Lights in the world I shall not stand to put honor upon the Saints to honor the world Let this world only take notice from a little That the same is obliged in point of credit to wish well to the godly and if their prayers were profitable they have reason to pour them out upon their necessity seeing they are their Ornament in respect of God they should befriend them upon that account But all this is in vain to the wicked Preocaupation they have other thoughts of the godly The wicked doe lowly esteem of the godly they put a lower esteem upon them and upon what is theirs their Persons Principles and Practice are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvith them they esteem not them vvorth their society much less of assistance but least of all to be named in the day of eminency and ornament amongst them they scorn to hold any communion of reputation or honour with them and therefore to perswade such a party were to beat the Air or arenam arare there is no speaking of a correspondence betwixt God and Belial in any season either of prosperity or adversity Let us therefore turn from them who are more apt to adde affliction to the afflicted Apostroph or a word to the godly then to sweeten the Saints condition and to prevent their distraction in the evil day I shall humbly beseech the godly therefore Exhortation who are of the same interest and unity with their brethren that for Zions sake they would wrestle with their God Let the lives of the Saints be as precious to them as to the Lord who bought them Let us call strongly for the people of the Lord and the Ark of his strength the Gospel and its inlargements Let there be nothing so near our hearts Blood of Saints of the greatest price A dear commodity as the blood of Saints which is a thing of the greatest price in heaven or earth Let the honor of the Lords people and their continued safety be a great inlargement of our happiness that it may not be spoken in Gath or published in the streets of Askelon that the Lords Worthies and the work in their hand should not onely be worsted but shamefully derided by the enemies of the Lord and his people but that the Lord would do his great Work that all the world may know there is a God who ruleth in Jacob and a King in Israel and that it may be set home upon the spirit of the Adversaries that their God is not like ours even themselves being judges Secondly It is a sadness to the Saints to have their party reproached let it be presented to God the condition of our National Sadness if it should go hard with the godly in this dangerous ingagement if the godly be the Nations glory what an eclipse of that honour should overshadow the surface of the City of God How would the enemies of God blaspheme and they of no Religion cloud it with their Calumnies The wickeds railings telling us with more then impudent arrogance That our interest in heaven is but ordinary or none at all seeing the Saints have shared with the common hardship of the wicked Let us deal earnestly with our God in behalf of the Ornament of the Nation to which we belong seeing it is laid in the prosperity of the faithful of the land that chosen Generation whose safety is the Nations honour and their own happiness Let this be presented to God that we may receive a comfortable answer in behalf of our Brethren It seems they stand or fall not to themselves but to all of their Brethren and Compatriots Remember the godly are the nations glory They are their Ornament and to lose this with an enemy is a double affront First it is to yield to an enemy which we would not part with to our dearest friends Secondly it is to make our selves a scorn to them who thirst our disgrace I shall proceed no farther in this onely leave you to be thinking of this Argument to act your Spirits to a farther ingagement with God for his comfortable Correspondence with those qualified persons in my Text those true and upright in heart whose spirit with all its accomplishments is more the Lords then their own Let those precious ones be obliged to your prayers for their security and the Nation to them and their interest for its remarkable eminency for they are the Nations Ornament Secondly they are not onely the Nations Glory but the Pledges of its peace and security It should go hard with the wicked if they had no favour for the godly they should not onely fall short of mercy but of all opportunities of Repentance It is remarkable in the History of the Deluge Noahs preaching and preparing of the Ark deferred the flood That all the time Noah was building the Ark he was warning the world of their danger But whilst he is preparing this great Vessel the world was in no fear of drowning Noah and his Family must be shipt before the world be destroyed he must be shut in the Ark before the waters break out upon the earth when he is removed the world is ruined It feems all the Inhabitants of the earth are undone when Noah is gone God promised to Abraham to save five Cities for ten righteous persons God will have the wicked beholding to the Saint God is graciously pleased to have the world beholding to the godly upon a religious account that they may be perswaded that Piety is of great price with God and of singular efficacy in the Saints to befriend themselves and others Paul had the lives of all them who are shipt with him presented to him for salvation that all might take notice of Paul to be the Lords favourite and an eminent Courtier in Heaven although now Nero's Prisoner upon earth Many times Note the godly are much mistaken by their Brethren Saints mistaken and it is no wonder for Satan their great Adversary The wicked reproach the godly to deform them hath not onely a minde to malign them but a black Art to disguise them under several shapes He is not onely a dexterous deceiver in himself but a malicious traducer in the person of others Let this give a running Caveat to Saints A Caveat to the godly not onely to consider the subtile cruelty of Satan but the sacred integrity of their fellow servants although strangers with a great deal of Christian candor and tenderness of spirit But if the safety of the Nation lean so much upon the Saints I truly think we need no other argument to befriend them but the assurance of our own in their happiness and safety There is an observation of the Spirit Esa 57.1 that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come as if God when he hath designed to make war upon a Nation he removes his hostages of peace
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A STAY in TROUBLE OR THE SAINTS REST IN THE EVIL DAY Exactly discovered from their Cordial dependance upon God and comfortable assistance by him Shortly digested as the SAINTS MANUAL In the worst of Times The FIRST PART By Alexander Pringle a worthless Servant to Christ in the work of his Gospel Thou hast known my soul in adversities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 31.8 The Lord was my stay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 18.19 I said thou art my God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 31.14 London Printed by Anne Maxey for William Weekly at Ipswich and are to be sold by John Rothwel at the Fountain in Goldsmiths-Row in Cheap-side 1657. To the most accomplished READER WOrthy Friend if such thy Personall Character will easily discover the Mystery of this Manual Seeing the wise Mans eyes are in his head Eccles 2.14 and the spiritual Man discerns all things 1 Cor. 2.15 Piety and Prudence as they are of a sacred Extraction so they are of a searching Discretion I confess here is multum not multa My Genius being accustomed to speak rather much in a few then little in many words Thou hast objected to thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stay in trouble together with the sacred Sympathie of the Saints Vnsealed in that Estate If there be any thing seeming amiss in the Draught of this Emblem look again There may be a dimness in the Optick as a blemish in the Object The Eye and Color being often guilty of their active and passive distempers Let me only tell thee seeing Wisdom is justified of her Children The truth of this Compendious Tractate is more then ordinary careless of the trivial Censures of many But if any hath a Cordial appetite to peruse it I shall intreat them to befriend it with a few of the choicest acts of their Intellect otherwise they may beat the Bush but never catch the Bird. It shall facilitate somewhat the Exercise of their Fancy to keep close to the Subject charging nothing more of a second Notion upon it then what the Being of the first will bear Otherwise if they trouble themselves with an over-sensing Non-sense they may build Castles in the Air but no way reaching the minde of the Author I have Candidly contrived a short System of sound words for the ease of Troubled Spirits if the gracious Sollidity of such sweetning Materials can settle their Condition he hath his end who zealously studieth their Spiritual Establishment in Truth and Peace As Christs meanest Servant in the Ministry of the Gospel ALEX. PRINGLE From my Study in Harwich Jan. 1. 1656. READER BE pleased take notice that the Escapes of the Press are neither the Mind of the Author nor the Design of the Printer and therefore let it be thy Civility to both to excuse the absence of the one and correct the unwilling Errata of the other Errata in the first Part. Page 7. line 11. read as p. 6. l. 1. r. Signing p. 7. l. 1. r. as p. 9. l. 20. r. say p. 36. l. 1. r. but by him p. 39. l. 11. r. tedious Errata in the second Part. Page 5 line 13. r. viris p. 9. l. 21. r. affectu p. 10. l. 19. r. serie p. 17. l. 13. r. Indemnity p. 28. l. 15. r. Gallios p. 38. l. 3. r. affectus p. 39. l. 11. r. a me p. 47. l. 9. r. it p. 4◠l. 22. r. holy p. 62. l. 7. r. manu Imprimatur March 7. 1656. EDM. CALAMY 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A STAY in TROUBLE OR THE SAINTS REST In the Evil Day Psal 63.8 My Soul cleaveth to thee Thy right hand upholdeth me Introduction IN the Composure and subject matter of this Psalm Hic Psalmus est exgenere mixtorum Pareus ad loc we have a true account of the exercise of Davids Spirit whilest he was in the Wilderness of Ziph 1 Sam. 23.14 Psal 57.2 3. It seems that place to him whatever it was in it self was a solitude of Prayer and Meditation Gracious Spirits can make the best of the baddest places Animadversion Isai 26.3 Act. 5.41 2 Cor. 6.10 fair weather in the foulest storms they can turn raging troubles into Religious tryals and a barren Wilderness in a Sanctuary of worship Psal 57.7 8 9 10. Psal 42.5 Psalm 73.28 Isai 40.29 31. It was Davids cross to suffer but his comfort and Crown to serve God in that estate He had a malicious Saul for his implacable enemy 1 Sam. 24.15 1 Sam. 26.1 Psal 52.8 9. but a merciful God for his intimate Friend he will not gratifie the one to dishonor the other he will glorifie God wheresoever he sojourn let the Devil and Saul do what they can Psal 54.6 Psal 57.2 they may banish him from the Tabernacle and force him to the Wilderness 1 Sam. 26 19 20. Psal 56.2 3 4 5. but not from Gods worship they may afflict his body but they are not able to pervert his Spirit Rom. 8.35 36 37. Psalm 56.11 12 13. For saith he My soul cleaveth to the Lord his right hand upholdeth me In which words we have two things materially considerable of Davids Spirit as it is now engaged in this disconsolate condition First Its dependance upon God The Text divided My soul cleaveth unto thee Secondly Its assistance by God His right hand upholdeth me In both which parts Note Saints spiritual communion in trouble with God we may discern what a comfortable correspondence is kept betwixt the Lord and David in this sad time his heart cleaves to God and the Lords hand upholds him we shall consider his words The Text opened 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My soul my whole Spirit my life Plura autem hoc vocabulo fignificantur 1. Spiritus 2. Vita 3. Anima rationalis 4 Homo corpore anima compositus 5 Per synecdochen personam fignificat Saints careful of their spirits in trouble Psal 56.3 Psal 7.2 3. Amos. 6.8 Gen. 17.21 Lev. 19.28 the whole man as the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 originally import Gen. 17.14 Doubtless David had nothing but what he had cast upon God in the case wherein he was but especially his person which was more precious to him then all his other enjoyments and it is the Saints custom to speak by their Spirits all things else that being their unum their onely thing precious if this be well placed all things else are well preserved So David speaketh nothing here but his heart and its establishment upon God Heb. Non simpliciter adherere significat sed amantem conjugali affectu quare Rabbi David in radicibus per associari ex ponit My soul cleaveth to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adhaesit adherescit anima mea post te My soul cleaves after thee as do things which hang by another the root is of so great frequency in Scripture as of inquiry amongst Criticks it importeth here the posture of
of those prementioned grounds in their order First First Argument Saints accomplishment Described what it is Of the Saints accomplishment from their dependance upon God in trouble The Saints accomplishment is their gracious qualification becoming their Interest adding nothing to their Essence but to their Ornament Phil. 4.13 putting a fitness upon them to serve God in that condition Note The decency of the Saints accomplishment in adversity Psal 97.8.10 11. That this accomplishment is very suitable to the Saints and ariseth to them in trouble from their dependance upon God is easie to finde out if we seriously consider the Particulars following First The grounds of accomplishment in trouble Troubles are the Saints tryals and there is nothing more becoming them in that estate then to act like themselves Psal 13.1.2 3. that by their carriage they may confute their calamity 1 Pet. 2.12 2. Ground and the abetters of it Secondly There is a dextrous activity necessary in trouble which at other times is uselesse The Mariner in a Tempest must stand to his Tackling when in a calm he may sleep Thirdly Ground 3 It is one of the truest Characters of worth to manage every condition with advantage not that gain is the honor of our actions Preoccupation but that thus all our actions are gainers of honor Now as to these the Saints should come eminently short if they were not fixed upon God and therefore they cleave to him for accomplishment when in such a season they have none in themselves Dependance upon God necessary and profitable And they finde their dependance upon God is not labor in vain God hath ingaged his promise more then once or twice for the profit of this posture Isaiah 26.3 With an assured purpose wilt thou preserve perfect peace because they trusted in thee Here is peace designed by God to a depending soul upon him the like is promised often elsewhere Deut. 11.22 If ye cleave to him then will the Lord cast out the Nations before you Here we may read Israel will be too hard for his enemies if he can be happy in holding fast his truest Friend The God of Israel is the giver of every good gift Jam. 1.17 There is no fear of Provision if he be our Steward Psal 84.11 12. Hence it comes Grace the Saints riches and the Saints are happy in trouble by their Graces the Saints are richer in adversity then are the wicked in their prosperity they have more precious furniture in one corner of their hearts then the wicked in the whole Store-house of their spirits 2 Cor. 7.4 The godly have not onely the exercise Graces great in adversity but the increase of their Graces in trouble for they resting upon God Note Inlargement of Graces in affliction they are recruited and enlarged by him Hence it comes their Faith is more lively their hope more heavenly their Love more fervent their Wisdom more vigilant their Patience more permanent their Prudence more provident their Piety more prevalent whilest they labor in that estate These distinguishing Characters of accomplishment Graces manifested by trouble have been written upon the Lords worthies in the days of their difficulty that they might shine as so many memorial Monuments to posterity of future observance that as it is the Saints lot to be troubled Saints no losers by trouble so it is their happiness to be no losers in that estate by their dependance upon God it seems it is the Saints communion with God that sweetens that condition No leaning upon our selves in affliction The godly should be hardly put to it if they did lean upon themselves David was a great deal more happy by cleaving to his God then Saul and all his favorites trusting upon man David out-wits his enemies by his dependance upon God And herein he was wiser then all his enemies which complotted his ruine he knew he was not onely out of their reach when he rested upon God but fully accommodated with all things befitting his condition he was with such a Friend who would spare no cost in his keeping To close with God is the Saints security in trouble and therefore to keep close to him was his surest and sweetest course he could take in trouble Psal 73 ult It is the excellency of Davids spirit that he is contented to be any where with God The godly are contented to be with God any where He can digest the wearinesse of a Wildernesse by the comfort of his company Gods presence makes every place alike and is instead of all Injoyments to the godly and it is no wonder they should be so satisfied with him seeing he is so precious or profitable to them Psalm 37.39 40. Let this piece of Davids and the godlies practice bear witnesse Applica ∣ tion that it is not a matter indifferent to depend upon or cleave unto God in the evil day but that it is an act of singular advantage both in respect of themselves and their adversaries it seems both are gainers and losers in this very thing First Saints are gainers by their dependance upon God It is the Saints gain to depend upon God because of their furniture They should be as other men in trouble if they were not happy in those things which they receive from God Psalm 31.19 How great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee and done to them that trust in thee before the sons of men Here the Spirit of God will have us take notice of two things First The Saints mercy is expected by them That the godly have more then ordinary favor in trouble Secondly They are such as depend and attend upon that goodnesse Secondly Note The wicked are losers For the Saints adversaries That they are losers it cannot otherways fall out if the godly be gainers But so it is the godly being joyned to God they are accurately fitted by God to encounter their enemies Divine dependance doth strengthen the Saints Through God we shall do valiantly It is not for the enemies of the Lords people to ingage against God Me thinks all this Application in trouble and much more might give warning to the Saints to fear none of their enemies when they have the Lord upon their side Rom. 8.32 If God be for us saith Paul who can be against us I have observed the godly to be patient in their Afflictions Note An observation of the saints deportment in trouble whilest depending upon God Prudent in their transactions Pious in their persecutions Peaceable under injuries Humble under indignities and hopeful of their deliverances All which as so many extractions from their dependance upon God It is the worst of non-sence Note to say we can be close by the fire and not finde warmth and by the sea and not finde water Such may be the folly of those who imagine a
in the saints when almost mortified with the sense of their sufferings Fourthly Interest bindeth the Saints to their good behaviour This obligeth the godly to a singular deportment before God beseeming his ingagement for them in the day of trouble As they are above the world in their unity with him so I would have them in the same degree of duty to him Oh how careful should they be to honour him whose principle and gracious practise it is by reason of his interest to preserve them 2d Ground the Saints weaknesse The second ground upon which the Lord is pleased to give in assistance to his Saints in their suffering condition is their weakness to deal with their enemies who are often as mighty as malicious and as numerous as furious 1 King 20.27 Israel marched like a flock of Kids before the Aramites who filled the Country This ground of the Saints weakness doth move the Lord with a great deal of tenderness towards them The Saints weaknesse the object of the Lords pity severity and bitternesse against their enemies that place of Obadiah chap. 10.11 13 14 15 16. is worth our animadversion and serious consideration How tenderly is the Lord affected with Jacobs calamity and how smartly moved against Esau's cruelty For thy crueltie against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut off for ever when thou stoodest on the other side in the day when the strangers carried away his substance and strangers entered his gates and cast lots upon Jerusalem even thou wast as one of them After such like direful and dreadful expostulations he concludes the destruction of all his peoples enemies giving a ground of his ingagement against them Law of retaliation equalis redditio For as ye have drunk upon my holy Mountain so shall the heathen drink continually It seems the Lord will satisfie the temporary crosses of his servants with the continued curses of their enemies and that because they had insulted upon their weakness The strength of the godly is without them The Lord is the Saints strength God is the strength of Davids heart and his portion for ever Psalm 73 26. and therefore in all their engagements they lean not upon themselves although considerable in respect of competent ability even in the sight of their enemies The saints have no confidence in the arm of flesh Jehosaphat professeth for all his numerous army that he knew not what to do We know not sayes this potent Prince what to do but our eyes are towards thee 2 Chron. 20.12 He will rather lean upon God for the victory and his assistance then to dispute with such a malicious enemy by the strength of a puissant and valiant Army a stronger then which was never any assembled in Judah Note But as there is no counsel or strength against the Lord It is good to have the Lord to our party so is there none without him It is good fighting under the Lords colours if he command and order the battel the victory is certain The Lords presence is the fountain of power Note and the seat of salvation The Lord of Hostes saith David is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge He breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear and burneth the Chariots with fire And so we read of Saints performances in opposition to enemies of greatest abilitie and subtilty so eminently doth the Lord who is their strength act in weakness Not I saith Paul 1 Cor. 15.10 but the grace of God in me * Portus salutis This Land of Rest was in the sight of David when Psalm 125.4 he entreats Gods benevolence for the assistance of his brethren Do well saith he to those who be true and upright in their hearts Oh that this Ground might bring forth something to our spirits in the day of our controversies Applica ∣ tion making our weakness more visible to us in our conflicts with our spiritual and temporal enemies so that we might lean more upon our God and less upon our selves God the best Umpire of controversies we should then sooner have our digladiations more certainly decided and all the contention of our controversies peaceably determined then otherwayes we ever can No finishing of business without the Lords assistance Gods help in our councels to give advice exceeding profitable and necessary we should do more in dispatching the punctiloes of Sacred and Civil differences in an hour with God then all our dayes without him Let him be President of our Councels and then we shal find him the perfecter of our purposes Cast your burden upon the Lord saith David Psal 55.22 This good advise doth teach us the shortest way to ease our selves Commit thy work saith Solomon Prov. 16.3 unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be directed There is no thinking of any end of that business God must do all our work forus Isai 26.12 wherein the Lord hath not a finger to finish it and therefore in short Let the Lord be more familiar with us and then all our matters shall be a great deal more easie for us there shall be no opposition which can stand against us It is a memorable incouragement which the Lord gave to noble Joshua Josh 1.5 7. There shall not a man be able to withstand thee all the dayes of thy life as I was with Moses so will I be with thee I will not leave thee or forsake thee only be thou strong and of a valiant courage that thou maist observe and do according to all the Law which Moses my servant commanded thee thou shalt not turne away from it to the right nor to the left hand that thou maist prosper whithersoever thou goest These words are directed to Joshua Joshua's Commission comfort belong to all of his interest and Authority and in him to all of his gracious interest Piety honour or Authority of whatsoever magnitude they are that they may cleerly read their assured assistance in the lines of their reliance upon and correspondence with God Quo docemur ita nos demum fore in expugnabiles si ad prestandum Deo fidele obsequium enitamur Calvin ad loc The third Ground of the Saints assistance from the Lord 3d Ground The Lords word is his word He hath engaged his word for their assistance in any of their conflicts whoever be their adversaries of whatsoever place or power God secure his Saints by his word I find the Spirit giveth a large and full account of this promise in many Scriptures but especially in that most excellent Psal 9◠4 wherein we have assurances of the Lords kindnesse in this particular set down almost in every line but especially in the 5 6 7 15 and 16 verses Thou shalt not be afraid of the fear of the night nor of the Arrow that flyeth by day nor of the pestilence which walketh in darkness nor of the plague that