ARCHITECTONICE CONSOLATIONIS OR THE ART OF BVILDING COMFORT OCCASIONED BY THE DEATH OF THAT RELIGIOVS GENTLE-WOMAN IANE GILBERT TO BE STVDIED AND WITH ALL A PLATFORME OF COMFORT TO BE RAISED VP BY HER HVSBAND WILLIAM GILBERT DOCTOR IN DIVINITY Ierem. 8. 22. Question Is there no balme in Gilead Is there no Physitian there Rom. 15 4 Answer Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through Comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Reason Aegrotanti animo Medious est Oratio Consolatoria Comfortable words are a Physitian for one not well in minde even to cure One Sicke at the Heart 1 Thes. 4. 18. Illation Wherefore Comfort one another with these Words London Printed by Iohn Legatt for G. Lantham and are to be sold at the signe of the Bishops-head in Pauls-Church-yard 1640. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE EDWARD LORD VISCOVNT CONAWAY AND â—ILVLTA BARON OF RADGLEY MARSHALL OF IRELAND AND ONE OF HIS Majesties Most Honourable Privie Councell of 〈◊〉 May it please your Honour TO admit this Act of Recordation that 't is full Fourteene yeares since the happy Aspect of your gracious Favour did reflect upon me for my good both by Sea and Land which left in me such an Impression of the Character of your Noble and Religious Disposition that to this very Day edgeth a fresh desire to take this advantagious though in another respect a sad Opportunity to testifie my dutifull respect to your Honour It may be this Art of Building Comfort is not so artificially and laboriously composed as you have heard and was pleased to countenance some Vniversitie-Pieces of mine there might be more oyle bestowed on them to varnish the Face of their style but this Treatise is allowed more Wine to comfort the Heart of the Reader This induced me to present to your gracious Acceptation this Earnest of that Debt of Thankfulnesse wherein both your Favours and Deserts tà m Arte quà m Marte have bound me to you a small Earnest is sufficient to binde the greatest Contract twiâ—t a bountifull hand and a thankfull Heart Let this be such of my Gratitude and not onely a Pledge of Mine but a Remembrance of Hers I meane my dead Wife whose Living Thankfulnesse to God for your Favours to me you had though not made knowne unto you And if your more then ordinary Employments will permit you to read over either Her deserved Commendation or Her Epitaph which is much too narrow for her worth both are in the adjoyning Pages then I hope your Lordship will have no cause to repent the Dedication of this Treatise In the meane time my Experimentall knowledge that in you the Nobilitie of Descent and Minde concurre the Eminencie of Parts in your selfe and Affabilitie of Disposition to others do mutually reflect each on the other which Harmonie may well challenge this my voluntary Oblation as a necessary Obligation that for ever tyes me to fixe my Devotions on Heaven and heartily to pray for your temporall spirituall and eternall Happinesse Your Honours to dispose of William Gilbert EPITAPH AND A DEFENCE OF IT THE Imputation of Superstition or Gentilisme in them that raise up Memorials of the Dead is easily wiped away 1. By Reason 1. 'T is an Honour to the Dead to have their Memories survive them 2. 'T is a comfort to the Living to treasure up the worthy Acts of the Dead 3. The Religious vertuous Practise of the Dead is an admirable Paterne for the Living to worke by 2. By Scripture where are Pillars set up as Civill Monuments and Remembrances of mens Fame Absalom reared up for himselfe a b. Pillar to keepe his Name in Remembrance But yet which is more apposite and adaequate to my purpose Rachel dyed And Iacob set a Pillar upon her grave b Iacob a President unparallel'd Therefore will I lay a Grave-stone on my wife and set this Commemorative Epitaph upon it The Remaines of Iane Gilbert Favour is deceitfull and Beauty is vaine but a woman that Feareth the Lord She shall be praised Prov. 31. 30. The Ring of her Life set with the Diamond of Feare Th' Poesie of Faith to Trust in my God All my Care Her Hope tryed like Gold And the Circle of Her Love From God to man from man to God againe did move 1639. Septemb. 4. And She dyed TO THE DISCONSOLATE AND SORROWFVLL FRIENDS OF IANE GILBERT DECEASED WILLIAM GILBERT WISHETH TRVE COMFORT OVT OF GODS WORD IN this Case that of the Psalmist is the Pinacle of Comfort to be placed on the top of this Building a The Righteous shall be had in everlasting Remembrance The Righteous Such a One was this our Sister and my Wife One clothed with the Roabe of Righteousnesse which was woven out of Christs side adorned and embroidered with sanctifying graces in her life and conversation Is it not a Christian Duty that such a One should be had in Remembrance so farre as we can propagate her worth to Posteritie She did not seeke Fame by well doing to be remembred but Fame comes unsought for and Her well doing shall be remembred after Her death for 't is worth our observation that David sets it not down in the present time are but in the future shall be had in remembrance What though the Righteous in their life time are little thought of except to be ill spoken of yet Time the Mother of Truth shall bring all things to light and cause the Righteous to be had in everlasting Remembrance before God and his Angels and the whole Theater of Righteous just Men b The Fame of the Righteous buds forth when He is in the grave then we may best speak of the Mariner when He is at his Haven and praise the Captaine when He hath got the Triumph and set the Crowne of Praise upon this our Sister now She hath fought her long fight and finished her course with Ioy who every day for many moneths before Her Death did pray that Prayer which is the last in the Handmaide to Devotion c and thus begins Welcome blessed houre the Period of my Pilgrimage the End of my Cares the Close of my Sighes the Bound of my travailes the Goale of my race the Heaven of my Hopes Is She not worthy to be had in remembrance who did give the houre of Death so good Entertainment as so long before to bid it heartily welcome with so many sweet Names as End Period Close Bound Goale Heaven What shall I say next for your Comfort But this the the better She was the greater her Gaine for ever and my losse for the present Yet her Gaine waighes downe my losse I confesse the losse of her enters deepe into my heart and deeper it would goe but that her Gaine cannot enter into the Heart of man to conceive it her Gaine to the tongue of man unspeakable but my losse is unvaluable onely according to the Common waights of the World because She was of
propriae Dies venerit incunctantèr libentèr ad Dominum ipso vocante veniamus Let us shew our selves to be the same in our life that we are in our Faith that we may not over-mourne for our dearest friends and when the appointed day of Gods sending to any one of us shall come Come let us goe without delay and willingly to the Lord who himselfe cals us Here after that Father before I fall into him againe I can quickly tell you all that Oecumenius doth on my Text 't is to interpret my Text by those foregoing words of St Paul that yee sorrow not even as others that have no hope i. As the Heathen that had no hope of the Resurrection {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Oecumenius holds it proper for such onely to grieve excessively for the dead who have no hope of the Resurrection and how doth it traduce hopefull Christians as hopelesse men when we bewaile as utterly lost and extinct those whom we professe to live with God To this purpose that elegant tongu'd Father v Fidem quam sermone voce depromimus cordis pectoris testimonio non probemus Spei nostrae ac fidei praevaricatores sumus simulata ficta fucata videntur esse quae dicimus nil prodest verbis praeferre virtutem factis destruere veritatem The Profession of our hope of the Resurrection to life is but varnished over and dissembled because we destroy it more with our actions then we doe preferre it by our words else why doe we take on in such a grievous manner when God takes our Friends away from us I know that where hearts have been knit together by God they cannot be rent a sunder without exceeding great griefe as Iacobs could not from Rachel nor Davids heart from Ionathan I also know that our Lord and Master himselfe wept for Lazarus x I finde no fault with naturall affection much lesse with Christian compassion let Nature have her course but let Religion set her bounds let us water our plants of sincere affection and compassion but not drowne them by sorrowing as others doe that have no hope I finde no other fault but that St Paul findes in the proofe of the Doctrine of which my Text is the use when mourning exceeds Christian proportion and all true Measure Ioseph loved his Father better then the Egyptians did yet Ioseph wept but the tithe that the Egyptians did They mourned 70. dayes Gen. 50. 3. he but seven dayes vers. 10. All that I speak is to condemne those who are too little like Rachel in serving the living God but too much like Rachel in weeping for the dead She would not bee comforted but these hopelesse Mourners cannot truly urge the Reason that Rachel did because they are not for we know that they are living with God that dye in the Lord we know that the good theefe was on the day of his death with Christ the Lord in Paradise and as 't is a comfort to know where they are so 't is a further comfort to know what they doe they follow the Lambe wheresoever he goes and is it not a height of comfort to know what they say they cease not to cry day and night Holy Holy Holy they are still a singing Halleluiah and shall not we give over weeping on Earth for them who shall never give over singing in Heaven shall we refuse to be comforted because they are not on earth who are and enjoy all the comforts in Heaven Wherefore comfort one another with these words and with the words of that judicious Father y Contristamur in nostrorum mortibus necessitate amittendi sed cum Spe recipiendi inde angimur hinc consolamur inde infirmitas afficit hinc fides reficit The necessity of loosing our friends that cuts us but the hope of receiving them againe this heales us that is our griefe this is our comfort wherefore against the losse of our deerest friends comfort one another with these words As Apothecaries make singular use even of the dust of gold so the Jewish Rabbins those Apothecaries of the Hebrew simples make profession that great Mountaines hang upon the smallest Jods in the Bible Then surely a discourse like a Mountaine for largenesse but above a Mountaine for fruitfulnesse may be raised from this conjunctive particle in my Text {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Itaque Wherefore and to make it so I passe from the particular relation of these words to S. Pauls former Doctrine I passe unto the generall Relation of these words to the whole Word of God Pars pro toto comfort one another with these words or with any the like words of Comfort out of Gods Word In the Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} these Ratiocinations Arguments rather then bare words so it is that Scripture words are the strongest Reasons to evince and perswade Comfort the true Hearts ease growes only in Gods Paradise in Gods Word There may be some Tulip of Comfort some colour bark or flowre in the words and writings of men but the very pith and marrow of comfort effectuall for all the soules Maladies is no where to be found but in the Word of God in these words As it was said of the words spoken by the Word God Christ Jesus that Hee taught with Authoritie and not us the Scribes z the Scribes taught poore jejune heartlesse matter unprofitable uncomfortable and their forme of teaching was without Majesty without any command but our Saviours both Matter and Forme of teaching carried Authority with it the unusuall unheard of Majesty of the words accompanyed with matter most profitable and most comfortable did command his Auditors Now Christ hath still left the same Matter to us 't is true of all the Word of God that it comforts as having Authority and not as the Scribes not as humane writers who would usurpe upon this Authority which is the absolute Prerogative of Gods Word so that the maine point is this Only Gods Word hath full power and Authority to comfort mans heart 1. à Causa 2. à Subjecto 3. à Doctrinae certitudine 1. From the Efficient cause the Scriptures Authority of comforting is the same with Gods Spirit dictating both matter and words the saving worke of the Holy Ghost the Comforter that also goes along with the Word of God Gods Spirit and Gods Word goe together by way of Covenant Isaiah 59. 21. This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth where Gods Word is the Counsellor Gods Spirit is the Comforter 2. à Subjecto the Subject of Gods Word carries with it the greatest and most infallible Authority of Comforting because 't is the onely Store-house of true Comfort in it is that supreme Treasure the Mediator Christ Jesus that dyed to reconcile us to God Rom. 5. 10.
with a bush but no good wine within as merry as he is about the mouth his soule finds but poore entertainment within the wine of the wicked has lost it nature to cheere the heart of man and like oyle it only makes him have a cheerefull countenance but the wine of the godly comforts the spirits within a man Davids merry soule was given from God thy comforts delight my soule {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Sept. Thy comforts have loved my soule have embraced my soule with love Exhortationes tuaejocundaverunt St August Thy Exhortations make my soule merry and pleasant and cheerefull He only is merry at heart and delighted in his very soule who doth what God exhorts him to doe whose soule takes daily many a Comfortable walk in the severall roomes and conveyances of the Palace of divine Comfort He oft makes it his soules Recreation and delight to view the Divisions and the distinctions that God hath made of Creation Preservation Redemption Provision Protection the rare Contrivances of Election Vocation Justification Sanctification and the stately Mansions of Glorification prepared for us these are the Comforts that will delight our soules our very soules Wherefore comfort one another with these words Now we have seene the maine Body of the Building of divine comfort what remaines but to lay on the roofe Psal. 55. 22. Cast thy Burthen upon the Lord and he shall sustaine thee doe but thou cast thy burthen on him and let him alone to sustaine thee this Roofe will hold out against all weather of affliction stormes and tempests may beate but God is able to beare the Burthen which we cannot beare But what burden may we be bold to cast upon the Lord Any either the greatest burden that is in the world sinne cast thy sinnes upon the Lord Jesus or the lesser burdens crosses troubles and losses In all and under all the Lord shall sustaine thee with things necessary at least with that one thing necessary Patience So long as thou losest not thy Patience so long thou losest not the Lord who shall sustaine thee to sustaine thy losses Be it the burden of the losse of health wealth wife child friend cast thy burden upon the Lord by remembring that they were the blessings of the Lord upon thee and unlesse by Impatience thou lose the Lord too the Lord knowes how to blesse thee againe with all these as he did Iob of whom S. Augustine speakes thus Haec amisit sed illum tenet qui abstulit Iob lost his goods but he took hold of him who took them away The Lord gives and the Lord takes saith that patterne of Patience o the Lord takes and no matter what he takes from us so long as we have him still that takes them who is able to regive them with advantage It was S. Chrysostomes way of comforting his Auditors at Antioch p {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} It is a great part of true Piety and godlinesse to cast thy burthen upon the Lord and he will give thee better things then ever thou lost the like Cordiall the judicious Father hath q quamvis arca exinanita sit auro cor tamen plenum est fide the lesse in the chest there may be the more in the heart The want of a husband mâ—y fill the heart with her best husband Christ Jesus The losse of a wife may make the stronger contract betwixt the soule and her God The losse of a childe may be a Testimony to my heart that God receives me as his childe for he chasteneth every sonne whom he receives Vbi multum crucis multum lucis that man of crosses r was wont to say the more affliction from God may prove the more instruction to the soule The reall Alphabet of Christianity is speld out by suffering Christs Crosse and not by reading of Christs Sufferings Faith comes by hearing and by feeling too by suffering that is the best triall of Faith by suffering losses we learne to beleeve what God can doe for us What wicked Cain said of his sinnes they are greater then can be forgiven no childe of God must think of his losses they are greater then can be given againe sin the cause of all losses is not greater then can be forgiven much lesse any losse the effect greater then can be given againe Cast thy burden Pagn ine reads it Pondus thy heavy crosses and waighty losses but Montanus Donum punctually to the Hebrew roote and every losse or crosse is the gift of God sent to thee from God somtimes greater gifts sometimes lesser now returne these gifts whence they came cast them upon the Lord The Sept. use a word by themselves {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} thy anxious care thy cutting dividing solicitude look to thine owne work cast thy burden upon the Lord that is thine own work look to that and be not solicitous what is Gods work to sustaine thee eke out thy Patience awaite the Lords goodnesse cast it all upon God and he shall sustaine thee This is the fairest roofe the greatest height we can raise up the Building of Comfort to yet I might give you another Platforme of the particular furniture belonging to every severall Roome of Comfort look how many things we had need to be comforted against so many severall Roomes of Comfort but not knowing what entertainment this Art of Building Comfort will finde if yee like to make use of it this is enough by way of direction but if yee like it not this is toomuch therefore I hasten to the last generall Part proposed in our Methode The eight Part is the strength and duration of this Building for if it were but slight weake or not lasting long it were but poore comfort The Building of Comfort not only stands by the benefit of the Foundation that sustaines and supports it but the strength of the Building is much augmented and encreased by the benefit of the contignations that knit and unite the Parts together and also of the butteresses that comprehend and embrace them without The Foundation being surely laid will not suffer the Building of Comfort to sinke the contignation and knitting will not suffer it to cleave the Butteresses will not suffer it to swerve all these together by a joynt force which is the stronger make greatly for the strength and duration of the building of Comfort Yee see the Foundation laid before in it proper place briefly here of the contignations and the Butteresses as they are necessary for the strength and duration of Comfort 1. Gods Wisedome Power Justice Mercy Truth will abundantly doe all the Offices of the Contignation of this Building 2. We must supply the Butteresses from without and they are three speciall ones among the rest 1. Submission to Gods Will 2. Right reason rectified sanctified Reason 3. Prayer for strength and continuance of comfort But before we
only in a day of thunder glistering when the skye is overcast with darkenesse such a qualified Gemme is mutuall Comfort shining most brightly in the gloomy times of adversitie when God thunders from Heaven and all the Earth is full of dark sad melancholly sicknesse that consumeth the eyes and causeth sorrow of heart c thus when the heart is overcast with sorrow and the eyes clowded with dimnes then to open the bowells of Consolation one to another is the most comfortable Christian Sun-shine Was it not Time then to exhort you to comfort one another when there is vox querelae a voyce of complaint of sicknesse and Mortality in our Streets and in our houses is it not time there be vox Doctrinae a voyce of Instruction preaching Comfort in our Churches that as that learned d Father compares the Church of God persecuted and yet flourishing to the Bush out of which Gods glory shined to Moses the Bush burned yet consumed not so many Members of Gods Church in our Land burned yet consumed not with Strange Agues out of which shines Gods glory and our Comfort so farre as to compose the like excellent Harmony that Saint Paul e makes of seeming Discords We are troubled on every side with sicknesse yet not distressed as without Hope Perplexed with strange new Diseases but not in Despaire {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} premimur non opprimimur pressed under not trodden under and oppressed as altogether without helpe Persecuted by cold and hot fits but not forsaken by him that rebuked Peters Wifes Mothers Fever Cast downe on our sick beds but not destroyed but raised up by him who made our beds in our sicknesse devoute David often harpes upon this sweet String heare one admirable lesson f The Lord hath chastned me sore but he hath not given me over unto Death how many this yeare that may set this dolefull Ditty the Lord hath chastened me sore but with this comfortable close but he hath not given me over unto Death When I fall I shall rise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me g Christians cannot looke to be so nice and tenderly brought up as not to endure the sight of their heavenly Fathers rod they must looke to fall into sicknesse to sit in Darknesse to be chastened sore and because the bitter cup of trembling cannot passe but first or last we must all drinke it 't was Davids diet-drinke and Iob took it all off we are not better then they and who is too good to pledge his Saviour Wherefore that we faint not under the rod that the draught overcome us not let us sweeten it for one another let us daily strengthen one another with Cordialls of Comfort against the evill Day Wherefore comfort one another with these words Glance but upon the Coherence yee shall quickly perceive this Consolatory Exhortation of Saint Paul to be very opportune and most seasonable which may produce this Observable That the seasonable opportunity of Comforting one another is to be taken Stale Comfort is unacceptable to the palate of the Memorie 't is the freshnesse of the occasion that ingratiates Comfort to the Appetite of the longing soule Comfort may come too late and although it be never so good of it selfe the tarditie and latenesse will argue the Messenger of no little indiscretion Justly in this did Tiberius h taxe the Indiscretion of the Ilienses comforting him long after the Death of his sonne Paulò seriùs consolantibus saith the Historian something too late reviving the obliterated Memorie of his Griefe he taxed them with this Sarcasme Se quoque vicem eorum dolere quod egregium civem Hectorem amisissent That he also was sorry for them because they had lost that worthy Citizen Hector one dead many hundred yeares before Time eates away griefe which otherwise would eate out the Heart griefe for losses is commonly worne away in time this is the Reason why the late Comforter is a Comforter both Miserable and Ridiculous Miserable by Application of a good Remedy to a very ill purpose even to force healed wounds to bleed a fresh Ridiculous for a man out of Time to doe that which Time it selfe hath done before him unseasonable Physicke exasperates the Disease when as give it but Time and Patience 't will doe well enough else apply a timely Consolation Were he not to be laughed at that brings a Handkerchiefe to wipe away teares already dryed But better late then never nay in the Case of Consolation better never then too late better not doe that which is good then to do it when 't will doe hurt Whilst the Occasion of griefe is hot strike and if thou canst beate upon the very {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the very Instant of Griefe say not to thy Neighbor Goe and come againe to morrow for Comfort To day is Gods voyce of Comfort To morrow may be the Devils of being swallowed up with griefe at least Delay breeds danger and the Raven of Hell still puts in this his Caveat against Comfort Cras Cras to morrow is soone enough but yee see that the Dove from Heaven lighting upon St Paul did inspire him to set downe the Time present in my Text the very instant of the time present no deferring of the matter for yee are not now to seeke for Comfort 't is at hand in these words Wherefore Comfort one another with these words In these words I finde the Art of Building Comfort a very usefull Art for all Christians to study throughly therefore my Methode shall keepe close to the Metaphore of Building 1. The specificall Difference of this from other Buildings 2. The Necessitie of this Buildlng in a Christian Common-wealth 3. The Perswasives inducing to goe about this Building to studie the Art 4. The Disswasives from the neglect of going forward with it 5. The Materialls of this Building These words in the Text 6. The Habituall Ability to make good use of this Art of Comfort 7. The Actuall Abilitie to make good use of it in the Platforme of Comfort set up according to the exact Rule of Gods Word 8. The Strength and Duration of this Building 1. The specificall Difference of this from other Buildings 'T is the spirituall comfort in this life differenced 1. From carnall Comfort in this life 2. From Eternall joy in the Life to come 1. Spirituall Comfort is the Lighting or easing of the Heart of that sorrow or feare wherewith it is surcharged {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the Text is the exciting encouraging and strengthning of our fainting and languishing spirits Carnall Comfort is raised up from the creature by corrupt Nature no higher then the sensitive apprehension of a Naturall man whose belly is his God i whose glory is his Shame and such was the glory of that great King who dyed commanding this Epitaph to be set upon
Instruments of divine Comfort are sweet Messengers rare Interpreters Iob 33. 23. One of a thousand to declare unto a Man his uprightnesse i. Christs Righteousnesse they have a Declarative power in publishing the glad tidings of the Gospell these were Iobs best Comforters better then all his Friends in his extremity a Minister may be a greater Comfort to a Man in his sicknesse then all his Friends because Ministers are the Bridegroomes friends and bring the espoused soule good tydings of the Marriage day those blessed Nuptials with her Lord Christ Iesus therefore spirituall comforts are oft in Scripture compared to oyle and the powring forth of those Comforts to anointing peruse but one place p The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings vers. 1. to comfort all that mourne vers. 2. to give the oyle of Ioy for Mourning ver. 3. God doth anoint his Ministers that they may anoint his people with the oyle of gladnesse Every Sermon should be as a Feast to the Hearers and Preachers must doe as the Jewes used to doe in their Feasts they used in token of welcome to anoint their guests Luk. 7. 46. Mine head with oyle thou didst not anoint i. thou hast not bid me welcome nor cheared me but Ministers must feast poore soules powring upon their heads that Alabaster boxe of pretious oyntment the word of Consolation as we are the principall Instruments of Comfort we must cheare them up and bid them heartily welcome to Gods house with some comfortable Exhortation like this of St Paul in my Text Comfort one another with these words 3. In respect of the common work-men which are Gods people under the Title of One another in the Text Expositors use the word Invicem by course each Christian when his course comes must comfort another {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} one another no man is exempted from this office that is One or Other as the Ministers must make uses of Comfort 't is their office 't is the right way of preaching so the people must make good use of them 't is their duty 't is the right way of hearing to lay up Comforts in store both for themselves and others to be able to bring forth both new and old as occasion serves to comfort one another For all the members of the Militant Church are but of two sorts 1. Those that are comforted but in feare of affliction 2. Those that are afflicted but in hope of comfort Wherefore either for feare or hope be well provided with comforts before hand the Virgin Mary had not been left so compleatly furnished with Comforts after her Sonnes death had She not laid in her heart those sayings that She heard from her living Saviour imitate the blessed Virgin what comfortable saying yee heare commit it to safe custody in your hearts for yee know not what need any of you or any of your friends may have of it in the day of sicknesse or at the houre of death at furthest We may set before you heavenly treasure shew you the golden pots of Manna these words of comfort in my text but if yee will be enriched by them yee must receive by the hand of faith and distribute them by the tongue of comforting then yee own the Pearles when they are yours to give to one another Why to heare one who hath the tongue of comforting as Saint Paul had in the words before my text enlightning the minde rectifying the will moderating the desires quieting the affections and filling the soule with unspeakable joy is or would be a great delight to you yet nothing to that ye wil find when by the wils grace of God working upon your understandings and yee shall be able to produce all these divine effects upon occasion both in your selves and in others wherefore 't is needfull to comfort one another with these words 4. In respect of the place where comfort is ordained by God to be preached Gods Temple Gods House is to be called the House of comfort and if the Heathen Orator making an Oration in aede Concordiae a Temple consecrated to their goddesse Concord used the place for a Topick drew an argument from the house inscription where they met to enforce the Necessity of Peace and Concord much more may I making a Sermon in aede consolationis a Temple consecrated to the God of all Consolation use the place for a Topick and draw a strong enforcement to mutuall Comfort and Consolation for as this is the best place in which to bury the dead so 't is also to raise up comfort to the living A place of dust and ashes to the dead but a place appointed for the giving of Beauty for ashes to the living As the Prophet speakes q the house of mourning for the dead but heere the oyle of joy for mourning to the living Sometimes the fittest place for the spirit of heavinesse and sometimes the fittest place to change that to put on the Garment of praise as the Prophet continues the Allegory to have our hearts lips and countenances cloathed and adorned with the large roab of praise of our God who still comforts us according or farre beyond the time wherein he afflicts us wherefore in the house of comfort learne we how to comfort one another with these words The Perswasives inducing us to goe about this Building and to study this Art of divine Comfort Now to presse this duty hard upon us 1. from our Christian relation one to another in the Text Who should doe this good office of comfort but members of the same body As Christians in the mystiâ—â—ll body of Christ if a thorne be in the foote a sharpe affliction in the meanest member of Christ why out of a Sympathie the backe must bow the strong Christian and the rich man rich in grace must put to his helping hand to pluck it out and the eye the watchfull Minister must be busie to pry into the hurt and ready to apply a wholsome salve a word of Comfort Againe beloved in the Lord of Heaven are we not fellow-travellers to heaven why then as good travellers cheere up one another both by word and by example especially in the red Sea of Affliction the wheeles of the soule are taken off like Pharaohs Chariot wheeles they drive heavily they want this oyle to put them on comfortably Whence is it that so many droope under the burden of so many cares and are sore battered with so many temptations 't is because they are left comfortlesse onely to their owne spirits Dead stones in an Arch uphold one another and shall not the living 't is the worke of an Angell to comfort nay it pleaseth Gods Spirit to take this office upon him to be the Comforter thus also one Christian Friend may become an Angell nay a God to another with feeding lips and a healing tongue of Comfort the very leafes the words of the tree of Righteousnesse
Greek Epithet is so expressive 6. Consolation never goes single without confortation a strengthning power of the Grace of God accompanies it this is a reparation of our Christian forces and a congruous fortification against all evill y There remained no strength in Daniel untill one touched him and said O man greatly beloved feare not be strong yea be strong and when he had spoken unto me I was strengthned saith Daniel Gods comforting of us is a strengthning comfort Beloved this is a strong durable Building of Comfort for no Earth-quake no heart quake can shake the foundation of it no Canon shot with all the powder and power of hell can batter down the walls of it no Tempest of affliction can beat down the Roofe of it no theeves though they be subtile evill spirits can rifle the roomes of it no cruell Land-lord to thrust us out of doores but a loving kinde Lord our God who doth all to keepe us within doores within comfort no false Neighbours can take our house over our heads no envying at one anothers dwellings here are severall Roomes of comfort for young and old rich and poore well and sick men and women husbands and wifes King and Subject widowes and orphans comfort enough for all beleevers of all Families Townes Cities Countries Nations and Languages under Heaven Now where can I better lodge my discourse then in this strong durable Building of most divine comfort and so I shall at this very instant if ye will but promise me to doe your best to comfort one another with these words or with any the like words of comfort out of Gods holy Word And we beseech thee O Lord to teach us this art and to make us all such spirituall Builders that we may not be cast down under the Burthen of temporall losses and crosses or of spirituall temptations but that every one upon all occasions may expostulate the matter seriously with his own soule Why art thou cast down ô my soule and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee and thy Comforts for in the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my Soule Therefore ô my soule cast thy Burden upon the Lord and he shall sustaine thee Even so O God of all Comfort now and ever sustaine us with the Comforts of thy sacred Word and of thy Holy Spirit Amen An Electuary in forme of a Prayer called a Manus Christiani a comfortable Confection out of the former Treatise to repell the Infection of all kinde of Affliction O Lord my God and I beleeve there is no other Gods besides I beleeve therefore I call upon thee that as the first Commandement thou givest to me is to have no other gods but thee so my first care may be to settle all my thoughts and affections words and actions upon nothing in Heaven or in Earth besides thee b For whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Thou art my Refuge my Rock of defence my sure stay my whole Hearts delight O Lord accept this Expression of my Faith whom have I in Heaven to relye on but thee in all my Necessities accept this expression of my devotion whom have I in Heaven but thee to call upon in all my troubles accept this expression of my affections whom have I in Heaven to love but thee the Giver of all things to be beloved whom have I in heaven to feare but thee the Disposer of all things to be feared Whom have I in Heaven to rejoyce in but thee the Infuser of all true Joy Whom have I in Heaven to desire but thee the Satisfier of all lawfull desires and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee yea I confesse there is nothing in the World that is worth the desiring but in thee and from thee In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy Comforts delight my soule In the great throng of all my perplexed thoughts thy Comforts delight my soule the Comforts of thy Providence over me as a faithfull Creator and Preserver thou didst create me of nothing hast preserved me from nothing even from my Mothers wombe and wilt still preserve me even to my last houre these thy Comforts delight my soule Nay more Comfort of thy speciall care as a gracious Father and Redeemer Care of Provision and Protection of all good from all evill of Mercy Grace and Favour from Sinne Satan Death the Grave and Hell These are thy Comforts O Lord And whensoever these thy Comforts doe not delight my soule give me grace to check and chide my soule sharply for it d Why art thou cast downe ô my soule why art thou disquieted within me thou hast no reason to be cast down or to be disquieted at all as long as thou hast a God to hope in hope thou in God I lay this charge upon thee O my soule and this my charge is grounded upon my confidence of better times to come when I shall yet praise him and this my confidence is strengthned by my experience of what God is unto me the health of my countenance Salvation to my inward man Joy to my heart 〈…〉 my outward man cheerefulnesse 〈…〉 And this my experience is well backed by my interest that I have in God my God in Christ Iesus my Saviout and if my God be with me what can be against me neither health nor sicknesse neither wealth nor want neither principalities nor powers nor death nor life 〈◊〉 nor depth nor things present nor things to come nothing can separate me from the Love of God my God in Christ Therefore will I now and ever cast my Burden upon thee O Lord with assurance that thou wilt sustaine me e the greatest Burden in the world Sinne My sinnes are gone over my head and are too heavy a Burden for me to beare therefore will I cast them upon thee my Lord and my Saviour yea the afflictions and punishments that lye at the doore of my sinnes they are able to presse me down to the lowest pit but in an humble awfull submission to thy will trusting that thou wilt lay no more upon me then I am able to beare I will beare according to my Ability and awaite thy goodnesse either to deliver me from or to sustaine me in all thy Will be done O Lord and give me Patience Amen Glory be to God on high On Earth Comfort FINIS Imprimatur Iohannes Hansley Feb. 4. Anno Dom. 1639. 1. By Reason 2. By Scripture b. 2 Sam 18. 18. b Gen. 35. 19 20. a Psal. 112. 6. b Satis est coram Deo Angelis totóque piorum theatro benedictam esse eorum Memoriam Cal. in locum c Worthy Dr 〈◊〉 Manual 1.