of our eternall inheritance with him were all nothing in comparison of such a trifle as that or not able to ioy and cheere vp our hearts without it This childish and sottish qualitie should we euery one of vs take notice of in our selues of too much pronenesse at least vnto it and striue and labour against it as being worthily ashamed of it and considering with our selues what an vnworthy thing it is that the loue and losse of such pidling toyes yea or of any worldly thing whatsoeuer should preuaile so farre with vs as to depriue vs of that ioy and comfort that our blessed estate in Christ Iesus euen for the present may well minister vnto vs. An Heathen man telleth a Courtier that had lost his Sonne that hee had no cause to mourne either for that or ought else as long as his Soueraigne was in safetie and hee in fauour with his Soueraigne hee had all things in him and should be vnthankfull to his good fortunes if he were not cheerefull both in heart and looke so long as things stood so with him as then they did How much better may it be said to euery true Christian let his wants and his losses be neuer so great that he hath little cause to mourne for them so long as hee is in grace and fauour with God hee hath all things in him and so long therefore he is happie and he haue nothing else but him And exceeding vnthankfull is he to Gods goodnesse if the apprehension of it fill not his heart at all times with gladnesse vnworthy is he of saluation by Christ that cannot at any time finde matter of reioycing in Christ. Yea but how can we reioyce peraduenture will some say amids so many crosses and calamities as Gods Church and Children are daily vexed and annoyed with yea and our selues also among the rest Or how can wee reioyce when we haue so many sinnes and corruptions to be sory for Yea how may we lawfully reioyce when we are called vnto heauinesse and solemne humiliation when we are commanded and enioyned by God to mourne and lament When either our owne estate or Gods Churches is such that not to be sorie and to be euen sicke with sorrow may well seeme a sinne To this I answer 1. We must euer remember so to keepe one Commandement that we breake not another Repent is one Commandement Reioyce is another And he that commandeth the one hath enioyned also the other As Saint Iames therefore reasoneth Hee that said Thou shalt not kill hath said also Thou shalt not commit adulterie though thou doest not kill therefore yet if thou doe commit adultery thou art a transgressor So here he that hath commanded vs to be sory for our sinnes and for the afflictions of our brethren hath commanded vs also euermore to reioyce And therefore though wee faile not in sorrow for our sinnes or for our brethrens afflictions yet if we wilfully banish and abandon this spirituall ioy which Gods Spirit requireth of vs we make our selues thereby guiltie of sin in Gods sight A sinne it may be not to be sory at some time and a sinne it is for Gods Childe at any time not to ioy They say that Negatiue precepts or prohibitions only tie at and vnto all times But this Affirmatiue iniunction also concerning a Christian mans ioy admitteth no intermission but tieth vnto all times Sorrow may be sometime out of season this spirituall ioy as of some food wee say is neuer vnseasonable The godly are at some times prohibited the one they are neuer inhibited but enioyned euer the other Yea marke what I say it is vndoubtedly true Albeit few be prone to offend that way yet a man may offend euen in excessiue sorrow for sinne in thinking too much on his sinnes in mourning vnmeasurably for his sinnes If such thy meditation of thy sinne and sorrow for thy sinne shall so farre preuaile with thee that thou art wholly swallowed vp with it or by meanes of it art either detained from or disabled vnto and made wholly vnfit for the performance of other necessary duties that thy sorrow doth then make thee guiltie of sinne and thou hast iust cause to be sory for that sorrow 2. Ioy and griefe in some degree at least may well stand together As true ioy may well stand with some feare Reioyce before him saith the Psalmist with feare So true ioy may well stand with some griefe As sorrowing saith the Apostle and yet alwaies reioycing He that hath commanded vs to sorrow sometime would neuer else haue enioyned vs at all times to reioyce There is ioy euen in griefe as there is griefe euen in ioy Yea though it may seeme strange yet it is questionlesse true the greater griefe sometime the greater ioy and the greater ioy the greater griefe A man may at the same time both be exceeding sory for his sinne and yet reioyce exceedingly in the apprehension of Gods mercie in the free pardon and forgiuenesse of it Yea the greater griefe a man hath for his sinnes the more cause of ioy hee hath euen in that regard And the greater ioy a man hath in the apprehension of Gods fauour in the forgiuenesse of his sinne the greater griefe and sorrow for his sinne it vsually worketh in him As where the seruile feare ceaseth that regardeth nothing but wrath there the filiall feare of offending groweth vsually most rife For the more a man is assured of Gods loue towards him the more he loueth God and the more he loueth him the more afraid is he of offending him So where the inward gals cease of a guiltie conscience there sincere griefe for sinne groweth fresher than euer before To illustrate this by some familiar comparison Suppose one that stood guiltie of high Treason against his Soueraigne and that not in some inferiour kinde but in the highest degree either hauing made a violent assault vpon the person of the Lords Anointed or hauing not by accident as he sometime that slew Craesus his Sonne but by a malitious traine taken away the life of his only Sonne that should haue succeeded him hauing no other issue in the Kingdome and hauing been arraigned and condemned for the same yet should by his Soueraigne out of his gratious disposition and at the earnest suit of some about him haue the fact pardoned him and his pardon sent him This partie doubtlesse as he could not but exceedingly reioyce in so vndeserued in so vnexpected a fauour so withall if he had any sparke of grace or good nature at all in him the very apprehension of his Soueraignes gratious disposition would make him mourne for his foule fact more than euer before considering with himselfe how wretchedly and vnworthily hee had caried himselfe toward one whom he found so gratiously beyond and aboue all either
expectation or imagination disposed The case is ours in effect and not to insist long vpon application of it It may hereby plainly appeare how spirituall ioy may well stand with godly griefe and these two affections that seeme the one contrary to the other may yet agree well together in a Christian mans soule since that the more a man ioyeth in the assurance of Gods goodnesse toward him the more he must needs grieue to consider how by his wicked and rebellious courses hee hath demeaned himselfe wretchedly and vnworthily toward that God whom he findeth so gratiously affected toward him A man may mourne for his sinnes then and yet reioyce in Gods mercie be sorie for his transgression and yet haue ioy of his pardon And in like manner may he be grieued heartily for the present afflictions of Ioseph and that euen so as hee may be sicke with griefe againe and yet withall be cheered and comforted in the consideration of that happie issue of them that Gods fatherly care of his Church his power his prouidence his gratious promise and his owne Faith building thereupon giue him good hope and assurance that they shall haue in the end For the Griefe of Gods Children in these cases is not a desperate griefe but a sorrow mixt with Faith and Hope It is but a storme said that good Bishop and within a while it will â—uer And The Rod of the wicked saith the Psalmist shall not rest vpon the Lot of the Righteous Nor will God vtterly cast off his people nor forsake his inheritance for euer But though he send afflictions in vpon them to scoure and to cleanse them yet he will returne againe to them and haue compassion on them according to the multitude of his mercies and turne againe their Captiuitie as the Riuers in the South When he hath by their aduersaries wrought his owne worke vpon them for euen such also doe his worke though against their owne will hee will turne his hand vpon them and vtterly destroy them as the Father to please the Childe againe and to testifie his reconcilement to it is content sometime to cast the rod into the fire that he had corrected it with before Yea the more men take Gods wrath to heart and the more they are humbled vnder his hand be the same either on themselues or others the more comfort may they haue in their humiliation as conceiuing thereby the greater hope and assurance that God will in mercie the sooner hasten the deliuerance of his distressed ones and the confusion of their oppressors And thus againe may a man mourne as heartily for the sins also of others as he doth or would doe for his owne and lament euen with flouds of teares their folly and misery like to ensue on it and yet haue ioy withall of his owne conuersion and assurance of saluation as those that are safe on shore hauing escaped shipwracke may at the same time both commiserate the distresse and danger of those that are still wallowing in the Sea amids the waues and bickering with the billowes there in ieopardie euery instant to be swallowed vp irrecouerably in the deepe and yet the whilst reioyce also in and be thankfull vnto God for their own safetie Ioy and griefe therefore may well concurre and agree together Nor doe Gods Commandements herein crosse or contradict one another Wee may well sorrow sometimes and yet alwaies reioyce 3. Euen in the greatest afflictions may Gods Children haue much ioy For To the iust or the vpright ariseth light in darknesse saith the Psalmist The vngodly meet with darknesse oft in the day the godly haue light oft euen in the night The Sunne goeth downe at noone-day oft with the one it riseth oft euen at mid-night with the other In whom you trust saith Saint Peter and reioyce with a ioy vnspeakable and glorious albeit by occasion of manifold temptations yee are for a season in some sorrow And My Brethren saith Saint Iames count it exceeding ioy when you fall into many trials or troubles And Great is my reioycing I am full of comfort I haue ioy ouer-abundant in all my tribulations saith Saint Paul They may retaine ioy in them yea they may draw matter of ioy from them They may retaine ioy in them For it is another kinde of matter and a matter of farre greater consequence that is the ground of their ioy A Christian mans ioy dependeth not vpon freedome from afflictions but vpon the assurance of Gods fauour towards him for the present and vpon his hopes of future matters Yea they may draw matter of ioy from them Since they doe or may know that they are good for them and doe worke for their good I know saith the Apostle that this shall turne to my saluation And All things worke together for the good of those that loue God And as the sicke man therefore may reioyce at the comming of the Surgion though he know full well that hee must needs put him to much paine that commeth to saw off some part gangreaned or to cut him of the stone So may the godly haue ioy not in only but of those afflictions that befall them knowing them to be Gods louing and fatherly chastisements of them for their good and considering that though no such chastisement for the time seeme ioyous but grieuous yet they bring forth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse in those that are therewith exercised And this the rather when the afflictions that befall them are such as tend directly to giue them the greater assurance of their future eternall happinesse As the Apostle telleth the Philippians That their aduersaries rage and furie against them was as wel an euident signe of the saluation of the one as of the destruction of the other and the Thessalonians That their sufferings for Christ and his Kingdome did euidently shew that God had vouchsafed them a part in that Kingdome for which he had called them in such sort to suffer and that their troubles here were a pledge and seale of their eternall rest there For This is a true and a sure assertion saith the same Apostle that if we die with Christ we shall liue with him if wee suffer for him wee shall reigne with him And why may not Gods Children reioyce then euen in their greatest afflictions when they shall consider that this light trouble that lasteth but for a short season shal procure vnto them as the Apostle speaketh an exceeding excessiue eternall weight of glory For the further confirmation and fuller illustration of this point consider we the Nature of that excellent Creature one of the first of Gods workes that this Ioy of Gods Children is compared to in my Text. Concerning which I will make bold to insert here a very
thinke on my name as a man spareth his owne Sonne that serueth him Hee loueth and delighteth in his little weake ones his nouices his young babes in Christ that can scarce almost creepe much lesse goe well alone yet as well as in his great ones his strong his well growen ones that are able to helpe and to tend others For the Lords delight is in all those that feare him and that rely vpon his mercy Hee is content to accept of at their hands what they are able As a little done by a Son giueth his Father much better contentment than a great deale more done by a meere stranger or a seruant And there is the difference betweene a Sonne and a Seruant that a Seruant if he cannot do his Masters work his Master will not keepe him hee must goe seeke him some other seruice whereas a Sonne albeit he be not able to doe ought yet hee is not therefore cast off his Father keepeth him not for the seruice that he doth or can doe him but he keepeth him because he is his Son Yea it is not the wants and infirmities and imperfections or the remainders of sinne and corruption in Gods children that can cause God to cast them off or to abhorre them Our corruptions shall not hurt vs if they doe not please vs saith Augustine Nor is it so much our corruptions as our pleasing of our selues in them that maketh God to be displeased with vs. Any beginning of sincere sanctifying grace then argueth Gods Childe and a weake Childe of God being yet a Childe of God as well as a strong hath good cause and great cause therein to reioyce 2 This inchoate Righteousnesse or first fruits of Gods Spirit is as a sure signe and seale of Iustification and Adoption for Iustification also and Sanctification are neuer sundred or seuered all that are truly iustified are sincerely sanctified and all that are sincerely sanctified are truly iustified also so is it a firme pledge and pawne or earnest rather of future glorification and of whatsoeuer of Gods gratious promises remaineth yet to be made good Christ is as I may so say the Suretie we haue for them He is as our Suretie to God for the discharge of our debt so Gods Surety to vs for the performance of his promises And Gods Spirit in the graces of it is the earnest that he hath giuen vs alreadie before-hand for the better assurance of what is to follow All the promises of God are in Christ Yea and Amen that is firme and stable saith the Apostle And It is God that establisheth vs with you in him who hath also annointed and sealed vs and put the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts And this holy Spirit of Promise wherewith we are anointed and sealed is the earnest of the inheritance by Christ purchased for vs for assurance of possession As a peny therefore giuen in earnest bindeth as firmely as a pound if the partie at least be a sure and sufficient man that one dealeth with so euen the smallest measure of sincere grace being Gods owne earnest bindeth him in regard of his promise accompanying it for without some such word of agreement and promise it could not be an earnest to the making good of all his gratious promises made to the faithfull in generall to those that haue receiued it in particular and may as well therefore minister good hope and giue vndoubted assurance of the performance thereof vnto them in due time And as a weake but a true Faith may as well lay hold vpon Christ and receiue him by God offered it as well as a strong as a feeble and a shaking hand may as well receiue a Kings almes as the lustiest and the ablest mans hand that is So euen a weake beginning of sauing and sanctifying Grace if it can be discerned and discried amids a multitude of wants may as well giue assurance both of present grace and fauour and of future glory with God as the greatest measure that may be And as a peece of Gold that such a poore sicke mans weake hand receiueth of the Kings gift may as much glad him at the heart stand him in as much stead and doe him as much good as that that is receiued with a better So Gods gift by a weake Faith receiued and apprehended may as well comfort a mans soule and as well ioy him at the heart being it may stand him in as much stead and be as beneficiall to him for his good as being receiued by a stronger Yea the maine and principall matter of our ioy here being grounded vpon not so much what we haue alreadie as what wee hope for and shall haue though a peece of gold be better worth and a man therefore may doe more good with it than he can with a small peece of siluer yet the latter may altogether ioy a man as much as the former in regard of the inheritance that is assured vnto him by either So a poore quantitie of Grace though it cannot for the present so much benefit a man either to doe so much good to him or to others by him as a richer larger portion of grace may yet in regard of the heauenly inheritance and future glory that it is an earnest of the one may well minister as much ioy as the other because the one giueth good assurance of the very selfe-same in effect and substance with the other Euery sincere Christian then be he weake or strong hath much matter and good ground of ioy Let all saith the Psalmist that are vpright-hearted reioyce But The Hypocrite hath no cause â—o reioyce As Simon Peter told Simon Magus Thou hast no part nor portion in this businesse for thine heart is not vpright in Gods sight So the Hypocrite hath no part nor share in the Ioy of the Iust because he is not vpright-hearted his heart is not single nor sincere in Gods sight The ioy of the Hypocrite is but momentanie saith Zophar in Iob it is no true no sound no permanent Ioy. As their repentance is so is their reioycing as their godlinesse is so is their Ioy. As they repent in the face but not in the heart So reioyce they may in the face but not in the heart As their godlinesse is all in outward shew nothing in substance nor in truth and therefore it is of no constancie at all of no continuance Thy goodnesse saith God is as a morning cloud that is dissolued as soone as the Sunne breaketh forth and as the dew that melteth and is dried vp as soone as the Sunne shineth on it So is their ioy only a superficiall a seeming reioycing and it shall not therefore last long but it shall fade and faile soone as their goodnesse and godlinesse doth And no maruell For 1. Whence ariseth the ioy here
which yet is onely an effect and a fruit yea such a fruit of it as doth not necessarily alwaies spring from it nor is at all times of the yeere euer constantly found on it and that therefore he doth not trust in Christ so long as he wanteth it is a maine meanes to keep many from it and from the comfort of it which yet haue true Faith and doe vnfainedly trust in Christ for all that As by many other sound and vndoubted Arguments which if they be questioned with and vrged to it not daring to denie them lest they should lie against their owne conscience may be drawne from their owne confessions answers concerning themselues when there is no feare of hypocrisie lest they should therein dissemble being more prone to charge than to cleare and to alledge matter against themselues than to produce any thing for themselues will euidently appeare Among which Arguments also euen this though it come last yet is none of the least if their conscience vnfainedly can testifie for them that though they haue not yet such a perswasion and assurance of Gods mercy toward them in Christ for the remission of their sinnes and the saluation of their soules yet they vnfainedly desire and labour instantly for it and though they cannot yet attaine to it yet they loue the Lord Iesus heartily and his members for his sake and rest and repose themselues wholly vpon him and Gods mercy in him renouncing all other meanes of remission of sinne and saluation without him with a full purpose of heart and resolution still so to doe expecting when God shall in mercy be pleased to looke gratiously vpon them and to vouchsafe them that assurance that as yet they haue not Who so trusteth in the Lord saith Salomon ô blessed is he And what a great measure of grace is it for a man to trust thus in God while he lieth yet vnder the sense and apprehension of his wrath Those therefore whatsoeuer they are that hauing by these or the like Notes and Signes examined themselues haue found their hearts to be sincere and vpright with God albeit this their beginning of grace be mixt with much weaknesse they may know thereby and assure themselues that they haue right to and interest in the Light and Ioy of the Iust here spoken of and they may therefore safely lay hold on it admit it giue way to it receiue it and harbour it in their hearts yea that they wrong themselues Gods grace in them and his goodnesse towards them when they refuse and repell it hauing so good and sure ground for it hauing so great cause as wee haue here shewed to reioyce Light and Ioy being sowen here not for the righteous alone but for all that are vpright in heart Which Ioy the Lord in mercie vouchsafe to all in Sion that yet want it and increase it daily in the hearts of all those that alreadie haue it vntill wee come all to meet and partake together in that fulnesse of Ioy which shall neuer againe be interrupted or eclipsed in vs shall neuer in whole or in part be taken againe away from vs. Amen FINIS Escapes of more moment to be amended PAge 7. line 13. after his put in owne p. 11. l. 1. after wicked put in man p. 15. l. 2. after they put in be p. 23. l. 11. for not reade nor l. 16. after That put in alone p. 24. l. 16. put out not p. 108. l. vlt. after are put in in p. 109. l. 14. for mother reade father p. 118. l. 27. for suspected reade expected In the Marginall notes PAge 2. before Vses 2. for Parts reade Part. p. 7. lit s for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 13. l.t. for id reade iâ— p. 14. l.f. for malus reade malis p. 15. l. g. for caro reade cor l.h. for genuerunt reade gemuerunt p. 31. †for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 35. l. â— after in Iulian. 2. put in Quomodo de Socrate Idem from l. â— p. 75. after Branch 1. put in Obseruation 4. p. 116. * after aâ— put in nervis p. 134. l.u. for praecedat reade cedat a Nobilis genere nobilior sanctitate Aug. epist. 179. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. in Gorgon in Basil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem in Patr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem in Heron. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isidor Pel. l. 2. ep 291. Summa apud Deum nobilitas est clarum esse virtutibus Paulin. ad Celant Christianum esse est verè nobilem esse Nec gencre sed virtute censetur nobilitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iphicrat Arist. rhet l. 2. c. 23. Quod optimum nobilissimum Velleius hist. l. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antisthen Laert. l. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato ibid. l. 3. Quis generosus ad virtutem benè à natura compositus Non facit nobilem 〈◊〉 plenum fumosis imaginibus animus facit Sen. ep 44. Nemo altero nobilior nisicui rectius ingenium artibus bonis aptius Idem de ben l. 3. c. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. Dictye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epicharm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Democr Stob. c. 84. animalia muta Quis geneâ—â—â—â— putet nisi fortia Nobilitae summa est atque unica Virtus Iuven sat 8. c 1 Pet. 3. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. in Gorgon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem in Patr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem in convent Episc. Itaque quod Hieron olim praeâ—at in Prâ—v pâ—ucis immutatis iungat Epistâ—lâ— quâ—s 〈◊〉 Conjugium Iâ—ò â—â—â—ta non dividat quâ—s Christi nectâ—◠〈…〉 ad Chrom Eusâ—b Non debet charta dividere quos amor mutuuâ— copulâ—vit c. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cleâ—â—thes apud Arrian dissert l. 4. c. 1. e Opera Dei sunt in mediis contrariis Luther apud Paulum ab Eilzen in Genes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. in Cypr. f Verè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod de â—apt Dominus Ioan. 5. 35. g 〈…〉 Senec. epist. 107. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Steb c. 95. h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Casarius apud Gree Naz. ep 59. i Psa. 34. 19. 73. 14. Luk. 9. 23. 21. 12 16 17. Act. 14. â—2 1 Cor. 15. 19. k Luk. 9. 24. 21. 18. 2 Cor. 1. 3 4 5. 2. 14 6. 10. 10. 4. l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. de prolis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incertus Author 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demberit apud Stob. c. 74. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euâ—ntus apud Plut. de am prol m Gen. 15. 2. 30. 1. Iohn 16. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menand apud Stob. c. 73. n 1 Sam. 1. 6 7 8 〈…〉 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem ibid.