his soule if the one should mightily oppresse him and the other craftily seduce him Yet a good man wold vphold and satisfie himselfe with that store of grace that God hath planted in him before and hold on without both these nay in despight of them till he attaine to liberty vnlooked for vpon earth or glory vnspeakeable in heauen All these cannons then nor whatsoeuer else the diuell can inuent are not able to beate downe the castle of selfe-satisfaction But it stands firme and will stand to the end that how soeuer things alter in the world a good man will be able to satisfie himselfe with those graces that God hath giuen him and so to stand vpon his owne bottome when great and rich mens estates come tottering downe to the ground and no man can vphold them Thus haue we wandred vp and downe the garden of the soule to view those sweete flowers that giue contentment to a good man and those medicinable herbes that helpe him to cure all the maladies of his soule All which grow within the wals of his owne garden that they may be ready for seruice when ill sauours or spirituall distempers shall oppresse the soule Now are we to come to shut vp all with application First Vse 1 from these flowers a good man may gather the hony of comfort to carry home to the hiue of his soule to feed vpon in the winter of discontent For comfore It tels him he hath attained to the best condition in the world There can be no better state then for a man to be filled with grace from aboue that he be able in time of need to vphold nay to satisfie himselfe without the helpe of any other creature Nay that he bee able to stand his owne ground and to make good his owne condition in despight of the subtilty of all crafty politicians and the power and malice of all worldly tyrants Nay in despight of all creatures and which are the most powerfull of all creatures and most malicious of the gates of hell He is a member of the Church which is built vpon the rocke Math. 16.18 and therefore the gates of hell cannot preuaile against him When he seeth troubles spirituallor corporall approach vnto him then let him looke inward and gather together the forces of his soule and then may he boldly looke dangers in the face and not feare to ouercome them Thus Dauid oppressed with many enemies comforts himselfe against them and lies downe quietly without feare of them I layd me downe and slept Psalme 35 6. I awaked for the Lord sustained me I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that haue set themselues against me round about So is the seruant of God by Gods goodnes made as it were a little God vpon earth Cultum tantùm Deo deberi dicimus qui verus est Deus facitque suos cultores Deos. Aug. de ciu Dei l. 10. câ—a able through Gods grace to stand of himselfe against all oppositions and to satisfie himselfe in all occurrents O happy condition and most happy man that hath attained to it Secondly Vse 2 a good man may from hence receiue singular direction For direction Let him not hunt for felicity abroad in the world which hee may finde at home within his owne wals Who would not begge him for a foole that hauing a fountaine of his owne at hand would run to other mens to seeke for water So vaine a thing is it for a man to seeke for satisfaction from the wealth or honours of the world abroad which he might find much more comfortably and infallibly from his owne conscience within doores For when all the wealth of the world cannot satisfie the minde peace of conscience can Let other men seeke with all eagernes for worldly commodities place their sole satisfaction in them Dauid will place it in Gods fauour With the light of thy countenance Thou hast put gladnes in my heart more then in the time Psalme 4.7 that their corne and their