is quite deiected Thirdly we haue the experience of many who haue sought the pangs of death to auoid these pangs of conscience Iudas could find no ease but in a desperate death in hanging himselfe Reuel 9. 6. Such as wish to die seeke death and cannot finde it they follow it but it flies from them and all this in the paine of a despairing conscience But here come three questions to be resolued First How can it bee that the wicked binde vpon themselues such heauy bundles of sinnes and carry all so easily whereas the godly finde such bitternesse in sinnes forgiuen how comes it to passe that the godly feele such sorrow in sinne pardoned and the wicked feele nothing in sinne vnpardoned For these reasons first because now is the time of Gods patience and forbearance of his bountifulnesse and long-suffering towards the vessels of wrath Secondly now is the time of their reioycing but when the daies of their banquetting are gone about then shall come many heauy messengers to tell them of fearefull newes there comes a day of wrath when they shall reape as they sowed and drinke the dreggs of Gods wrath to the bottome of the viall They treasure vp sorrow with their sinne and their griefe shall be full That sinne that now sets no sorrow to their heart shall hereafter be a worme euer gnawing a fire neuer going out a Riuer of brimstone kindled by the wrath of the Lord of hosts and a perpetuall weeping and gnashing of teeth Secondly how comes the body to be troubled by the minde First by the strait vnion and sympathie betweene the soule and the body vnited into one person for while the soule is possessed with feare sorrow languishing wearinesse and heauinesse it is impossible that the body can take any delight in the comforts of nature but that sleep shall depart from it or bee not so short as troublesome the meate and drinke shall be tastelesse or lothsome or mingled with teares I forgot to eate my bread saith Dauid Psalm 102. No comfort shall bee comfortable to him for when the spirit which should sustaine all a mans infirmities failes him what can sustaine him Secondly by the righteous iudgement of God who correcteth together those who haue sinned together and as they haue been vndiuided in sinne so are they not diuided in the smart of it The body hath been a seruant to the lusts of the soule and so receiueth the wages of sin with it Dauid abused the vigor strength and health of his body in the sinnes of adultery and murther and now the Lord chasteneth him in both Thirdly how comes it to passe that all the godly haue not this torment for sinne that they are not thus struck with terror nor so affected for sinne as to haue their strength impaired and their body dried First their persons are not alike and therefore Gods dealing with them is not alike some are more obscure in the world then other and haue onely more secret exercises some are more fitted by God to be speciall vessels for his glory in whom he will shine to his whole Church as Dauid Hezekiah c. and these he will specially worke vpon to make them patterns of his mercie both in leading them in and out of trouble for first hereby he lets the world see that great grace is ioyned with great corruption Secondly that the best haue matter of correction in them Thirdly that hee will not spare to rebuke sinne in those that are neerest and dearest vnto him Fourthly he will haue others to looke vpon them and Gods dealing with them in their casting downe and raising vp Secondly according to the difference of sinnes may be the difference of sorrow many men of greater grace then others haue fallen into greater sinnes then others and their knowledge being more then others is their apprehension of the sentence of the Law hath been deeper and so of wrath due to their sinne Besides in some others some speciall corruption which hath often preuailed or the constitution of body may adde a sting to the sorrow of mind some are naturally more fearefull as melancholy constitutions and so their impressions are deeper and of longer continuance Thirdly although in ordinarie Christians before sense of remission there is a sufficient measure of labour and wearinesse vnder the burthen of sinne yet some of all kindes God will exempt from such depth of griefe that he may shew himselfe free in all his working O that men would hence come to feare the paines prepared for sinners for if first a drop of Gods displeasure let fall secondly in loue thirdly on his owne children fourthly for a moment doe so amaze them and drinke vp their spirits their soules and bodies how much more shall the Ocean and deepe sea of Gods wrath against his enemies for all eternitie consume and torture them in hell Blind people of the world wil not know what hell meaneth till they be in it Secondly let vs learn to haue compassion on such as are troubled in spirit seeing such is their heauines as presseth downe both soule and body let vs apply our selues to comfort them as Dauid did here in his owne person and example Many thinke this sicknesse to be but passion conceit or melancholy and because it changeth the body often they thinke it to arise from the body but there is no disease like to this for symptomes and torment First they all are naturall this supernaturall SeSecondly they from the constitution of the body this from the constitution of the soule Thirdly in them the humours first or imagination as in Melancholy are distempered in this the conscience first and the humours after Fourthly they all may be cured by naturall remedies and bringing the body to a temperature all naturall medicines vnder heauen cannot cure this sicknesse Blessed is hee that iudgeth wisely of the poore to relieue the sicke conscience is mercy indeed Christ had the tongue of the learned giuen him to speake a word of comfort to such weary soules and was sent to bind vp the broken in heart and not onely ministers but euery Christian hath receiued of his anointing Thirdly in that Dauids sicknesse of body was from the sinne of his soule learne that health is a special blessing of God seeing wee euer carry that about with vs which might change it the first and most noysome humour which breeds bodily diseases is sinne the disease of the soule and therefore if God change his hand and bring weakenesse vpon our bodies we must not fixe our eyes vpon second causes not on abundance of peccant humours but looke backe to our sinnes and life past consider how silent and impenitent we haue been turne to God bewaile and forsake sinne resolue to vse our health better and our strength for God and not against him and thus the sicknesse of our body shall turne to the soundnesse and health of the soule
else wofull is the state of that man who being sicke both in soule and body is brought neere to the gates both of death and hell And in our recouerie let vs take vp that lesson of our Sauiour Goe and sinne no more Fourthly if this touch of conscience be so great then must that conclusion be true He must needs be a blessed man whose sinnes are forgiuen whose wounds of soule Christ hath taken vpon himselfe by bearing properly the wrath of God for them vpon the Crosse. But alas who thankefully acknowledgeth and walketh worthy of the loue of his Lord whose spirit was heauy to the death that our spirits might bee lightened whose conscience was submitted to this heauy trouble that wee might find peace of conscience in him and whose-selfe was made an offering for sinne that we might be wholly discharged from it In my roaring AN argument of extreme paine that made the Prophet vtter a feareful noise like the roaring of a Lyon And by roaring is meant bitter crying and lamentations through sense of paine without further apprehension for as yet no further was this holy man come Men vse to vent much sorrow by weeping and crying and so Dauid made triall if by this meanes hee could helpe himselfe to ease but all in vaine sorrow for sinne is not alway cast out with teares the conscience of sin vnpardoned bites whether thou criest or art silent and therefore thou must come to another remedie First note Dauid while he lay slumbring in his sin made a great noyse but hee calls it roring rather then godly sorrowing more like and fit for beasts then for men Euery godly mans sorrow for sinne is not alwayes godly sorrow and indeede when men cry and lament only in sense of paine without further motion of Gods loue in the heart or bending the Spirit to sue after God or when the Spirit grieued with-draweth himselfe as it is often in the godly and here in Dauid it is rather a brutish noyse common to men and beasts then any voyce acceptable to God Secondly when sorrow is a fruit of impatience or distrust or ioyned with murmuring or excesse or any other sinfull quality as some godly mens sorrow hath beene it is no godly sorrow let the obiect bee what it will Thirdly when sorrow euen for sinne brings neither glory to God nor comfort to the heart it is not godly sorrow for that doth both but here was a sorrow in Dauid which did neither for still he hid his sinne and it was not yet accompanied with so much as confession of sinne and much lesse with forsaking it the matter of accusation was no whit abated Fourthly that sorrow which proceeds from the sight of sinne in generall but not in the particular cannot be godly sorrow for thus the wickedst on earth will confesse sinne and semble sorrow for it But this was Dauids sorrow he was not so destitute of minde or so past himselfe as that he could not or did not generally acknowledge himselfe a sinner in this time but seeking to hide his particular sinne his sorrow was but roring This may first incite vs to examine our sorrow whether it be godly sorrow or no acceptable to God and comfortable to our selues How shall I know whether my sorrow be godly sorrow or no Know it by these rules First godly sorrow hath a right obiect which is God himselfe offended and here is a difference betweene the sorrow and sense of the godly and wicked as in their sicknesse The Lyon roares and the beasts feare it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of God therefore the wicked feare and sorrow because God is become their enemie Plainly it is Gods power or Gods iustice which makes them feare and sorrow before whom the Hills melt and the Rocks breake asunder and the Earth burneth before his eyes and who can stand before his wrath And their sorrow is for themselues that they cannot make their part good against him in holding of their sinnes selfe-loue is the moouer of their sorrow But the Church is sicke of loue that is there is in the godly heart a sense of Gods loue and a motion towards God offended In this heart louing friendship with God the griefe is because by sinne it hath changed his loue into displeasure Zach. 12. 10. The Spirit being powred on them they shall mourne for him that is when the godly shall come to see what euills and miseries their sinnes brought vpon Christ and how odious their offences haue beene towards him for it was not so much the Scribes Priests Romanes and Iudas that brought Christ to his death as the sinnes of the Elect then shall they weepe for him The Spirit of God euer directs men to God 1. Sam. 7. 6. The people of God are said in the day of their fast to draw water namely out of their hearts and to powre it before the Lord whereby is meant that they wept bitterly for their offences against the Lord. Psal. 51. 4. Dauid saith Against thee against thee haue I sinned hee needed not haue beene so much troubled for his sinne either for shame for it was not knowne but to God alone or for punishment for none could call him to account but this wounded him he had offended his mercifull God Gen. 39. 9. Ioseph being tempted to folly said How shall I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God the wrong that he should haue done his Master was nothing in his eye to Gods offence But Iudas sorrowed not for his Master but for himselfe Secondly as God is the obiect of godly sorrow euen God loued for himselfe so God is the Author of it working it in nature whereas worldly sorrow is naturall riseth from nature and tendeth to the preseruation of nature very little looking beyond It lookes with Cain more at punishment then at sinne present distresse more affects it then Gods indignation but this is supernaturall a plant of God and an impression of his finger How may I know that my sorrow is from God When it is wrought in Gods meanes and they be ordinarily three First his Word Act. 2. 37. When they heard PETER say that they were pricked in heart Secondly his Rod. Lam. 3. 1. I am the man that haue seene affliction in the rod of thy visitation this is the hammer that beates the Word home to the head Marke I say his Rod and to know it to bee his besides the former we may take another note that it makes all other rods easie and light and swallowes vp carnall vexation as Moses his Serpent did the Sorcerers when men lay on with their rods of indignities and iniuries it will not suffer impatience reuenge moodinesse that men refuse their meat and drinke and part from their sleepe here is worldly sorrow now a dramme of godly sorrow bewayling sinne would weight downe a talent of this Thirdly Gods
the vnderstanding and the mind to the things that are offered and makes the minde intent vpon them it is a candle held to the minde to giue it light in the thing to be done and in the manner of doing it Secondly it informeth the iudgement the chiefe office whereof is to trie and compare things together which hath euer been the circumspection of the wise as Dauid compares his present estate with the former It is the definition of a mad man to bee without iudgement to follow his fancie and to be led by appearances without triall so the prodigall sonne when he began to consider is said to come to himselfe Luk. 15. 17. till which time he was as a mad man out of or besides himselfe therefore Elthu counselleth his friends Iob 34. 4. thus Let vs seeke iudgement amongst vs and know among our selues what is good that is Let vs trie Iobs speech how true and iust it is Thirdly sound consideration inclines and determines the will according to the light of the mind and the sound informing of the iudgement and accordingly perfecteth the action He were a mad man that knowing he hath apiece of poyson in his hand would incline his will to eate it Now when consideration hath soundly enlightned a mans minde informed his iudgement according to that light and determined his will according to that iudgement it must needs bring forth sound resolutions purposes and actions Againe see the truth of this doctrine in sundrie instances First a man that is to goe a small iourney will consider whether he be in his right way what time hee hath to go through in what places are most dangerous how neere he is to his iourneyes ende what is the vse of his iourney and accordingly hee resolues for his furniture and expedition So if a man consider of his iourney to heauen of the difficultie of the way the danger by theeues or robbers of the shortnesse of his time how neere his waies end is c. he would speedily resolue of repentance and amendment of life which without this consideration is not onely deferred but also vtterly neglected Secondly a man that considers of the haruest of the returne and profit of his husbandrie will also consider of the seed-time and of the sowing of his ground he wil not spare his seede as distrusting the haruest or fearing to lose it So whereas many are bad husbands because they neuer consider of the haruest others expecting an happy haruest in the Kingdome of heauen sow to the spirit consider this their seede-time and while they haue time will sow their seede cast it liberally on the ground or waters distribute to the necessities of the Saints and after many daies they finde it with increase an hundreth thousand fold Thirdly wise men thinke theeues and fellons to bee mad men that seeing euery Assises so many hanged for theft yet will steale and rob and this is because they consider not the ende but hee that considers the vnauoidable danger of the law the seueritie of it the eye of the Iudge vpon him the irreuocable sentence of death and the shamefull execution of it resolues to depart out of the way of such danger So what makes the wicked to be accounted mad men in wise mens eyes but their foole-hardy rushing into a thousand rebellions and treasons against God they know that one sinne is able to damne them had they ten thousand soules and bodies and yet they rush into thousands of sinnes it being with them as it is with him that knowes one or two graines of poison will kill him and yet eates a pound of it because he considers not the ende Whereas if men did consider the danger of sinne the curse of the Law the torment of conscience here and of hell hereafter durst they so aduenture vpon sinne But I speake of a sound consideration for it is true that most men in grosse beleeue an heauen an hell a iudgement an account and a punishment but not not digesting it with due meditation and application to their owne soules it doth them no more good then Phisicke put into a mans pocket can helpe him to his health all this knowledge is lockt vp in the braine and brest and is as insensible as fire in a flint-stone if it bee not beaten out by sound consideration All this serues to stirre vs vp to consider of our waies and of our estates and of the actions that wee doe for these respects First inasmuch as without it no state of life can bee rightly ordered the Mariner if hee consider not his compasse continually and his course by it runnes into remedilesse dangers and so it with vs in our voyage to our hauen of Heauen The Marchant if he consider not his affaires by his count-booke of gaines or losses his debts and wares will soone proue banquerupt so we in our spirituall traffique without sound consideration shall soone be blowne vp If Eue had considered of the Serpents words had she and had we by her been such losers Had Adam considered of Eues gift had hee been so deceiued If Abraham had considered the counsell of Sarah would hee haue taken Agar into his bosome What doth all this proue but that if we were as rich as Adam in innocencie yet wants of considering our estate would lay vs to spoile Secondly it is a prerogatiue that man hath aboue all creatures to haue a facultie of examining his actions by consideration and yet how little doth man respect this priuiledge without which hee were to be sorted with beasts or mad men especially in sound consideration for the good of his soule the beast liues by things present man should consider the end before he beginne Thirdly without consideration no action can bee done well or succeed happily no spirituall action because it is not in faith if it be done without consideration as for example First we can neuer heare the Word well if first before-hand we consider not whom we come to heare and to what ende namely to further our saluation without this we come but as to a play Secondly in hearing if wee consider not our selues to bee in Gods presence Thirdly after hearing if wee consider not of what wee haue heard and that God will iudge vs by it Secondly in prayer we are commanded first to consider and then to pray as Eccles. 5. 2. Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hastie to vtter any thing before God For this consideration must offer both matter of prayer and also stirre vp affection and desire else it will be but a dead and cold prayer Thirdly in the Sacraments we must first examine and consider our selues of the Couenant of the seales of it of our faith worthinesse and repentance and afterward we must consider the fruite of it else all is but hypocrisie and vnsound By all which we see that it is onely sound consideration that brings
them all things falling out to the best to them that loue God Neither may it be strange that although remission of sinne be the ground of all deliuerances yet all that haue remission of sinne haue not deliuerance from temporall dangers but some of the Saints are hewne asunder tempted slaine burnt hanged and ignominiously put to death For as the subiection of the creatures to vs dependeth vpon our subiection to God and our peace with men vpon our keeping peace with God so our subiection and peace with God here being only begunne and imperfect we must recouer our safetie from the creatures and peace with men but in part and imperfectly But yet that which is wanting here is recompensed with spirituall peace euen here as Ioh. 16. 33. In the world yee shall haue affliction but in me yee shall haue peace and afterward with that peace that is euerlasting First then where God begins our safetie let vs begin it in labouring to feele our inward peace with God which will quiet our hearts in the assurance of Gods prouidence and protection in outward things it will be an easie descent from the greater to the lesse In the want of outward things say to thy selfe God out of his loue hath giuen me his owne Sonne and will hee not giue mee all things with him Shall he giue me heauen and not earth In the want of inward comforts say to thy soule Why art thou cast downe my soule while I was yet an enemie and a sinner God hath reconciled me by the death of his Sonne how should hee now cast mee off being reconciled In bodily dangers what a prop doth this doctrine giue vs Hath my Lord prouided with so much cost so great saluation for my soule and will he neglect to saue and preserue my bodie hee that doeth the greater will not hee doe the lesse In molestation by externall aduersaries What hath my Lord and head foiled the Deuill for me troden Satan vnder my feet and trampled vpon all spirituall enmities for mee and will hee not beate backe the endeuours and vniust practices of my enemies Shall I beleeue the greater and not beleeue the lesse Secondly in receiuing and enioying outward benefits labour to see them all to be the riuers streames of this fountaine for then they be sweet indeed as the streame is then sweet when the head and fountaine is so but if the Fountaine be bitter or poisoned so are the streames For first they are no further mercies then they proceede from mercy and then they be mercies indeed as they are called Secondly else we enioy them by a broken title if not by vertue of the Couenant and euen those creatures are in a kinde of bondage from which God frees them often by plucking them from vniust owners as Hos. 2. 9. Thirdly else we distinguish not our selues from the wicked scarce from the beasts who find and taste the sweetnesse of the creatures as we do but not of GOD in them Naturall men stay in the fruition and delight of the things themselues and can goe no further whereas as the riuers lead vs to the sea so ought wee to bee led by them to the minde of the Lord towards vs in them Fourthly those that delight themselues in the pleasures and delights of things below and want the pardon of sinne are as if a man should drinke off a cup of sweet poyson with much delight but presently or not long after it workes deadly Thy sinne is poyson which thou castest into the cup that the Lord hath made to run ouer Fiftly a little gift with loue and good will is more acceptable then a great deale with strife and grudging If a man can see Gods loue and good will toward him in Christ hee will be content with a little thankefull for a little cheerefull with a little and his portion though very small will bee very precious Sixtly if assurance of remission of sinnes giueth vs such ioy in trouble and affliction that the Saints can reioyce in tribulation Rom. 5. 3. how will it reioyce the heart in the fruition of Gods mercies Oh then how ought we to labour earnestly by the eye of faith to discerne the beames of Gods loue and fauour chasing away the cloud of our sinnes without which all our comforts are but bitter and vnsauorie Thirdly hence gather the priuiledge of Gods children to whom remission of sinnes is sealed vp which is to be secure either from perils or in perils For first once in Gods Couenant and euer safe for the couenant is vnchangeable as God himselfe is an euerlasting couenant Isai. 55. 3. Secondly their afflictions are not punishments of sinne but either tryals or louing corrections the sting of them is gone Thirdly whereas the wicked whose sinne is not pardoned are haunted and vexed with terrours and feare where no feare is a godly man is as bold as a Lyon yea in the presence and sense of danger Iob 5. 22. Thou shalt not bee afraid of destruction when it commeth but shalt laugh at destruction and death For the stones shall be at league with thee and the beasts c. Who would not be exempted from danger or fearelesse in danger as seeing his owne safetie Surely the way is to get the Lords louing countenance vp vpon vs and then we shall be safe Psal. 80. 3. 7 19. Thou art my secret place THe Prophet borroweth a comparison from liuing creatures who being in danger or in chase or pursuit haue their hiding places to defend themselues in the Lyon hath his denne the Foxe his hole the Conie his burrow and the Godly man hath his asyle or refuge but with this difference First the beasts haue their dens caues in the earth wherin they hide themselues but the godly hath his hiding or secret place in heauen Secondly they may be fetcht and hunted out of their hiding places and be destroyed for all them but so cannot the godly who make God their secret place seeing none is able to plucke them out of his hands who is stronger then all Hence we may note that The Lord is the hiding place of the godly in trouble and danger As a man in a storme or showre seeketh shelter so in the stormes of the Church and Common-wealth in which the enemies thunder and roare and seeme to mingle all into one confusion then the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous flye vnto it Psal. 27. 5. In the time of trouble hee hath hid me Psal. 91. 1. The godly is said to dwell in the secret of the most High How is the Lord the hiding place of the godly First by his promise Secondly by his protection First his promise couereth and compasseth his Elect vnder which they are as safe as in a towne of warre Psal. 119. 114. Thou art my shield I trust in thy Word Many were the plots which Dauids enemies impugned him withall
sorrowes in number many in kinde many in this life many moe in the life to come many within him many without him and many on euery side as the next branch in the opposition shewes that God on euery side compasseth his children with goodnesse and mercy Whence Note the vnhappy and cursed estate of euery wicked and obstinate sinner in the world his sorrowes shall bee many and great Isa. 65. 13 14. Behold my seruants shall eat and yee shall bee hungry my seruants shall sing for ioy of heart and and yee shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall howle for vexation of minde and yee shall leaue your names for a curse vnto my chosen Reu. 9. 12. One woe is past and two are to come and Chap. 8. 13. The Angel flying thorow the midst of heauen cryed Wo wo wo to the inhabitants of the earth All these many woes are proclaimed against the wicked of the world cleauing either to the Kingdome of Antichrist in the West or of Mahomet in the East Turkes Saracens Arabians Tartarians and after them to all the wicked that cleaue not to God in the purity of his worship and in obedience of his word And that they are onely denounced against them appeares Chap. 9. vers 4. because the children of God are sealed and exempted from them Deutron 28. 58. 59. If thou wilt not obserue to doe all the wordes of this Law then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderfull and the plagues of thy seed euen great plagues and of long continuance and sore sicknesses and of long continuance But many are the woes and miseries of the godly and therefore what is it better to bee a godly man then a wicked There is great difference betweene them for first these are all mingled with mercy Indeed a child that is deare to his father if he runne another way with Ionah must bee whipt and fetcht backe againe yet the Lord puts not off fatherly affection but remembreth mercy in iudgement and smiteth with the rods of men but his mercy he taketh not away Whereas the sorrowes of the wicked are destitute of all mercy and no maruell seeing all their blessings are leuened and sowred and tend to their bane through a secret curse of God blowing on them and blasting them Secondly the godly call not their miseries on them by a trade and course in sin as the wicked do but when for tryall or correction of some slip God leads them where they would not they follow him taking vp the crosse thereby learning the will of God prouing what is in themselues amending that which is amisse confirming themselues to euery good work this cannot the wicked do who whatsoeuer they suffer fall from euill to worse Thirdly the Lord deliuers the godly out of all putteth vnder his hand and reares them vp and leaueth them not in the sorrow till hee haue enlarged their feete and brought them where all teares shall bee wiped away Whereas he leaues the wicked in sorrow laughes at it and suffereth the fire of his iealousie to seaze on them to the bottome of hell Fourthly the Lord recompenseth the light afflictions of his seruants with an exceeding weight of mercy first in this life iustifying sanctifying beautifying teaching feeding protecting them and theirs Secondly in death bringing their soules to heauen and laying vp their bodies safe till the resurrection Thirdly at the day of iudgment bringing both body and soule into the glory of the iust But these sorrowes of wicked men are farre other both for number and measure in this life and afterward much more all of them void of all mercy And to conceiue aright of them consider first the kindes of them Secondly the causes or reasons of them Thirdly the vse For the first these sorrowes are partly in this life and partly after it First In this life these sorrowes are partly in the present practice of sinne and partly in the consequent fruits of it Secondly the very course of a sinner although Satan present it to him through a false glasse and it seeme pleasant and care to be quite away yet indeed it is a sorrowfull and heauie course for the laughter of a wicked man is but in the face not in the heart and euen in laughter the heart is heauie or hath cause so to bee That which Salomon speakes of a voluptuous course which most agreeth with the flesh is true euen in the passing of it It striketh as a Dart through the liuer Prou. 7. 23. The same is true in the purchase of other sinnes as 1. Tim. 6. 10. the Apostle noteth of the course taken vp in earthlinesse and carking care after the things of this life that this man though hee seeme to liue merrily yet he pierceth himselfe through with many sorroweâ— The intemperate person meetes with many diseased dayes and houres of paine and sorrowes as the Gowt Dropsie Palsies Surfets which make his life a burden vnto him so as though the sinner see it not yet in the practice of sinne there is more gall then honie and at the best it is but a bitter-sweete But Secondly after the sinne is committed comes a fearefull and more sorrowful sence of it for if the best fruits of sin euen in the godly that are renued by repentance be shame and sorrow no maruell if the wicked be hanted and hunted with horrors of conscience desperate feares restlesse torments and be as the raging Sea which cannot rest for there can bee no peace to the wicked man so long as his conscience hath any sense but let him goe and ride where he wil he pursues himselfe with hue and crie and so long as he cannot runne from himselfe hee carries his accuser and tormenter with him as Cain did and Baltasar euen at his Feast was pierced with feares and sorrowes that made his ioynts loose and his knes knocke together so shal Gods hand-writing be on the walles of profane consciences How many sorrowes after his sinne ouertooke Iudas and so oppressed him that his heart being not able longer to susteine him his best ease was to hang himselfe a wofull remedy not much better then his disease but such shifts are the wicked sometimes put to when their sweete meates are recompensed with sowre sawce Secondly after this life is the consummation of his sorrowes euen in Christs appearance for all that this life can load him with is but the beginning of sorrow The parcels of this sorrow shall especially bee in these particulars First they shall waile and sorrow to see him come in the clouds whom they haue pierced he shall bee their Iudge whose lawes and person all their villanies haue been committed against Secondly in that wofull separation first from God in the losse of glory and happinesse and then from Gods people when they shall see Abraham Isaac and Iaakob and all the Saints in the kingdome of heauen and themselues shut out
them forewarnes the wicked of their danger For if iudgement begin there where shall the wicked appeare Secondly hee most manifesteth his power in his childrens weakenesse in supporting their soules and bodies Now if his power and mercie were not aboue the iudgement they should perish in it Secondly he traines and betters his children which is great mercie by the iudgement first he scowres and purgeth their sinne afflictions are as Gods laundrie wherin his children by beating scowring and rubbing are made whiter and whiter Venimous creatures breed not in winter nay a sharpe winter kils the Vermine so afflictions nip and stay our corruptions This is another mercie aboue the iudgement Secondly by them hee exerciseth and stirreth vp the grace that is in them as the winde blowes vp the sparkes of fire yea manifests the synceritie of their hearts to themselues and others for a man is that indeed which he is in triall Thirdly he fits them by afflictions to comfort others in triall with the same comforts wherewith hee hath comforted them A great mercie to fit them to mercifulnesse and to set out Gods mercie to others See Exod. 23. 9. Fourthly he teacheth them to esteeme more of his blessings in the want of them Is there not an ouer-ruling mercie in all this that whereas afflictions are in themselues euill and reuenges of sinne yet they make the godly better now whatsoeuer makes vs better is from a hand of mercie Thirdly the Lord by his seruants trouble would teach all first that the euils chiefly esteemed so in the world are not so indeed for the godly are exempted from the greatest euils if only wicked men were blind blindnesse would bee thought a fearefull iudgement therefore to confute that Isaac must bee blinde Secondly how such euils should be borne It is a mercie that by the godly the world may bee taught how to beare the hand of God Thirdly an infallible marke of the resurrection Luc. 16. 25. Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy good things and Lazarus euill things therefore now hee is comforted and thou art tormented Fourthly that all their miseries end in mercie and are turned to their best Marke and consider the godly man for his end is peace his light afflictions are recompensed with an eternall weight of glory From all which we may conclude that if godly men in the midst of their miseries bee so compassed with mercie in the beginning carriage and conclusion of them that the doctrine propounded is most true But if we turne our selues to the second branch and consider those kindes of mercies which shall meete vs in the life to come we can looke no way but we are intrenched with such mercies as eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither can enter into the heart of man to conceiue much lesse can wee speake of them as they are but must breake out into Dauids admiration Psal. 31. 9. O how great is that goodnesse which thou hast layd vp for them that feare thee But yet as Moses wee may see the good land a farre off and with the searchers let you see by a cluster or two and giue a taste of the good things therin If God loue vs sayd they he will bring vs vnto it so many as God loueth shall be brought to it and not onely taste as here how good and gracious God is but shall drinke plentifully of the riuers of his house for with him is the Well of life and in his light wee shall see light First how can the Elect but be compassed with mercie when all the miserie and sorrow with all the causes and effects wherewith they are now compassed shall be abolished and vtterly chafed away Now we are vexed with the remembrance of euils past with the sense of euils present and with the feare of euils to come but all these first things must passe away and all teares must be wiped from our eyes In our bodies all weakenesse naturall infirmitie sickenesse labour mortality and corruption shall bee remooued they shall need neither meate nor cloth for which here we toyle so much nor Marriage nor Physicke nor sleepe there shall be no care for the familie no toyle in the calling for they rest from their labours no labour spent in teaching or learning in preaching or hearing mortalitie hath put on immortalitie and death being destroyed it can dye no more The soule shall be from all sinne and sinfull passions from ignorance vnbeliefe pride enuie and all the workes of the flesh yea not onely from sin but from the power of sinning the will hath no freedome to euill being perfectly freed to good neither can the affections set themselues vpon any other obiect In our names we are now lyable to many contumelies and reproches and slanders as our Lord himselfe was numbred among the wicked Hee was not knowne no more are wee but then shall our innocencie breake out as the light and it shall be manifest what we are 1. Ioh. 3. 2. When Christ our Head shall appeare we also shall appeare with him in glory Now wee are in spirituall combat but then wee shall bee perfectly freed from the deuil from his Angels from sinne and sinners from the world and the lusts that are in it and God shall fully and finally tread Satan vnder our feete Secondly If wee be so happie in Priuatiue mercies what shall we be in Positiue how shall we be compassed with them First how shall wee be beset with mercie yea and glory in enioying the immediate fellowship and vision of God in whose face is fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand pleasures for euermore If a man had all the paines of hell vpon him this blessed vision of God would make him an happie man We see God now but as in a glasse and yet that sight of him vpholds vs in all our troubles how much more shall we be fully happy when we shall see him as he is face to face euen so fully as being glorified we shall be capable of So many mercies compasse the Elect in this one as if I had a thousand tongues and should doe nothing but speake them till the day of Iudgement I could not recount them Secondly what a wonderfull mercie shall compasse vs in our immediate vnion and coniunction with Christ our Head by which we shall be like him not like him as he was a man of sorrowes and in the shape of a seruant for thus he was like vs but like him as hee is now the glorified Head of his Church not equall to him but like him both in soule and body Our soules perfect in knowledge holinesse and righteousnesse and standing in a perfect image of God like to the perfect holinesse of Christ himselfe Our bodies clothed with beauty strength shining agilitie and glorie as his is He walketh in white so shall wee His face is shining and glorious so shall ours As hee sits on his Fathers