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A02693
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Dauids comfort at Ziklag A plaine sermon made in time of dearth and scarcitie of corne and worke. By Robert Harris.
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Harris, Robert, 1581-1658.
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1628
(1628)
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STC 12825; ESTC S103794
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12,068
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29
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bitter lamentations in Germanie fathers mothers weeping for their sonnes that bee not Oh England looke to it that wee drinke not vp the dregges Oh that thou wouldst fast and mourne in publicke Oh that you would each in priuate Here each man wept bitterly for his sonnes and daughters but it was too late they were gone Nay t was not too late though gone teares will waft them home againe those teares that will recouer children will continue children therefore each man for himselfe for his sonnes weepe apart pray fast mourne wiues apart husbands apart children apart stand before the Lord as Iehoshaphat did with your little ones and say Oh Lord spare our Ziklags our houses our sons our daughters spare them from the sword from famine from pestilence from misery and who knowes but that the Lord may yet haue mercie He comforted himselfe or strengthened all is one for the ioy of the Lord is strong Doct. The world is neuer so empty of comforts but that comfort may be found in God though there be somewhat a dearth of comfort in the earth yet Gods house is euer filled in heauen comfort is to bee had when none in earth in God when none in creatures Daniel Dauid Paul thousands would witnesse this if needefull The instance is plaine when Dauid could not comfort himselfe in his wiues nor his children nor his goods nor in any thing vnder the Sunne he could in something aboue the Sunne c. And the Reason is at hand Reason 1. God is the God of all consolation the Spring of comfort if any water t is in the Sea if any light t is in the Sunne if any comfort t is in God there it rests there t is when no where else 2. God is Al-sufficient there the heart finds euery want supplyed euery good thing lodged if the discouragement grow from wants want of power want of wisedome of comfort of helpe there the heart receiues answer in God there is enough there t is to bee had and that freely As God is Al-sufficient to furnish vs with all necessaries so infinite in power wisedome goodnesse to helpe vs against all euils feared or felt It our discouragement grow from euils feared looke vp to him and he can preuent all as you see in Dauid and Esters story and Paul Dauid was neere to killing when Saul was now readie to chop vpon him the Church in Ester was at a low ebbe when the lot was cast Paul when forty had vowed his death Peter when the next day he must dye and but one night houre step betweene death and him yet rescued 2. If afflictions haue ouertaken vs and discouraged vs looke vp againe and see how easily the Lord can take them off this weeke Dauid hath neither wife nor childe nor corne nor cattell and by the next he hath his owne and a great deale more this yeare you see hee is worse than nought for wealth the next a King yea Peter can tell you that imprisonment may be for a night deliuerance ere morning Dauids heauinesse may be your guest this night ioy to morrow Psal 30. 3. If afflictions bee long and strong and thence discouragement looke vp againe and you shall finde 〈◊〉 that after two dayes God will reuiue you and you shall liue in his sight Hee can heale old wounds in a short space as in the captiuity Ioh. 5.5 in the man in the Gospell and deepe wounds with a little tent When Dauid is broken all to pieces his estate to pieces his houshold his army his heart they had wept till wearie of weeping Loe in two or three dayes he can make vp all againe 4 If afflictions bee most biâ—ter and stinging and lasting to our end and therefore discouragement looke vp and see and God can ouer-top all these sorrowes with comfort and sweeten the bitterest cup why hee hath more consolations than there bee afflictions as one abounds so the other Hee hath stronger consolations than afflictions hee can make a Dauid for the present say Psal 94.19 and for the time past T is good I haue beene afflicted and for the future Isah 119. 73. Thou wilt bee my guide to the death and so receiue mee to glorie yea hee can make a Peter sleepe in irons a Paul sing in dungeons Act. 12 16. a Marty reioyce in sufferings Heb 10. Why then if in God may euer bee found that which will answer our wants supply all our griefes there 's comfort still to be had Vse Now then Brethren is not this God worth the hauing You cannot alwaies haue comfort in wealth comfort in health comfort in neighbors in children in wiues these be not alwaies these while they be doe sometime minister matter of griefe yea sometime their life presence doth discourage Esay 20 but in IEHOVA is constant peace constant comfort and ioy to bee found He is constantly good great true c. Oh get him how euer you doe get him and you haue all come what will come he changes not his comforts are sure neuer cease seeking begging hearing conferring till his Image bee set vpon you and your hearts assured of his loue You haue seene the comforts of the world you see how all cisternes faile you goe to the fountaine in the word of God in the house of God in the fauour of God you shall haue comfort in his light you shall see light when others nothing but darkenesse round about Oh then thou that sittest in darkenesse in the darkenesse of temptation in the darkenesse of sinne in the darkenesse of affliction darkenesse of pouertie debt thou that seest no light none within thee none without thee none in thy soule none in thy minde none in thine estate friends c. arise put on beautie come into the light stand vp from the dead dead comforts dead companions dead workes and the LORD shall giue thee life 2. For Saints why doe not they chide themselues as Dauid did and call vpon themselues for comfort Surely Ioy is comely and it is their part to reioyce in God Ob. Oh but how can wee in sad times in the middest of sorrow Ans How did the Apostles they reioyced in the stocks Ob. True in case of persecution but how should we in affliction Ans How doth Dauid he had lost wife child all yet hee comforts himselfe in what when all was gone in God in him was all so long as God stood to him all staide with him Ob. But what if sinne haue haled afflictions on vs Ans Dauid was not cleere yet in God is comfort then comfort because hee is gracious and ready to pardon Ob. Yea but what if the miserie be common not particular and personall Ans Such was Dauids yet hee comforts himselfe Why God can heale a Towne as soone as a man a Shire as soone as a Towne a Kingdome as soone as a Shire Ob. Yea but what if ones ease be despemte Ans So was Dauids to
DAVIDS COMFORT AT ZIKLAG A PLAINE SERMON made in time of dearth and scarcitie of Corne and WORKE By Robert Harris LONDON Printed for IOHN BARTLET at the gilt Cup in Cheape-side 1628. DAVIDS COMFORT AT ZIKLAG 1. SAM 30.6 And Dauid was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning him because the soule of all the people was grieued euery man for his sonnes and for his daughters but Dauid encouraged himselfe in the Lord his God THese words briefly report Dauids distresse at Ziklag which distresse is first in grosse said to be great and then more particularly enlarged from the causes and effects thereof The cause ouer and aboue his prinate losse is the mutinie of his owne people who are 1. imbittered vpon the losse of their children taken by the Amalekites against whom their zeale should haue been greater and thereupon in the next place would haue stoned Dauid as the authour of so much mischiefe Dauid then was in danger of his head hee was like enough to dye by the hand of his friends as a malefactor without tryall and this distresses him Now for the effects Dauid first comforts and stayes himselfe on God who was able to helpe all being the Lord ready being his God Secondly hauing comforted him selfe in God hee consults with God where 1. the meanes on his part is mentioned Gods own meanes 2. the answer on Gods part a direct answer both for the means to be vsed and successe to be expected he should follow and he should certainly speed Wee will not forestall another by any exact enquiry into the words but acquaint you with some generall meditations that haue beene to one and may be to you somewhat vsefull First Doct. 1. this is in sight That the Lord doth sometimes suffer his dearest seruants to be greatly 〈…〉 stressed Men greatly beloued as Dauid was are many times greatly straightned as Dauid was To proue this were to waste time First see When they are chiefly thus distressed secondly Why and as for kinds of distresses we shall touch them in application and so saue time It shall suffice for the present to say that Gods children drink of all waters and haue experience of all afflictions and that chiefly in these times First when they haue left Gods counsels and followed their owne deuices Gods children are neuer worse hampered than in nets of their owne weauing when they will be witty eyther against God or without God then they spinne a wofull threed a Spiders webbe For carnall reason is a very bad counsailor and puts a man vpon euill meanes and none can draw a good conclusion from ill premisses but only God Therfore when Christians haue lost Gods wisedome and his wayes and betaken themselues to their owne wit and wayes they haue plunged themselues wonderfully A man is secure and confident in his owne courses like a childe that leaues his fathers counsaile and followes his owne and the fresh-water souldier that will be a Pilot before hee is fit for a Mariner and thereupon runnes his ship vpon the sands Thus Ionah was greatly distressed when hee would be wiser than God thus Abraham greatly distressed Gen. 20. when he would liue by his wits thus Dauid he had so contriued it that neyther Saul nor Achitophell nor any of them all should touch him and now hee is in all their dangers vnlesse God helpe him out And neuer doe Gods children please themselues greatly in their owne contriuements but thus they speed where they expect great safety they are greatly endangered where much comfort greatly distressed 2 Secondly when they haue receiued great blessings and comforts from God then comes pride and securitie and that 's a forerunner of a fall Great mercies worke great thoughts and spirits in vs and great thoughts make way for great afflictions We will not instance in Nebuchadnezzar Dauid prospered greatly God had set him on high made his mountaine strong his heart grew secure then came trouble Hezekiah was greatly distressed and when was it after great deliuerances and blessings V 〈…〉 iah and Asa the like Mans heart cannot beare a great measure of comfort no more than his head can a great measure of wine therefore eyther God mingles their wine when they take it or presently after or else they be giddy and must be distressed Hence S. Paul after great consolations had great temptations and afflictions 2. Cor. 12. and the blessed Virgin Mary in S. Luke is told of a sword when of a sonne Luc. 2.35 that must through her heart as well as Christ through her loynes 3 Thirdly when they be to receiue some great comfort from God when God hath some great employment or preferment or deliuerance or consolation in store for his children hee makes way thereto by some great affliction of bodie minde state friends c. as men lay the foundation very deepe when they meane to raise the building very high Thus Ioseph was greatly distressed but when when he must be a Prince shortly after thus Dauid greatly impouerished when when shortly after he must come to the Crowne Generally as in darke nights it is darkest towards day-breake so t is with the Saints of God the sharpest fit is euer at the birth when they bee deliuered of their sorrow So God makes his comforts more tastefull and lesse dangerfull to them and therefore first mars them then makes them vndoes them crushes them and then rayses them vp These be speciall times the generall should haue beene first noted viz. When Gods children haue gotten some stocke and strength for the Lord is wise and will not vse an Iron Instrument to thresh out Cummin Esay 28. hee will not lay weight vpon greene Timber but first season it and then employ it after Ioh. 21. Thus while Peter was young hee walked at large but after was distressed Thus for the When. Now Why doth God bring such distresses on his you may partly ghesse by the When. He respects himselfe his Church his particular children in it First God gaines glory many waies by this Reason 1. First his power is seene in their distresses his loue goodnesse truth c. Then the Saints can say with Iob Now mine eyes haue seene thee 2 Secondly Iob. 42.5 then not only present power and mercie is seene but former Wee see what power was vsed in preuenting miserie what mercie in giuing comfort And thirdly then God shall haue their custome and companie Children that care not for Parents in prosperitie will to them in miserie they le come early come euery whit of them Dauid could comfort himselfe in his wiues in his children before but now ail are met in God no wise but God no child nor friend but God now hee goes all one way and now his confessions and prayers bee such as will set out God indeed prayes more and more spiritually than euer c. Secondly Reas 2 God aymes at the Churches good in this 1. whilest shee