raging storme this first word Then will make vs stay a while by the way Then he arose c. Then When was that may some man say Why when but when the rage was greatest in the midst of the gust when the windes whistled loud and the sea went high when their ship was full of water and Mariners and passengers were all at their wits end Then hee arose and rebuked the winde ond the raging of the water c. A dangerous time beloued when cunning had left them and the mercilesse waues must haue mercy vpon them then it was high time for him to awake out of sleepe The loudnesse of the windes and the raging of the waters they might both togethet seeme to bee S. Ieromas bell that alwayes he thought hee heard ringing in his eares Surgite mortui venite ad iudicium arise and come forth streight way vnto Iudgement A terrible and fearefull sound for vs whose liues are nothing else but as S. Aug. speakes splendida peccata glorious sinnes sinnes all ouer whose whole liues haue beene subiect to the law of sinning and so S. Paul calles it in the seuenth to the Romans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 7.23 because wee haue so inured our selues to sinning euen from our cradles and do so continually endeuour our selues for to commit sin as though we were bound by law to the performance of it Wee haue been past shame in sinning And as Absolom in 2. Sam. 16. committed his folly in the sight of Israel 2. Sam. 16.22 so wee haue not sticked to commit our abhominations at high noone in the market-places of our streetes as though we did desire to make God a lyar who calles all sins in generall opera tenebrarum deeds of darknesse because they spring and come from the Prince of darknesse and are rewarded in hell a place of vtter darknesse We I say by committing of them in the fight of the Sunne doe as much as in vs lies make them Opera lucis daily sinnes and therefore vnto vs this account were very fearefull Man saith S. Cyprian is growne audacious in his sinning and hath steeled his fore-head in committing of them so that hee knowes not how to blush when he is reproued for them Nullus delinquendi pudor saith he sic peccatur quafi magis per ipsa peccata placeatur we are past all shame saith hee in our finning and so wee do striue with our selues for the committing of them daily as though Almighty God were not offended with vs for them but rather highly pleased and delighted with them But from this kinde of sin good Lord for his mercy sake deliuer vs all to sinne so greedily as that forthwith we should take a delight and pleasure in our sinning for commonly these kinde of sins they haue annexed vnto them duritiem cordis a hardnesse of heart so that if God will reclaime such a kinde of sinner he must as it is said in the Gospell Math. 3.9 worke it out of the very Flint Math. 3. Ex lapidibus suscitare filios Abrahae out of stones he must raise vp children vnto Abraham and this condition there is none but will grant is very dangerous To dye in this case will draw a seuere iudgement indeed vpon man for they shall be iudged with a fearefull iudgement whose liues haue beene free from a iudgment here Those I say that haue liued here ill vpon the earth and not made their peace with their heauenly father before they haue gone hence all those shall the great iudgment oppresse and cast out into vtter darknesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth But this though it might affright vs as who are guiltie of many transgressions yet it could no way daunt our Sauiour at all for he was not guiltie of the least thought of sinne neither originall sinne nor actual sinne could once fasten vpon him his conception and birth being without all staine as being conceiued by the Holy Ghost his whole life it was a satisfaction for actuall transgressions and therefore though both winde and seas should rage neuer so terribly yet hee might sleepe as secure in the middest of the storme as any one of vs in the greatest calme and quiet that may be Neither yet were the raging of the windes or the roaring of the waters of sufficient authoritie to haue awaked him had it not been the cry of the Disciples that had moued him to pitie Master Master we perish was the Trumpet that moued him to rouze himselfe and take compassion of his forlorne companie Their imminent danger made them pray hartily vnto their Sauiour their feare of perishing made them not waxe weary in their prayers but pray vntill they awaked him to their rescue God he loues an earnest admonisher and is delighted especially with an importunate suiter and therefore many times doth deny men their requests at the first that hee might heare them more constant and feruent vnto him in their prayers afterwards constant as the Apostles here who continue their intreatie euen vnto death Master Master wee perish And this same duty of prayer it is so naturall as that euen the vn-reasonable creatures doe not omit it but pray in their kindes Psa 104. Psa 104.21 The Lyons suffering hunger saith the Psalmist they pray vnto the Lord they seeke their meate at God And so the yong Rauens in the 147. Psalme the Lord indeed saith the Prophet feeds them but first they call vpon his name for so he saith Psa 147.9 Who feedest the yong Rauens that call vpon thee And that all excuse may be taken away from man in this kinde so that ignorance might not be pretended by him it is S. Cyprians note that qui fecit te docait te etiam orare that he that at the first made man and fashioned him in his mothers wombe he hath taught him also to call vpon his name he hath framed a praier for him himselfe if perhaps he should be so dull of vnderstanding as not to be able to conceiue prayer of himselfe and commanded him to vse it also When you pray saith he say Our Father c. I maruaile what some hot spirits in the world will say to this same speech of our Sauiours here who would not haue his prayer vsed amongst men but that they should pray altogether as the spirit giues them vtterance Here I am sure we haue Christs Dicite for their ne dicite his command against their prohibition But I follow my Text. Math. 7.7 Our Sauiour in the seuenth Chapter of Saint Matthewes Gospell in three words sets downe the whole duetie of man in this kinde Pet◠Quare Pulsa Aske saith he seeke knocke First we must humbly aske those things that are necessary for vs and yet are wanting vnto vs for hee with-holds them to make vs more earnest in the desiring of them Deus non dat nisi petenti ne dee non cupienti saith Saint
awaked in which regard the Prophet Dauid as weary of his long sufferings willing to be releiued in his distresse he is faine to cry aloude and earnestly as it were to wake him out of the sleepe that he is in to come vnto his succour Psal 44.23 For thy sake are wee killed all the day long we are counted at sheepe for the slaughter therefore awake why sleepest thou ô Lord Arise c. An earnest admonisher we see and one that will not be silent hee doubles and trebles his speech Awake sleeepe not arise that if he were fast indeed yet his earnestnesse at the last would cause him to awake and to speake truth God for the most part seemeth for to sleepe that so he might be awaked by our earnest intreaties for God as Saint Augustine notes amet nimium vehementes is so delighted with our prayers as that many times hee does deny vs our suites that he might heare vs continue earnest in our prayers And againe if he should vpon euery motion that we make vnto him grant vs our requests his benefites at the last would come to bee contemned of vs we know it here an ordinary practise among men cito data cito vilescunt wee accompt it scarce worth the taking that is not twise worth the asking therefore before he grant vs hee would haue vs bee earnest with him in deed to awake him with our prayers if perchance hee should seeme to bee a sleepe But when we haue awaked him what then is there any redresse to bee had at his hand Why yes furely euen the same party that we mentioned euen now hee found it at his hands he was deliuered out of his distresse Saul the persecutor fals deadly vpon his owne sword both to the destruction of soule and body and Dauid the distressed inioyes the Kingdome Daniel is made protector of the Kingdome and his accusers and enemies throwne into the Lyons den though he sleepe heere for a time amongst vs yet one day hee will awake againe and whereas all the time of his sleepe he hath plaid the Lambe bene patient in his reuenge yet when he shall awake he shall rouze himselfe like a Lion for to right himselfe of al his enemies which if it be not in this world yet in the world to come wee know it shall be to their greater condemnation Noah we know he slept a while and suffred the scoffes and abuses of his wicked sonne Cham but when he awaked what then then Maledictus Canaan then he pronounces a fearefull curse vpon him for his lewdnesse Gen. 9.25 Cursed bee Canaan seruant of seruants shal he be so I say if not in this world yet at the end of the world our Sauiour he shall curse his enemies with a terrible curse a curse of curses Ite mal dicti Mat. 25.41 Go yee cursed of my Father into euerlasting fire a terrible and a fearefull curse from which God keepe vs all But yet so he slept not here in this place his sleepe now it was a voluntary naturall sleepe But as they sayled hee fell a sleepe The reason of sleepe in naturall men it is yeelded by the Heathen Phylosophers and chiefly by Aristotle the eldest sonne of nature there are two causes saith hee of sleepe in man Fumus ascendens in cerebellum the ascending of the fumes and vapours vp out of our stomacke into our head and so surprizing of the braine or else Corporalis naturae fatigatio the ouerwearying of our body with labour and trauell both which were truely in our Sauiour and yet neither the cause of this sleepe of his he had them both truely in him because in deed hee was truely man but heere in this place as the Diuines teach he slept voluntary as being Lord and Commander of his Humane Nature As hee is then the Keeper of Israel the Creator and Preseruer of man-kind he cannot sleepe but as hee is a Man and himselfe made a creature sleepe was requisite and necessary for him But yet here I say hee slept voluntary he slept because hee would sleepe hee was Lord of his Nature and might commande it which is not in vs for many of vs oftentimes would sleepe but cannot and sometimes againe when wee would willingly watch our eies are most heauy and ouercharged with sleepe Illam noctem rex duxit in somnem saith the Text Ester 6. Ester 6.1 That night the King would faine haue slept but could not And againe the Disciples in the 26 of Matthew Mat. 26.43 they could not refraine from sleeping when they would haue watched and hee came and found them asleepe againe for their eyes were heauy But in Christ our Sauiour there was no such naturall imperfection in the Wildernesse as long as hee fasted so long it may bee credibily thought that hee watched also both which wee know to bee aboue the course of ordinary nature and in the sixt of Luke Luke 6.12 hee continued a whole night in prayer vnto his Father and yet wee do not reade that hee was ouercharged with heauinesse in the morning hee could sleepe when he list and hee could watch as long as hee list and yet no impediment vnto his body but heere hee sleepes voluntary that so he might giue way vnto a miracle But as they sayled hee fell a sleepe Mark 4.38 Saint Marke recording of this same Story tels vs that he did sleepe In puppi super ceruicale Hee was saith he in the hinder part of the Ship a sleepe vpon a pillow after his paines taking of Preaching the Gospell vpon the Land hee takes his reasonable rest in the ship vpon the water hee rested his head vpon a pillow not stretcht himselfe out at length vpon the Epicures bed of ease but onely laid himselfe downe that so he might bee vp againe vpon all occasions hee was like in this businesse vnto himselfe poore and wanting not hauing so much as a boulster of his owne to lay vnder his head but is faine to borrow the Marriners pillow so are his birth his life and death the one proportionable vnto the other and so much for this first Accident heere in the iourney Hee fell a sleepe The second followes And there came downe a storme of winde on the Lake What a storme of wind come downe on the Lake and Christ our Sauiour in the midst of it Credendumne est ea ventos fuisse audacia and is it possible that the winde should be so audicious as to disturbe either the Sea or the Ship in which the Lord both of heauen and earth was carried in that they should come violently rushing on and aske no leaue of their Lord and Maister Oh no but rather as it was in the tempest that Ionas was tossed in Iona 1.4 The Lord saith the Text there sent out a great winde into the Sea and there was a mighty tempest in the Sea so that the Ship was like to be broken So in
vs likewise from sudden and vnexpected death because that commonly sudden death and vnprepared death they goe both together we cannot liue so warily here not the best of vs all but if God should take vs vpon the present wee might haue many things obiected against vs which we would bee all willing should be concealed in that great and generall day of Iudgement God grant vs all time of repentance here hee grant vs also that wee doe not mis-spend that time that he giues vs but in it heartily repent vs of our sins that so in the last and finall day of iudgement we may all haue that blessing pronounced vpon vs that the Prophet Dauid pronounceth vpon all the righteous Psal 32. Beatiquorum remissae sunt iniquitates Psal 32.1 blessed is the man whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sin is couered Then blessed shall they be vnto whom the Lord will impute no sin And as for those who thinke they liue so warily as that they are alwayes prepared for death let them stand vpon their owne innocency and haue no part in this prayer of ours The heathen I say they thought it a happinesse to haue a sudden death to light vpon them and so Plinie in his seuenth Booke and 53. Cpapter wisheth that that might bee his lot and the Poet is not farre behinde him when he saith Mitius ille perit subita qui mergitur vnda Quam sua qui liquidis brachia lassat aquis He dies easier saith he who at the first dop doth lose his life then hee that in swimming doth struggle to drawe breath But wee that are Christians wee must resolue our selues on the contrary opinion their ignorance it was that caused them to wish for it but we we know besides the manner of death we know I say of a great account which euery one of vs is to make when this life shall be ended a matter that the Heathen scarce euer dreamed of where wee must make answere not onely for those sinnes of old age which the Prophet in the 38 of Esay Esa 38.15 calles annos sinnes of yeares sinnes of great standing but as the Psalmist speakes in the 25 Psal Delicta inventutis Psal 25 7. sins of wanton and recklesse youth and not onely those neither but in the 19 Psalme Psal 19.12 for secret sins that is saith S. Augustine in his Confessions for the sinnes we haue committed in our nonage before we knew either good or euill that we may haue the fewer inditements preferred against vs in that great and generall day of iudgement therefore wee desire respite for repentance here in this world which God grant vs all Amen They came vnto him but how Non passibus sed precibus saith S. Augustine not so much by their earthly paces though we must conceiue that euen in those they hasted vnto him as by their winged prayers they poasted towards him they praied vnto him for had they not humbly supplicated as well as run vnto him they might all very well haue perished in the furious tempest To pray it is naturall for Man and so much Aristotle by the purblinde eye of nature could see Natura sairh he inseruit homini vt sacrificet Man by nature saith hee is made a continuall Beades-man vnto his maker alwayes to haue recourse vnto him and this propertie of nature grace hath confirmed from time to time in the righteous man to haue recourse vnto his Maker so Dauid in his distresse in the 68 Psalme Psal 68.16 when he is in-girt and compassed in about with his many enemies he turnes himselfe vnto the Lord Exaudi me Domiue heare me O Lord saith hee for thy louing kindnesse is good turne vnto me according vnto the multitude of thy tender mercies and hide not thy face from thy seruant for I am in trouble heare me speedily and draw nye vnto my soule and redeeme it deliuer me because of mine enemies c. So good Iehosophat in 2. 2. Chron. 20.13 Chron. 20. he saith cum ignoremus quid agere debeamus when we know not O Lord saith he what to doe then our eyes they are vpon thee And so S. Peter wishes that they alwayes should be 1. Pet. 5. Cast all your care vpon him for hee careth for you and if at any time they should haue recourse vnto God then most especially in their troubles and aduersities when mens soules are brought low vnto hell then they should call vpon his name heartily indeed and then aboue other times hee expects to bee called vpon Psal 50. Psa 50.15 Call vpon mee saith God in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me whereupon Saint Augustine notes that it is Gods Memorandum vnto men to call vpon him Voce te saith hee vt inuoces me behold O man saith hee I put thee in minde of it if thou haue forgotten that then aboue all other times thou haue recourse vnto me Nay many times Almighty God doth lay afflictions and troubles here vpon men that they might bethinke themselues of their Prayers and flye vnto him in their sore distresse We may easily see the course of it By aduersitie God brings men first into a doubt and feare and then by feare into an acknowledgement of their owne necessitie and weaknesse and so consequently into a despaire of succour in themselues and by despairing in their owne meanes to thinke of meanes that may bee profitable vnto them and so at the last to the consideration of Gods vnspeakeable loue and kindnesse to them-wards And out of this againe considering that his mercie is great and his goodnesse from euerlasting hee raiseth vs vp againe to an assured trust and confidence in his mercies and out of this confidence wee are bold to make our Prayers and Petitions vnto our Father And therfore if either voluptuousnesse or anger or pride or any other sin shall be ready to attempt vs our refuge onely must bee to pray against them with Dauid in the 44 Psalme Psal 44.23 Exurge Domine awake why sleepest thou O Lord arise and cast vs not off for euer wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and our trouble And in our prayers I make no question but we shall finde comfort if not deliuerance speedily If then any perish it is as God himselfe speakes in the 13 of Ose Perditio tua ex te ô Israel Ose 13.14 his destruction it is from himselfe because hee hath neglected his dutie vnto the Lord in calling vpon him to be mercifull vnto him They came vnto him and good reason too for if we would any thing with the Lord it is all the reason that may be that we come vnto him we haue need of him not he of vs then we must call nay we must cry vnto the Lord Psalm 3.4 Clamaui ad Dominum saith the Prophet Dauid I cried vnto the Lord with my whole voyce and he heard me
out of his holy Hill we must come and pray vnto him Then they came vnto him c. What the Apostles here did in their persons that wee must do if we want any thing in our owne nay whether we want any thing or no it is our duty for to do it and the prayers of the righteous they are of no small force or efficacie with God to obtaine a blessing from him euery one of them is as a forcible Engine to open Heauen gates and to draw downe a blessing vpon the head of him that sent it vp So S. Bernard telles vs out of that place of the Gospell Luk. 18. concerning the poore Publican Dum non auderet oculos ad Coelos eleuare Luk. 18.10 ipsum Coelum potuit ad se inclinare saith hee Whilst the Publican durst not lift vp his eyes in his prayers vnto heauen such was the force of his prayers with God aboue as that hee bowed the heauens and made them descend downe vnto his prayers But yet by the way it were not amisse for to aske the question What prayers are these that are of such power efficacie with the Lord it is not euery one that is forged in his name Math. 7.21 so our Sauiour Christ himselfe telles vs Math. 7. Non omnis qui dicit Domine Domine not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heauen much lesse euery time that he saith it shall haue his request But before our prayers we must prepare our selues to pray by serious meditation Meditatio docet quid desit oratio ne desit obtinet saith Saint Bernard by meditation we learne to know what is wanting vnto vs and by prayer we obtaine that it shall not be wanting That shewes which is the right way that we must walke this teacheth vs how to walke when we haue found the path By meditation wee know the dangers and the perils that hang ouer our heads and by prayer we auoyd them all and escape away scot-free And yet before we can come to meditate aright our heart it must be framed aright for it and that must bee by an earnest and hearty repentance for our sinnes which is Magna spongia as Saint Augustine calles it the great Spunge that wipes them all away out of the fight of the Lord. And herein lies an especiall duty of the Priest if he shall be required thereunto to know how dangerous the sinne is that a man is tainted withall not to flatter his patient in his sinne but to let him know the true weight and danger of it that so he may throughly repent him of his sin and learne to returne to God againe For as S. Cyprian speakes Imperitus est medicus c. he is an vnskilfull Physition saith hee and a worse Surgeon a great deale who seeing of a putrified sore will handle it gently and suffer the corruption to remaine in it still and so by his foolish pitie ouerthrowes his patient whilst he is afraid to apply either his cauteries or his searing medicines Aperiendum est vulnus secandum saith he the wound must be searched launced and the bottome of it felt let the patient in the meane time rage and rosre yet when hee is recouered hee will giue him thankes for his cruell loue Those that sow pillowes vnder mens elbowes and take away repentance for their sins make men beleeue their sinnes are but motes when the weight is so great that God himselfe is forced to groane vnder the burthen of them Amos 2. they doe as much as in them lies shut vp the gate of all true repentance so that whilst with the false Prophets they cry Pax pax non est pax peace peace when there is nothing lesse then peace to be expected whilst they promise a false peace vnto the sinner the hope of eternall peace is vtterly lost from them But in this case there are many vnskilfull euen of the great ones amongst vs who know not what to answere to a distressed wight that shall craue their aduise and helpe but the fault for the most part it lies in themselues Nemo nos interrogat so few there are that craue the aduice of their Teacher as that the case of Conscience lies quite neglected some one or two perhaps when they lye in a cold sweate they send for a Preacher and then hee must giue them a little Opiate Diuinitie that may skinne but not heale or helpe the fore a whit Let vs repent our selues whilst wee are lusty and strong and then wee shall feeele the fruite of it when we lye sicke and weake vpon our beddes And for this same late repentance is S. Augustines note Poenitentiaquae à moriente tantum petitur timeo ne ipsa moriatur he is afraid it will bee dead as soone if not sooner then the partie that lies sicke But true repentance it is the meanes to right meditation and right meditation to hearty prayer and without hearty prayer it is but in vaine to come vnto the Lord and yet againe it is but in vaine for vs to repent vnlesse withall we proceed to feruency of prayer Caine sorrowed for his sinnes when hee confessed his sinnes were so great as God could not forgiue them And Iudas when he cryed out I haue sinned in betraying the innocent bloud but yet they had neither of them grace to aske forgiuenesse for their sinnes which had they done heartily and as they ought I am fully perswaded they should haue found pardon for their great offences Repentance it is the Supersedeas that dischargeth all bonds of sinne and Prayer it is the bucket by which wee draw grace from the everlasting fountaine Let vs continue drawing then till we may assure our selues we haue a good measure of grace within vs and neuer leaue him who is able to adde more to him that hath the greatest aboundance of it in him Let vs flye vnto the Lord by prayer and since our many sinnes like so many fierce Samsons haue not sticked to murther the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah let our repentant teares and humble prayers like so many Bees come and sucke the hony at the flowers of his passion let them ascend vp early in the morning like incense into his nostrils and close the afternoone againe like an euening sacrifice then shall we truly come vnto the Lord and as we ought to do then shall they awaken him though hee bee fast asleepe and obtaine a blessing for vs that offered them vp Then they came vnto him and awaked him saying Master Master This Title of Master here will deserue a little pause you call me Lord and Master saith our Sauiour in the thirteenth of Saint Iohns Gospell Ioh. 13.13 and you doe well for so I am Is not hee Master of them who is Lord and Master of Nature it selfe vnto whom all things both in heauen aboue and in earth beneath doe willingly obey He is Master