vngratious impe yet he is my child my child saith Dauid I cannot but loue him and indeed he ouerloues him which I doe not commend but onely obserue to note the strength of parents loue if it bee naturall a loue indeede as strong as death as hot as fire like that which Salomon speakes of in another case which cannot bee put out with water nor bought out with siluer and can it be otherwise when parents bee religious sith God and nature both command grace and nature both enforce loue though not fondnes you that be parents saue me the proofe of this point and do but heare why I note it First do kind and godly parents so loue their children that you may sooner finde too much carnall then too little naturall affection in them then shall they neuer make it good to their owne or others soules that there is any goodnesse in them who beare no affection to their owne children Those parents that haue no naturall affection can they be spiritually affected Doth that spirit which makes vs louing to all lodge in the vnnaturall brest Can they loue Gods children that beare no loue to their owne bowels Can they loue their enemies can they call God Father that are tyrants to their owne children their owne flesh No no it argues grosse sinnes and a fierce conscience when men be so fierce and violent against mankinde I might say I must say themselues What parents not to feele their children when they crie Father not to finde their bowels mooued when they thinke of a childe what not of a religious childe Why then blush ye Dragons and be ye ashamed O Beares and Tigres that your Lords should be so beastlike say I nay so diuellish for what creatures but Diuels hate their seed Nay could Diuels haue naturall seed would they hate their owne trow yee But why spend we words on them who haue the curse vnder seale as Paul shewes Rom. 1.5 Secondly heere is somewhat for children also Is the affection of godly parents such that they cannot chuse but loue their children and out of their loue grieue at their vnkindnesse weepe for their impietie mourne for their sorrowes and take to heart their follie why then the children of such parents must take to heart their former stubbornnesse and for the time to come forbeare those practises that might be matter of griefe to their parents How canst thou refresh thy selfe with that which is a sword in the heart of thy dearest friends how canst thou thinke to escape the hand of God when thou wilt feed vpon the bloud of thine owne parents and make them as weary of the light as Dauid now is Is it not sufficient that already they haue cared and sighed and groaned and wept for thee but still thou wilt kill their soules with griefe What if thou canst shake it off Can a father shake out his heart Doth their loue nothing mooue thee nor their care northeir paines nor their teares nothing O that Absalom had seene or heard his fathers complaints he thought that now because he loued not his father his father could not loue him but that is thy errour cursed viper The father loues when the child hates and then can Dauid say most feelingly Handle the young man Absalom well when Absalom could say if shame did not stop his mouth Handle the old Carle Dauid roughly at my request yea then can Dauid die for Absalom when Absalom had as leese die as see Dauid liue Had Absalom knowne this would not he thinke you haue relented would not his rockie heart haue yeelded What could hee haue said if Dauid had said but this vnto him O Absalom O Absalom did I call thee Absalom for this Is this to be a childe Doest thou also thinke my griefes too few Was it not enough to be crossed in my familiars in my father in law in my owne brethren in my wife but my owne children must adde vnto my griefe Must Absalom that I loued so well Is it not sufficient that thou hast robbed mee of my children and brought mee almost to the graue but now thou wilt haue my crowne and my bloud Did I spare thee for this Was I a meanes of thy life and wilt thou be of my death Would I die to doe thee good and wilt thou die vulesse thou maist hurt me what thou my son Is not Dauid thy father Maacah thy mother dost not know vs c. canst thou forget vs hast thou been a father thy self yet risest vp against thy father what I say could Absalō haue said to such a salutatiō but he is not so happy to heare his father therefore he proceeds till vengeance will not suffer him to liue but hangs him vp against the sunne And let all disobedient and rebellious children take warning by this one thus hanged vp in gibbets and know that if the kindnes of their parents cannot breake their hearts and worke them to remorse the hand of God will bee vpon them and pursue them till the rauens of the vallies haue pickt out their eies and the flames of hell haue scized vpon their soules Last of all heere 's a word both of instruction and consolation for all sorts both parents and children high and low Is the loue of an earthly father if godly so great doth he take so much to hart the vnkindnesses of his children is he so sensible of their griefes so wounded with their sorrowes What then is the affection of our heauenly father towards vs how tenderly doth he take disobedience at our hands and therefore how great should our mourning be for our great and many contempts how ought wee to powre forth our soules in teares and to lament with a great lamention like that of the Egyptians for Iacob that of the Israelites for Iosiah that of a father for his first his onely sonne how deere should the name of our God be vnto vs how tenderly should wee take those contempts and indignities that are cast vpon him who is so feeling of euery sorrow that befals vs O Lord that we had an heart to weepe ouer Christ and that the rebukes of God did fall on vs ô that our owne sinnes could cause such teares as other mens did wring from Dauid O that the word would smite our hearts and cause water to gush out of these rockes ô that we stood affected to God as Mephibosheth to Dauid he mourned he fasted he wept in this distresse of Dauid we laugh we feast we do not we cannot weepe though we our selues haue risen against our soueraigne and holpen to dethrone him Ah brethren shall Dauid mourne for others sins in his Psalmes shall not wee for our owne Shall Dauids good subiects take to heart his afflictions shall not wee rebellion against our king shall Dauids seruants bee ready to smite him thorow that shall raile vpon him and shall 〈◊〉 our hearts arise when the name of our God
Lord hath assigned some of his shrewdest children to punishment they shall haue the office sometimes to bee the gaoler or belman that is their preferment Leauing therfore these scullians in the kitchin there to scoure a vessell or licke a dish when they shall bee called vpon let vs make our vse of this so large a Doctrine and see whether wee can bee briefer there First then Is this so that Gods dearest children haue and must haue such great and piercing crosses in this life then must all who would be knowne by that name make account of such and prepare for them Such is our follie for the most part when the sunne shines we neuer thinke of a darke night when the morning is faire wee neuer feare a storme and therefore are sometimes taken without our cloake as it were Such also is our conceit of our selues and confidence in worldly helps that we hope they will not see vs want or if they faile yet we thinke to shift better then others can to liue by our wits hence it is that we are almost growen to Babels conclusion Though others be widowes fatherles childlesse comfortles yet wee shall see no sorrow But it will be granted I trow that our nature needs physicke as much as other mens there is no difference in the mould that our carriage hath not beene so good but that iustly we may feare some brushing It may be Dauid was as honest a man as some of vs perhaps Hezechiah was not farre behind vs possible Paul might match vs in any grace and haue as little pride hypocrisie self-loue passion in him as the best of vs all yet were these holy men greatly afflicted and wonderously straitned why should we dreame of peace If wealth would discharge a man of crosses Hezechiah was not poore if honour Dauid was a king if either witte or grace Paul was no babe but these will not serue the turne kings children must haue physicke if sicke as well as poorer mens why should they not so must the Lords Our Prince is consecrated through afflictions our way is an afflicted way as you would say and it is the voice of heauen that thorow manie tribulations we must enter into heauen Now then sith the case so stands that either wee must disclaime the right of children or else indure afflictions either passe vnder the rod or be bastards let vs vnlesse we meane to shame our selues arme our selues for crosses before hand and not prepare onely but prepare for all yea the nearest of all For what hath befallen Dauid and others why may not the same befall vs some wiues haue great crosses in their husbands some husbands in their wiues some parents in children some children in parents some are neerely toucht in their body some in their estate some other in their name in their soule othersome and where is our discharge who hath exempted vs may not we neede them as much as others doth not God loue vs as well as others are not these things written for our vse O then let vs thinke on these things in this our peace and now lay in for a rainy day now whilst wee can pray now whilst our bodies are free from distemper and our affections from trouble now whilst wee are our owne men and haue freedome as it were of heart now let vs hoard vp praiers against the time of trouble when as either in respect of sicknes in body or sorrow of minde we can say no more then Dauid now can my son my son my paine my paine my heart my heart Now let vs treasure vp faith and patience and wisedome as loseph did corne sith a day of vtterance will come a day of spending not of getting a day wherein our owne stocke the Churches treasury too I meane others praiers will bee little enough do notthinke it sufficient to haue somewhat before hand wee are not at agreement with crosses to depart when we giue warning neuer forget Dauid a man not meanely graced nay a great husband who had his soule well stockt and in good plight and yet how vnhandsomely doth hee now behaue himselfe Ah Dauid thou wast wont to haue praiers and gracious meditations as ready as Aburs sword that would drop out of the sheath But now here is nothing but my son my son and little doe we know how we shall fling out in distresses vnlesse we are very wel appointed Now lastly whilst the Lord doth offer himselfe vnto vs as a louing father let vs come vnto him like obedient children let vs confesse against our selues and reconcile our soules vnto him Let vs seeke to him as once the Sidomians did to Herod through Christ as they through Blastus for his fauour as they for Herods loue and then being at peace with him in our peace and acquainted with him in our prosperity he will know our soules in aduersity and we shall alwaies haue a rocke to sly vnto in the greatest waues and surges Thus we see what course must be taken if crosses shall not hit vs on the bare take vs on the blind side the practise we put vpon you as you loue your ease for there is little comfort to bee hoped for in crosses vnlesse there bee some preparation for them Men may thinke themselues armed when they haue men and money to befriend them but then neuer till then are wee fitted for crosses when God our owne consciences are friends with vs and stand for vs and therefore if we will make sure worke let vs go to heauen for friends not to the earth and be more carefull to get grace in our hearts then gold in our chests for crosses bee as the minde and man bee not as the outward estate And this is the first vse that I would haue made of this point The second standeth thus Is this so that the dearest of Gods children haue great and neere afflictions in this life then this must teach the wicked to leaue iudging abroad and to looke homeward they are on horsebacke they when Gods children are vnderfoote it is their ioy to see the faithfull grieue they cannot hold but role it out These say they be the fellowes these preachers so much magnifie these the happy ones these goe away with all the comforts they cannot doe amisse they but by your leaue such a iudgement hath befallen one such a plague another and which of them escapes better and this they get by running to sermons thus they triumph But stay a while and pause better on the matter are Gods children thus wounded what shall become of his enemies are the righteous thus paid how much more the sinner Is this done to the greene tree Doth the Lord thus visit those vpon whom his name is called doth iudgement thus begin at Gods house where shall the wicked appeare are infirmities accompanied with crosses what will be the end of idolatry of blasphemy of murther of adultery of oppression
are the waies to sermons thus strawed with crosses what shall be found in the waies of whoredome of blood of drunkennesse c. Was Dauid for murther and adulterie once committed thus entertained what will thy end be who still liuest in the ordinarie practise of such like sinnes yea answere this if thou canst are Gods owne people who haue the spirit of God to pray in them Christ and all the Saints on earth to pray for them who iudge themselues daily who walke constātly with God are they thus handled in case they do at any time breake forth then tell me what thy doome is like to be who neuer praiest neuer repentest neuer striuest against sinne but hast sold thy selfe to do wickedly Go on then with thy tale Gods children are afflicted and greatly afflicted too I will grant you all but wote you what if Gods children whom hee loues next vnto himselfe in Christ cannot be exempted from crosses bitter crosses notwithstanding all their repentance all their teares all their praiers but their soules shall grone and hearts ake because they be so stubborne and performe holie dueties no more no better I report me to thee whether thou dost not think that Gods iustice will one day haue thy blood thy life thy soule for all thine abominations which thou dost not repent for but laughest at which thou dost not pray against that they may be pardoned but fretrest that they should be disgraced and which thou art so farre from leauing that thou couldest drinke his blood that reprooues them in thee And if so then either make vse of the faithfuls troubles and quickly iudge thy selfe or else take euery disgrace euery disease euery affliction that befalles them to bee a pledge of that euerlasting shame and those euerlasting torments woes plagues curses that shall seize vpon thee for euermore I know thy plea before thou speake but alas it will not hold Christ thou wilt say will salue all he died for sinners and what needs all this And did he so could not Christ when he stood in our roome and sustained the person of a sinner though in himselfe sinlesse could not he though he were the heire and first borne escape vntill his blood was shed and flesh rent and soule poured forth as an offering then either make it good that thou art in Christ and become a new creature or else take thy leaue of all hope and comfort nothing remaines but a fearefull expectation of iudgement and that is thy vse A third we thus inferre but briefly Is this the estate of the most godly and best beloued in this life then as this must teach vs to thinke neuer the worse of our selues or others for outward crosses which like haile and snow do light vpon the best gardens as well as on the wilde wast and like blustering winds will spare no more Princes children then the poorest beggers sith thus we cannot conclude vnlesse we will either challenge Gods loue or the best Christians truth euen Dauids Pauls c. so must it cause vs to looke vpward to waite for our redemption and to sigh for heauen where we shall bee free from all these miseries When we are from home amongst our friends our hearts are still homewards though our cōpany be good our welcome kind our entertainement of the best fare lodging all better then any wee shall finde at home yet home is homely say we and away we goe entreaty will not fetch vs againe Now if we can be content to change for the worse because the one is our home for a few daies how much should we desire heauen the onely true mansion where wee are sure to change all for the better where our estate shall be bettered and our company and our bodies and our soules how ought wee to reach after this and to thirst for it If Dauid panted after the suburbs the Church on earth what should our affection be towards the Citie it selfe If Moses preferred the Saints troubles before the treasures of Egypt what treasures on earth shold keepe our desires from the glorious estate of Christ in heauen and if the Queene of Sheba was content to goe from home and from much of her wealth that so she might be acquainted with Salomon why should not wee desire home that we might grow acquainted with Iesus Christ and see him face to face especially sith in this iourney wee shall part with nothing but what we may well spare sinne and corruption how thankfull ought we to be for Gods mercie that whereas our fathers liued some fiue hundred some six hundred some more yeares and serued a long apprentiship the Lord gratiously hath shortned our lease cals vs from this trouble some sea into the hauen by that time they were well entered This is a matter that should somewhat refresh vs in this our iourney and worke those to patience who cry at the mention of heauen how long truth it is to speake one word to them the earth is tedious to such as haue beene in heauen they do not like to bee pilgrimes here when once they are enrolled Citizens there but sith wee shall hereafter bee alwaies receiuing wages why should we not be pleased to do a little worke and sith our God hath cut off so many of our sorrowfull daies why should not wee with cheerefulnesse bestow these few vpon him I know no affliction is for the present ioious all are tedious but if wee will but looke forward and fasten our eies vpon that crowne and kingdome that shall so shortlie come into our hands and backward and see our desert what others haue felt how we fare and lie and go euery day better then Christ here did the most of vs our crosses will not seeme so strange as Gods mercies patience towards vs wonderfull As for that crosse of crosses sinne and corruption whereof you would be so gladly eased alas how should I comfort you against that I cannot blame you nor maruell at it if you be willing to be any where much more in heauen so you may be rid of sinne that indeed is a bad neighbour which will put a man to Rebeccaes complaint I am wearie of my life but yet my brethren sith we do but drink as we brewed nay sith the Lord mingled this wormwood with so many sweetes and much allayed the strength therof sith these our corruptions haue receiued their mortall wounds and are now breathing out their last breath sith the Lord will so suddenly dispatch them in comparison of former times that long we shall not dwell together sith he sees some vse of this poison turneth that to good a common good which in it selfe is hurtfull sith further he hath giuen vs some graces as he hath left in vs for our exercise some corruptions sith lastly grace hereafter shall onely come in question and our debts shall be set vpon anothers score and for the present he puts a difference betwixt vs