we are to take of our selues for if as I said the Iewes had assigned to them the space of foure daies for preparation before they eate their Passeouer what shall we doe that haue to celebrate a more excellent misterie they searched diligently euery corner of their house to see that no leauen were in it but more diligentlie should we search euery corner of our hearts that no knowne leauen of wickednesse maliciousnesse be left in it which wee haue not purged and cast out by repentance Then shall wee find that euery new sight of our selues shall discouer a new corruption for the heart of man is a great deepe and deceitfull aboue all things manie Chambers of corruption are in it If we haue entred into one and seene the abhominations which are there thinke not for that wee haue entred in all No doubt the Prophet Esay knew before that he was a sinfull man but a new vision of the Maiestie of God brought him to a deeper insight of his owne vncleanenesse and made him to crie out woe is me for I am vndone Because I am a man of polluted lips and mine eyes haue seene the King the Lord of Hostes I haue seene saith Iob The Lord therefore doe I now abhorre my selfe And this I speake that none of vs thinke a new triall vnnecessary but that euen ye who through grace haue bene accustomed euerie morning to chastice your selues and euerie euening to examine your hearts in your beds may be warned to you also belongeth this precept Let a man try himselfe and so let him eate CHAP. VII What a laborious work is enioyned a man when hee is commanded to try himselfe Two things necessary for this tryall First the Spirit of God Secondly the Word of God Many try themselues by wrong Rules and are so deceiued VVHich shall appeare more euidently if thou ponder this preprecept Try thy selfe it is a restlesse and laborious work that here is inioyned to thee thou art set to a task which may hold thee exercised all the dayes of thy life The Lord by this precept will haue euery thing that is in man brought vnder examination Man as hee is the workmanship of God is euerie way so meruailous that no meruaile the Philosophers called him a little world Augustine in his Estimation accounted man a greater miracle then all the miracles that euer were wrought among men but as he is peruerted by sinne and become the workmanship of Sathan hee is so fraughted with iniquitie that Saint Iames cals one member of his body a world of wickednesse and if in the tongue onely which is but a small member of the body there is so much wickednesse that the Spirit of God who giueth names to things as they are calleth it a world of wickednes what shall we think of the rest what bottomlesse depth of iniqui tie must there bee in the fountaine when there is so much in the streame and therefore I say hee had need to be full of eyes within and without that will practise this precept of the Apostle Let a man trye himselfe For if ye shall begin to take a view of your minde and consider how farre it is enlightned and what naturall darknesse yet remayneth in it how many bands of strange cogitations at seuerall times soiourne in it some flowing from the loue of the World and her deceitfull pleasures intending to steale our hearts after them some from the roote of concupiscence and her inordinate Lusts that oftentimes violently oppresse vs and some from the roote of bitternesse raysing wonderfull commotions and perturbations within vs reeling too and fro by courses in our swelling and restlesse mindes raging like waues of the Sea carryed with furious windes besides infinite armies of other vaine and idle cogitations whereof wee cannot tell from whence they come nor whether they goe and if from the minde they proceed to the heart which is the seate of the affections take a particular view of them how our loue and our hatred our feare and our confidence our ioy and our griefe our care and our contentment are renewed and framed according to that word which is the rule of righteousnesse And if againe yee goe to try the affections and see how the members of your bodyes are imployed as weapons of righteousnes in the seruice of God if yee haue made a Couenant with your eyes or not that they regard not vanitie or if negligently yee let them stand open as windowes at the which death enters euery moment into your soules and if yee haue learned to take heede to your lips that yee sinne not with your tongue if yee shall also take a time to consider the ignorances of your youth and sinnes of your old age if I say yee looke vnto all these which yet are few in regard of many moe we haue to looke vnto what shal appeare but a new found world of wickednesse dicouered vnto thee which most iustly may make thee ashamed and compell thee to cry out with Dauid O Lord who knoweth the errours of his life Lord cleanse me from my secret sinnes and keepe me from presumptuous sinnes that so I may bee made cleane from much wickednesse yea thou shalt wish with Ieremie O that my head were full of water and mine eyes fountaines of teares that all the whole day long I might with Ezekiah recount my sinnes in the bitternesse of my heart and all the night cause my bed to swim and water my couch with teares for the manifold transgressions wherwith I haue offended the Lord my God And now because this tryall of our selues is so necessary let vs here remember that there are two things without which wee cannot profite in this work of tryall The one is the Spirit of God the other the Word of God As to the first man by nature is so blinded with selfe Loue that hee accounts his owne deformitie beauty and his bondage libertie what viler bondage then the Seruitude of sinne O quam multos Dominos habet qui vnum non habet said Ambrose and yet man vnregenerate counteth it his libertie to liue vncontrolled in the seruice of his lusts to doe what hee will what libertie againe so excellent as to be the freeman of God Seruire Deo est regnare and yet foolish man accounts the obedience of Gods Law which is the law of libertie a seruitude and the Commandements of God he esteemes as bonds wherwith he will not be bound walking the footsteps of other Rebels before him hee cryes out Let vs breake their bonds and cast their cords from vs. It vvas not the disease of the Laodiceans onely to account themselues happy vvhen indeed they were miserable it is the naturall disease of all the Sons of Adam for euery mans way seemeth good in his owne eyes A pittifull blindnes that death should raigne ouer man and man not feele it
no way be prejudiciall to the veritie of his word O strong O rare O wonderfull Faith Therefore the Lord who giueth no vaine stiles to his seruants honoureth Abraham with this name the father of the faithfull For by his example our weakenes is strengthned to giue credit to the Lord when he speaketh to vs. And the same lesson of Faith is in like manner taught vnto vs by the example of patient Iob for many schoolmasters and examples haue wee on whom the ends of the world are fallen No doubt he had laid vp the promises of God in his heart whereupon he dependeth yet doth the Lord handle him sohardly both in body and minde as if hee were determinate to keepe no promise vnto him Yet Iob for all this distrusts not the truth of Gods promise but gripes them so surely that in his greatest extremitie he resolues O Lord albeit thou shouldest slay me yet will I trust in thee That is albeit Lord thou shouldst deale hardlier with me then thou hast done yet will I neuer thinke but thou wilt bee mercifull to me according to thy promise there is a heart knit to the Lord there is a soule cleaning to God without separation that thus concludes O Lord none of thy workes shall make me to misbeleeue thy word though thou cast me downe to hell my eye shall bee vpward towards thee my soule shall loue thee euen when it appeares thou saist that thou hast no delight in me And the like also may we see in that woman of Canaan according to that promise askâ—… and it shall be giuen call on me in thy trouble and I shall heare thee and deliuer thee She 〈◊〉 O Lord haue mercy on me but at the 〈◊〉 gets no answere She cryeth againe againe but contrary to another promise as it would appeare God giues to all men liberally and reproches no man not onely is she refused but reproched as a dog and one not meet to eate the childrens bread But at the length leaning without wauering to the Lords promise shee receiues a fauourable answere O woman great is thy â—…aith CHAP. X. Let vs euer leane to the Word of God how strange soeuer his worke sâ—…eme vnto vs. OF all this then the lesson ariseth vnto vs that when ere the Lord shall exercise vs so hardly as to our Iudgement Gods working with vs seemes to fight with his promise made vnto vs so that suppose wee pray and wee mourne and we seeke comfort we can find none yea the more we pray the more our trouble encreaseth yet let vs not despaire but learne at our brethren who haue fought the like battailes before vs to rest assuredly on Gods promise For in the end his hardest working shall bee found to tend vnto the performance of his promise made vs in Christ Iesus let the Lord walke on in his secret wayes knowne to himselfe and let vs giue to the Lord this glory I know O Lord that it cannot 〈◊〉 but well with them who loues thee I know O Lord that thy iudgements are right for thy word endureth for euâ—…r in heauen and thy truth is from generation to generation Heauen earth shal passe away but one iotte of the Word of God shall not passe 〈◊〉 O happy are they to whom the Lord hath made a promise of mercy they shall sing in the end with Ezechiel The Lord hath said it and the Lord hath done it he will stablish the promise he hath made to his seruant and hee will not alter the word that he hath spoken with his lips Wherfore O thou that art afflicted humbled in spirit disquieted within thy selfe waite vpon God and thou shalt yet giue him thanks Now in the fourth roome we haue to speake of the time how long the wrestling continueth Moses saith it lasted to the breaking of the day Here then is a new mercy to bee marked the Lord will neuer so exercise his children with wrestlings but in regard of their weaknesse graunts them some intermission and a breathing time least they should faint he will lay no more vpon them then they be able to beare neyther suffer his rods to lye longer vpon their backs then may serue for their weale Al our afflictions are measured by the Lord in quantitie qualitie and continuance of time For quantitie the Lord propines to each one of his Children a câ—…p of affliction conuenient for their purgation and as to qualitie he tempers also our afflictions that where of their owne nature they are exceeding bitter being the fruites of sinne worse to drinke then the waters of Marah vntill Moses changed them by prayer and made them sweet He alters them in like manner by the vertue of the Crosse of Christ and his intercessions for vs the become so sweet and delectable that wee reioyce in tâ—…bulation And as for time hee giues vs but dayes of try all affliction houres of tentation attending to his good pleasure and wishâ—… dispensation If we cast Shadra Mesah and Abednego into the fire one like the sonne of God shall go with them to waite vpon them and relieue them in conuenient time Yea no gold-smith waites so diligently vpon his gold to take it out of the fire in due time as the Lord attends vpon his children that in due season hee may draw them out of their troubles Iacob wrestles no longer then the dawning and all our troubles haue an appointed time of deliuerance Weeping may abide in the euening but ioy commeth in the morning And of this ariseth to vs a lesson of patience that so long as it pleased the Lord to exercise vs with any crosse so long should we bee content to beare it No minting to cast off the yoke vntil it please the Lord to take it from our neck Noah was weary of his abiding in the Arke a yeere and a day for so long he remayned and no doubt when he saw the ground he was greatly desirous to come forth but he will haue no deliuerance till the Lord who closed him in command him also to come out and in very truth there can be no deliucrance but that which commeth from the Lord as this one notable example among moe makes manifest vnto vs. When the Angell commanded Lot to escape for his life to the mountaine â—…e requested the Angell for license to â—…arry at Zoar. And so where the Loâ—…d pointed out the mountaine for the place of his deliuerance hee himselfe makes choise of another but when he obtayned that which he desired durst he for all that abide in Zoar no certainly he could neuer liue without feare vntill he went forward to the mountaine whervnto the Angell at the first directed him So that both the time the place the manner of our deliuerance must be referred to the Lord and not elected by our selues Then wee rest in quietnesse when wee rest on the will and mercy of God not vpon
present condition but by the prediction of Gods word Let vs cleaue to his Promise and waite on the Vision which hath his owne time appointed it shall speak at the last and shall not lie though it tarry let vs waite for it it shall surely come and not stay Let vs goe into the Sanctuary of God and consider the end there shall we finde and learne that there is no peace to the wicked howsoeuer they flourish for a time and that it can not bee but well with them that feare the Lord. Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the end of that man is peace but the transgressours shall be destroyed together and the end of the wicked shall be cut off So both in the troubles of the Godly and prosperitie of the wicked are vve bound to suspend our iudgement till we see the end CHAP. III. Many working instruments of contrary qualities and intentions in the world yet agrees all in one end ALl things worke together O what a singâ—…lar 〈◊〉 hath the Christian that not onely Afflictions but all things whatsoeuer workes for the best and not onely so but they worke together for the best to him Many working instruments is there in the world their course is not one they communicate no counsels yea their intentions oftentimes are contrary yet the Lord brings all their wayes to this one end To the good of them that loue him Where euer they be in regard of place what euer they be in regard of persons what euer their purposes be howsoeuer disagreeing amongst themselues yet such is the power and prouidence of that supreame Gouernour our heauenly Father that All of them workes together to the good of them that loue him and herein doth his power wisdome appeare more clearly then in the tempering of this great vniuerse making Elements of so contrary qualities to meete together and agree in one pleasant harmony For the illustration of this let vs mark but one example for all Iacob sends his sonne Ioseph to Dothan to visite his brethren his brethren cast him into the pit Ruben relieues him the Merchants of Midian buy him and sell him againe to Potiphar his Mistresse accuses him his master condemnes him the Butler after long ingratitude recommends him and Pharaoh exalts him O what instruments are here and how many hands are about this one poore man of God but how doth the Lord direct them all yea besides their owne intention to further Iosephs aduancement in Egipt for his owne good and the good of his Church But now to the particulars There is nothing in the world which workes not for our weale All the works of God all the stratagems of Sathan all the imaginations of man are for the vveale of Gods Children yea out of the most poysonable things as sinne and death doth the Lord draw healthfull and medicinall preseruatiues to them that loue him All the wayes of the Lord saith Dauid are Mercy and Truth Mark what hee saith and make not thou an exception where God hath made none All none excepted But be thou strengthened in Faith and giue glory to God saying with the patient Iob Albeit the Lord would slay me yet will I trust in him Sometimes the Lord walkes in the way of anger seeming angry with his Children and to walke stubbornely against them vvhich hath mooued them to poure out the like of these pittifull Lamentations The arrowes of the Almightie are vpon me saith Iob the venime whereof doth drinke vp my Spirit and the terrours of God sight against me Thou sets me vp as a marke against thee and makest me a burthen to my selfe Thy indignation lyeth vpon me saith Dauid Yea from my youth I haue suffered thy terrours doubting of my life For felicity I haue had bitter griefe saith Ezechia for the Lord like a Lyon brake my bones so that I chattered like a Swallow and mourned like a Doue I am troubled on euery side saith the Apostle hauing fighings without and terrors within And yet in all these the Lord hath a secret way of mercy wherein hee walkes and workes for the comfort of his children which albeit for the present we cannot perceiue and can see no other oftentimes but that the Lord hath taken vs for his enimies yet in the end we shall be compelled to acknowledge it and confesse with Dauid O good was it for me ô Lord that euer thou correctedst me Therefore also said the Apostle The Lord is meruailous in his Saints and the Apostle cryeth out O the 〈◊〉 of the riches both of the Wisedome and Knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out His glory is great when he worketh by meanes his glory is greater when he worketh without meanes but his glory shineth most brightly when hee worketh by contraries It was a great worke that hee did open the eies of the blind but greater that hee did by application of spittle and clay such meanes as are meeter to put out the eyes of the seeing man then to restore the sight of a blind man So he wrought in the first Creation causing light to shine out of Darknesse So also in the worke of Redemption for by cursed death he brought happy life by the Crosse he obtained the Crowne and thorow shame hee went to Glory And this same order the Lord keepes yet in the worke of our second Creation which is our regeneration hee casteth downe that hee may raise vp he kils and hee makes aliue he wounds and hee will bind vp he wounds and he will heale hee accuseth his Children of sinnes that so they may get remission of their sinnes he troubleth their consciences that so he may pacifie them and in a word the meâ—…nes which hee vseth in working are contrary to the worke it selfe which he intends to performe towards his Children He sent a fearefull darknesse on Abraham but afterward communicated vnto him a ioyfull light hee wrestled with Iacob and shooke him too and fro but in the end blessed him he stroke the Apostle Paul with blindnesse and then opened his eyes that he might know the Lord Iesus he frownes for a while vpon his owne as Ioseph did vpon his Brethren but in the end with a louing affection shal he imbrace them hee may seeme angry at thy praiers as he put backe the petition of the woman of Canaâ—…n but at length will graunt a fauourable answer vnto them therefore let vs now learne to possesse our soules in patience let the Lord worke by any meanes it pleaseth him It is enough that wee know All the wayes of God yea euen when he dealeth most hardly with his children are mercy and tends to the good of those that loue him CHAP. IIII. All Sathans stratagems worke for the best to the godly ANd as to Sathans stratagems it is also out of doubt that they work for the
translate his Church from Aegypt to Canaan then hee altered Pharaohs countenance hee raised vp a new king which knew not Ioseph and turned the Aegyptians harts away from Israell so that they vexed Israell and caused them to serue by cruelty and all this the Lord did to the end his people should become weary of Aegipt and inforced by violence to make forward to Canaan whereas otherwise as it well appeares if they had beene dandled as in the beginning they would haue neglected the promised land and contented themselues with Onions and Flesh-pots of Aegipt Thus Pharaoh by his obstinacy brings on himselfe his iust deserued punishment the Lord workes to his people their vndeserued deliuerance and afterward when the sins of his people drew to that ripenes that they had caused their dayes to draw neere and were come to their terme the Lord stirred vp the king of Babell as the rodde of his wrath and staffe of his indignation he sent him to the dissembling Nation and gaue him a charge against the people of his wrath to take the spoyle and the pray and to tread them vnder feet like mire in the streets and then that the Lord might be auenged of the sins of Israell hee subdued all kingdomes round about them vnder the king of Babell that no stop or impediment should be in their way to hold off the iudgement from them But yet againe when the Lord had accomplished all his workes vpon Mount Sion and the appoynted time of mercy was come and the 70. yeares of Captiuitie was expired then the Lord visited the proud heart of the King of Ashur and for his Churches sake hee altered againe the gouernement of the whole earth translating the Empire to the Medes and Persians that Cyrus the Lords annoynted might performe to his people the promised deliuerance All which should learne vs in the greatest changes and alterations which can fall out in the world to rest assured that the Lord will worke for the good of his Church though the earth should bee moued and the mountaines fall into the middest of the Sea yea though the waters thereof rage and be troubled yet there is a Riuer vvhose streames shall make glad the Cittie of our good God in the middest of it and therefore it shall not bee moued yea they who should bee as nursing fathers and Mothers to the Church of God may forsake her and become her enimies but assuredly they shall perish and comfort and deliuerance shall appeare vnto Gods people out of another place The Lord for a while may put the bridle of bondage in the Philistines hands to humble the Israelites for their sins but it shal be taken from them and the day shall come wherein wee shall with ioy draw water out of the Wels of saluation and prayse the Lord saying Though thou wert angry with me thy wrath is turned away and thou comfortest me Yea Sion shall cry out and shout for ioy for great is the holy one of Israell in the midst of her and therefore in our lowest humiliations let vs answere our Aduersaries reioyce not against me oh mine enimie though I fall I shall rise and when I shall sit in darknesse the Lord is a light vnto me I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him vntill he shall pleade my cause and execute iudgement for mee hee will bring me forth to the light and I shall see his righteousnesse then hee that is mine enimie shall looke vpon it and shame shall couer him who said to mee What is the Lord thy God CHAP. VII What is a Christians best WHat is the Lord thy God Now shall he be trodden vnder as the mire in the street yea so let al thine enimies perish O Lord For the best This best is no other thing but that pretious saluation prepared to be showne vs in the last time reserued in the heauens for vs and whereunto wee are reserued by the power of God through Faith whereof we learne that our best estate is not yet wrought so as it is accomplished it is onely in the working saies the Apostle and therefore wee are not to looke for it in this life There is a great difference between the godly and the wicked the one inioyes their best in this life the other lookes for it and are walking toward it For if it should be demaunded when a wicked man is at his best I would answere his best is euill enough but then a wicked man is at his best when hee comes first into the world for then his sinnes are fewest his iudgement easiest It had bene good for him that the knees had not preuented him but that he had died in the birth for as a Riuer which is smallest at the beginning increaseth as it proceeds by the accession of other waters into it till at length it bee swallowed vp into the deepe so the wicked the longer hee liueth waxeth euer worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued saith the Apostle proceeding from one euill to worse saith Ieremie till at length he bee swallowed vp in that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone And this the Apostle expresseth most significantly when he compares the wicked man vnto one gathering a treasure wherein he heapes vp wrath to himselfe against the day of wrath For euen as the Worldling who euery day casteth in money into his treasure in few yeares multiplies such a summe the particulars whereof he himselfe is not able to keepe in minde but when he breaketh vp his Boxe then he findeth in it sundry sorts of Coyne whereof he had no remembrance Euen so is it and worse with thee O impenitent man who not onely euery day but euery houre and moment of the day doest multiply thy transgressions and desile thy conscience hoording vp into some dead work or other to what a reckning thinkest thou shall thy sinnes amount in the end though thou forget them as thou cōmittest them Yet the Apostle telleth thee that thou hast layde them vp in a treasure and not onely so but with euery sinne thou hast gathered a portiō of wrath proportionable to thy sin which thou shalt perfectly know in that day vvherin the Lord shall breake vp thy treasure and open the booke of thy conscience and set thy sinnes in order before thee then shall thine owne wickednesse correct thee and turning backe shall reproue thee then shalt thou know and behold that it is an euill thing and a bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God And shalt be astonished to see such a multitude of witnesses standing vp against thee then shalt thou perceiue that these sinnes which thou hast cast behinde thy backe the Lord hath set them in the light of his countenance and then woe shall be vnto thee for the Lord shall turne thine owne wayes vpon thy head when thou hast accomplished the measure
of thine iniquitie the Lord shall giue thee to drinke of the cup which thou hast filled with thine owne hand and shal double his stripes vpon thee according to the multitude of thy transgressions CHAP. VIII The Christian is not at his best now it is the working onely BVt as to the children of God if you will aske when they are at the best I answere praised bee God our worst is ended our good is begun our best is at hand as our Sauiour said to his Kinsmen so may we say to the Worldlings your time is alway but my time is not yet come We are at the worst immediately before our conuersion for our whole life till then was a walking with the Children of disobedience in the broad way that leads to damnation and then were wee at the worst vvhen vvee had proceeded furthest in the way of vnrighteousnesse for then vvere wee furthest from God Our best beganne in the day of our recalling wherin the Lord by his word and holy spirit called vpon vs and made vs turne our backs vpon Sathan and our face toward the Lord and so caused vs part company with the Children of disobedience among vvhom vvee had our conuersation before then we came home with the penitent forlorne to our fathers familie but they went forward in their sins to judgement That was a day of diuision betwixt vs and our sinnes In that day with Israell we entred into the borders of Canaan into Gilgall there were circumcised and the shame of Egypt was taken from vs euen our sinne vvhich is our shame indeede and which vvee haue borne from our mothers wombe the Lord graunt that we may keepe it for euer in thankfull remembrance and that wee may count it a double shame to returne againe to the bondage of Egipt to serue the Prince of darknesse in Bricke and Clay that is to haue fellowship any more with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse but that like the redeemed of the Lord wee may walke from strength to strength till we appeare before the face of our God in Sion Alwayes this difference of estates of the godly and wicked should learne vs patience let vs not seeke that in the earth which our gracious God in his most holy dispensation hath reserued for vs in the heauen let vs not be like the foolish Iewes who loued the place of their banishment in Babell better than their home for here wee are not at our best now our life is hid with the Lord and wee know not yet what wee shall be but wee know when he shall appeare wee shall bee like him the Lord shall carry vs by his mercy and bring vs in his strength to his holy habitation Hee shall plant vs in the mountaine of his inheritance euen the place which hee hath prepared and Sanctuary which he hath established then euerlasting ioy shall be vpon our heads and sorrow and mourning shall slie away from vs for euer And now till the Lord hath accomplished his work vnto vs let vs not faint because the vvicked flourish neither thinke we haue cleansed our hands in vaine because they prosper they are to bee pittyed rather then enuyed let them eate and drinke and bee merry sure it is they will neuer see a merrier day then that they see presently they haue enjoyed their heauen in the earth they haue receiued their consolation in this life and haue gotten their portion in this world Oh what tongue can expresse their misery And yet as Samuel mourned for Saul when God rejected him and Ieremy wept in secret for the pride of his people that would not repent of their sinnes how can wee but take vp a bitter lamentation for many of you whom in this time of grace wee see to bee strangers from grace Wee vvish from our hearts ye were not like the kinsmen of Lot who thought hee vvas scorning when he told them of a iudgement to come and therefore for no request would goe with him out of Sodome but tarried while the fire of the Lords indignation consumed them But rather as Sara followed Abraham from Calde to Canaan so you would take vs by the hand and goe forward with vs from hell to heauen But alas The lustes of the flesh holds you captiue your sinnes hath blinded you and the Loue of the world doth bewitch you but all of them in the end shall deceiue you For All the labour vnder the Sun is but vanitie and vexation of spirit When you haue finished your taske you shall bee lesse content then yee were at the beginning you shall be as one wakened out of a dreame who in his sleepe thought he was possessor of many things but when hee awaketh behold he hath nothing Like that rich man who said in his securitie Now my soule thou hast much good for many dayes and euen vpon the next day vvas reducted to greater pouertie then that dispised Lazarus that hee had not so much as a drop of cold water to coole his tongue with then shall you lament we haue wearied our selues in the way of iniquitie and it did not profit vs. Alas how shall I learne you to bee wise The Lord when he created man set him in a roome aboue all his creatures and now degenerate man sets euery creature in his heart aboue the Lord. O fearefull ingratitude Doe you so reward the Lord yee foolish people and vnwise There is nothing which you conceiue to be good but when you want it you are carefull to seeke it when you haue it you are carefull to keepe it onely you are carelesse of the Lord Iesus though he be that incomparable iewell that brings light in darkenesse life in death comfort in trouble mercie against all iudgement you should set him as a signet on your heart as an ornament on your head put him on as a glorious attire that gets you place to stand before God But what paines doe you take to seeke him what assurance haue you that ye are in him or what mourning do you make because ye are strangers from him Can yee say that the tenth of your thoughts and wordes are imployed vpon him Alas how long will you wander after vanities and follow lies Will ye for euer forsake the fountaine of liuing waters and digge to your selues broken pits that can hold no water O consider this in time yee that forsake the Lord least he teare you in peeces and there be none to deliuer you CHAP. IX All things worke to the worst to the wicked THe last lesson wee obserue in this part of the verse is this as All things worke for the best to them that loue the Lord so all things worke for the worst to the wicked there is nothing so cleane which they defile not nothing so excellent which they abuse not Make Saul a King and Balaam a Prophet and Iudas an Apostle their preferments shall be their
his purpose Thirdly the euident token according to Gods calling which is the loue of God The purpose of God concerning thy saluation thou maist know by thy calling and if againe thou wilt try thy calling try it by the loue of God which thou finds in thee And of these three I will now speake briefly CHAP. XI What comfort wee haue in this that our saluation is grounded on the Lords vnchangeable purpose ACcording to his purpose Here you see then how the Apostle draweth our Calling from the purpose of God and so when hee will comfort vs vvith the certaintie of our saluation he leads vs out of our selues vp to the Rocke that is higher then wee hee teacheth vs to cast our Anchor within the vaile and to fasten our soules vpon that vnchangeable Purpose of God It is most expedient for the Children of God to mark this because the manifold changes wee finde in our selues doe oftentimes interrupt the peace of our minds that the Lord our God hath in such sort dispensed our Saluation that the ground thereof is laide in his owne immutable Purpose but the markes tokens and pledges hee placeth in them after their Calling for whom it was ordayned The tokens are changeable as we our selues in whom they are are changeable but the ground holds fast being laid in the vnchangeable God in whom can be no shadow of alteration and this should comfort vs against our daily vicissitudes changes defects and temporall desertion our faith may faint our spirituall life may languish our hope hoouer our harts in praying fall downe like the infeebled hands of Moses yet let vs not despaire no change in vs can alter the Lords vnchangeable Purpose he vvho hath begun the work in vs will also perfect it Because I am not changed saith the Lord therefore is it that yee O Sonnes of Iacob are not consumed This purpose of God is called otherwaies The will of God and the good pleasure of his will and it doth learne vs to giue to the Lord the praise which is due to him namely the praise of the whole worke of our saluation should bee ascribed to the good pleasure of his will onely and not to our foreseene merits that poyson of pride which Sathan powred in our first parents wherby hee prouoked them to aspire to be equall with God doth yet appeare in their posteritie the corrupt heart of man euer ayming at this eyther in part or in whole to haue the praise of saluation ascribed to himselfe and so would start vp in the roome of God vsurping that glory which belongeth to the Lord and hee will not giue to another then the which no Sacriledge more fearefull can be committed against the Lord. O man content thee vvith that which the Lord offers thee and let that alone vvhich the Lord reserueth to himselfe My peace saith the Lord I giue vnto you but my glory I will not giue to another It is enough that the saluation of the Lord is thine but as for the glory of saluation let it remaine to the Lord hee is for this called the Father of Mercy because mercy is bred in his owne bosome many causes without himselfe found hee moouing and procuring him to execute Iustice but a cause moouing him to shew mercy found hee neuer saue onely the good pleasure of his will Therefore saith the Apostle The Lord hath called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace Surely except the Lord had reserued mercy for vs vvee had beene like Sodome and Gomorrha but it hath pleased him in his mercy of the same lumpe of clay to make vs Vessels of honour whereof he hath made others vessels of dishonour and who is able sufficiently to thinke of so great a benefit Therefore let the re deemed of the Lord cry out with a lowder voyce then Dauid O Lord what are wee that thou hast beene so mindfull of vs Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory for thy louing kindenesse and for thy truths sake for our Saluation commeth of god that sitteth vpon the throne and of the Lambe to thee therefore be praise and honour and glory for euer and euer CHAP. XII Two callings outward and inward TO them that are called The purpose of God which is sufficient in it selfe is made knowne and manifest to vs by his Calling for our Calling is a declaration of the decree of our Election and as it were the secret voice of God bringing from the Heauens to our soules this comfortable message That wee are the sonnes of God Now wee must know that Gods Calling is twofold one outward which is common also to the wicked of it speakes our Sauiour Many are called but fâ—…w are chosen The other inward and effectuall proper only to the godly whom the Lord is purposed to saue And this will learne vs to consider of three sorts of men in the world wherof some are not called at all some called but not chosen some chosen and therefore are called to be sanctified iustified and Glorified Yee that will take a right view of all mankinde shall finde them as it were standing in the three circles they onely being happie who are within the third In the outmost Circle are all those on whom the Lord hath not vouchsafed so much as an outward calling and here stands the greatest part of the world In the middlemost Circle which is much narrower are all those which are partakers of Gods outward calling by the word Sacraments And in the third circle which is of smallest compasse in regard of the rest stands those who beside the outward calling of God by his word are called also inwardly and effectually by his holy Spirit These are Christs little flocke the fewe chosen the communion of saints the Lords third part so to speake with Zacharic the two parts shall be cut off and die but The third will the Lord sine as siluer and gold of them will the Lord say This is my people and they shall say The Lord is my God It is a great steppe indeede that we are brought from the vttermost Circle vnto the second but it is not sufficient to saluation yea rather they who stand in the second Circle hearing the voice of God call them to repentance and yet harden their hearts and will not follow the Lord may looke for a more fearefull condemnation than they who are in the vtmost ranke of all Waightie are all those warnings of our Sauiour Sodome and Gomorah shall be in an easier estate in the day of iudgement then they to whom the Lord hath spoken by his worde but they would not receiue it and that double stripes are for him that knowes his Masters will and doth it not Content not your selues therefore with this that you are brought within the compasse of this visible Church and made partakers of an outward
THE Triumph of a Christian Contayning three excellent and heauenly Treatises 1 Iacobs wrestling with God 2 The Conduit of Comfort 3 A Preparatiue for the Lords supper Full of sweet consolations for all that desire the comfortable sweetnesse of Iesus Christ and necessary for those who are troubled in Conscience Written by that worthy man Master William Couper Minister of Gods word Commit thy way vnto God and hee shall bring it to passe LONDON Printed for Iohn Budge and are to be sould at the great South doore of Paules Church 1608. TO THE VERY GODLY and right Noble Lady my Lady Mary Stewart Countesse of Marre RIght noble Lady The Church of God is compared by Salomon to a terrible army wherin are bands of strong men and valiant Israelits expert in the war and that can handle the sword And euery Booke of sacred Scripture we may call a seuerall Armour-house furnished better then that house of Lebanon which Salomon stored with shields and Targets of Gold In it are weapons of war both invasiue and defensiue armour conuenient for euery state of life and meet for euery kinde of battell wherewith our aduersaries are able to assault vs. But as Dauids Woorthies were not all of one valour for Abishai chiefe of the second three yet diâ—… not attaine vnto the first three So haue not all the Warriours of Christ a likâ—… strongth skil to fight the Lords battels And therefore we who are but nouices in the spirituall warfare as wee should bee carefull euery day to put on the compleat armour of God that wee may stand so should wee diligently take heede to other valiant Wrestlers who through Faith and Patience haue inherited the promises before vs that wee may learne of them how to weild our weapon in the spirituall warfare Among many whose battels are registred in the booke of God for our instruction I haue here brought in worthy Iacob a wrestler from the wombe euen to the day of his death who in this his singular most rare wrestling with God let vs see an Image of Gods wrestling with his Children the varietie of tentations wherby he proues vs and the meanes by which we stand Sundry others before mee haue written learnedly and largely of this subiect but I haue laboured as farre as I could to eschew coincident doctrine and haue principally indeuoured my selfe to search out such obseruations as through experience by the grace of God I haue found most comfortable for such as are exercised in conscience And these right Noble Lady I haue beene bolde to Dedicate vnto your Honour as vnto one who hauing obtained mercy of God is through his grace daily exercised in the spirituall warfare Accept it therefore as a testimonie of that loue and reuerence that I beare to that grace of God which is manifest in you for the encrease whereof I daily pray vnto God that he would confirme you to the end and bring forward his owne worke in you to perfection Your Ladiships in our common Sauiour the Lord Iesus WILLIAM COVVPER GENESIS Cap. 32. Ver. 24. 24 NOw when Iacob was left himselfe alone there wrestled a man with him vnto the breaking of the day 25 And he saw that he could not prevaile against him therfore he touched the hollow of his thigh the hollow of Iacobs thigh was loosed as hâ—… wrestled with him 26 And hee said let me goe For the morning appeareth who answered I will not let thee goe except thou blesse mee 27 Then said he what is thy name and he said Iacob 28 Then said he thy name shall be called Iacob no more but Israell because thou hast had power with God thou shalt also preuaile with men 29 Then Iacob demanded tell me thy name I pray thee and he answered wherfore now dost thou aske my name and he blessed him there 30 And Iacob called the name of that place Peniel for said he I haue seene God face to face and my life is preserued 31 And the Sun rose to him as he passed Peniell and he halted vpon his thigh CHAP. I. A priuiledge of the Godly that say God is with them none can be against them to hurt them My helpe is in the name of the Lord. IT is a comfortable saying for the Godly that is set downe by the Apostle If God be with vs who can be against vs This sentence doth not denie but that good men euen in a good course may haue enimies but it doth import this comfort that the opposition which is made vnto them cannot hurt them we may be cast downe but wee cannot perish Our enimies may trouble vs but cannot ouercome vs. Yea capitis poena nos possunt afficere nocere non possunt they may take the head from vs but cannot hurt vs. It is not for this life they fight who haue laid hold on eternall life our joy and our crowne none are able to take from vs. Uerè enim tuta pro Christo cuÌ„ Christo pugna in qua nec vulneratus nec occisus fraudabiris victoria There is no danger in that battaile wherin we fight for Christ and with Christ for we are sure that whether we be wounded or slaine wee shall not be defrauded of the victory Iacob here a good man is in a good course for he is trauailing at the Lords commaund from Padan Araâ—… vnto Canaan yet is he troubled with enimies for Laban pursues him behinde and Esau commeth against him before but both of them labour in vaine because God is with him The Lord doth in such sort bridle the rage of Laban that albeit he marched after Iacob more furiously then Iehu the sonne of Nimshi marched after Iehoram thinking to satisfie his discontented minde by reducing Iacob to a greater slauery then hee was in before yet the Lord puts inhibition to the conclusions of his hart and makes him faine to sue for Iacobs friendship and to enter into a couenant of peace with him Yea which is more comfortable the Lord maketh Laban himselfe a preacher of Gods prouidence in mercy watching ouer Iacob Thus the Lord bridleth Laban and sends him backe againe to his owne harme without doing harme to Iacob or any of his And as to Esau the Lord in like manner changes his cruell Heart and makes him fauourable to Iacob so that the same hands wherwith once he thought to haue slaine him embraces him and with the same mouth that once vowed to haue his life he kisses him so sure are they vnto whom the Lord is a protectour For when the wayes of a man please the Lord he can make his enimies his friends If yee will marke and consider this History that the Lord so carefully wayâ—…es vpon his seruant Iacob that for euery trouble which arises to him he acquaints him euer with some new and singular Consolation In the beginning of this Chapter the Angels of the Lord appeared vnto Iacob to comfort him they brought him
great anguish of minde tumbling as it were betweene feare and confidence betweene hope and despaire hope bidding him goe forward in his iourney despaire by the contrary disswading him confidence promising him safetie feare threatning him with danger His hope leanes on the word of God who promised to be with him and prosper him his feare is conceiued of the words of Esau who had vowed to slay him and is now wakened againe and augmented by the report of his seruants who tolde him that Esau was comming against him with an army Thus did he walk staggering vpon feet not vnlike the feet of Daniels Image partly of clay partly of iron Some of his thoughts being weake and impotent others strong and forcible to carry him forward In this perplexitie now stāds Iacob hauing no conclusion nor counsell within him without contradiction vncertaine what to doe or which way to turne him not vnlike Iehosophat which being straited with the Ammonites Moabites and Edomites stood vp before the Lord and said O Lord there is no strength in vs to stand against this great multitude neither doe wee know what to doe but our eyes are towards thee In like manner say I doth Iacob here being assaulted with a force hee was not able to resist hee turnes him to the Lord and exponés to the Lord in humble manner his feare Deliuer me O Lord from the hand of my brother Esau for I feare him least hee come vpon me and smite me and the mother vpon the children Therfore is it that now the Lord comes as in due season and conuenient time to shew himselfe for the comfort of his seruant No helpe for Iacob in man the Lord puts to his right hand comforts him Ibi enim incipit diuinū auxilium vbi deficit humanum When all other helpes failes the Children of God then commeth in the helpe of God for he knows best the very point and article of time wherein it is meete that hee should bee the diliuerer of them who wayt vpon him As to the manner of the apparition the Lord is not content to answere Iacob by word onely nor by sending secretly patience and comfort vnto his troubled spirit which way many a time he answeres the prayers of his owne but he confirmes him by an extraordinary vision For he appeares to Iacob in the forme of a man and wrestles with him he assayes him not with a superiour strength which he was not able to withstand but applies himselfe to Iacobs weaknesse and disposes the wrestling in such a manner that Iacob gets the victory albeit not without a wound for his thigh-bone is disjoynted and put out of the joynt so that he haulteth all the dayes of his life which as for the present time it was a matter of his humiliation being a discouery of his weaknes and of the Lords indulgence whereby onely he preuailed victor in the combat so was it for all time to come a memoriall and remembrance vnto him of this most comfortable apparition And as to the end of the Lords appearing the end saith Theodoret was the confirmation of Iacobs hart against feare ideo enim Angelus cū Iacob luctari voluit vt timenti fratrem fiduciam inijceret And this ye may perceiue out of the words which the Lord vtters when the wrestling is ended thou hast wrestled with God and shalt also preuaile with men Feare not therefore will the Lord say O my seruant Iacob to encounter with Esau who is but a mortall man I who haue furnished thee with strength to stand in this wrestling with GOD shall furnish thee with strength also in all thy conflicts vvith men and thou shalt preuaile This is the ground of all our comfort in trouble which if we could remember then would we not be cast downe nor disquieted with feares but would sanctifie the Lord of hosts in our hearts and make him our feare It is not in our name nor strength nor in the power of nature that we stand and wrestle We go forth against our Goliah in the name of our God weake in our selues yet in him more then Conquerours Maior enim est qui prae est in nobis quam qui in hoc mundo nec plus ad deijoiendum potest terrena poena quam ad erigendum diuina tutela He is stronger that rules in vs then the Prince of this world Neyther are these euils which earthly men are able to inflict vpon vs so forcible to cast vs downe as the heauenly helpe is able to raise vs vp let vs alwayes walke forward in this our strength The Lord is my light and saluation the Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall I be afraid But now before that yet wee enter into the particulars let vs marke this profitable lesson that vpon the groūds I haue laid arise to be obserued If wee consider what is the Lords purpose and intention what againe are the meanes that he vseth to bring about his purpose and yee shall see that the Lord vseth meanes which appeares contrary to his end His purpose is to confirme Iacob the meanes hee vseth is wrestling with Iacob a strange manner of working that the Lord should shake him hee mindes to strengthen that he should wound him whom hee purposes to confirme and thus and this manner of way on a sodaine terrifie by a strange wrestling in the night in a solitary place his seruant whom hee came to comfort but so it is the working of the Lord oft times is by contraries In the first worke of creation hee made all things of nothing He commanded light to shine out of darknesse Hee formed the body of man his most excellent earthly creature of the basest matter dust and clay of the vilest creature hee made the most honourable and all to shew the glory of his power In the worke of redemption in like manner our Sauiour Iesus by sustaining shame hath conquered to vs glory by induring the Crosse hath obtayned the crowne by suffering death hath destroyed death and him who had the power thereof and after the same manner of working hee is yet daily meruailous in his Saints By death he brings them vnto life He kils and he makes aliue Through doubtings hee leads them to assurance by temporall despaire hee brings them to abound in hope he afrayes them with his terrors to make them the more capable of his consolations It is strange and meruailous in our eyes may not wee learne it by daily experience that God deliuereth vs from Sathan by letting Sathan loose for a while vpon vs Hee saues vs from our sinnes by gathering all our sins against vs and laying them to the charge of our conscience and by a present feeling of his wrath hee maketh vs flee that terrible Wrath which is to come Be not therefore discouraged yee who finde this working of the Lord faint not
though the Lord after this manner doe exercise you that when ye cry for mercy yet to your feeling ye apprehend nothing but anger reuerence the working of God suppose for the present yee vnderstand it not let the Lord walke on his owne way and wait thou with patience for comfort in the end the Lord will send a gracious raine vpon his inheritance to refresh it when it is weary though he kill vs he shall make vs to liue againe When he hath humbled vs to the graue yet will he raise vs againe After two dayes he will reuiue vs and in the third he shall raise vs vp and we shall liue in his sight It is no rotten foundation we leane to the foundation of the Lord remaines sure therefore albeit the Lord should sâ—…ay vs yet will we trust in him He sent a fearefull darknes on Abraham or euer hee shewed him the comfortable vision He stroke Paul vnto the ground and confounded him before that he conuerted him he strake him with blindnes or euer hee opened his eyes hee began hardly with Iacob but ends with a blessing at the first he dealt rigorously in his answers with the woman of Canaan but in the end comforted her As Ioseph for a long time made it strange with his brethren but at length his inflamed affection compelled him to embrace them So the Lord though hee make a shew of an angry countenance towards his owne yet his inestimable loue and fatherly compassion shall force him to reueale himselfe vnto them in the sweetnesse of his mercy For a little while haue I forsaken thee for a moment in mine anger as it seemed I hid my face from thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer We shal perceiue in the end that which now in the midst of trouble we see not though in our afflictions we take him vp as an aduersary through the weaknes of our faith yet shall we finde that then God was with vs working for our deliuerance when hee seemed to be against vs. Let vs not therefore be cast downe when the Lord worketh with vs after his own manner of working by meanes vnknowne to vs. Let vs learne of Iacob to wrestle with the Lord and with that woman of Canaan cleaue to him the faster that he seemes to put vs away we shall feele in the end the Lord is neere vnto them who aâ—…e of a contrite heart will saue such as be afflicted in spirit Yea we shall with Dauid reioyce and glory in the Lord it is good for me that euer the Lord corrected mee The Lord be blessed therefore for hee hath shewen his meruailous kindnesse towards me It is now time that we enter into the History it selfe which hath these two parts The first sets downe the Angels wrestling with Iacob The second contaynes the conference of the Angell with Iacob which followes vpon the wrestling As for the wrestling we haue in it fiue things to bee considered first the time of it secondly the persons between whom thirdly the manner of the wrestling whether corporall onely spirituall onely or mixt fourthly how long continues the wrestling and last of al the euent issue of this wrestling CHAP. IIII. The first circumstance the time of the wrestling AS to the first the circumstance of time is noted by Moses when Iacob sayth he was left alone Amongst many reasons that might moue Iacob to bee alone I encline to none more then this he sought to be solitary to the end he might haue the fitter occasion to pray and poure out his griefe the more freely and homely into the Lords bosome For we know that the presence of men is oftentimes a great impediment of the free communing of our soules with God and that the children of God will boldly communicate those secrets to the Lord which they will not vtter to their dearest friends We haue here then to learne with Iacob sometime to with-draw our selues from the dearest company of men that wee may haue the better occasion by prayer to conferre with our God For hee who loueth wisedome will separate himselfe to seeke it Yet are wee to remember that solitarinesse auailes not without vnlesse there be silence within For though the body bee remoued from the eyes of men if the soule in the meane time bee disquieted with bands of restlesse and troublesome motions it is not possible that we can pray Maxima est segnitia alienari capi ineptis cogitationibus cum Dominum deprecaris quasi sit aliquid quod magis debeas cogitare quam quod cum Deo loquaris quomodo te audiri à Deo postulas cum te ipse non audias vis Deum memorem esse tui cum rogas cum tu ipse memor tui non sis hoc est ab hoste in totum non cauere hoc est vigilare oculis corde dormire cum debeat Christianus etiam cum dormit oculus corde vigilare It is saith Cyprian a very great sloath to be alienate and carried away with vnmeet cogitations when thou prayest vnto God as if there were any thing wherof thou shouldest thinke more then this that thou art speaking with God How desirest thou that God should heare thee when thou hearest not thy selfe or that hee should be mindefull of thee who art not mindefull of thy selfe By so doing thou art not warie enough of thy enimie this is to watch with thine eyes and sleepe with thy heart whereas it becommeth a Christian euen to wake with the hart when the eye is asleepe I sleepe but my heart waketh When therefore we goe to pray we must doe as did our Sauiour when he went to raise Tabitha from the dead he put the Minstrels and the Mouâ—…ners to the doore and wee must put worldly thoughts out of our mindes tollerable seruants if so be wee vse them as seruants at another time but no way tollerable in the time of prayer Like the Asses and Seruants of Abraham which he vsed as helpes to carry him forward in his journey but left them at the foote of the mountaine when he went vp to pray and sacrifice to the Lord. And thus the perturbations of our mindes within being quieted then let vs eschew as farre as possibly wee can all occasions of distractions without vs. Let vs with his spouse in the Canticles follow our Husband to the fields and there talke with him or with Dauid let vs examine our hearts vpon our â—…eds and be still or as our Sauiour commandeth vs Let vs enter into our chamber and shut the doore and there in secret pray to our heauenly father After this manner went Daniel to his chamber alone and Peter to the top of the house alone and Iesus Christ went alone to the mountaine to pray all night And so much
from God Not so much as a Sparrow nor a haire of our head fals to the ground without the prouidence of our heauenly father He that keepes our hearts will hee not keepe our selfe Si sic custodiuntur superflua tua in quanta securitate est anima tua If thy haires bee kept in what safety is thy soule What euer cup of trouble men prepare for vs we shall not drinke of it vnlesse the Lord appoint it and temper it first with his owne hand Nabuchad-nezzar boasted the three children with a fiery furnace yet were they not afraid all because they considered that God aboue him ouer-ruled his intention Shimei cursed Dauid and he was not incenced with anger because hee considered that the Lord had sent him And Nahomi with this comforted her selfe against the losse of her husband It is the Lord said shee who humbles me All these doe warne vs vvhom God hath appointed for greater conflicts that it is a great feeblenes arising of inconsideration to suffer our soules to be dimoued out of the state of patience by the inordinate behauiour of any outward instrument of our trouble Absit à seruo Christi tali inquinamentum vt patientia maioribus praeparata in minoribus excidat Let such a spot and foule blemish bee farre from the seruants of Christ that our patience which is prepared for greater conflicts should faile and fall away in smaller tentations If when we run with foot-men they weary vs how shall wee match our selues with horses If when wee wrestle with men who are flesh and bloud we are so easily ouer-throwne with euery breath of their mouth and wounded with their smallest injuries that vvee faint and become impatient how shall we wrestle against principalities and powers or how shall vvee resist the fiery darts of the Diuell We haue therefore for helpe of our weaknesse to gather our thoughts and remember that whosoeuer bee the instrument of our trouble it is the Lord vvith whom vvee haue to doe so shall vvee the more easily possesse our soules in patience and giue glory to God CHAP. VIII The third Circumstance the manner of the wrestling corporall spirituall or mixt IN the third roome wee promised to speake of the manner of this wrestling whether it bee corporall onely or spirituall onely or mixed Now that it is mixt and so partly corporall and partly spirituall will appeare by comparing Moses and the Prophet Hosea together That the wrestling was corporall it is cleare of the disjoynting of Iacobs thigh whereof Moses makes mention and that it was also spirituall appeares partly of that which Moses saith that Iacob straue for the blessing and partly of that which Hosca saith that hee preuailed by wrestling and praying These are the sorest kinde of wrestlings when the Lord at one time exercises his children both in body and minde that his heauie hand of sicknes pouertie or some such like is vpon their bodyes and therewithall heauy inward troubles vpon their mindes This is indeede a very hard estate for as Salomon saith the spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirit who can beare it and yet with both those at one time hath the Lord exercised his dearest seruants so hardly that the vehemency of their trouble hath forced them to poure out most lamentable complaints My heart saith Dauid is wounded within me My spirit is in perplexitie and my soule is amazed The Lord renewes his plagues and encreaseth his wrath against me saith Iob So that changes and armies of sorrowes are against me the Lord suffers me not to take my breath but fils me with bitternesse The Lord saith Nahomi hath giuen me much bitternesse I haue fightings without and terrours within sayth the Apostle It is a common disease of the Children of God in their troubles to thinke that their troubles are singular I haue therefore marked this that none of them should think themselues marrowlesse when the Lord deales with them after this manner For no tentation hath ouertaken you but that which appertaines to men Wee haue here in like manner to mark another kinde of tentation wherby God tryes the faith of his children which is when his work seemes directly to fight against his Word so that in working with his children hee appeareth to come against his promise As for example the Lord hath promised that if I repent hee will forgiue if I mourne for my sinnes he will comfort me if I aske from him hee will giue vnto mee so sayes he in his word Yet I finde in his working with mee the contrary will the troubled conscience of the Childe of God say I doe repent from mine heart of my sinnes and am sorrowful that euer I offended my God but I cannot feele the Remission of them I mourne but the Comforter who should refresh my soule commeth not I call and cry night day but the Lord heareth mee not Vnto this estate I know that oftentimes the dearest of Gods children are brought as if the Lord had forgot to bee mercifuli vnto them and shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure they can finde no promised rest to their soule nor peace to their troubled mindes CHAP. IX How we should be haue our selues in this tentation we are taught THou therefore whose heart is set to seeke the Lord in this perplexitie wouldst know what to doe and how to behaue thy selfe I can no better way resolue thee then to send thee to looke vnto Abraham Iacob Iob and the rest of these who haue been exercised with the like tentations before thee Marke therefore and consider how the Lord commanded Iacob to go backe againe vnto Canaan and promised to be with him yet now in the iourney as it would seeme he comes against him He bad him goe forward and yet disioynts his thigh bone so vnables him to goe as he was wont Notwithstanding Iacob still cleaues fast to the promise of the Lord being perswaded that the Lord could not faile him and therefore contrary to his present sence and feeling trusting still on the word of the Lord for all the appearing contrarietie of his working he craues a blessing from him that wrestles vvith him Againe will ye looke vnto Abraham our father the Lord made him a promise that in Isaac his seed should be blessed and yet hee commands him to slay him A wonderfull tentation that the Lord commands him to slay that child in whom hee had promised the multiplication and blessing of his posteritie for here the promise of God his commandement seemes to fight together Yet Abraham strengthned in the faith as he receiued Isaac from the dead wombe of Sara doth not doubt but God was able to raise him from the dead againe and therefore resting on the Lords promise he spares not to sacrifice Isaac being fully assured that the Lordes apparant contrary working could
to himselfe when he threatens to goe from them they follow him with these lamentable voyces turne againe O Lord and cause thy face to shine vpon me that I may bee saued O Lord take from me what thou wilt take from me all the worldly comforts that euer thou gauest me onely let me enioy thy selfe for whom haue I in the heauens but thee and I haue desired none in the earth with thee my flesh farles me and my hart also Lord faile thou me neuer when thou hidest thy face I am sore troubled returne therefore O Lord and be merciful to me be thou the strength of my heart and my portion for euer for thy louing kindnesse is better then Life These are the effects of sanctified trouble while I haue marked that wee may be comforted not discouraged when we finde that our outward or invvard troubles produce into vs a loaâ—… thing of earthly pleasure and a more feruent loue of our God We haue yet more narrowly to consider this answere that Iacob giues to the Lord I will not saith hee let thee goe Is this a seemely answere for a seruant to giue vnto his Lord when the Lord sayes let mee goe becomes it Iacob to answere I vvill not let thee goe Is this good religion in any thing to striue with the Lord Yea indeede ther are some things wherein the Lord is very well content that thou striue vvith him as namely when the Lord hath promised any thing vnto thee and thou hast his word for thy warrant to seeke it in sort that albeit the Lord say thee nay yet thou wilt receiue no refusall at his hands this is a strife which pleaseth the Lord for in effect it is no other thing but a constant affirmation that his truth is inuiolable After this manner that woman of Canaan stroue with him she would take no deniall of that which he had promised and after this manner here also Iacob striues with him hee will not be denied of a blessing And Moses also stroue with the Lord protesting he would not go forward one foote vnlesse the Lord went with him because the Lord had so promised But farre be it from vs to striue with the Lord as the wicked do grieuing him dayly with our murmurings and rebellions still liuing in contrarie tearmes with the Lord. Woe bee to him that striueth with his maker doe yee prouoke the Lord vnto anger or are yee stronger then hee The end of this strife to them wil be horrible confusion There is yet farther to be considered in these words of Iacob how hee saith to the Lord I will not let thee goe by what meane is this that Iacob is able to hold and detaine the Lord The Prophet Hosea will resolue this It was saith hee by mourning and weeping that Iacob preuailed and helde the Angel whilst he got the blessing Ther is nothing so strong in the world as the prayers of the godly they are the onely bands by which the Lord is holden and detained the Lord will not be restrained by all the powers of the earth neither will he cease to doe any worke that he is about to doe for the cries of all the men in the world yet the prayers of his children are able to constrain him to power downe an vndeserued blessing and turne away a iust deserued punishment When the people of Israell had fallen from God by worshipping the golden Calfe the Lords anger was highly incensed and kindled against them which moued Moses to fall downe on his face before the Lord beseeching him to bee appeased towards his people for the glory of his name This prayer did in such sort constraine the Lord in the midst of his anger that he is compelled to say vnto Moses Let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them for I will consume them This manner of speach vsed by the Lord declares that the prayer of Moses did bind and hold in the wrath of God that it brake not out vpon this people In like manner we read in the Gospell that when Iesus was passing by those two blinde men who cryed vpon him Osanna thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs albeit the multitude regarded not their crying and the disciples also as it seemes tooke little thought thereof yet Iesus was moued thereby to stand still They could not come neere for the multitude to lay hands on him but their prayers reached vnto him doth so take hold vpon him that by that place he could not goe vntill he had giuen them a comfortable answere the prayer of a righteous man auatles much if it be powred out in faith CHAP. XVI Prayers of the godly must be forcible and acceptable to God seeing they come from his owne Spirit THis then is to the great comfort of the godly that our prayers are effectuall and are as I may call them the Lords owne bands wherewith we are able to detaine and hold him till hee blesse vs. And no meruaile seeing these prayers are not ours but the intercession of Gods owne spirit in vs powred out in the name of Christ in whom he is euer well pleased For as to vs wee know not what to pray as we ought but the spirit it selfe makes request for vs with sighes which cannot bee expressed And therefore may we boldly thinke that the Lord will not despise them Spiritus est in quo clamamus Abba pater sicut in nobis interpellat pro nobis ita in patre delicta donat pro ipso patre quod postulamus idem ipse donat qui dat vt postulemus It is the spirit saith Bernard by whom wee cry Abba father as in vs the spirit makes request for vs so with the Father he graunts our requests and forgiues vs our sinnes that for which we pray euen he giueth it vnto vs who giueth vs this Grace to pray Let vs therefore pray continually and strengthen by these godly meditations our feeble hearts and weake hands that they faint not in prayer Let vs go and desire good things from the Lord seeing we haue the Lord bound to vs by his promise The Lord will fulfill the desire of them who feare him And againe That which the wicked feares shall come vpon him but God will graunt the desire of the righteous Thou who art made sure to obtaine if so be thou canst desire art here made inexcusable none wants mercy and grace but hee who desires it not And yet take heed that in thy praier thou be not vnreuerent remember à quo quam magna petas from whom and what great things thou crauest Great things from a great king should be desired with reuerence and affection they can best speed at the Lords almes-dealing that fall downe lowest with the Publican not they who with the Pharisie stand vp prowdest vpon their feete Abraham the father of the faithfull in his prayer considering in himselfe and looking
and not preuaile but it is not so with the Godly BEcause thou hast had power with God As â—…acob sought a blessing so at the length hee geâ—…teth it for the Lord at the last will fulfill the desires of them who feare him The desire of the childe of God is as a birth conceiued in the soule of man which shall not dye but come to perfection Salomon promised to giue his mother Bethsheba whatsoeuer she would aske and it were to the halfe of his kingdome yet when shee asked that Abishag the Shunamite might be giuen to Adoniah his brother to wife Salomon refused to graunt Thus men can promise much and performe little it is not so with the Lord our God He hath bidden vs pray he hath promised to heare and shall not also faile to performe Nunquam oranti beneficia denegabit qui orantes vt ne deficiant sua pietate instigat Hee will neuer denie his benefits to vs when we pray who prouokes vs to pray But as to the wicked the hope of the Hypocrite shall perish their soules are full of desires like so many strong voyces crying for that which they shall neuer obtaine they wayte vpon lying vanities which shall neuer come to passe Quid tam poenale quam semper velle quod nunquam erit semper nolle quod nunquam non erit in aeternum non obtinebit quod vulâ—… in aeternum quod non vult sustinebit What punishment more fearefull can fall on a man then that he should euer wish that which neuer shal be and alwayes wish that were not that shall be for euer that which he will he shall neuer obtaine and that which he will not hee shall for euer sustaine yet this is the miserable estate of the wicked Let vs therefore take heed to our praedominate desires for miserable are they whose desires are on the world more then on the Lord and on vanishing trifles more then vpon his permanent mercies For when the Lord hath filled their bellies with his earthly treasure giuen them enough that they leaue the rest behind to their children what haue they more to craue from the Lord They haue gotten their desire they are not to looke that euer they shall bee pertakers of the felicitie of Gods chosen their heart was neuer set vpon it they haue receiued their consolation on the earth they haue no more to looke for Wherefore our Sauiour pronounceth a feareful wo vpon them and no meruaile for miserable indeed is their condition their consolation dies before they dye themselues their comforts forsakes them before they go out of the world and like the Gowrd of Ionas withereth before their eyes in their life they sate vnder the shadow of it but in their death it is gone and they finde no comfort in it Well knew Dauid their misery and therefore hee praies Deliuer me O Lord from the men of the world who haue their portion in this life that is let mee neuer bee one of them Wee haue therefore to marke where-away the benefits of our affections doe carry vs for if wee feele the Lords blessing no doubt we shall finde it and if the desire of our hearts bee aboue all things towards the Lord such a desire I meane as vseth the meanes that may bring vs vnto him for otherwise wicked Baalam will desire Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous which he shall not obtaine But let vs goe the right way to mercy protesting with godly Dauid O Lord I desire to do thy commandements and then no doubt the Lord shall crowne vs with mercies and compassions at the last Thou shalt preuaile with men I doe now here by my word will the Lord say inuest thee in this priuiledge that no power of man shall be able to ouercome thee Goe on therefore with courage in thy iourney which I haue commanded thee and feare not any thing that man is able to doe against thee Wher it is to be marked that the Lord promiseth not of his seruant any immunitie from affliction yea by the contrary the Lord fore-warnes that men will make opposition to him for where no opposition is made by men how can there bee a priuiledge by Iacob It is needfull we consider what it is that the Lord hath promised vnto vs least looking for that which hee hath not promised vs we deceiue our selues Many in the time of trouble make foule apostacie from Christ and all because when they entred into the profession of Christian religion they considered not they could not be his Disciples except they bare his Crosse but foolishly lookt for some temporal ease or worldly commoditie in the following of Christ which he neuer promised them These are professors like to the Samaritans who so long as the Iewish religion flourished was in honour caused also to be built a temple on a high mountaine of Samaria named Garazin that in this they might not be inferiour to the Iewes They boasted themselues to be the progeny of Ioseph and worshippers of God also with them but when they perceiued that the Iewes were cruelly afflicted for worshipping God by Antiochus Epiphanes and fearing least they should be also handled in the like manner they changed their coate affirming that they were not Isiaelites but Sidonians and had built their temple not vnto God but Iupiter thus a little winde seperates the chaffe and the corne and a fierce tryall distin guisheth the counterfeit and true professor In like manner the ignorant Iewes because they vnderstood not the promises made concerning the Messias looked that Christ should haue restored vnto them their temporall Kingdome peaceably and free whereof when they saw themselues disappointed they were offended with him and persecuted him to the death It vvere therefore good for vs that wee should follow the counsaile of our Sauiour reckon with our selues in time in what state of life we enter when we enter into the profession of Christianitie before we build a Tower let vs count the cost whether we haue sufficient to performe it least that when wee haue laid the foundation and not able to performe it wee fall not vnder this shame to be mocked of men but bring vpon our selues a more fearefull wrath of God For it had beene better not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after we haue knowne it to turne from the holy commandement giuen vnto vs like dogs to the vomit and like the sow that was washed to wallowing in the mire If we could resolue in time that they who will liue godly in Christ must suffer persecution and arme our selues before hand thereunto reckoning with our selues that of the Lords indulgence we are spared euery day wherein some notable crosse is not layd vpon vs then certainely should we account the lesse of trouble when it comes vnto vs. Wee haue here againe to consider the connexion of
these words because thou hast had power with God thou shalt preuaile with men and out of them yee may perceiue that the Lord will haue this wrestling of Iacobs wherein hee was exercised immediately by the Lord to bee a preparation vnto him against other tentations which were to come by men Wherein is shadowed vnto vs how the Lord doth first prepare his children by wrestling with himselfe before he send them out to encounter with men and so makes the inward exercises of their mindes preparations whereby they are made ready the better to endure all outward troubles that doe come from men CHAP. XXIII The Lord by inward exercises of conscience makes his children strong to endure outward troubles which come from men THis made Moses that he was not afraid of the face of Pharaoh because hee had seene first the face of God for he saw saith the Apostle him who was invisible The Kings wrath saith Salomon is as the roaring of a Lion but when the Lord vtters his wrath then the heart and countenance of the greatest Monarch in the world make him as high as Beltasar shall faile him he will neuer loose a good conscience for feare of the wrath of man that knoweth the power of the wrath of God Feare not the man whose breath is in his nosthrils the most hee can do that by permission is he is able to kill the body but let vs feare the Lord who is able to cast both soulâ—… and body into hell fire This sustained aged Policarpus against all the threatnings of the Proconsull Ignem minaris ad horam arsurum paulo post extinguendum ignoras vero ignem illum futuri iudicij aeterni supplicij impijs reseruatum Thou theatnest mee saith hee with a fire which will burne for an houre and shortly after be quenched but thou knowest not that fire of the judgement to come reserued for the wicked which vvil burne for euer It is the holy feare of God which banisheth out of our hearts the prophane feare of men that we vvill not doe euill to offend the Lord no not for all the paines that can follow vs in this present life And therefore the Lord in great mercy towards his children doth sometimes exercise them with the sense of his wrath and letteth them feele the sting of an accusing conscience that so they may come out to the world strong in the Lord against outward tentations fully resolued rather to displease men then the Lord rather to endure present punishments than to cast themselues vnder danger of the wrath with is to come And so are the children of God to reckon with themselues that their inward wrestlings are preparatiues for outward troubles CHAP. XXIIII It is a sinnefull curiositie to seeke to know that which God hath not taught vs. Verse 29. And Iacob asked What is thy name NOW Iacob hauing receiued the blessing proceedes in the conference and desireth to know the name of him who blessed him No doubt but hee knew before that it was the Lord otherwise he had not sought a blessing from him It standeth not with the nature of faith to pray to any in whom we beleeue not By this question he attaineth not to any new knowledge for hee who blessed him refuseth to tell his name but Iacob by calling the place Peniel as afterwards followes plainely declares he knew it was the Lord. So then this asking importeth not that Iacob did not know it was the Lord that had giuen him the blessing onely it declareth an earnest desire of Iacob to haue had a more familiar reuelation of the Lord to him which I thinke hee did of a good minde and intention such as Moses had when he desired to see the face of God Yet ye see all our good intentions are not alway approued of the Lord. With his good intention there is joyned a peece of curiositie that hee will haue more knowledge of the majestie of God then the Lord thought expedient to communicate vnto him otherwise the Lord had not denied it to him To seeke a greater perfection of knowledge where the Lord offers it is very commendable but to aspire to know that which God vvill not teach and namely to search out that majesty farther then he pleaseth to reueale himselfe is curiosity and presumption worthy to be damned Hee that searches Quantus sit Deus quae illius mensura qualis essentia talia sciscitanti sunt periculosa ei qui rogatur complexa talium medicina est silentium To aske the quantitie measure of God or vvhat is his essence such questions are perillous to him that asketh intricate to him that is asked at and are best answered by silence There bee names whereby the Lord expresseth himselfe to vs according to our capacitie but as to his proper name it is himselfe it cannot bee comprehended Why askest thou my name which is wonderfull And from this curiositie Iacob here by gods reproofe is restrayned This sin with our nature wee haue drawne from our first father Adam the knowledge wherwith God endued him contented him not hee aspired higher and sought to bee equall with God in the knowledge of good and euill And that this poyson from Adam is propagate to his posteritie doth daily appeare among the common fruites of our corruption for eyther wee are carelesse to learne those things whereof the Lord hath offered himselfe a teacher or else wee are curious searchers of those things which the Lord hath kept secret and hidden from vs. There are two points of knowledge most excellent and needefull for man the first to know God and him whom he hath sent for herein consists eternall life the second is to know our selues and the state of our owne consciences But such is the vanitie of the minde of man that with Adam had rather eate of the tree of knowledge then of the tree of life and delighteth to bee well read in any booke rather then in the booke of his owne Conscience And yee may marke in the carnall professors of this age that if at any time they begin to speak of Theologie then do they handle diuine things in a diuellish manner altogether inexpert in the words of righteousnesse and hauing no skill to speake the language of Canaan eyther else they talke profanely vpon that which God hath reuealed insisting most in points of doctrine least profitable for them or then curiously they inquire for that which God hath concealed from them not remembring that warning of Moses secret things are for the Lord but things reuealed are for vs and our children This curious demaund of Iacob is answered vvith a gentle refusall Why askest thou my name The Interrogator striues to send Iacob within himselfe that by a new tryal taken of his speach within his owne minde hee might see how vnnecessary and vnprofitable his Petition was After this manner it is
hath mercy vpon vs. These are the principall helpes whereby the sight of God is begun in earth which will be perfected in heauen CHAP. XXVIII The other thing wherein Iacob shewes his thankefulnesse is his obedience Verse 31. And the Sunne arose to him THe other thing wherein Iacob vttereth his thankfulnes is in the obedience he giues to the Lords calling walking on in the journey which God commanded him Without this the other had beene nothing for except we obey serue the Lord in our callings doing that which is commaunded vs wherein can wee be thankfull to him and truely there is no better token that we haue beene refreshed by the countenance of God who is the strength of his people then this if with boldnesse and spirituall courage we follow him where away he cals vs albeit we should finde neuer so many impediments before vs. But it is to be marked Moses saith he halted as he went on in his journey This is the meruailous working of the Lord no doubt that Iacob being hurt in the night his thigh-bone disjoynted yet walkes vpon it in the morne and the hurt which he receiued of the Lord hinders him not nor stayes him from going forward in the journey which was enjoyned him by the Lord. We haue shewed you before how the children of God in their wrestlings do in such sort preuaile that they get no victory without a wound who is able to say that hee hath in such sort fought against Sathan and sin but oftentimes hee hath beene buffeted by Sathan and wounded by sinne Yet such is the gratious dispensation of the Lord that as Iacobs hurt made him not giue ouer the journey but rather confirmes him to go forward with greater boldnesse now halting on one thigh then before when hee went straight vpon both so the Lord doth so dispence the spirituall battailes of his Children that out of their manifold falles buffets and wounds which they receiue in this warfare hee workes in them a greater hatred of sinne and loue of righteousnes a greater attention and circumspection in all their wayes and a greater feruency and zeale to run out the race which is set before them and to renue the battaile against Sathan and sinne And this wee may see cleerely in Dauid who after his adultry murther being renued by repentance â—…iseth againe with a greater hatred of sinne and more earnest desire of mercy than euer he had before And did not Peters fall bring forth in like manner the like fruits in him that hee sheddeth teares now more aboundantly then at any time before hee now stands boldly to confesse the Lord Iesus before the Counsell whom before he had denied before a Dâ—…msell and in all the rest of his life he shewes himselfe an example of godly zeale labouring to confirme his brethren by a good conuersation whom before hee had offended by his stumbling and falling Thus the Lord by some one sinne wherein hee sussereth his children to haue experience of their weakenesse wakeneth them to a narrower inquisition of their sins for a light paine in the head men runne not to the Phisitian nor to the water for a light spot in their garments but if the defiling be great then we doe take occasion thereat to wash away euen the smallest spot that is in them So the godly when oftentimes they passe ouer small sinnes without remorse the Lord permits them to fall into greater that so they may be moued to mourning hasten to an earnest reformation of all Where wee are not to thinke that this commeth of any goodnesse that is in vs or in sin which we haue brought forth but of the excellent wisdome and goodnesse of God Deus etiam summus est medicus qui benè nouit vti enim malis For God is that great Phisitian who can vse to good euen those things which are euill And it doth saith the same Father more aduance the glory of Gods goodnesse etiam de malis bene facere quam mala esse non sinere euen to draw good out of euill rather then that he should suffer euill not to be Thus the Lord our God maketh all things serue and worke for the best to them that loue him so as euen the wounds which we receiue in spiritual wrestlings may well worke in vs a greater humiliation but shall not confound vs so that we leaue off the race and course to our heauenly Canaan Wherein if we cannot alway runne in the strength of the spirit with Eliah yet let vs by Gods grace endeauour to halt forward with Iacob at least creepe forward towards our heauenly Father as his little babes children who are but yet learning to walke proceeding alway from strength to strength till we appeare before the face of our GOD in Sion whereunto the Lord that is the author and finisher of our Faith the beginner perfecter of our saluation bring vs of his great mercy in Christ Iesus To whom with the Father the holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS A CONDVIT of Comfort Full of sweet Consolations for all those that desire the comfortable sweetnesse of Iesus Christ. By WILLIAM COVPER Minister of Gods word LONDON Printed for Iohn Budge and are to sould at his shop at the great South doore of Paules 1608. A CONDVIT of Comfort Rom. 8. 28. Also wee know that all things worke together for the best to them that loue God euen to them who are called according to his purpose My helpe is in the name of the Lord. THis Chapter may be conueniently tearmed A compend of Christian consolation for wheras many kinds of comforts are dispersed throughout the holy Scriptures for the strengthening of the man of God some of euery kinde are here gathered together in one and like chosen flowers picked out of the word of God are knit together in one bunch presented to thee who art a Christian. There are two things onely which trouble vs in this life The first is the remanents of sinne in our corrupt nature this was such a matter of griefe to the holy Apostle that it made him to crie ouâ—… O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death So displeasant was it to him to lâ—…ue in that body wherin hee found the motions of sin rebeling against the law of God And if the Apostle accounted this but then so weighty to him alas how should wee complaine and what cause haue wee with Ezechia to walke weakly in the bitternesse of our soules all our dayes in whom the life and power of that sinning is farre lesse restrained Yet least we should be so cast downe with the sense of sinne that we despaire and perish being swallowed vp with griefe the Lord furnisheth vs with many comforts against it from the beginning of this Chapter to the middest of the 17. Verse The
other thing which may discourage vs is the manifold troubles that follow vs in following Christ. For the Church of God on earth is as a Lilly among Thornes and our Lord Iesus as an Apple tree among the trees of the forrest If wee delight to sit vnder his shadow and if his fruit be sweet in our mouth wee must be content to walk toward him through many sharp afflictions therefore are wee commaunded not onely to suffer afflictions as the good souldiers of Iesus Christ but also to rejoyce in tribulations and if we cannot attaine to that perfection at least to count it exceeding joy when we â—…al into diuers temptations Yet because no chastisement is sweet for the present it hath pleased the Lord of his fatherly indulgence and pittie towards our weakenesse to seison the cup of our bitter griefes with his sweet comforts which as hee doth in many other parts of holy Scripture so especially from the 17. verse of this Chapter to the 30. wherein the Apostle abounds with consolation shewing himselfe a faithfull Steward in the house of God most carefull to lead as it were by the hand the weary sons and daughters of the liuing God into the wineceller there to refresh and stay vs with the Flagons of his wine to comfort vs with his Apples to strengthen vs with his hid Manna and to make vs merry vvith that Milke and Honny vvhich our immortall Husband Iesus Christ hath prouided for vs to sustaine vs that we faint not through these manifold Tribulations vvherewith vvee are compassed in this barren vvildernesse That this is the Apostles purpose and order of proceeding in this Chapter I thinke his conclusion makes it manifest which you haue from the 31. verse to the end vvherein hee drawes all that he had said into a short summe containing the glorious triumph of a Christian ouer all his enimies the triumph is first set downe generally in the 31 Verse What shall wee say then to these things If God be with vs who can be against vs thereafter he parts this generall in two there is would he say but one of two that are against vs eyther sinne or affliction as to sinne hee triumphs against it Verse 33. and 34. Who will lay any thing to the charge of Gods Chosen It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ who is dead or rather who is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and makes request for vs. As to affliction hee begins his triumph against it Verse 35. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ his answere mounts vp by a gradation Will tribulation or anguish doe it Yea will death it selfe doe it or that which is more will Principalities and powers doe it 10. In all these things wee more then Conquerours through him that loued vs. Thankes therefore be vnto our God who alwayes makes vs to triumph in our Lord Iesus Christ. Now in this verse as Iacob gaue his sonnes his greatest blessing in the last roome so the Apostle giueth to christi ans his greatest comfort in the last roome whereof this is the sumâ—… ouâ—… afflictions are so farre from being pâ—…eiudiciall to our saluation that by the contrary through the Lords merueilous working they tend to the aduancment thereof he in largeth the comfort Not onely afflictions but all other things workâ—… for the best together to them that loue the Lord. The parts of the Verse are two the first containes the comfort the second a discâ—…ption of the persons to whom the comfort appertaineth Now I come to the words Alâ—…o that is besides all the comforts which I haue giuen to you before I giue you yet this further learning vs that albeit our troubles be many yet our comforts are more Many saith Dauid are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth them out of all As if he would say for euerie trouble the Lord hath a seuerall deliuerance Euery temptation saith the Apostle hath the owne issue Euery horne that riâ—…eth against vs to push vs hath attending vpon it an hammer to represse it saith the Prophet Esau mourned vpon his father Isaac although he was prophane yet he cryed pittifully Hast thou but one blessing my Father But we with the holie Apostle may blessâ—… our heauenly Father who comforteth vs so in all our tribulations that as the sufferings of Christ a bound in vs so our consolations abound through Christ not one but manifold are his blessings and the storehouse of his consolations can neuer bee emptied The Lord our God hath not dealt nigardly nor sparingly with vs but a good measure of consolations pressed downe and running ouer hath hee giuen to vs in our bosome his name be praised therefore and yet how little is all this that wee now receiue in comparison of those inestimable ioyes of God that he hath prepared for vs the like whereof the eye neuer saw the care neuer heard of and the heart cannot vnderstand Surely the greatest measure of comfort that wee haue in this life is but the earnest penny of that principall which shall be giuen to vs hereafter If the earnest bee so great what shall bee the principall If the first fruites of the heauenly Canaan be so delectable how shall the full masse thereof aboundantly content vs when we shall behold the face of our God in righteousnesse and shall bee satisfied vvith his Image vvhen vve shall be filled vvith the fulnesse of joy which is in his presence and with those pleasures which are at his right hand for euermore CHAP. II. The Priuiledges of a Christian cannot be knowne of them who doe not possesse them WEe know If you ponder the Apostles words you shall finde that by an Emphasis he restraines this knowledge to the Children of God excluding Worldlings and Naturalists from it The spirituall man discerneth all things but hee himselfe is iudged of no man A naturall man cannot vnderstand the things that are of God The Gospel is Wisedome indeed but Wisedome among them that are perfect Euery Article of our faith and point of Christian Doctrine euery priuiledge of a Christian is a Mistery therefore no meruaile that the Gospell bee foolishnesse to the naturall man who perisheth And this doth draw vs to consider that the excellent things of Christianitie can be knowne of none but of those that possesseth them The value or rather vanitie of earthly Iewels hath beene better knowne of some that neuer enjoyed them then of them who possessed them but the Iewels of gods kingdome such as Peace Righteousnesse Ioy in the holy Ghost can be known of none but of the Christian only who enjoyes them The new Name giuen to the Christian who can know but hee that hath it and none can know what is the sweetnes of hid Manna except hee tast it therefore saith the Psalmist Tast and consider how
gracious the Lord is telling you that the graciousnesse of the Lord cannot be considered by him who neuer diâ—… tast it If you goe to speak to a vvorldling of inward Peace of spirituall Ioy or of the Priuiledges of a Christian you shall seeme to him a Barbarian or one that speaketh a strange language which he vnderstaneth not or if he himselfe speak of them which he sees learnedly hearing or reading yet shall hee speake like a Bird vtteâ—…ing voyces vvhich shee vnderstandeth not As the bruit Beast knoweth not the excellency of mans life and therefore delighteth it selfe vvith Hay and Prouender seeking no better because it knoweth no better So the naturall man knoweth not the excellency of a Christian and therfore disdaines him counting him a foole a mad man and the off-scum of the world hee taketh the dongue of the earth in his armes for his inheritance let him brook the portion of Esau that the fatnesse of the earth may be his dwelling place let his wine and his wheat abound to him hee cares for no more he knowes not vvhat it is to haue his soule made glad with the countenance of God This is your miserable condition O ye wretched Worldlings ye are cursed with the curse of the Serpent yee creepe as it were on your bellyes and licke the dust of the earth all the dayes of your life yee haue not an eye to looke vp to heauen nor a hart to seeke those things which are aboue most fearefull is your estate vvee warne you of it but it is the Lord vvho must deliuer you from it This resolute knowledge is the mother of spirituall courage constancie and patience therefore the Apostle vrgeth it in this place that the Christian may be made thereby strong and patient in tribulation and indeed what needes hee feare in the euill day yea though the earth should be remoued and the Mountaines fall into the middest of the sea vvho knoweth that the Lord sitteth on his throne hauing the whole vvorld as a glassie Sea before him gouerning all the walterings changes and euents of things therein to the good of them that loue him Oh that we had prosited so much in the schoole of Christ all our dayes that without any doubting or making any exception vvee could beleeue this vvhich here the Apostle layeth for a most sure ground of comfort that so vvee might chaunge all our thoughts and cares into one namely how to grow in the loue of God that in a good conscience vve might say to the Lord vvith Peter Lord thou knowest I loue thee And as the rest of our feares griefes and temptations which many times doe so compasse vs that to our judgements vvee can see no out-gate cast all the burthen of them vpon the Lord who careth for vs and hath giuen vs this promise for a Premunire All comes for the best The Souldier with courage entreth into the battell vnder hope to obtaine the victorie the Marriner with boldnesse committeth himselfe to the stormie Seas vnder hope of vantage and euery man hazardeth in his calling and yet are they all but vncertaine venturers and know not the end But the Christian runnes not as vncertaine but as one sure to obtaine the Crowne for he knows that the God of peace shall shortly tread Sathan vnder his feete What then shall he not with courage enter into that battell wherein hee is made sure ere euer hee sight that all the Warriers of Iesus shal become more then Conquerours through him If wee will onely stand still we shall see the saluation of the Lord. Gedion and his three hundred fought against the great Host of Midian without feare because he was sure of victorie Dauid made hast and ran to encounter with Goliah because hee was perswaded the Lord would deliuer him into his hands The Israelites spared not to enter into the flood of lorden because they saw the Arkâ—… of God before them diuiding the waters And shall onely the Christian stand astonished in his temptations notwithstanding the word of God goe before him to resolue him that whatsoeuer fall out shall worke for the best vnto him The Lord increase vs make vs abound more and more in loue of our God for perfect loue casteth ouâ—… fear The Lord strengthen our Faith that through these misty clowdes of afflictions which now compasseth vs wee may see that comfortable end which the light of God hath discouered vnto vs. But wee are to beware of the subtile sleights of Sathan who to the end hee may spoile vs of this comfort in trouble endeauoureth by many meanes either to quench this light of God in our minds or else to darken and obscure it by the precipitation of our vnbeleeuing hearts carrying vs headlong to iudge of the works of God by their beginnings and to measure our selues in trouble by our present estate and condition not suffering vs to tarrie while we see the end whereof it comes to passe that our hearts beeing tossed to and fro with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like trees of the Forrest shaken with the winde in our necessities we hasten to be our owne prouisors in our dangers we will be our owne deliuerers euery way we become the caruers of our own condition we haue so much the more to beware of this precipitation because the dearest seruants of God haue fallen through it into fearefull sinnes against the Lord their God and breed great vnquietnesse vnto themselues When Dauid was in extreame anger in the wilâ—…ernesse of Maon hee said in his feare that all men were liers O what a blasphemy that euen the promises of God made to him by Samuel the Lords Prophet were but lies and how many times thought hee in his other troubles that God had forgot to bee mercifull and had shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure But when hee saw the end then was hee compelled to accuse himselfe to giue glorie to God and to say I should haue beene dumbe and not opened my mouth because thou didest it I said it in my feare but now I see Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Aâ—… this precipitation made Dauid to stumble and fall so will it carry vs also to the like inconuenience too except we beware of it For if we shold looke to Lazarus in the dongue hill full of Byles and sores hauing no comfort but from the dogges and compare him with the Rich man cloathed in purple and faring daintily euerie day What can wee iudge but that Lazarus is the most miserable of the two yet tarrie while the Lord haue ended his worke and Lazarus hee conueyed to Abrahams bosome and the rich glutton be gone to his place then shall truth appeare manifestly All things worke together for the best to them that loue God Let vs learne therefore to measure the euent of things not by their
best to them that loue the Lord not according to his purpose in deede but because the Lord trappeth him in his owne snare If vnder the serpents shape hee deceiued Adam vnder the Serpents name shall the Lord curse him and all these weapons whereby hee intends to destroy the worke of Gods grace in vs shall the Lord make forcible to destroy the workmanship of Sathan in vs I meane that whole bastard generation of sinfull affections which Sathan hath begotten vpon our mutable nature by a most vnhappy and vnlawfull copulation The experience of all the saints of God will proue this that Sathan by his restles temptations doth destroy himselfe which is most euident both in his temptations for sin which tend to desperation as also in his temptations to sin which tend to presumption Eâ—…ery accusation of the conscience for by-past sins is a preseruatiue to the child of God to keepe him from sinne in time to come hee reasoning with himselfe after this manner If my eni mie doth so disquiet my mind with inward terrors for these sins which foolishly I did by his inticement why shal I harken to him any more hereafter and so increase the matter of my trouble for what fruite haue I of all the sinnes whereof I tooke pleasure but terrour and shame And shall I looke that this forbidden Tree shall render any better fruite hereafter O what a faithlesse traytor is Sathan he intiâ—…eth man vnto sinne and when hee hath done it hee is the first accuser and troubler of man for sinne When hee works in vs he is a temptor when we haue finished his worke which is fin hee is an accuser of vs to the iudge and when he returneth hee returneth as a troubler and a tormentor of vs for our sins Stop thy eare therefore O my soule from the voyce of this deceitfull enchaunter His temptations againe vnto sinne are so many prouocations spurring vs forward to the throne or grace for whilst we finde his restlesse malice pursuing that sparkle of spirituall life whereby the Lord hath quicned vs and our owne weaknesse and inhabilitie to resist him then wee are forced with Israel in Aegipt to sigh for the thraldome and to cry with Iosah O Lord our God we wot not what to do but our eies are turned toward thee And who feeles not this that the grace of feruent prayer wherein otherwise wee faint our hands being more ready to fall downe then the hands of Moses except they bee supported is greatly weakned and abridged in the children of God by the buffets of Sathan So they weakned the holy Apostle and stirred him vp to such feruency in praier that hee besought the Lord thrice that is many times to deliuer him from them Yea which is more the Lord made them effectuall meanes to beate downe the power of naturall pride in him least he should haue beene exalted out of measure through the greatnesse of his reuelations A wonderfull worke that the Father of pride becommeth against his wil a represser of pride and hee who first powred this poyson into the nature of Man is made contrary to his entent an instrument to suppresse it Thus the Lord our God out-shooteth Sathan in his owne bow and with the sword of Goliah cutteth off his owne head his holy name be praised therefore for euer Now as concerning outward afflictions it is true that as the Philistins could not vnderstand Sampsons Riddle how sweet came out of the sower and meate out of the eater So can no Worldlings vnderstand that tribulation bringeth out Patience and that our light and momentary afflictions causeth vnto vs a far more excellent and eternall waight of glory but the Children of God haue learned by experience that albeit no visitation be sweet for the present yet afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse vnto them vvho are thereby exercised that there is more solide joy in suffring rebuke with Christ then in all the pleasure of sinne which indure but for a season For as Moses the mediator of the old Testament by his prayer made the bitter waters of Marah sweete that the Israelites might drinke of it so Iesus the mediator of the new Testament by his passion hath mittigated to his Children the bitternes of the Crosse and not onely mixed it with joy but made it most profitable The forlorne Son concluded neuer to returne home to his Father till he was brought low by affliction And many in the Gospell were forced by corporall diseases to run to Iesus where others enjoying bodily health did nothing but disdaine him The earth which is not tilled and broken beares nothing but Thornes and Bryers the Vines waxe wilde by time except they be pruned and cut so would our vaine hearts ouergrowe with vilde affections if the Lord by sanctified trouble did not continually manure them Therefore said Ieremy It is good for a man to beare the yoke in 〈◊〉 youth And Dauid confessed It was good for him that hee was afflicted Yea saith our Sauiour Euery branch that beares fruite my heauenly Father purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruite No work can be made of Gold and Siluer without fire and stones are not meet for Pallace worke except they be pollished and squared by hammering no more is it possible that wee can bee vessels of Honour in the houses of our God except first wee bee sined and melted in the fire of Affliction neither can wee bee as liuing sâ—…ones to be placed in the wall of the heauenly Ierusalem except so long as wee be here the hand of God beate vs from our proud lumps by the hammer of Affliction As standing waters putrifies and rotâ—… so the wicked feares not God saith the Psalmist because they haue no changes And Moab keepes his sent saith the Prophet because he was not powred from Vessell to Vessell but hath beene at rest euer since his youth And therefore O Lord rather then we should keepe the old sent of our naturall corruption and liue in carelesse securitie without the feare of thy holy name and so become sit-fasts in our sins no rather O Lord change thou vs from estate to estate waken vs with the presence of thy hand purge vs Lord with thy fire and chastice vs with thy rods alway O Lord with a protestation that thou stand to thy promise made to the Sons of Dauid I will visite them with my rods if they sinne against mee but my mercy will I neuer take from them CHAP. V. How death also workes for the best to Christians THe same comfort haue vvee also against death that now in Christ Iesus it is not a punishment of our sinnes but a full accomplishment of the motificatian of sinne both in soule and body for by it all the Conduits of sinne are stopped the weapons of vnrighteousnesse broken and though our bodyes seeme to bee consumed yet
are they but sowne like graines of Wheate into the field and husbandry of the Lord which must dye before they be quickned but in the day of haruest shall spring vp againe most glorious and shall be restored by the same holy spirit who now dwels in them and as to our soules they are releeued our of this house of seruitude and that they may depart and turne to him from whom they came therefore haue I compared death to the red sea wherein Pharaoh his Aegiptians were drowned and sanck like a stone to the bottome but the Israelites of God went through to their promised Canaan So shall death bee vnto you O miserable Infidels whose eyes the God of this world hath so blinded that no more then the blinde Egiptians can you see the light of God that shineth in Goshan that is his Church although you bee in it to you I say your death shall bee a sea of Gods vengeance wherein yee shall bee drowned and shall sincke with your sinnes heauier then a Milstone about the neck of your soule to presse you downe to the lowest Hels But as to you that are the Israelites of God yee shall walk through the valley of death and not neede to bee afraide because the Lord is with you His staffe and his rod shall comfort you Albeit the terrours of Hell the horrour of the Graue the gultinesse of sinne stand about thee like mountaines threatning to ouerwhelme thee yet shalt thou goe safe through to the land of thine inheritance where with Moses and Meriam and all the Children of God euen the Congregation of the first borne Thou shalt sing prayses ioyfully to the God of thy Saluation And thus we see how that not onely our present afflictions but Sathan Sinne and Death are made to worke for the best to them that loue the Lord. CHAP. VI. How the plots and imaginations of men worke for the best to the Christian. NOw in the last roome concerning the imaginations of men against vs wee shall haue cause to say of them in the end as Ioseph said to his bretheren You did it vnto mee for euill but the Lord turned it vnto good The whole Historie of Gods Booke is as a cloude of manifold witnesses concurring altogether to confirme this truth I content my selfe therefore for all to bring one When Dauid was going forward in the battaile against Israel with Achish King of Gath vnder whom hee soiourned for a while in the time of his banishment the remnant Princes of the Philistines commanded him to goe backe and this they did for the worse to disgrace him because they distrusted him but the Lord turned it to him for the best Consider Dauids estate now and ye shall see him set betwixt too great extreamities If he had gone backe of his owne accord the Philistines might haue blamed him handled him as an enimie if hee had come forward hee should haue beene guiltie of the bloud of Israell and especially of Saul the Lords annointed who was slaine in that battaile In this strait the wit of man can find him no out-gate but the prouident mercy of God deliuers him in such sort that no occasion of offence is giuen to Saul and his people because Dauid came not against them neither yet could the Philistines condemne him because hee went back by their commaund So notable a benefit did Dauid receiue euen by that same deede wherein his enimies thought they had done him a notable shame and it should learne vs in our straitest extreamities whereunto men can driue vs to depend on the Lord and euer then to hope for an outgate when we see none For such is thy prouidence O Lord whereby in mercy thou watchest ouer those euils that are intended against them that by thee they are turned into good to them And here we haue further to consider that seeing this is the priuiledge of euery one that loues the Lord much more must it appertaine to the whole Church of God It is the portion of Abraham being the father of the faithfull and one of Gods children I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee and shall it not belong thinke wee to all the congregation of the first borne will not the Lord be a Wall of fire round about Ierusalem and the glory in the midst of her will he not keepe her as the apple of his eye Shall not Ierusalem be as a cup of poyson vnto all her enimies and a heauie stone Yea surely all that lift vp themselues shall be torne though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it the weapons made against her shall not prosper euery tongue that shall rise against her in judgement shall bee condemned This is the heritage of the Lords seruants the portion of them who loue him For the Church is the Arke of God which may mount vp higher as the waters increaseth but cannot bee ouerwhelmed the bush which may burne but cannot be consumed the house built on a rock which may bee beaten with the winde and raine but cannot be ouerthrowne The Lord who changeth times and seasons who takes away Kings and sets vp Kings hath reproued Kings for his Churches sake and he gouerneth all the kingdomes of the earth in such sort that their risings fallings their changes and mutations are all dispensed for the good of his Church for there is but one of two sentences wherein all the Iudges of the world may iudge of themselues see cleerly their end Either that which Mordecai said to Ester who knowes if for this thou art come to the Kingdome that by thee deliuerance might come to Gods people Or else that which Moses in Gods name sayd to Pharaoh the first oppressor of Gods Church in his adolescency I haue set thee vp to declare my power because thou exaltest thy selfe against my people How miserable then are they who when they are highest abuseth their power to hold the people of God lowest Haue they not cause to feare least the Lord haue set them vp against him as an object of his power and Iustice if we will marke the course of the Lords proceeding euer since the beginning of the world we shall finde that as he orders the state of earthly power for the accomplishment of his wil concerning his Church so euermore a blessing followes them who are instruments of her good and by the contrary an ineuitable curse followes them who are the instruments of her euill When the Lord concluded to bring his Church from Canaan to sojourne in Aegipt he sent such a famine in Canaan as compelled them to forsake it but made plenty in Aegipt by the hand of Ioseph whom the Lord sent before as a prouider for his Church and by whom Pharaoh was made so fauourable to Iacob that he was allowed to dwell in Goshen but when such time came that hee would
Calling that ye haue bene baptized in the name of Iesus and communicated at his holy table for not euerie one that sayes Lord Lord shall enter into his kingdom except ye find also the Lords inward and effectuall Calling that the arme of his grace hath drawne you within the compasse of this third circle and so brought you to be of his owne third part and set you downe among the generation of them that seeke the face of God and therfore forsakes their sinnes that they may finde him CHAP. XIII Of the inward Calling THen wee see this excellent priuiledge is restrained to them who are called inwardly and therefore let vs yet a little consider it This inward Calling is the Communication of Christs sauing grace vvhereby the minde is inlightened the heart purified by faith the affections sanctified and the whole man reformed For as the Lord by his Gospell offers to his children righteousnesse and life so by his holy spirit he giues them that iustifying Faith and openeth their hearts to receiue that Grace which is preached and proclaimed to them in the Gospel So then this worke of our Calling is altogether the Lords It is his praise that hee cals things which are not and makes them to be the Lord that commaunded light to shine out of darknesse hath giuen to our mindes the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Christ Iesus hee it is that creates in vs a new heart and putteth a new spirit into our bowels that vvee may walke in his statutes The Lord promised that hee would call many of the Gentiles to the spiritual Ierusalem to suck out the milke of the breasts of her consolation and be delighted with the brightnesse of his glory shall I cause others to bee fruitfull saith the Lord and remaine barren my selfe and this his gracious promise hath he most abundantly performed in our dayes his name be praised therefore As this worke is onely the Lords so he restraines it onely to them who are his owne The outward Calling is extended to all but the inward calling makes a particular seperation of a few from the remnant where it is wonderfull to see the distinction which is made betwixt man and man in all rankes and estates by this effectuall calling of two Brethren as Iacob and Esau of two Prophets as Moses and Balaam of two Kings as Dauid and Saul of two Apostles as Peter and Iudas of two theeues the one is taken the other reiected and thus the arme of the grace of God goes through to euerie corner of the earth according to his pleasure culling out by his word from among the remnant of the world those who belong to his Election This grace of God it enters in a Land and not into euery Cittie it enters into a Cittie but not into euery Familie yea it will enter into a Familie and â—…et not come to euery person of the Familie or husband and wife of Maisters and Seruants of Parents and Children of Brethren and Sisters oftentimes the one is taken the other is left It came to Iericho and chose out Zacheus It came to Philipi and weiled out Lidia and the Iaylor It came to Nero his court and not to himselfe It entred into the familie of Narcissus and yet past by Narcissus himselfe It is the worke of God and merueilous in our eies The Gospell is preached to many but the blessing brought by the Gospell lights onely vpon the children of grace And hereof ariseth this dayly distinction which we see betweene man and man all heare alike but all haue not Faith all are not edified alike Some forsake their sins and followes the Lord others forsaking the Lord walkes on in their sinnes As the Lord gouerneth the raine and makes it fall vpon one Cittie and not vpon another so hee dispenseth the dew of his grace that hee makes it droppe downe vpon one heart and not vpon another And of this I would wish that so many of you as yet are strangers from Grace should learne to know your miserable state What a fearefull thing is this that God hath conuerted so many in the Cittie wherein thou dwellest yea perhaps many in the familie wherein thou remainest and yet his grace neuer lighted vpon thee but thou art left in thy olde sinnes Consider it rightly I pray you If the Lord should do to you as hee did to Israel in the daies of Achab causing it to raine for three yeares a halfe on all the lands about you but not vpon your Land would you not conceiue in it a sensible curse of God vpon you O Hypocrite thou that canst discerne the face of the skie and take vp the tokens of Gods anger in the creature canst thou not discerne the state of thine owne soule nor apprehend this for a sensible curse that thirty or forty yeares the showers of sauing and renewing grace hath descended vpon the people round about thee but neuer vpon thy selfe thou possessest thy old sins and keepest still a hard a barren and a fruitlesse heart What shall I say to thee to cut thee off from all hope of mercie and so send thee to despaire I haue not that in commission the Lord hath his owne time of calling and can when he will of Saul a persecutor make Paul a Preacher But one thing I can certifie â—…hee of so long as thou aâ—…t in that state mourne if thou vvilt thou hast much cause of mourning for if this effectuall calling by grace goe by thee in time to come as it hath done in time beganne it is an euident declaration that thou art a man reserued to wrath and not ordained to mercie CHAP. XIIII In the inward calling the Lord begins at the illumination of the minde NOw that this Calling flowing from Election may bee yet made sure to our Consciences for our greater comfort let vs marke the manner of the Lords proceeding into it and so gather vp some tokens whereby vvee may discerne it As in the first creation the Lord began at the light so in the second Creation he begins at the illumination of the minde For wee can neither know the Lord to feare and loue him neyther yet our selues and our sinnes aright till the Lord vvho commanded light to shine out of darknesse shine also into our hearts to giue vs the light of the knowledge of the glory of GOD in the face of Iesus Christ and this light of God discouers to vs so many workes of darknes wherewith in ignorance wee defiled our Consciences that wee begin to be ashamed of our selues in the sight of God yea our very flesh trembleth for feare of his iudgements and vvee crie out with Iob Now my eye hath seene the Lord therefore I abhorre my selfe And thus the Lord proceeds from the minde to the heart working into it such a contrition and godly sorrow as causeth repentance vnto saluation whereby the heart that
was senselesse before being dead in sinne and trespasses begins now to stir and moue as Iosiahs heart melted at the reading of the Law and the hearts of those penitent Iewes which were pricked at the sharpe Sermon of Peter then feeling our selues vnder death through sinne wee begin to thinke vs of the wayes of life and to aske with the Iaylor What shall wee doe that wee may bee saued These motions meltings and prickings of the hart wrought in the â—…lect by the operation of Gods word are the very plucks of the hand of God translating thee out of Nature into Grace yet must wee not rest here for Felix may tremble while Paul is preaching and many for a while may receiue this word with joy and yet afterward fall away in the time of temptation Wee must therefore consider if there bee in the hart a respondence and answering vnto the Lord so oft as hee calleth doe wee present our selues before him ready to follow him saying with Abraham here I am Lord and with Samuel after hee knew the Lords voyce Speake on Lord thy Seruant heareth thee This answering and following of the Lord are vndoubted tokens of effectuall Calling So oft as the Lord calleth the Christian answereth When thou saidst Seeke yee my face my heart answered O Lord I will seeke thy face If the Lord commaund the Christian answereth O Lord quicken me according to thy louing kindnesse that I may apply my heart to keepe thy statutes alwayes to the end If the Lord promise mercy the Christian answeres Stablish O Lord thy promise to thy Seruant and let it bee to me according to thy word for I beleeue in thee but Lord help my vnbeleefe And thus in the heart of one effectually called there is a continual respondence to the voyce of God a waiting on the Lord a walking with him and a following of him where euer hee goe If the Lord haue called thee sure it is thou wilt follow him and no power of the Diuell of the world or of the slesh shall hold thee back from him When Eliah touched Elisha with his cloak he left his Oxen and came after him When Iesus called on Andrew and Peter they left their nets their ship and their Father and followed him when hee called on Mathew hee left all his gainful trade of the receipt of custome and followed him when hee called on Mary Magdalâ—…ne shee forsooke her sinfull life and followed him Here is the finest Touchstone to trye an inward calling If the Lord hath called thee thou wilt follow him but if yet thou bee wandring after vanitie walking on in the course of thy sinne turning thy backe and not thy face vnto the Lord deceiue not thy selfe pertalcer of this heauenly Calling wherein stands the onely comfort of a Christian hast thou neuer beene CHAP. XV. The loue of God a sure token of an inward calling and of the commendation of loue THat Loue of God And last of all to returne to the words againe the whole effects of out inward Calling the Apostle compriseth vnder one to wit The loue of God and that most properly for Loue compriseth all the rest vnder it Loue is the Cognisance of Christs Disciples sayes our Sauiour It is the band of perfection saith the Apostle and accomplishment of the Lâ—… Loue speakes with the tongue of eueâ—… Vertue Pittie bids thee help the indigent Iustice bids thee giue euery man his owne Mercy bids forgiue Patience bids suffer but the voyce of Christian Loue commaunds all these Holy Loue is the eldest Daughter of a iustifying Faith that is the fiâ—…st affection that Faith procreateth and sanctifieth and whereby she workes in the sanctification of the rest Loue is the strongest and most imperious affection in the whole nature of man all the rest of the affections giues place vnto it which wee may see euen in the man naturall and vnregenerate Where Loue is kindled Feare is banished Couetousnesse coucheth Ambition is silent A Coward inflamed with Loue becomes valiant and a couetous man is oft times â—…y Loue made to bee more prodigall yea the proud and ambitious man who otherwise giues place to 〈◊〉 man for obtayning that which hee 〈◊〉 cares not to prostrate his honor 〈◊〉 the dust If carnall Loue be so forciâ—… what shall wee say of the spirituall Loue How much more doth it draw 〈◊〉 whole powers of soule and body 〈◊〉 the Lord neyther is it possible to 〈◊〉 otherwayes for euery thing returns to his owne originall as the waters go 〈◊〉 to the deepe from whence 〈◊〉 came and fire tends vpward to his owne place and Region euen so holy Loue being a sparke of the heauenly fire kindled in our hearts by the holy Ghost doth continually enflame them towards the Lord from whom it came and suffers vs neuer to rest while vvee enjoy him then vvee begin to liue when vvee begin to Loue. As no Creature can liue out of his owne Element so the Soule is but dead in sinne vvhich is destitute of the loue of God No feare to offend him no care to please him no obedience to his Commaundements can bee giuen by the heart that loues him not It were tedious to speake of all the properties of Loue we make choise of a few as chiefe tryals of our Loue. CHAP. XVI First triall of Loue. THe first propertie of Loue is a burning desire to obtaine that which is beloued as a Woman that loueth her Husband vnfainedly cannot bee content with any Loue token she receiueth from him in his absence but longeth more and more till she receiue himselfe So the soule which is wounded with the Loue of Iesus her immortall hushand hath a continuall desire to bee with him I graunt enerie token sent from him brings comfort but no contentment till shee inioyes him whereof comes these and such like complaints As the Hart brayes for the riuers of water so panteth my soule 〈◊〉 thee O my God O whâ—…n 〈◊〉 I come appeare before the presence of my God my soule desireth after the Lord as the thirstie land for I would be dissolued be with the Lord therefore come euen so come Lord Iesus But alas here are we taken in our sins Thou sayest thou louest him but how is it then thou longest not to see him neither desiâ—…est to be with him yea a small appearance of the day of death wherein we should goe to him or mention of the day of judgement wherein hee shall come to vs doth terrifie and affright thee Thou that contents thee with the gifts of God and thinkest not long for himselfe thou art but like an adulterous woman who if she possesâ—…e the goods of her husband regards not albeit she neuer see himselfe The Iewes are blamed because they called on thâ—… Lord rather for oyle and wine then for himselfe The Gentiles are conuinced for worshiping the creature rather then the creator but more iustly shall the bastard
Christian bee condemned for louing the gifts of God more then the giuer Let vs therefore beware of this fearefull ingratitude Wee may indeede reioyce in all the gifts the Lord hath giuen vs and they should thankfully be receiued but alwaies with a protestation that nothing giuen vnto mee here bee allowed vnto me for my portion and inheritance and that no contentment euer comes to our hearts till wee obtaine the full fruition of our louing husband Christ Iesus If the Loue of men compelled the Apostle to say to the Corinthians it is not yours but you I seeke how much more should the Loue of GOD compell vs to say to our Lord It is not thy gift but thy selfe O Lord I long for thou art the portion of my soule If thou wouldâ—…t giue mee all the workes of thine hands yet shall I neuer haue comfort nor contentment except thou giue me thy selfe therefore O thou whom my soule loueth shew mee where thou feedest where thou lyest at noone for why should I bee as shee that turnes aside to the flockes of thy companions Blessed is hee that hungers and thirsteth for thy righteousnesse for hee shall behold the face of his God and bee filled with his Image for in his presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand there are pleasures for euermore CHAP. XVII Second triall of Loue. THe second triall of holy Loue is Obedience and a care to serue and honour the Lord in all estates and callings Preachers must bee tried by this rule Peter louest thou mee feede my flocke Gouernours and counsellors in your callings must be tryed by this Can yee say with the godly gouernour Dauid I loue the Lord then will yee also say with him What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits How shall I shew to the Lord my Loue and what shall I doe in my time for the aduancement of his glorie If you loue the Lord then bee nursing Fathers to his Church be faithfull aduancers of his kingdome wise prouisours to remoue the stumbling blockes that hinder the course of his Gospell If yee loue the Lord. Stand vp with Dauid and say Doe I not hate them O Lord that hate thee and doe I not earnestly contend with them that rise vp against thee Surely I hate them with vnfained hatred as if they were my vtter enimies Iâ—… yee honour the Lord as Dauid did the Lord shall blesse you as he did Dauid Dauid sware vnto the Lord that he would not rest till he found out a place for the Lord euen an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob And the Lord sweares againe to Dauid that of the fruite of his bodie hee would set vpon his Throne to raigne after him But if otherwaies there be nothing in you but a care to stablish your selues and your houses with the neglect of the glorie God then remember the curse of Shebna and not the blessing of Eliachim shall be vpon you you shall not bee fastned as a nayle in a sure place but shall be rowled and turned away like a Ball The Lord shall driue thee from thy station and out of thy dwelling place shall he destroy thee for the wicked shall not haue their desire his thoughts shall not bee performed neither shall he be established on the earth but euill shall hunt him to destruction the Lord shall take thee and pluck thee out of thy Tabernacle and roote thee out of the land of the liuing and generally all of you in your callings remember the value of your Christian loue must be tryed by the same touchstone not by your words but by your deedes If any loue me saith Christ 〈◊〉 him keep my commaundements But here also the hypocrisie of this age is cleerely discouered In word they pretend the loue of God but indeede they grieue him with their transgressions as the Iewes they called him king and bowed their knees before him but spâ—…t in his face and buffeted him So the bastard Christians of this age call Christ their Lord and bow their knee before him yet they câ—…ucisie him and trample his blood of the Couenant vnder their feete they kisse him and betraiâ—… him with Iudas It is but a Scepter of Reâ—…d they yeeld and graunt to him for they giue him no commandâ—…ment ouer their affections wherefore great is the controuersie which the Lord hath this day with the men of this generation CHAP. XVIII The last tryall of Loue. THe last tryall of Loue whereof I will speak at this time leauing many other is Bountifulnesse Loue saith the Apostle is Bountifull Experience prooues this euery Louer is a bountifull â—…ower on them whom he loues Yee loue your backes and spare not to cloath them yea with excessiue apparell yee loue your bellyes and therfore are bountifull daily to them in feeding them ye loue your Children and therefore lets them want nothing that is needefull for them yea yee loue your beasts and yee bestow large ly on them onely you say you loue the Lord but wherein are you bountifull toward him It is true that in nothing can a man be profitable to the Almighty saith Iob. But are there no works which should so shine before men that by them our heauenly Father may bee glorified Though works can bee no merits yet are they your witnesses of your Loue towards the Lord Though your goodnesse extend to the Lord yet where is your delight that should bee in his Saints and excellent ones vpon earth Where is your compassion and loue toward the brethren Are not the men of this age like the Fig-tree that haue faire leaues but not so much as one Fig to giue Iesus in his hunger hauing the shew of Godlinesse but hath denied the power thereof rendring words enough but not any fruits at all to adorne the glorious gospell of our Lord Iesus And so if wee might proceede euery tryall of Loue should discouer the hypocrisie and bastard Christianitie of the most part of professors of this age But being forced at this time to conclude I turne me toward you whom I know haue set your hearts to seeke the Lord that I may leaue my last blessing behinde me vnto you being no more purposed â—…o speake to you from this place to you and to euery one of you who can say with Peter in a sincere Conscience Lord thou knowest I loue thee to you here in the name of God I ratifie this priuiledge All things shall worke together for the best vnto you Faint not therefore I beseech you in the course of Godlinesse but be strong in the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ stand fast in the power of his might praying to the Lord continually that hee would stablish that which hee hath wrought in you and bring it forward to perfection And now I commend you to that Grace of God which is able to build you farther and to giâ—…e you inheritance among them that are
the tender conscience cast downe with the sight of sinne after tryall two sorts of tryalls the one of things perfect the other of things vnperfect Dayly tryall most necessary THe Apostle saith that the breaking of this bread is the Communion of the body of Iesus Sith Christ is that holy thing which here is communicated take heede how wee make ready the heart wherin to receiue him Ioseph of Aramathia and the rest of those Godly ones who tooke downe Iesus from the Crosse wrapped his dead bodie in pure and fine linnen what shall wee then doe with the liuing body of Iesus shall not wee receiue it into pure sine and well prepared hearts No man sayes our Sauiour puts new wine into olde Vessels far lesse will any man put the ordinary food of his body into vncleane vnseasoned and vnsauery Vessels but least of al should men presume with vnholy harts and hands to meddle with things sacred heauenly here is new wine indeed let vs not put it into old vessels here is heauēly manna let vs not receiue it with earthly harts Euery man that is in Christ should become a new Creature If wee bee these blessed ones who are called to the participation of the Lambs supper then shall it bee graunted to vs to bee arrayed with pure fine linnen and shining which is the righteousnes of the Saints The Lord vouchsafe this grace vpon vs that sith he hath made vs pertakers of the heauenly vocation and called vs to the marriage of his Son that wee receiue not so excellent a grace in vaine but it may be vnto vs his seruants according to his word And now before we enter to speak of this tryall least the tender Consciences of the Godly by reason of that which I haue spoken should bee discouraged and cast downe with the sence of their owne vnworthines which at all times is great in their eyes but greatest when by trial they looke most narrowly vnto themselues Wee haue therefore to consider that there be two sorts of tryals One whereby a thing perfect is tryed in such sort that it is not made better but sound to be that which it is and with this kinde of tryall man is said to try the Lord and his Word so speakes the Lord by Malachie proue me and try me now if I will not poure you out a blessing without measure By this tryall if a man fall to try the Lord hee shall finde him such as hee is true constant and faithfull to performe that which hee hath spoken or if againe man will enter and try the word of the Lord hee shall finde that the law of the Lord is perfect no drosse in it but like siluer fined seauen times in the fire There is againe another tryall wherby things imperfect are so tryed that they are made better and at the length perfected and hereby God tryes man for so he speakes by the same Malachie The Lord will fine the sonnes of Leui and purifie them as gold siluer that they bring offerings to him in righteousnesse And with this tryall also man tryes himselfe searching out his iniquities that he may forsake them and this triall tends indeed to a perfection at the last but stands rather in a sinding out and forsaking of our imperfections then in any present perfection And of this t◅yall the Apostle meanes here so that this precept doth commaund vs to search out our iniquities to depart from them but doth no way import that we should not communicate at this Table because that new tryall discouers to vs new transgressions for wee come not here as men without sin but as poore and miserable sinners seeking the Sauiour of the world knowing that hee came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Thou then who after examination shalt finde thy selfe a miserable and yet a penitent sinner say not with Peter Lord depart from mee for I am a sinfull man but so much the rather goe to him and crie with Dauid haue mercy on me O God and according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities for it is a true saying Christ came into the world to saue sinners Stay not thou therefore backe from him because thou art sinfull onely trie if thou bee wearie of thy sinnes for we are sure that a sinne discouered by tryall and cast out by repentance wil neuer condemne vs Wash you saith the Lord make you cleane take away the euill of your workes from before my eyes and then though your sinnes were as crimson they shall bee made white as snow though they were red like Scarlet they shall be as Wool Omne quod ipse mihi non imputare decreuerit Sic est quasi non fuerit euerie sin saieth the ancient which God hath concluded not to impute vnto me is as if it had neuer beene If therefore in thy conscience thou feele thy sins an heauy burden vnto thee vnder the which thou sighest gronest and whereof thou earnestly desirest to be releeued crying with that holy Apostle O miserable man that I am who shal deliuer me from this body of sin then goe thou to the Lord Iesus for surely thou art one of those whom he is seeking he came into the world to sane thee and the like of thee lay thy burden vpon the back of Christ and hee shall beare it and take thou vp his yoake which is easie and his burden which is light So shalt thou finde rest to thy soule O happy exchange when we are taken from the seruitude of sin and entred into the seruice of Christ when the burden of sin that presseth vs downe is taken from our backs and the sweete yoake of Christ that lifteth vs vp is laid vpon vs for albeit it bee called a burden yet is it such a burden as easeth vs and maketh vs lighter like the wings of a Bird Quidenim leuius co onere quod non solum onerat sed portat omnem cui portandum imponitur Where for our farther comfort let vs consider what manner of Guestes these were whom the great King commaunded to bring into his banquetting house euen the poore the maymed the halt and the blind Take heed vnto this O thou that art disquieted in minde wounded in spirit with the sence of thy infirmities the Lord is gracious ready to shew mercie Hee will not breake the brused reede nor quench the smoaking Flax he will not despise thee because thou art weake but bids thee come to him that he may heale all thy infirmities Art thou then poore and destitute of spirituall grace in thy seeling turne thee to Christ who being rich became poore for thy sake that thou in him mights bee made rich Art thou weake and diseased remember they who are whole need no Phisition but the sicke and that it is the glorie of this
that strange Lords who can claime no right vnto him should tirannize ouer him and hee not endeauour to vvithstand it and that Sathan should leade him away in Captiuitie bound with chaines euen the cords of sinne blinder then Zedekiah hauing his eyes pulled out and man should not lament for it But where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and freedome there is a knowledge and detestation of sinne and a sighing to God for deliuerance from the Bondage The Prophet Ezechiel could not see the abhominable idolatries of the house of Israell till the Lord taught him to digge through the wall but we shall be farre lesse able to see the vile abhominations that are in our owne hearts vntill the spirit of the Lord digge through demolish that thick and hard wall of induration that naturallie hideth vs from the sight of our sins and keepeth vs in blindnesse vnder Sathans bondage The other thing whereby we are to proceede in this tryall is the word of God for euery thing that is imperfect must be tryed by another not by it self gold is tryed by the fire touch stone the weight of a thing is tryed by the ballance and the spots of the face are tryed by the glasse Thus euery imperfect thing that is tryed is tryed by another not by it selfe As to the law of God it is a most perfect rule by which God will haue men and their actions tryed but it is to be tryed by no other then it selfe If any man will trie scripture he must with the Nobles of Beraea trie it by the scripture so then the word serueth vnto vs as a touchstone for our tryall as a glasse for discouery of our spots as the ballance of the sanctuarie wherein we must bee weighed in the last day the secrets of all hearts will be iudged by the Gospell and therefore it were good that in time wee did iudge our selues by it some trie themselues by it some tâ—…ye themselues by themselues supposing they are such indeed as they haue conceiued themselues to be some againe measure themselues by others speciallie with such as in their opinion are behind them not with such as in light and grace doe farre excell them like that Pharisie who when hee came to examine himselfe before God thought he was good enough because he was not like the Publican wherein hee was also miserablie deceiued for suppose he spake the truth yet spake it ignorantlie as Caiaphas saide that one behooued to die for the people hee was not like the Publican indeede the Publican was much better then hee for hee came to the temple humble and penitent and went home to his house iustified whereas the Pharisie puft vp with a conceit of his own righteousnesse and iustifying himselfe went away out of the Temple more guiltie then he came In the tryall therfore of thy selfe make not thy neighbours disposition thy rule least thou in like manner be deceiued And yet if thou wouldst profit by the example of others remember it is a great follie to thinke that thou art religious enough because in religion some are behind thee and not rather to bee displeased with thy wants when thou seest so many before thee enriched aboue thee in all spirituall grace and haue profited more then thou in the mortification of their sinfull lusts hauing out run thee further in the way of Gods commaundements then that other Disciple ouer-ran Peter vnto Christs Sepulchre to learne his resurrection It is pittie that the Sonnes of men in worldlie things can looke to those who are aboue them thinking they haue little because they haue not so much as others yet in spirituall things they should looke to others that are inferior to them and so easily stand content with the little beginning of religion they haue because there be many who in their iudgement haue not so much whereas certainly if we could try our selues by the right rule wee should finde that as yet wee are farre from that which wee should bee and therefore haue more neede then that holy Apostle To forget that which is behinde indeauour our selues to that which is before following hard toward the marke for the prise of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus We haue therfore heere yet farther to obserue that seeing the Apostle commaunds vs to try our selues wee thinke it not enough that others try vs and giue vs their approbation we must also try our selues The Pastors may try thy knowledge and thinke it good enough thy superiors may try thy conuersation and finde it vnreprouable of man But thou must try thy owne conscience for no man knowes the things of a man saue the spirit of man the minde of a man will shew him more sometime then seauen watchmen that are in a tower When this sacrament was first instituted there were twelue who communicated with the Lord Iesus and one of them was a Diuell and a traiterous hypocrite the remnant knew him not therefore could not reproue him but that made not Iudas the better man yet the fault which man could not finde out the Lord discouered it one of you said he will betray me Thinke it not therefore enough albeit vnchallenged of man thou maiest sit downe at the Lords table Remember the king will come take a view of the Guests euen he who is the God of the Spirits of all flesh and to whom the secrets of the heart are manifest Iosaphats garment cannot hide Achab from him hee is not blinde like Isaac that hee should bee deceiued to take one for another therefore try thou thy selfe how thou commest to this holy table whether as Iohn louing Iesus and beloued of him or as Iudas betraying Christ and accursed of him for as Christ foretolde them that one of them was a Diuell so the Apostle hath foretolde vs that many will eate and drinke vnvnworthily at this holy table who they are wee know not yet are they known to the Lord let euery one of vs striue to purge one euerie man trie himselfe and wash his hart from his wickednes and so shall we be all cleane let euery man aske for himselfe with the Disciples is it I Lord am I one of them that comes to betray thee to crucifie thee againe to tread the blood of the new Testament vnder my feete let vs neuer rest til we haue gotten the Lords certificate in our consciences and that after due triall of our selues wee come not as Hypocrites vnpenitent and vnbeleeuing Atheists but as diseased and poore sinners to seeke the Lord Iesus the Sauiour of the world for if wee doe so then shall we get that answere which the Angell gaue to the two Maries feare not ye because ye seeke Iesus who was crucified we shall eate at this Table and be satisfied shall goe away not without feare indeede but hauing our feare tempered with great
ioy because we found the Lord. And lastly let vs take heede that the Apostle commaundeth vs to trie our selues and not to trie other men It is a corrupt custome of men at those times of holy communion to sift the conuersation of their neighbours and brethren more narrowly then euer Laban searched the stuffe of Iacob to see if he could finde any thing wherewith to charge him and this they doe not of a heart to forgiue which were commendable but of purpose to seeke the vttermost recompence and satisfaction for smalest offences done against them and so where they should cast open the dore of their hearts to the King of glory and prepare in the desart a path for our God by making low that which is high within them making straight that which is rough by the contrarie they stoppe all the passages and wayes of God his accesse vnto them for now their affections are exalted so high by pride against God that they dispise the counsell of his word crooked were they before but more crooked now they liued without loue before and dissembled it but now are not ashamed when God calleth them to the table of loue plainely to professe with rough and sierce speeches the hatred of their hearts they put off that which the Apostle commaunds them to put on as the elect of God namely tender mercy humblenesse of minde meekenesse and long suffering they insist to search out the sins done against them by men and ouerpasse the sinnes by themselues done against God Louers of themselues more then louers of God I graunt indeed it is a poynt of Christian duty to admonish our brethren of their sinnes if it bee done in Loue for so vvee are commaunded Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy hart but shalt reproue him It is hatred and not Loue for the father to spare correction or the brother to spare admonition to his brother in his sins I confesse in like manner that he who hath offended is bound to reconcile himselfe vnto thee before hee offer his Sacrifice to the Lord but in case that hee neglect to doe it yet standest thou bound and obliged to forgiue him and to take heede that thou despise not so great a Saluation offered by the Lord because an other dischargeth not that brotherly duety which he ought vnto thee As another mans faith will not iustifie thee so another mans sinne will not condemne thee And therfore mourning for that which vvee cannot amend in others let vs chiefly attend to our selues as wee are here commanded CHAP. VIII The points of preparation are two First that wee lay aside our old sinnes Secondly that we put on the new Christian disposition consisting in three things First that towards God we be holy and heauenly minded Secondly that towards our neighbours wee bee louing Thirdly that wee be sober and little in our owne cies The comfortable fruit arising to vs at this holie Table BVt now leauing to speake any more of this tryall ingenerall we enter to speake of the particular points of this tryall The whole tryall and examination required in those who are to bee banquetters at this holy Table I reduce to these two the first is that wee try our selues vvhether or not with Ioshua vvee haue cast away our filthy garments that is if vvee haue cast off the old man vvhich is corrupt through deceiuable lusts And next if we haue put on our marriage garment that is put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse First of all therefore we must take paines to remoue the impediments that may hinder our Vnion with Christ that wee come not to this Table as Iudas dâ—…d with our old sinnes hauing that lodged in our hearts which wee dare not present vnto God for seeing no man will sit downe at the Table of his enimie what great presumption is it in vs to sit downe at the Lords Table as long as our sinne which is the cause of enmitie is not remoued There can bee no communion betweene light and darknesse Let vs therefore bee changed from that vvhich we are let vs cast away the works of darknesse and be renewed in the spirit of our minde if so bee we desire to be vnited with the Lord hee is the holy One of Israell God blessed for euer in vvhom there can be no shadow of alteration so that of necessitie the change must bee vpon our part It is written of the Lionesse that hauing had con mixtion with the Leopard shee washes her selfe in water before shee company againe with the Lyon that so hee should not by sent dâ—…scerne her adultery And Basile in his Hexameron writes that the Vipeâ—… a most pernicioâ—…s kind of Serpent before his copulation with that Sea-fish called Muâ—…aena doth fiâ—…st vomit and cast out his venemous poyson thus the Beasts in their kinde so farre as they can do reuerence one to another to teach man that hee is woâ—…se then a Beast indeede except hee cast off the filthy slâ—…e of his olde sinnes that hee may bee ioyned with the Lord for by nature wee arâ—… more adulterous then the Lyonesse for what is the vanitie after which vve haue not gone a whoring more venemous also we are then the Viper full of hatred malice enuy debate and therefore haue neede to vomit out our iniquities by repentance and to wash our selues in that fountain opened to the house of Dauid Before that Ester was presented to Ahasuerus shee was purified by the space of twelue monthes sixe moneths with oyle of myrrhe and sixe monthes with sweet odours shall such reuerence be done to mortall flesh whose carkasse was shortly to bee made a pray to the wormes and shall wee carry no reuerence to our immortall husband the Lord Iesus shall wee take no paines to purifie our heart that we may be presented as a chast spouse vnto him Let vs not deceiue our selues except we forsake our fathers house and our owne people that is except we be deuorced from our old sins wherein wee were borne and brought vp it is not possible that the king shall haue pleasure in our beautie Let vs call our deeds to examination before the tribunal of our conscience let vs cast out the Cananits and not pitty them that the peace of God may dwell with vs let vs deliuer Barrabas to be crucified that Christ Iesus may liue in vs why shall these Serpents I meane our crooked affections bee nourished any longer in our bosome which liue vpon our bloud and cannot liue except we die Oh that wee could make this day a day of new diuision betweene vs and our old sins Neither must wee heere thincke it enough to fight against our sinnes but we must euery one of our selues make a particular inquisition of these domestique sins and predominate euill affections that hath most of al oppressed vs for there
is none of vs all but wee haue in vs our owne Idol whereunto many times we do seruice to the great offence of God And albeit this narrow tryall of our sins shall discouer to vs a wonderfull discoâ—…dance betweene our nature and the most holy law of the Lord yet let vs not be discouraged considering that wee are best in the eyes of God when we are worst in our owne eyes and most acceptable to him when we are most displeased with our selues The Lord was mooued euen with Achab his temporall humiliation seest thou not said he to Eliah how Achab is humbled before mee because hee submitteth himselfe before mee I will not bring that euill which thou hast spoken in his daies and will not then the Lord much more bee mooued with the true humiliation of his owne Seruants No doubt if wee cast downe our selues before the Lord he shall lift vs vp if wee humble our selues he shall exalt vs. If we iudge our selues we shall not be iudged of the Lord for the Lord is neare to them that are contrite will saue such as are afflicted in spirit But if wee come before the Lord in the presumption of our minds and not touched with the sence of our sinnes then shall hee execute that fearefull threatning vpon vs I will enter into iudgement with thee because thou sayest I haue not sinned though thou wert high exalted like the Caedars of Lebanon and the Oakes of Bashan proud and hautie in thy conceit the Lord shall abase thee and bring thee low for hee is the Lord that resisteth the proud giueth grace to the humble The other poynt of our tryall and preparation stands in putting on that three-fold Christian disposition that towards our God wee bee holy and heauenly minded towards our neighbour louing righteous and mercifull and as concerning our selues that wee be sober and lowly for so the grace of God which hath appeared teacheth vs that we should deny vngodlinesse and wordly lusts and should liue godly righteously and soberly in this present world This is our wedding garment euen that pure fine and shining linnen which is the righteousnesse of the Saints A Garment not partie coloured like Iosephs but compact of many vertues graces of Christ Iesus These be his badges and Cognisances whereby vvee are knowne to bee his the putting on of these is the putting on of Christ for his grace translateth vs out of nature and transformeth vs into his image by his owne spirit And first as concerning our disposition towards God it should not onely be holy as I haue said but also heauenly for since wee call him our Father which is in heauen vvee must see vvhat heauenly disposition vve haue to goe after him and whether wee be weary of our absence from the Lord like Dauid weary of his dwelling in the Tents of Keder and desire with the Apostle to remoue out of the body that wee may dwell with the Lord for here is not the place of our rest The best of our life vpon earth except it be the little tast of that hid Manna wherewith the Lord now and then comforteth our soules in this barren Wildernesse it is but like the life of that forlorne Sonne who hauing banished himselfe from his fathers house vvas driuen to fill his belly vvith the huskes that was giuen to the Swine oftentimes could not get them Wee haue experience enough of the vanitie of worldly comforts wherein there is no contentment would to God vvee could also learne with that prodigall Son to be think our selues and conclude to make home againe to our fathers house in whose face is the fulnesse of ioy surely the least of them that dwell in our Fathers house haue bread enough they are filled with the fatnesse of his house and receiue drinck out of the riuers of his pleasures what pleasure then should it be to vs to liue here in this strange Land where our soules are almost dead for hunger There is no greater thankfulnesse that man can shew to the Lord then to declare in his affection that he cannot liue vvithout the Lord nor rest content so long as hee is absent from him The Lord in the vvorke of creation neuer rested till hee had made man and man can doe no lesle of duty then passing by all Gods Creatures to resolue with himselfe I vvill neuer rest till I enioy the Lord. The Soule of man should bee like that Doue of Noah vvhich being sent forth from the arke found no rest to the sole of her foot vntill she returned againe to him that sent her and indeed without the Lord where can wee rest Goe thy way with Salomon and proue all the goodnesse of the children of men which they inioy vnder the Sunne thou shalt finde it is but vanitie and vexation of Spirit whatsoeuer man cleaâ—…eth to beside Iehouah the true subsisting Lord it is but a lying vanitie which hath not in it that substance and certaintie which man imagineth yea man without God in his best estate is altogether vanitie and his wisest actions are but a disquieting of himselfe in vaine It is a godly saving of Augustine which the word of God and experience taught him Fâ—…isli nos Domine ad tâ—… semper inquietum est cor nostrum donâ—… requiâ—…at in te thou madest vs O Lord vnto thy selfe and our heart is euer vnquiet till it rest in thee The wicked vvho are strangers from the wombe pretend in their countenance vvhat they will yet euen in laughter their heart is sad for there is no ioy nor peace to the wicked saith my God their heart is moued as the Trees of tâ—…e Forrest shaken with the Winde As the point of the Marriners compasse so long as it is not direct to the North trembles continually so the spirit of the wicked not set vpon the Lord is neuer quiet but tossed too and fro with restlesse perturbations which in a part presently he feeles but shall better perceiue it when he goeth out of the body For tribulation and anguish shal be on the soule of euery man that doth wickedly this is the portion of them that forsake God and wander after vanitie It is good therefore for vs to draw neere vnto God saying with Dauid whom haue I in the heauen but thee and I haue desired none in the earth with the. The Lord worke this heauenly disposition in vs. And now to helpe forward ouâ—… earthly minds vnto it we haue to consider both the time space when and where our Sauiour did institute this sacrament The place is recorded by Saint Luke to haue beene an vpper Parlour the consideration of the place saith Nazianzin doth some way warne vs that wee should celebrate this holy sacrament with high heauenly affections When God gaue the law hee came downe from heauen to the top
of Sinai and Moses went vp from the plaine to it and so saieth he had familiar conuersatiō with the Lord and heere as the Lord commeth down as low as he can in this Sacrament for our capacitie it becōmeth vs to mount vp as high as pos◅ible we can in our affections if so be wee be desirous to meete the Lord otherwise if the Lord shall abide in his glorie and inaccessible light and if man shall lye still in the darke dungeon of this base and earthly minde what familiar meeting can there be betweenne God and man And as to the time Saint Iohn witn◅sseth that our Sauiour ordeined this sacrament when he was to goe out of the world to his father wherin said Augustine Spes membris in Capite data quod essent in illo transeunte sine dubio sequutura Yea not onelie should it nourish our hope that where hee is there once we shall be but should waken our affection and desire to goe after him we should eate and drinke at this holy table not as if we were here to remayne but should celebrate this supper like a passeouer standing as pilgrimes and our loynes gi◅ded vp hauing our staues in our hands readie to follow our Lord who is gone into heauen before vs and euerie day of our communion should bee a new departing of our hearts out of this world vnto our heauenly Father yea wee should receiue this meate from the Lord with that wa◅ning which the Angel gaue to Eliah in the wildernesse vp and ◅ate for thou hast yet a great iourney to goe This bread is giuen vs that in the strength thereof wee may walk forward the way which is before vs not that wee should lie downe and rest vs in this vvildernesse as if we had now attained to the end of our iourney The Angell wakened Eliah twice sleeping vnder the Iuniper twice he touched him and twice he bad him vp eate and walke at length hee rose and vvalked in the strength of that bread forty dayes But alas our securitie is greater then his many a time hath the Lord warned vs of the iourney that is before vs many a time hath hee proposed heauenly food vnto vs and now against this day the Lord reneweth his mercy towards vs. The Lord vvaken vs and graunt at the length that wee may rise and walke following the Lord till we appeare before the face of our God in Sion But of all other meanes the most forcible to rauish our hearts after the Lord is a deepe meditation of the loue of God towards vs. The Apostle protesteth it is a loue that passeth knowledge the height breadth the length and depth vvhereof none is able to comprehend he that at one time cryed out Come and I will tell you what God hath done to my soule is compelled another time to confesse O Lord my God thou hast made thy wonderfull works so many that none can count in order to thee the thoughts towards vs I would declare and speake of them but they are more then I am able to expresse And yet although vvee bee lesse able then the Elephant at one draught to drink vp the Riuer of Iordaine let vs bee content with the wearyed Passenger willingly to take in so much as may refresh vs we cannot measure the waters of the Sea in our fist nor number the stars of heauen and how then shall vvee number his mercyes which are aboue all his workes shall vvee therefore not looke to them nor behold that glory of God which shineth in them Though we cannot comprehend his incomprehensible loue yea blessed are wee if it shall comprehend vs let vs notwithstanding earnestly and feruently meditate vpon it not by starts and vanishing motions for as a Candle doth not at the first receiue light from the fire were it neuer so blowne but if for a time it bee holden constantly to the fire it is at the length enlightened so it is not vanishing meditations that will warme our harts vvith the Loue of God but if wee shall continue without wearying to exercise our thoughts vpon this great loue that the Lord hath borne towards vs it shall happely fall out at length that the powers of our Soule shall bee inflamed with his loue and vve shall find the sauour of death in euery thing that smelleth not of his loue No greater Loue then this sayeth our Sauiour can bee shewed among men then that a man should bestow his life for his friends but that which man is not able to shew our Lord Iesus God and man hath shewed to his children his good will for the Loue hee bore to vs hee gaue himselfe in a sacrifice for our sinnes on the Crosse euen when wee vvere his enimies and hath here in this Sacrament giuen himselfe a food and nourishment vnto vs for so that disciple beloued of him doth testifie When Iesus knew that his houre was come that hee should goe out of the world vnto his Father forasmuch as hee loued his owne vnto the end hee loued them therefore did hee institute this Sacrament that therein he might communicate himselfe to them O wonderfull loue stronger then the loue of Ionathan to Dauid When Ionathan and Dauid were forced to part company because of Sauls Tyranny Ionathan gaue Dauid his Garment his Girdle and his Armour he had no better and could giue no better and so with many teares and mutuall imbracings departed from him but our blessed Sauiour before hee remoued his corporall presence from vs gaue his life to redeeme our life from the death hee sent out bloudie sweat aboundantly as the witnesses of his burning loue towards vs hee powred out an euerlasting prayer to his father for vs he hath left behinde him in his last will his peace for our portion hee hath giuen vs his spirit for a Comforter his Word for a warner and this Sacrament for a spirituall foode vntill his second comming againe No meruaile his spouse in the Canticles praised his loue to be far aboue the loue of women for though in some of them the naturall strength of affection bee so great that it makes them indure the painefull bearing and bringing vp of their children with the milke of their breasts yet what is that comparable to this nothing indeede Such a Loue as here our Sauiour hath discouered towards vs is not to bee found againe in the world for whereas mothers saith Chrisostome eyther commit their Children to Nurses or else brings them vp vpon the milke of their owne breasts Iesus Christ feeds vs not with the milke of another but with his owne flesh and his owne bloud Necessitie sometime hath compelled the Mother to eate her owne Children but we neuer read that compassion hath moued the mother to giue her owne flesh to preserue her Children that they should not dye in famine But our Lord Iesus is that
kinde Pelican that sendeth out his owne bloud to nourish his young and all this hath our Lord Iesus done not grudgingly but willingly prouoked hereunto by that feruent Loue hee bare to the glory of God his father and to our saluation Which shall yet appeare more euidently out of his owne comfortable saying to his Disciples I haue greatly desired to eate this Passeouer with you O word full of consolation sundry Passeouers had hee eaten before with them but hee protesteth this was his desired Passeouer See yee not here his vnquenchable Loue hee knew it was the last hee was to eate vpon the earth he knew he was to drink no more with them of the fruit of the Vine till it was fulfilled in his Fathers kingdome hee knew that the same night they would â—…ay him and that after Supper a bitter Cup of Passion was abiding for him yet his loue ouercame all these impediments and made him thinke long to eate of this Passeouer And which is much more before euer hee gaue himselfe to bee crucified for vs on the Crosse hee prouided this Sacrament as a meanes of the communication of himselfe vnto vs thereby assuring vs that his subsequent passion should not defraude vs but rather affoord vnto vs and make ready for vs that righteousnesse and life by Christ purchased on the Crosse and communicate in his holy Table to them who are his In the one hee was prepared and made ready as the onely foode of our soules to eternall life in the other hee is applyed Communicated and giuen vnto vs both of these necessarily behooued to bee done for the work of our Saluation Sicut enim ad potandum vinum venire nemo potest nisi botrus calcetur ante prematur sic nos sanguinem Christi bibere non potuimus nisi Christus prius fuisset calcatus pressus It was a great Loue which made our Sauiour content that his bloud should be shed out on the Crosse and so should bee made both a ransome and a conuenient foode for vs for the father sent him Quasi saccum plenum misericordia in passione conscindendum vt effundatur quod in eo latet pretium nostrum So is this also a new declaration of his loue that before his body was broken and his blood was shed hee first ordeyned the meanes whereby it should be communicated vnto vs. These and many more spirituall meditations should bee vnto vs as the breathings of the mouth of God to kindle in our soules that little sparke of the loue of God which alas for fault of entertainement is almost ouer gone and extinguished with the ashes of our corruption for seeing our Sauiour longed to eate with vs shall not we long to eate with him he greatly desired to giue himself to vs in this table and for vs on the crosse shall not we earnestly desire to receiue him hee knew it was the last he should eat vpon earth that after it heauy sufferings abode him wee know that our banqueting here is the banquet that shall be accomplished in heauen it is begun here it shall not end here Comfortable is that word of our Sauiour it shall be fulfilled in my kingdome and will not we then ioyfully begin this banquet shall we be so foolish as to wait vpon lying vanities and forsake our owne mercies shall we turne our back vpon the fountaine of liuing waters and digge to our selues Cisterns that can hold no water certainely our darknesse is grosser then the darknesse of Egipt and our hearts harder then the Adamant except this burning loue of the Lord Iesus rauish vpward our hearts after him The spouse in the Canticles professeth she was sicke of the loue of her glorious husband the Lord Iesus but alas wee are not touched with the like loue wee feele not the smell of his oyntments therefore with the rest of the Virgins we runne not after him Eliah touched Elisha with his Mantle and therwithall the Lord ioyned his inward calling and suddenly Elisha left his plough of Oxen and of a husbandman became Prophet Now the Lord cals vpon vs by his word and Sacrament let vs also pray that the Lord would shed abroad in our harts by his holy spirit the sence of that loue of God then should wee neglecting all things runne after the Lord seeking onely to inioy him The men of this world maruell to beehold the suddaine change of life which is made in the children of God by his effectuall calling they maruell to see them running so feruently after Christ seeking him by continuance in prayer by hearing of his word by participation of his Sacrament and that with such an insatiable desire that in this life they can neuer be satisfied with hearing reading praying and communicating but if the Lord should in like manner touch their harts and let them feele the power of an inward calling then would they marueile no more farre lesse disdaine yea they would make hast and ioyne themselues to the company of the godly And Saul also should become amongst the Prophets The woman who had liued before a licentious life would now change it with Mary Magdalene shee had beene a great sinner in the Cittie but became an example of Repentance to all the sinners in the Cittie shee prostrates no more her body to her carnall Louers but falles downe at the feete of Christ to craue his mercy in stead of her wanton lookes her eyes poure out teares and her beautifull hayre which before shee set out as a proclaimer of her Lust now shee pulleth downe to wash the feete of Christ. Thus all the former meanes of her sin shee maketh new witnesses of her repentance the man in like manner who had sate all his dayes with Mathew at the receipt of Custome that is who had liued in the sinfull trade of vnlawfull gaine would now in like manner forsake it but where the Lord by effectuall calling workes not in the heart an earnest loue of God no meruaile they lye still in the graue of their sins and rise not to walke after the Lord. We are therfore so much the more to vse all the ordinary means which may entertaine in vs that little sparke of the Loue of God till it grow vp vnto a great flame for the farther vnion and coniunction of our Soules with Iesus Christ and this for our disposition towards God As concerning our Christian disposition to our neighbour it is vsuall to the spirit of God to comprise it vnder Loue. Our Sauiour saith that loue is the Cognisance of his Disciples and the Apostle calleth it the band of perfection and fulfilling of the Law and no meruaile for Loue speaketh with the tongue of euery Vertue All the sundry precepts wee are commaunded to doe vnto our neighbour are summarily comprehended vnder this one Loue one another As this Sacrament sealeth vp the Communion of the
members with the head so it seales vp the communion of the members among themselues for this bread whereof we eate is of many graines of wheate made vp into one bread and the wine is the iuyce of many berryes collected and vnited into one to teach vs that all the Communicants at this holy Table how many soeuer they bee ought to agree together in one like members of one body as hauing one Father one Faith one Baptisme one Inheritance as Brethren quickned all by one and the selfe same spirit which is not to bee found againe in all the world except in this excellent brother-hood as wee cannot bee ioyned to the head without faith so can wee not bee knit to the members without Loue. Stones and timber cannot make vp a building till they be ioyned and sundry peeces of mettall cannot bee melted in one work without fire no more can Christians be vnited in one mysticall body without Loue and therefore our Sauiour at the celebration of this Sacrament recommended Loue to his Disciples by a new Commaundement which hee so called because it should neuer waxe olde yea so much doth he account of it that he will accept no seruice wee owe to himselfe without that duty of loue we owe to our brethren If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue thy offering goe thy way and first be reconciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift Of this it is euident that without Loue to our brethren we can doe no acceptable seruice to the Lord. In this therefore let vs trie and examine our selues what compassion finde we in our hearts toward our brethren what willingnesse to doe them the good wee can what loue to beare one anothers burthen what readinesse to forgiue when we are offended what humblenesse of minde to aske them forgiuenesse against whom wee haue sinned practising these precepts While yee haue time doe good to all men And againe forbeare one another forgiue one another euen as God for Christs sake forgaue you The Maiestie of God suppose first offended did first seeke man to bee reconciled with him and shall man that hath offended thinke euill to seeke his Brother to bee reconciled with him but alas are these fruites of Godlinesse now to bee found amongst men if thou seeke them thou shalt finde them as the Sommer gatherings or as the grapes of a Uintage cut downe though thy soule desire to eate the fruite thereof thou shalt not finde it for the good man is perished out of the earth such as are Christians by name they liue like Iewes and the Samaritans of whom it is written that they might not conuerse together to forbeare and forgiue one another to them are precepts of an vncouth language which they vnderstand not as a sparkle of fire easily kindles a heape of powder so a small offence remoueth all their affections they are not slow vnto wrath like the Lord and far lesse like him in readinesse to forgiue As men saith Lactantius are mortall so should their anger bee mortall our Sauiour saith the Sunne should not goe downe vpon our wrath the Apostle commaunds vs to bee Children concerning anger and maliciousnesse who as they doe not deepely coâ—…eiue it so they do not long retaine it but are shorly familiar with them with whom they were a little before offended but as it vvas doubted of Sylla Sylla ne prior an Sylla iracundia sit extincta so is it out of all doubt that in many vipers of this age anger dieth not till they die themselues And as for doing of good to their neighbors and brethren they liue in the world like monsters or like those Gyants The sonnes of Anack they alone will be Lords of the earth as if the world were made for them onely or they at the least were borne for themselues Churlish like Nabal shall I take said hee my bread and my flesh and giue vnto Dauid all that they haue they account so to be theirs as if they had not receiued it or were not the Lords stewards bound to distribute to the necessities of his Saints the rich gluttons they vse it as a morsell for their owne mouth Now my soule thou hast enough for many dayes let Lazarus finde as he may they thinke with Cain they are no keepers of their Brethren That which dieth let it die These and many moe are the common and seene corruptions of this age wherein we are to examine our selues how farre the renewing grace of the Lord hath made vs to depart from them and what holy loue we haue put on For hee that loueth not knoweth not God because God is loue and he that loueth not his Brother whom he hath seene how can hee loue God whom he hath not seene hereby wee know that wee are translated from death to life because wee loue the Brethren And thus much vve are content to haue touched of our disposition toward our neighbour Now last of all concerning our disposition in our selues let vs bee sober esteeming basely of our selues highly of the Lords mercie hungring and thirsting for his saluation and in verie deed the more we shall consider how God hath magnified his holy name by his meruailous mercies towards vs the more shall wee bee compelled to cast downe our selues before him in all humilitie and submission of our spirits When Dauid promised to Mephiboseth that hee would shew him kindnesse for Ionathan his fathers sake Mephiboseth humbled himselfe to the ground and saide what is thy seruant that thou shouldest looke to such a dog as I am but here the Lord our God not onely promiseth vnto vs kindnesse for his Sonne Christ Iesus sake but presently performes it and inuesteth vs againe vvith our Fathers inheritance which vve forfaited in Adam and where we vvere of our owne nature but deade dogs vncleane creatures dead in sinne and trespasses Now behold what loue the Father hath shewen vs Hee hath made vs partakers of this heauenly vocation as to be hiâ—… sonnes and his heires and shall not wee then in our very hearts bee humbled before him acknowledge our great vnworthinesse and his excellent mercies Let vs confesse vvith Godly Iacob I am not worthy O Lord of the least of all thy mercies and let euery one of vs say with the Centurion I am not worthy Lord that thou shouldest enter vvithin my roofe Let vs vvith the vvoman of Canaan acknowledge our owne roome if the Lord should giue vs but the benefit of vvhelps dogs that is should suffer vs to goe vnder our maisters Table and eate of the crummes that fall from it yet were it more then any way we haue deserued and how then are we bound to haue our hearts and our mouthes filled continually with the praises of our God who hath bestowed vpon vs his greatest mercies when we
Mat. 5. 2 Chris. in Gen. 32. How as maÌ„ Christ appeared to the Fathers before his incarnation Gal. Difference betweene Christs apparition and his manifestatioÌ„ after in the flesh Christs loue is seene in his familiar apparition to the fathers before the Law But more aboundant ly hath he shewed his loue to vs in this last age Iraen contra Val lib. 3 cap. 28. Bern. Sâ—…r 2. de aduen dom Iraen contra â—…al lib. 3 cap. 31. Tertullide carne Christi Phil. 2. 7. Bern. de aduentu Dom. Serm. 1. Man lost himselfe aspiring to be like vnto God Christ hath saued Man by humbling himselfe to become like man Cypr. de Idol van Cipr. de Eleemos Esay 53. 5. Ephes. How is it that weake men in wrestling should bee partie to the mighty God Psal. 18. Iob. 12. Iob. 26. Esay 50. Iob. 38. Iob. 41. 1 Sam. 6. Because God vttereth not his power and houlds vp man by secret grace Chrisost. in Ge 32 Otherwise Man could not stand before him 1 Cor. 10. 13 Psalm 50. In wrestlings spirituall God is both our assaulter and vpholdâ—…r Cyp. lib. 2 epist. Psal. 94. 17 Psal. 66. 9. Hose 6. Psal. The Lord will not giue his children immunitie from troubles Iam. 1. 12. Spirituall wrestling a witnesse of gods familiar presence with vs. 2 Cor. Prouer. 1 The. 5. 3 The wicked being dead captiues cannot fight 2 Tim. 〈◊〉 I. Rom. Wrestling a sure token of spirituall life Tim. In all our afflictions we should goe by the instrument and looke to God as our party Iob. Our impatience proceedes of this that vve looke to the instrument more then to God Mat. 6 August hom 14. Dan. Sam. Ruth Tertul. lib. de patien Ier. 12. 5. Rom. 8. Hos. 12. 4. Sore wrest lings when God at one time humbles his children both in body and minde Prou. Ps. 109. 22 Psa. 143. 4 Iob. 10. 17 Iob. 9. 8. 2 Cor. 7. 5 1 Cor. 10. A rare tentation wheÌ„ Gods working seems to fight with his word and promise 1 By Iacob 2 By Abraham 3 By Iacob 4 By the woman of Canaan Ps. 119. 75 verse 89. â—…sa 38. 15. Pst 119. 18 Psa. 89. 33 4 The fourth circuÌ„stance how long endureth the wrestling 1 Chro. 10 13. Our afflictions are measured in quantitie qualitie and time Psal. This shuld teach vs patience in trouble for there is no deliuerance till God giue it How foolish are the wicked who seeke deliueraÌ„ce by other meanes Ier. 28. 13. We should pray to the Lord in trouble but not preuent him Psa. 16. 20 Psal. 27. 5. 5 The fift circumstance the euent of the wrestling Esay 40. In our spirituall battels we get no victorie without a wound Second part of the Historie containing the conference beetweene Iacob and the Angel Threatninges of spirituall 〈◊〉 are prouocations of the Godly to drawe neere vnto the Lord. Luke 24. 20. The Lord will haue vs to pray for these same blessings that he hath concluded to giue The Lords presence is not ioyned without intermission in this life Two sorts of the Lord his presence one secret which we want neuer another felt which allwaies wee enioy not Esay 43. 3. This felt presence before trouble is as a preparatiue Psal. 27. 1. And after trouble it is to Gods children a restoratiue Mat. 27. 4. Psa. 104. 2 It is granted for our coÌ„solation and taken away for our humiliation Bernard Spirituall desertions are prouocations of vs to follow the Lord. Lam. 1. 14. There is a striuing with God acceptable to him namely when wee will take no refusall of that that God hath promised Nothing in the world so strong as the prayer of the godly for they are the bands vvhereby the Lord is holden detained Iam. Rom. 8. Bern in fest Pent. Serm. 1. Psal. Pro. 10. 24 A warning for attention in prayer Chrisost. de Canan homi 15. We should not despâ—…e our ovvne prayers they being povvred out vvithout presumption and why Macar hom 31. Cyp. lib. 1 epist. 1. A commendation of prayer Iacobs feruency and zeale in praier convinces our inconsideration and coldnesse Hovv may vve knovv vvhen God blesseth vs in praying to him The quick nes of faith Bern. in Epiphan serm 1. Faith in wrath can see mercy Faith offends not at the base forme and shape in which Iesus Christ appeared but throgh it sees him to be the king of glory Ber ser. 4. in vigilâ—… Dom. Mat. 2. 11. Mich. August serm 20. Hos. 5. Psal. 4. How foolish they are who in prayer seek other things before they seek the Lord. Bernard August serm 4. The onely way to get other things is first of all to seeke the Lord. Ier. 38. Faith a rare â—…ewell and why Cyril catech 17 A new name is giuen to Iacob Iacob had two names and they both are from wrest ling. With the new name God also giueth him new grace Ber. hom 4. super missâ—…s est Hos. By this rule we should try if the new christian name be pertenent to vs or no. Ioh. It is horrible sacrilegde to sin vnder the christian name Miserable are the wicked for they desire that which they shall neuer obtaine The wicked haue receiued their consolation on earth Ionas Psalme No immunitie from affliction promised vnto vs. Many not coÌ„sidering this become apostates in the time of trouble Carol. Sigon de repub haeb This made the Iewes stumble at Christ because they looked or a temporal kingdome Luk. 4. 18. 2 Pâ—… 2. 20 Tim. Heb. 11. Pro. 19. 12 Esay Eus. lib. 4 cap. 16. They feare not much the wrath of man who haue been humbled with the sense of the wrath of God Rom. Especially not to search out the diuine majestie farther theÌ„ it is reueaâ—… led to vs in the word Prou. Basil. de martyre Maman Iud. 2 Points of necessary knowledge Yet neglected by Adams sins who desired rather to eate of the tree of knowledge then of the tree of life Dent. This curiositie bridled and reproued Rom. Ciril Catechi 6. Aug. de vnit at Eccl. cap. 19. Bernard Act. 1. And this is a happy exchange wherevnto we should 〈◊〉 agree Bodily sicknesse hath chased many to their soules health Riches refused to some of Gods children for their greater good Cyp lib. 2 Epist. 2. Bâ—…r super Mat. 19. Ecce nos reliquimus omnia Such thaÌ„kfulnes becomes the children of God Psal. Pro. The great vnthankfulnessâ—… oâ—… the 〈◊〉 Hos. 6. Chris. de Sacerd. lib. 4. How it is that the sight of God terrifies man seeing he is the God of comfort Psal. 104. 29. The cause of this is not in the Lord but in our sins Exod. Esay 6. Sin therefore is to be remoued if we would see the Lord with ioy 1 Ioh. 3. Heb. 12. In what sense saith Iacob hee saw the face of God Neuer any man on the earth saw the Lord as he is Neither shall wee see the Lord in the heauen as he is and why 1 It shall be a