furrowes of thy heart little pleasure canst thou haue in death at death And because we dreame but deceiue our selues and that too too often in thinking we are in the Lords fauour highly principally in prosperitie be thou the more carefull to attaine to this thing Wee haue a common Prouerb that A good thing cannot be made too sure and what better then this in all the world And for the better triall of thy selfe in the matter take these rules in the meane while till thou haue learned better First if the Lord loue thee then thou doest reflect thy affection againe vpon him He sheds his loue first abroad in thy heart Rom. 5.5 and then thou art enflamed with the loue of him Pâ—al 73 27. For as I first giue heate to my bed and then it giues me warmth the night after so the Lords loue heateth my heart and then I thence forward affect him certainely he that loues the Lord is loued of him Againe if the Lord loue thee then he will reueale himselfe vnto thee Psal 6.8.9 c. especially in prayer and that familiarly When thou hast called on his Name hath hee giuen thee a gracious and comfortable answere Hast thou felt a secret voice of the spirit speaking to the eare of thy soule Thy prayer is heard Acts 10.4 and thy request come before the Lord for God like man giueth the greatest gifts and manifesteth himself to his children the most in secret Then be thou of good coÌ„fort for the Lord thinkes on thee Besides canst thou speake by experience Iosh 21.45 that hee hath kept couenant with thee and performed his promise for his promises are Yea and Amen to all he loueth 2. Cor. 1.20 then maist thou haue hope Isaiah 27 3. VVhat peace hast thou found wrought in thy soule Psal 30.9 How hath he watered thee euery morning humbled thee in prosperitie and comforted thee in aduersitie Hast thou an experimentall knowledge of his proceedings feare not then he will doe thee good and no euill 2. Cor. 1.4 and he is neuer weary for that were to crosse his owne command in weldoing And doest thou reiect the Arme of flesh and bloud denie thy owne power and onely rely vpon the Lord I then dare giue thee my word Psal 60.11.12 that he shall neuer faile thee or in the greatest danger forsake thee Be thou assured once that these things are in thee and the like done for thee and thou shalt be as secure and safe from all dangers in life and death as the least drop of water in the bottome of the deepe Ocean sea is from the exhalation of the Summers Sun or that graine of sand which possesseth the very center of the Globe is from motion or the footes trampling scattering One thing more may yet bee obserued out of the words thinketh on me which is that Doct. 4 The Lord will deliuer the faithfull from all dangers free them in a conuenient season from all afflictions Psal 91. Psal 27.14 For this is the true exposition of the phrase as the words following doe declare euidently plainly Noah shall not be drowned in the old world Gen. 8.1 c. but be freed from all dangers Gen. 19. Let shall come safe to little Zoar. Moses flee to and returne in health Acts 7. from the land of Madian Ioseph may be sold Gen. 45. yet God can preserue him safe Gen. 33. and Esau expect the time of mourning to be reuenged on his brother Iacob yet shall he come againe and find fauour in his eyes Psal 11.1 c. Let Dauid be hunted like a Partridge the rauening Kite shall neuer catch him Ier. 45.5 and Baruch shall haue his life though many perish for a prey Peter may be in prison Acts 5.19.20 12 7.8 yet shall the gates be cast off their hinges his bolts be loosed and hee set at libertie 2. Tim 4.17.18 And though Paul be forsaken of all men yet God shall assist him free him out of the mouth of the Lyon and preserue him to his heauenly kingdome Yea Phil 1.21 this is most certain that either in life he shal let them loose Reuel 14.13 2. King 22 20. to runne at libertie or by death free them from the euill to come And reason may be rendred why it shall be so Reason 1 For the Lord hath so promised and purposed and shall not his counsell stand Prov. 19.21 and his word abide for euer Did he euer faile in keeping couenant or haue his promises at any time been preuented No Matâ— 5.18 no Let Heauen and Earth passe away one iot of his word shall not moue but be verified certainely accomplished Tit. 1.2 For shall God proue a lyer breake promise Away with this he cannot he will not God is not like man promising what he neuer intends to performe 2. Cor. 1.20 for all the promises made by him are Yea and Amen in Christ Iesus Reason 2 And this will hee doe of loue to his children and hatred to the wicked God will not haue the vncircumcised Philistims to reioyce in the ouerthrow of little Dauid his Annointed Deut. 32.26.27 or the cursed Canaanites to tread vnder-foot the sanctified seede of old Israel Psal 89.10.11 c. Exod. 1.12 Pharaoh may lay great burdens on the Iewes yet the more he doth vex them they shall multiply grow and vex him This hath been a reason of force in former time and may continue still to confirme this doctrine Vse 1 And from this point the faithfull must learne patience and not to make haste 1. Thes 4.13 or mourne as men without hope for it 's but a very little while and then He that shall come will come and will not tarrie Heb. 10.37 The Husbandman must patiently expect the time of haruest Iames 5 7. the Mariner waite with content for wind and tide and the VVatchman for the dawning of the day wee must also tarrie the Lords leisure bee strong and he in the fittest season will comfort our soules Dauid being assured that he should see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing did not faint Psal 27.13 but expect with patience the time appointed and his patterne must be our practise seeing it was grounded and sprang from the point we haue in hand Vse 2 Againe as by this point we are taught for the present to be patient so to confirme our faith for time future And what can more strengthen it then certaintie of full freedome and a totall deliuerie from all the euill that shall befall them 2. Cor. 4.16.17 But we thinke not seriously of this thing and that 's the cause we hang downe the loynes of our mindes and that which is halting is readie Heb. 12.12.13 vpon the least rub to be turned out of the way Wherefore let vs consider how he hath in former
cast it into the fier to purifie it and so doth our good God in our backwardnesse to good duties pricke vs or being in our filthinesse purifie vs by casting vs into the hot coales of tribulation Wherefore doe not so much mourne that thou art afflicted but be carefull and fearfull lest thereby thou should not be reformed for this is a true signe that we are Gods sonnes and not bastards when wee are more doubtfull that wee shall not make the right vse of them then fearfull that the Lord will not remoue them He that findeth this in himselfe findeth a good thing and but that which alwaies attendeth and accompanieth a sanctified heart in its greatest troubles Quest. But some man may say Sir it is a hard thing to suffer afflictions patiently therefore what shall I doe to attaine to this Resol 1 Why thou must consider that it is the direct path to heauen Matth. 7.13 and is it not better to bee in our right way though stonie crooked then in the pleasant Medowes going astray wandring The speediest way to compasse the world is to goe by water and the surest path to heauen is to saile through a sea of affliction Resol 2 Againe call to mind that Christ thy Captaine hath trod the same steps before thee and shall not the Head be followed by the members It is said 2. Sam. 15.30 that Dauid the King went vp to the Mount of Oliues and the people with him and as they went they wept so our Dauid is ascended into heauen but he went weeping and so must we follow him weeping for these two are inseparable Resol 3 Moreouer ponder with thy owne soule how many how great troubles thou by thy sinnes hast innumerable times deserued Alas Lam. 3.22.39 long agoe mightest thou haue been cut off by death and condemned if this were thought on it would stoppe this vaine of discontent and impatience Thou maist admire thou wast not long agoe consumed rather then pine in that thou art corrected afflicted Finally immoderate mourning is a meanes to draw downe a heauier iudgement When boyes will pule and cry out for a little lash the Master many times sets it on with a tang And hee that will struggle vnder the Lords hand peraduenture shall vndergoe a double ierking Say therefore with Dauid I held my peace Psal 39 9. because thou Lord diddest it Thus much for this point the second succeedeth which is that Doct. 2 The Lord doth not separate his affection from his children in affliction Psal 73.1 Howeuer it be yet God is good to Israel and the pure in heart shall neuer be forgotten Did not hee remember Noah Gen 8 1. Gen. 15. in his Arke Abraham in all his troubles Iacob in his heauie iourney Ioseph in the pit and prison Gen. â—8 16. Gen 39.21 Gen. 29.16 and iust Lot in the middest of Sodome The Lord thought on Dauid when hee kept his fathers sheepe Saul would haue slaine him 2. Sam. 12.1 Ziklag was burnt in his flight to Gath and when he had forgotten his God committed adultery and murther and was in his greatest extremity how often doth this man confesse that in the middest of all his sorrowes the Lord comforted his soule Psal 94.19 and Though his father and his mother should forsake him Psal 27.10 yet Iehouah would gather him I might here make mention of Moses Daniel the three Children and our fore-runner Christ and tell me which of the faithfull was euer forgotten by the Lord He hath said Hebr. 13.5 that He will not leaue vs or forsake vs but at all times and in all places he will bee with vs. Paul without doubting casteth downe the gantlet and biddeth a defiance against all things which notably doth proue the point in hand Who Rom. 8.35 c. or what shall separate vs from the loue of God shall tribulation or anguish or famine or persecution or nakednesse or perill or the sword No for hee is perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate the faithfull from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Shall I now shew it you in the Reason Reason 1 First the Lord is not subiect to forgetfulnesse he knoweth who are his and his eye is alwaies ouer theÌ„ 2. Tim. 2 19. Could the Lord forget them were hee subiect to ignorance then his affections might be separate from them but he is not he cannot Tamar may disguise her selfe walke in an vnaccustomed path so Iudah may not know her Isaac through the dimnesse of his sight may blesse Iacob and passe Esau Tract of time may make Ioseph to forget or be forgotten of his brethren Salomon may doubt to whom the child of certaine belongeth and Christ come to his owne and not bee receiued But the Lord seeth all his time place Heb. 4.13 speech or apparell cannot obscure or darken his eye or eare He can discerne Daniel in the denne Iob though neuer so changed on the dunghill Let Ionah haue his lodging in the whales belly Peter be put into close prison or Lazarus bee wrapped in rags or Abel tumbling in blood yet can hee call them by name and send his Angels to comfort them Ignorance or forgetfulnesse may cause loue to bee estranged in the creature but the Lord is not incident to either for his eye as his essence Psal 139 1.2 c. is euery where In this respect therefore he needeth not to separate his affection from his children in affliction Reason 2 And as the Lord is not subiect to forget so is he not incident to change for whom he loueth once Mal 3 6. Ier. 31.3 he loueth euer Man is subiect to mutation of affection but so is not the Lord for he is one most pure act his loue makes vs good so that his affection is perpetuall Mans iudgement may deceiue him and his loue cannot make the obiect beloued better therefore hee is subiect to alteration God not Obiect But we reade that God hath repented and so changed his affection Solution 1 I answere first that it is spoken for our vnderstanding after the manner of man and not to bee vnderstood otherwise Solution 2 Againe the change is not in God but in respect of the obiect about which hee is exercised for one cause without alteration in it selfe may produce diuers effects in that regard For example The Sunne hath but one simple act of shining yet doe wee not see that it doth vnite clay and straw dissolue ice into water makes the flowers smell sweetly and a dead corpse to stinke lothsomly the hot fier to be colder and the cold water hotter and will it not helpe to cure one man by his heate yet therewith kill another Where is the cause in the seuerall obiects and their diuers dispositions and
thee out of the confused multitude enriched thee with the graces of saluation and borne thee againe whereas the whole world lyeth in wickednesse VVill not these former fauours prouoke thee to gratefulnesse yet let the benefit by it for the present and future time bee forcible to vrge thee to the practice of this dutie for others of Gods seruants haue done the same vpon no other ground Paul when hee considered that The Lord had assisted him when all men for spoke him and was perswaded that the Lord would deliuer him from euery euill worke and preserue him to his heauenly Kingdome breakes forth into these words To whom be praise for euer and euer Amen And is not this paterne worthie of our best imitation and this constant affection on the Lords part a continuall gratuitie on ours VVhy then let it be daily put in practise for either this loue or nothing deserues it and is thanksworthie Vse 2 And as this point in the first place should work in vs loue autogratefulnesse to God so in the second it may comfort vs for the present and future troubles Hast thou vexations without and terrors within seemes it to thee that the Lord hath forsaken thee Why it is not so thou art deceiued Think on the dayes of old and if euer thou canst proue that he did loue thee this point will proue he doth so still What should more comfort a Christians heart then this and encourage him to go on through good report and euill report with resolution Acts 20.38 VVhat made the people weepe so bitterly and fall on Pauls necke was it not in that they must see his face no more And what did Christ promise to his disciples for their comfort and resolution in their greatest troubles and vexations Any thing but this Mat. 28.20 I will bee with you to the end of the world You then that haue chosen the better part giuen vp your names to serue God and bee in the vast wildernes of this world be not faint or weary in the way for though hunger pinch you Pharaoh pursue you and the fierie Serpents sting you yet the Lord shall neuer leaue you or forsake you Obiect 1 But some may obiect to me as Gedeon did to the Angell Iudges 6.13 Ah my Lord if the Lord loue vs and be with vs why then is all this euill come vpon vs Sol. Art thou sicke in body the Lord doth it for to make it a fitter habitation for thy soule VVhat if thou seeme to be brokē in pieces yet he can easily restore thee to thy former conditiō Shal you not see a Carpenter set vp a house in a comely order yet anon he wil strike one ioynt frō another lay it flat on the ground hath he a purpose to destroy it No rather to amend what he saw amisse in it And so be we in our owne iudgements builded in a decent manner but God is wise in heart and seeth that our bodies are not fit Temples for his Spirit therefore we must downe againe for a time at the least in our owne feeling present apprehensiō Obiect 2 But thou wilt say The spirit is departed from thee and not to be found within thee Thou art to know this Sol. that in a Christian soule there be many mansions as of loue ioy faith zeale repentance and humility If therefore the spirit be not present in one place seeke to finde him in another for be thou assured hee is not in truth departed Doest thou want ioy or faith canst thou pray for either why thou hast the spirit Canst thou not pray for sometimes this is a good mans condition yet canst thou sigh and grone why that commeth from the Spirit Canst thou not repent as in times past art thou notwithstanding sensible of this and strikest thy hand vpon thy breast this is a motion of the Spirit And be thou of good comfort for when thy case spirituall is most miserable yet thou maiest discerne some pulse though weake of the Spirit beating He that comes to see his friend will bee glad to finde him in any roome of his house and if he be not in the dining chamber or parlour hee peraduenture shall haue him in some other priuate corner so if the Spirit be absent from the mansions of faith loue and the like then thou must finde him out in the close and darke roome called The dislike of thy present condition or in the secret corner of Humiliation These two be the furthest places of his absence Obiect 3 But I was vsed to haue him present in all Solution To speake with reuerence Euery grace in our hearts may bee compared to so many candles in a house Now the Master will not light aboue one or two at the most except hee haue great vse of them so the Holy Ghost is the keeper of our soules he worketh with these graces in vs and hee will but employ them as there is iust occasion If there bee need all shall bee enlightened made strong And what man being an old Disciple that hath not experience in these things Obiect 4 Why how can the Lord be with vs for they that worke wickednesse are set vp Ma◠3.15 and such as tempt God they are deliuered And are not all things within vs and without vs out of order Solution We must not iudge things by the appearance or present condition for then we may condemne the generation of the iust and the Lords owne building He that would haue comfort in the remembrance of his house must not conceiue of it in parts as of the wood in the Forrests vnsquared the stone in the rockes vnpolished the brick in the clay vnburned and lime in the sand vntempered but in the patterne or frame as it will bee when it is perfected So wee are to looke at the end of the righteous and the restauration of all things not as they bee for the present and then shall we see the full beauty of the Lords workes and our owne blessednesse He that doth these things shall neuer fall finally and for euer Therefore Watch ye stand ye fast quit you like men and be strong for the Lords affection to all the faithfull neuer faileth in affliction Vse 3 And doth not the Lord separate his affection from his children in affliction Let vs then tread in the same steps and imitate our heauenly Father Oh that this were the custome of our Countrey but it is not we rather practice the contrary adding affliction to Pauls bands For to him that hath not need of comfort shall bee giuen but from him that hath shall be taken away that hee hath Iob renders the reason Because Men haue forsaken the feare of the Lord. How many haue the faith in respect of persons forsake iust Iob if tumbling on the dunghill and be ashamed of Pauls chaine Is this to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called thee to imitate the
example of thy Sauiour and to be a fellow-feeler of thy brothers affliction If this goe before what will follow shall not the Lord mete to vs as we haue measured to others leaue vs when we haue most need of comfort seeing we cry Stand afarre come not neare me to our children and friends in the time of affliction Was it not Ionathans praise that he was louely in life and death and would not leaue his brother Dauid in all his troubles and shall it not be thy duty and comfort to doe the like to all thy brethren The Butler is branded that he remeÌ„bred not Ioseph in his bands and hence probably came that Prouerbe No man remembreth the afflictions of Ioseph Yet we haue some more vnnaturall who forsake men in their prosperity and dayes of Gods promotion they enuie Dauid because hee is annointed King from the sheepe-fold Cry away with Amos he must not prophecy at Bethel for he was a figge-gatherer and if Christ come out of Nazaret be reputed the Carpenters sonne and aduanced by his heauenly Father some will reiect him others doubt of him and too few receiue him And without mis-apprehension be it spoken I haue seene these two euils in the learned and religious of our times Friends forsaken in aduersity enuied in prosperity wee will not visit the poore if wee bee rich neither regard them the Lord extraordinarily aduanceth But these things should not be so why then say with Ruth Nought but death shall part thee and thy friend follow him with thine affection whithersoeuer he goeth and if he fall amongst theeues goe not by him but looke on him and to thy ability and his necessity relieue him For this is thy Fathers proceeding the custom of his childreÌ„ the only way to be of others respected when thou thy selfe art most afflicted If pouerty would haue parted friends nakednesse made a separation meannesse of birth or basenesse of condition then the Lord had neuer tooke pitie on thee or in affection been vnited to thee Wherefore set the Lords patterne before thine eyes and whatsoeuer hee beareth with in his doe thou the like also and let not that withdraw thy loue from any of thy brethren against which the God of loue neuer obiected disliked or for the which his affection was neuer separated weakened I know this is thy dutie but a thing not easie to bee done for it is no weake but a maine pitch of sanctification not to draw arguments from the meannesse of a mans birth friends education former pouerty or present necessity to withdraw extenuate and separate affection but to loue where and in the same manner the Lord loueth he that doth this flesh and blood neuer reuealed it to him Then striue for it it is worth the obtaining that it may be said of thee as Paul said of one who performed this dutie The Lord shew mercie to the house of Onesiphorus The Lord graunt he may finde mercie with the Lord at that day Vse 4 And from this point of Gods affection to his children in affliction we may all be encouraged to serue such a master Art thou his seruant and sonne then doe not with the Prodigall run from him or with Demas embrace the world for all creatures of that kind will faile and forsake thee in thy affliction or if not they will proue but like Iobs friends or the Pharisies Miserable Comforters Or hast thou not yet giuen vp thy name and with a purpose of heart cleaued to the Lord why then change thy master and make choyce of him wee haue in hand Who would not serue such a man as will bee alwaies present with his people haue an eye ouer them call them by name and relieue them according to their necessities Shall not we then make election of the Lord For his eye shall watch for thy good his right hand shall be ouer thy face and his left hand vnder thy head and thou shalt want no manner of thing Art thou in bonds hee shall visit thee In danger his Angels shall defend thee In want the creatures refresh thee Tempted by Satan he shall fight for thee Or in the pangs and shadow of death yet he will bee with thee that thou maist sleepe soundly and securely Beloued this I know that if God be with vs it is no matter who be against vs but if hee bee not on our side what will it profit vs to bee respected of the world And say not in thy heart Lush my mountaine is strong and I shall not be moued for wee are but in the wildernesse wee shall meet with fiery serpents the stings of a guiltie and wounded spirit Iordan that type of death hath not looked vs in the face at the most wee haue not passed ouer it and doth not the day draw neere is it not at hand and if the Lord doe not then helpe thee and be with thee what shall become of thee wofull will be that Hauen where thou shalt be landed O that we did but know the worth of Gods fauour in affliction or how ioyfull a thing it is for his children to be assured of his affection Well the day of death and of iudgement shall declare it and till then the true worth will not bee fully knowne of the faithfull or the want feelingly discerned by the vngodly Let me then entreat thee to striue for his fauour thinke no paines too great to obtaine it neither be at peace till thou possesse it for then thou maiest haue comfort in troubâ—es ioy amidst sorrow and life in death No tidings so terrible that shall make thee tremble no former sinne cause thee to feare nor Satans deadliest darts touch or pierce thee if the Lord be with thee Now then is the time to agree with him take the opportunity fore-slow it not and build thou on this rocke once and stand for euer A third point from the words may now be collected viZ. that Doct. 3 The fauour of God in affliction onely giueth the faithfull satisfaction We see that this good man did comfort himselfe from no other ground but from this that The Lord thought on him Neither is there any thing that could worke this effect he being in so great affliction except the Lords loue and affection Many cry who will shew vs any good Psal 4 6. But Lord lift thou the light of thy countenance vpon me And whom haue I in heauen but thee Psal 73.25 or in earth that I respect in comparison of thee No person no thing Iâ— is good yea best to draw neere to God â—â—nd 28. 2. Sam. 1â— 12 for content in these dangers Saul was a King and yet when God was gone could his kingdome yeeld him any comfort BalshaZZar in his bowles will quake Dan. 5.6 and his heart roll within him if the Lords hand in writing be stretched out against him Why doth the diuell tremble and feare Oh Iam. 2.19 hee hath no confidence in the great
Creator Cain will curse and cry to Gen. 4.5 when he cannot expect and rest in a cheerfull acceptation from the Lord but let all the creatures in the earth and the whole hoast of Heauen band themselues against vs If God be with vs Rom. 8.31 who can be against vs to hurt vs trouble vs And what may bee the reason of this Reason 1 Why the Lord is the onely obiect of their loue and he in whom their soule principally delighteth wherefore enioying him they haue all they would Gen. 45.28 Let Iacob heare that Ioseph his sonne is yet aliue he hath enough If the King come home safe Ziba may keepe the land 2 Sam. 19.30 for Mephibosheth is satisfied Could but the sonne of Hamor match with Dinah Gen. 34.19 his Circumcision will bee endured and though the daughters in the countrey bee denied him yet shall he be well contented Giue but Rahel children Gen. 30.1 Luk 1.29 and she will not die And let Simeon see his Sauiour and he will die And how are these contrary effects produced Why loue is the cause thereof so let Gods children enioy the subiect of their affection they will rest in it with full contentation in all affliction Reason 2 Because they beleeue then and know that all shall worke together for good at their latter end Rom. 8.18 For being assured of the one they neuer need to doubt of the other and grant but the first and the second will ensue of necessity Will it not reioyce the poore patient that his Physition doth affect him for then he is assured that if he can hee will and God can cure him If we haue the Iudge for our friend and father what need wee to feare the many inditements preferred against vs Let Moses haue the Lord to looke vpon him Pharaohs frownes cannot feare him and let God but thinke on vs and we thinke on him he by affection wee by faith we need not to shake or shadder but walke on cheerfully and resolutely in the valleyes of teares Psal 23.4 and the very shadow of death Dauid in his greatest troubles speaketh thus to the Lord Thou hast giuen ioy in my heart more then of the time when their corne and their new wine were multiplied Psal 4.7.8 In peace together will I lye downe and sleepe for thou Iehouah alone wilt seate me in confidence preserue my soule in safetie Now from this point thus proued we learne these things Vse 1 And first what 's the true cause why so many are shaken with euery blast and flie like chaffe before the least wind of affliction Alas they haue not made the Lord their portion neither bee assured of his affection their loue leanes on some other subiect and that once failing they fall for euer He that affecteth the earth if it grow barren hee will still be bawling and he that expects treasures from a farre let the wind but rise and the water swell his body will sweat and his soule be troubled within him the sea is not so much tossed but he is as much terrified the one casts not vp more mire and mud then the other feare and despaire Mat. 27.5 1. Sam. 3â— 4 2. Sam. 17.23 Shall wee thinke that Iudas would haue hanged himselfe Saul fallen on his owne speare or so wise a wight as Achitophel proued his owne executioner if God had been the obiect of their affection and they put confidence in him in their affliction No it had been a thing impossible And therefore we may hence safely conclude that the want of the assurance of Gods sauour is the true cause why men in discontent and crosses become their owne executioners For that which they affect most wanting power to content and preserue them or being remoued from them they hauing no other God in their present apprehension often become their owne bloudy Butchers to drowne hang or murther themselues And doe but obserue it and what I haue spoken you shall find verified by experience Vse 2 And in the second place we may hence learne the true ground why Gods children haue so reioyced in affliction and it is this and no other namely their assurance of Gods fauour and affection He that beleeueth in the Lord by faith is linked to him in loue and perswaded that God thinkes on him will embrace death desire iudgement and neuer tremble at the most terrible tidings Heb. 11.8 Abraham will goe hee knowes not whither Daniel into the Denne Daniel 6. Gen. 28. Ruth 1.6 and Paul to prison hauing this confidence of the Lords fauour Iacob will leaue his fathers house Ruth runne into a strange Countrie Hebr. 12.23 and Christ embrace the Crosse endure the shame when God thinkes on them How should Iob haue endured the stealth of his cattel Job 1. 2. burning of his corne and the sudden death of all his children when their bones were bruised and broken their bloud and braines sprinkled and spread on the posts and timber his VViues bitter words Curse God and dye for so the place is to bee vnderstood for it 's probable Satan spared her life to that purpose to tempt him and it was the end he aimed at He will curse thee to thy face why should wee then imagine that hee put not that tart and cruell phrase into her mouth for he is wise in his proceedings if the certaintie of the Lords loue had not supported him Had it once been possible for fraile men Heb. 11. and weake women to haue endured burning hewing asunder and to be rent on the Racke but vpon this ground VVhy then see the true cause of ioy in sorrow and giue the Lord his deserued praise whose power is the most made manifest in our weakenesse wofulnesse wretchednesse 2. Cor. 12.9 Vse 3 Finally wouldest thou be able to stand in the euill day and the sad times of tentation and persecution then striue more and more to be assured of the Lords affection endeauour to possesse Dauids darling get Gods affection once shed abroad in thy heart be sure of this and thou shalt endure the greatest storme cut the strongest streames of the raging tide and land safe at the hauen of Heauen VVe in pollicy prepare cloakes for wet prouision for winter and a staffe against the time of decrepit old age and shall wee not prouide for death and iudgement VVhat can support thee in the times of trouble the hower of thy departure but some perswasion of Gods fauor Could Pharaohs Horses the Rich Mans purple the Fooles great barnes or Iesabel her painting if thou hadst them No no these are but a vaine thing a sandy foundation and a staffe of Reed that will either stocke thee fast or breake in shiuers piercing thy hands through with many sorrowes Therefore in the feare of God thinke on this one thing for death will come and will not tarry and if thou haue not this fixed fast in the
constitutions and not in the Sunnes act of shining which is but one and the same Take a more familiar similitude Let a looking-glasse be set in the window will it not represent to thy eye diuers obiects If thou goe to it in decent and comely apparell shalt not thou see the like figure if deiected and in course rayment will it not offer to thy view the same equall proportion doe but thou stretch thy selfe bend thy brow and runne against it and will it not resemble the like person and action where is the change shall we conclude in the glasse No for it is neither altered from the place nor in nature Wherefore if God one day seeme to loue vs another day to hate vs there is an alteration within vs first not any in the Lord. Bee thou then such in thy selfe as thou wouldest haue the Lord bee vnto thee but if thou change thou shalt finde a change though God neuer change and if thou runne stubburnly against him Psal 18.24.25 c. he will walke stubburnly against thee For with the froward hee will shew himselfe froward but with the meeke hee will shew himselfe meeke Yea such as thou art to him he will be to thee and no other O that we could beleeue and so practice this lesson Reason 3 To proceed let vs examine and see what is the cause of separating affection and shall wee not finde it either in the Agent or Obiect In the louer God we see no cause can bee found surely nor in the thing beloued For what is affliction to Gods children doth it destroy the essence of the soule or deface the image of holinesse and righteousnesse in them Luk 22.44 Psal 119.71 Doth it in a word make them worse or better It is plaine that no trouble destroyeth the image of God or maketh his the more prone to sinne but rather it hath been a meanes to moue them to leaue it and amend For in trouble they will pray more feruently Hos 2.7 2. Cor. 1.4 pity others more compassionately make vowes and resolue to serue God the more strictly Psal 66.13.14 then euer in the dayes of prosperity Why then should the Lord withdraw his affection from them for loue leaues hold but whē the obiect growes worse and worse Reason 4 And in the last place this Reason may also confirme the doctrine Hee should bee more vnnaturall then meere naturall men Mat. 7.9.10 11. who take the most pitie of their owne being in the greatest distresse if he should forsake his children in their affliction 1. Tim. 5.8 Nature it selfe in these straits will not be wanting and shall the Author of all graces be found failing 2. Sam. 18.33 Shall Dauid keepe such a houling for a rebellious sonne and will the Father of mercy not respect his obedient children Away with it for it is a kind of blasphemy to conceiue it For betwixt the loue of the Creator and the creature there is neither in respect of heighth depth breadth or length any equall proportion Vse 1 And is this so how then should we loue such a God of whom wee are so beloued what praise should we thinke too much for so waighty a matter why doe we not studie to set forth his goodnesse and wonderfull workes Exod. 15. Moses would make a song Dauid and others in way of thankfulnesse because in their greatest affliction they felt the Lord to be present in affection Did not Mary breake out Luk. 1.46.47 My soule shall magnifie the name of the Lord and my spirit shall reioyce in God my Sauiour Why did she this for hee hath looked on the poore estate of his handmaid How did Paul from the like ground double his petition The Lord shew mercy to the house of Onesiphorus 2 Tim. 1.16.18 The Lord grant that he may find mercy with the Lord in that day VVhere was the reason of this for he found me out at Rome visited me often at Ephesus and was not ashamed of my chaine Shall the Apostle thus blesse his friend for being refreshed in his bands and shall not we from the heart rootes break forth into thankfulnesse For God not once but often hath visited vs and hath not been ashamed of our chaines of sinne and corruption nay he hath broke our bands and set vs that were Satans slaues at free liberty Quest But some may say to me as many shall to Christ in the last day When saw we thee in nakednesse c so VVhen were wee poore and needy and God thought on vs Answ Giue me leaue a little and I will tell you First of all doe but cast the eye of your remembrance backe and runne with the feete of your faith so farre as the fall of Adam our father Gen. 3. did not we eate with him sinne with him Rom. 5.14.17 and lay in the bush with him was not he and all we at that time poore and needie who was euer in so great a streight in so miserable a condition conceiue if thou canst of a portion of matter without a forme and such was thy tickle condition almost turn'd to nothing were we not all dead men and depriued of our greatest glorie Rom. 3.23 what mans case was euer more miserable then all ours before the Lord called Adam Where art thou Conceiue of it a little lay it to heart ponder it deepely in thy mind and suffer it to take some setled impression What miserie was that What a word of comfort was this The seede of the woman shall shuffle or breake the Serpents head I speake to you that haue vnderstanding and consider what I say for the more thou doest meditate on this thing it will seeme to thee the more wonderfull But let vs come neerer home and then will it not appeare that we in this our Kingdome were sometimes poore and needie And because too many crie out and as the spies did vpon Canaan haue brought a bad report vpon our countrie let vs search into and examine the matter And that we may speak as the thing is let vs first of al compare the land with it self and next with her neighbouring sisters Was it not in times past as at the beginning a Chaos without forme and voide Did not darkenesse couer all our deepe and the people perish for want of knowledge Ignorance was our wedding garment and Implicite faith a sword fast in the sheath to quench all the fierie darts of Satan our Bible was as a sealed booke the teachers of it blind guides and Gods house nothing else but a Denne of Theeues Were not all our Progenitors vnder this cloud Did not sinne enlarge it selfe as Hell and like the Leprosie in the time of the Law spread farre and infect the whole body What were all the most eminent and pleasant seates in our Kingdom but hiues full of droanes Temples swarming with Caterpillers who nipt euery greene thing in the bud as in the land